How to Guide to Stock Photography

So, you have decided to make some money from your pictures and sell them as Stock Photography? Your collection of stock photographs can be very good. I don't know your collections, but there is a huge difference between taking good or great pictures and photos which sell. You can see great pictures in photo magazines and exhibitions, which people admire, but these pictures don't make you much money. Pictures, which make you money so called stock photographs, may not be great, but these fulfill the need of the buyer. Fro example pictures on packaging, in textbooks, leaflets, promotional material etc.

When you are going to take a picture, you need to think not in composition of the photograph itself (by the way, golden rule is better than rule of thirds), but in terms that part of the picture will be filled with the text, coupon or some insert of other picture.

I know, it can be sometimes frustrating, because this may not satisfy your eye for good composition, but this is what makes photography to sell. It doesn't mean that photos are bad, it just mean that you need to take pictures with the buyer in mind. For example to take a landscape picture vertical, instead horizontal (magazines are in vertical format) and leave more sky for buyers to insert whatever they decide. The text will not obstruct your picture in the final form by anything. You will have much better chance to be featured for example on the front page of some magazine instead.

Try to avoid supplying stock photo libraries which offer royalty free pictures or cheap pictures. If you do, this will bring you little income and you lose your copyright to these pictures. There are many other serious stock picture buyers, who will buy your pictures with one time publication and will be willing to pay much larger price for your photos. Don't sell yourself cheap. You can offer cheaper prices on the beginning but you can raise your prices later, when stock photography buyers know you more.

Remember, the most stock libraries take a large cut of the price of each photograph sold. They are in business to make money from photographers. This is ok, as long as these photographers have a good deal. This may not always be the case. So, before sending your stock photos to any stock photo library, read the small print. Choose only those stock photo libraries, which give you satisfactory deal and percentage.

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Make A Cartoon With The Best Animation Software

Do you enjoy cartoon animation? I know I do. When I was growing up in the 70's, everyone knew that Saturday was cartoon day. We would sit and watch our favorite characters: Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Tweety Pie...and the list goes on. I was amused for hours by their antics. But I always wondered how they could create these tickle you funny animations.

I even attempted to make my own cartoons with little flip books. I would draw a cannon on one side of the page. And each following page I made the same cannon but with a cannon ball a little further from the mouth of the barrel. On the last page there would be the word boom written in a cloud of smoke. I would amuse myself by watching that cannon ball mysteriously move across the page as I flipped those tiny pages.

That was my first experience with the idea of stop motion animation. That little animation technique would be considered old school for today's budding animation maker. Computer technology has turned child's play into an amazing growing art form. If you have ever dreamed of how to make a cartoon, it couldn't be easier with today's 3d animation software. Computer animation has made it easier than ever, for the animation maker in all of us.

Where does one begin today if they want to make a cartoon? I have a simple philosophy that I apply to most situations. We grow from what we know. In other words, it is really difficult to understand calculus if you don't have adding and subtracting down. Too often people want to jump in where they can't swim yet. And as an adult we can become quiet discouraged at our ever so slow learning pace. If cartoon animation really interest you, my suggestion would be to start with some basic animation program to get your feet wet...so to speak. There are plenty on the market.

Most basic cartoon software will use an animation technique that is similar to my cannon ball illustration. It is known as key-framing. An animator will make a simple representation of a character. It can be as basic as a stick figure. They will draw this figure repositioning legs, arms, and body with slight variable changes. The animator will then set these changing figures at different points on the screen. The animation software will work its magic by interpolating the movement. The end result is the seamless movement of the animation much like my cannon ball flip book and the big boom.

So stop dreaming and make a cartoon just like an animation master. Technology has brought us a long way from my childish cartoon flip book. Release your imagination and make your own animation.

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A True Disney Story

From the time he was born in 1901 to the time he died in 1966 Walt Disney lived in a world of fantasy. The rest of the world was lucky enough to be able to share Disney's fantasy which still lives today.

Walt Disney got his start in high school. He was the cartoonist for the high school paper. In 1919 he moved to Kansas City set on having an artistic career. He got a temporary job at an ad company and met a man that would become a very close friend and a partner in later endeavors, Ubbe Iwerks.

