Well, thank God that’s over. The final film award ceremony of 2021 is over, and not a minute too soon.

Viewers who tuned in to the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony (guilty, but I have a website. What’s your excuse?) were treated to un-enthusiastic presenters, amazingly long speeches (I’m guessing Questlove wasn’t told he could play people off) and an “In Memoriam” segment that looks like it was thrown together at the last minute. And can someone tell me how a show with no host, opening monologue and zero musical numbers – unless you count the embarrassing “Oscar Music Trivia” game that featured Glenn Close shaking her ass to E.U.’s “Da Butt” – ran almost 3 1/2 hours??

On a positive note, there were some great achievements rewarded. A woman of color (Chloe Zhao) was named Best Director, only the second time a woman has won that Award. Think about that. Out of 465 nominees only SEVEN women have been nominated: Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sophia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow (who won), Greta Gerwig, Ms. Zhao and Emerald Fennell, who with Ms. Zhao was nominated this year. Which means such female directors, like Penny Marshall and Barbra Streisand, have been totally ignored, even though in the past they had directed films nominated for Best Picture!

Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-jing took home the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards, respectively, putting a slight dent into the #OscarSoWhite reputation.

Frances McDormand became the second actress to receive (3) Best Actress awards when her name was announced last night, putting her right behind the immortal Katherine Hepburn, who won (4). Meryl Streep does have (3) Oscars, but one was for Best Supporting Actress. Ms. McDormand picked up a 4th Oscar as one of the producers of the evening’s Best Picture, “Nomadland.” And whose idea was it to give the Best Picture award out early? Normally it’s the last award of the night, but on this night it was awarded before Best Actress and Actor were named. My hunch is that the producers assumed the late Chadwick Boseman, who was nominated for his final performance in the film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” would win, which would have made for a nice emotional way to end the evening. Instead, Joaquin Phoenix sheepishly announced Anthony Hopkins as the winner of the Best Actor award, and that was a wrap!

My beef with the “In Memoriam” segment was that, for some reason, the Academy figured if you were watching you knew who everyone was and what they did. An introduction that took u 1/3 of the segment, no film clips and, while known talents like Christopher Plummer, George Segal and Wilford Brimley got a few seconds of screen time each, others – among them Marge Champion (a great dancer), Shirley Knight (a fine actress), Kelly Preston (same) and Michael Chapman (an amazing cinematographer whose credits include “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and “The Fugitive”) whizzed by in a blink.

The fact that only nominees and presenters were allowed to be in the venue also made for dull television. Smatterings of applause signaled that the guests in the theatre were apparently as bored as the ones at my house.

Blame it on COVID. Blame it on the fact that none of the films nominated were “NAME” films – no “Titanic,” “Avatar” or “Lord of the Rings” in the bunch. Blame it on bad television. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

For those of you who went to bed early, here is a list of the winners:

Best Picture – Nomadland 

Best Actor in a Leading Role– Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Best Actress in a Leading Role – Frances McDormand (Nomadland)

Best Director – Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Adapted Screenplay – The Father, Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller

Best Original Screenplay – Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell

Best Animated Feature Film – Soul 

Best International Feature Film – Another Round (Denmark)

Best Sound – Sound of Metal, Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Carolina Santana

Best Costume Design – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth

Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry

Best Live Action Short Film – Two Distant Strangers

Best Animated Short Film – If Anything Happens I Love You 

Best Documentary Feature – My Octopus Teacher 

Best Documentary Short Subject – Colette 

Best Original Song – ‘Fight for You,’ (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Visual Effects – Tenet, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher, Mike Chambers

Best Cinematography – Mank, Erik Messerschmidt

Best Production Design – Mank, Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale

Best Film Editing – Sound of Metal, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Best Original Score – Mank, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

THIS COULD BE THE STRANGEST OSCAR CEREMONY EVER

In its 93 years the Academy Awards have seen some strange occurrences.

In 1973, Marlon Brando, who was announced as the winner of the Best Actor Award, sent an actress pretending to be a Native American up to the podium to refuse the award, citing the way Native American’s were portrayed in films.

The next year, David Niven was startled when freelance photographer Robert Opel decided to “streak” across the stage behind them.  I always thought that this was a set-up.  The camera angle was such that none of Mr. Opel’s nether-region was shown and Mr. Niven was awful quick and his quip: “The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is from stripping off and showing his shortcomings!” 

And, of course, who could forget the 1989 ceremonies when Rob Lowe and Snow White engaged in a musical number?  Only months before a sex-tape with Lowe and two women (one underage) had been released, which I’m sure upset the folks at Disney, who were already upset because they hadn’t given their permission for the character to appear.

But this year could be the strangest and most unpredictable ceremony ever.

Tonight, for really the first time since last year’s Oscars, nominees have been encouraged to be in attendance.  In the past year, shows like the Emmys have had a minimal crowd (usually first responders) and the awards have been “delivered” to the winner via Zoom.  Tonight we could actually see people walk across the stage to give their acceptance speeches.

Tonight also notes the first time that a streaming service has received more total nominations than any of the established studios.  NETFLIX leads the way with 35 total nominations, followed by Amazon with 12.  The highest number of studio nominations is 8, shared by Warner Bros. and the Walt Disney Company.

Streaming has been the thing this year.  Though theatres are now open again, very few people are going.  The one closest to me, and 18 screen mega-plex, is showing films that range from current (GODZILLA vs KONG, MORTAL KOMBAT) to titles that are months old.  They are even trying to fill their screens with Bollywood features.

