Galileo Galilei, Times & Accomplishments

By The Galileo Project

Galileo's Early Life

Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, was a musician. Galileo's mother was Giulia degli Ammannati. Galileo was the first of six (though some people believe seven) children. His family belonged to the nobility but was not rich. In the early 1570's, he and his family moved to Florence.

The Pendulum

In 1581, Galileo began studying at the University of Pisa, where his father hoped he would study medicine. While at the University of Pisa, Galileo began his study of the pendulum while, according to legend, he watched a suspended lamp swing back and forth in the cathedral of Pisa. However, it was not until 1602 that Galileo made his most notable discovery about the pendulum - the period (the time in which a pendulum swings back and forth) does not depend on the arc of the swing (the isochronism). Eventually, this discovery would lead to Galileo's further study of time intervals and the development of his idea for a pendulum clock.

On Motion

At the University of Pisa, Galileo learned the physics of the Ancient Greek scientist, Aristotle. However, Galileo questioned the Aristotelian approach to physics. Aristotelians believed that heavier objects fall faster through a medium than lighter ones. Galileo eventually disproved this idea by asserting that all objects, regardless of their density, fall at the same rate in a vacuum. To determine this, Galileo performed various experiments in which he dropped objects from a certain height. In one of his early experiments, he rolled balls down gently sloping inclined plane and then determined their positions after equal time intervals. He wrote down his discoveries about motion in his book, De Motu, which means "On Motion."

Mechanical Devices

In 1592, Galileo was appointed professor of mathematics at the University of Padua. While teaching there, he frequently visited a place called the Arsenal, where Venetian ships were docked and loaded. Galileo had always been interested in mechanical devices. Naturally, during his visits to the Arsenal, he became fascinated by nautical technologies, such as the sector and shipbuilding. In 1593, he was presented with the problem involving the placement of oars in galleys. He treated the oar as a lever and correctly made the water the fulcrum. A year later, he patented a model for a pump. His pump was a device that raised water by using only one horse.

Family Life

Galileo was never married. However, he did have a brief relationship with Marina Gamba, a woman he met on one of his many trips to Venice. Marina lived in Galileo's house in Padua where she bore him three children. His two daughters, Virginia and Livia, were both put in convents where they became, respectively, Sister Maria Celeste and Sister Arcangela. In 1610, Galileo moved from Padua to Florence where he took a position at the Court of the Medici family. He left his son, Vincenzio, with Marina Gamba in Padua. In 1613, Marina married Giovanni Bartoluzzi, and Vincenzio joined his father in Florence.

Telescope

Galileo invented many mechanical devices other than the pump, such as the hydrostatic balance. But perhaps his most famous invention was the telescope. Galileo made his first telescope in 1609, modeled after telescopes produced in other parts of Europe that could magnify objects three times. He created a telescope later that same year that could magnify objects twenty times. With this telescope, he was able to look at the moon, discover the four satellites of Jupiter, observe a supernova, verify the phases of Venus, and discover sunspots. His discoveries proved the Copernican system which states that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun. Prior to the Copernican system, it was held that the universe was geocentric, meaning the sun revolved around the earth.

The Inquisition

Galileo's belief in the Copernican System eventually got him into trouble with the Catholic Church. The Inquisition was a permanent institution in the Catholic Church charged with the eradication of heresies. A committee of consultants declared to the Inquisition that the Copernican proposition that the Sun is the center of the universe was a heresy. Because Galileo supported the Copernican system, he was warned by Cardinal Bellarmine, under order of Pope Paul V, that he should not discuss or defend Copernican theories. In 1624, Galileo was assured by Pope Urban VIII that he could write about Copernican theory as long as he treated it as a mathematical proposition. However, with the printing of Galileo's book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Galileo was called to Rome in 1633 to face the Inquisition again. Galileo was found guilty of heresy for his Dialogue, and was sent to his home near Florence where he was to be under house arrest for the remainder of his life. In 1638, the Inquisition allowed Galileo to move to his home in Florence, so that he could be closer to his doctors. By that time he was totally blind. In 1642, Galileo died at his home outside Florence.

Source (http://galileo.rice.edu/)

The Salvador Dali Biography

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali I Domenech was born at 8:45 on the morning of May 11, 1904 in the small agricultural town of Figueres, Spain. Figueres is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, only sixteen miles from the French border in the principality of Catalonia. The son of a prosperous notary, Dali spent his boyhood in Figueres and at the family’s summer home in the coastal fishing village of Cadaques where his parents built his first studio. As an adult, he made his home with his wife Gala in nearby Port Lligat. Many of his paintings reflect his love of this area of Spain.
The young Dali attended the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. Early recognition of Dali’s talent came with his first one-man show in Barcelona in 1925. He became internationally known when three of his paintings, including The Basket of Bread (now in the Museum’s collection), were shown in the third annual Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1928.
The following year, Dali held his first one-man show in Paris. He also joined the surrealists, led by former Dadaist Andre Breton. That year, Dali met Gala Eluard when she visited him in Cadaques with her husband, poet Paul Eluard. She became Dali’s lover, muse, business manager, and chief inspiration.
Dali soon became a leader of the Surrealist Movement. His painting, The Persistance of Memory, with the soft or melting watches is still one of the best-known surrealist works. But as the war approached, the apolitical Dali clashed with the Surrealists and was “expelled” from the surrealist group during a “trial” in 1934. He did however, exhibit works in international surrealist exhibitions throughout the decade but by 1940, Dali was moving into a new type of painting with a preoccupation with science and religion.
Dali and Gala escaped from Europe during World War II, spending 1940-48 in the United States. These were very important years for the artist. The Museum of Modern Art in New York gave Dali his first major retrospective exhibit in 1941. This was followed in 1942 by the publication of Dali’s autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali.
As Dali moved away from Surrealism and into his classic period, he began his series of 19 large canvases, many concerning scientific, historical or religious themes. Among the best known of these works are The Hallucinogenic Toreador, and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in the museum’s collection, and The Sacrament of the Last Supper in the collection of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
In 1974, Dali opened the Teatro Museo in Figueres, Spain. This was followed by retrospectives in Paris and London at the end of the decade. After the death of his wife, Gala in 1982, Dali’s health began to fail. It deteriorated further after he was burned in a fire in his home in Pubol in 1984. Two years later, a pace-maker was implanted. Much of this part of his life was spent in seclusion, first in Pubol and later in his apartments at Torre Galatea, adjacent to the Teatro Museo. Salvador Dali died on January 23, 1989 in Figueres from heart failure with respiratory complications.
As an artist, Salvador Dali was not limited to a particular style or media. The body of his work, from early impressionist paintings through his transitional surrealist works, and into his classical period, reveals a constantly growing and evolving artist. Dali worked in all media, leaving behind a wealth of oils, watercolors, drawings, graphics, and sculptures, films, photographs, performance pieces, jewels and objects of all descriptions. As important, he left for posterity the permission to explore all aspects of one’s own life and to give them artistic expression.
Whether working from pure inspiration or on a commissioned illustration, Dali’s matchless insight and symbolic complexity are apparent. Above all, Dali was a superb draftsman. His excellence as a creative artist will always set a standard for the art of the twentieth century.
(Source http://salvadordali.com/)

Το παραμύθι της Σταχτοπούτας..

