Identifying the Top Film Schools

If you happen to be someone who spends a lot of time going out to the movies, it should be pretty obvious to you that movies cost a lot of money to make, but earn multiple times the cost if they become big hits at the box offices worldwide. Making a successful film does not only involve being able to write a great story; in fact, many great stories never hit home with the viewing audience because they are not told the right way. If you are interested in making films and want to know what contributes to making a good film, you should probably start by identifying the top film schools that can help you make your future film project a success.

Film schools or colleges that offer film making programs exist in large numbers. Today, it is even possible to learn about film making by taking online courses. However, to ensure that you get the knowledge, skill and resources necessary to make top selling films, you need to enroll in an institution that is known for producing talented and successful film makers. Here is a basic checklist of programs that a top film school should offer to ensure that you are transformed into a high quality film maker:

• Directing - this is where the artistic elements come into play; knowing what it takes to direct a film involves paying keen attention to dramatization
• Producing - this process involves actually recording the film, and is a key part of the film making process
• Editing - in many cases, a produced film may not need to be re-produced, but can be edited to create the most effective and grabbing scenes. Learning how to edit is a key factor in honing film making talent
• Screenwriting - all the top film schools will be able to teach you how to write effective scripts
• Cinematography - knowing how and when to apply light and sound to scenes in a film contribute to the dramatic effect; this is definitely a learned skill that only the top film colleges can teach
• Special effects - these can actually make or break a film, depending on when they are used as well as how applicable they are to a scene or type of film; learning how and when to use special effects is an important lesson that only a top film school can teach.

It is important to consider that in order to become a successful film maker, you will need to have a good understanding of all aspects of knowledge and experience that are involved in the whole film making process. Even though you may not see yourself as a screenwriter or producer per se, you will automatically be more effective and successful if you understand just what goes into performing in each capacity. Enrolling in any of the top film schools will give you the resources and tools you need to produce greatness in film and garner respect from the film industry.

Lahna ji (Guru Angad Dev ji ) Meets Guru nanak

As told earlier, Lahna Ji was an ardent follower of Vaishno Devi. Every year He lead a group of followers to Devi's temple. In 1589 Bikrami, the group started its journey and made its first stop at Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak was staying. Lahna Ji had a burning desire to meet the creator, whose divine hymns had enchanted him for such a long time. As he slept that night, he had a strange dream. He saw that Vaishno Devi was sweeping the floor of Guru Nanak. When he asked Devi the reason for doing so She replied, "The source of all my powers is Guru Nanak. All that I distribute among my followers is a prize of sweeping His floors." The dream had an imposing effect. Lahna Ji thought that if Nanak is the ultimate giver, and even the Devis bow to Him, He should be his real Guru. So he urged his group to continue their journey without him. The group made him repeated requests to accompany them, but Lahna Ji had made up his mind to spend the rest of his life serving Guru Nanak.
Lahna Ji's Tests of Patience and Devotion
Lahna Ji started spending all of his time in serving Guru Nanak or reciting His hymns. He was completely dedicated to divine service. Guru Nanak was to reward him for all this but not without a series of twelve tests.
In the first test Nanak ordered several of His Sikhs, including Lahna Ji, to fetch fresh grass for the cattle during a heavy downpour. While all others cut corners Lahna Ji abided by Guru Nanak's words, and brought back a bundle of green grass on his head with water oozing out to spoil his clothes. Guru Nanak laughed, but out of joy of Lahna Ji passing his first test. On another rainy day Guru Nanak went for a bath in the river, accompanied by five of His sikhs Baba Buddha, Bhagirath, Saadaaran, Ajita and Lahna Ji. While Guru Nanak took a dip in the river, He asked His men to stay on the banks. A chilling breeze of air and rain storm made everyone but Lahna Ji leave the place. Lahna Ji had successfully completed the second one.
The third one was very bizarre. As Guru Nanak was crossing a forest with His Sikhs and His own sons they came across a dead body. Guru Nanak ordered all of them to eat the body. Everyone was apprehensive and none had the courage to come forward and taste blood. Lahna Ji had tremendous faith in Guru Nanak, and without a hitch he proceeded to lift the cloth of sheet over the body. To everybody's bewilderment there was 'Karah Parshad' (holy food) underneath. Lahna Ji enjoyed the meal and all others were left ashamed.
One night while it was raining cats and dogs a wall fell. Guru Nanak ordered His Sikhs to wake up and reconstruct the wall. Some did not bother to even leave their bed as they believed that it was impossible to construct the wall in such severe rain; but as soon as Guru Nanak directed Lahna Ji to do the task he started off in a flash and spent rest of the night in erecting the wall.
Sangat (religious gathering) had conglomerated and Guru Nanak intentionally did not have 'Karah Parshad' to be distributed among them. He asked his own sons to shake an acacia tree and remove 'Parshad' from it, but they found it absurd and refused to proceed. It was again Lahna, the one with absolute faith in Guru Nanak's utterances, who shook the acacia, and 'Parshad' did fall to leave everyone astonished.
Guru Nanak once called on every one in the middle of the night and asked them to wash clothes on the river bank. Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das, Guru Nanak's own sons, found it below their dignity to wash the clothes themselves. While most of the other Sikhs made excuse of the dead of the night, Lahna Ji unphased by any outside uncomfortable conditions, went to the river and came back with washed clothes.

