text:
Book Review: "Motion Studies" by Rebecca Solnit
March 19, 2018 April 1, 2018 neilosemanbooks, cinema, history, photography, pioneer, shutter
A modern animation created from photographs from Muybridge's "Animal Locomotion", 1887
This is a book that caught my eye following my recent photography project, Stasis. In that project I made some limited explorations of the relationship between time, space and light, so Motion Studies: Time, Space and Eadweard Muybridge, to give it its full title, seemed like it would be on my current wavelength.
Like me a few weeks ago, you might be vaguely aware of Muybridge as the man who first photographed a trotting horse sharply enough to prove that all four of its legs left the ground simultaneously. You may have heard him called "The Father of Cinema", because he was the first person to shoot a rapid sequence of images of a moving body, and the first person to reanimate those images on a screen.
Born in Kingston-on-Thames in 1830, Muybridge emigrated to San Francisco in the 1850s where, following a stint as a book seller and a near-fatal accident in a runaway carriage, he took up landscape photography. He shot spectacular views of Yosemite National Park and huge panoramas of his adopted city. In 1872 he was commissioned by the railroad tycoon Leland Stanford to photograph his racehorse Occident in motion. This developed into a vast project for Muybridge over the next decade or so, ultimately encompassing over 100,000 photos of humans and other animals in motion.
Muybridge's set-up for his early motion studies, 1881. The cameras are in the shed on the left.
Much of his early work was accomplished on mammoth wet plates, 2ft wide, that had to be coated with emulsion just before exposure and developed quickly afterwards, necessitating a travelling darkroom tent. To achieve the quick exposures he needed to show the limbs of a trotting horse without motion blur, he had to develop new chemistry and – with John Isaacs – a new electromagnetic shutter. The results were so different to anything that had been photographed before, that they were initially met with disbelief in some quarters, particularly amongst painters, who were eventually forced to recognise that they had been incorrectly portraying horse's legs. Artists still use Muybridge's motion studies today as references for dynamic anatomy.
"Boys Playing Leapfrog", 1887
To "track" with the animals in motion, Muybridge used a battery of regularly-spaced cameras, each triggered by the feet of the subject pulling on a wire or thread as they passed. Sometimes he would surround a subject with cameras and trigger them all simultaneously, to get multiple angles on the same moment in time. Does that sound familiar? Yes, Muybridge invented Bullet Time over a century before The Matrix.
Muybridge was not the first person to project images in rapid succession to create the illusion of movement, but he was the first person to display photographed (rather than drawn) images in a such a way, to deconstruct motion and reassemble it elsewhere like a Star Trek transporter. In 1888 Muybridge met with Thomas Edison and discussed collaborating on a system to combine motion pictures with wax cylinder audio recordings, but nothing came of this idea which was decades ahead of its time. The same year, French inventor Louis Le Prince shot Roundhay Garden Scene, the oldest known film. A few years later, Edison patented his movie camera, and the Lumière brothers screened their world-changing Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory. The age of cinema had begun.
From "Animal Locomotion", 1887
Although Muybridge is the centre of Solnit's book, there is a huge amount of context. The author's thesis is that Muybridge represents a turning point, a divider between the world he was born into – a world in which people and information could only travel as fast as they or a horse could walk or run, a world where every town kept its own time, where communities were close-knit and relatively isolated – and the world which innovations like his helped to create – the world of speed, of illusions, of instantaneous global communication, where physical distance is no barrier. Solnit draws a direct line from Muybridge's dissection of time and Stanford's dissection of space to the global multimedia village we live in today. Because of all this context, the book feels a little slow to get going, but as the story continues and the threads draw together, the value of it becomes clear, elucidating the meaning and significance of Muybridge's work.
"Muybridge and Athlete", circa 1887
I can't claim to have ever been especially interested in history, but I found the book a fascinating lesson on the American West of the late nineteenth century, as well as a thoughtful analysis of the impact photography and cinematography have had on human culture and society. As usual, I'm reviewing this book a little late (it was first published in 2003!), but I heartily recommend checking it out if you're at all interested in experimental photography or the origins of cinema.
Book Review: "Magic Hour" by Jack Cardiff
April 8, 2017 June 15, 2017 neilosemanbooks, career, cinematography, Jack Cardiff
If Roger Deakins is the greatest living cinematographer, Jack Cardiff must be the greatest one no longer with us. He is perhaps best known for his triptych of Technicolor collaborations with Powell & Pressburger – A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus (which won Cardiff an Oscar and a Golden Globe) and The Red Shoes. But his career spanned a huge swathe of cinematic history, beginning in the days of the silent film and concluding in the age of action blockbusters like Rambo: First Blood Part II. Along the way he photographed many of the twentieth century's most iconic movie stars: Humphrey Bogart, Sophia Loren, Errol Flynn, Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Audrey Hepburn and Kirk Douglas, to name but a few.
Magic Hour is Cardiff's autobiography, first published in 1996. (Yes, I'm reviewing this book 21 years late. Sorry.) From the beginning, his life was remarkable. His parents were travelling music hall performers, and he never stayed at the same school for long. But what he might have lacked in conventional education he more than made up for with a voracious appetite for literature and fine art.
One day, gazing at a roomful of paintings, I realized something starkly obvious that I'd never noticed before. Light! Now I gave all my attention to the way painters used light and also began the habit of analysing the light all around me: in rooms, buses, trains – everywhere. How light plays subtle tricks, bouncing off walls, how its various reflections and changed light sources can reveal much insight into the character of a face.
After a few movie appearances as a child actor, Cardiff found work as a camera assistant at Elstree, eventually rising to the rank of camera operator. One day, he and his fellow operators were interviewed to see who would go to America to learn all about the new Technicolor process. Cardiff cut short the technical questions and held forth on the great painters who inspired him. He was selected.
Cardiff (left) and his operator Geoffrey Unsworth with the comically huge Technicolor camera
The Technicolor camera was enormous and required precision maintenance, but Cardiff was to get stunning results from it.
Over the next quarter of a century, until the advent of single-film Eastmancolor, which tolled the death knell of the three-strip camera, I used this superb Rolls-Royce of a beauty all over the world in all kinds of dangerous situations: in steel foundries (inches away from molten ingots), in battleships in wartime seas, on top of erupting volcanoes, in burning deserts and steaming jungles, and diving on to the Colosseum in Rome in an old Italian bomber.
The above passage neatly sums up the kind of adventures Cardiff chronicles in Magic Hour. Anyone who's ever worked on a film set will have a few ridiculous anecdotes to tell, and this man had a lifetime's worth. For example, during World War II, Cardiff was tapped to lens a propaganda drama called Western Approaches. One scene required the sinking of a submarine, which was achieved without VFX of any kind, with the vessel doing a controlled dive to end up just short of total submersion. "My Technicolor camera was tied on to the extreme tip of the stern," wrote Cardiff, "and I was operating it!"
Frame of Cardiff's Oscar-winning work from "Black Narcissus" (1947, dir. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger)
After the war he came to the attention of director/producer team Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, leading to that famous triptych noted in my introduction, before going on to work with many other renowned filmmakers. His collaboration with Hitchcock, Under Capricorn, featured a memorable scene in which the four-foot-high Technicolor camera was required to track along the length of a dining table. This being impossible, the table was rigged to split apart as the camera advanced.
Now the camera moved forward, seemingly on an inevitable collision course, but at the last moment, each of the guests fell back on to a mattress clutching his section of the table with all the props stuck on it!
Magic Hour is beautifully and sincerely written, making you wish you could share a pint with the great man and hear even more of his beguiling tales of cinematic capers. Throughout the book, he provides unique insights into the off-screen lives of the Hollywood icons he worked alongside: his friendship with the "childlike, frightened Marilyn"; his unconsummated romance with Sophia Loren; his chat with Errol Flynn about the latter's womanising, and many others.
Cardiff and Monroe on the set of "The Prince and the Showgirl" (1957)
We are also treated to fascinating glimpses into Cardiff's creativity as a cinematographer. For example, when faced with an exterior close-up whose grey, cloudy background would not match earlier sunny wide shots, Cardiff shone an ungelled tungsten lamp on the talent and instructed the lab to correct for his skin tone. The lab duly added blue to the print, restoring the talent's skin tone to normal and tinting the grey sky a perfect blue! Can you imagine performing such a risky experiment and not knowing until the following day whether it had succeeded or not? We digital DPs are truly spoilt.
Another example of Cardiff's ingenuity was on 1956's War and Peace, where he had to create a sunrise effect on a glass matte painting.
I placed a small lamp close beside my camera which was brightly reflected in the sheet of glass. [This had] pink and orange filters on it. Although a tiny lamp, its reflection in the glass looked exactly like a dawn sun on the horizon.
In the late fifities, Cardiff moved into directing, and the great critical and commercial success of his 1960 film Sons and Lovers forms the denouement of Magic Hour. He later returned to DPing with such mainstream movies as Death on the Nile and Conan the Destroyer, a period of his life which Cardiff gives only a passing mention in the closing chapter. Perhaps he was less proud of the modern box office fodder than his earlier, arguably more artistic, work?
Cardiff in a shot from "Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff" (2010, dir. Craig McCall)
Cardiff died in 2009, the year before the release of the documentary feature Cameraman: The Life and Word of Jack Cardiff. Whether you choose to learn about Cardiff's contributions to cinema from that excellent film or from the equally absorbing Magic Hour, learn you should. The word "legendary" is over-used, but Cardiff is more deserving of the adjective than most.
9 Fun Photic Facts from a 70-year-old Book
March 16, 2017 May 4, 2018 neilosemanbooks, colour, light, lighting, review, theory
