Instructional films of the twentieth century, used to teach, train, inform, or advertise to their viewers, can provide historians and scholars of cinema studies with a wealth of information about both their creators and intended consumers. Watch and Learn focuses on the rhetoric used in these films, particularly the way in which the films used in the classroom relate to their audience, casting them both as film viewers and students. Providing the outline for a new methodology for interpreting and understanding the scripts and visuals of this peculiar brand of cinema, this book approaches the study of instructional films from a novel and illuminating perspective.
This manual-style book instantly dives into Eckhart Tolle's principles of "living in the moment," which could be a jarring experience for readers who haven't read his preceding book, The Power of Now. For the initiated, though, this makes an excellent companion guide--rich in exercises and meditations to help readers get out of their minds so they can live more peacefully in their bodies. Sometimes it's hard to fathom what on earth Tolle is talking about: "To regain awareness of Being and to abide in that state of 'feeling-realization' is enlightenment." Be patient.
When writing fictional characters, it’s hugely important to convey their emotions effectively so readers will be drawn in and become invested in those characters. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression was written to help writers convey the quality and depth of their characters’ feelings through their thoughts, body language, and visceral reactions. But there are also ways to amplify what a character is feeling, thereby heightening their emotional responses.
It's a writer's job to create compelling characters who can withstand life's fallout without giving up. But building authentic, memorable heroes is no easy task. To forge realistic characters, we must hobble them with flaws that set them back while giving them positive attributes to help them achieve their goals. So how do writers choose the right blend of strengths for their characters--attributes that will render them admirable and worth rooting for--without making it too easy for them to succeed? Character creation can be hard, but it's about to get a lot easier.
Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Martin Frobisher and Walter Raleigh: these and other uniquely adventurous men sailed the seas in the service of Queen Elizabeth I, fighting, looting, and whoring their way across the globe. In the process, they established a British presence in the Americas, defeated the Spanish Armada, and made Elizabeth very wealthy . . . if not grateful. Through impeccable research, Hugh Bicheno examines these colorful, controversial characters, capturing contemporary views and placing them in historical context. With color plates and Bicheno's own maps and technical drawings, Elizabeth's Sea Dogs tells their vivid, extraordinary story.
