Weekly Tip #5

Hello all,

Happy Wednesday!

Today's Tip is regarding YouTube. Our likes, shares and the way we comment on the videos that are posted.

To increase KIDS FIRST! subscriber base, engagement and views, we need your help. When your child's video's are posted, please commit to a "like", "comment" and " share on you social media".  In addition, when other videos are posted, you can like and comment too.  Please make sure you have a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account and encourage ALL your family and friends to subscribe to KIDS FIRST! YouTube Channel.

Why are we doing this?

We want subscribers so they can be our biggest fan and they're critical to KIDS FIRST! success.  They come back for more and whenever a video is uploaded, they're the first notified.  It improves our raking. Question...... How do viewers find YouTube videos?  Answer.... Subscribers:):)  That's why we need subscribers.  Subscribers watch the most YouTube videos probably more than embedded videos or links from friends & even more than you tube searches.  Subscribers rack up more views than non subscribers and increases the watch time.  Watch time also matters. It's the amount of time spent watching the video.  It shows a more accurate engagement of how our videos do.

So, do I have your commitment in becoming a subscriber and encouraging all your family and friends?  Please respond to this email. Make sure to comment and like some of the video's that are now posted on our channel.        

  

I hope this helps.

Have a great day.

Faith 

Weekly Tip #3

Hello all,

I hope you are doing well today.

Here is your weekly tip.

When your child is invited to attend the taping of the weekly radio show, this is an exciting event for them.  They get to talk to the other film critics across the US and discuss the film/event they were assigned to. It's fun, exciting and I'm sure they will enjoy it.  It's always a great idea to listen to past radio shows to get a feel of what happens and how it all sounds.  

If you have not already done so, please take a listen to it.  Here's the link to the latest show - http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1950/kids-first-coming-attractions. Click on the tab for the latest episode.  I would suggest they listen to the entire show.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

I hope this helps.

Have a great day.

Faith 

Weekly Tip #2

Hello all, I hope you are doing well today.

Here is your weekly tip.

Press invitations, pre-screening, advanced screening and media invites - we love them:) We get a chance to see films prior to their actual release date.  They are fun, exciting and very memorable.  When you and your child attends one of the above events, please consider doing the following:

• Dress for the occasion.  Your child is representing KIDS FIRST! We should always look presentable. Nothing fancy, unless otherwise instructed.

• Attend with one guess, unless otherwise instructed.

• Arrive about 20 to 30 minutes earlier than show time, unless otherwise instructed.  This is important so your seats will not be given away.  You want to have optimum viewing to enjoy and report on the film.

• Here’s a good part, you do not have to wait in those long lines, please politely go to the front of the line and indicate you are part of the press (KIDS FIRST!) and you will be escorted right in.  Love this part:)   However there may be a press screening where it is just for the press.  For the film, Life of Pi, it was only for the Press and it was about 8 people in the theater. For the Red Carpets, you DO have to wait with the rest of the press.

• Always be kind and professional.  We are representing KIDS FIRST!  I remember at one press screening event the lady from the marketing firm was glad to see Brianna.  She gave her a big hug and stated she was always so nice and professional.  She stated I hear you are doing big things.  They remember our kids.

• Cell Phones – Other attendees will be instructed what to do with their cell phones.  They will either turn them off or check them in with security.  We went to see Cinderella and the security guard indicated since we were with the press, the cell phone rules do not apply to me and I do not have to check it in, however I did turn it off.

• Your child can take notes.  Have a note book designated just for pre-screening so they can refer to it.

• After the film, your child should be prepared to give a brief statement about the film. Something about how they liked it and why.

• Please remember to send/share your written and video review to Ranny in the 48 hour time frame.

Have fun at your next event.  Unfortunately I don't always get to go, my husband takes Brianna most of the time, but each time it is definitely a bonding event and always nice.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

I hope this helps.

Have a great day.

Faith 

Weekly Tip #1 

by Faith Beaton

I know Ms. Ranny shared with you to always have your child look at IMDB to get talent names and correct spellings - this is a must and will help them greatly.  In addition to this, they can also look at the films Facebook and web site pages to do additional research. For example: The film Home by Dream Works Animation that was in theaters on March 27, 2015, Here is the Facebook page and web site link:

https://www.facebook.com/AlmostHomeOfficial

http://meettheboov.com/.    