Shortly before Christmas, while browsing the secondhand books in the corner of an obscure Herefordshire garden centre, I came across a small blue hardback called The Tricks of Light and Colour by Herbert McKay. Published in 1947, the book covered almost every aspect of light you could think of, from the inverse square law to camouflage and optical illusions. What self-respecting bibliophile cinematographer could pass that up?
Here are some quite-interesting things about light which the book describes…
1. SPHERES ARE THE KEY to understandING the inverse square law.
Any cinematographer worth their salt will know that doubling a subject's distance from a lamp will quarter their brightness; tripling their distance will cut their brightness to a ninth; and so on. This, of course, is the inverse square law. If you struggle to visualise this law and why it works the way it does, The Tricks of Light and Colour offers a good explanation.
[Think] of light being radiated from… a mere point. Light and heat are radiated in straight lines and in all directions [from this point]. At a distance of one foot from the glowing centre the whole quantity of light and heat is spread out over the surface of a sphere with a radius of one foot. At a distance of two feet from the centre it is spread over the surface of a sphere of radius two feet. Now to find an area we multiply two lengths; in the case of a sphere both lengths are the radius of the sphere. As both lengths are doubled the area is four times as great… We have the same amounts of light and heat spread over a sphere four times as great, and so the illumination and heating effect are reduced to a quarter as great.
2. MIRAGES ARE DUE TO Total internal reflection.
This is one of the things I dimly remember being taught in school, which this book has considerably refreshed me on. When light travels from one transparent substance to another, less dense, transparent substance, it bends towards the surface. This is called refraction, and it's the reason that, for example, streams look shallower than they really are, when viewed from the bank. If the first substance is very dense, or the light ray is approaching the surface at a glancing angle, the ray might not escape at all, instead bouncing back down. This is called total internal reflection, and it's the science behind mirages.
The heated sand heats the air above it, and so we get an inversion of the density gradient: low density along the heated surface, higher density in the cooler air above. Light rays are turned down, and then up, so that the scorched and weary traveller sees an image of the sky, and the images looks like a pool of cool water on the face of the desert.
3. Pinhole images pop up in unexpected places.
Most of us have made a pinhole camera at some point in our childhood, creating an upside-down image on a tissue paper screen by admitting light rays through a tiny opening. Make the opening bigger and the image becomes a blur, unless you have a lens to focus the light, as in a "proper" camera or indeed our eyes. But the pinhole imaging effect can occur naturally too. I've sometimes lain in bed in the morning, watching images of passing traffic or flapping laundry on a line projected onto my bedroom ceiling through the little gap where the curtains meet at the top. McKay describes another example:
One of the prettiest examples of the effect may be seen under trees when the sun shines brightly. The ground beneath a tree may be dappled with circles of light, some of them quite bright… When we look up through the leaves towards the sun we may see the origin of the circles of light. We can see points of light where the sun shines through small gaps between the leaves. Each of these gaps acts in the same way as a pinhole: it lets through rays from the sun which produce an image of the sun on the ground below.
4. The sun isn't a point source.
"Shadows are exciting," McKay enthuses as he opens chapter VI. They certainly are to a cinematographer. And this cinematographer was excited to learn something about the sun and its shadow which is really quite obvious, but I had never considered before.
Look at the shadow of a wall. Near the base, where the shadow begins, the edge of the shadow is straight and sharp… Farther out, the edge of the shadow gets more and more fuzzy… The reason lies of course in the great sun itself. The sun is not a mere point of light, but a globe of considerable angular width.
The accompanying illustration shows how you would see all, part or none of the sun if you stood in a slightly different position relative to the hypothetical wall. The area where none of the sun is visible is of course in full shadow (umbra), and the area where the sun is partially visible is the fuzzy penumbra (the "almost shadow").
5. Gravity bends LIGHT.
Einstein hypothesised that gravity could bend light rays, and observations during solar eclipses proved him right. Stars near to the eclipsed sun were seen to be slightly out of place, due to the huge gravitational attraction of the sun.
The effect is very small; it is too small to be observed when the rays pass a comparatively small body like the moon. We need a body like the sun, at whose surface gravity is 160 or 170 times as great as at the surface of the moon, to give an observable deviation…. The amount of shift depends on the apparent nearness of a star to the sun, that is, the closeness with which the rays of light from the star graze the sun. The effect of gravity fades out rapidly, according to the inverse square law, so that it is only near the sun that the effects can be observed.
6. Light helped us discover helium.
Sodium street-lamps are not the most pleasant of sources, because hot sodium vapour emits light in only two wave-lengths, rather than a continuous spectrum. Interestingly, cooler sodium vapour absorbs the same two wave-lengths. The same is true of other elements: they emit certain wave-lengths when very hot, and absorb the same wave-lengths when less hot. This little bit of science led to a major discovery.
The sun is an extremely hot body surrounded by an atmosphere of less highly heated vapours. White light from the sun's surfaces passes through these heated vapours before it reaches us; many wave-lengths are absorbed by the sun's atmosphere, and there is a dark line in the spectrum for each wave-length that has been absorbed. The thrilling thing is that these dark lines tell us which elements are present in the sun's atmosphere. It turned out that the lines in the sun's spectrum represented elements already known on the earth, except for one small group of lines which were ascribed to a hitherto undetected element. This element was called helium (from helios, the sun).
7. Moonlight is slightly too dim for colours.
Our retinas are populated by two different types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Rods are much more sensitive than cones, and enable us to see in very dim light once they've had some time to adjust. But rods cannot see colours. This is why our vision is almost monochrome in dark conditions, even under the light of a full moon… though only just…
The light of the full moon is just about the threshold, as we say, of colour vision; a little lighter and we should see colours.
8. MAGIC HOUR can be longer than an hour.
We cinematographers often think of magic "hour" as being much shorter than an hour. When prepping for a dusk-for-night scene on The Little Mermaid, I used my light meter to measure the length of shootable twilight. The result was 20 minutes; after that, the light was too dim for our Alexas at 800 ISO and our Cooke S4 glass at T2. But how long after sunset is it until there is literally no light left from the sun, regardless of how sensitive your camera is? McKay has this to say…
Twilight is partly explained as an effect of diffusion. When the sun is below the horizon it still illuminates particles of dust and moisture in the air. Some of the scattered light is thrown down to the earth's surface… Twilight ends when the sun is 17° or 18° below the horizon. At the equator [for example] the sun sinks vertically at the equinoxes, 15° per hour; so it sinks 17° in 1 hour 8 minutes.
9. Why isn't Green a primary colour in paint?
And finally, the answer to something that bugged me during my childhood. When I was a small child, daubing crude paintings of stick figures under cheerful suns, I was taught that the primary colours are red, blue and yellow. Later I learnt that the true primary colours, the additive colours of light, are red, blue and green. So why is it that green, a colour that cannot be created by mixing two other colours of light, can be created by mixing blue and yellow paints?
When white light falls on a blue pigment, the pigment absorbs reds and yellows; it reflects blue and also some green. A yellow pigment absorbs blue and violet; it reflects yellow, and also some red and green which are the colours nearest to it in the spectrum. When the two pigments are mixed it may be seen that all the colours are absorbed by one or other of the components except green.
If you're interested in picking up a copy of The Tricks of Light and Colour yourself, there is one on Amazon at the time of writing, but it will set you back £35. Note that Herbert McKay is not to be confused with Herbert C. McKay, an American author who was writing books about stereoscopic photography at around the same time.
Book Review: "Cinematography – Theory & Practice" by Blain Brown
February 16, 2017 March 24, 2017 neilosemanbooks, cinematography, learning, review, student, studying
Browsing in Waterstones not long ago, I came across the third edition of this hefty tome. Although it is clearly aimed primarily at the student market, a flick through convinced me that amongst the egg-sucking tutorials there was enough detail to make it a worthwhile reference book for grandma's shelf.
The front cover proclaims the book to be "for cinematographer & directors". The first five chapters are certainly applicable to directors, covering the visual language of cinematography, the metaphors of lighting and composition that help tell the story, the classifications of the various shot types, shooting to edit, and such core concepts as the line of action. Any director willing to read the remaining thirteen chapters, however, should really learn to delegate the techie stuff and go read something like An Actor Prepares instead.
These thirteen chapters cover in detail the topics of colour, exposure, digital sensors, dynamic range, colour space, image control, lighting, lenses, camera movement, on-set procedures and data management. As a devotee of the art of lighting, I was disappointed that this huge part of the DP's role gets only two chapters. Perhaps this is because Brown has written a separate book devoted to illumination, though he has also written a book on digital imaging and that doesn't stop him devoting multiple chapters in Cinematography: Theory & Practice to this subject.
Some of you may wonder why, in this age when you can google any topic of which your knowledge is lacking, you would buy a book. Firstly, finding something in the index of a book which you know you can trust can still be quicker and more effective than wading through search engine results. (I've already grabbed my copy off the shelf once to check the sensor size comparison chart.) Secondly, if you read the book cover to cover, amongst all the things you expected to learn, there will be unexpected nuggets of knowledge which a google search might never have led you to.
Perhaps the most interesting chapter for me was the one called "Cameras & Sensors". It taught me loads about how digital sensors capture images, and how they are processed by the camera. And the chapter on "Linear, Gamma, Log" transformed my previously-hazy understanding of log-C into something much more concrete. The chapter on "Measurement" laid out some interesting pros and cons of waveform monitors, histograms, false colours and light meters, explaining how each has its place in choosing exposure.
