Pandora Withdrawal

The hit movie “Avatar” by James Cameron is hitting home with some viewers in a way other than inside their DVD Player. Fans are taking advantage of their “right to speak” in discussion forums expressing their feelings towards the movie. They claim to feel depressed because they can not live among the Na’vi. One fan of Avatar says that he woke up the morning after seeing the movie to a world that “seemed gray”. He says to have contemplated committing suicide with the hopes that he would be reborn in a world similar to Pandora. Some of us go to the movies just for the entertainment value, but for the emotionally unstable it can be a way of escape. They can find answers to problems that we have created in our world. In Avatar, Earth had depleted its resources and now plans thirst on Pandora’s. The combination of 3D and the CGI create an extremely believable scenario because these effects make you feel like you are walking among the Na’vi. If you feel depressed after watching Avatar, perhaps you should check out some of these forums. They are actually helping some fans cope with their withdrawal of the fantasy world, Pandora. With all that being said, Avatar is a must see. It lasts 2hrs and 42mins and leaves you wanting more. Avatar combines a great story with amazing special effects and has the potential to be the most profitable movie of all time.

Avatar Forums: http://www.avatar-forums.com/showthread.php?t=43

Avatar on Twitter: http://twitter.com/avatar_movie

Depression Sites:
http://www.pristiq.com/major_depressive_disorder.aspx?WT.mc_ID=4EBDEECD-3992-4483-9585-2CF18E5491DF&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click
http://counseling.psychology.com/online-counseling/landing.php?BanID=115170

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Advice from Nelly Himself for Students looking to the Music Industry

Attention job seekers looking to the music industry, we’d like to point out some helpful advice from none other than Nelly himself given via Twitter thanks to Dr. Ward!

________________________

________________________

________________________

In conclusion: key skills students need with Social Media, branding & music business: be confident, listen, & do not fear failing

And a serious thank you to Nelly & Dr4Ward!

Nelly – we love it when stars can reach out to their fans to offer help, thank you for your advice!

Dr4Ward thank you for reaching out to get this advice for all of us – you’re constantly posting awesome information & I know us Michigan State students really appreciate it!

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Your Own Office Playlist

Everyone with headphones plugged in their ears are coming and going to their very own life theme music. A walk to the bus stop is serenaded by Aerosmith/Run DMC, “Walk This Way” . A road trip can be outlined by songs like the Beatles “Drive my Car”. Love songs of course are the king of kings among making that true connection between what your feeling and what happens to be playing on the radio. So much so that song’s like “Another Sad Love Song” by Toni Braxton and “So Sick of Love Songs” by Neyo even go so far as to vocally detest how much a songs music and lyrics can reflect the day to day emotions. Even the painful ones. However, despite those few woeful ballads that get us through those sleepless nights. We still have great instrumentals like a “A Hard Days Night” by the Beatles to get us through long days in the office or ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid” for that infamous pay day feeling.  Rolling Stones Magazine compiled a list of the top 25 songs about work. A great selection of greats to get anyone through the 9 to 5 work week!

To check out Rolling Stones top 25 work songs click this link: The Twenty-Five Greatest Work Songs: Rolling Stones

By: Erin Crouch

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

California Dreaming…

California knows how to party….

…or have internships.

With the snow falling in April, people might want to start looking for warmer climates to work in. California is known for its sandy beaches, hot sun, and of course the entertainment industry. Many people move to California to “make it big” in Hollywood, but what about just getting a job behind the scenes?

Most big entertainment companies, such as Time Warner and Viacom, hire for internships and jobs year round and most have offices based in the sunny state of California.

Some interesting jobs/internships are as follow:

MTV Networks Internship Program – San Francisco, California
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION: 

MTV Networks San Francisco is part of MTVN’s growing digital media division. Our products (including Shockwave.com, AddictingGames.com, Atom.com, and Xfire.com) fall under channels such as Nickelodeon Kids & Family and Comedy Central online. Our networks are on the lookout for bright, creative students to participate in our internship program. Our internships are designed to offer students an opportunity to gain insight into the online media industry. Interns obtain hands-on experience by working in jobs related to their career fields and by interacting with professionals in on-the-job situations. Preference will be given to those going into their junior/senior year. We work with the student to determine how many days a week they are able to intern (usually 2-3 days per week for about 16-30 hours).
MTV Intern
Live Nation Director of Client Services- Hollywood, California
SUMMARY:
This position acts as the direct liaison between the venue box offices, VP of Ticketing and Live Nation Tickets software.  The Director will manage a client service staff based primarily in Los Angeles.  Applicant must be able to provide exceptional client service to internal and external venues, develop standards and oversee all Live Nation Ticketing operational standards and initiatives.
Live Nation Job
Time Warner Summer 2009 Intern – Cartoon Network Studios, Finance Department 
Location United States – California
Job Description: Please Note: Internships are UNPAID and structured to last approximately 12 weeks. Course Credit is available. Resume, Cover Letter and a College Reference is required. Students should have a strong academic record (3.0 strongly preferred) and good character. Students must have completed their sophomore year in college prior to the start of the internship. In addition, students may not have graduated college or graduate school prior to the start of the internship (i.e. students must still be enrolled in school during the time of the internship). Students seeking college credit are strongly encouraged to apply. Note to International Students: All international students will be required to provide documentation of proper visa paperwork prior to your arrival if accepted to the program. Only J1 or F1 visas will be accepted. Due to the high volume of candidates for Turner’s Internship Program, interested students are encouraged to apply for openings as soon as possible, as these positions will be filled on an ongoing basis. Future semester Internship postings will be available after the current semester deadline.
Time Warner Intern

