It’s been said that a full moon causes all sorts of mayhem on Earth – increased murders, suicides, mental breakdowns, accidents and even dog bites. Some nurses claim that there are more emergency room admittances during a full moon. You may have even noticed this effect yourself – people acting “different” or “strange” when the full moon is out.
   
This phenomenon is known as the “Lunar Effect.” For centuries, people have perceived an increased number of abnormal occurrences and behaviors during a full moon. The terms “lunacy” and “lunatic” are actually derived from the name of the Roman moon goddess, Luna.
   
But is there any truth to this perception? There is an excellent breakdown of full moon crime / suicide / psychosis / accidents / animal bites / hospital admission statistics here:  http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moon.html  And I hate to be the one to burst your magical lunar bubble, but studies appear to show that there is no relationship between abnormal behavior and a full moon.
   
Why, then, do some people still believe in the Lunar Effect? Possibly because of selective memory, a form of “confirmation bias,” in which we notice strange events that DO occur during a full moon, but we forget about all the normal, mundane ones. That is, we tend to notice and look for things that confirm our preconceived beliefs, and to ignore things that contradict them.
   
However, you’ll be very relieved to know that this does NOT mean I’ll stop glancing at the sky and whispering mysteriously, “Must be a full moon,” when something weird happens.

By Emily Kingston

References used:

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/090925-full-moon-myths.html

http://www.skepdic.com/confirmbias.html

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200502/full-moon-crazy

Bill to: Citizen Pictures
Job #: 382
For Services Provided: Sound Mixer
Days Worked:  4
Total Amount Due: $ XXX
Make Payment To:  Prince of Glendale Inc., Ryan Flynn          Date: 04/13/10

..used to be the mantra for video production companies and ad agencies around the world.  Personally, I’ve tried to build my career on the Good/Fast combo.  But things have changed.  It’s a new era. 

Major Shift #1 is, of course, the escalation of online video viewing.  In February alone, 174 million U.S. Internet users watched online videos.  According to www.comscore.com, U.S. Internet users watched 28.1 billion videos.  (And the month of April will be so skewed by online viewing of the Tiger Woods Nike commercial that we may never know the numbers!)  All this means accessibility for the viewers and for the creators of online video.  We now have immediate distribution for our videos and commercials, and much less need for buying expensive TV air time.   read more....

Since we live in a technology driven world it is so much easier to have a dream and share it with the world.  These dream sharers are getting younger and younger and entertaining people by the thousands. I am glad that YouTube wasn’t around when I was a child because there would have been too many New Kids on the Block/Nsync reenactments that the world wouldn’t know what to do with….or would they?



Nicole Klingensmith

Mistakes are such a drag.  In the very public world of corporations and prominent figures, “I’m sorry” is followed by sex rehab (a luxury of the very rich), practically giving away cars (no interest payments for 3 years), and media coverage to drown in.  I’m anthropologically drawn to our cultural fixation on falls from grace and the ensuing campaigns for resurrection.  I draw my parallel between two giants in our collective world psyche: Toyota and Tiger Woods.

Here’s Toyota last year in the throes of a beautiful love affair:



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It will only take me 30 days to write my first screenplay. It has to, because I am participating in ScriptFrenzy this month. ScriptFrenzy.org challenges all writers, young and old, expert and brand-new (me), to write the first draft of a 100-page screenplay in 30 days. Writers can log in on the website for free, update their progress, browse writing resources, and chat with other writers. As of today, April 8th, I have written 16 pages, and I intend to shoot for 9 more this evening.

My original script idea involved a girl who communicates with ghosts, blah blah blah. And then something better popped into my head: Demon Strippers. Now, it’s not intended for your grandmother, I admit. Might not be one to take the kids to. But it is SOOOOO FUN to write! And that’s why I’m sticking with it – because I enjoy the heck out of it. Maybe when I get the hang of it I will graduate to writing elaborate, riveting dramas.

Or maybe not.

Emily Kingston

Warren Buffett rocks it like Axl Rose in this new Geico commercial....so funny!  Sleeves and a bandana...who knew Buffett could sing.  Careful, it's a catchy jingle!

http://www.nydailynews.com/money

There is only one thing forbidden in production.  I almost don’t want to type it.  It’s only a tiny word but the implications of it are so taboo that I might cause a riot just by mentioning it in this blog.  Here goes…  NO. 

There, I said it!

I’ll never say it again, and I’m not alone.  Close your eyes.  If you listen carefully you can hear production assistants, editors, producers, and entire production companies saying YES to impossible requests all across the country…

Can you get find me an expert on hunting cave eels by the end of the day? 
    Yes I can!

Can you get a tiger on the set by 3 pm? 
    Yes of course!

Can you learn everything about sky diving and shoot a documentary about it in a week?
    Absolutely!

Can you edit a feature length film this week in your spare time?
    No problem!

Oh, that tiger, can you make sure that it shows up wearing a custom made turquoise polo shirt?
    Don’t worry, I already did!

I feel a special bond with anyone who has ever said “yes” with a confident smile while keeping the inner panic carefully masked.  We do not voice our concerns or ask how, or when, or why… we just say “no problem at all!” and then figure out the answers as we (hurriedly) walk away.

You know, there is actually something amazing about “yes I can”… because saying it out loud makes it true.  Once you’ve made the verbal commitment to achieve the impossible you’ll do anything to make it work. 

It’s a powerful feeling, making miracles happen.  Sure, fine, that “miracle” might be hitting the phones for four hours until you hire the last grip in town during a convention, but it’s a production miracle and it feels good!  I’ve felt it and I see my co-workers do it every day.  I’ll never say never, because everytime I say yes (especially when, at first, I have no idea how to make it work) the limits that hold me back fade a little.

Heather Hansen

Phone crushes.  Everyone has them.  At least that’s what I tell myself when I want to justify my own.  You know what I’m talking about.  Those work-related calls you make when emails and texting aren’t enough for the task at hand.  The ones where you and the faceless person at the end of the line connect in a way that is different from ordinary phone exchanges.  It’s hard to define, but usually involves a combination of effortless conversation, lively banter, and your phone friend giving great voice.  Sometimes you think it’s reciprocal, but deep inside you know it isn’t.  Strangely, however, it doesn’t matter.  At the end of a phone crush call, for a brief, shining moment you feel wittier, smarter and slightly more charming than you felt before.   read more...

Completely obsessed.  With this.  Amazing.  I’ve watched this on television and keep going back to YouTube to see it again.  Choreographer and Director Michael Gracey and The Oprah Show producers managed to surprise the show’s host with this unforgettable Flash Mob performance.  21,000 people performed a choreographed dance on Michigan Avenue in Chicago as the Black Eyed Peas sang a special rendition of “I Got a Feeling” for the start of The Oprah Show’s 24th season.   read more...