In the past year, I have seen three films in a movie theatre.  The aforementioned GODZILLA vs KONG and MORTAL KOMBAT, both in the last 2 months.  Before that, the last film I saw on the big screen was TENET.  And I LOVE going to the movies.

With the exception of TENET, every other Oscar nominated film or performance I have seen this year has been either on a streaming platform or a DVD screener.  A nice way for a critic to binge on what they need to see but also a way that takes the fun out of the movies. 

I enjoy going to the theatre.  Getting my popcorn and sitting in a room with 250 strangers who are about to share an experience with me.  I like hearing others laugh along with me and I like sitting in the silence and hearing if anyone else is crying at the incredibly sad scene I just witnessed.  And I like talking to people as we exit the auditorium, discussing what we saw and whether or not we liked it. 

I should note that there were no more than four other people in attendance at the three films I have seen in a theatre.  Which makes for a lonely exit conversation.

Hopefully after the awards some of the winners will be released to theatres.  That is how Hollywood makes a little more money off of their films – re-releasing them to theatres after the awards to get a post-Oscar push at the box office.  I, for one, would love to see MANK on the big screen.  It’s impeccable recreation of 1940s filmmaking would be glorious to take in on a screen 40 feet high.

However, there are also good reasons to watch the Awards this year.  Many of the nominees are a “pick-em” – there are no such things as “Titanic” nominated tonight.  But my fingers are crossed for two awards and the reaction they will receive. 

The late Chadwick Boseman is nominated as Best Actor for his amazing performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”  It is his last film performance and it is brilliant.  A victory here would not only honor a talent gone much too soon but will surely bring the house to it’s feet.

Secondly, tonight Glenn Close is nominated (for the eighth time) for her Supporting turn in “Hillbilly Elegy.”  Not only is she the best thing in the film, she is so overdue for a win.  Should she not win tonight, she will tie the late Peter O’Toole as having the most acting nominations without a win.  O’Toole did receive an Honorary Oscar in 2002.  A win by Close would surely trigger and emotional standing ovation.  It certainly will at my house.

To our community— 

As I write this, I’m filled with hope and excitement for the year ahead. There’s much in the works at ReedPop that we’ll announce in the coming months, but today I’m bringing you an update on the return of our physical events and the first look at our plans to promote health and safety.

To give you a peek behind the curtain, events folks have to plan six to nine months down the road. We must put ourselves forward from where we are today into where we think we may be tomorrow, and continue making the next best decisions.

Today, I share what we’re planning with this assurance: ReedPop’s number one priority is the wellbeing of the people that come to our shows. 

Right now, we see a path forward for safe, amazing events that are going to look a bit different than usual, so that’s where we’re heading. Keep in mind what we communicate is subject to change as state and local guidelines are adjusted. I encourage you to stay connected with us via our newsletters, social channels, and websites to keep on top of the latest information right up to the shows.

ICYMI, our schedule for 2021 is:

• Florida Supercon, Miami Beach Convention Center: September 10-12
• New York Comic Con, Javits Center: October 7-10
• Emerald City Comic Con, Washington State Convention Center: December 2-5
• C2E2, McCormick Place: December 10-12

With the return of physical events comes so much we were missing this past year. Supporting small businesses and indie creators more directly, old friends reconnecting, the energy of a panel room when a cast first takes the stage… 

I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but I almost miss the awkward camaraderie of the women’s restroom line. Almost. 

Speaking of lines, let’s talk capacity and a few other key safety measures we’ll be taking…

1. We will be running all our shows with reduced capacity. With our new safety precautions in place, attendance and badges will be very limited so that we can ensure physical distancing. We’re working closely with each convention center to determine how many people are permitted in the building every day and at a given time. 

2.  We are requiring approved face coverings for all individuals attending our events, including our exhibitors and staff. They must be worn at all times within our venues. For more information, you can visit the FAQ pages on each of our show websites. 

3. Temperature screening upon entry will be required to enter our events. Anyone with an elevated temperature will not be permitted to enter the event. 

4. We will have increased sanitization and cleaning with enforced physical distancing throughout the event.

5. We have also adopted a firm no handshakes, no high-fives, no hugs policy. We’re all going to have to get very smooth and cool-looking at either the elbow bump or air high-fives. Please start practicing now.

I know there are a lot more questions than what I’ve shared here. You’re probably wondering what the heck a photo op may look like and how panel seating will work. We’ll be sharing more information in the months leading up to our shows, and we are committed to being as transparent as possible. 

Our goal remains the same: bring together our fan communities to celebrate the best pop culture has to offer. Alongside all of our physical events, we’ll be running a virtual event companion through FindtheMetaverse.com. So whether or not you join us in person, you can attend each of our shows and have a pretty excellent time. Save the date for the next Metaverse event — June 7-13 — and follow our newly launched social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

More announcements are coming soon with on-sale dates, guests, panels, and so much more. We promise it will be worth the wait.

Finally, thank you for your continued support in what has been a difficult time for our entire community. Thank you for your patience with us at every turn, and for your understanding as we continue to navigate the future of pop culture events together.  