Η Σταχτοπούτα είναι ένα κλασικό παραμύθι που αφηγείται τις περιπέτειες μιας κοπέλας, που την κακομεταχειρίζονται η κακιά μητριά της και οι αδερφές της. Συγγραφέας της Σταχτοπούτας θεωρείται ο Σαρλ Περώ, ωστόσο υπάρχουν καταγεγραμμένα στοιχεία παρόμοιων ιστοριών σε κινεζικά χειρόγραφα που χρονολογούνται από το 850 μ.Χ., και μια έκδοση του μύθου από την αρχαία Αίγυπτο.

Το κεντρικό πρόσωπο του παραμυθιού είναι η Σταχτοπούτα (Cendrillon στο πρωτότυπο του Περώ), κόρη ενός πλούσιου εμπόρου. Η μητριά της και οι ετεροθαλείς αδελφές της υποβιβάζουν την Σταχτοπούτα σε ρόλο υπηρέτριάς τους, ενώ αυτές χαίρονται όλα τα πλούτη του εμπόρου, και την αναγκάζουν να κοιμάται στις στάχτες του τζακιού, απ' όπου και το όνομα Σταχτοπούτα. Κάποιο βράδυ, την επισκέπτεται η νεράϊδα-νονά της και της δίνει ένα φόρεμα, μια άμαξα κι ένα ζευγάρι γυάλινα γοβάκια, προκειμένου να πάει στον χορό του Πρίγκιπα. Ο πρίγκιπας εντυπωσιάζεται και την επόμενη μέρα, όταν η άγνωστη εμφανίζεται πάλι στο παλάτι. Καθώς δεν ξέρει τίποτα γι' αυτήν, αποφασίζει να τη βρει χρησιμοποιώντας το γοβάκι που άφησε στις σκάλες φεύγοντας, βάζοντας τις γυναίκες της περιοχής να το δοκιμάσουν για να δει σε ποια ταιριάζει. Οι αδελφές της προσπαθούν με κόπους και βάσανα να φορέσουν το γοβάκι, προκειμένου να κερδίσουν τον πρίγκιπα, μάταια όμως, καθώς ταιριάζει μόνο στην Σταχτοπούτα, την οποία και παντρεύεται ο πρίγκιπας.

Το παραμύθι έχει γνωρίσει αρκετές παραλλαγές, που διαφέρουν σε ορισμένες λεπτομέρειες της πλοκής. Έχει διασκευαστεί σε μπαλέτο από τον Σεργκέι Προκόφιεφ και τον Γιόχαν Στράους και αρκετές φορές σε όπερα από τον Ροσσίνι και άλλους συνθέτες. Έχουν γυριστεί επίσης αρκετές ταινίες βασισμένες στην ιστορία, με πιο γνωστή διασκευή αυτή του Ουώλτ Ντίσνεϊ.

Η Εκδοχή των Γκριμ

Στην μεταγενέστερη εκδοχή των αδελφών Γκριμ, ο ρόλος της νεράιδας-νονάς αντικαθίσταται από το περιστέρι που μένει στο δέντρίλι δίπλα από τον τάφο της μητέρας της Σταχτοπούτας. Το περιστέρι έχει έναν σημαντικό ρόλο σε όλη την ιστορία, διότι βοηθά την Σταχτοπούτα να καθαρίσει τις φακές έτσι ώστε να πάει στον χορό, της δίνει το φόρεμα και τα γοβάκια. Όταν ο πρίγκιπας πάει να δοκιμάσει στην μια αδερφή το γοβάκι, αυτή παρακινούμενη απ' την μητριά, κόβει το μεγάλο δάχτυλο του ποδιού της και το πόδι της χωράει στο γοβάκι. Ο πρίγκιπας νομίζει πως αυτή είναι η κοπέλα που έψαχνε, την ανεβάζει στο άλογο του και ξεκινάνε για το παλάτι, όμως τα περιστέρια στα δέντρα του φωνάζουν να κοιτάξει το γοβάκι που είναι μουσκεμένο από το αίμα του ακρωτηριασμένου δαχτύλου. Ο πρίγκιπας καταλαβαίνει την πλεκτάνη και επιστρέφει την αδερφή σπίτι της. Το ίδιο ακριβώς συμβαίνει και με την δεύτερη αδερφή, με την διαφορά ότι εκείνη κόβει την φτέρνα της. Το περιστέρι τον οδηγεί στον περιστερώνα, όπου είχαν κλειδώσει την Σταχτοπούτα. Επίσης, η κολοκύθα/άμαξα, τα ποντίκια/άλογα, ο αρουραίος/αμαξάς και οι σαύρες/ακόλουθοι δεν υπάρχουν στην εκδοχή αυτή. Μια άλλη καινοτομία των Γκριμ είναι η αύξηση του χορού από έναν σε τρεις. Τις δύο πρώτες νύχτες, η Σταχτοπούτα φορά ένα ασημοκέντητο φόρεμα, ενώ στην τρίτη ένα χρυσό. Οι αδελφοί Γκριμ αναφέρουν ότι ο λόγος που ξεχάστηκε το γοβάκι είναι επειδή κόλλησε στην πίσσα που είχε διατάξει να βάλουν ο πρίγκιπας για να μη μπορέσει να φύγει η Σταχτοπούτα.

(Πηγή Βικιπαίδεια)

Cinderella (Disney character)

Cinderella is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' 12th animated feature film Cinderella (1950) and its sequels Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007). In the original film, Cinderella is voiced by American singer and actress Ilene Woods. For the sequels and subsequent film and television appearances, Woods was replaced by American actresses Jennifer Hale and Tami Tappan, who provide the character's speaking and singing voices respectively.

In the wake of her father's untimely demise, Cinderella is left in the unfortunate care of her cruel stepmother and jealous stepsisters, who constantly mistreat her, forcing Cinderella to work as a domestic servant. When Prince Charming holds a ball, Cinderella, aided by her kind Fairy Godmother and equipped with a beautiful ballgown and a unique pair of glass slippers, attends, only to have to leave at 12 Midnight, when the Fairy Godmother's spell is broken (Including Cinderella's ball gown turning back into pink & white rags).

Reception towards Cinderella has been generally negative, with film critics describing the character as much too passive, boring and one-dimensional, additionally admitting to finding the film's supporting characters more intriguing. Woods' vocal performance, however, has been lauded. Unaffected by her unfavorable reception, Cinderella has nonetheless become one of the most famous and recognizable princesses of all-time. With her iconic glass footwear, ballgown, hairstyle and transformation, one of the first on-screen makeovers of its kind, the character has been established as a fashion icon, receiving accolades and recognition from InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour and Oprah.com, as well as footwear designer and fashion icon Christian Louboutin himself, who in 2012 designed and released a shoe based on Cinderella's.

(Source Wikipedia)

The Snow White Fairytale..

