Jewelry and the Stars: A Glittering Night at the 2006 Academy Awards – by: Sam Serio

The walk by celebrities down the red carpet at the annual Academy Awards is probably just as anticipated by television viewers all over the world as the presentation of the awards themselves. The ladies are the stars of the show, and there’s just something enthralling about seeing them decked out in all their finery for the event. The gowns and the jewelry they’re wearing all reinforce that they are stars, a step above us ordinary mortals.

There have been many examples of female celebrities who have been photographed wearing pieces of jewelry that are simply stunning at the Oscars throughout the years. Madonna, for instance, was wearing $20 million worth of diamonds at her neck, ears, and wrists at the 1991 Oscars. At this year’s event, the jewelry worn by the stars were no less eye-catching, and they included just about every design imaginable in just about every hue of the rainbow.

Best Actress nominee Keira Knightley was wearing a vintage Bulgari chandelier necklace of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, whose colors were reminiscent of a peacock’s feathers. Jennifer Lopez was wearing dangling earrings and a necklace of gold and diamonds by Fred Leighton, who also designed Dolly Parton’s earrings and brooch. Charlize Theron’s tawny earrings were supplied by Chopard; so were Hilary Swank’s diamond earrings, bracelet and ring. Diamonds were also the favored stones of actresses like Jennifer Aniston, who sported a cleavage-enhancing necklace. Other female celebrities who were seen wearing diamond jewelry were Best Supporting Actress winner Rachel Weisz, Queen Latifah, Felicity Huffman and Jessica Alba.

Diamonds were also the bling of choice for the men of the evening. Diamond studs adorned the earlobes of the likes of Ludacris and Will Smith. But members of the hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia took the obsession with diamonds a little further — they were wearing everything from diamond bracelets to diamond watches to diamond earrings, and according to some accounts, they even had diamonds on their teeth.

Many of these stars don’t own the millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry that they were wearing. Giants in the jewelry industry, such as Harry Winston, Michael Katz, and Kwiat, have been lending their masterpieces for celebrities to wear every year at the Oscars. This gives them great exposure, which translates into a sharp increase in sales — especially for designers whose jewels are worn by an award winner. While the red carpet can symbolize glamour for Oscar viewers around the world, for the designers, the red carpet represents the probability of greater profits both at home and in other countries.

The jewelry worn by celebrities during the Academy Awards adds a greater dimension of glamour to the event. Whether the designs are discreet or ostentatious doesn’t really matter. What matters is that with millions of viewers all over the globe, celebrities should look like they have the right to walk down the red carpet. And with the help of the jewelry they’re wearing, they do. The stars shine ever more brightly once a year during the Oscars.

About The Author Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com. Also includes informative articles, comparison shopping, rare book excerpts, & link directory. samserio@ccisp.net

The Power of Link Popularity – by: Matt Colyer

Getting quality links to your site from related web resources can be very difficult. It is a time consuming process and requires careful research. There are two ways to build your link popularity; 1 Make your site attractive to webmasters or 2 go out and hunt them down your self.

Getting webmasters to come to you:

Having lots of useful content on your web site such as informative articles, online tools, studies, etc will make another webmasters what to link to your web site knowing that you will not only help their site’s traffic and link popularity, but adding content to their own web site.

Sometimes you may even get webmasters that like your site so much that they will link to your homepage or to certain web pages that they think their visitors will find useful because this adds to the usefulness of their own site by providing useful links.

Keep it clean by avoiding tricks (Blocking access via robots.txt to robots, linking out with JavaScript, etc.) meant to keep your site from transferring Page Rank to other webmaster’s web sites and link to your links page on every page of your site.

Sometimes you will get requests for link exchanges with web sites that are not related to your site’s topic, these sites should be ignored and you should focus on only related web sites.

Hunting link partners down your self:

Type your keyword phrases into a search engine and wait for the results. The web sites you see on the first few web pages of the search engine results should be your main targets and should be looked at. Visit their site to see if you can find the site owners name and email them asking to exchange links, remember to email them at the right email address, don’t email the email address that’s for support.

