My Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Hollywood.com

Recently, on my quest for more entertainment news, I stumbled upon Hollywood.com and became completely enamored!  It quickly became my “go-to” place for facts, and fun, concerning the entertainment industry and here is my list of why you should check it out:

1)   Site’s “ease of use”

I’m someone who HATES a cluttered website loaded with colors and music or commercials that start blasting out of nowhere.  Hollywood.com isn’t one of those sites.  Everything on the homepage is organized so that visitors can quickly access specific information or browse certain topics.  The on-site ads are not intrusive at all. Kudos for proper ad placement!

2)   The awesome “Movies” section!

The “Movies” tab has everything from upcoming movie trailers, movie reviews and satirical articles hailing a film’s shortcomings.  At the moment an article entitled “17 Reasons Anna Kendrick Would Make An Awesome Girlfriend” is trending on the site as well as an interesting review of the film “TheHundred-Foot Journey”.  The movie review titles are cleverly written and will make you either run toward the theater to see the film or to the hills to get away from them.  The articles are well written, factual and entertaining.

3)   It’s slightly “gossipy” but I like it!

With articles like “5 Actresses YouNever Knew Married Their Directors”, “Jada Pinkett Smith Finally Addresses ThatControversial Willow Smith Photo”, “Why is Chris Brown’s New Neighbor AlreadyThreatening to Shoot Him?”, and even the darkly comedic “The 12 Celebrities WhoWant to Punch Justin Beiber in the Face” Hollywood.com rivals even the juiciest gossip magazine but does it with every piece founded in facts.

4)   And the list goes on. . .

The “List” tab has 20 of the most diverse lists ever.  From “25 BiopicsEveryone Should See” to “Ranking Every Actor Who Has Played Hercules (fromWorst to Best)", this section has a movie list for every occasion.  For those who have a Netflix subscription there’s the “25 Shows You Must Add to Your Netflix Queue” list.  In the mood for a great romantic comedy? Try “The 20 Funniest Romantic Comedies of All Time”.  Want to relive the days of your youth?  Read “26 Movies that Defined Your Childhood”.  Have you been given a short life expectancy?  “The Ultimate MovieBucket List: Top 100 Movies of All Time” is the best choice for you!

5)   A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words

The “Photos” section features a “Hot Photos of the Day” slideshow that shows celebrities doing everything from Miley Cyrus dog walking (she’s walking . . . while holding a dog . . . that counts right?) to Katy Perry in a “pizza-patterned onesie” (it’s strange, I know).  It’s always a boost to the regular Jane’s ego to see celebrities caught in candid moments, sans makeup, and in frumpy gym clothes.  It makes them seem more “real”, more human even, to those of us on the outside looking in.

 

            Hollywood.com gives you nearly everything you need to make an informative decision when selecting a great film.  If you’re the kind of person that likes to keep up on which movies are sweeping the BoxOffice, Hollywood.com lists the top 10 movies in the country and how much they’ve grossed to date.  The list is updated weekly and also included the number of theaters that show each movie.  Personally, I like to base my movie viewing on reviews, buzz and catchy trailers but, no matter how you like to get your current entertainment information, Hollywood.com is the place to go for it!

Enlightenment via TED

I searched all over TED.com for a video that I felt particularly passionate enough towards to write about it. I skimmed over some, started and then stopped others but, found exactly what I was looking for in a video entitled “The Story of Ezra”.  The film’s creator Newton Aduaka presented the video. 

Newton Aduaka

Born in Eastern Nigeria during the Baifran war, Aduaka was raised in Lagos.  He graduated from the London International Film School in 1990 and established his own production company, Granite Film Works, seven years later. During the span of 2006 and 2007, Aduaka co-wrote, directed and executive produced “Ezra” which was his first non-independent funded film.

“Ezra” depicts the life of a child soldier, from Sierra Leone, kidnapped during the country’s civil war.  Struggling to return to a sense of normalcy after the war has ended, Ezra must undergo rehabilitation in efforts to help him become the boy he once was, while facing accusations of murder.  His sister, along with the rest of his village community, has implicated him as the murderer of their parents and mutilator of others.  “Ezra” is the story of so many children who lost not only their family during this war but their innocence as well.  Drugged, brainwashed, beaten and threatened into submission in order to become the youngest, and most dangerous, army that the country had ever seen.

During his presentation, Aduaka appears nervous, yet passionate, about “Ezra”.  He said that it feels like “he’s coming home” to talk about his accomplishments over the years.  He describes his body of work as “a handful of films, two feature films and a handful of short films” but we are reminded that it is not the quantity, but the quality, that counts in the end.  Aduaka presents “Ezra” with all the sentiment that a small child would present a handcrafted masterpiece to his mother.  He hopes that, because he crafted it with all of his heart, we will like it. 

“Ezra” was released in 2007 to mixed reviews but, in my opinion, those are the best types of films to see.   Called hard “to follow” by the New York Times and “difficult to watch” on Indiewire.com, “Ezra” seems to be the kind of movie that people can’t watch because they don’t want to watch.  In this day and age most people would like to forget that these events ever happened.  If they happened in another country then, they don’t impact you.  If you can’t pronounce the names of the victims then, they become exotic, less of a human and more of an inanimate object. “Ezra” is precisely the movie everyone should watch so that they become aware of the world around them and the plights of other people.  Upon closing, Aduaka said “Africa should remember, so that we don’t go back here again.” I say, the world should know, so that we don’t repeat it.