Higher, further, faster,

Kristina Rogers (she/her)

US Comic Portfolio Director

ReedPop

Instagram is one of, if not the most, popular social media platforms worldwide. With over one billion users, Instagram seems like it would be the ideal place to gain a large following, however it is not so easy. Everyone wants to have as many followers as they can in order to have their content seen by as many people as possible, but gaining a substantial amount of followers is not easy. Whilst gaining followers is not as easy task, it is not impossible and there are ways to help your account grow. One of the easiest ways to get your account more visibility is to make use of hashtags. If you are new to Instagram, you might not know how beneficial hashtags are or how to use them effectively. Here is a short guide on how to use hashtags to increase your Instagram following.

What are Hashtags?

Hashtags are essentially a way to make your posts searchable. The hashtag is a hash or pound sign (#) followed by a keyword that relates to your content. The hashtag started on Twitter by a man by the name of Chris Messina. He used the hash sign with his friends when coding/ programming and brought the idea to twitter. Since then, the hashtag has become one of the most prominent features of all social media today, and many services such as TaskAnt, which makes finding the best hashtags to use really easy, it has become even more popular. Hashtags allow your post to be searchable and more discoverable, get more views and be shown to a much more targeted audience. When using hashtags, you need to ensure that you only use tags that are relevant to your page and your content, otherwise your posts will be shown to people other than your target audience which does not help grow your account.

What are the Benefits of Hashtags?

There are many benefits to using hashtags. One of the most valued benefits is that it helps you gain followers. When you post with hashtags you gain many more followers than when you post without them. Hashtags are vital not only to the growth of your Instagram following, but also to the growth of your relevant followers. Hashtags allow your posts to be shown to people who are specifically looking for content like yours. When you use a relevant hashtag, you will reach your target audience and therefore gain relevant followers who are much more likely to interact and engage with your content. Hashtags are one of the most valued features on any social media platform and are absolutely essential for the growth and success of any Instagram account.

Easier to Find Content

When using hashtags, your content becomes much easier to find. A hashtag essentially makes your post searchable for users. If someone were to search a hashtag that you used, it becomes much more likely that your posts will be seen by that user, and much more likely that you will be able to grow your Instagram followers. Another popular and clever option is to make your own hashtag that is specific to your account. This allows people to post under your hashtag and for you to have a hashtag that is account specific and therefore a great place to have all of your posts in one place besides on your Instagram profile. When using hashtags, because your content is easier to find, you following is likely to increase much more and therefore sales are also much more likely to increase. There is a domino effect that comes along with the use of hashtags which is very beneficial to any business.

Trends, Target Audience and Competitors

Instagram is a great tool to find out what is trending and how to incorporate that into your own brand. By looking at the trending hashtags, you see what people are looking up and that allows you to post under similar hashtags which will ensure that people will see your content. Besides getting a bigger reach from trending hashtags, you can also reach a more targeted audience, which is important for follower engagement. By using audience specific hashtags, you can also see what your competitors are doing to gain followers and keep an eye out for new marketing strategies.

Twitter has 187 million daily active users and is a popular place for people, brands and businesses to market. Brands use twitter to engage with their audience and this is an effective marketing strategy. Twitter allows you to increase brand awareness, keep up with the latest trends in your industry, promote your brand, drive website traffic and get instant feedback about your product or service.

For you to grow on twitter you need to measure your progress. This is important because it helps you gain insight into the quality of your audience and how many followers are engaging with your content. It also tells you how well your content is doing with your followers and if you need to adjust your strategy or not.

If you have never measured your performance on twitter before, it might be a bit confusing. Here are a few ways to measure progress:

Keep up with follower count and engagement rate

Another important way to measure your performance on twitter is to measure your follower count and how it grows over time. You should create a timeline to compare your followers past and present. It’s also important to check how much engagement you get compared to your follower count. Engagement is important because it helps you connect and establish a relationship with your followers which is good for your brand and business, and there are many growth services similar to Twesocial that can help you with that. If you engage, you will gain followers. It is better to connect and engage with your followers than it is to have a huge number of people following you that you do not engage with. Engagement establishes loyalty from your audience.

Use analytics on twitter

A good way to measure your performance on twitter is by using analytics. Twitter analytics gives you details and summaries about individual tweets, media and ad campaigns. You need to understand how your content is being received and you can use this information to measure success, formulate a strategy and make money.

There are also different twitter metrics that you need to track. The top 10 metrics include:

1. Average tweet performance: Includes average engagement rate, average shares and average retweet numbers.
2. Audience type: What is the primary gender of your audience? Where are your followers from, what are their hobbies and interests etc.
3. Engagement rate: tracking your engagement rate will show you whether you are successful in connecting with your audience.
4. Type of engagement: You want your audience to like, retweet or comment on your tweets to show their commitment. Retweets and comments are more valuable than likes.
5. Content performance: Look for a good impression to engagement ratio.
6. Brand follower growth: analytics enables you to track how quickly you are growing your follower base by looking at your performance on a week-by-week basis.
7. Impressions: Shows you how many people see your account each day.
8. Video completion rate:  Video views on your twitter analytics shows how many people have seen and played your videos and completion rate shows how many people watched the whole video.
9. Hashtag performance: Gives insight into your most used hashtags and most engaging terms.
10. Return on investment: To make sure the money you are putting into twitter campaigns are coming back to you in the form of new customers and conversations.

The most important metric is engagement rate, hashtags, follower growth and impressions.

Check which tweets are most popular

You should always check which tweets perform the best and are the most popular. Pay close attention to the time that the post was tweeted, what the tweet was about and what the format was (whether it was an image, video or meme), as this can help you to get Twitter followers easily and effectively. Also check if tweets that are similar are as popular and keep in mind that there are different times where followers are more active.