Guru Nanak once took the form of a gigantic monster with deep red eyes, a huge knife tied to His waist, and started behaving in a strange scary manner. He set off for the forests, the Sikhs followed Him to some distance but everybody gave up, feeling too scared. But Lahna matched Guru Nanak step to step. He tried all sorts of tricks to scare Lahna Ji but could not shake his faith.

Humayun in Guru Angad's Court

Guru Nanak's sons Baba Sri Chand Ji and Lakhmi Das Ji could not digest the Guru's seat being awarded to someone else. They had presumed that one of them would inherit the seat some day. They whined and complained. Nanak calmed them and explained that 'Guru Gaddi' (Guru's seat) was not a king's seat. It had to be earned through service and devotion.
On Asu Vadi 5, Sammat 1596 Bikrami, Lahna Ji was handed over the holy seat and he became 'Guru Angad Dev Ji', a part of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak then urged Guru Angad to shift to Khadoor Sahib and continue to work for the cause of religion. Nanak descended into eternal realms on Asu Vadi 10, Sammat 1596 Bikrami.

Humayun in Guru Angad's Court

Guru Angad shifted from Kartarpur to Khadoor Sahib and started working according to Guru Nanak's mission. Sikh Sangat began to flock to Khadoor Sahib to catch a glimpse of their Guru. Guru Angad was ever absorbed in remembrance of the supreme God. He enlightened the Sikh community with verses of Nanak's divine utterances. In those very days there was chaos in the capital territory of India. Sher Shah Suri had captured Humayun's (Babar's son) throne by defeating him in the battle field. Humayun was in search of such a divine soul who could guide him to gain his kingdom back. While he was escaping to Kabul through Punjab someone advised him to visit Guru Angad, the blessed one.
When Humayun reached Guru Angad's court, the Guru was absorbed in divine contemplation. So Humayun had to wait. Though he had lost his kingdom, his ego was still inflated enough to make him feel below dignity in having to wait for someone. He was so furious that he uncovered his sword to aim at the Guru; but as he lifted his arm to make the blow, his shoulder froze and his arm locked in an upright position. He struggled to move but was helpless. By this moment Humayun was aware of the Guru's might and power, and stood humbly before Him. Guru Angad Dev Ji urged him to remember Allah and revealed that it was the key to regain his lost power. Some years hence Humayun succeeded in winning back his kingdom with Guru's grace. His son Akbar also developed a deep faith in Guru's seat.

Stop Killing Your Book Dream With Lack of Focus!

Read this article and fuel the flame of your book dream again. This time dream a bigger dream. Dream after writing your book, you receive life long income that grows each month. You become a highly visible expert in your field. You gain added respect of your colleagues and peers because of your book. You receive increased income leveraged from higher fees charged. Your clients gladly pay them with book author as one of your titles.

