Independent Filmmakers: Showcasing Work

February 24, 2012

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ~ John Quincy Adams 

In today’s blog, we will be fulfilling a need for information for independent filmmakers about how to become visible on the filmmaking scene. 

Indie Filmmakers, have you written a screenplay and are looking for a venue to display your work? Big Vision Empty Wallet is a national place to pitch your work. The mission of this competition is to explore screenwriters and their work and discover the next great feature film. The grand prize of $100,000 will help the winner of the competition to complete their feature film. 

Although, this year’s finalists have already been chosen, you can vote for your favorite contestant’s trailer film on this site. http://bit.ly/w4PiHw. The final selection will be chosen on May 1, 2012 and will be based on the full screenplay which must be completed and submitted from March 1 to April 1, 2012. 

If you have a screenplay in progress, stash this information away and submit for next year’s competition. In the meantime, take time to visit the website Big Vision Empty Wallet to see if your vision could benefit and be improved from watching other filmmakers work. 

Think professionalism, marketability, quality, style and originality and all things fulfilling as you complete your project.  Essential to keys of life and successful business, too!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


A Site for Indie Book Reviews

February 23, 2012

Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” ~ Robert Bresson
 
I have never had a good system for keeping track of the books I want to read. Believe me, working in the independent publishing industry I always have a grand and growing list of books to read, films to watch and music to listen to. I make mental notes, filing my “want to read /watch/listen list” among all the other things stored in my brain. Often prone to forgetting the titles, I am reminded when I see a book review or receive a recommendation from someone else. 

A few weeks ago, I made progress in establishing a good system of making of list of books I want to read. After picking up a copy of Book Page at our local library, I carefully went through it circling the all books that interest me. My Kindle came in handy when I downloaded sample copies of each of the books that are available in e-book format. 

After reading the e-book samples, I make a decision whether to scrap the book on my list, download the full e-book or check whether the book in-print is available through our interlibrary loan. 

Although this system is better than none at all, most of the books in Book Page are traditionally published books. Until now the gateway into public libraries has, in large part, been open to only traditional publishers.

How do you find what books are available in the independent publishing world?After doing a little research, I have found a new on-line site, called Review Direct: Exciting New Titles from America’s Emerging Authors. It is a way for the independents, to become visible to libraries and independent bookstores. For more information, please visit this site http://bit.ly/1DpnK4

If you are an independent publisher, consider having your book listed in Review Direct. It is an economical and efficient way of getting information about your book to libraries digitally. 

Come on back tomorrow!  This site is dedicated to providing fulfilling resources and help for independent publishers. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


The Art of Pleasing Palates

February 17, 2012

Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it.”
~
Thomas Jefferson

Did you ever want to take a sneak peak into what is inside the making of the dainty delicacies known as sushi?  Now you can. One of the top independent documentary films of the year is called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. 

This film is about an 85 year old culinary artist and the teaching of his craft to his son, whom he hopes will be the next tour de force within the world of sushi making. Can the son ever live up to the standards that are expected of him to take over the trade? After all, combining colors, textures and the right tastes to please high end palates is no easy task!

Sushi lovers, unite! This film is sure to be fulfilling for those who have always wanted to know more about the culture, schooling and economy that is behind making this food for very discriminating tastes. Over the past twenty years, sushi bars, a trendy alternative to traditional dining has appeared on the scene in urban centers, luxury-oriented centers and on commonplace streets and locales.

If you please, become familiar with sushi terminology before watching this film by going to this link http://www.sushiref.com/glossary/ . The Jiro Dreams of Sushi is said to be “mouthwatering” by Leslie Felperin of Variety and it is set to be released in theatres on March 9th.

Rather stay home and watch? You can place your order for the film through www.imdb.com. Don’t forget to pick up an order of your favorite sushi from your favorite sushi bar. Bring it home and enjoy this film while stuffing your mouth!


Adjusting for the Times

February 16, 2012

Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~ Anais Nin 

On Valentines Day, my “sweetie” and I took in the movie  “The Artist.” I flat out loved this cinema release.  It is the story of George Valentin and his fall as a silent movie star due to the introduction of “talkies” – movies with sound. His refusal to move with the times, and accept the fact that the movie industry was undergoing vast change led to his come-uppance with himself and the world in which he existed. 