Track hashtags

Hashtags are twitters most popular creation. It is not possible to run a social media Champaign without hashtags. Stick to a few popular tags to help gain your tweets more attention and then over time you can experiment with different hashtags to see which ones are best received.

To track your hashtags use Sprouts Social outbound. They provide insight into your hashtags and most engaging terms. Tracking hashtags shows what people are talking about and how many of your hashtags are used. This helps you strategize which hashtags to gain the most engagement.

Have you recently discovered that in order to grow on social media you need to have good, meaningful engagement from your followers and other users? Do you feel like the engagement on your social media account could be much better than it is but aren’t sure how to get it up?

One social media platform that seems to be taking all other platforms by storm and making the lead, is Instagram. Instagram has only grown more and more popular since its launch all the way back in 2010 and has managed to gain over 1 billion users making it a great place for both businesses and individuals alike to get noticed.

Over the years Instagram has gone through a lot of changes and if you haven’t used it in a while or it is your first time, you might not know the best way to use it. If you would like to increase the engagement you receive on Instagram, here are the best ways to do that.

Engage before and after posting

As mentioned earlier, engagement is everything hen it comes to social media, but in order to get any engagement, you need to engage with other users yourself. Not only will this encourage engagement but it will also give you a chance to get your name out there to other people who may not yet know about you.

Great ways to engage with your followers is by responding to comments on your posts, liking their posts, sharing their content, following them back, replying to their direct messages, or using a growth service that could do that for you. If you are interested in trying out a growth service, you can read more about Growthoid here. If you want to engage with people who don’t follow you, you can do the exact same things, like following them, commenting on their posts, and liking their content.

Post at the right time

Engagement is everything when it comes to social media and marketing on social media, especially when it comes to Instagram. A great way to ensure you can increase your engagement is by making sure you post at the right time. It may take a little while to figure out what the best time to post is, but through your different statistics on your account, you can figure out what time is the best and most optimal time to post in order to reach the most amount of people.

You will always need to consider what time zone your target audience live in, what kind of work they will be doing, and what times of the day they are most likely to be on Instagram and this give you the best time for you to post every day.

Use all formats when posting

Instagram initially started off as a place where you could only post picture to your feed. As the years have gone by, you can now do so much more than that. Newer features added to Instagram include allowing you to post both videos and photos to you stories, feed, and reels, as well as a section called IGTV where you can post longer videos, and a place for people to livestream.

If you are looking to increase your engagement, you should not only be posting to your feed, but rather making use of all the different features they have to offer you. Not only will this allow you to post multiple times a day and reach a much larger audience, but you will because to reach different audiences and demographics within Instagram.

Use different story stickers

Stories on Instagram have made social media a whole new ball game. When posting stories there are a variety of different filters, texts and fun little things to add afterwards that can just make it the much more entertaining. Some of the best things that have been added to the story feature are sticker. You get your standard sticker that sire just little things you can put on top of your post to make it look cute, and then you get sticker that can actually increase engagement such as the ones which allow you to have questionnaires, ask people anonymous questions, or even do polls. People are very likely to interact with your account, and you can gain more Instagram followers fast if you make use of them because they are so quick, simple, and easy to navigate.

Have you just downloaded TikTok and are looking for the best ways of getting followers as fast as possible? Have you had a TikTok account for a while but just can’t seem to get your follower count up?

TikTok is a relatively new social media platform to the game, having only been launched back in 2016, but it has since amassed over 1 billion active daily users making it the most popular social media platform to date. More and more people are downloading TikTok every day and it has now become one of the primary sources of entertainment among young users. There are millions of viral videos popping up all the time and trends that are frequently being copied.

Although there are so many users on the app, it’s not as easy as it seems to do well on TikTok because there is so much competition and it can be hard to get noticed, which is why many growth services like TokUpgrade have been launched. TikTok requires hard work and dedication, and if you want your new account to do well, here are a few tips to help get your first 100 followers.

Have an attractive profile

One of the first things thing you will have to set up when creating your TikTok account, is your profile. You profile is so important when it comes to practically every aspect of TikTok because it’s how people will recognise you and notice you. If you have a plain and boring profile you are more likely to be looked past.

You should always start off your profile creation with a catchy and easy to remember username. Make sure to keep it short and sweet, and easy to spell. Next up you have your profile picture. This is one of the most important parts of your profile as it will be what people will use to identify you. When choosing a profile photo, be sure to choose something that will still be able to be seen even in the small little icon, it should also be something that is suited to the tone a voice of your account. Lastly, in your bio, you should have something catchy and fun to say while also describing exactly what your account it all about.

Use hashtags for exposure

Hashtags are one of the greatest tools to ever have come from social media and there are so many reasons why. The biggest benefit of using hashtags in your content it because it allows you to reach an audience that might not yet follow you, but on top of that, because a hashtags is a searchable key word, by including a hashtags in your content, you are also directly targeting your content to an audience that is most likely to enjoy it.

This means that by adding hashtags to your content you are actively increasing the amount of people who see it, which in turn will allow for more people to see your account and potentially follow it.

Engage with others

Many people think that just by posting as much as they can, they give themselves the best shot as getting as many followers as possible, but without anyone to see your content, there is no point in posting so much of it. This is where engagement comes in. Engagement it key when it comes to any kind of growth on social media because people won’t always just follow your account just because they’ve seen it. A great way to engage with your followers, and effectively gain more of them, by actively following people, commenting on other people’s posts, sharing other people content and just making yourself visible to other users through engagement like this is no doubt one of the best ways for you to get noticed and for people to follow you. 