Cinematography: Theory & Practice is generally well-written and laid out, but sometimes topics creep up in places that don't quite make sense. It seems illogical, for example, that the chapter on lenses should come much later on than the one on cameras and sensors. Following the light path would have made much more sense to me. Also the proof-reader seems to have fallen asleep for a while, because there are a couple of chapters in the middle sprinkled with typos and minor errors.
If there is a fourth edition, I would like to see the lighting sections expanded, and some more nitty-gritty about how lenses work (Filmmaker IQ's video on this topic is hard to beat).
These niggles aside, Brown has produced a very solid reference work. While reading it, I've been continually impressed by the depth and breadth of the author's knowledge – or perhaps the quality of his research. There is apparently a companion website containing useful videos, but I was unable to get past the splash page (possibly because I'm some kind of bibliophile Luddite).
For any student of cinematography, this book will provide an excellent grounding. As for working DPs, I would challenge any of them to read the book without learning at least something new. Maybe you won't read it cover to cover, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a few chapters that could helpfully plug some gaps in your knowledge.
Book Review: "Green Screen Made Easy"
November 23, 2016 March 24, 2017 neilosemanbooks, chromakey, green screen, review, VFX
Micro-filmmaker Magazine's Jeremy Hanke recently got in touch and asked if I would review his book, "Green Screen Made Easy". I used to make a lot of micro- and no-budget movies packed full of VFX, but I usually avoided green-screen because I could never make it look good. Although those kind of projects are behind me, I agreed to the review because I figured that this book might help others succeed where I'd failed – and also I was interested to find out why I had failed!
What Jeremy and his co-author Michele Terpstra set out to do is to cover the entire process from start to finish: defining chromakeying, buying or building a green screen, lighting and shooting it, sourcing or shooting background plates, choosing keying software, and all aspects of the keying itself.
The book is aimed at no-budget filmmakers, hobbyists or aspiring professionals making self-funded or crowd-funded productions, those digital auteurs who are often their own producers, writers, DPs, editors, colourists and VFX artists. Perhaps you've tried green-screening before and been disappointed with the results. Perhaps you've always seen it as a bit too "techie" for you. Perhaps the unpaid VFX artist you had lined up for your sci-fi feature just pulled out. Or perhaps you've already reached a certain level of competency with keying and now you want to step up a level for your next production. If any of these scenarios ring true with you, I believe you'll find this book very useful.
"Green Screen Made Easy" is divided into two halves, the first half (by Jeremy) on prepping and executing your green screen shoot, and the second half (by Michele) on the postproduction process. Both authors clearly write from extensive first-hand experience; throughout the text are the kind of tips and work-arounds that only come from long practice. By necessity there is a fair amount of technical content, but everything is lucidly explained and there's a handy glossary if any of the terms are unfamiliar to you.
The section on lighting and shooting green screen material contained few surprises for me as a cinematographer – see my post on green screen for my own tips on this subject – but will be very useful to those newer to the field. The chapters on equipment are very thorough, considering everything from which camera and settings to choose to ensure the best key later on, to buying or building a mobile green screen, or even kitting out your own green screen studio – all with various alternatives to suit any budget.
The postproduction chapters revealed clearly why I struggled with keying in the past. Michele explains how the process is much more than simply pulling a single key, and can involve footage clean-up, garbage matting, a core key and a separate edge key, spill suppression, hold-out matting and light wrapping. The book guides you through all these steps, and outlines the pros and cons of the software and plug-in options for each step.
Once you've read this book, I'd say the only other thing you'll need before you can start successfully green-screening is to watch some YouTube tutorial videos specific to your software. While the instructions in the book look pretty good (as far as I can tell without attempting to follow them) the medium of text seems a little restrictive in teaching what is inherently a visual process. There are explanatory images throughout "Green Screen Made Easy", but in the ebook version at least I found it difficult to discern the subtle differences in some of the before-and-after comparisons.
Ultimately what will make you the best "green-screener" is practice, practice, practice, but by reading this book first you'll give yourself a rock-solid foundation, an appreciation of the entire process from start to finish, and the insider knowledge to avoid a lot of time-sucking pitfalls. And keep it handy, because you'll be sure to thumb through it and re-read those handy tips throughout your prep, production and post.
"Green Screen Made Easy" is available in paperback and ebook editions from Amazon.
Five Great 'Making Of' Books
December 4, 2014 March 25, 2017 neilosemanbooks, making of, review
I love a good 'making of' book. Even if the film it's about is rubbish, you can usually learn something, so long as it's not one of those cheap cash-in books that relies mostly on reproducing the script and the press kit. DVD extras can be great, but an in-depth book can be so much more immersive; you almost feel like you're part of the crew by the time you get to the end.
Here, in my opinion, are five of the best 'making of' books. If you're looking for a Christmas present for the filmmaker in your life, you could do worse than tracking down one of these tomes.
The Making of Jurassic Park
Don Shay & Jody Duncan
I can still picture the shop I bought this in when I was thirteen years old. Spielberg's paleo-blockbuster was one of the major cinema events of my childhood, and along with this book it planted the idea firmly in young Neil's mind that filmmaking might be a pretty cool thing to do when he grew up. Shay and Duncan, the writers behind the awesome Cinefex magazine, note in the acknowledgments that their publisher wanted "a book of substance and quality on the making of Jurassic Park". The pair delivered in spades, detailing every step of the journey that started with a best-selling novel, saw Stan Winston and his studio build the most sophisticated and convincing animatronics ever seen on film, took Spielberg and his crew onto a storm-lashed Hawaiian island, and ruined Phil Tippett's career with ground-breaking computer-generated dinosaurs. But perhaps what inspired me most as a teenager were the 40 pages of storyboards reproduced at the end of the book, a showcase to Spielberg's visual storytelling genius. I loved this book so much that I mimicked its style when GCSE Media Studies required me to write a journal about the making of my coursework film.
The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
By the time I found this in my local library in the late nineties, I was already well set on the path to filmmaking, but I still knew little about how big films and TV shows were made, except what I'd read in The Making of Jurassic Park. The Making of ST: DS9 was a detailed and informative guide to the process of making a high-end US TV series. Having recently tracked it down and re-read it, I found it just as interesting the second time around. While the business side of network TV has probably changed, and the days of off-lining on 3/4″ tape are long gone, much of the content is still relevant, and is backed up by extracts from call sheets, treatments and production memos. Kudos must go to the writers for covering oft-neglected subjects like the art and importance of editing, the role of stand-ins, and the financial reasons behind key creative decisions.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Spielberg's Classic Film
This is the only book on this list which is unofficial, and while that means it lacks for pretty photos, it also means it doesn't pull its punches when discussing the struggles and conflicts of the production. Engaging and well-researched, Morton's book traces the origins of the UFO craze and Spielberg's fascination with it, along with the steps in the young director's career that brought him to the point where he could make this seminal sci-fi movie. Like many great films, Close Encounters' production was a troubled one, with a budget that spiralled out of control as studio bosses – convinced they'd backed a dud – fretted and fumed. Two converted aircraft hangars in sweltering Mobile, Alabama, seemed like financial black holes as cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond poured megawatts of light into them and the practical effects crew flew in a full-size mothership underbelly. Morton documents all the creativity and uncertainty in workmanlike fashion, and also uncovers the stories behind the re-releases and special editions.
Titanic and the Making of James Cameron
Paula Parisi
Not to be confused with the glossier and less substantial James Cameron's Titanic by Ed W. Marsh, this 230-pager is an intimate account of Cameron's journey from the depths of the Atlantic ocean to the excesses of the Mexican coastline set as he strove to tell a story that had gripped his imagination. Those intent on hating Cameron will dislike this book, which endeavours to counter the bad press he frequently gets by drilling to the core of the passion and determination which drives him. With a budget that climbed so high it required two major Hollywood studios to finance, Titanic was the biggest undertaking in motion picture history at the time, requiring a full-scale replica of the titular ship, hundreds of extras, hydraulic sinking effects, cutting-edge motion capture and 163 days of photography. Whatever you think of the film, it's hard not to be sucked in by the drama of this book, as Cameron battles against everything from nature to studio executives to complete what looks set to be a financial disaster, only to have it shatter box office records and scoop eleven Oscars.
The Making of Star Wars / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi
J. W. Rinzler
It's not surprising that the most loved films in the history of cinema have some of the most comprehensive and beautiful 'making of' books ever published. It's only surprising that it took 30 years for them to be written. Drawing on Lucasfilm's extensive archive of interviews, Rinzler takes us almost day-by-day through the development, production and postproduction of the movies that would define cinema for a generation. Arguably echoing the films themselves, the third book is the weakest, as by then Lucasfilm had financial stability, and making the movies was no longer a huge risk. I was shocked by how difficult Lucas found it to fund Empire; although phenomenally successful, Star Wars had yet to make him much money and everyone thought the sequel would be a pale shadow of the original. All three books are beautifully illustrated with photographs both rare and familiar, concept art and storyboards. There are also extracts and summaries of early versions of the scripts, and the Empire book even includes an extensive transcript of on-set conversations from the day Solo's descent into the freezing chamber was filmed. Essential reading for filmmakers everywhere.
I'm sure there are some classics I've missed from this list. By all accounts, The Battle of Brazil: Terry Gilliam vs. Universal, Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner and The Making of Ghostbusters are all excellent, but sadly I've so far been unable to get my hands on them. What are your favourite 'making of' books?


All that was left for India to do was to hit the winning runs and Kohli did so in style, launching Moeen for six down the ground, which secured the win with 10 balls to spare. He was calm, not the busybody, full of intent as he is on match day or training.
Bumrah is expected to be fit for the three-match one-day global series against England starting on July 12.
He said: "When you play against sub-continent teams, it normally exposes sides like us and South Africa and Australia to spin, reverse swing - different challenges to that we are normally used to. Having had a few days off and time to reflect on the series, it's something we can call upon -and might need to in either series, the Twenty20 or the ODIs, when our backs are against the wall". We certainly want to play positive and hard-fought cricket.
Just over a week into their trip, the Indians have been taking advantage of an unprecedented toasty beginning to the English summer - not limiting themselves to just sipping coffee but drinking in the pleasant sights and surroundings.
Preview: After a crushing 2-0 victory over minnows Ireland, India led by Virat Kohli will be up against a formidable England in the first of the three-match Twenty20 global series (T20Is) at the Old Trafford in Manchester.
India were dealt a double injury blow ahead of their limited-overs clashes against England with Washington Sundar joining Jasprit Bumrah on the sidelines.
And this what Kohli wants to go home with: the desire and intent to win every session of play.
"Obviously you want to perform as an individual but I haven't set any benchmarks or targets and come here to do certain things which have to be special just because the last tour here I came on didn't go well". Team India is ranked second in ICC T20I teams ranking whereas England is ranked fourth. In such circumstances, it would be vital to maintain mental balance and team spirit, Kohli pointed out.
Heaping praises on England's current form, which saw the hosts outclass a hapless Australia 6-0 in a recent limited over series, the 29-year-old Kohli felt that English players' participation in the various domestic T20 leagues like Indian Premier League (IPL) have contributed a lot in their growth.
Anderson in a press conference had pooh-poohed India's spinners as bowlers outside India, saying "I'm not sure they're too hard to handle". The conditions in England have always been tough but following India's performances in the last one year, it promises to be a close contest.
India captain Virat Kohli said his team were not fazed by the massive expectation from fans back home. The rest of it looks sorted with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opening the batting, followed by Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.
The Karnataka player, who was not a certainty in the playing XI till he was preferred over Dinesh Karthik, batted in top gear from the start.
Cousins was traded to the Pelicans during NBA All-Star Weekend in 2017, ending his six-plus-season run with the Sacramento Kings . The Golden State Warriors are on the attack as the team added DeMarcus Cousins to their lineup, per Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania.
The country were 2-0 up for over seventy minutes, but conceded three late goals which saw their hopes of World Cup victory fade. Belgium will now face Brazil in the quarters in Kazan on Saturday morning (AEST).
Gingrich, Giuliani and other United States politicians have been well paid to speak at the annual Paris rally in recent years. However, the protests earlier this year took place largely in Iran's provinces rather than in Tehran.
However, Iniesta's name will forever go down in Spanish folklore as one of the greatest Spaniards to have played for his country. Asked about De Gea, Maradona told Marca: 'Yes, I like him, although he's conceded a couple of goals.
Ramos grew up in Severn, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Annapolis, and attended Arundel High School, graduating in 1997. She said Ramos became "fixated" on her to the point where she became frightened enough to move out of state.
This month, WikiLeaks published the identities and information of more than 9,000 supposed current and former ICE employees. The Democrats obviously think they can make hay with the immigration issue, but I don't understand why.
Brazil struck in the 36th minute after Philippe Coutinho delivered a lovely ball in behind the Serbian back line. With a 2-0 lead in its pocket and Mexico watching the score from the other match, Sweden took total control.
Amy Hennig , formerly creative director of the Uncharted series of games, has left EA to set up an independent development studio. But EA shut down Visceral in October 2017, moving development of the still-shadowy Star Wars game to EA Vancouver .
Although already eliminated, Peruvians head home on a high note, having grabbed their first World Cup win since their 4-1 defeat of Iran at the 1978 finals in Argentina.
And if Uruguay can lock out Ronaldo again and send European champions Portugal home, Godin will surely have a lot to do with it. However, they have lost their last three games in the World Cup knockout stages (1 goal scored, 5 conceded).


text:
Q: separate action for [OK] and [IGNORE] button in Oracle Apex I have a page where I want to edit individual records. To do this, the user selects a data record and then clicks the [OK] or [IGNORE] button. Here I have defined that the page is to be sent and then an update and insert takes place under PROCESSING. But he works "logically" one after the other. When I click [OK] an insert and update should take place and when I select [IGNORE] only an update without insert in a table should take place. Whats the best way to do this?

A: Process lets you create a Server-side condition which - additionally - offers you to choose which button it is related to.
Therefore, create two processes, each for its own button. Doing so, process will fire only when its button is pressed.

A: There are multiple options:

*

*Create one page process per button and put a server side condition on each process (server side condition = When Button Pressed). Same answer as Littlefoot.

*Create a single page process and in your source you manage the different cases. On submit, the value of the REQUEST is the name of your button. So your page process code could be

IF :REQUEST = 'OK' THEN
  --code to execute when OK is pressed
ELSIF :REQUEST = 'IGNORE' THEN
  --code to execute when OK is pressed
END IF;

You'd want to put a serverside condition on this of type "Request is contained in value" with a value of "OK;IGNORE". This will yield true if button OK or button IGNORE is pressed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Our rich history, beautiful countryside and unspoiled beaches make St. George a prime destination for visitors to the Bay of Fundy!
Be sure to stop at the Visitor Information Centre upon arrival, where friendly staff will help you make the most of your stay. Whale-watching, scuba diving, hiking, horseback riding and bicycle tours are just a few of the adventures that await you.
Go fishing in the spring, experience land and aquatic adventures in the summer, hike the brightly coloured forests in the fall, and cross-country ski and snowmobile in the winter. Explore the covered bridges of the area and marvel at the beautiful St. George Gorge from above and below the falls.
Our region is steeped in history and folklore dating back to the early Loyalist settlers. Take the Historic Places Walking Tour, it works like an ;outdoor museum; Be sure to ask about the illusive Lake Utopia Monster; and maybe take a visit to the lake and see if you can spot it!
St. George is the centre of the largest aquaculture industry in North America and fishermen are out in their boats long before sunrise, gathering the bounty of the sea. Lobster, scallops, clams, herring, mackerel and Atlantic salmon are all harvested from the cold waters of the bay.
At day's end, enjoy a lobster bake or corn boil on the beach and experience the peace and serenity of a lingering sunset. Take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront and scan the horizon for osprey or eagles with the soothing sound of waves in the background.
St. George is where the river meets the sea, old meets new, and visitors always meet a friendly welcome!


text:
Q: C++:,when i use string array, it comes string subscript out of range I just want to know why it come the question that string subscript out of range,I have already initialized the string array.Thank you.
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
#define N 100000
using namespace std;
string s[N + 5] = {}, ss[N + 5] = { " " }, fs[N + 5] = { " " };
int main()
{
   int n, x; char c;
   cin >> n;
   for (int i = 0; i<n; ++i)
   {
      for (int j = 0; j<6; ++j)
       {
          scanf("%c", &c);//the error comes here.
          if (c == ' ') continue;
          s[i] += c;
       }
      ss[i] = s[i] + s[i];
      for (int j = 5; j >= 0; --j) fs[i][j] = s[i][5 - j];
   }
   int flag = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i<n; ++i)
   {
      for (int j = 0; j<n; ++j)
     {
        if (i == j) continue;
        if (find(s[i], fs[j]) || find(s[i], ss[j]))
        {
            flag = 1; break;
        }
      }
 }

}

A: 1) Why should I not #include <bits/stdc++.h>?
2) Avoid global variables and use std::vector when size is unknown.
3) Why is using namespace std considered bad practice?
You're getting an out of range error because of fs[i][j] accessing empty strings f[i].


text:
Phantom Blade PC: Now For Pre-purchase on Steam & Releasing in July
RK128 Wednesday, June 22, 2016 GamingLeave a Comment
This upcoming title from Nippon Ichi Software is coming out on Steam July 25th, but in the meantime, you can pre-purchase the game on Steam for some extra bonuses for when the game comes out like a Digital Art Book.
We will cover more on the title as more information comes out.
Source: Steam Page + NIS America Press Release
Background of the Game
On a small, lonely island in Ivoire lives Ash, a Phantom who lost his life in battle, and Marona, who has the ability to communicate with Phantoms. Sometimes, Marona receives Bottlemails that float along the sea.
Marona, who lost her parents when she was very young, makes her living by completing the requests inside the Bottlemails as a Chroma, a person who accepts freelance work to solve problems for people. However, because of her abilities, the people call her the "Possessed." Even if she completes her work, some clients will hesitate to pay her the reward because of her reputation.
Still, Marona stays optimistic and follows what her parents told her long ago: "Help people, and someday everyone will start to like you." Her goal is to save enough money to buy Phantom Isle, which she's currently renting. Like a subtle wave in the sea, the adventures of Marona and Ash are about to begin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9MjgICmJVA&utm_source=NISA+Press&utm_campaign=4aef8b1d29-PBPC_Prepurchase6_21_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_19e6c84aa6-4aef8b1d29-152424745

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In a tightly enclosed area, such as an airplane, the quality and safety of the air is of utmost importance. Along with concerns about general air quality are other issues, such as accidental contamination of aircraft cabins -- such as with pandemic flu -- and deliberate contamination with biological agents -- such as anthrax -- as part of a terrorist attack.
Kansas State University (K-State) is part of a federally established center to examine air quality in aircraft cabins and assess chemical and biological threats in airliners, according to an Aug. 15 announcement. The Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Airline Cabin Environment Research, established by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), also has as partners Auburn University, Purdue University, Harvard University, Boise State University, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Byron Jones, director of K-State's Engineering Experiment Station and professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, heads up K-State's efforts for the center. He said the center's projects are all collaborations among the eight institutions. Jones said the center's mission is to address air issues, ensuring air travel is healthy, and at the same time, keeping it economical. In addition, the center is examining safety during deliberate attempts to contaminate the air in-flight.
"Although the science is similar with both of these missions, the application is different," Jones said. "Our job is to protect the environment as best we can -- detect, protect and clean up after it. Whether an air incident is deliberate or accidental, the idea is the same and both are important."
The center was established in 2004 and since that time, the institutions have begun various projects to understand and mitigate environmental health issues on airplanes, including looking into abnormal incidents where a plane's air supply has been contaminated with engine oil or hydraulic fluid, for example; how cabin pressure affects passengers, especially those with cardiopulmonary problems, as well as flight attendants and pilots who work in the environment daily; seeing how elevated ozone levels at higher altitudes affect the cabin environment; creating a database on the in-flight air environment; looking at the basic science of how contaminants travel about the cabin; what sensors will best detect certain things in cabin air; and the best strategies to decontaminate an airplane.
"How do you deal with an intentional attack if the attack is invisible -- that is, what if somebody is releasing something into the cabin environment that cannot be seen -- how can we even detect it? This is one of the things we're looking at," Jones said. "Air travel is the mass transportation medium for long distances in North America," Jones said. "And yet it's conducted in an 'alien' environment -- the outside environment at typical flight altitudes is very hostile to human habitation. While in an aircraft, we depend on the aircraft and its environmental control system for safety.
"If you have an incident on an airline, it will have a huge negative impact on the entire industry, and the particular airline specifically," he said. "If the airline has a secure environment and knows how to deal with these factors if they arise, it will have less of an impact."
Jones and other K-Staters have been studying transportation environments, including automobiles, aircraft, trains and buses, for more than 15 years through the university's Institute for Environmental Research, the longest standing research institute on the indoor environment in the world. Jones also has been working with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers to help develop an air quality standard for the airline industry for more than 10 years.
"An efficient, high quality and safe air transportation system is absolutely essential for this country," Jones said. "The Air Transportation Center for Airline Cabin Environment Research will play an important role in meeting this need. K-State has joined a team of the very best scientists and research programs to help make a safer air transportation system possible."
The center has received approximately $10 million in funding to date through the FAA. After three years, the center will be reviewed and its work assessed.


There's one thing I have to admit to not doing in my adult life and that's a 1000 piece puzzle. Don't get me wrong it's not because I have been too snooty or anything just has never crossed my mind. When I was contacted to review a 1000 piece puzzle and after my last 1000 piece puzzle I thought why not. It was something me and Asti did together and both enjoyed spending our evenings working on a puzzle together. We have been sent the collectors Cupboard by Ravensburger. The puzzle is a cupboard full of collectors pieces from shoes to buttons it has it all.
Having been a complete puzzle beginner ( I have only done one 1000 piece before) I have found I love completing a puzzle. I must have spent nearly a week sitting at the table in the evenings and my days off. I am clearly not that quick but it was very good to relax me after a busy day. I also found that the time just flew by and some nights I was staying up late because I lost track of time.
This time Asti was keen to help like he did the last. I found that sometimes he would come down early to help and we would chat about our day. Being the eldest of three he has two younger siblings who usually take a lot of my time in the day. We both got small satisfaction when we found the right pieces and the collector's cupboard started to take shape. We found all the easy parts first then it all started to come into shape.
To start off with it was something me and my eldest would do in the evenings. In fact, he would come off screens early to help. I googled how long a 1000 piece puzzle took and it said 5-6 hours, whereas I can say it took us well over 20. There is so much going on in the puzzle so it makes it interesting and if what a little bit more difficult.
You can buy the Collector's Cupboard puzzle from Amazon, Hobbycraft or other usual outlets. There are lots of puzzles in the Curious Cupboard series there are plenty of other jigsaw puzzles to choose from. They make perfect presents which are something I didn't think I would ever say but we really enjoyed these puzzles. For me and Asti its something to do when the nights are dark and long.
My eldest son has ADHD so the puzzle actually had a calming effect and I actually saw him yawn which is something he never seems to do. It really helped him relax and calm down from a busy day at school. For me, I found my self-completing parts throughout the day, then getting lost in time and being late for things.
The puzzle has been a big hit in my house and we have had the pressure of competing to get the use of the table in the front room back. We need one of those puzzle mats now that we are proper puzzlers (after 2 puzzles that is). I am sure people will give me some after I have been saying how much we enjoyed this one.
Wow! That looks like a fantastic puzzle!


All aquacise classes are on a first-come, first-served basis. We accept a maximum number of 25 participants in most classes. Evening classes have a maximum of 15 participants per class.
*These classes have a maximum of 15 participants in each class.
Shallow End: During this class we stay in the shallow end of the lap pool, so being a good swimmer is not a requirement. In fact, you do not need any experience in water to participate. The class is a light, fun and healthy environment for anybody to participate in.
Combo Class: A combo class includes both shallow and deep end exercises and allows you to participate where you feel comfortable.
For parents with tots between 4 - 18 months. It's a great way to get some exercise and meet other new parents! It runs every Monday and Friday from 9:45 - 10:30 am.
Note: Trained Lifeguards teach these classes for motivational purposes. The staff are not certified fitness instructors. Please be sure to participate at your ability level and let staff know immediately if you have any abnormal pain or discomfort. Those with medical conditions, new participants and those adding exercise into their life should seek medical advice prior to participating as there is an inherent risk of injury in any physical activity including this aquacise program.
Click on the course below for pre-requisites and course information.
Click on this link for dates and times. Please call the Aquatic Centre to register at 204.346.6207.