Type your keywords or phrases into the search engine and see who links to the sites that come up first. After finding a few sites that link to the sites that rank high on your keyword phrases email them and ask if they would be interested in a link exchange. This is great if you can get both the top sites that rank for your keyword phrases and the sites that link to the top sites because not only do you have the top sites linking to you, but also the site sites that made them get there in the first place.

Some webmasters use link exchange programs such as www.linkexchangeit.com, these link exchange program help you find link partners easier because the sites are cauterized into their related topics, so you don’t have to search for them.

Use those rules and you should do just fine! Just remember to take your time and don’t use automated software, instead hand pick the sites that you link to.

About The Author Matt Colyer is the owner of the Marhen.com Network which includes www.linkexchangeit.com and is a part-time SEO. He also is a php, CGI and ASP developer.

The Sex Trap, Balancing Hormones and the Head – by: David Steele

As I had my morning coffee, the “Dear Abby” column caught my eye. A reader wrote in with a dating dilemma and ended her letter with that often-heard stereotype that “Women use sex to get love, and men use love to get sex.” This is a great summation of the “Sex Trap.”

The Sex Trap is similar to the Love Trap, where singles interpret good sex as love. But those who fall into the Sex Trap go even farther, because for these singles, having sex carries immense meaning and consequences.

Singles fall into the Sex Trap in one (or both) of two ways:

A. they believe sex is a necessary test of compatibility, (if the sex is good then the relationship will be good as well)

B. more commonly, all consciousness goes out the window, and one or both formerly level-headed singles consider themselves a committed couple as soon as they have sex.

So, rather than looking at whether this other person might be a match on levels other than physical attraction — such as long-term requirements, needs, and wants — they are blind-sided by the chemistry under the covers.

No doubt, it can be challenging to keep in touch with reality when all those hormones are running wild. Our body reacts to someone we are attracted to by producing hormones such as PEA or phenylethylamine (natural amphetamine), dopamine and norepinephrine (natural mood enhancers), and testosterone (increases sexual desire), which makes the opportunity to have sex with someone we are attracted to extremely hard to resist. Then, after orgasm, we produce oxytocin (which acts on the hypothalamus to produce emotions), which makes us feel very close to and bonded with our sex partner.

These chemical reactions are involuntary and strong, leading to powerful feelings of attraction, excitement, love, closeness, and well-being.

But when problems arise, those who fall into the Sex Trap often rationalize by thinking, “Well, we’ve got problems, but the sex is great!” They most likely wouldn’t admit it, but they prioritize physical intimacy and regard the rest as optional. Their main scouting tools are sexual attraction and physical compatibility.

Barry North, an RCI coach who works primarily with gay men, says that many of his clients have fallen into the Sex Trap.

“For gay men especially in metropolitan areas, sex is readily available, and that in itself is a trap,” North says. “In addition, the culture, with its emphasis on physical appearance, encourages sexual activity. Many gay men want to find out from the beginning if a potential partner is going to be sexually compatible. Why waste your time if the sex isn’t going to be good?”

Nonetheless, North adds, “I suspect this is a ‘guy’ thing rather than a ‘gay’ thing.”

I do want to point out that chemistry is important. Yet, chemistry is a given that we can’t control in a relationship; it is either there or not there, and it must be there for the partnership to work. If not there, we can’t “make” chemistry happen, though sometimes it can grow over time.

Singles who pursue a relationship based upon sexual chemistry risk relationship failure when the hormone-induced intoxication wears off and reality hits.

To avoid the Sex Trap, you must balance your heart (and hormones) with your head. This means combining chemistry with common sense. While good sex is important for a sustainable relationship, you need to make your partner choices by paying full attention to your vision, values, goals and requirements — while feeling all those exciting sparks!

About The Author David Steele, MA, is the founder of the Relationship Coaching Institute and a pioneer in working with singles. He has helped thousands of singles and couples get what they want from relationships. His new book, Conscious Dating; Finding the Love of Your Life in Today’s World, readers precisely how to get what they want in their own life. To learn more, visit http://www.consciousdating.com/.

Does Your Story Have A Theme? – by: Nick Vernon

Creative Writing Tips –

It should.