Most of the films usually do have these sites to look at and get additional information, updates and even games sometimes.  When your child is invited to an advance or press screening, these links are usually included on the invitation. 

Commas!

The common view is to put a comma where you would pause in speaking. But, there's a difference between a pause to separate thoughts (which is a good place for a comma) and a pause just to catch your breath (which is probably NOT a place that needs a comma).

1. Use a comma to separate items in a list:

EXAMPLE: Some of the characters in Tangled were a girl, a boy, a queen and a horse.(In this case, there is no comma before the final "and" – (Although there are some styles of punctuation that DO use a comma there, KIDS FIRST! does not.)

2. Use commas around a phrase that adds some information to the sentence but can be pulled out and still leave a complete sentence.  Use on BOTH sides of the phrase.

EXAMPLE: I ate the eggs, which were scrambled to perfection, before I drank my milk.   EXPLANATION: "which were scrambled to perfection"tells a little more about the eggs, but the phrase can be taken out of the sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence. The basic sentence is still: "I ate the eggs before I drank my milk." 

EXAMPLE: She went around, not under, the block.   

EXPLANATION:"not under" helps explain the girl's action, but taking it out of the sentence would not change the meaning of the sentence. The basic sentence is still: "She went around the block."

EXAMPLE: It’s the same idea when you name a city and add the name of the state it's in Houston, Texas, is hot this time of year.  ("Texas" tells more about where Houston is, but sentence makes sense without it. The basic sentence is "Houston is hot this time of year.") This is different from: Houston, Texas is hot this time of year.  (By not putting a comma after"Texas," the meaning of the sentence is different. In this case, you are speaking to someone named Houston, and telling her that Texas is hot this time of year. The basic sentence is "Texas is hot this time of year."

Here's more...

Help in Selecting a Camcorder.

Here are a few links to articles we have found helpful in selecting a camcorder. Most important to consider, other than budget, are 1) can you shoot in HD (important) and 2) will it take an external microphone (very important for use in interviewing). You may have to ask the manufacturer what type of a microphone it will take since it varies for every camera.

Consumer Reports: 
WikiHow
Cnet

Replacing To Be Verbs!

This is a tricky thing for many writers and, the sooner you can figure this out, the better. We want to use "action" verbs more often than "to be" verbs and all their conjugations.
Here are excerpts from an article on this topic. For the full article, go here.

What’s So Wrong with “To-Be” Verbs?

1. The “to-be” verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been are state of being verbs, which means that they unduly claim a degree of permanence. For example, “I am hungry.” For most Americans, hunger is only a temporary condition.

2. The “to-be” verbs claim absolute truth and exclude other views. “Classical music is very sophisticated.” Few would agree that all classical compositions are always sophisticated.

3. The “to-be” verbs are general and lack specificity. A mother may tell her child, “Be good at school today.” The more specific “Don’t talk when the teacher talks today” would probably work better.

4. The “to-be” verbs are vague. For example, “That school is great.” Clarify the sentence as “That school has wonderful teachers, terrific students, and supportive parents.”

5. The “to-be” verbs often confuse the reader about the subject of the sentence. For example, “It was nice of you to visit.” Who or what is the “It?”

Adapted from Ken Ward’s E-Prime article athttp://www.trans4mind.com/personal_development/GeneralSemantics/KensEPrime.htm

Problem-Solving Strategies to Eliminate the “To-Be” Verb

1. Substitute-Sometimes a good replacement just pops into your brain. For example, instead of “That cherry pie sure is good,” substitute the “to-be” verb is with tastes as in “That cherry pie sure tastes good.”

2. Rearrange-Start the sentence differently to see if this helps eliminate a “to-be” verb. For example, instead of “The monster was in the dark tunnel creeping,” rearrange as “Down the dark tunnel crept the monster.”

3. Change another word in the sentence into a verb-For example, instead of “Charles Schulz was the creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip,” change the common noun creator to the verb created as in “Charles Schulz created the Peanuts cartoon strip.”

4. Combine sentences-Look at the sentences before and after the one with the “to-be” verb to see if one of them can combine with the “to-be” verb sentence and so eliminate the “to-be” verb. For example, instead of “The child was sad. The sensitive young person was feeling that way because of the news story about the death of the homeless man,” combine as “The news story about the death of the homeless man saddened the sensitive child.”

For the full article, go to http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/how-to-eliminate-to-be-verbs-in-writing/