At the beginning of the story, a queen sits sewing at an open window during a winter snowfall when she pricks her finger with her needle, causing three drops of red blood to drip onto the freshly fallen white snow on the black windowsill. Admiring the beauty of the resulting color combination, she says to herself, "Oh how I wish that I had a daughter that had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony." Soon after that, the Queen gives birth to a baby girl who is as white as snow, as red as blood and has hair as black as ebony. They name her 'Snow White,' but sadly, the Queen dies after giving birth to her.

After a year has passed, the King takes a new wife, who is beautiful but also unutterably wicked and vain. The new queen possesses a magic mirror which she asks every morning, "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror always replies, "My queen, you are the fairest in the land." The Queen is always pleased with that because the magic mirror never lies. But when Snow White reaches the age of seven, she becomes more beautiful each day and even more beautiful than the Queen, and when the Queen asks her mirror, it responds, "My queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White is a thousand times more beautiful than you."

This gives the queen a great shock. She becomes yellow and green with envy and from that hour on, her heart turns against Snow White, and she hates her more and more each day. Envy and pride, like ill weeds, grow in her heart taller every day, until she has no peace day or night. Eventually, the Queen orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the deepest woods to be killed. As proof that Snow White is dead, the Queen demands that he return with her lungs and liver. The huntsman takes Snow White into the forest. After raising his knife, he finds himself unable to kill her as she sobs heavily and begs him: "Oh, dear huntsman, don't kill me! Leave me with my life; I will run into the forest and never come back!" The huntsman leaves her behind alive, convinced that the girl would be eaten by some wild animal. He instead brings the Queen the lungs and liver of a young boar, which is prepared by the cook and eaten by the Queen.

After wandering through the forest for days, Snow White discovers a tiny cottage belonging to a group of seven dwarfs. Since no one is at home, she eats some of the tiny meals, drinks some of their wine and then tests all the beds. Finally the last bed is comfortable enough for her and she falls asleep. When the seven dwarfs return home, they immediately become aware that someone sneaked in secretly, because everything in their home is in disorder. During their loud discussion about who sneaked in, they discover the sleeping Snow White. The girl wakes up and explains to them what happened and the dwarfs take pity on her, saying: "If you will keep house for us, and cook, make beds, wash, sew, and knit, and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want." They warn her to be careful when alone at home and to let no one in when they are away delving in the mountains.

Meanwhile, the Queen asks her mirror once again: "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror replies: "My queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White beyond the mountains at the seven dwarfs is a thousand times more beautiful than you." The Queen is horrified to learn that the huntsman has betrayed her and that Snow White is still alive. She keeps thinking about how to get rid of Snow White, then she disguises herself as an old peddler. The Queen then walks to the cottage of the dwarfs and offers her colorful, silky laced bodices and convinces the girl to take the most beautiful bodice as a present. Then the Queen laces it so tightly that Snow White faints, causing the Queen to leave her for dead. But the dwarfs return just in time, and Snow White revives when the dwarfs loosen the laces.

The next morning the Queen consults her mirror anew and the mirror reveals Snow White's survival. Now infuriated, the Queen dresses as a comb seller and convinces Snow White to take a beautiful comb as a present. She brushes Snow White's hair with a poisoned comb, and the girl faints again, but she is again revived by the dwarfs. And the next morning the mirror tells the Queen that Snow White is still "a thousand times more beautiful." Now the Queen nearly has a heart attack in shock and rage. As a third and last attempt to rid herself of Snow White, she secretly consults the darkest magic and makes a poisoned apple, and in the disguise of a farmer's wife, she offers it to Snow White. The girl is at first hesitant to accept it, so the Queen cuts the apple in half, eating the white (harmless) half and giving the red (poisoned) half to Snow White. The girl eagerly takes a bite and falls into a state of suspended animation, causing the Queen to triumph. This time the dwarfs are unable to revive the girl because they cannot find the source of Snow White's poor health, and assuming that she is dead, they place her in a glass coffin.

Time passes and a prince traveling through the land sees Snow White. He strides to her coffin and, enchanted by her beauty, instantly falls in love with her. The dwarfs succumb to his entreaties to let him have the coffin, and as his servants carry the coffin away, they stumble on some roots. The tremor caused by the stumbling causes the piece of poisoned apple to dislodge from Snow White's throat, awakening her. The Prince then declares his love for her, and soon a wedding is planned. The couple invite every queen and king to come to the wedding party, including Snow White's stepmother. Meanwhile the Queen, still believing that Snow White is dead, again asks her magical mirror who is the fairest in the land. The mirror says: "You, my queen, are fair so true. But the young Queen is a thousand times fairer than you."

Appalled, in disbelief, and with her heart full of fear and doubts, the Queen is at first hesitant to accept the invitation, but she eventually decides to go. Not knowing that this new queen was indeed her stepdaughter, she arrives at the wedding, and her heart fills with the deepest of dread when she realizes the truth. As a punishment for her attempted murders, a pair of glowing-hot iron shoes are brought forth with tongs and placed before the Queen. She is forced to step into the burning shoes and to dance until she drops dead.

(Source Wikipedia)

Καλοκαίρι, Ημερολόγια, Ετικέτες

Αγαπητοί μου φίλοι, φίλες, νομίζω ότι φέτος το καλοκαίρι, μετά το καλοκαίρι, το φθινόπωρο και έως ότου ολοκληρωθεί αυτή η διαδικασία, θα ασχολούμαι φουλ με τα ημερολόγια όμως περισσότερο αναφορικά με θέματα λογικής και background. Μάλλον τώρα που έχω ξεπεράσει τις πολλές εκατοντάδες άρθρα , θα ήθελα να διαγράψω μία ποσότητα (αν και τα ημερολόγια λειτουργούν στο φουλ), να τροποποιήσω πολλά άλλα, νομίζω ήδη ότι τα κείμενα αλλάζουν πολύ λιγότερο σε σχέση με τον τίτλο του άρθρου, να διορθώσω ότι χρειάζεται με την έννοια ότι θα προτιμούσα λιγάκι να δουλέψω πιο υπεύθυνα τα γραπτά μου και έτσι λοιπόν, σας παρουσιάζω τις κατηγορίες με άλλα λόγια τα labels, etiquettes, λέξεις κλειδιά, με τις οποίες θα ήθελα να προσαρμόσω το υλικό σε όλα τα ημερολόγια, ακόμα και να ερευνήσω το ενδεχόμενο δύο labels ανά άρθρο.