If you go see this movie, be alert to the subtle imagery that was creatively incorporated in the production of the film. The successful use of small details in scenes artfully told the story without the need for words in this silent, black and white film. Very masterfully done! 

Thinking back to the film, I could not refrain from comparing the overtones in this theme to the changes that have taken place in our economy and also, in the publishing industry over the past years. Those who have survived having had the “rug pulled out from underneath of them” are those who have adjusted their attitudes, and moved with the times. 

There was little that I did not like about this film. Although James Cromwell’s role in the overall storyline was significant, I would have liked to have seen him more in the film. For those of you who have seen James Cromwell as an actor in A Lonely Place for Dying, http://bit.ly/mAvP5d  a film that has had 45 award nominations and it has won 15 awards for best film, you know that James Cromwell is very capable of having more than a supporting role. 

I look forward to seeing the Academy Awards on February 26th. It will be interesting to see how the movie holds up against all the rest that are vying for top spots.

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Life. Live it, Love it.

February 14, 2012

Valentines Greetings from me to you on this winter white February Day from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. 

Love comes in all kinds of forms and unexpected ways, meaning something different to each of us. Today, I simply wish to quote one the brightest stars in history on the business of living life and finding personal fulfillment ~Albert Einstein. He said it all.  “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

“Make this day and every day about all things fulfilling in your life!

More independently published thoughts, words and views tomorrow from  www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

 

 


Independent Documentary Film of Stellar Proportions

February 10, 2012

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.”  ~Author Unknown 

Juan Mandelbaum of Le Monde, has called the independent documentary film Nostalgia for the Light  a “work of cosmic serenity, of luminous intelligence, with a sensitivity that could melt stone. At such a level, the film becomes more than a film. An insane accolade to mankind, a stellar song for the dead, a life lesson. Silence and respect.”  

Sounds serious, doesn’t it? 

The setting for this documentary film, directed by Patricio Guzman, is the Atacama Desert, the most arid place on earth. The stars in the skies from this place, 10,000 feet above sea level, are more clearly visible than from most locations on the earth. 

The intense desert sun has kept Pre-Columbian mummies  and corpses of other explorers who perished in the Atacama  intact for hundreds of years. Portrayed in this film are women who travel with astronomers on very personal missions of their own, looking for the remains of their relatives, political prisoners who were left there.

 The stunning landscape along with the exploration of horizons known and unknown in this independently produced documentary, by Icarus Films, has brought very fulfilling, favorable reviews. It has been an official selection and won awards at the most prestigious film festivals in the world. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/fSS6io

To order this film and to watch a trailer of this documentary, please visit IMDB http://imdb.to/ciOxVq.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


A Soulful Rise of A City

February 9, 2012

Today, I received by mail, my monthly issue of Kiwanis Magazine. The 97th Annual Kiwanis International Convention is being held in New Orleans this summer. The eclectic culture that permeates the city will provide a lively experience for Kiwanians coming together from all over the world. 

Hospitality and conventions are not new to this city. The spirit of the  “Crescent City” and its residents has always been joyfully shared with tourists through the city’s music, regional culinary delights and architecture. There are French, Cajun, Spanish, Creole, Carribean influences throughout the city and it’s people.

In 2005, deadly Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans. The images our country saw on television were beyond belief. At the time, our son was a junior at an outstanding high school with a state of the art film program. His school, Burr and Burton Academy www.burrburton.org sent him and another student, an outstanding writer, to Louisiana to produce a documentary film about the ravages of the storm on the city and its people. A contingent of other compassionate and giving students went along to do relief work – cleaning up and mucking out flooded houses. They did all they could, while they were there, to help families to rebuild their lives.

The film footage that our son returned with, after two trips to the scene, gave my husband and me an even deeper look at the devastation and the despair. Seven years ago, I thought “how in the world will they ever restore their properties and their spirits? There is so much to do.” 

The city of New Orleans has proven it has spirit and soul! The city has begun humming with activity again. Its people are fulfilling examples for others that we can rise above the worst of times with the right attitude.

 Welcome back, New Orleans! Welcome back. I am delighted that you will serve as host city to Kiwanis International this year.