Are you ready to revive your dream yet? Here are a few tips to help make all your book dreams come true:

1. Choose your book topic with care.

I recommend a subject you have passion for. I won't lie to you and say your book will write itself if you choose well. But it will make it a lot easier. You know, "Your book, your baby." Your book project becomes your brain child in a way. Make sure it's a topic you could enjoy now and for at least the next 3 years.

2. Write your book and keep your soul.

No, you don't have to sell your soul anymore to write a saleable book. Use the cumulative effect of doing a little bit at a time. Even so, unless you want it to take years to write, you must schedule writing time each week. For example, you could write 2 pages a day and have a short book in weeks.

3. Think solutions to your book readers' problems.

Your audience is looking for solutions to their problems. They are looking to you for encouragement to overcome their challenges. Mine your background, your files, and your speeches for the gold called your knowledge. Use speedy book writing techniques and finish your book faster to sell sooner.

4. Focus with a book intention plan.

Write a book writing and marketing plan. Educate yourself about book writing. Enroll or get resources like ecourses, books and Teleseminars. Invest in your book project. Use professional help with getting your cover design, book layout. Remember, book covers sell more books than any other element. Give your book the selling chance it deserves.

5. Write your book's vision statement.

Write it down and make it plain. Write when you'll complete it. Name specific outcomes you get after completing your book. For instance, envision yourself watching your bank balance grow from book sales. Write, "I see myself with increased income and more clients." Anyway you get the idea; create your vision statement including see, hear and feel.

6. Be patient with yourself on the book journey.

Set realistic expectations. If you think an hour here or a couple there will get your book done, rethink your commitment. Plan to fit at least 8-14 hours into your schedule to get your book done and out to the world. It may mean getting up in the wee hours of the morning or burning the midnight oil. Either way, know consistency will drive you and your book to a successful completion.

7. Go the extra mile to a successful book.

Persistent writers become successful authors. Don't give up. Take your dream out of the back seat. Bring your plans to the front. When you do what it takes to author your book, you can reap the rewards -expert status, increased fees, respect for your know how, fame that grows and many more opportunities that manifest.

Don't put it off any more. Take your dream off the shelf. If you wait, you can be this time next year without making your dream of writing a successful book come true. You have the knowledge and the solution. Now write it down. Your audience is waiting. Focus, use the tips above and write a book that sells well. Make it different. Make it count. Make it yours.

If You Are Into Writing, You Can Create Your Own E-Books

Writing in the World Wide Web is quite lucrative these days, and no, we are not limiting the options to affiliate marketing or ezine article submissions. There are actually many ways wherein those versed with the written text can have a sustainable income while performing the jobs they like. Making money online, writing and selling ebooks and reselling ebooks are almost (but not quite) synonymous with each other in the age of Web 2.0. So why not take the opportunity to do the same, especially when you have the talent in writing, and when you really have something to say. Here are some guidelines on how you could start the writing process of your own ebooks.

1. You should decide that the time is ripe for you to start writing your ebooks - or at least, one of your ebooks. Half-hearted efforts (believe it or not) show in the words you use and the manner by which you present the book. And if you are not enthusiastic about the book, what makes you think that your potential readers will be enthused by it as well? You may have some initial sales through aggressive marketing, but most people will remember your lame efforts at the onset. This will only damage your reputation as a credible writer. Start always on the right track, the right speed and the right voice. With that, you have half your work cut out for you.

Try not to start with ebook writing simply because you want to make money. Try starting your career because you do have something to say; and you intend to make people aware of it. Check information on essay rubric and history essay writing help.

2. Choose a topic that is close to your heart or something that stimulates you intellectually. No matter how limited the scope of your discussion is, most ebook subscribers would prefer brevity and clarity over razzle dazzle any day. During the early days of ebook making, some authors would literally stuff their books with whatnots, just to stretch the book into a hundred pages or more. This practice is done mostly to increase the price of the ebook in question. (The train of though goes: the more pages you have, the higher the price.) A 55 page ebook will sell just as well as a 1,000 page ebook, you know. Besides, who wants to buy a 1,000 page ebook anyway?

It's really the subject matter that is important. A well presented, easy to read and interesting book always sells, no matter how many pages the author plots it in.

Additionally, more and more people are turning to ebooks as a way of filling the information gaps within niches. So even if your book focuses only on how to raise and develop new varieties of Cattleya flowers in the greenhouse, you will still find Web surfers buying your book.

3. If you are not particularly confident with your writing style, or you think that your finished work needs a bit more polishing, you can always hire another writer to present your work in a better manner, or an editor to out the finishing touches to your book. This is the one thing that ebooks do not have gatekeepers for the finished product. Unlike the conventional printed books, the works usually go through several gatekeepers to make sure that there are no typographical errors, missing chapters or out-of-place text.

If you think you do have something to say, but would rather use someone else's writing talents to present it, it is easy enough (and quite affordable these days) to find a freelancer to help you out.

In Support of University of Toledo College Republicans

The University of Toledo College Republicans are taking a lot of heat for a controversial move they are making to protect students against persecution by powerful leftist professors.

The UT College Republicans are compiling a list of openly left-wing professors who discriminate against conservative students.

The list won’t have any force. It can’t be used to prosecute professors. It can’t be used to have them fired or even discliplined for abusing the power of their positions.

What it can be used for is to help conservative students avoid classes where vindictive and small-minded professors abuse their power to lower the grade point averages of conversative students and custom essay papers. It can be used to protect students against having their future educational goals and future careers sabotaged by leftist activism.

This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Many years ago I was a young political science student and my educational goals were permanently sabotaged by a leftist professor who was unfortunately also the acting head of my department and my official academic advisor on custom essay writing. The permanent department head was on an official leave of absence — working for the Democratic party. I was obviously not attending one of the best universities which our nation has to offer.

My professor told the class that we were free to express our opinions and asked us to speak up. I pointed out that at the end of the Cuban missile crisis, we had no actual proof that the crates which were shipped back to the Soviet Union actually contained the missiles in question — we had only photographs of the outside of the crates. That was too much for my professor and I was ejected from the department.

In retrospect, being kicked out of the political science department and being unable to complete my degree was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I have since gone on to found two successful businesses and have been able to effectively retire at a very young age. At the time, it did not seem so positive.

The far left has dominated colleges and universities across America for almost forty years, consistently stifling freedom of speech and of thought. It’s time that Americans act to bring intellectual freedom back to these important institutions.

Educational Software: Learning at Play

Now that computer programs have become easier to make and use, more parents and teachers are taking advantage of their incredible educational value.

Children really enjoy having fun while they learn and this is the main factor that makes educational software such an effective tool. With innumerable ways to include graphics, sound effects, games and other activities in educational software, it is little wonder that children are excited to spend time learning.

For example, I was always excited to use one of the math programs at my elementary school. As I remember it, every time I solved a math problem correctly, my race car got to move further around the track. Even though I didn't enjoy doing math at my desk with paper and pencil, I learned the skills that I needed because I enjoyed playing that game. This shows that with the right incentive any child can be eager to tackle the next problem. And, by making learning fun, you can actually help cultivate a love for learning in your child.

Using a tool that children enjoy also eliminates a lot of the energy previously needed to persuade students to focus on their work. And, because of its availability, educational software can be used in either a school or home setting. This means you can improve information retention by reinforcing the things your child studies at school narrative essay writing. For example, instead of buying a game with little or no educational value that promotes violence and blowing things up, why not invest in a game that teaches math skills, new vocabulary words, geography, science or history.

Working with educational software will also help children develop useful computer skills. Typing, opening programs and saving material will all help prepare them for using the computer in future education. I have seen this increased ability in my own little sister. Even as a five-year-old, she really knows her way around a laptop. She is much more computer savvy than I was at her age and it probably won't be long before she passes up my parents.

Once children learn how to use the program, reviewing material can be done independently too. This will not only improve self-confidence and independence, but it will free up some time for parents and teachers too.

When you shop for educational software, pay attention to both the grade level and the skill sets that it has been designed for. Even fun programs can get discouraging if the problems are too advanced.