Σε κάθε περίπτωση έχω αποφασίσει ήδη πως έτσι όπως εξελίσσεται ο Blogger, το WordPress, το Free Hosting και άλλα πολλά που επισκέπτομαι στο ίντερνετ, πραγματικά αξίζει τον κόπο μία ιστοσελίδα να είναι free and organized και μάλιστα στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις με πολλαπλάσια οφέλη σε σχέση με την επί πληρωμή υπηρεσία. Άλλωστε αυτά που χρειάζεται να μάθετε για να διαχειρίζεστε τις πλατφόρμες μπορείτε να τα μάθετε με τον ένα ή με τον άλλο τρόπο, καθιστώντας έτσι την κοστολογημένη και χρονοβόρα υλοποίηση απαρχαιωμένη. Έχουμε και λέμε λοιπόν, Article Etiquettes:

1.)    Multimedia
2.)    Art
3.)    Science
4.)    Education
5.)    Thoughts
6.)    Personal
7.)    Writing
8.)    Storytelling
9.)    Fantasy
10.)    …

Όπως καταλάβατε αγαπητοί αναγνώστες η ετικέτα 10 είναι ακόμα άγνωστη, με την έννοια ότι θα έχουμε τη δυνατότητα να την ανακαλύψουμε στο μέλλον μόλις δούμε ότι… κάποια άρθρα είναι λίγο διαφορετικά. Και επί της ουσίας επαναλαμβάνω τα λόγια του βραβευμένου Jacob Krueger στο Screenwriting, Branding Yourself as A Writer, The Brand is You, Your voice at your most Authentic. Έτσι λοιπόν σήμερα θα σταματήσω εδώ, προτιμώ να πιω το φασκόμηλό μου και εύχομαι σε όλους σας καλό Σαββατοκύριακο..!

Palette (Painting) of An Artist..

A palette /ˈpælɨt/, in the original sense of the word, is a rigid, flat surface on which a painter arranges and mixes paints. A palette is usually made of wood, plastic, ceramic, or other hard, inert, nonporous material, and can vary greatly in size and shape. The most commonly known type of painter's palette is made of a thin wood board designed to be held in the artist's hand and rest on the artist's arm. Watercolor palettes are generally made of plastic or porcelain with rectangular or wheel format with built in wells and mixing areas for colors.

From the original, literal sense above came a figurative sense by extension, referring to a selection of colors, as used in a specific art object or in a group of works comprising a visual style. This second, figurative sense is the one extended in the digital era to the computing senses of "palette".

Wet palette

A wet palette is a sealable container with a layer of absorbent material (such as tissue paper or sponge) that can be soaked with water and a semi-permeable membrane (such as parchment, greaseproof paper or baking paper (silicone paper)) over that. The paint sits on the membrane and is kept wet by osmosis. The main purpose of the wet palette is to keep acrylic paint, whose drying is unreversable, workable. Wet palettes are easily made, but can be bought.

(Source Wikipedia)

Fan Club Websites (Majorly Hollywood Themed)

A fansite, fan site, fan blog or fanpage is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee interested in a celebrity, thing, or a particular cultural phenomenon. The phenomenon can be a book, television show, movie, comic, band, sports team, video game, or the like.

Fansites may offer specialized information on the subject (e.g., episode listings, biographies, storyline plots), pictures taken from various sources, the latest news related to their subject, media downloads, links to other, similar fansites and the chance to talk to other fans via discussion boards. They often take the form of a blog, highlighting the latest news regarding the fansite subject. They often include galleries of photos and/or videos of the subject, and are often "affiliates" with other fansites.

Fanlistings are another common type of fansite, though they are much simpler than general fansites, and are designed simply to list fans of a certain subject. In fact, many do not contain much information on the subject at all, aside from a small introduction. They are generally made with the thought that visitors will already have knowledge on the subject. However, several are a part of a bigger fansite, used to amplify the fanbase's experience. Most fanlistings are unofficial.

Many sites utilize other aspects as well, such as communities and social networking tools to augment the experience further. Indeed, by the early 2010s, independently run fansites had largely been superseded by Facebook groups.

Most fansites are unofficial, but a few are officially endorsed, where the subject will supply material and reimbursement for the expense and bother of running the site. To state that they are unofficial, many fan webmasters put a disclaimer on a visible place on the website, which sometimes also includes the copyright of the site. Many celebrities prefer to create and run their own sites, in order to control the content and perhaps retail their personal views. They employ their own webmaster and own the copyright.

Motivations

A study suggests that unofficial fansites are often built as an alternative to the "hard sell" approach of official fansites that carry commercial messages. A classification system developed by Wann breaks down eight motives of fandom. These motives, particularly those related to group affiliation and self-esteem, are a driving factor in the creation of unofficial fansites.

Satisfying the social psychology needs of group affiliation and self-esteem by visiting fansites, and in particular participating in the community aspects of fansites, appear to serve to increase fan behavior.

Research of inter-personal attraction indicates that people generally prefer to socialize with those who are similar to them. For example, sports fans fulfill this need by attending sporting events in person. In the online world, fans fulfill this need by building and/or participating in online fansites.

Many fans prefer to visit unofficial fansites for fan-related services, but still prefer an official fansite as the primary source for accurate information since it affords the closest affiliation with the target itself.

(Source Wikipedia)

P.S.  Importance of such websites is relevant with a non-profit, unofficial web page directly embracing multiple object oriented techniques in terms of surpassing 1-dimensional networks and become organic enough in the 21st century World Wide Web. A reality that makes websites free and glorious, hence surpassing their etiquette limits (fan clubs).

All About Philosophical Platonic Realism..

Platonic realism is a philosophical term usually used to refer to the idea of realism regarding the existence of universals or abstract objects after the Greek philosopher Plato (c. 427–c. 347 BC), a student of Socrates. As universals were considered by Plato to be ideal forms, this stance is confusingly also called Platonic idealism. This should not be confused with Idealism, as presented by philosophers such as George Berkeley: as Platonic abstractions are not spatial, temporal, or mental they are not compatible with the later Idealism's emphasis on mental existence. Plato's Forms include numbers and geometrical figures, making them a theory of mathematical realism; they also include the Form of the Good, making them in addition a theory of ethical realism.

Plato expounded his own articulation of realism regarding the existence of universals in his dialogue The Republic and elsewhere, notably in the Phaedo, the Phaedrus, the Meno and the Parmenides.

Universals

In Platonic realism, universals do not exist in the way that ordinary physical objects exist, even though Plato metaphorically referred to such objects to explain his concepts. More modern versions of the theory seek to avoid applying potentially misleading descriptions to universals. Instead, such versions maintain that it is meaningless (or a category mistake) to apply the categories of space and time to universals.

Regardless of their description, Platonic realism holds that universals do exist in a broad, abstract sense, although not at any spatial or temporal distance from people's bodies. Thus, people cannot see or otherwise come into sensory contact with universals, but in order to conceive of universals, one must be able to conceive of these abstract forms.

Theories of universals

Theories of universals, including Platonic realism, are challenged to satisfy certain constraints on theories of universals.

Platonic realism strongly satisfies one of those constraints, in that it is a theory of what general terms refer to. Forms are ideal in supplying meaning to referents for general terms. That is, to understand terms such as applehood and redness, Platonic realism says that they refer to forms. Indeed, Platonism gets much of its plausibility because mentioning redness, for example, seems to be referring to something that is apart from space and time, but which has lots of specific instances.

Some contemporary linguistic philosophers construe "Platonism" to mean the proposition that universals exist independently of particulars (a universal is anything that can be predicated of a particular). Similarly, a form of modern Platonism is found in the predominant philosophy of mathematics, especially regarding the foundations of mathematics. The Platonic interpretation of this philosophy includes the thesis that mathematics is not created but discovered.