Together Disney and Iwerks went on to create their own studio, Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists. While it didn't last for very long, it was Walt's first experience in creating his own company. While working a temporary job at another company he learned about cutout animation and decided to be an animator. This was the beginning of what would go on to become the Walt Disney Company, a huge media conglomerate.

Disney's first venture into cel animation production was called Laugh-O-Grams. They were shown in a small local movie theater. They went on to become hugely popular. Laugh-O-Grams studio was very popular and Disney hired many other animators to work with him. Unable to manage money well the company went broke.

After Laugh-O-Grams shut down Walt Disney, along with his brother Roy O. Disney, went west to Hollywood to seek their fortunes.

Once in Hollywood, the Disney brothers started a new studio and started producing new shorts. They were the Alice's Wonderland series. They were a live-action/animated set of shorts. These movies were the basis of the Disney Brothers' Studio. It was in 1925 that he hired an animator named Lillian Bounds who became his wife.

It was also during this time that Walt created his first animated character that was a popular character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In '28 Disney went to Universal, who owned the rights and distributed the shows, to ask for higher fees. They refused and took Oswald away from him.

While that was a personal disaster leading to his company going bankrupt again, it ended up turning into a good thing. That loss pushed him into creating Mickey Mouse. Walt personally voiced Mickey until 1947. There were several silent Mickey shorts before Steamboat Willie came about. It was groundbreaking because Mickey actually had sound. That caused Disney to start using sound in all his cartoons and pushed Mickey's popularity to zoom.

Following several other shorts Disney decided to create a feature length animated movie, his first, the Oscar winning Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Everyone thought that he was crazy but it went on to become wildly successful.

Taking the profits from Snow White, Disney started a new complex of studios for his company. The Walt Disney Studios are where the company remains headquartered. Disney Studios made several more feature length movies as well as shorts. They slowed down during WWII because the animators were working on propaganda films. It was actually during this time that Walt came up with the idea of his theme parks. He wanted to have somewhere that his animators' kids could play. He even had a plot of land for the park across the street from the studios.

After the war, Disney Studios branched out into live action films like Treasure Island, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. But there were also several animated movies made during this time, including Bambi.

Disney also partnered with another well known Company to create a show that would end up being one of the longest-running primetime television series, originally called Disneyland and eventually The Wonderful World of Disney. This was the start of Disney's multimedia empire. They also started Buena Vista during this time to distribute their own films. It was also during this time that The Mickey Mouse Club also started.

Using the TV series, in 1954 Walt revealed his idea for Disneyland Park in Anaheim California. In 1965 the announcement was made for Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. Walt died in December 1966 before he could see the opening of that park. In 1967 the last two movies that he had a hand with were released.

Roy O. Disney took over and led the company until his death in 1971. From the early '70s through the middle '80s Disney's movies weren't as successful as they had been in the past. But they continued making movies and having television shows. They also started The Disney Channel on cable and releasing movies on videocassette. The main focus of Disney during this time was Walt Disney World. They added EPCOT center to the park.

In 1984 Micheal Eisner took over as CEO of The Walt Disney Company and started leveraging it into the media giant that it is today. New movies like The Little Mermaid reversed their fortunes, as well as new animated television shows.

The 1990s brought more parks to the Disney line up, Disneyland Paris and Disney's California Adventure Park. They continued making movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, which featured Disney's first venture into computer animation.

The 1990s and 2000s Disney also went on to make a distribution agreement with an independent animation studio called Pixar, which they went on to buy in 2006. Disney also purchased ABC television. With the purchase of Pixar Disney has started making hand drawing their movies again, beginning with The Princess and the Frog.

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century Disney has taken over the media world. They have their own radio station, music group, animation studios, movie company and cable channels. They also own ABC. Disney also owns a huge chunk of theme park and leisure activities with 7 parks or resorts all over the world and their own cruise line.

From the dream of one man who came up with a mouse named Mickey to a major media and entertainment giant, The Walt Disney Company has created fantasies for people young and old all over the world.