 

Be the Change!

            Being a lover of documentary films, and watching them change over the years, I often dreamt about shining a light on the issues that were important to me.  I’ve wanted to expose corrupt institutions, show a glimpse of someone’s unique life situation or film edgy shorts for almost as long as I can remember.  I had the passion, but didn’t know the first thing about starting my own production company . . . legally.  I did tons of research and decided that, instead of leaping blindly into a profession that I knew nothing about, I would earn a degree in Digital Cinematography from Full SailUniversity.  It was during my first online class that I really got the sound advice that I needed to get the ball rolling.  I asked my instructor if it was better to start my company as an LLC (Limited Liabilities Company) or opt for the bigger Inc. (Incorporated) tag?  He gave me a list of reasons why an LLC was the best choice and I was off and running from there.

            In 2012 I took the first step and filed the necessary documents, with the help of LegalZoom, for SheBusy Productions to become a nationally recognized legal LLC.  The next step was to create a “brand’ for my company and work on advertising.  I was able to buy all of the advertising products that I needed, without draining my pockets, over at Vistaprint.com.   They offer great products, inexpensive prices and they usually have phenomenal sales (especially around Black Friday).  After advertising products, I created a Facebook Fan Page and launched the company’s official website.  While all of these avenues brought in a trickle of potential clients, it’s word-of-mouth that brought clients in by the flood.

            Having a great reputation is almost better than any other form of advertisement.  Offering inexpensive, or comparable, pricing along with great customer service is sure to get tongues wagging about your business.  In the early stages, you may have to start off doing jobs at a deep discount but great word-of-mouth advertising will pay off in the end.  I got my professional start filming weddings, church services, special events and short films.  All of these mediums put my work in the hands of someone who was willing to recommend my company to a friend or use my services again in the future. 

By the time I finally obtained my degree, I had learned enough to take SheBusy Productions to an all-new level and how to effectively manage the business aspects of running a successful company.  The education that I received at Full Sail University was so invaluable that I decided to give it another go by obtaining my Masters degree in Entertainment Business.  I’m preparing for a multimedia “take over”, an enormously successful production and entertainment company but, most of all, I’m preparing to “be the change”.

5 Easy Steps to Launching

Your Own Business

v  Research your craft, potential market and industry.  Either obtain

            a degree or advanced learning to help you on your way.

v  Legal Leg Work: When in doubt, try LegalZoom!

v        Advertising: Create a buzz about your business!

v  Social Media: Get regularly involved in social media sites that are relevant to your business.

v  Dive In! If you’re into filming, FILM (almost) EVERYTHING. If you’re into music production, PRODUCE (almost) EVERYTHING!  If it goes against your morals, personal beliefs or is in just poor taste of character, it’s your business and you can say NO.

Bonus Tip:

Be sure to have fun! You should enjoy your passion and your creativity should flow easily.  If you have to force it, then it’s the wrong fit.

PBS and WNET Welcome Michael Kantor to American Masters!

Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News

Unless you have been living under a rock for nearly 30 years, you’ve heard of the television program “American Masters”.  “American Masters” airs on PBS and offers its viewers an in-depth look into the lives of some of America’s most revered artists and those who have helped to shape our very culture.  From the very beginning the show had been produced by its creator Susan Lacy until April 2014 when PBS announced that Michael Kantor, of Ghost Light Films, would be taking the reigns.   Kantor promises to bring his own sense of creativity to a show that has already earned 26 Emmy Awards in its 28 Seasons on PBS. 

Executive Producer Michael Kantor has produced more than 21 hours of nationally broadcasted television since 2001.  He began his production career producing documentaries with great artists and cultural icons such as Quincy Jones, Steve Martin and Michael Tilson Thomas.  Michael Kantor isn’t joining the PBS family empty-handed; he’s bringing a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award of his own to the creative table.  A creative marriage between Kantor and PBS promises to take “American Masters” to an all-new level.  Before taking the position as the new Executive Producer, Kantor had already done some previous work for “American Masters” and PBS and WNET the company that produces the show.  Kantor goes on the record as saying “This is an amazing opportunity, I can’t imagine a more interesting and creatively challenging series to work on than American Masters.  I’ve been inspired by the remarkable films and the extraordinary filmmakers that the series has brought to a broad national audience.  I’m honored to carry on this tradition as we plan for the exciting evolution of the series.” The production company is elated about the new choice as well “Michael’s fine filmmaking and his history with WNET and PBS makes him a natural choice for this position,” said WNET President and CEO Neal Shapiro. “I’m excited about the next chapter for American Masters, one of the iconic series we produce for PBS, and I look forward to having Michael on our team.” (Thirteen.org Pressroom)

I can definitely see that all of the years of hard work that Michael Kantor has put into sharpening his craft in the industry have paid off.  His story gives me hope that I can accomplish my dreams of becoming an Executive Producer as well.  With perseverance and plenty of dedication, I know that once I get my foot in the door, there’s nowhere else to go but up.