Forms

Plato's interpretation of universals is linked to his Theory of Forms in which he uses both the terms εἶδος (eidos: "form") and ἰδέα (idea: "characteristic") to describe his theory. Forms are mind independent abstract objects or paradigms (παραδείγματα: patterns in nature) of which particular objects and the properties and relations present in them are copies. Form is inherent in the particulars and these are said to participate in the form. Classically idea has been translated (or transliterated) as "idea," but secondary literature now typically employs the term "form" (or occasionally "kind," usually in discussion of Plato's Sophist and Statesman) to avoid confusion with the English word connoting "thought".

Platonic form can be illustrated by contrasting a material triangle with an ideal triangle. The Platonic form is the ideal triangle — a figure with perfectly drawn lines whose angles add to 180 degrees. Any form of triangle that we experience will be an imperfect representation of the ideal triangle. Regardless of how precise your measuring and drawing tools you will never be able to recreate this perfect shape. Even drawn to the point where our senses cannot perceive a defect, in its essence the shape will still be imperfect; forever unable to match the ideal triangle.

Some versions of Platonic realism, like that of Proclus, regard Plato's forms as thoughts in the mind of God. Most consider forms not to be mental entities at all.

(Source Wikipedia)

Web Content Lifecycle..

The web content lifecycle is the multi-disciplinary and often complex process that web content undergoes as it is managed through various publishing stages.
Authors describe multiple "stages" (or "phases") in the web content lifecycle, along with a set of capabilities—such as records management, digital asset management, collaboration, and version control—that may be supported by various technologies and processes. One recognized technology for managing the web content lifecycle is a web content management system.
Concepts often considered in the web content lifecycle include project management, information management, information architecture, and, more recently, content strategy, website governance, and semantic publishing.

Stages

Various authors have proposed different "stages" or "phases" in the content lifecycle. Broadly speaking, the stages include content creation/development, revision, distribution, and archiving. The lifecycle processes, actions, content status, and content management roles may differ from model to model based on organizational strategies, needs, requirements, and capabilities.

Two stages

In 2003, McKeever described "two iterative phases": "the collection of content, and the delivery or publishing of that content on the Web." She also explains a Web Content Management (WCM) "four layer hierarchy"—content, activity, outlet, and audience—intended to illustrate the breadth of WCM.

Three stages

Bob Boiko's Content Management Bible emphasizes three major parts: collect (creation and editing is much more than simply collecting), manage (workflows, approvals, versioning, repository, etc.), and publish. These concepts are graphically displayed in a Content Management Possibilities poster developed by Boiko. The poster details such content management concepts as metadata, syndication, workflows, repositories, and databases.
Gerry McGovern also sees three "processes," designating them creation, editing, and publishing.

Four stages

JoAnn Hackos' Content Management for Dynamic Web Delivery argues for four "components": authoring, repository, assembly/linking, and publishing.
In Managing Enterprise Content, Ann Rockley argues for the planning of content reuse through four stages: create, review, manage, deliver. A stage can have sub-stages; for example, the "create" stage has three sub-stages: planning, design, and authoring and revision. She notes that content is often created by individuals working in isolation inside an enterprise (the coined term is the Content Silo Trap). To counter this content silo effect, she recommends using a "unified content strategy," "a repeatable method of identifying all content requirements up front, creating consistently structured content for reuse, managing that content in a definitive source, and assembling content on demand to meet your customers’ needs."

Five stages

Nakano described five "collaboration operations": Submit, Compare, Update, Merge, and Publish.
The State government of Victoria (Australia) produced a flowchart with a diagrammatic view of the web content lifecycle with five stages: Develop, Quality Approval, Publish, Unpublish, and Archive. Some of the stages include sub-stages (for example, Archive consists of Storage, Archived, and Disposed) intended to further delineate content status. In addition, this model depicts three aspects—Status, Process, and Roles—as part of the flow for web content. The four roles in this model are content author, content quality manager, business quality manager, and records manager.
The AIIM speaks of managing content “to achieve business goals”. AIIM ECM 101 Poster from 2003, and the AIIM Solving the ECM Puzzle Poster from 2005, present the same five stages: Capture, Manage, Store, Deliver, Preserve.

Six stages

The Content Management Lifecycle Poster devised by CM Pros suggests six "steps":

    Plan
    Develop
    Manage
    Deploy
    Preserve
    Evaluate

Each step contains sub-steps. For example, step 1, Plan, consists of Align, Analyze, Model, and Design; and step 2, Develop, consists of Create, Capture, Collect, Categorize, and Edit.

Seven stages

Bob Doyle suggests seven stages of the Web content lifecycle:

    Organization
    Creation
    Storage
    Workflow
    Versioning
    Publishing
    Archives

Doyle argues for seven stages based on the psychologist George A. Miller's famed magical number "seven plus or minus two " limit on human information processing. He notes this is merely a suggestion and that one should "add or subtract a couple of your own favorites."

Governance rather than workflow

In a 2005 article, Woods addressed governance of the content lifecycle. In his model, there are categories of issues to address, rather than a simple, cradle-to-grave pathway. He writes that most content governance questions fall into one of the following categories:

    Legacy Content Migration
    Template Considerations
    New Content Creation
    Content Modification and Reuse
    Version Control and Site Rollback
    Content Rotation and the End of the Road
    Monitoring Progress, Managing for Success

More recently, Halvorson has humorously suggested 15 discrete steps in the web content lifecycle: Audit, Analyze, Strategize, Categorize, Structure, Create, Revise, Revise, Revise, Approve, Tag, Format, Publish, Update, Archive.

Role of technologies

Enterprise content management as a business strategy might incorporate web content management:

    When integrated with an ECM system, WCM enables organizations to automate the complete Web content lifecycle. As soon as new content is developed, the system ensures that it goes live the moment it is intended to—not a minute earlier. By specifying timed releases and expiration dates, content is published to and removed from the Web according to recommendations, requirements and even regulations.
    —Jenkins (2004)

A web content management system can support and enhance certain processes because of automation, including document management, templates, and workflow management. However, the absence of well defined roles and process governance will greatly dilute the effectiveness of any technology intended to augment/enhance the publishing process overall.

Role of information management

Information management describes the "organization of and control over the structure, processing, and delivery of information." The goal of information lifecycle management is to use policies, operations, and infrastructure to manage information throughout its useful life. However, businesses struggle to manage their data and information.

    The missing stage in all the major sources is the organization of information, structuring it where possible, for example using XML or RDF, which allows arbitrary metadata to be added to all information elements. This is the secret that the knowledge managers describe as turning mere data or information into knowledge. It allows information to be retrieved in a number of ways and reused or repurposed in many more.
    —Doyle (2005)

Using semantic markup in the publishing process is part of semantic publishing. Tim-Berners Lee's original vision for the Semantic Web has yet to be realized, but many projects in various research areas are underway.

(Source Wikipedia)

History of Arts Vs Art History!

A talk of the history of the visual arts worldwide. For the academic discipline of art history, see Art history.