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Pokemon Pokemania - Got To Catch Them All

Japan is the origin of Pokemon, and the land of spinoffs when it comes to games and toys, so it is not surprising that Japan is unquestionably the Pokemon stronghold for sales and popularity. Second to Japan is not the rest of Asia (though Pokemon animation has been dubbed into most languages and the game is available and popular), but rather North America and Europe, particular the former where game play is intense and enthusiastic fans hold many events.

Merchandising of Pokemon seems to be split between an older and younger crowd: the older crowd (teens) is far more intent on gaming and far less on buying stuffed toys, animation, and Pokemon game cards. Gamers often develop favorite characters, however, and sometimes will buy a Pokemon stuffed toy. Particularly now, as the release of Pokemon Black and White has quite literally set off a new Pokemon rage, older gamers as well as the more traditional younger crowd are buying Pokemon Black and White Plush Toys, Pokemon zukan and Tomy figures, and Pokemon Cards, which are seen for now as collector's items. Nintendo has a big hit with anything to do with the Black and White series.

In Russia, Pokemon was banned for a while for obscure reasons, but Pokemon animation dubbed in Russian and other Pokemon goods are back on the market now. Pokemon doesn't seem to have captured the imagination of the Russian youth as much as Nintendo would like however. Still, Russia is an exception. In other areas such as the Middle East, Pokemon has shown the same craze popularity as it has elsewhere but in some places the cards have been banned because of local laws. In England there was some trouble for a while because of fisticuffs fighting among youth over Pokemon cards but the situation seems to have calmed down now and is back to normal.

Perhaps not all that surprising in mainly Hindu India with its own mind boggling pantheon of gods, Pokemon was a national craze for some years, with the animation dubbed in both Hindi and Tamil, and shops springing up in all the major cities selling Pokemon merchandise. The craze has leveled off for now but it is my guess that sales are bound to spike again with the introduction of Pokemon Black and White. India appears to be hooked.

In other parts of Asia such as the Philippines and Thailand, Pokemon merchandising has not seen the success yet that merchants would like but like in other places the animation is very popular, and where the animation is popular the merchandising usually follows (I call it the Disney Standard). Similar Pokemon figures are coming out of Brazil and the rest of South America. Pokemon games and goods are popular in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand as well, pretty much on a level with Europe.

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Mastering Animation Lessons Can Lead You to the Success You Dream Of

In the present situation, learning animation is one of the greatest professions you can ever think of. Once you have taken animation lessons and have graduated or certified in this course, getting a job in some production studio might just be a dream come true for you.

Career in animation

Joining a course in animation does not mean you just learn how to operate the animation software, but it also means that you are thoroughly trained in the related skills.

It is a very good way to earn your livelihood, especially if you join an animation film company where you are able to display your skills and talent globally.

What is included in the course?

There is another way to learn about the latest news and techniques of animation. If you have made up your mind to learn animation then attending animation seminars could enlighten you greatly. You can learn a lot from such seminars.

If you have natural animation skills then with a little bit of creativity, no one will be able to stop you from excelling in this field. When you enroll in a course it will offer you animation lessons in various subjects such as 2D animation, 3D animation and modeling, multimedia, sound, drawing, etc.

Where can you work?

In the past, a film studio was the only place where an animator was offered a lucrative job. But now, industries, medical institutes, corporate offices and many other trades have opened the employment doors for skilled animators.

A corporate office might want to display their presentations using animation to make it look more lively and convincing. Medical or engineering students or any learning institute might use an animated simulation for a better understanding of their subject.

What is needed from you?

You need to be totally involved and devoted to this animation course. Apart from getting a certification you should always keep yourself up-to-date with the latest details on animation technology.

You will be considered brilliant and smart if you display your animation abilities, spiced with a thorough knowledge of the newest animation software. You also need to pave your way in this career by interacting with the correct people who can further promote you.

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The Companies Behind Pokemon Merchandising

Pokemon started out not so many years ago as a video game ported to Gameboy. It became very popular very quickly and Nintendo quickly saw great opportunities in merchandising spinoffs. These days it is a big worldwide industry whose spinoffs overshadow the flagship video game (which still leads the product line's creative conceptions however) and include the animation series and movies, which have been translated into dozens of languages, Pokemon manga (comics), the very popular Pokemon card game, and countless Pokemon stuffed toys.