Create good content

It’s all good and well to have the account, but now you need to post because no one is going to follow an account with no videos. Your content needs to stick within the lines of what TikTok users enjoy, which is content that it in the moment and authentic, but it also need to be funny, and original. You content should also have a niche which will allow you to target people who are interested in that specific niche. By having good content, you will always be able to grow your follower base.

Creativity is not only for the chosen ones. Even famous writers often face a lack of inspiration and need to practice creativity to improve their writing skills. If you come up with such a problem, do not be obsessed — all you need is to follow some useful tips that can help boost your creativity to the highest level. 

Image Source

10 Useful Tips to Boost Your Creativity

Undoubtedly, everything requires practice, and creativity is not an exception. Sometimes, students seek the assistance of writing services — you can read some essay writing service reviews to find out whether it is effective or not. Also, some methods and techniques can improve creative writing. Here you can find helpful advice and some techniques for practicing creativity and improving writing skills. 

Find the Person to Inspire

The first thing to do if you lack inspiration is to find a creative person from whom you can get some insights. If you have a favorite writer, read more of his/her essay samples and literary works. If the author of your book is a modern writer and is still alive, you can watch or read an interview. Writers often share some secrets about how they find inspiration or practice their creativity. All in all, you should learn from the bests but not copy them. 

Create a Person Based on Someone You Know

The next useful method to practice creativity is to create a character based on your best friend’s personality, relative, or just a person you know very well. Writers often create different characters, especially main ones, by choosing a prototype which is a real-life person. It will be easier to describe your friend, as you know how this person acts in different life situations and what personality traits he/she possesses.  

Make Checklists 

The majority of books on how to improve writing skills recommend making checklists to practice creativity. Right from the moment you have an idea in your mind about what to write, start making a checklist of the details you will need to develop a storyline. Think about everything you should consider while writing a story, novel, or something else — do not forget to include the description of the environment, details about the character’s traits of personality, their appearance, and so on.  

Practice Freewriting

Practicing freewriting is also an excellent way to help you master your writing skills and boost your creativity. Freewriting is when you write without any specific structure, notes, outlines, editing, and so on. Thus, all you need is to follow a flow of mind. Stream of consciousness often helps to find words and plot to write about. When you try it for the first time, you may get something that is impossible to read. But if you will continue to practice, you will improve your writing technique and free your creativity. 

Find the Environment that Inspires You the Most

One more helpful piece of advice is to change the environment. Those people, who spent a lot of time sitting and writing at the same place, lack inspiration and creativity. You can try to write in another place; for instance, go to a local cafe, relax for some time, drink some tea or coffee, and then start writing. You will be amazed at how a new place can change your perspective and improve your writing skills.   

Use Mind Maps

Students often consult various useful websites to find out some useful tips or writing techniques to boost creativity. Some of them recommend applying mind maps and flowcharts in the writing process. The main aim of mind mapping is to visualize the idea and main concepts that will be the background for your piece of writing. Draw a bubble in the middle of the paper and write the central topic in it. Then, place subtopics around the main subject and add some details for each. In the end, you will have a clear vision of what you are going to write.  

Try the Snowflake Method

The snowflake technique is the next useful method to practice creativity. It is a type of brainstorming when the writer starts with the basic story summary and then moves to additional elements. Before starting a novel, describe a bid idea in 1-2 sentences. Then, transform these sentences into a finished paragraph by adding some characters and their main personality traits. Continuing writing in such a manner will help you create a storyline and plot and end with the finished novel or other writing pieces.

Get Outside More Often

This advice is very simple and may sound trivial. To enhance your creativity, you should get outside as often as it is possible. Fresh air has a good effect on the brain and process of thinking. Also, you can go for a walk in your favorite place. After your walk, you will be full of positive emotions, energy, and new ideas and insights, which you can apply in writing.

Search for New Emotions

Positive emotions and new experiences are also necessary for improving your creativity. Sometimes, a person needs new impressions to feel the flow of creativity. You can start a new hobby or just travel somewhere. With the arrival of new emotions, the person often feels inspired and full of ideas. That is why do not forget to search for various experiences to improve your creativity.   

Meditate 

Meditation is also a good way to ease the process of writing and find additional inspiration. If you want to have good creative writing skills, it does not mean that you should spend all your time practicing. Of course, you should have enough time for relaxation. You can try to meditate. During this activity, you will free your mind and increase your creativity. After practicing meditation, you will be open to new ideas and insights.

Final Words

All in all, various techniques and methods help one practice creative writing. Nevertheless, do not forget that, sometimes, you just need to have a rest and search for new emotions — all these will definitely help you feel more inspired.

When your house starts feeling dated and sort of drab, you don’t need to look for another place to live. You want a good contractor to renovate your home – top to bottom. A good professional can create miracles and the only problem is how to find the right one. Here’s all you need to know about choosing the right contractor.

1. Make a plan

Maybe top to bottom is not really necessary, maybe it’s just the kitchen and dining area. You need to decide what is the extent of the renovations your house needs. Write down all the work you’d like done so you’ll know exactly what to tell the contractor.

• Make a list of contractors in your area

The first thing you’ll want to do is google the home contractors in your area. Check out their websites, look at ratings and customer google reviews and write down the ones that seem OK to you. Check out their Before/After galleries.

Also, it’s always good to ask around, talk with friends, family or neighbors and see if they can recommend somebody they’ve worked with and add them to your list.

• Ask for quotes

Contact all the contractors on your list. Explain the kind of work you have in mind and ask for an estimate. Don’t be surprised if their estimates fall in the same range, but be wary of those who go over the top or make a really low offer. You can also ask for a time estimate since such projects typically turn your life upside down. You don’t want to live on a construction site for the next six months!

• Interview the selected contractors

Next step is to ask to meet the contractors on your shortlist. Have them come by the house and talk to them about your requirements. Listen carefully to their solutions. You want somebody who sounds competent and comes up with easy solutions. Something that sounds overly complicated will probably end up costing a lot and might turn out quite unnecessary.

• Ask for references

Besides checking their online reviews, ask to talk to former clients. See if they were satisfied and ask if the work was delivered within the agreed time frame. Most important ask if the contractor stayed within the initial budget or did they keep making demands for more money.

• Ask for a criminal background check

If these people are going to be in your house for a long time, they’ll also have access to your valuables. It’s always smart to ask for a background check. Ask the business owners if they run background checks on their employees. You don’t have to be ashamed to ask such a thing. These guys will be in your house and around your kids for weeks if not months. You don’t want dangerous people in your house.

If they cannot provide police checks for their employees, suggest using an online character check agency that sends you back the results in a couple of days. It won’t inconvenience them in any way since everything is done online, applying for a background check only takes a few minutes and you can do it over the phone even. It’s easy and it gives you peace of mind. These days, criminal record checks are relatively easy to obtain. In states like New South Wales, you can apply online. It is also important to note that police checks do come with a small cost involved and even in places like NSW (e.g. Sydney) whilst you can get a police check in NSW online, you cannot get a police check online in NSW for free which is a common misconception when people request police character checks. There is no such thing as a free check as you will see from the official website link given here. They normally cost around $48 AUD or so so keep the cost in mind.

Now that you’ve made up your mind, make sure to read the contract carefully, including the fine print. The devil is in the details, you know that. Good luck with your project!

KISS “Word Art” Apparel

LA Pop Art

Our Score:  5 out of 5 stars

KISS and LA Pop Art recently announced the launch of a branded “Word Art” line of apparel that celebrates the legendary band’s enduring magic. “You wanted the best; you got the best!” LA Pop Art and the “Hottest Band in the World” Kiss have teamed up to launch a new line of unique apparel. Just in time to commemorate their End of The Road final tour, LA Pop Art has used “Word Art” to create the iconic KISS logo out of their popular song titles and the famous makeup of the Demon, Starchild, Catman, and Spaceman.

LA Pop Art founder Joseph Leibovic had this to say about the collaboration.

“There has never been a band like KISS and there will never be another band like them, We wanted to honor their legend with a truly one-of-a-kind design that is a must-have for any KISS fan.”

LA Pop Art continues to hit it out of the park with their unique word inspired art and the newest KISS partnership is no exception! We checked out one of the new t-shirts and were very pleased with the product. Printed on high quality soft cotton the art jumped of the shirt and looked great in the basic white on black styling. It was fun trying to find the different songs titles and count just how many different songs were used to create the new take on the iconic Kiss logo and face paint. Another great feature is that the design is offered in a wide size run for men, woman and children. This makes it super easy to find matching shirts for loved ones when we are finally able to catch the remaining legs of the “End of the Road” Tour in person.

This fully licensed KISS merchandise is boldly printed with pride in the USA and is also available on sweatshirts, tote bags and more. Kiss “Word Art” apparel can be purchased at LAPopArt.com, Macys.com, Amazon.com and through select quality retailers. 

The company’s full line of products are available at www.lapopart.com.

We all know that the TV and movie industry always typecast their actors and roles, surrounding movies within the gambling industry. Therefore, you often see those same types of actors consistently within the movies that are released on a year-on-year basis. Suppose some actors are just really good at hitting the spot, when it comes to acting perfectly, right?

NetBet and Casino777.es are great casinos that can suffice your gambling, should you be reminiscing right now on the casino gambling life, after seeing the great actors we list and remembering the entertainment value that gambling brought them (and you too from watching!). Continue reading to see which actors are listed as the most common stars when it comes to gambling movies.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon is an Oscar winner; we all know this. So, in all honesty he is not type casted, as he is able to act in any genre possible. We have seen him in action, drama, and so on. Yet we are sure you have probably watched the renowned movie Rounders, released in 1988. This movie actually introduced him into the gambling sector and left a super great impression in Hollywood. It led him onto greater and better things too! Ocean’s Eleven needs no introduction as it left a huge mark on the casino movie industry. Of course, if you combine Matt Damon, with a bunch of other great actors, the movie will obviously go down in history and hold epic proportions within the movie community-gambling or not.

Matt Damon went on to play his role further in the new releases of the Ocean’s Eleven; Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen and Ocean’s 8. In each and every movie, Matt was able to bring an energy that reflects a hungry and eager gambler. The enthusiasm was believable, and that is when you know that an actor is good at what they do, as it is so believable. So yes, Matt you most definitely qualify as an actor perfect for the gambling scene, if we may say so ourselves!