The history of art is the history of any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, expressing ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview. Over time visual art has been classified in diverse ways, from the medieval distinction between liberal arts and mechanical arts, to the modern distinction between fine arts and applied arts, or to the many contemporary definitions, which define art as a manifestation of human creativity. The subsequent expansion of the list of principal arts in the 20th century reached to nine: architecture, dance, sculpture, music, painting, poetry (described broadly as a form of literature with aesthetic purpose or function, which also includes the distinct genres of theatre and narrative), film, photography and comics. At the conceptual overlap of terms between plastic arts and visual arts were added design and graphic arts. In addition to the old forms of artistic expression such as fashion and gastronomy, new modes of expression are being considered as arts such as video, computer art, performance, advertising, animation, television and videogames.

The history of art is a multidisciplinary science, seeking an objective examination of art throughout time, classifying cultures, establishing periodizations and observing the distinctive and influential characteristics of art. The study of the history of art was initially developed in the Renaissance, with its limited scope being the artistic production of western civilization. However, as time has passed, it has imposed a broader view of artistic history, seeking a comprehensive overview of all the civilizations and analysis of their artistic production in terms of their own cultural values (cultural relativism), and not just western art history.

Today, art enjoys a wide network of study, dissemination and preservation of all the artistic legacy of mankind throughout history. The 20th century has seen the proliferation of institutions, foundations, art museums and galleries, in both the public and private sectors, dedicated to the analysis and cataloging of works of art as well as exhibitions aimed at a mainstream audience. The rise of media has been crucial in improving the study and dissemination of art. International events and exhibitions like the Whitney Biennial and biennales of Venice and São Paulo or the Documenta of Kassel have helped the development of new styles and trends. Prizes such as the Turner of the Tate Gallery, the Wolf Prize in Arts, the Pritzker Prize of architecture, the Pulitzer of photography and the Oscar of cinema also promote the best creative work on an international level. Institutions like UNESCO, with the establishment of the World Heritage Site lists, also help the conservation of the major monuments of the planet.

(Source Wikipedia)

Θέα Τριών Κόσμων, Από το Στούντιο Δραματικής Τέχνης του Εσωθεάτρου

Θέα-τρον = θέα τριών

Αναστάσιος Ασημακόπουλος (Ενωδών)

Το θέατρο, το αληθινό θέατρο, λέει όλη η εσωτερική φιλοσοφική παράδοση, είναι ΘΕΑ ΤΡΙΩΝ ΚΟΣΜΩΝ. Ο θεατής μετέχει δηλαδή κατ’ ουσίαν, σε μια μυσταγωγία, κατά την οποία ΘΕΑΤΑΙ ΤΑΥΤΟΧΡΟΝΑ:
α. τον απτό υλικό κόσμο, που εμπίπτει των αισθήσεων και αποκαλείται «πραγματικότητα»
β. τον λεπτοφυέστερο συναισθηματικό-ψυχικό, που διαβιεί μεταξύ λόγου και δράσης και μένει στην μνήμη ως ζωηρή εντύπωση και
γ. τους ανωτέρους υπερβατικούς κόσμους, τους κόσμους της Όντως -κατά Πλάτωνα- Πραγματικότητας.

Η επικοινωνία μεταξύ σκηνής και πλατείας σ’ αυτές τις συνθήκες, καθίσταται ευκρινής, γιατί το κείμενο ερμηνεύεται από  ηθοποιούς ειδικά εκπαιδευμένους, με δραματική συγκρότηση και ευαισθησία, ικανούς να ανασύρουν από το ψυχικό τους βάθος  πρωταρχικές αλήθειες, οι οποίες, «υλοποιούμενες» στην σκηνή, συγκινούν τους θεατές και ανυψώνουν τις ψυχές σε τέτοια επίπεδα ταύτισης, όπου θεατής, θεώμενος και θέαμα γίνονται Ένα.

Όταν επιτυγχάνεται αυτή η εσωτερική συγκινησιακή φόρτιση, απότοκη της θέασης των τριών κόσμων, τότε μόνον έχει συντελεστεί μια ουσιαστική δραματική πράξη. Οι θεατές αποκαθαίρονται και οι ηθοποιοί νιώθουν ευτυχή πληρότητα, αφού πέτυχαν να συντονιστούν με την ανώτερη έσω-ύπαρξή τους, καταθέτοντας υλικό από τα ψυχικά τους αποθέματα.

Το δε έργο, στον λόγο και στην δραματική του απόδοση, πρέπει να διαθέτει ουσία, αισθητική και μέτρο, κυρίως όμως μέγεθος.  Το ασήμαντο, το ευτελές, το ποταπό… πώς να συγκινήσουν; Το θέατρο οφείλει να τέρπει τις αισθήσεις των θεατών. Το ωραίο πρέπει να γεμίζει τα μάτια τους και ο λόγος να είναι γλυκύς -«ηδυσμένος», όπως λέει ο Αριστοτέλης στην Ποιητική, στον ορισμό του για την τραγωδία- και να έχει ρυθμό, εναλλαγές και μουσικότητα. Η κίνηση των ηθοποιών στον χώρο να είναι αρμονική, με μέτρο και χάρη και το σκηνικό, τα κοστούμια, οι φωτισμοί, οι ήχοι και η μουσική να συμβάλλουν στην προσφορά ενός άρτιου και υψηλής ποιότητας αισθητικού αποτελέσματος.

Το θέατρο που εμείς υπηρετούμε, έχει αλήθεια. Αποσκοπεί μεν στην αισθητική παρουσίαση του φαινόμενου αλλά ζητά να συλλάβει και το νοούμενο. Δεν μας ενδιαφέρει η φωτογραφική απεικόνιση μιας μίζερης «πραγματικότητας» αλλά το αιώνιο και συνεχές που είναι πίσω από τα πράγματα, που φωλιάζει ανάμεσα στις γραμμές του κειμένου και στις παύσεις του. Μας αφορά η Αλήθεια και όχι η περιγραφή της. Μας συγκινεί το θέατρο που από μία συγκεκριμένη κατάσταση σε δεδομένο τόπο και χρόνο, οδηγεί τον θεατή στο συμβολικό διαχρονικό επίπεδο και από εκεί, στο Αρχετυπικό, στο άχρονο Τώρα, στο Είναι, όπου νιώθει και συνειδητοποιεί την Αλήθεια και τον εαυτό του μέσα σε αυτήν, ως αιωνιότητα, συνείδηση και ευδαιμονία.

Αυτό είναι το θέατρο: λούσιμο στο Απολλώνειο φως και εσωτερική βύθιση στην θεία Βακχική μανία. Έχοντας αυτές τις σκέψεις για οδηγό, κάνουμε θέατρο για την ψυχή μας –όπως έλεγε ο δάσκαλος Κάρολος Κουν- μα και για την ψυχή των θεατών.

How To Find Your Theme, J Krueger!

What the Heck is an Archetype? J Krueger!

The Passover Question, J Krueger!

How To Avoid a Dud Ending, J Krueger!

Disruptive Innovation by Wikipedia!