For more information on Kiwanis International and the service club’s mission to improve the quality of life for children and families worldwide”, please visit www.kiwanis.org on-line.

There is also a new cellphone app for Kiwanis. Download it on your cell phone! I did.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Fulfilling Needs in Community

February 8, 2012

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. ~ Lao Tzu

One of the activities outside of my work life that I really enjoy is volunteering at a community Thrift Store in Steamboat Springs, Colorado on Saturdays.  I help sort the goods and wares that come in. Some of the donated items are put in the Thrift Store for sale, and others are passed along to The New Horizons Mennonite mission in Canon City and Pueblo,Colorado. http://bit.ly/x5n7Fw.

Last week, I was given a flyer that evidenced the fruits of the labor of approximately 100 people that help out on a volunteer basis.  In 2011, the volunteers logged in 9,800 hours. Impressive in its own right, but what is most evident among the statistics was the diversity of help and assistance Lift-Up gives to people in the community. 

The non-profit, Lift-Up, http://bit.ly/yPtOqb goes about fulfilling financial needs in so many ways. Here are just a few: 

  • Emergency Food and Personal Products  9,248 bags of food, personal products and perishables were given to those in need
  • The Emergency Lodging, Fuel and Transportation fund gave $8,608 in donations
  • Special Needs Funds – 127 households were assisted, totaling $50,014 in aid.
  • Energy Outreach to households needing utility assistance to 170 families
  • Community Coat Drive distributed 222 warm coats to people needing clothing.
  • Healthcare fund – emergency medications and medical help came to 122 people. 

This is only a small list from a much longer list of aid that was given. The statistics evidenced on the yearly report, indicates there is real need and real purpose in the services this non-profit, Lift-Up provides. 

Before you discard unwanted books in print, audio books, DVDS, cds, clothing or other household items into a landfill, remember that there are people in communities all over without or needing to rebuild their life. Seek out a community thrift store in your area and give.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Teaser, Pleaser

February 7, 2012

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. “ ~Buddha 

Have you noticed that the way we select reading material has changed with the arrival of e-books? Now we have more to go by than just reading reviews on the back cover and the flaps of the book. Many authors are offering sample chapters or abbreviated versions of their books on-line to get us hooked. It works! 

Last night I searched Google i-books and downloaded a sample of a non-fiction publication by Susan Cain. The title of the e-book is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. A monkey is now on my back! 

Being a life time consumer of self-help books, the sample left me wondering whether I am truly an introvert. Just prior to the end of the sample book, is a brief test that is designed to determine if you are a true introvert. It is similar to a Myers-Briggs personality test. My score indicates that perhaps I am an ambivert. In other words, I have tendencies toward being both introverted and extroverted. 

 I must read on to begin fulfilling my need to examine the degree of introversion that I possess and how to best use my traits for success.

Good job, Susan Cain. Your book sample grabbed me enough to want to finish the book. Now, I must just find the time to purchase it and carry on. 

For more information on this fascinating read that analyzes the psyche and how an introverted personality can be used to your advantage in life and business, please follow this link. http://bit.ly/ywojam.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Shorts are in Fashion at the Luna Fest

February 3, 2012

Happy Film Friday! It has been a busy week for me, so today our blog will be brief. I am looking forward to a fun event tonight to culminate the week. 

The Lunafest at the Bud Werner Memorial Library http://www.steamboatlibrary.org/  in Steamboat Springs,Colorado is on the calendar for tonight. It kicks off at 7 pm. The Lunafest is a film festival of “shorts” by and for women. If  this year’s Luna Fest is anything like last year, I am in for a fulfilling night of independent film entertainment. 

The Luna Fest is paired with Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project and the Bust of Steamboat.  Between 5pm –7pm, an exhibition of inspired art will be displayed and auctioned off to raise awareness and funds for treating women with breast cancer. An award will be given for the Bust of Steamboat. http://thebustofsteamboat.org/

The Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project is just one of many, many non-profits in this county with valuable missions. The volunteer efforts in this town is beyond anything I have ever experienced before. It is impressive, to say the least. 

I will return on Monday with more independent thoughts, words and views brought to you on the company blogsite of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Have a good weekend, everyone! I will let you know next Film Friday, which Luna Fest “short” film ranked the highest on my list.


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