So get out there, and try to stay warm!

By: Jennifer Wolff

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

The East Lansing Film Festival

You are sitting at a table in the caf. Everyone you know, and normally eat with, is in class. Trying not to feel awkward you stare at the card in the middle of the table for the entire twenty minutes you are eating. At a certain point you actually read the card. You are most likely looking at the side that lists the movies. You see a listing that says ELFS. At first, you are surprised that UAB misspelled “elves,” then you realize; elves don’t make movies. At this time you figure out that ELFS stands for East Lansing Film Society.

East Lansing Film Society organizes the East Lansing Film Festival, which occurred March 19th-26th. Sorry you missed it. The festival is an opportunity for independent filmmakers, some who are local, and foreign filmmakers to exhibit their work. The society has partnered with MSU to host the films in Wells hall. The festival shows documentary, feature, short, and student films. Every year, since 1997, the festival has brought new work into the spotlight that students may not otherwise see. The festival also correlates with the Lake Michigan Film Competition, to award filmmakers for their art.

You may have missed the festival this year, but keep and eye out for 2010. This is a great place to gain some experience or network if you are looking to get into the film industry.

By: Nate Anderson

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Find a “MECA” of Career Advice

Have you ever wondered about a career in the music business? Want to work with artists to create music that everyone wants to listen to, but don’t know where to start?

Well now on MSU’s campus there is an organization to help you out; M.E.C.A. (Music & Entertainment Career Association) is a brand new registered student organization for all majors who want to learn about the managerial side of music and entertainment.

“It was created to expose students to all facets of the music and entertainment business while developing future leaders in the industry,” according to their Facebook page.

The first meeting takes place on Wednesday March 25 in 131 Hubbard Hall at 6:30p.m. and they plan to have bi-weekly meetings with guest speakers from all music genres and who hold various positions in the music-related industry. The first guest speaker will be Sunshyne from FM 98 WJLB and she will talk about her seven years of experience in the radio industry as well as giving out information about internships with Clear Channel radio station.

To learn more about this group, you can visit their Facebook page at:
Music & Entertainment Career Association

Or you can e-mail meca.organization@gmail.com

By: Jenn Wolff

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Media Money for Michigan

Many majors lead into a specific career after graduation. Usually these majors are BS. But for those of us with BA or BFA it is a different story. There is no one way for a person to become a Best Selling writer, famous actor, or award-winning director. No, we all have to find a path to a career through experience and various opportunities. As Francis Ford Coppola said, “Art depends on luck and talent.” For people who are pursuing a career in media production within Michigan there is a new hope, not a Star Wars movie, but a studio being constructed in Pontiac.

Motown Motion Picture Studios will offer over 3500 new jobs to the community. The studio is drawn to Michigan by the tax incentives passed by Gov. Granholm back in April of 2008.  Because of these tax breaks there is hope for increased film production in Michigan. This will not only create new creative and technical film jobs, but also aid the service industry. The cold hard truth is that we, with our BA degrees, need people with BS degrees. A boom in creative jobs will allow more work for people who work in finance, management, and other critical roles to produce a film.

Michigan’s support of the Film Industry shows potential for healing our economic wounds.

By:Nate Anderson

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Watchmen for Careers

Fight bad guys at night. Work with other vigilantes as a team to fight injustices in the world. Turn any object into a makeshift weapon and use highly skilled physical combat.

Don’t you wish that could be your job description? Well, not all of us can have exciting jobs like Rorschach from the new movie “Watchmen.” But, while we can’t be like Rorschach, we can find an exciting career in the movie making business. With movies such as “Watchmen” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” coming out in theaters more people have become interested in careers in film. Companies that produce movies are looking for well trained individuals in a variety of fields, such as accounting, marketing and finance. Time Warner, Inc. (the company who released “Watchmen”) even has internships for those who are interested. So while your major/area of interest may not be in film production, you can still work in the movie business.