A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology. The term is used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically first by designing for a different set of consumers in a new market and later by lowering prices in the existing market.
In contrast to disruptive innovation, a sustaining innovation does not create new markets or value networks but rather only evolves existing ones with better value, allowing the firms within to compete against each other's sustaining improvements. Sustaining innovations may be either "discontinuous" (i.e. "transformational" or "revolutionary") or "continuous" (i.e. "evolutionary").
The term "disruptive technology" has been widely used as a synonym of "disruptive innovation", but the latter is now preferred, because market disruption has been found to be a function usually not of technology itself but rather of its changing application. Sustaining innovations are typically innovations in technology, whereas disruptive innovations change entire markets. For example, the automobile was a revolutionary technological innovation, but it was not a disruptive innovation, because early automobiles were expensive luxury items that did not disrupt the market for horse-drawn vehicles. The market for transportation essentially remained intact until the debut of the lower priced Ford Model T in 1908. The mass-produced automobile was a disruptive innovation, because it changed the transportation market. The automobile, by itself, was not.
The current theoretical understanding of disruptive innovation is different from what might be expected by default, an idea that Clayton M. Christensen called the "technology mudslide hypothesis". This is the simplistic idea that an established firm fails because it doesn't "keep up technologically" with other firms. In this hypothesis, firms are like climbers scrambling upward on crumbling footing, where it takes constant upward-climbing effort just to stay still, and any break from the effort (such as complacency born of profitability) causes a rapid downhill slide. Christensen and colleagues have shown that this simplistic hypothesis is wrong; it doesn't model reality. What they have shown is that good firms are usually aware of the innovations, but their business environment does not allow them to pursue them when they first arise, because they are not profitable enough at first and because their development can take scarce resources away from that of sustaining innovations (which are needed to compete against current competition). In Christensen's terms, a firm's existing value networks place insufficient value on the disruptive innovation to allow its pursuit by that firm. Meanwhile, start-up firms inhabit different value networks, at least until the day that their disruptive innovation is able to invade the older value network. At that time, the established firm in that network can at best only fend off the market share attack with a me-too entry, for which survival (not thriving) is the only reward.
The work of Christensen and others during the 2000s has addressed the question of what firms can do to avoid oblivion brought on by technological disruption.

Send Your Characters to Hell, ScreenwritingU!

Written by Hal Croasmun on June 19, 2010.

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When your lead character is placed in a terrible spot, entertaining things happen.  The audience worries about him. They feel sympathy for him.  They want to know what is going to happen to him.  Why? Because you, the God of your script, set it up that way.

Or did you?

Sometimes, it appears that writers are too nice to their characters. You've established a deep friendship with those characters and don't want to hurt their feelings.  You'd never put a friend in such an awful situation.  So why would you do that to your characters?
There's nothing wrong with loving your characters.  After all, they were so much fun to create.  But remember, they have a job to do that, if done right, will bring them to life along with your career.
What is their job?  To go through hell and somehow survive to tell about it.
Think of it this way.  If your characters don't experience conflict and tension, neither will your audience.  This is important.  I don't mean that a story can't have happiness or fun or any other positive emotions.  For a story to be an emotional roller-coaster ride, there has to be both ups and downs.
But the highs and lows need to be delivered effectively and in most stories, it is the conflict that keeps an audience glued to their seats.

SOLUTION: Turn up the heat on your characters and watch them roast.

Here are a few suggestions.  At some point, I may write articles providing details on these strategies.  But for now, this simple list can provide you some possible solutions.

1. Put them in uncomfortable situations as often as possible.

2. Make sure the main conflict of the story is an absolutely "unsolvable puzzle" for the main characters.

3. Every time it looks like they'll succeed, send them a twist that mucks up their plans.

4. Place other characters in their lives that either sabotage or disrupt your main character's usual coping strategies.

5. Alternate "hope" and "hopelessness" whenever possible. The first pulls us back in and the second makes us worry.

6. Force them to do the one thing they would never do.

7. Don't give them the easy way out.  Leave them in pain for as long as possible.

8. Murphy's Law and misfortune suddenly visit their lives in unusual and interesting ways.

9. Take their problems to an extreme.

10. Make sure their internal conflict is represented in a graphic manner as well.

 
BTW, movies aren't all about pain.  As I said, there are both highs and lows in any good movie.   But try this exercise and see what you find out about conflict:

-------------------- EXERCISE --------------------------

Watch three of your favorite movies with a pad of paper.  As you do, make a list of all the things the writer did to cause pain and conflict for the main characters.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Even if you've written 10 screenplays and watched thousands of movies, you may still be surprised at the results.  You'll see both conflicts and setups for conflict that you never noticed before.
I heard a song once that said "you got to go through hell to get to heaven."  Could be that same advice applies to writing movies... or being a writer...or even being a producer.
Send your characters to hell and you'll send your audience through a highly entertaining movie.
And if you want help punching up your script, check out our "Fresh & Edgy Screenwriting Class."

Besting Your Own Best, ScreenwritingU!

Written by Hal Croasmun on June 9, 2010.

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About a year ago, we started having a curious thing happen in our more advanced classes.  People started asking me this question:
 
"This is the best script I've ever written.  How can I possibly improve the best I've ever done?"
 
My normal thought on this is to learn more skills and then apply them to the script.  But the writers who were asking were some of our best writers, so I had to look deeper.
So I read some of their scripts and they were right.  Those were some pretty good scripts.  The interesting thing was that there was nothing wrong with those scripts.
Nothing wrong.
Make sure you understand this because it is going to be important later in this article.  Most scripts have things wrong with them. Some have glaring mistakes.  So they are easy to critique and improve.  You just solve the problems.
But these scripts didn't have any problems.  There was nothing wrong with them.  So the standard solutions didn't work.
And that is when I realized something.  Most people work to the point where there is nothing wrong with their script...and then they're done.  Their standard for success is "nothing wrong."
Essentially, they have a script with no flaws.  Is that the same thing as a great script?  Can a script have nothing wrong and still not sell? You bet.
You don't just want a flawless script.  You want an amazing script.
Right?
You want a script that blows producers away.  You want it to sell you as a writer and you want it to be produced.
That takes more than "nothing's wrong."
So I created a simple, but profound 4-step process for besting your best.
 
THE PROCESS FOR BESTING YOUR BEST
 
1.  Decide that you are going to improve this script until it is truly amazing and until it causes people in this industry to give you the respect and admiration you deserve.
 
This is important.  When I talk with people who have written their best script ever, most of them don't want to do anything else to it. What they want is for it to sell the way it is.
Essentially, they've shut off the creative process because they thought their script was already done.
In order to improve it (improve is different than change, remember?), they must step back into the arena and fight the fight again.  All it takes is a decision.
Make the decision now and you'll enter into the creative process on this script.  As soon as you decide, you'll start thinking of ways to improve the script.  Just do it.
 
2.  Put the script away for 7 to 21 days.
 
You've made the decision to improve this script.  Now, I want you to get some distance from it.  That way, the next step will be so much more valuable.
If you've ever done this, you know that when you return to the script, the break time allows you to see the script with fresh eyes.
I know that you are going to want to dive in right away, but that is just stirring the same pot.  The objective here is to separate the script from the emotion that may be clouding your thinking.
When you return to the script, you'll be more objective and that means you'll be more creative.
 