Robert De Niro

Would this list even be valid, if we did not qualify De Niro in our lists? Robert is known for his heightened acting skills, and of course his role within mafia movie Godfather, really did give him a great reputation as an actor. There is no doubt about that. Robert’s performance within the film Casino, playing the character ‘Ace’ highlighted how versatile he is as an actor, even more. His character was charming with an underlying sense of ruthlessness.

De Niro even brought humour to his next casino role, Last Vegas. His acting skills were massively showcased here as he went from Mr narcissist to a comedian with some serious ability to make the audience laugh-we know we did. Despite the change in character and style of acting, he is one of the most respected actors today and will always be given roles most of the time now, without having to even audition. Why? He has proved his value, especially in the gambling genre specifically. So, we expect to see him again very soon within another gambling franchise.

Sharon Stone

We got to put Sharon Stone in this equation for gambling movies. Not only is she a very credible actress for the 1990s, but she also managed to really set tongues wagging, with her impeccable performance within the movie Casino (alongside De Niro). Her role as Ginger McKenna made the acting gigs come in just fine, as the role was really iconic, witty and sultry. All actors often wish to get given a role as versatile such as this, because you basically can show off multiple action capabilities at once-and that is exactly what she was able to do!

The other movie which she got cast into (also gambling related), was The Vegas Strip War. This movie had less sex appeal than the Casino movie, yet nevertheless she was selected as the director knew of her versatility when it comes to acting. Casino hit all the categories for acting required to get her cast into it. In fact, many women that love to inspire their casino glam outfits these days, will always take inspiration from Miss Stone herself, playing Ginger.

Paul Newman

Paul Newman is seen as one of the greatest actors within the Hollywood business. He graced the cinema screens with roles that really showed how fast and efficiently he can switch, in terms of one genre to another. We all know he’s of the old but gold actors, meaning his famous gambling roles are those that were made in the 60s and the 70s. The first one we will begin to mention, is The Hustler. It is a must mention. Created in 1961, this role has Newman playing Eddie Felson, the independently driven and confident cool that casino movies have never seen before. It is of course the fact that he is so good looking, which has allowed him to get the good roles that need such charisma. He managed to land the movie sequel to Hustler, called the Colour of Money, which had taken almost two decades to be released surprisingly.

James Caan

James Caan is another recognisable face from the famous Godfather series. That series immediately typecast him as someone who was very hard in character, yet deep down with a soft heart. James managed to land many gambling roles within his career. Las Vegas was the first, and this was a TV series in fact. Having the lead as a casino manager, Caan managed to play this role with the rigidity it needed, to then impress further and land the appearance within Honeymoon in Vegas. This role was unfortunately not as memorable nor did it impact as much as the other roles he featured in, however the movie the Gambler was what dominated his identity within the movie business for gambling. That role itself was huge for his career, and the movie itself goes down as a huge success for the value it brought to the movie making community. Even IMDB says so, they rated it a great 7.4 out of 10, which is not too shabby at all!

Winning At The Casino

As fun as casino games are, let’s not kid ourselves that the reason we’re playing isn’t to get a slice of the good-life pie, a ticket on the gravy train … you get our drift. But the phrase “the house always wins” wasn’t some bad marketing ploy. The business of casino is just that, a business. And if your business wasn’t successfully making a profit, you wouldn’t be sticking around for long.

But there certainly are steps you can take to shift those odds as much in your favor as possible. Whether you choose to play in the comfort of your own home and need to find an Interac casino Canada players are winning from, or are planning a future trip to Las Vegas, it pays to know which games have the best odds.

House Edge

This is the casino term for what they are going to make, on average, out of each game. Their profit. Sticking to games that have the lowest house edge will maximise your winnings. When you’re playing on online casino slots, you may have noticed a phrase called RTP; return-to-player. This is the opposite of house edge and is how much of your bet you are expected to receive in return for playing. It’s important not to mix the two up!

These are casino games with the lowest house edge, or highest RTP, and they should be your target:

Blackjack

Whether on the casino floor or using a RNG online, the house edge of only around 5% is perfect. But the reason the casinos still operate such a game is because one small slip and your profit is gone. With blackjack, you need to stay incredibly focused and you need to play with a sure fire strategy.

Forget counting cards. Smarter people than us have created blackjack strategies that will tell you when to hit and when to stay, which will increase your odds to the highest. You can easily find these strategies online. Find one, learn it inside out, and more importantly, stick to it no matter what. If you do, that house edge will drop to under 1%, but you must be dedicated.

Video Pokers

Again, this is a game where there is some skill involved, so you will need to know about poker terms and their hand ranking. But because so many players lack the knowledge and don’t pay attention, you can have the house edge drop to 3%.

Craps

For such a fun and exciting game, who knew you could walk away with some profit. The key to winning at craps is, again, to not get distracted by all that noise and complication. It’s a very social game and always attracts players who love a drink. That’s why you want to keep your head and avoid the complicated bets. Sticking to the “don’t pass” line will have you betting against the roller and with a house edge of just 1.36%. But when you win, most people will lose, so you won’t be making many friends.

Baccarat

Most people avoid it as there is generally a high table limit that scares people away. But suck it up and stick to betting solely on the banker, every time, whether the player is on a roll or not. The banker bet will see the house edge drop to 1.06%. Although you may not be having as much fun as some players, it’s the best game for anyone who hasn’t had the time to study all the intricacies that some games have.