A theme is a one-line explanation of your story.. Every story should have one because our stories are about something.

When I say should, I mean that this isn’t always the case. Especially so for beginner writers, who may not know, that the theme carries the story. Or even those who’ve been writing for years may not be aware of the importance of a theme.

And a theme is important.

A theme is what will keep you on track as you write the story.

What happens if you write without a theme in mind? Two things…

1. You stray from the subject

or

2. You write more than one story.

Let me give you an example of a story written with a theme in mind…

The theme to a story I once wrote was, ‘Vanity Leads To Destruction.’

Very briefly, this story is about a female character that believed herself to be so beautiful, in the end she lost everything.

Writing this theme on a post-it note and sticking it on my computer, I was always reminded that my story had to revolve around this theme. Having a theme helped me stick to the story I had intended on writing and not stray from it – not even a little. It also helped me to focus only on what was essential to my story.

So according to my theme, ‘Vanity Leads To Destruction’…

• Every action my character performed was to show her vanity
• Her goals sprung from her vanity
• What motivated her was her vanity
• Her words (dialogue) showed her vanity
• How she handled situations showed her vanity
• The interaction with other characters showed her vanity
• The conflict was a result of her vanity
• The highest peak in my story, the climax, showed an intense moment of whether her goal would be met (whether her vanity would work for, or against her)
• And the ending? The ending showed how she was led to destruction because of her vanity

By following my theme, everything in my story was precise.

If I showed my character not being vain in any instance, then I would’ve strayed from my theme.

Does your story have a theme?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you didn’t consciously write with a theme in mind, then your story won’t have one. Chances are, your story isn’t focused. But then again there is the other possibility… At times we fluke things.

Perhaps without consciously knowing, a theme is running through your story.

Check your story to see if this is the case. If it is, are you sticking to the theme?

If you find that some parts of your story are straying from the theme, those parts will need to be changed to accommodate the theme.

Now the other possibility…

You don’t have a theme and none is running through your story. That’s okay. We can still save it. Read through your story and see what it’s about. Then come up with the most appropriate theme to it – A theme that makes sense yet won’t mean too much work to change the story.

Rewrite those parts that don’t accommodate the theme.

It is easier if we come up with a theme while we are at the plotting stage. It saves all that rewriting but not to worry… You won’t make the same error again in your next story!

About The Author Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers’ funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com

Choosing The Perfect Area Rug For Your Child’s Playroom – by: Mark Lambie

Are you thinking about putting an area rug in your children’s play area? These rugs can be great fun for kids. Many have fantastic colors and designs on them. Some have games or puzzles that the kids can play. Our favorite are area rugs are the ones with race tracks on them, the kids can race their play cars around the city. When choosing the perfect area rugs for your kids play area keep the following tips in mind.

Kids are more prone to getting the carpet dirty. Of course you already know that! The best way to combat this is to select a carpet with a lower pile. This will help make the carpet easier to clean should it get dirty because the vacuum can get right down there a get all the dirt out. As a general guideline aim for a pile to longer than 1/3 of an inch. An added bonus if a low pile is the increased durability it brings.

Note the fiber the rug is made out of. Is it natural or synthetic? Synthetic fibers such as nylon or polypropylene are made from a type of plastic. We recommend these types of fibers are they are more durable and can help avoid stains.

Also take note of where you are buying it. If you choose to purchase the rug online make sure you check out the merchant before buying. Confirm that they have a return policy in case you are unsatisfied with the rug. Also check their shipping charges, some merchants charge more than others. One final tip is to check weather or not they charge tax, if your buying an expensive rug this can equal substantial savings for you.

About The Author Mark Lambie Are you thinking of buying a rug online? Be sure to visit http://rugs.shop-expert.com to find the best rug retailers on the net.

Can Small PR Firms Deliver Huge Results? – by: Robert A. Kelly

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1040 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

Can Small PR Firms Deliver Huge Results?

They can when they invest in the basics. The best of them obviously rely on some form of public relations fundamental premise to produce winners across business environments from rockets and orange juice to product recalls and indicted CEOs.

But, chances are the top producers among small PR firms have built their businesses on a premise like this one:

People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Public relations firms who do not base their work on a premise like this one are well-advised to consider doing so.

The reason? Their clients are subject to the same realities as the rest of us, realities that never change. People usually behave based on their perception of the facts. And clients usually demand certain behaviors from those “publics” whose behaviors have the most impact on their businesses.

Even more to the point, when client managers start looking for a return on their public relations investment, they want to see the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving their objectives.

Which is why, especially for the small PR firm anxious to meet client needs, there is no better performance measure at which to aim.

However, for those small PR firms not yet guided by any kind of public relations fundamental premise, here is a suggestion.

Consider the premise outlined above, then take a shot at convin- cing a new or current client to let you produce a broader, more productive public relations effort for his or her company. And remember, the fundamental premise of public relations outlined above is a great equalizer placing all public relations firms on a level playing field when it comes to the effectiveness of the process. It especially targets those firms with a client who expects the best value from PR dollars spent, not simply a limited and mechanical publicity placement effort.

In other words, consider using the premise as a means for going after higher quality new business, or upgrading an account and broadening the work performed for a savvy client who wishes to squeeze every benefit out of the money they spend on public relations.

Start by listing a client’s most important outside audiences in priority order – audiences whose behaviors directly and visibly affect client success or failure. At the top of such a list are usually prospects and customers. But it could well include community residents, business and political leaders, suppliers, minorities, fraternal groups, nearby military personnel and union leaders. The target list might even include “clients of your client” where such activity is a high priority for that client.

The test for listing an audience is this: does its behaviors affect my client’s business in any way? If they do, they belong on the list.

Obviously, you must now determine what members of that key external public think about your client and his or her business, in order to build and implement a successful public relations effort. And that means interacting with members of that audience and asking a lot of questions. What do they think about your client company and its products and services? Are there signs of negativity? Misconceptions? Inaccuracies? Rumors?

The answers to these questions allow you to establish the corrective public relations goal, i.e., a specific perception and, thus, behavior change. For example, clear up that misconception, correct that inaccuracy, or knock down that rumor as soon as possible.

How do you achieve that goal? Right! You select a strategy that will get you from here to there. And there are just three strategies to deal with a perception challenge: create perception (opinion) where there may be none, change existing perception, or reinforce it. Your choice will be dictated by your new public relations goal.

Clearly the most challenging step in this sequence is preparing the right message for delivery to the target audience. It must make a compelling case, so think about it carefully. It must state clearly that the offending misconception, inaccuracy or rumor is not the truth. Instead, layout that truth in a credible manner. The hallmarks of such a message are clarity, persuasiveness, credibility, believability and a compelling presentation.

Now it’s time for the “beasts of burden,” the communications tactics which will carry your carefully-scripted message to the eyes and ears of that target audience. Happily, there are a ton of such tactics at your disposal. Of course, you will want to double check the ability of each to zero in on your specific audience. As most PR firms are aware, they range from news- letters, press releases and radio and newspaper interviews to newsworthy surveys, sports sponsorships, op-eds and many, many more.

In short order, clients will be interested in evidence that the public relations effort is achieving results. The best way to demonstrate progress is by reporting on the results of a new round of perception monitoring among members of that target audience. You’re looking for signs that their percep- tions now reflect the corrective elements of your message

Your clients are subject to the same realities as the rest of us, realities that never change. As noted, people usually behave based on their perception of the facts. And clients usually demand certain behaviors from those “publics” whose behaviors have the most impact on their businesses.

Small (and large) PR firms have little choice but to go after those perceptions with a vengeance.

That is how that small PR firm can deliver huge results.

end

About The Author Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.

Writing the Chapters of Your Life: Surprising Insights Using This Special Journaling Technique – by: Patti Testerman

List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used to quickly jot down a numbered record on topics like “my beliefs,” “my pet peeves,” “the things I hate about myself,” or “my strengths.” However, there’s a special type of list technique that moves beyond a simple itemization and into the realm of significant self-awareness.

This special technijque has several names, including table-of-contents, life chapters, and stepping-stones, the latter term used by journaling expert, Ira Progoff. Using this technique the writer lists their most important life events, as though they were chapter headings in an autobiography. Progoff and other suggest keeping the number of items to around a dozen, to ensure the inclusion of only major events.

One writer’s listed these items:

1. Brother died when I was three years old.

2. Mom went into the hospital when I was five, and I didn’t know why or when she would come home.

3. Grandma died when I was ten, and because of my age they wouldn’t let me go to the hospital and see her.

4. Dad died of a sudden heart attack when I was 15. I was with him but couldn’t save his life.

5. I fell in love but we lived in different cities and things just never seemed to work out.

6. My step-father died—how could this happen?

7. My long-distance love affair ended.

8. I fell in love again and thought it was for a lifetime.

9. I got married and was happy, at least for a long time.

10. I got divorced. It wasn’t for a lifetime.

Is there any doubt that this journal-writer has major issues concerning death and other ending issues? And, do you notice the lack of happy events? After this diarist created the stepping stones, she then wrote about each, realizing how many unresolved issues she carried with her—and how they impacted her ability to be happy.

As you do this exercise several times over months or years, you’ll find your choice of events changing. Sometimes your first love affair is the most important thing on the list, and other times it won’t make the top 10 or 12 at all. Why? Because the list reflects the issues that cry out for attention.

When you’re comfortable with this technique, try using it for specific topics, like the stepping stones of your weight issues, or relationships, or spiritual growth. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Good writing!

Copyright 2004 Patti Testerman
Journal Genie, The Website That Talks Back
http://www.journalgenie.com

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included and the resource box is left unchanged. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

About The Author Patti Testerman is content manager at JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Discover self-defeating patterns, find better ways to communicate in relationships. Contact her at mailto:patti@journalgenie.com

Vitamin Tips: To Fuel Physical Activity – by: News Canada

(NC)—Physical activity and athletic performance can be enhanced through good nutrition. This can be achieved by eating the right foods and drinking the right fluids at the right time, coupled with nutritional supplementation.

Regular physical activity might increase the body’s nutritional needs. So it’s important to have an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals every day. For athletes in particular, inadequate diets have been shown to result in less than optimal performance in otherwise fit individuals.

Here is what a diet with the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals can do for you:

• Help replace minerals lost through sweat and urination. Minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are necessary for muscle and nerve contractions.

• Provide antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, to boost the immune system and help reduce cell damage caused by free radicals generated by physical activity.

• Provide B vitamins to convert carbohydrates, fat, and protein into fuel for energy.

• Boost calcium, which is critical to bone health, muscle contractions, nerve impulses and metabolism.

• Correct an iron deficiency, which is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in North America. Iron stores can be depleted by physical activity, resulting in fatigue, lack of energy and an inability to concentrate.

It can be challenging to consume the recommended amounts of essential vitamins and minerals on a daily basis. Canadians who are physically active, therefore, should consider taking a quality, balanced, complete multivitamin formulated specifically for people with a physically active lifestyle, such as Centrum Protegra®.

For more information on vitamin and mineral supplementation, visit www.centrumvitamins.ca.

- News Canada

About The Author News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Don’t Get Fooled by the Web Hosting Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing! – by: Kai Virihaur

When looking for a good web hosting provider to look after your website, it is easy to get confused. There are thousands of companies around, and they compete fiercely for your attention. Some are good, some are wolves …

Are you looking for web hosting? If you want to set up a personal website, or a modest commercial one, you are probably in the market for an inexpensive shared hosting plan. Those entry-level plans may cost $5-10 per month, and often boast very generous features for that modest prize. However, the strong competition often causes the companies to oversell, and then have difficulties living up to their promises. And how do you go about telling the good ones from the bad?

Maybe you go to one of the many web hosting review sites. Those places may offer extensive listings of various web hosting companies and their features; which is certainly helpful. But be aware of the fact that these review sites are out there to make money by referring new customers to the hosting companies! Therefore, they tend to praise those companies that pay them the best.

I used to be naive about these things, trusting the review sites. That was until I began some serious research on the subject myself. Were they really so good, those much-praised web hosting companies? Soon, I was able to uncover large amounts of customer testimonials that told a different story.

It became clear that several very large and well-known web hosting companies had surprising amounts of negative customer ratings against them. There were many angry customers that related stories about incompetent or non-existent customer support, billing disputes where the company kept charging ex-customers after they had cancelled their accounts; and more.

One may say that any company with many customers is likely to have a few that are hard to please. But in these cases, there were scores of reviews, and the majority was negative! Since certain hosting companies are known to prosecute those who have criticized them in public, I will not mention any names here.

In conclusion: I advice anyone looking for a reliable and honest web hosting provider to be very careful and not put too much trust in the web hosting ratings commonly found at hosting review sites and similar places. Also be aware that the customer feedback published by the web hosts themselves on their sites is of course filtered – and may even be faked.

About The Author Kai Virihaur I am a researcher, an artist, and a web developer. On my website, www.TheHostingFinder.com, I have gathered some information on the good type of web hosts – the kind that has a majority of happy and satisfied customers. I hope this may be of some help to people looking for good web hosting.

What Do I Do After Film School? – by: Paul Kyriazi

I get this question a lot and have a serious opinion about it:

The most important thing is to always keep your shingle hanging out, saying “I am a freelance director.” Never say, “Ah I gave that up.” Even if you have other jobs, never tear up your business card.

Keep contact with all active filmmakers from college. Work on their films. It’s a business of showing up. Show up to shoots, in any capacity. Show up enough and do a good job, and be an ambassador of good will, and you have a good chance on being invited to work on other films. And remember, be courteous and respectful to everyone. The extra or stunt man of today’s shoot could be the producer of tomorrow’s shoot. It happened to me. One of my swords women fighters from “Weapons of Death” hired me to do a travelogue in Phuket, Thailand. And actress Barbara Leigh just hired me to direct her new audio-book “The King, McQueen, and the Love Machine”, and play the part of Elvis.

My life changed when I realized that I was not only in the feature film business, but in the COMUNICATION business. Just like the the USA train companys that thought they were only in the train business and didn’t invest in trucks and airplanes in the 40’s and ’50s. They were left behind.

So be a sound man, an extra, an actor, a novelist, a speaker, a film teacher, (but don’t get stuck in a dead end job). Be those as a freelance. But not a stunt man. It’s too dangerous.

Yes, you will direct, but be in the communication business. Also you must start to develop your own projects that you feel passionate about. You never know when someone with money will ask you if you have a project. You should be able to instantly give him or her a script and budget and location plan and schedule.

Keep watching you favorite films over on DVD. Keep reading books by directors and watching DVD bonus programs and listening to commentary tracks. This is an incredible teaching device that will help program your subconscious to keep you on the right track.

Most important, to repeat, work on everyone’s film. Yes, some will not appreciate your help, some will not pay you what they promised, but others will.

You must have some kind of short film or video to show someone when you get an opportunity.

I’ve directed six features (did post on many more) and still want to do more. That’s why I did “Hard Rock Lovers” as an audio-book with famous actors. That’s why I have it on ebay listed under those actors. Maybe a producer who is a fan of those actors will see it, buy it or request it from me, love the story and ask for a script, which I have waiting. But more than that, I’m still talking action on it, by getting it to producers via my agent.

Beware, age 26. That’s when all my movie friends gave up. Four years after college. Their wives, girlfriends, or even parents said, “Well, you gave it a shot, now you have to get a real job.” Yes, get freelance jobs. I always worked and at night I screened my first feature to buyers and future investors. Always work, but work freelance to be available for other film jobs.

Most of all, repeating, stay in touch with every active filmmaker, and make a contribution, whether it’s passing on your used DVDs, helping to write a project, or whatever. You have to ask, ask the right people, have something to give, and keep asking other people.

If your interested in directing for the creative expression and lifestyle, or to do that one great story you have in your heart, you’ll stay in it. However if you only have the dream of fame fortune and money, it’s hard to stay motivated and will seek other paths for that.

And the best part is that you can’t even imagine the surprises that come when you follow your dreams. I have too many personal examples to list here, but it’s amazing what comes and how it comes.

About The Author Paul Kyriazi – Feature Film Director http://www.xanga.com/featurefilmdirector