3.  Change your standard from "nothing wrong" to "nothing can be improved" and discover all the areas that can be elevated.
 
This is the fundamental shift that will double or triple the quality of your screenwriting.  Once you have a script where there is nothing wrong, you can then go for this new standard.
This step is simple.  As you read your script, flag everything that can be improved.  Using a 1 - 10 scale, if a character is a 6 and you'd like them to be a 10, flag that character.  If a scene is good, but not great, flag that scene.
Do that process on every structural point, character, scene, description line, and dialogue line.
We had a lady come to us with a "perfect script."  She had two different consultants confirm that the script was perfect and ready for the market.
Both Cheryl and I read it and we were very impressed.  She had written a script to be proud of.  There wasn't a single thing wrong with it and it was a compelling read.
When I did this process with it, I found 39 places we could improve.
Keep this in mind.  The script consultants weren't lying to her.  Her script was perfect -- according to their standards. But she wanted the script to go to Studios, so I applied a higher standard.
When we finished elevating those 39 spots, she said that the script was at least 200% better.   I believe her assessment was accurate.
 
4.  Elevate everything you can until nothing can be improved.
 
This final step means you are going to apply the best skills you have and you'll be doing a lot of brainstorming.
But it is worth it.
Simply put, just start with the first item that needs to be improved and get clear on the purpose of that item.  Then, brainstorm ways to fulfill that purpose and don't stop until you have elevated the item.
Then move to the next item.  Continue that process until all the items are improved to the level you want them to be.
BTW, this works extremely well -- if you have professional level skills so you can elevate any piece of writing.   If you want to improve your skills, join us for an upcoming ProSeries and you'll get what you need to make this process fly at a professional level.
---------------

WHAT TO DO?

It is easy to think that you've worked your script to death and there is nothing else you can do.   But if you actually go through your script focusing on the search for places you can improve, you'll be surprised how many show up.
Do this process one time and you'll be hooked.  It will take a lot of work, but the results will astound you.  Anyone who has read your writing before will see a significant improvement. Many of them will be overwhelmed at the new quality level.
Final Recommendation:  Take a script you've already written through this process IMMEDIATELY.  It will give you a better script to showcase your talent and turn this information into an experience that will pay off many times in the future.
And when you win a contest or sell a script, email me to let me know how this process worked for you.
I'm looking forward to that.

Becoming a Naturally Talented Screenwriter, by ScreenwritingU!

Written by Hal Croasmun on February 19, 2010.

What if agents and producers saw you as “naturally talented?”

There are two ways to become a great screenwriter.  One is to find your “natural talent.”  The other is to build in all the skills, understanding, and creative process that can express that talent in the most amazing way possible. 
You need to do both.   Today, I’ll map out a plan for writing from your core – from that natural talent that you have deep inside of you. 
Keep this in mind:  Becoming a great screenwriter is a growth process.  Done right, you’ll mature a bit more every day – in writing skill, in philosophy, and in creatively expressing yourself.

1.  What are you naturally good at that can help your screenwriting?

A quick search will likely reveal some of your natural talents.  Maybe you can visualize a story.  Maybe you come up with good dialogue.  Maybe you can dream up unique and interesting characters.  Maybe you just love movies. 
Make a list of what you just naturally do well having to do with writing.   But don’t stop with the obvious.   Keep looking for a deeper understanding of what you are naturally talented at.   The more you understand your own talents, the more you’ll be able to focus on them to deliver your own unique voice in your screenplays.
Every day, you can discover something more about what you are naturally good at.  Brilliant talent isn’t always easy to understand or see.   Keep looking deeper. 
And with each discovery, your TALENT emerges.

2.  What interesting situations have you lived that you can bring to your characters and stories?

We’ve all had ups and downs in life.  Love and tragedy.  Successes and failures.  Embarrassments and proud moments.  Breakdowns and breakthroughs. 
Just as important, we all have a public face and a private face.  We’ve said one thing and meant another.  We’ve been both courageous and fearful .  We’ve had times we’ve won and felt like losers, but also had times we lost and felt like a winner.  Life has given us enough experience to build the most interesting situations and characters. 
Find those moments – especially the paradoxical moments – and fill your stories with them. 

3.  How can you use your imagination to bring those moments to life in a unique way?

The most common thing for people to do is write exactly what happened to them.  They put their characters in common situations and have them do common things.
Rather than that, what if you took your experiences and understanding and translated that into something amazing?   Your experience of being embarrassed at dinner becomes a tabloid publicized humiliation for your character.   Your experience of being pulled over by a traffic cop becomes your character being arrested for multiple felonies someone else did. 
Use your imagination to transform your experiences into an emotional roller-coaster ride that causes your character to grow in some amazing way while still feeling real.  
What makes it feel real is that it comes from your experience and understanding.  What makes it amazing is when you use your imagination to set it in a whole new context or to give it to us in an unexpected way. 
Can you take what you know and imagine it in an even more entertaining way?   You bet you can. 

4.  What skills will you learn that will elevate the quality of your screenwriting?

If you don’t think this game is about skill, you need to look again.  Read any great screenplay and you’ll see a combination of character depth, subtext, meaning, setup/payoff, and interest – all designed into single lines of dialogue. 
Those happen because the writer spent years learning ALL OF THOSE SKILLS.   Translating the story in your mind onto the page is all about having the right skills.  Higher quality skills equals a stronger translation of your vision and a more compelling read. 
But don’t worry; you’ll learn those skills as you progress.   You’ll discover them as you read produced screenplays and experiment with your own scripts or you can learn them even faster in ScreenwritingU classes because we give you exactly what you need to succeed.
Whichever route you take, make learning high-level screenwriting skills a priority now.

5.  How are you going to test your writing to make sure it is professional?

At some point, you need to find out how good you really are – and how much improvement you truly need to be professional.  
One way to think of it is climbing a ladder.  You write a script and move to rung 1.   You submit it to a contest and maybe you don’t even place.  So you take some classes, write another script…and your script is a Quarter-finalist.  You’ve moved to rung 2. 
Go back, apply more of #1 – #4 (natural talent, experience, imagination, and skill) and you make it to Finalist.  Not bad.  You’re on rung 3.  Now take some more classes, write another script, get script consulting, and surprise; you win the contest.  Rung 4. 
But does that make you professional?  So you test that script against the market and are turned down by everyone.  Give up?  Hell no.  You’ve come this far and with a bit more work, you’ll get where you want to go.  Apply more of #1 – #4.  Take better classes, get a better script consultant, write a better script…and you get optioned.  Rung 5. 
You continue moving up that ladder until one day, you’re at the top – A-List. 
Notice two things – 1.  You kept going back to your core and most likely, each time, you discovered something new about your natural talents.  2.  You kept learning, growing, and finding even better ways to express yourself in screenplays. 
Stay on this path and soon, you’ll be seen as “naturally talented” — and you’ll be paid for it!