Conclusion

If you are serious about looking to turn a profit whilst gaming, stick to the games that have some level of skill attached. Then learn that skill. Practice, practice, practice, until it becomes second nature. Because this is the way that you are going to get the odds in your favor and come out of it all with some coin in your pocket. Casinos make money, a lot of it, and they do so by distracting players to remove the skill from the games. Those loud noises, the bright lights and free drinks for players are all there to ruin your focus. Stay the course, use your skills and don’t fall for their distracti

• FROZEN (2010)
• Starring: Emma Bell and Shawn Ashmore
• Directed by: Adam Green
• Anchor Bay Pictures

Certainly not to be confused with Disney’s animated musical, this is easily one of the most intense films I’ve ever seen and guaranteed to stay with you FOR-EVER!

A must see for all horror fans, a weekend ski party at a lodge goes terribly wrong. Look for Kane Hodder, better known as Jason Voorhees, in a cameo, My favorite horror movies are the ones that feel real and that possibly could happen, no matter how unlikely. This movie is raw, nerve-wracking and one of the most gut wrenching films I’ve ever seen!

• TAXI DRIVER
• Starring: Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster
• Directed by: Martin Scorsese
• Columbia Pictures

 
You’ll find one helluva cab ride here!

Scorsese’s mesmerizing film is so low-key it might put you to sleep. Not because of boredom though – it’s combination of a soothing jazz score (the final one by the great Bernard Hermann, who died 24 hours after delivering the score to Scorsese) and DeNiro’s narration will definitely relax you.

Travis Bickle has a deep concern. He feels the need to be a hero in a society that’s gone wrong. In fact, he’s just an extraordinary person in normal circumstances.

“You talkin’ to me??”

Style and Hollywood are clearly synonymous but that doesn’t mean that every diva in the industry can pull it off every single time. 

In the day and age when film icons could be spotted and photographed at any moment, there are some actresses who manage to always look as if they’ve just stepped off or on to the catwalk.

These stylish acting talents know exactly how to present themselves, and their outfits, to their adoring public and we’ve highlighted three in particular who do so with aplomb.

Lupita Nyong’o

The Oscar winning actress oozes style in just about every pose she’s been captured in since she broke into our consciousness following her award winning performance in the harrowing Steve McQueen film Twelve Years a Slave

Never afraid to take risks and with a petite frame to die for, Nyong’o is a fashion house’s dream when it comes to over the top outfits that would look garish and ill-fitting on most of Hollywood’s establishment.

Every Met Gala she’s attended has led to viral action across social media, Lupita is not only a hugely talented actor she is also a bone fide style icon.

Gal Gadot

The Israeli actress comes from model beginnings and while it may have taken a while for the 35-year-old to convince the film industry she can act, she’s certainly making up for lost time and her latest release, the Wonder Woman sequel 1984, has proven a big hit despite the fact that a worldwide cinematic release hasn’t been possible due to COVID-19.

The wispy actor always looks perfect whenever she’s snapped. Whether she’s been papped leaving a restaurant or as she works her magic on the red carpet, Gadot most certainly has style running through her veins. 

Clearly her model upbringing helps her take every opportunity to come across well in front of the lens and there are few Hollywood star’s more photogenic than Gal Gadot.

Zendaya

This young acting prodigy has packed a lot into her fledgling career and it’s easy to forget that Californian is still only 24-years-old. 

The American actress-singer has become something of a household name thanks to her performances in the Spiderman franchise and the musical The Greatest Show on Earth as well as her excellent portrayal of Rue Bennett in the excellent Euphoria.

Zendaya is now also a leading light in the fashion industry having become the face of Tommy Hilfiger and cosmetics giant Lancome. She has quickly become a style icon and has done a great service for glasses frames for women due to her ability to shine even brighter when spectacled.

Charlize Theron

Another model/actress with previous experience of walking the catwalk, this South African star is an accomplished performer with three Oscar nominations to her name, one of which led to a win thanks to her astonishing performance in Monster in 2004.

The long legged style queen is always well presented and it’s no surprise that she is very much a brand ambassador to a number of major fashion houses and labels.

She has previously fronted John Galliano, Dior and Breitling and is always attracting attention both on and off screen. Perhaps never more so than when sporting the hip Saint Laurent sunglasses in her big money hitwoman success Atomic Blonde, a look that has inspired countless copycats and fancy dress outfits.

Margot Robbie

This Australian actress has grown from bit-part performer to Hollywood A-lister over the course of the past decade and she’s also managed to significantly up her style game in the process.

Clearly Robbie is a stunningly attractive actor but she also knows how to win the style war that so many fail. The Wolf of Wall Street star is always careful to be perfectly stylish whenever she’s captured by the camera lense and that’s a talent that isn’t easily honed.

In 2016 she became a key part of Calvin Klein’s fashion range, in 2018 it was Chanel who were making the most of her icon-like status, and look. She is regularly named in ‘best dressed’ lists and her quirky attitude is one that has helped to secure a key reputation as a real trendsetter. 

There isn’t a moment she’s in front of the camera and not pulling off an effortless level of style. Whether that’s in a simple ensemble coupled with a form fitted dress for a top designer, paired off with idyllic oversized sunglasses to die for, or in a simple pair of mom-jeans and a nice pair of Gucci framed eyewear.

Clearly while the five acting megastars named above are all leading style figures it’s also important to note that they are all very much at the top end of their acting scale. All are award winners in their fields and a great deal of their successful style input comes from their own unique characters. 

These are icons not only in the style game but also of the silver screen. They are A-listers in every sense of the word.