For more information about Time Warner careers/internships see:
Time Warner Careers

For more about the movie “Watchmen” see:
Watchmen Movie

And for more on “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

By: Jenn Wolff

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Got Milk?…Ads?

chris-breezy-imageThe Got Milk? ads have been in the entertainment news recently with their withdrawal of Chris Brown’s Body by Milk ad. But where did these famous ads develop and who started the craze of the Got Milk? ad campaign?

In 1993, the California Milk Processing Board was developed to promote the consumption of milk through advertising, promotions, marketing, and public relations. The board then hired a San Francisco based ad agency, Goodby, Berlin, and Silverstein (now known as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners). The groundwork was then laid for the ad campaign by installing cameras in the back of refrigerators to film peoples’ reactions when they run out of milk. The thoroughly unhappy reactions to being out of milk prompted the idea for the Got Milk? slogan. The first Got Milk? television ad came out that same year and has been named one of the best TV ads of all time by a USATODAY.com poll.

Since 1993, the Got Milk? ads have gotten more and more recognizable with the use of countless celebrities from Barbie to Kiss displaying a milk mustache and promoting the benefits of drinking milk.

The ad agency that started it all, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, is still running strong with huge clients such as the NBA and Netflix. Their advertisements have won many awards over the years, and they continue to strive for excellence in their work.

To view the first ever Got Milk? television ad click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSsswr6z9Y

For more information about Goodby, Silverstein & Partners follow this link:
http://www.goodbysilverstein.com/main_site/main.html

And for more on the Got Milk? brand you can go here:
http://www.gotmilk.com/#/home/

And finally if you want more information on the Chris Brown advertisement:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b99378_chris_brown_doesnt_got_milk_covergirl.html

By: Jenn Wolff

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Thinking About the Recording Industry?

The recorded music industry is serious business. Most people know about the major labels (Universal Music group, Sony BMG, EMI group, and Warner Music Group) but they are not the only show in town. There has always been a fine line between fame and poverty in the entertainment industry and somewhere along that line lies the Indie record labels. With tools like the web and file sharing independent music has become a bigger part of the music industry in recent years.

New labels with new talent are popping up around the country. People like M.K. O’Connell have had some success with start up labels. O’Connell started Anisette Records in 1997, and has had four releases. This seems like a success, however O’Connell states that he is below breaking even.

Asthmatic Kitty Records is a successful label started in Holland Michigan. Some of their artists have a certain level of celebrity throughout the Midwest. Sufjan Stevens is one of the most well known artists on the label, having attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

So if you have the ambition but don’t want to work for a corporate record company, there can still be a place for you in the music industry. Check out this great feature on About.com to learn how to get started making your own record label.

By: Nate Anderson

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Nobody Got Swagger Like Them

The 2009 Grammys had tons of stars, excellent presenters, and great performances. Although The Grammys boasted several top notched performances, none were as epic as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and T.I.’s. swagger-article-img The four artists performed their hit, “Swagger Like Us”, for the first time together. Arguably the four best Hip Hop artists in music took the stage together and it almost exploded. There has never been that much star power on a Grammy stage. This incredible performance got me thinking, If Ye, J, Weezy, and TIP can bring together the greatest performance in the history of Hip Hop, what other combination of artist could do the same in their respective genres. I formulated a list of the 4 current artist with the most “Swag” that could bring that level of star power to a stage in there respective genres.

Pop Rock

Rihanna Lead Singer: Chris Martin

Mariah Carey Guitar: Kirk Hammett

Justin Timberlake Drums: Travis Barker

Britney Spears Bass: Pete Wentz

Country R&B

Kenny Chesney Usher

Carrie Underwood Ne-Yo

Keith Urban Alicia Keys

Taylor Swift Beyonce

Link to Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwBSIyhpwA&feature=related

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Best Gig Ever? Video Blogging the Grammys

Missed the Grammys last night? Well thanks to the wonderful world of the internet you can check out Best Week Ever’s recap to get the latest scuddlebug on the event and a few laughs too.

You’ve gotta love Neil Diamond and those eyebrows!
As I watched this clip, I couldn’t help but think that this guy has a great gig. How do you get a job like that!? Turns out you can do just what he does and maybe even make some money doing it on your own.  In this example “MCC” is doing a feature for Best Week Ever, but you can do this kind of video blog post for yourself just as well. This kind of work is called video blogging and you essentially just film yourself talking about whatever you want and post it to a blog. Take a look at this interview of a professional video blogger as he gives some tips for those of you out there looking to make it as the next big  “Vlogger”

This video was created by Jerimiah Owyang

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/11/21/video-how-to-be-a-professional-video-blogger-interview-with-steve-garfield/

By: Mark Kenyon

your mother always told you to share...
  • Google Bookmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter