Archive for October, 2008

Realistic Movies – The Craft Of Creative Minds

state craft
Victor Epand asked:


In this 21st century, entertainment is the one and only means of providing relaxation to the mind from worries. The most recent and the most popular mass medium for entertainment is cinema. The motion picture has grown much with the improvements in technology. With the advent of motion picture entertainment has taken the form of an industry.

The history of filmmaking goes back to the year 1895 when Lumiere brothers of Paris started projection of films for the Persian public. Earlier filmmakers in Europe and America concentrated more on producing commercial pictures. Up to 1910 films in U.K and Hollywood were meant only for entertainment. But films like City Light (1931), The Great Dictator and many more made by the great Charlie Chaplin, gave a new definition to the word cinema.

We remember Chaplin as a little man with a tight jacket and loose pants held up with a string; over size boots and undersized bowler hat. He was the only man who tried to portray the true picture of the underprivileged world. He tries to depict through comedy, a hard core of truth and painful experience of his life.

Changes were also seen in European films. In the Soviet-Union films were made on First World War. Russian films on Lenin and Russian Revolution tried to bring out in front of the audience the political scenario as well as the social scenario of Russia. Efforts of a few famous film makers of the first world to make films with the hard core realities from society and life gave birth to a new category of films, which later became world famous as realistic films.

In post war Europe, realism was in the air in its film cities, particularly in Italy and France. Writers who were professed leftists made new kinds of films, departing from the Hollywood tradition. To match the stories with reality, directors like De Sica, Lattuada and Castellani of Europe took their camera out into the streets and engaged non-actors to play leading roles. These films were shown in Indian cities also after their releases in Europe. These realistic films influenced many young aspirants.

The realistic films began their journey in India from Bengal. The internationally acclaimed filmmaker Satyajit Ray was the pioneer of realistic filmmaking. In his first film Pather Panchali (1955) he worked on the conflicts and issues of post independent India in the background of his state of Bengal. There were also a few other filmmakers like Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatok who were impressed by Italian, French and Japanese neo-realist films.

This trend of making off beat movies is also seen in other regional movies. The genre of realistic film has given birth to many ace filmmakers in the Indian film industry. Realistic films were made in almost all languages. Realistic films were made in Hindi as well as in South Indian languages from time to time. It was Shyam Benegal’s debut Hindi film Ankur (1973) which started an offbeat wave. This genre of offbeat film was nourished by many big names of Indian film industry like Govind Nihalani, Basu Chatterjee, Ketan Mehta, Mahesh Bhatt, Kalpana Lajmi and Nabendu Ghosh. They pioneered a new path in filmmaking.

In the 21st century this trend of making realistic movies has been kept alive by filmmakers who believe that cinema is the art of the directors, not that of the artistes or technical experts. These offbeat films not only make us aware of the social and economic conditions prevailing in our society, but also show different aspects of life. The new Indian realistic cinema, for instance, has great social significance, presenting a modern, humanistic point of view in contrast to the fantasy world of popular cinema. We hope that in future the Indian creative minds will keep alive this genre of realistic movies.

Resume for Fresh Graduate – How to Craft an Impressive One?

state craft
CK Tan asked:


How can you craft an impressive resume if you don’t have any work experience? This is a problem that is shared by all job hunters who recently graduated from a training program in their field. Even if you don’t have that much information to include, you can craft an impressive resume for fresh graduate.

Granted, recent graduates do not have much work experience, but they have a lot of education. And that education is fresh and relevant to their field. Recent graduates often know more about state of the art technology and new ideas than veterans in the field. Use what you’ve learned to your advantage. Be sure to highlight the skills that you have learned in school.

Hobbies and interests can also be included on your resume. Be careful, though, to only use those hobbies and skill sets that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. Avoid creating an entire “hobbies” section. Instead, include the skills that you have gained from your hobbies and highlight those skills throughout your resume for fresh graduate.

Always include volunteer work. Volunteer work proves to your employer that you can work with others and that you can make a commitment to a cause and an organization. Many people try to do pro bono work while they are in school in exchange for references and job experience that they can use to get a head start in their career.

Want to demonstrate how well you work with others? Include group activities and particularly tough class assignments on your resume. For example: If you had to create a product or perform a case study as part of your grade, you can include this if it is relevant to the job duties you will be required to perform if hired.

Even if your resume is noticeably lacking, you can make up for it in your cover letter. Your resume letter is your one chance to prove why you are the right person for the job. Show your potential employer why you can perform the job better than others regardless of how much experience you have. Use persuasive language, but avoid sounding pushy and arrogant.

Most colleges and some vocational schools offer employment services, meaning that they will help you prepare for a job interview. If your school offers this service, take advantage of it. Do not be afraid to ask for help writing a resume for fresh graduate.

Starting a craft business, what steps do I need to take to make my sole proprietorship legal?

state craft
Craft Business asked:


Paying sales tax, (state and local amounts), do i have to pay workmans comp insurance, should I invest in an LLC instead?
The business will consist of my wife and I will do some work. The business will be web based being sold from ebay and a website.

How to Network In the Community to Broaden Your Craft Business

state craft
Bill Weaver asked:


Making crafts can be a lot of fun. But there are some other areas that have to be covered if you plan on networking your item to people in your community. Explore your options when attempting to network. If you don’t know where to begin, try reading plenty of books on the subject or talk to friends who may know a bit more about the subject.

When starting out, create a mailer to be sent out to people in the community. This can consist of a flyer, short glossy magazine or news article. Whatever you feel is best. You can have them sent out as a free mailer, or you may want to go with an opt-in mailing. This is where your customers sign up for a free mailer about your item. This is the best way to avoid wasting paper and stamps. But you may ask, “How do I get the addresses?” There are several avenues you can take. 1) Anytime someone makes a purchase, ask if they would like to be added to the free mailer. If they’re impressed with your crafts, more than likely you’ll list will be pretty long, 2) when attending a local craft show, have a clip board with pen that people can sign up for. They may not buy something right then, but if they’re interested in your craft, they will sign up. Collect Name, address, city, state and zip code. You can even make room for an email address. On average, a mailer should be sent out twice a year. If you do send too much information, too often, it may end up in the trash.

Placing flyers around your community is also a good networking tool. Check with local businesses to see if it’s ok to post a flyer in the window. You might want to stick with businesses that sell craft supplies, clothing or anything that can be connected with your item. When creating your flyer, put lots of color to catch people’s attention. You can input pictures on the flyers as well as an average price.

Contact your Chambers of Commerce. They help promote businesses by having meetings and items displays. This is a good way to introduce your self to the community. You can also find out what’s happening in your community such as local craft show days and times.

Stop by your local consignment store or boutique. These are great ways to get your craft out there. Generally, they will receive a percentage of the sales. Of course, this will be discussed before hand. When approaching the business owner, dress professional. Bring a sample of your item in with a list of prices. Also expect to sell in large quantities and for a discounted price. Store owners generally don’t pay full price for bulk items. Come prepared to give a price to the owner, but make sure you’re making a profit from it as well. If the store owner isn’t sold on your product, ask if it would be ok to leave business card or flyers behind with a sample of your work. If potential buyers take an interest and ask about the craft enough times, the owner may see the want for it and will be contacting you.

If you’re not one to get out there and start marketing your item, you can even hire a sales representative. They generally collect a percentage of what they sell. They can do it the old fashion way and walk door to door telling people of your product or they can visit local businesses and display your product. Make sure they are educated on your item. People make ask questions to the sales representative and you don’t want them to reply with a blank stare.

Try your local church. Churches have many functions throughout the year. Some even hold small craft shows for the community. Word of mouth is also a great way to network in your church. Churches are small communities that once the word is out, it travels fast.

If you’re selling an item that is wearable, wear it! Things like hair bows should be displayed in your daughter’s hair. If they’re unique, people will begin asking about them. If your selling handmade clothes, try making a holiday pattern and wear them before the season starts and see how many people want to know where you got it.

Whatever route you take, get out there. Even avenues you wouldn’t think to explore, try it. You never know, you might just make a sale.

Textile Crafts of Kashmir

state craft
http://www.fibre2fashion.com asked:


The beautiful territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) situated in the Himalayan mountains is rightly known as ‘Heaven on Earth’. Srinagar is the summer capital of this state, while Jammu is its winter capital. This state has Kashmiri and Urdu as its major languages. The state can be divided into three major parts: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. The state of Kashmir is not only famous for its wonderful climate and natural beauty but also for its exquisite textile crafts. This article aims at studying the major textile crafts that have been prevalent in Kashmir since long, such as Kashmiri carpets, shawls, tweed, silk as well as embroidery.

The Kashmir carpet industry is famous the world over. Kashmiri carpets are loved not only by the people of India but also by people in other countries. It is believed that the art of weaving Kashmiri carpets originated in Persia. Usually either silk or wool is used in making carpets. Sometimes a combination of silk and wool is used. Mercerized cotton is also sometimes used in making carpets. Mercerized cotton is a man-made fibre with sheen similar to that of silk. It is costlier than wool, but it is cheaper as compared to silk.

The base of these carpets is either made of cotton or silk. The ‘tree of life’ is a design that is very commonly found on Kashmiri carpets. Though the carpets made in Kashmir are expensive on account of their uniqueness and exquisite weaving, they are considered to be an investment.

Kashmiri shawls

Like Kashmiri carpets, shawls made in Kashmir are adored both in India and internationally. The Shahtoosh and Pashmina shawls made in Kashmir are world famous.

Shahtoosh shawls are made from the wool of the Tibetan antelope. These shawls are very light and soft. These shawls are extremely expensive because the wool used in making these shawls is scarce. The soft hair from the throat of the antelope is used for making these shawls. A few of these hairs fall off naturally when the antelopes graze. These hairs are collected and are then used in weaving shawls. Shahtoosh shawls may either be pure or mixed with Pashmina in order to reduce the cost. Shahtoosh shawls are so finely woven that the entire shawl can pass through a ring. It is for this reason that such shawls are known as ‘Ring shawls’. These shawls are usually not dyed and are used in their natural color i.e. light brown.

Pashmina shawls are made from the wool of the Kel sheep found in the Himalayan mountains. Such shawls are extremely soft and do not hurt the skin of the wearer. Pashmina scarves and stoles are also made. Pashmina shawls are less expensive as compared to Shahtoosh shawls.

Pashmina shawls usually have beautiful and heavy embroidery on them, while Shahtoosh shawls do not.

Kashmiri tweed

The tweed material woven in Kashmir is well known the world over. It is considered to be one of the best materials in the world. The raw material that is used in producing tweed is obtained from outside Kashmir; however, Kashmiri tweed is woven using imported techniques and is of extremely good quality. The production of tweed is a job undertaken by a majority of the people of Kashmir.

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Crafting the Caftan for Plus Size Women

state craft
Priyanka Arora asked:


The caftan is a long, snug-fitting item of clothing with short or long sleeves that can be both worn by men and women. They especially look great for plus size women because of the enhancement they offer. Caftans have become a wardrobe staple for plus size women. However, do you know that it has an interesting history behind it?

Caftans were said to have originated from Asia Minor and Mesopotamia in 600 BC and variations were widespread in selected African countries. It was introduced in Eastern Europe and Russia in the 13th century and provided the inspiration behind the basic garments that were made in the 19th century. The Turks brought the caftan in Poland and Hungary when they conquered these nations and which furthered the caftan’s proliferation in Europe.

In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire crafted their caftans from satin, velvet, silk and metallic threads. The material by which a caftan was made from was indication of one’s social status. The luxuriously made caftans were given away as goodwill gifts to visiting dignitaries, ambassadors, state heads, bureaucrats and artisans.

Women’s caftans are more fitted compared to the men’s. Gores were incorporated on the latter’s design causing it to flare at the bottom.

It was Diana Vreeland who brought it to contemporary fashion consciousness in the 1960s. Vreeland published a series of articles in Vogue magazine about her trip to Morocco and dubbed the garment as for “The Beautiful People”.

In ancient years, caftans were worn by kings and emperors, by royalties. Now you know why caftans can make women feel like royalty.

Does anyone know how to do a Dissolution of Partnership?

state craft
cricket121269 asked:


I started a “small” business (just did craft shows) with my in-law and it didn’t work out. How do I do a dissolution of partnership? She said we just have to write a letter saying “The Partnership is Dissolved,” than state the terms of who is buying out whom.

Don’t we need to file this with the state? If so, please give me any advice you have. I heard it has to be filed by the end of the year, is this correct?

Even thought it was a small business, would I be better off having a lawyer do the dissolution?

Is there a law against Phantom style grilles in the state of MN?

state craft
Roxi H asked:


i have a 1987 Silverado that i’d like to put a Phantom grill on (the kind with the thin bars that cross the whole front of the truck, including the headlights) and i just wanted to see if anyone has heard of them beaing outlawed in the state.. i dont beleive they are, i saw a couple trucks with them on at the state fairgrounds for car craft summer nationals and they were on licenced mn daily drivers.. if anyone knows forsure please help me out!

Art in the Park festival at Deep Creek State Park in MD.anybody ever gone?

state craft
secret_oktober_girl asked:


I’m in the midst of going thru the ‘jury’ process to be a craft vendor at this event…Ive heard its HUGE—anybody ever been there? (Either as a vendor or spectator)
How was it?

How do I find retailers around my state (Miss.) to carry their product in my store on consignment?

state craft
do-runrunrun-a-do-runrun asked:


I have a bigger retail store than what I need. So, I want to take part of the space and sell unique items that are hard to find. How do I find retailers around my state (since I want to keep it focused on local retailers)? I was thinking about hitting flea markets and craft shows. Any other suggestions?
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