tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84617646503609314152024-03-05T07:16:03.412-05:00Trudy ThomsonWith more than 25 years experience in the design and production of media—including both website design and video production—Trudy Thomson caters to small businesses, non-profit initiatives and artists. She sets up websites, blogs and creates short videos encoded for the web. See her work at http://website-design-at-the-crest-of-the-hill.comTrudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-2232989185024260532014-07-06T10:35:00.004-04:002014-07-06T10:39:43.442-04:00New Place for Posting Articles About Media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi all, check out my new website that I created using Wordpress. Here is where I will continue to migrate old blog articles to, and where you will see all new articles. So book mark this new site, which I named <a href="http://website-design-at-the-crest-of-the-hill.com/blog/" target="_blank">Website Design at the Crest of the Hill</a>. Why? Because this represents the idea that I offer you top value, with insight and creativity, as well as intuitive design. Also, hopefully the search engines will pick up my site if you search for Chapel Hill web designers -- because I have the word "Hill" in the url for my site.<br />
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Any how, hope you visit my new look as well as new postings at my new locale!<br />
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<br />Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-75681469435500647272013-09-12T21:46:00.000-04:002013-10-10T09:50:57.885-04:00To Facebook or Not?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have participated in Facebook interactions for quite a while now. Some think it is frivolous. Some a waste of time.<br />
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I don't think so and here is why...<br />
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One, it keeps you connected with many folks you would not have stayed in touch with otherwise. For me, just one friend from high school, but many that are artists in my community are friends. And I get to see their new projects posted most every day. What a delight to have coffee with friends while still in my pajamas.<br />
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Two, I get all the political news I need without having to actually read the news. It is already filtered and digested by very smart astute folks who read way more than I have an inclination to.<br />
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Three, and most important. There is a new ethos (actually an old tried and true one): I will scratch your back if you scratch mine. This is not a tit for tat system. It is organic. But it is a delight that I will comment regularly on what you post and you will reciprocate by commenting on my posts. Or we simply both like as frequently as possible. It keeps us connected in an age when there are less chances to interact with others because our lives are so busy.<br />
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So when it comes to Facebook, I give it a thumbs up!<br />
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How about you?<br />
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Hey, don't forget to see <a href="http://trudythomson.com/" target="_blank">my media site.</a> Lots of visual goodies there, for sure!<br />
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Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-29622870732142722012-10-26T19:51:00.000-04:002012-11-26T17:45:23.458-05:00It Is Only Natural<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is only natural that a writer uses a blog to broadcast the publishing of her new book. Actually a two-part mystery series named <i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px;">Until Proven: A Mystery in Two Parts. </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px;">It is written by a long time associate and friend of mine, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px;">Nora Gaskin</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px;">. </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px;">We have known each other for some thirty years. Nora's dad was a Literature Professor at UNC Chapel Hill, and my father-in-law was also and one of his best friends. So as one might expect -- after many lively discussions at dinner parties --Nora and become acquainted. And have had a blast sharing many yearly festive activities at my home and hers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Until Proven</i> is a mystery, a family saga, and an examination of how a community changes--or doesn't. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. So I immediately ordered an ebook version and read straight through parts one and two in two days. The two different eras described in the story provide perceptive insight into the tenor of both times in a small southern town-- in particular race relations as they evolved. The mysteries that unfolded kept me at the edge of the page!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">So check out Nora's recent blog that describes the many ways you can order this new intriquing series. Online, or in book stores.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">PS, I helped Nora set up the blog and she caught on immediately. She got busy changing font sizes, colors, added new embellishments. Hard to keep up with her willingness to lay it all out there in print -- even the kind to expect online!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">So, check <a href="http://lystrabooks.com/" target="_blank">her blog.</a> It will definitely satisfy.</span></div>
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Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-63542407104393316442012-10-22T11:08:00.001-04:002012-11-05T10:15:46.993-05:00Barbi Dalton Painter on Orange County Artists Tour<div class="posterous_autopost">
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Coming up, the Orange County Artists Guild Tour, Nov 3 & 4, 10 & 11 in Chapel Hill. Check out this short movie created by Trudy Thomson on her website that shows the lovely work of Barbi Dalton, who is located at 2 Crow Hollow, Chapel Hill, 27514.<br />
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See: <a href="http://www.trudythomson.com/barbi.html">http://www.trudythomson.com/barbi.html</a><br />
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Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-58501867719115752062012-10-18T01:17:00.001-04:002012-11-05T10:18:48.720-05:00Metaphorically Speaking<div class="posterous_autopost">
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<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #999999; font-family: helvetica neue, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Coming up, the Orange County Artist Tour. Check out the following video that shows the detailed elegance of </span><a href="http://www.trudythomson.com/judith.html" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica neue, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Video about Judith Ernst on Thomson website">art pots created by Judith Ernst</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #999999; font-family: helvetica neue, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">. Her work is a wonder. She is part of the tour that is held the first two weekends in November. (I am also on the tour offering fused glass and fiber arts) -- Trudy Thomson</span><br />
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Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-50964220103976524112012-10-07T22:54:00.000-04:002012-10-08T10:47:10.366-04:00Video Captures the Cosmos And Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This article introduces you to a recent video I produced for a new artist friend of mine who creates abstract art she describes as Cosmos And Chaos. She slaps paint on to the canvas, scrapes, whips and whips brushes around to add pigment, sand, earth, and grit to her canvas. The layers are built up and destroyed. The results? Stimulating!<br />
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Shelley lives in Chapel Hill and she will be participating in the upcoming <a href="http://www.orangecountyartistsguild.com/">Orange County Artists Guild Tour</a> the first two weekends in November. So stop her designated site to see her work as well as many other worthy artists in the group.<br />
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Here is her story in a video format.<br />
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In this video, Shelly Hehenberger describes how nature in the inspiration for her artwork, what her painting process and techniques are like, and shares with us a recent exhibition of her work at the NC Museum of Life Sciences, in Raleigh. This video was shot and edited by Trudy Thomson of Chapel Hill.<br />
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See my website for <a href="http://trudythomson.com/">other video examples</a> as well as <a href="http://vimeo.com/trudythomson/videos">this vimeo site for my art videos</a>. </div>
Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-46934915169580987652012-10-05T20:24:00.000-04:002012-10-05T20:41:05.693-04:00The Psychology of Social Media <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just got a great newsletter from MOZ about the latest in Social Media and Content Management. Ah, yes, so boring. And who has the time. But this group has some very serious breadth and depth about how to handle everything from Facebook posting to the psychology of the words you use when you are blogging. I am always interested in research about how we interact, why we do what we do, and how our images influence our lives. So this is in alignment with my current interests.<br />
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I particularly liked this link about how one <a href="http://socialfresh.com/facebook-tips/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=9+Tips+for+Being+Seen+and+Heard+Through+The+Noise+of+Facebook&utm_content=The+Moz+Top+10+-+October+2012%2C+Issue+1&utm_campaign=Moz+Top+10+-+Oct+%231+10.04.12">uses a Facebook page</a> to promote a service or product -- or how one avoids common mistakes <a href="http://blog.kissmetrics.com/6-copywriting-mistakes/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=6+Copywriting+Mistakes+that+Shatter+Conversion+Rates&utm_content=The+Moz+Top+10+-+October+2012%2C+Issue+1&utm_campaign=Moz+Top+10+-+Oct+%231+10.04.12">about the words you use</a> to entice others to come on along with what you are promoting or offering.<br />
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To see the full list of there offerings for this month <a href="http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=preview_message&fn=Link&t=1&ssid=20641&id=b2a0v41e9d9dlvm26jp8ykmv4kz54&id2=4ga6z4zn2r1r7n05flwizyfyeyg4w&subscriber_id=auesjbaauklguyaqmabyxvibmmtabek&messageversion_id=cavslpbaqqxrepbgasvkezzdjwzebef&delivery_id=bkhxrkgmldurzxxbcveegnwaedofbap&tid=3.UKE.BczoUg.EiW3.m5TP..AQIAnw.b..s.AWtT.a.UG9HaA.UG9sgg.b3x-Dg">take a look at this site</a>. The author is SEOmoz. I am impressed, and hope you will find a few articles of interest to your particular needs. We are each different. Yes indeed.<br />
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For more info about website design...particularly if you are a small enterprise that would like the benefits of a large idea, see http://www.trudythomson.com. Love shaping the message so that each and everyone gets a chance to reach the ring!Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-79373611944149361982012-08-22T10:50:00.000-04:002012-08-22T10:50:13.483-04:00Transform a Theme using Wordpress WiselyRecently I decided to recreate my art website using Wordpress, and spent quite a while closely examining a number of themes to find a presentation of photos that would compliment my art, which represents a number of different mediums. That makes it a bit tough to find a cohesive look and feel. And because I have background in graphic design, I am particular about creating something that not only works well, but looks appropriate for the subject matter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Web Site Designed by Trudy using HTML and Javascript</td></tr>
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Quite a while back, when I build my first art website, I had adopted a gallery title of <i>Ferns & Fancy</i> with a tag line: <i>Amidst the Ferns, we create our Fancy -- decorative crafts in various media. Follow different paths of our woodside trail to see our latest twists and turns.</i> Originally I had created a website with a black background and clustered images together in tightly bound tables to represent different categories of my art, including silk, glass, weaving. A bonus was an area where there were many images of my garden and landscaped surrounds.<br />
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For my new site, I decided to revamp the entire look and go for a white background with a more minimalistic look and selected a Wordpress theme to use as the container -- so to speak -- for this new vamp or view of the many images I have of my art work. Again, I decided to work with the theme of a garden environment replete with ferns and lovely wild flowers. My home page selection is now called Stroll, because that page let's you stroll through different images of my work -- each photographed within the context of the woodland trails of my garden.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKJ80NQwj9f3YPzwUR-c65oSv9gz_HH4ElTZXym28V1nFS-jsws7NiyhNpO_urf2h5_ZkPBiYOutn69OvnSu4geZXiDASYq1d6ko4aWbTEnKkraYwv20yS0AeMNr2pq6jzyyY4wjEPC0/s1600/web+site+design+by+Trudy+Thomson+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKJ80NQwj9f3YPzwUR-c65oSv9gz_HH4ElTZXym28V1nFS-jsws7NiyhNpO_urf2h5_ZkPBiYOutn69OvnSu4geZXiDASYq1d6ko4aWbTEnKkraYwv20yS0AeMNr2pq6jzyyY4wjEPC0/s400/web+site+design+by+Trudy+Thomson+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">New Web Site Designed by Trudy using Wordpress<br /></td></tr>
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So if you are curious, take a look at <a href="http://fernsandfancy.com/">my latest presentation</a> to view the most recent version, and compare it to my <a href="http://trudythomson.com/art">earlier prior introduction to my work</a> .<br />
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By the way, for those that are interested in the particulars about web site design, this second link is now housed in a folder under my major hosting site. I purchased a premium account from goddady.com which now enables me to have any number of sites hosted at the same location. By the way, goddaddy representatives were most helpful in making sure that my hosting using Wordpress would also be successful. I have used godaddy for years for my web site clients who needed to purchase domain names as well as hosting services, and I highly recommend them.<br />
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<br />Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-35538501212058299232012-08-02T12:51:00.001-04:002012-08-02T13:15:47.012-04:00For Artists: Marketing Your Art with Manta<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKguQKKaeRPdNIRIQ0Y_n5SOorl3JuPLcYK_6mYKkbjUQZ5L9X1tmTyLRvy76pnpj2xSXY5Un7U4GRaB2XYxdhsOiqaJ7Yqu456OiMr24Rt1SO2r5aiLhVEYbp6gHKsd2TR7Ks-HKmmY/s1600/cutrudyforposting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKguQKKaeRPdNIRIQ0Y_n5SOorl3JuPLcYK_6mYKkbjUQZ5L9X1tmTyLRvy76pnpj2xSXY5Un7U4GRaB2XYxdhsOiqaJ7Yqu456OiMr24Rt1SO2r5aiLhVEYbp6gHKsd2TR7Ks-HKmmY/s1600/cutrudyforposting.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trudy Thomson </td></tr>
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Found a great site that explains way more than anyone wants to know but is very valuable. Everything from how to take the best pictures, how to describe your art, to what steps to take to get more "hits" or "hearts". So, kudos to the folks that figured it out. </div>
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Here it is: http://meylah.com/meylah/search?terms0=shop</div>
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It appears that meylah can also host your creations, let you create a website fast, and get great advice. Now, I did not get into the details about websites because I am a website designer and I do my own thing. If you want your very own personal website, you can find me at http://www.trudythomson.com/web.html.</div>
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If you already have a website but you want to revamp and create a fresh new look, contact me. I love visual design and working with artists is my pleasure. My website is: http://www.trudythomson.com </div>
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Also, you can see my art videos at http://vimeo.com/trudythomson/videos</div>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-73082765995792307072012-07-31T16:45:00.001-04:002012-10-08T10:59:56.180-04:00Bimini Viewed through the Eye of Trudy's Phone<div class="posterous_autopost">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">Amazing. Carried a small consumer camera and fancy mono-pod to the bahamas. Got there after hitting many folks in the shins on the narrow airline aisles. Then the battery was drained to nothing and I happened to bring the wrong charger. Woe was me. But I remembered that my iPhone had video capabilities. And did it ever. I shot scads of scenes. Brought them home and uploaded to my Final Cut Pro editing systems and ALL SYSTEMS GO. Created a small fun and very sharp video --</span><br />
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<a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://trudythomson.posterous.com/bimini-viewed-through-the-eyes-of-trudys-ipho">trudythomson's Space</a> </div>
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Enjoy! And see more of my videos made for fun and professionally produced for various subjects at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/trudythomson">my youtube channel</a>. </div>
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Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-90094880536185837262012-05-17T23:08:00.001-04:002012-08-22T10:58:36.839-04:00Judith Ernst, Ceramic Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">With pleasure I present my latest video concoction. More than that, it is about how one imbues beauty with meaning. This was created by me for one of my favorite artist friends...Judith Ernst. You should see her process; this should not be missed. <a href="https://vimeo.com/42670710">Here is the link</a> to the video.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUHyvIgBaUNQY-742lflsW4C1A7oFA8NDcW_ZQORikhJa5e2p3dN5Z5rMWiJM9eIUeLdsb_7k8ZfZq9z3ksX7dO9fY7_zflR0eec8mSSmt0ZFgyYDz_t-TU6Fpt9u81KKnQlYmXGoEx4/s1600/Judith+Ernst+of+Chapel+Hill+video.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUHyvIgBaUNQY-742lflsW4C1A7oFA8NDcW_ZQORikhJa5e2p3dN5Z5rMWiJM9eIUeLdsb_7k8ZfZq9z3ksX7dO9fY7_zflR0eec8mSSmt0ZFgyYDz_t-TU6Fpt9u81KKnQlYmXGoEx4/s400/Judith+Ernst+of+Chapel+Hill+video.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judith Ernst of Chapel Hill - Ceramic Artist at work in her studio</td></tr>
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Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-79106019623108570302012-04-15T09:39:00.001-04:002012-08-02T13:13:44.808-04:00Why Have a Blog?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGALXjEUcBeWCFE2hM-JbSpczqHcQC4Ld6Ct1HfJOJ1YyXe7UKrNK1ZvBXQGKg6TsCWlyGdfhJXN6VuIt4IWQBQhLtAbeCG-Z_WYHtkqEcd0dTbU2GP1LXebOdS1Es_SUPsIF69v2UJPM/s1600/cutrudyforposting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGALXjEUcBeWCFE2hM-JbSpczqHcQC4Ld6Ct1HfJOJ1YyXe7UKrNK1ZvBXQGKg6TsCWlyGdfhJXN6VuIt4IWQBQhLtAbeCG-Z_WYHtkqEcd0dTbU2GP1LXebOdS1Es_SUPsIF69v2UJPM/s200/cutrudyforposting.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I received an email from a site named Manta that had some excellent ideas about blogging with success. So I have excerpted it and included it here:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Blogs are a great promotional tool. But, like anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If all you are doing is posting information online, what good is that? The real value to a blog is not your words so much as it is the words of your audience. That means you need feedback...conversation....interaction between you and your audience. </span>I recommend you actually explain to friends that you need for them to comment on your blog and help generate "buzz" for it. When people respond to a blog that is on a web server that is highly ranked by Google, wonderful things can happen. For one, not only can your blog become more visible, but the comments to your blog become more visible and therefore become an asset to the person that made the comment.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many online newspapers function a lot like a blog. Many you will see even included "share buttons" for numerous social networks. Why? So the visibility of your blog can be enhanced. If there was ever a reason to start commenting on blogs, better SEO and visibility through the online world is the reason.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cordially invite you to put this idea to the test. Visit <a class="postlink" href="http://budurl.com/SmallBizExaminer" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;" target="_blank">http://budurl.com/SmallBizExaminer</a> and start commenting on articles. When you conclude your comment, be sure to include your name, business and business website in your signature. Next, go to <a href="http://Google.com/">Google.com</a> and type into the big text (search) box a keyword you placed in your comment. See if the keyword ends up with a link to the article you just now commented on. This has actually happened to me numerous times. Therefore, I know the process can work. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Commenting on blogs is a great way to life up a businesses and give them enhanced visibility in the marketplace.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have any questions about any of this, simply contact me via <a class="postlink" href="http://tungle.me/lamarmorgan" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;" target="_blank">http://tungle.me/lamarmorgan</a>."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">-- excerpted from <a href="http://manta.com/">manta.com</a></span>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-47445880126320740372012-03-24T12:17:00.002-04:002012-08-02T13:12:11.440-04:00Digital Effect Slide ShowcaseCheck out these new slide shows I produced about my art work as well as the wonderful gardens around my house.<br />
The first: <a href="http://vimeo.com/39737230">click here</a> to see the scenes of my hand-dyed shibori scarves.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-im-hEmVSB2MxnPyisCHlQvoFcCZT_1MFpjSHUiJoypUVVp9rP2QObyhh0Noc_ZuhTLOOMhhWr0e_g75W6l-8Ffvzey1nRc1mrQ-5H1Yg59AAqHeJOIWe-Lko3EHtOw2l8VYBVVKc_U/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+4.13.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-im-hEmVSB2MxnPyisCHlQvoFcCZT_1MFpjSHUiJoypUVVp9rP2QObyhh0Noc_ZuhTLOOMhhWr0e_g75W6l-8Ffvzey1nRc1mrQ-5H1Yg59AAqHeJOIWe-Lko3EHtOw2l8VYBVVKc_U/s320/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+4.13.21+PM.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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And for the second example: <a href="http://vimeo.com/39548170">click here</a> for a flurry through a series of my fused glass pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNnMAbLGtAVh8l5qZi4lDgSBzhP8ZKVSa1ytK4b51Iz1fywlm8uCmkdh_fEfSUZU99a04HPLFpafNmQmEdfxrl9O9FvET2SCebfHjNnAFY1-BCUon8AanSzFeHIaXDLUR_TW2tnQ_Jzk/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+4.18.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNnMAbLGtAVh8l5qZi4lDgSBzhP8ZKVSa1ytK4b51Iz1fywlm8uCmkdh_fEfSUZU99a04HPLFpafNmQmEdfxrl9O9FvET2SCebfHjNnAFY1-BCUon8AanSzFeHIaXDLUR_TW2tnQ_Jzk/s320/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+4.18.00+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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And for a third show: <a href="http://vimeo.com/39548168">click here</a> which is a stroll through my garden in the spring.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv5ydZN48iIwHZcfTDeUp3FFO2mfZi6uiTZ8w-DpYpDl7cma190U2GFZ0QX90l0t5svkLbPYGztajCdyrmPjzA_CJpZlba_WdKR4tZyYtnET87-Bc_ied2Eh-_y1tqYrVL1F6S_0y-4c/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+4.14.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv5ydZN48iIwHZcfTDeUp3FFO2mfZi6uiTZ8w-DpYpDl7cma190U2GFZ0QX90l0t5svkLbPYGztajCdyrmPjzA_CJpZlba_WdKR4tZyYtnET87-Bc_ied2Eh-_y1tqYrVL1F6S_0y-4c/s320/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+4.14.00+PM.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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And contact me if you would like me to make one for you. I can offer a variety of effects as slides come into view. Simple and Reflective or Up Beat and VeryTrudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-64835839846624825032012-03-22T22:24:00.003-04:002012-08-02T13:11:47.452-04:00First Video Tone PoemOf the creek by my house.<br />
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I shot and edited this with complete meditative concentration.<br />
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The surround brings me joy...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWwqWInDB1nkqasOfMsg65zEReeB6Hpp6pvWiLNXyJXqulpiS5lxJz0d_YpR7eN_r6bdX7s70VeZVXXsvjXx77iCzYKFedP_9wQsg2K4wwkVGaYtxqBgHnlLboCG9ABzC9XxeKOfSoy0/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+11.52.55+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWwqWInDB1nkqasOfMsg65zEReeB6Hpp6pvWiLNXyJXqulpiS5lxJz0d_YpR7eN_r6bdX7s70VeZVXXsvjXx77iCzYKFedP_9wQsg2K4wwkVGaYtxqBgHnlLboCG9ABzC9XxeKOfSoy0/s320/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+11.52.55+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/39005821">https://vimeo.com/39005821</a></div>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-75648702377603456162012-03-07T15:11:00.000-05:002012-08-02T13:11:34.270-04:00Video Exposure to the Arts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My latest intrigues have been creating video for artists. Selecting music that compliments a particular style can be a challenge, but putting the presentation together is a delight. I just initiated a Vimeo channel, which is where I will start to post recent work about artists. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVOmoOO7EUMFpGNLJcHop6Ei8sC4kovjybG6Yl7vLI29mmukc_Siakp_it1b6hyphenhyphenqbkiOpTPFwZgmN7mek6QhuZq8SOUfXhZUVFSrj9c9MK-f8PPHpezVXmGQDF0mljN13GSHIHC1qerE/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-07+at+2.56.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVOmoOO7EUMFpGNLJcHop6Ei8sC4kovjybG6Yl7vLI29mmukc_Siakp_it1b6hyphenhyphenqbkiOpTPFwZgmN7mek6QhuZq8SOUfXhZUVFSrj9c9MK-f8PPHpezVXmGQDF0mljN13GSHIHC1qerE/s200/Screen+shot+2012-03-07+at+2.56.54+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My latest piece is about o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">ne of the artists -- Susan McClaurin -- who makes collages using handmade paper, photographs and other ephemera. I really enjoy her techniques and the "narrative" implied by her imagery. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Here is an image of one of her pieces that is part of her series named A Year of Magical Thinking, and here is a link to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.susanmclaurin.com/">Susan McLaurin's website</a>. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4enJuOMXfFaH6izA4pAbqhGgUjdSSnRoyULfHnWJZ2FwclDOESbkEhhnPL7Svw_4B0tgQMamNRGQ1fqJttcq4lX4ayI_WqRrR0CM-t8EXJorvKGsZglxmU4bQ43W_9vFOTAvjc13xLYg/s1600/Life's+Sacred+Moments+III+with+title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4enJuOMXfFaH6izA4pAbqhGgUjdSSnRoyULfHnWJZ2FwclDOESbkEhhnPL7Svw_4B0tgQMamNRGQ1fqJttcq4lX4ayI_WqRrR0CM-t8EXJorvKGsZglxmU4bQ43W_9vFOTAvjc13xLYg/s200/Life's+Sacred+Moments+III+with+title.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Another artist that I created movies for is named Eduardo Lapetina. He is a member of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.orangecountyartistsguild.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Orange County Artists Guild</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, which I am also pleased to be a part of. Eduardo paints very colorful large abstract paintings that display lots of color and texture. Eduardo uses symbolic shapes and colors to express his deepest emotions and passion for life. He applies paint to the canvas in unusual ways - by pouring, splashing, dripping and scratching. Layers and layers of paint create a sensuous and turbulent surface texture that is as vital and as complicated as life itself. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Here is a link to </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/trudythomson"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">my new vimeo channel</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> that includes recent clips showcasing the art of Susan as well as Eduardo. I hope you enjoy and plan to keep your eyes and ears out for more postings!</span></span>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-66710638614309822812011-09-07T12:33:00.000-04:002012-08-02T13:11:08.201-04:00A Farmhouse Tribute: as a Tone Poem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Check out this beautiful video that was shot and edited by my favorite videographer and associate! Notice the wonderful time-lapse photography. See how the camera gently dollies around corners to reveal each new nook and room. This is a model for the staging, shooting, and editing video. Of course, executed by one of the finest and brightest in our area.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtst-kQBFX8Jx08zkPGJu9_XLItVMQYNKDlZSyJ0mA7gbYM9QTxE54mnezhOSmSTGPzlqgqIGnFH8bgvxrEHbAmbABYv5bA1FiZhkDMUR1ORBWFY-I5O7Ab_9H1XqDMolShmZUuC9tw8Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+11.59.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtst-kQBFX8Jx08zkPGJu9_XLItVMQYNKDlZSyJ0mA7gbYM9QTxE54mnezhOSmSTGPzlqgqIGnFH8bgvxrEHbAmbABYv5bA1FiZhkDMUR1ORBWFY-I5O7Ab_9H1XqDMolShmZUuC9tw8Y/s200/Screen+shot+2012-03-24+at+11.59.20+AM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This "farmhouse tribute" is where my design professor lives ... in Virginia. I have had the pleasure of being a guest at his house. And yes, just as you see in the video, the interiors are gorgeous. The colors are rich and antique collections of all kind abound. So enjoy. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.dunnhillfarm.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Play the video at this link</span>.</span></a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJop3BmeuFrxx_bWEVEagSyZNhw8DifpQD4FwZUwyP6HAvJgVtoGhEyd7D8ZCRK7hjqC-n6NbGp0M6_zFVo6T-bCgKX2Zy2EY43pVY9V5z1rdrkmCm7YIdwiZhhQYLb4sebaKrefiBj0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-07-24+at+3.09.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJop3BmeuFrxx_bWEVEagSyZNhw8DifpQD4FwZUwyP6HAvJgVtoGhEyd7D8ZCRK7hjqC-n6NbGp0M6_zFVo6T-bCgKX2Zy2EY43pVY9V5z1rdrkmCm7YIdwiZhhQYLb4sebaKrefiBj0/s320/Screen+shot+2011-07-24+at+3.09.32+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This could be for me, the web site I most enjoyed creating. It is for an artist/writer whose work I find intriguing with its swirls, its innuendoes, and its modern stance. The artist -- Sarah Wilkinson -- and I worked very closely together to come up with a design that would properly anchor her work, while reflecting its modern tone. Choosing the color palette was quite the challenge, but we both finally approved of our final scheme. Another delight for me was to create each page with a distinctive look. For instance, the <i>geometric grid</i> and precise placement of elements on her <a href="http://www.sarahwilkinsart.com/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Welcome page.</span></a> The grey backdrop for the <a href="http://www.sarahwilkinsart.com/gallery_one.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Gallery thumbnails</span></a> --- large enough to see. And when selected, displayed <i>side by side</i> is <a href="http://www.sarahwilkinsart.com/pages/Appearances.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">the image with Sarah's provocative prose</span></a>. Also, <i>the rectangles of different hues</i> cascading down her <a href="http://www.sarahwilkinsart.com/exhibits.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Exhibits page</span></a>, so that each event is part of the whole but stand apart. The <i>boxes inside boxes</i> look of the <a href="http://www.sarahwilkinsart.com/about.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">About</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"> </span>and Contact pages.<br />
Go to <a href="http://www.designsbyeye.com/examples.html">this website</a> to see more of my web design work.Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-33808913051173367162011-02-27T15:56:00.001-05:002012-08-02T13:10:27.341-04:00What should the look and feel be?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol0a_wc5Hf-ZpiXX_DnIeQe79e0EY5hGlWAixcGeAcXTJpvNHQJ2WCYDiuP2hZUn4lWGb8Dtv0wcsxw42rXI9vaCTHtC-bIycWQ36lAJprphawkjfni5_m96mD1lC-6anXqBK_BsY5Qc/s1600/susan_and_painting_200wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol0a_wc5Hf-ZpiXX_DnIeQe79e0EY5hGlWAixcGeAcXTJpvNHQJ2WCYDiuP2hZUn4lWGb8Dtv0wcsxw42rXI9vaCTHtC-bIycWQ36lAJprphawkjfni5_m96mD1lC-6anXqBK_BsY5Qc/s200/susan_and_painting_200wide.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's a question frequently asked as you start to design a website. A site I just finished creating was particularly fun -- because it was for a therapist -- and my undergraduate work was psychology. We both wanted a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">fresh clean style that is -- at present -- my favorite. We wanted it to feel "accessible", friendly, while accenting her professional accomplishments. We wanted it to have a warm look, suggesting that through her therapy clients could gain a positive outlook and achieve positive growth.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Susan -- the therapist from Durham -- and I had a great time looking over different stock images to find one with just the right feel to use as a banner. Not too feminine, not too weird, not too sappy or strange. So we chose an image of wheat in a field at sunrise. Suggesting, "it's a new day" and the light is lovely.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also tried something new on this site and took part of the banner to make a vertical image that moves down the side of each page clicked on from the welcome page.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By the way, Susan has amazing background as a therapist. She has published a lot, presented a lot, and is versed in many different types of therapy. And she is also a painter! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check out the details at</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.susanheadphd.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.susanheadphd.com/</span></a></span>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-40439187139076213172010-07-11T17:52:00.003-04:002012-08-02T13:09:55.960-04:00Search Engine Optimization Can Equal Engaging Content<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGggnnzd8hkiHN1Wr75LzKCcgB3KjPE-5nn1flJUWQ9CcYn1PwNmvt3uZDVWnqVl7xd8lBQAFly9CvB_gnTiCPQjz0NNDkDSivBc5oHISyLmZhugaAT2q6PehtBQEs99qUbwJHtWTkFtQ/s1600/trudyinframe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGggnnzd8hkiHN1Wr75LzKCcgB3KjPE-5nn1flJUWQ9CcYn1PwNmvt3uZDVWnqVl7xd8lBQAFly9CvB_gnTiCPQjz0NNDkDSivBc5oHISyLmZhugaAT2q6PehtBQEs99qUbwJHtWTkFtQ/s200/trudyinframe2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Just found a fabulous and informative source that clearly defines and refines the techniques best used for search engine optimization, commonly referred to as SEO. It's a science and an art. I actually read all ten chapters and enjoyed it, because the layout was so fresh and the writing so friendly.<br />
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The article explains that any efforts you make to trick the algorithms used by search engines is not that easy to do these days. The engines are clever about noting anything weird, and they actually honor good old value systems. The more people that link to your site -- because you offer something interesting, unique, or valuable -- the higher your rating becomes. Now that can be tough if you are up there against the big boys who have been at it for a long time -- because they naturally have more connections than you. But it doesn't hurt to understand the basics when you design a website, and try your best to incorporate their suggested practices.<br />
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<a href="http://guides.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization">So I really recommend this article on SEOmoz:</a><br />
<a href="http://guides.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization"></a>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-73842114915426477112010-06-07T14:18:00.005-04:002012-08-02T13:08:47.474-04:00Shooting with Style<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span><br />
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When you videotape a scene there is a lot you can do to take advantage of the medium. One could say with video you can create “poetry in motion”.</div>
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First, a zoom in or out can be useful, but be aware that it compresses the space. On the other hand, a dolly emphasizes depth. You can simulate the effect by slowing taking a few steps towards or away from an object in the scene. When we dolly, the dimensions of objects are much more dynamic, visually stimulating, and have what I call “verisimilitude”. You can also make the dolly more intriguing by moving the dolly in an arc, across the scene from left to right, and place it up high or low. So try not to overuse the zoom button. Vary your shoots by including dollies when you can. It is particularly useful to begin and end a scene.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You might ask, how can I do this without expensive equipment? Well the first way is to go “hand-held” and use your body and try to move smoothly in the pattern of your choice. It takes practice, but can be done. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A second way to deal with it is to make your own dolly—out of PVC pipe and roller skate wheels. You simply attach the rollers—at opposing angles—to the four corners of a large piece of plywood, and place the plywood on tracks you have laid using the parallel PVC pipe. Then the videographer hops on the platform with a tripod and camera, a crew member attaches a puller of sorts (part of a C-stand used for lights work fine). A member of the crew pulls or pushes the videographer along the path as the scene is shot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another way to simulate a dolly is to use a wheelchair. The videographer sits in the chair with the camera and a crew member pushes the camera person in or out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Are there other useful tips about artful shooting? Yes. You should always shoot from a variety of angles…high, low, to the left, to the right, and pan across a scene or object. Also, if you shoot into corners, or diagonally across a scene you get a look that is more dramatic. Diagonal lines in any medium create energy. Vertical and horizontal lines create stability. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And the last word of advice relates to the beauty of a motion medium. Plan every shot so there is action in the foreground (people walking through the scene in the front), mid-ground (usually the subject), and background (people or activity). Then as you move with various dollies and pans you can achieve a satisfying visual experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To see examples that illustrate a variety of visual compositions and motion, <a href="http://www.trudythomson.com/web.html">see my website.</a>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-10483560244187024142010-02-11T12:22:00.006-05:002012-08-02T13:07:49.743-04:00Any Thing Can Happen—So Be Prepared<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5efWNBLnjEx1dwvtfFYm19islMCi3mc7zGg9fumhMVFQ5_ZA2sN7qv6rSprZF7x7JJqvIGVSKD9CO8w1NBWyE_w_FO3VDRBvotXVq98QGOY_LJCkiV-NjUnw6LymASM90YV2Qll90EjM/s1600-h/volcano.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437042626790634722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5efWNBLnjEx1dwvtfFYm19islMCi3mc7zGg9fumhMVFQ5_ZA2sN7qv6rSprZF7x7JJqvIGVSKD9CO8w1NBWyE_w_FO3VDRBvotXVq98QGOY_LJCkiV-NjUnw6LymASM90YV2Qll90EjM/s200/volcano.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 144px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I was on the crew of an elaborate “stage show” held in Hawaii by a major corporation. It brought five thousand of the company’s most loyal customers together to receive awards, get a glimpse at new products, and grab lots of give-aways.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It was held in Hawaii. And so, it was only fitting that we would have a fake volcano and surround the stage with a fake lagoon. Hola dancers, singers—the works. The night before the event was scheduled to take place our lagoon broke and water starting pouring into the seats through out the theatre. So part of the crew were dispatched to purchase as much equipment as possible in order to quickly vacuum up all the water. Near the end of that effort I volunteered to crawl under the stage and try to vacuum out the remaining water. I was the one most suited for the job because I happen to be only 5 feet tall and it would be easier for me than for my buddies who were at least of normal stature. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Funny. My mother used to brag to her friends about how I was a big shot producer with my own entourage. I thought it was fitting that I was only the “assistant stage manager”--out of a crew of one hundred--and my job was </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">not</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> in fact glamorous. To complete my assignment, I spend most of my time crawling on my hands and knees in the dark.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Now back to the story. We did not put new water into our so-called “lagoon” because we were afraid it might leak again overnight. We just used staple guns to tack up the extra plastic and cover it with real palm leaves.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The next morning when the curtains rose promptly at 9 AM all went well. The announcements and awards went off with out a hitch. Then it was time for the finale. And a finale of fake fire is what it was.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While the real Hawaiian Don Ho was out in the audience crooning to the spectators, the volcano on stage was spewing lava. However, the lava caught the volcano—made out of Styrofoam--on fire. Very realistic indeed. Fortunately the stunt men each had fire extinguishers in hand and as the assistant stage manager I had tucked extra fire extinguishers under the left and right stage steps. So we had a very spectacular ending to the show and all was finished to satisfaction. The moral of the story: Be prepared and safety first.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-17816441157395120862010-02-03T13:01:00.005-05:002012-08-02T13:07:35.014-04:00An Imaginary CircumstanceMeisner came up with an idea that creates a reality for an actor. It is referred to as an <i>imaginary circumstance</i>. When a director explains what is going to happen in a scene, the director asks the actor to image something similar that might have happened to the actor.<br />
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For instance, the person in the play has committed a transgression of some sort--such as cheating on a test. The actor is asked to think of something similar that happened to them. If it were me, I would think about how I used to cheat at monopoly. It was kind of fun moving all those hotels around the board on every move so I always won! Actually, you should think of something that has bad consequences.<br />
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Back to the main idea. Every time the actor in the play has to deliver her line, she remembers that very private and personal event. And, then she will respond with authenticity—because that is how she would surely act when she thinks about the supposed guilt associated with that so-called transgression.<br />
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Now about “raising the bar”.<br />
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Once in an acting class, the director told me that I should use the following <i>imaginary circumstance</i>: Concentrate on the idea that my father was in prison in Russia and that the authorities told me he would be dead in 24 hours if I did not write my father’s biography in 23 hours. In that scene I was at a typewriter (old-fashion type—pre computers). And I typed my fool head off. Another actor came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder and believe it or not—I actually hit him in the face!<br />
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Now valence is about the consequences that will occur in the imaginary circumstance if you do not perform as needed. If the director had said to me, “Your dad will die in that jail in one year if you do not write his biography in 364 days” I would have messed around and continued to change the phrasing and corrected my spelling errors—with white out. (Pity the poor fools that do not remember doing that. Look it up in Wikipedia.)<br />
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Anyhow, this is what the imaginary circumstance is about. It has to be real to you as an actor. And the valence (the level of the bar) has to be exactly right to get the most authentic and “honest” response from any actor.</div>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461764650360931415.post-53665545059624611942010-02-02T19:56:00.003-05:002012-08-02T13:07:00.900-04:00It Takes Talent to Make a Video<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">First of all, it depends what kind of talent you need. “Talent” is a word used in the video biz to refer to actors. They are definitely needed if you need people to memorize dialogue and get it right the first time, and for three continuous takes. You also need actors if you need a particular accent, or there is some very dramatic scene that needs emotion. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">About emotion. I prefer actors that were trained in the Meisner school. That is later than the method approach. It provides the director with a performance that is what is referred to as “honest” versus “manneristic” where someone “acts out” what they think they should look like on the screen or stage. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Here is an example. I took an acting class from someone who was trained in the Meisner technique. I was part of a skit where a guy was distressed and sad because someone in his family had died. I walked up to him and gently put my hand on his shoulder. I did not go up and throw my arms around him, or say, “poor you.” After the skit we had the normal critique and boy was I blasted by the other students of the class. They said, no one acts like that when someone dies. The teacher said, “I know Trudy, and that is exactly what she would have done </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">in that circumstance</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.” If you would start licking their face like a dog and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">that is what you usually would do</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, that would be honest on your part. Essentially, there is no right way to respond to the other person in a scene —as long as you respond like you would </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">if that were you</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Now there is a lot more to Meisner, such as creating an imaginary circumstance and as a director you set the bar at a certain level to create the right valence, but basically, watch out for people that </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">over act</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. More about the subtleties in another blog.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT3CWBeRUoZbfuIiCOfbvP2QVaAg40K-pTlCrH5eOOyrPkRvO9heDiK9JjeUGYlVXDuWeUuPZNCjaRZqv6DrjcXs-OF7sHH1axV_dCOYFI-9cPD2Xdbm4rE7ftQZVvPeQyRiVqobEKfI/s1600-h/blindness.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433816065464647842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT3CWBeRUoZbfuIiCOfbvP2QVaAg40K-pTlCrH5eOOyrPkRvO9heDiK9JjeUGYlVXDuWeUuPZNCjaRZqv6DrjcXs-OF7sHH1axV_dCOYFI-9cPD2Xdbm4rE7ftQZVvPeQyRiVqobEKfI/s200/blindness.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 84px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 151px;" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Now, here is when you do </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">not</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> need</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“talent”. If you are shooting a research facility with scientists doing experiments or you are shooting a grocery store with every day customers, you can get by with much cheaper “talent”. I have now probably alienated most of my acting friends that will not get jobs because of what I tell, but they are needed for the word that implies “talent”. If you just need people to walk through a scene or do something they would normally do, you can just hire your friends or neighbors, or better yet—go to a temp agency and hire anyone that you think fits the demographics you need. Hire a few extra people in case somebody walks in that looks so weird they are distracting. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So, to sum up, there are two kinds of talent. Use each kind wisely and you will get a great looking production at a reasonable fee.</span></div>
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</span></div>Trudy Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703117093815142657noreply@blogger.com2