text:
Nikko Station
Nikko Transportation Guide
Nikko Station Hotels
Tobu Nikko Station Map
JR Nikko Station Map
Hotel Hana-An
Hotel Hana-An is a traditional ryokan style hot spring inn with comfortable rooms overlooking Lake Chuzenji. This hotel's facilities include a traditional Japanese restaurant, a hot spring spa, and a souvenir shop. Hotel Hana-An is conveniently located a short walk from the Chuzenji Onsen Bus Terminal and is just eight minutes' walk from the scenic Kegon Falls. Popular activities in this area include hiking, fishing, and cruising on the Lake as well as visits to nearby historic sites such as Chuzenji Temple, the Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park, and the British Embassy Villa Memorial Park.
The entrance to Hotel Hana-An
Hotel Hana-An has 22 guest rooms over 4 floors. All guest rooms have views overlooking Lake Chuzenji and all guest rooms are non-smoking. Rooms range from Western style rooms with double or twin beds, to contemporary Japanese style rooms with futon beds and traditional Japanese furnishings.
One Japanese style room is available that also has its own open-air rotemburo hot spring bath and there is also one Western style Superior Room that has a bath with a view over the lake.
Japanese style room with open-air hot spring bath
All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat screen TV, a mini-refrigerator, a safe for valuables, a hair dryer, slippers, light cotton yukata kimonos, and an electric kettle. Private bathrooms have a bathtub, shower, and a toilet equipped with a washlet. Bathrooms are also supplied with towels and complimentary amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, cotton buds, shaving razors, and cleansing oil.
Check Room Rates and Availability
Hotel Hana-An has its own restaurant on the 1st floor serving delicious traditional Japanese meals for breakfast and dinner. The restaurant's menu is seasonal and focuses on local ingredients such as Tochigi beef and wild mountain vegetables. This hotel also has a bar with an excellent range of local beverages such as wine, sake, shochu, and beer.
The hotel bar
Other Services & Facilities
Check-in time at Hotel Hana-An is from 15.00 and check-out is by 11.00. Luggage can be left at the reception desk before checking in and after checking out.
Guests who arrive prior to 17.00 will be treated to a complimentary "welcome tea".
Wi-Fi internet access is available in all guest rooms and in the public areas of the hotel.
On the 1st floor there is a hot spring spa with communal baths separated by gender. The spa has both indoor and outdoor baths, and two kinds of natural mineral waters which are said to be good for stress relief and healing fatigue.
There is a library area on the 1st floor with various reading materials, soft lighting, and comfortable armchairs. The library is open from 15.00 to 24.00 and from 6.00 to 11.00.
There is also a shop on the 1st floor selling a range of local craft products and unique souvenirs of Nikko. The shop is open from 15.00 to 21.00 and from 8.00 to 11.00.
Two massage chairs are located in front of the hot spring spa area.
This hotel is mainly non-smoking, but there is a designated smoking room on the 1st floor which is available 24 hours a day.
Hotel Hana-An is a 3-minute walk from Chuzenji Onsen Bus Terminal. This bus terminal is a 50-minute bus ride from the JR and Tobu Nikko Stations. Here is a map showing the hotel's location.
Check Room Rates at Hotel Hana-An
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
Questions? Ask on our forum
Nikko Station NavigationNikko Station Navigation
Station Navigation
Kinugawa-Onsen Station Map
Nikko Station Lockers
Hotels in Nikko
Nikko Tours & Activities
Japan Station on Facebook
Japan Station Guides
Asakusa Station Guide
Ueno Station Guide
Kobe Station Guide
Sapporo Station Guide
Shinagawa Station Guide
Nikko Station on Facebook
Nikko Station on Twitter
Nikko Station on Instagram
Nikko Station on Pinterest
Japan Station Forum
Copyright © 2022 · Nikko Station Guide. Part of Japan Station Network. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use


Make a call to the surety bond dream team at Pro Surety Bond, your first bond buying stop. We specialize in all types of Contract and Construction Bonds including Payment and Performance Bonds, Subdivision and Off Site Bonds, Bid Bonds, License and Permit Bonds, Court Bonds, Fidelity Bonds and all types of Miscellaneous Surety Bonds. Now is the time to call 800-314-7003 so we can put our experience to work for you! We leave no stone unturned finding you the best bond rate we can. Call 800-314-7003 Today!
Call 800-314-7003. You don't have time to waste looking for a bond provider, and we don't have time to waste making you wait for your quote. We know the ins and outs and we're ready to put them to use for you. Having good credit speeds things along there is no question about that. But don't let bad credit inhibit you from calling. We have a long list of underwriters waiting to fulfill your bond needs. So don't waste any more time and call 800-314-7003.
If you are bidding on public projects for the City of Reno you may be required to post a Bid Bond. The Bid Bond guarantees you will be able to provide the Performance Bonds required in the event you are the low bidder. In essence the Bid Bond pre-qualifies you for the work you are bidding on. Not all jobs require bonding but if they do we can assist you with Bid Bonds, and subsequent Performance and Payment Bonds as required by the city. Please call the Contract Bond Team at Pro Surety Bond for more information at 800-314-7003.
Reno is second to no one except maybe Las Vegas, but don't tell that to the half million people who have made the Reno metropolitan area their home. It's the second largest city in Nevada with the second largest economy, which means it's pretty big, economically. It is also the seat of government, commerce and business in the Washoe County area.
A surety bond is a type of protection from fraudulent or malicious business practices for the local governing bodies and the consumers they represent. This is due to the fact that these sureties provide the government with a promise on your behalf that you will at all times operate your business in an ethical and lawful fashion. They can also be issued as a means of protecting your business from the mishandling or theft of yours or your client's properties while in the commission of their duties under your employ. Construction professionals are also required to provide one or more surety bonds in order to get their projects compliant with local laws and regulations.
Are you currently in need of surety bonding? Is your sports book business dead in the water in need of the proper surety bonds? Have your construction projects been put on hold while you search for the appropriate bonds? If so, we have you covered. And remember we do fidelity bonds and off site improvement bonds, which means we will put our more than 25 years of combined experience to work for you and get you bonded at an affordable rate right away. We will use our industry connections and knowledge to secure the surety bonds you require regardless of your credit standings. So please contact one of our surety bond representatives at 800-314-7003 and get started achieving your business goals!
Effective March 1, 2014, a person who, for compensation and under the instructions of a client, provides assistance in various legal matters is required to be registered with the Secretary of State of Nevada as a Document Preparation Service and post $50,000 cash or bond. Click Here for on obtaining your Nevada Document Preparation Service Bond.


I love Trisha Yearwood, and I have for ages. One of the first CDs we had in our house was one of hers, and I remember dancing to "She's in Love with the Boy" with my sister in the living room, and we even danced together to the song at my wedding reception.
Trisha released a new album last week, and I got it this weekend from Amazon. It's mostly old stuff remastered with a handful of new songs, my favorite so far is I Remember You. Lots of tears when I heard that for the first time while driving. Yikes.
Her voice can take me back to riding on the bus to a basketball game in high school. I'd listen on my disc man, and if anyone asked what I was listening to I would probably lie and say Pearl Jam (because I did/do love Pearl Jam too). Even in the country liking country music wasn't "cool." Maybe it is now? I think it's more like I don't care what's cool anymore.
I also own Trisha's cookbooks, and I've made a few recipes from them (they're not super healthy so just as treats). They're beautiful though and I love them. I've never actually seen her Food TV show, although I love Food Network too! I have just stopped watching it since I mostly watch online streaming TV and a few network shows live.


After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, join us in kicking off the holiday giving season with Giving Tuesday! Your gift will provide food and shelter to your neighbors in need, but it will also empower people to find a way out of poverty. Every gift is a gift of hope!
Our friends at Flow Buick GMC want your gift to go even further to help our neighbors. Flow Buick GMC will match the first $5,000 donated on Giving Tuesday, November 27 to Greensboro Urban Ministry! Help us reach and exceed this goal.
Mark your calendar for November 27.
Share this message with friends and family to encourage them to help meet the match.
Spread the word, and stay tuned for more details. Let's do this!


text:
Home / Resources / Karnavati: Deep Rooted Legacy of Architecture / Details of Carving
Karnavati: Deep Rooted Legacy of Architecture
Beauty and Intricacy of old Ahmadabad
Sunny Kolekar
Details of Carving
Nakshi: The Exquisiteness of Intricate Wooden Carving
The lanes of old Ahmedabad are having a very organized habitat design called pols. Pol houses are considered as primary housing typology built for more than three hundred years in the old city of Ahmedabad. Ahmadabad has a rich heritage of settlement patterns in its historic old town, the communal riot and the civil disorder of 18th century lead to the construction of pol houses which were organized in dense clusters consisting of two ends which have a single gateway. The residents of each cluster always belong to the same religion not only same religion but also to the same caste, family or same occupation.
So a pol is a combination of many multistory individual houses which form a neighbourhood which has its own urban structure which is self-sufficient for the communities.
The unanimity of each Pol was socially and architecturally homogenous. This indigenous way of living provided territory for interaction, cooperation, and interdependence. This enhanced the formation of a cohesive and self-sustaining community whose physical boundaries were set by the day-to-day interactions of its inhabitants. Some Pols were also places of work, where artisans sold their wares on the thoroughfares outside of the pols.
The most attractive and eye-catchy fact about pol houses is its exquisitely, lavishly and intricately carved wooden panels which are adorning the entrance, wooden pillars, brackets etc. The detailing of each piece of art is exceptional at the same time confusing in its identity. At one glance all appear the same but there are very few slight differences in each figure. The artistry of each piece will give an observer an awestruck, which can easily take to that era and will force to think that how much time must have been spent on each piece to get this perfection, the patient level of those artisans and the impeccable and unimpeachable artistry. In huge houses where there are a lot many intricate ornamentations, a keen observer can sometimes see some unfinished carvings, that can easily lead the thought process to another level. what must have been the reason the artist left it incomplete? One another question that comes to mind will be, how did these carvings are so much similar? It is astonishing that even after these many years, these wood carvings are still alive and young. The changes of sun and moon, the breezy winter and freezing cold nights, the steamy and dusty summer days; nothing, absolutely nothing could ruin them. Even after these many years, there are Havelis which are absolutely abandoned and still in good condition. The architectural style of these Havelis is clearly showing an amalgamation of Mughal-Maratha influence. The intricately carved flora and fauna, mythical characters like yali, the parrots and peacocks, and human figures, all these are creating a royal extravaganza for the visitors.


