I’ve been noticing a lot of posts on Facebook and Twitter lately that have influenced today’s blog. It started with people changing their profile picture to an equal sign. Since I’m pretty out-of-the-loop on a lot of things, I had to ask a friend what it meant. She explained to me that it was people trying to show their support for gay marriage rights. I thanked her and moved on with my day.

After that, I began to notice a lot of “debates” on Facebook and Twitter about gay marriage. Some of the comments were just downright rude! And this was coming from both sides. It reminded me of when we had the presidential elections several months ago. A lot of posts and discussions turned into rude jabs about other people instead of issues in the campaigns. So after reading through some of these comments and posts, I felt sick at what people were doing with their time.

After all, if you feel strongly about something political, wouldn’t it be more worthwhile to contact your local governor or senator about it? People in the social media sites have pretty much decided their standpoint on whatever issue is current. Responding to their post and saying that they are stupid or ignorant is not going to generate any kind of productivity or change their mind. Yes, it WILL generate a big argument from people on both sides of the issue. And yes, it will generate negativity, but what’s the point of that? Is it because you feel that strongly about a political issue, or are you trying to get some attention? (Rhetorical question – please don’t answer.;))

I happen to be a very opinionated person myself. I hold strong beliefs about certain things. I’m not writing this to share those opinions, however. I try to keep those things to myself and intimate friends whom I feel comfortable talking with, even if we have opposing views. And the reason why I like to keep my opinions to this close circle is because I know that my selected friends will listen to what I say, respect me for my opinions, and then calmly share what their opinions are and why they think what they do. There is no condescension when I talk to these people. We all think highly of each other and are comfortable sharing our view points without the worry of being judged for them.

When I’m online, I do not express these opinions. I think of them as too personal to share publicly and try to keep online discussions about things that everyone can contribute to without it turning into an online mob-fest.

You know that old saying, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”? I think it still applies to us today. Even though we have such wonderful modern technology and we can reach to people across the globe doesn’t mean that we can be rude to each other just because we’re not face to face. Let’s try to get to know each other, shall we? How about we have discussion that will help others see what you are like as a person, and keep political views out of it.

(Okay, rant over now. Thanks for indulging me on my soapbox!)

 

 

 

 

Have you ever gone on a hike and just reveled in everything that’s in nature? Smelled the trees and flowers, listened to the birds tweeting, feeling the fresh air on your face? Or have you ever been to the ocean and smelled the salty sea air, listened to children giggle while waves made that soothing sound? Do you like the feel of hot sand under your feet as you walk along the water’s edge?

Did any of these questions help bring you out on a nature walk or to the beach?

Sensory is very important for painting a picture with words. It’s something writers try to focus on so that the readers can really immerse themselves in the story. I tend to forget the sensory details when I’m writing the first drafts of my books, especially during action scenes. Luckily, I have a fantastic critique group that’s always asking what the sounds, smells, and touches are like.

For instance, there have been times when Leisha twists a man’s head to kill him. But when I describe the sounds of bones popping, the feel of them twisting under her fingers, and the body falling to the floor in a flopping thud,  you get a much better visual of what’s happening in the story.

Sensory can also help a reader understand the characters in more depth. If there’s a hardened warrior riding his horse into a village, what smells will he notice? Will he note the smell of the stables first, or maybe the perfume coming from the local whorehouse? Perhaps he’d smell the freshly baked bread nearby, or the stink of the privy. Any one of these things that would be described would reflect on what this particular warrior notices and what’s important to him at that time.

When I try to think about all these things as I write my characters, it helps me to realize how much we rely on all of our senses to experience life. This last Easter my kids got Runts candy in their Easter baskets. I hadn’t eaten those since I was probably eight or something. When my son shared some of his candy with me, I felt nostalgic from the first bite. Sudden memories of my childhood and who I played with during the summer popped into my head. It was crazy to realize something so innocuous as cheap candy can bring back fun-filled memories for me.

I have a friend who doesn’t like to go to hospitals because the smell reminds them of when their mother died of cancer there.

After a long day with work and the kids, my husband can relax me by simply putting his arm around me and pulling me into his chest.

Sensory makes our lives richer. If it’s not in the stories we read, then the story isn’t rich and deep. George RR Martin is quoted as saying, “A man who reads lives a thousand lifetimes, and a man who doesn’t read lives only one.”

Well, if you’re going to live a thousand lives through books, make sure each life is vibrant and full of sensory!

 

The Sundance Film Festival is an internationally recognized festival of filmmaking talent,  acting prestige, and abounding wealth. From its humble beginnings as a localized, independant film festival to a monolith cinematographic proving grounds and Hollywood pipeline, Sundance is associated as much with the glamour of film stardom as it is with big corporate sponsorship dollars. What is often overlooked is the fact the hundreds of local business play an integral role in promoting and facilitating the success of the Sundance festival. Everyone from the local hotels of Park City’s main street to the companies supplying the vendor tents contribute heavily to the success of Sundance.

Sundance Film Festival’s growth in prominence has led to a huge amount of sponsorship dollars and an influx of infrastructure investment and tourism to Park City, Utah. While  generally supporting the festival site, much of this enormous growth has led to controversy over the role of celebrity culture and mass media advertisement in defining the festival and making the showcase of film a secondary focus.

Some even claim that the merits of independent film and the importance of exploring challenging subjects through film have been diluted in favor of extending a vicarious consumer obsession with unaffiliated haute couture and brand sponsorship to the festival. This has been a contentious issue among festival executives, filmmakers, and the general public. One important caveat to all of this remains, though: local businesses.

While Park City, Utah is never as glamorous as it is during the Sundance Festival, local business maintain and grow the town the other 358 days of the year. The city enjoys a revenue and tourism boost during the week of Sundance but the city still rests on the local energy. The many local bars and restaurants of Park City supply culture, food, and important venues for activity throughout the week. This is one facet of a successful festival that can’t be imported from outside. If the town itself doesn’t have a welcoming, lively nature, no amount of celebrity hubris will affect the festival vibe for the better and drive a memorable festival year after year. Ultimately the town makes the festival.

Even more undervalued are all of the workers and local volunteers at the heart of the festival. The people waiting your table, pouring your drinks, changing your sheets, cleaning the bathrooms, mopping the floors, tending the theatres, shoveling the sidewalks, and checking your tickets are the backbone of the festival. Everything else is just decoration. Local retailers, tent rentals Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Film Society, and suppliers of everything from lighting to transportation help define the Sundance Festival for the internationally acclaimed festival it is.

Looking at the Sundance Festival on a more granular level helps to keep the glamor in perspective and appreciate the thousands of local efforts that continuously make the festival sustainable and memorable. The cumulative efforts of everyone from the festival’s board of directors to the chair lift operators at Deer Valley should be recognized as vital elements that make Sundance happen each year.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

By Ben Vaughn

Ben Vaughn is a proponent of local businesses and supporting sustainable communities through art, music, and film. He writes extensively on Park City tourism and the Sundance Film Festival. 

They’re the biggest events on the calendar of every actor, director, producer and movie fan on the planet. They’re a chance to celebrate the film industry’s most spectacular achievements and to recognize the hard work of the many people who pour their energy into creating the cinematic experiences we all love. But for the uninitiated, what’s the difference between the Oscars and the BAFTAs?

The Oscars, officially known as the Academy Awards, are presented in America each year in celebration of the film industry’s latest cinematic achievements. The ceremony was nicknamed the Oscars after the statuette given to the Academy Award recipients.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, otherwise known as the BAFTAs, is a charity based in the UK which focuses on the best that cinema, television and its associated genres, such as video games and other types of animation, has to offer.

The Oscars pre-date the BAFTAs by eighteen years, with the very first Oscars ceremony taking place in 1929 and the first BAFTAs being held in 1947. While many people consider the ceremonies as having the same purpose – providing acclaim for commendable works of cinema and television that came out the previous year – they do have significant differences.

Hosting style
The Oscars are typically known for their cavalier style, and the refined manner in which the host presents the Academy Awards is preferred, so as to uphold the level of respect that receiving an Oscar award bestows upon the recipient. While many hosts can be jovial, there is a lot of pressure to get it right when the eyes of the world are watching.

When a host deflects from this style they can often be met with criticism, as was the case with the 2013 host of the Oscars, Seth MacFarlane, who didn’t impress many in attendance when he belted out his ‘We Saw Your Boobs’ song. In contrast, the BAFTAs ceremony is renowned for having funny guests as hosts, including comedians Jonathan Ross, Dara O’Briain and Stephen Fry. Stephen Fry is known for his panache and his charm, while Dara O’Briain and Jonathan Ross are acclaimed for their cheeky and highly likeable style of comedy.

Viewing figures
The Oscars usually receive larger viewing figures depending on how big the Box Office hits are that year. For example, in 1997, the Oscars were watched by 57 million Americans, primarily due to James Cameron’s film ‘Titanic’ winning the award.

The BAFTAs achieved around 5.357 million viewers in 2011, averaging a 22% share of the television audience. While these figures are nowhere near the scale of the Oscars, the BAFTAs viewing figures have been increasing, up from the 4.137 million who watched it in 2010 and the 4.3 million who tuned in to watch back in 2009.

Types of films
Dramas do the best at the Oscars, accounting for over half of all winners. Musicals and war pictures also do considerably well. The BAFTAs celebrate epic movies such as Ben Affleck’s ‘Argo’ and Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’, which were nominated in 2013, but they also traditionally show more preference to British films and European offerings as well. Films like ‘Amour’, which won the ‘Best Film Not in the English Language’ category at the 2013 ceremony, demonstrate the diverse selection of films and television programs the BAFTAs includes for nomination.

Your opinion on which is better is likely to depend on the sort of movies you enjoy watching, and while some nominations may spark debate, there can be little doubt that the Oscars and BAFTAs awards ceremonies are the highlight of the movie year.

Written by Alex Johnson, who writes for various websites on confidence and keynote speaking.

They may be a little young to absorb the complexities of narrative and cinematographic techniques, but your children can definitely learn about the impact of good films simply by watching them. A great film can change the way a child sees the world. Most importantly, sharing a nice film with your kids helps you build a more intimate relationship with each other and creates a lot of fun.

Here is a selection of classical films which have stood the test of time and are highly recommended for parents and children.

Modern Times (1936)

Very few comedies today can remain amusing for such a long time like those of Charlie Chaplin, and no other comedians are as socially and politically influential as Chaplin. Set in the background of the Great Depression, the film features Chaplin’s iconic Little Tramp character who struggles to survive in the industrialized modern society.

There are too many memorable scenes in the film, such as Chaplin trying to keep up with an assembly line and falling victim to the broken feeding machine. In Modern Times Chaplin proved again that he was the most brilliant actors of the silent screen and the most eloquent master of mime. Enjoy this all-time classic with your kids, introducing them to the master of silent cinema and preparing to laugh.

Wizard of Oz (1939)

This fantasy masterpiece of MGM starring Judy Garland takes viewers on a magical journey into the Land of Oz. Based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the film is a tale of the adventurous journey of Dorothy and her friends, during which they all find what they have been looking for: the Scarecrow demonstrates his intelligence, the Tin Man acquires a heart, the Lion picks up his courage, and Dorothy’s ruby slipper finally takes her home. This is an evergreen classic which summons nostalgia in audiences of all ages and proves what Dorothy says in the end of the film – there is no place like home.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

A Christmas is incomplete without Frank Capra’s tale of a man who discovers that life really is worth living. The film begins with a man (James Stewart) whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve is intervened by his guardian angel, who shows him all the lives he has touched and how different the world would be without him. Sweet and a little sappy, the film is nevertheless an inspirational and heart-warming story to watch with the whole family.

Singin’ In the Rain (1952)

The scene of Gene Kelly hopping on a street lamp with an umbrella may be one of the most memorable moments on the screen. As one of the most famous and loved musicals of all time from MGM, the film is a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood during the transition from silent films to talkies.

It is a witty and joyous film surrounded by a wonderful cynicism with everybody either mocking themselves or pretending to be someone they are not. Moreover, it contains some wonderful musicals like O’Connor’s brilliantly acrobatic “Make ‘em Laugh”, Kelly’s “”Broadway Ballet” and of course the title song. Having your kids enjoy this big-screen musical with their parents may be one of the best and most affordable school holiday activities. Next time, you may even be able to re-enact your favorite movie scene with your kids in a rainy day.

Sound of Music (1965)

Based on the Broadway musical with the same name, the film tells the story of Maria, a novice in a strict Salzburg Abbey who is sent to Captain von Trapp’s villa to act as a governess for his seven children. When the film was released in 1965, it took the world by storm and earned 5 Oscars. It is a rare combination of a moving story, glorious songs and breathtaking scenery of the mountains in Austria. It contains a number of songs, including “Edelweiss”, “My Favorite Things” and “Do-Re-Mi” which remain timeless through generations.

Parents may find this film rich in character, music and story, as well as filled with positive messages. This is also an appropriate moment to talk about history: everyone in Austria has to make a choice when the Nazis arrive. Parents may explain to their older kids why this was such a tense time and why the Von Trapps made the painful decision to flee the country they love.

Yuan Liu is freelancer who loves everything old. She likes vintage movies and yearns for the good old days when she could simply enjoy school holiday activities with friends.