The spinoffs are kept 'fresh' by keeping up with the updates in the video game. The latest incarnation is Pokemon Black and White, and sure enough, this is what fans are going crazy for: Pokemon Black and White plush toys (stuffed toys), Pokemon Black and White game cards, Pokemon Black and white promo cards, and Pokemon Black and White Zuken figures. Both cards and toys can be very expensive collector's items, and especially cards can become rare or be collectible because they are written in different languages. Cards can also be plain, promo, Legendary Pokemon, shiny suicune, shiny raikou, or shinny entei.

Everything associated with the merchandising of Pokemon spinoff goods is controlled by the Pokemon Company, an affiliate of Nintendo. All non-Asian production is under control of The Pokemon Company International, likewise an affiliate to its parent, Nintendo. Tomy and other 2nd and 3rd party companies handle the physical manufacturing of the goods, including the cards and stuffed toys. The game usually goes under the trade name of 'Game Freak.'

Pokemon is an industry that generates an incredible $10,000,000 USD an hour in revenue. It also attracts imitations worldwide, and illegal copying of its Nintendo game seem to sprout up in markets around the world as soon as they are released. Behind corporations like Tomy however there is a vast amount of other industries and cottage industries behind the Pokemon line. Studios and their artists need to be hired for production of the animation, and the scriptwriters must work closely with Nintendo to make sure that the animation episodes are accurate. Worldwide dubbing of the episodes must also be handled legally.

In a free market, the Pokemon Company has no direct control over the sales of its products of course, but has, like the Apple Store, set Pokemon stores that sell only Pokemon goods exclusively. It is assumed that the company takes on the costs of running and promoting the stores, but enjoys the return in profits. Pokemon advertises little; it's so popular that it doesn't need to. Finally, there is a whole collector's industry that revolves around old Pokemon games, cards, and stuffed toys. Most of these goods can be found on the Internet.

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Why Many Kids Don't Always Have A Favorite Pokemon

I'm sure you've heard of Pokemon, but did you know that a new release of the video game called Pokemon Black and White is out? There are new Pokemon Black and White plush toys to go along with it, as well as new Pokemon Black and White promo cards and Pokemon Black and White game cards. There are also new Pokemon Black and White Zukan figures by Tomy. My son can't stop checking out all the new goods at his favorite Pokemon web site.

As far as individual Pokemon go, there is the phenomena of kids or gamers becoming attached to a certain Pokemon. In fact, a teenager of 17 might become so enamored of a certain character that he may even buy the Pokemon plushie (stuffed toy). Which is quite out of character for a 17 year old. And everyone who knows anything about Pokemon knows that Pikachu is of course the adored unofficial but obvious mascot to Pokemon in the same way that Mickey Mouse is to Disney.

But usually kids have a hard time telling you their favorite Pokemon character when asked. It makes sense though when you break it down. For one thing, no matter how cute, comely, or handsome the Pokemon may be, they are after all monsters. Even 'cuddly' Pikachu has an absolutely terrifying electric punch. Every Pokemon character is dangerous. Mickey Mouse can't hurt you but any of the over 400 Pokemon can- lethally! So there is a dark element to the Pokemon that I think kids remain in awe and are a little frightened of when it comes to the Pokemon.

It's a fascinating thing to be a trainer of monsters. In Ultraman, monsters represent absolute evil. There is no taming them- the only solution is to destroy them utterly. Ultraman is a savior, not a tamer. Monsters only represent chaos and destruction. The monsters in Pokemon represent something different altogether. Pokemon are animal-like creatures that in general present us with a temperate, cute, and even affectionate nature. Watch out when they release their powers though, for they become formidable. Pokemon are more like a Stegosaurus than a Godzilla: basically they are non-aggressive but are quite capable of defending themselves when necessary. Stand back when they do.

Finally the tremendous combination of species with different capabilities makes it hard to have an absolute favorite. There are no 'all mighty' Pokemon. Some are stronger than others of course, but different Pokemon can be very useful in surprisingly different situations. So one type of Pokemon could be a favorite in a given scenario, and another in a different one. I think that rather than developing favorites (like a favorite ship in a space game), the drive is to know and handle as many Pokemon as one can. With enough skill, one can then become a Pokemon master.

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