text:
Lila Guerrero (born Elizabeth Innokentevna Yakovlev; June 16, 1906 – December 24, 1986) was a Jewish poet, translator, essayist, playwright and literary critic famous for translating numerous Russian and Soviet modern poetry into Spanish.

Biography
Guerrero was born Elizabeth Innokentevna Yakovlev, and she used the pseudonym Elsa Betty Iakovleff and Lila Guerrero. She was the daughter of Ida Isakovna Bondareff (1887-1977), a Jewish Russian socialist militant and founder of the Communist Party of Argentina who had to emigrate due to her political activity and settled in Argentina as part of the first Jewish migration to Argentina. Her father, Innokenti Yakovlev who had also emigrated to Argentina, returned to Russia before World War I. Her mother then married engineer and writer Moisés Kantor, who adopted Guerrero as his daughter. Kantor and Isakovna Bondareff had a son in 1922, Karl M. Kantor. Both Kantor and Isakovna Bondareff were active in the Argentine Communist Party, and Guerrero herself also joined.

In 1925, Kantor moved to Moscow to become head of the Department of Mineralogy at the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, followed the next year with the rest of the family. From 1926 - 1937 Guerrero lives in Moscow, Russia. There she interacted with Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik, and met and married fellow Argentine Luis Víctor Sommi, who was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Argentina and her husband until her death.

She participated in the Spanish Civil War, for which she was decorated with the Order of the Red Star. She then returned to Argentina, where she graduated with degrees in Philosophy and Philology in Letters from the University of Buenos Aires.

Lila Guerrero died in Buenos Aires on December 24, 1986.

Works
She translated numerous Russian and Soviet authors, into Spanish, especially modern poets. She also wrote poetry and essays, and translated from Portuguese and English.

Among her most remembered works are the first Castilian versions of selected works by Mayakovsky in four volumes (Platina, 1959) and the complete theater of Maxim Gorky in five volumes (Quetzal, 1962).

She translated and wrote the prologue of the novel La defeat (1920) by Aleksandr Fadéyev and translated the essay Leon Tolstoi, by NK Gudzij (Nikolaj Kalinikovič Gudzij) published by Editorial Pueblos Unidos, Montevideo, Uruguay (1945).

Other translations were of works by Nikolai Ostrovsky, Dmitry Furmanov, Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Ilya Ehrenburg, Konstantin Simonov, Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Boris Pasternak, among others.

Books

 Las Heroicas mujeres de España: Discursos "The Heroic Women of Spain: Discourses" (Speeches of Gregorio Bermann, Lila Guerrero and Dolores Ibárruri as tributes to the Argentine people from March 28, 1937 (co-authored with Dolores Ibarruri , Asunción: Editorial Indo-Americana, 1938 )
 Intimas (poetry, 1940)
 Dolor Armado (poetry, Santiago: Ediciones Aconcagua, 1946)
 Antología de Maiakovski, su vida y su obra (translations, Buenos Aires: Claridad, 1943)
 Teatro ruso (Buenos Aires: Claridad, 1946)
 Pasional Argentina (poetry, Santiago: Ediciones Aconcagua, 1955)
 Intimando con el Cielo (poetry, Santiago: Ediciones Aconcagua, 1960)
 Antología Poética: Vladimir Maiacovsky (translations, Lima : Ediciones del Centro de Estudiantes de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 1964; Buenos Aires: Losada, 1970 and 1985)
 Mis Devociones (poetry, Santiago: Ediciones Aconcagua, 1966)
 Voces y Silencios de la Pintura "Voices and Silences of Painting" (poetry and translations, Buenos Aires: Editorial Losada, 1971)
 Poesía-pintura, 32 Poemas A 32 Pintores "Poetry-Painting, 32 poems of 32 painters" (Buenos Aires: Editorial Losada, 1971)
 Los Precursores (notes on encounters with Picasso, Pablo Neruda and other cultural figures, Buenos Aires: Editorial Losada, 1974)
 Antologia poética "Poetic Anthology" 1946-1976 (Buenos Aires: G. Pineda, 1976)
 Voces y silencios de la danza (poems and translations, Buenos Aires: Ediciones Dead Weight, 1980)
 Rimbaud, la última fuga - Liceo de señoritas "Rimbaud, the Lat Fight" (two dramas in 3 acts, Buenos Aires: Ediciones Teatro Siglo XX - Editor Gonzalo Pineda, 1981)
 Federico García Lorca, Sus últimos días "Frederico Garcia Lorca, His Last Days" (drama, Buenos Aires: Editor Gonzalo Pineda, 1986)

References

Jewish poets
Jewish women writers
1906 births
1986 deaths
Russian–Spanish translators
Recipients of the Order of the Red Star
University of Buenos Aires alumni
Argentine people of the Spanish Civil War
Translators of Alexander Pushkin
20th-century essayists
Argentine women essayists
Argentine women critics
Argentine literary critics
20th-century dramatists and playwrights

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Graff Sapphire & Diamond Cocktail Platinum Ring Sz 5 1/2
About Graff Sapphire & Diamond Cocktail Platinum Ring Sz 5 1/2
A Graff cocktail ring is the perfect addition to any jewelry collection. The brilliant-cut diamond and sapphire frame is eye-catching and unique. The round brilliant cut diamonds running down both sides of the band add a touch of elegance to the ring. The platinum setting completes the look of this beautiful ring. The diamonds total 1.70ct followed by 1.25ct in sapphires
The ring measures a size 5 1/2
Graff Sapphire & Diamond Cocktail Platinum Ring Sz 5 1/2 Details
Brand Graff
Material Platinum
Hallmarks Graff
Accessories Graff Cert
Graff Backstory
Graff Jewelry was founded in London in 1960 by Laurence Graff, who fostered his company from an intense passion for diamonds. A brief seven years later, at the young age of 29, Graff entered the international market with a series of successful exhibitions. Through hard work and determination, Graff Jewelry soon opened over 50 stores internationally. Stunning and historical pieces can be located in London, Melbourne, Monte Carlo, Beijing, Las Vegas, New York, and Tokyo, to name a few.
Graff Jewelry has been bestowed multiple prestigious honors, including four Queen's Awards to Industry. This award honors UK business with a Royal reception to recognize their outstanding international trade achievements, innovation, and promoting opportunity through social mobility and sustainable development.
Graff Jewelry had the privilege to have discovered, cut, polished, and set some of the finest diamonds ever certified in the world. This privilege includes the Graff Lesedi La Rona, at 302.37 carats, it is the highest color and clarity GIA certified diamond. Precious diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies are carefully selected and set in rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and brooches in each of Graff Jewelry collections.
Read More View all Graff pieces