Source: The Mental Health Advisory Team 9 (MHAT 9) Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 2013 Afghanistan reportThis post is part of a series of Factual Friday posts published on the Military Families Learning Network blog.
Stretch Your Food and Beverages to Save
By Barbara O’Neill, Ph.D., CFP®, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, oneill@aesop.rutgers.eduMany people, including service members and their families, make resolutions in January to improve their health and personal finances. While most people think of health and financial resolutions as separate decisions, they are, in fact, strongly related. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than the relationship between eating/drinking and spending.A small change that people can make to improve their health and finances is to “stretch” food and beverages so that they simultaneously consume fewer calories and buy things less frequently, thereby saving money. Below are seven examples:Water Down Juices– Mix juices with water in a 50/50 or 2:1 juice to water ratio, depending on personal preference. Not only will you cut calories according to the mixing proportion that you select (there are 112 calories in 8 oz. of orange juice and 107 calories in 8 oz. of apple juice), but you’ll buy juice less frequently. If you purchase 52 fewer cartons of juice at a cost of $3 each, that’s $156 in savings over the course of a year.Stretch Wine and Cocktails– Order one drink, instead of several, along with a large cup of ice if you’re going out with friends. Your drink will last a lot longer with the ice to refill it and you won’t need to order another one. This strategy will save both money and calories (a 5 oz. glass of wine has 100 calories) and reduce the chance of a DWI. If someone does not buy 104 glasses of wine (two a week) at a cost of $6 apiece, at a bar or restaurant, that’s $624!Order Water- Order free and zero-calorie tap water, perhaps with a lemon or lime, for even more savings. You can also “ice down” soft drinks consumed at or away from home to stretch them out, similar to the juice example above.Photo by Katherine JohnsonIncentivize Your Children– Consider paying children $1 for drinking water, instead of soda, at restaurants. Like the above examples, the calorie and cost differential savings (e.g., $2.50 for a soda versus the $1 payment) can be substantial over time and you are fostering a positive lifetime habit.Bring Home Leftovers– Take half to two-thirds of restaurant food (depending on portion size) home for future meals. You’ll save a significant number of calories by spacing out large food portions over several meals. Assuming someone eats out once a week and takes enough food home for two additional meals, that adds up to104 meals that don’t need to be purchased because food from a restaurant or cafeteria is already available. At a conservative estimated cost of $4 per meal, that’s $416 in annual savings.Split an Entrée or Dessert– Split the calories and cost of an entrée or dessert. Even including restaurant “plate charges” for shared food, the cost savings can be substantial compared to the cost of ordering two separate meals. In addition, two people eat a half portion instead of a full one, thereby halving the calories. Follow this strategy 52 times a year and save $15 and you’ve saved $780 annually.Downsize Food Portions– Order smaller size and lower cost half-size portions when eating out or use appetizers as a meal. This strategy especially works especially well when you are traveling and taking food home, or even to a hotel room, is not an option.There are many relationships between health and personal finances including the fact that eating patterns affect food and beverage expenses. This article has identified potential annual cost savings of almost $2,000 from “stretching” strategies that affect both calories consumed and dollars spent. Perhaps you can think of others.Want to lose weight and save money? You may not need to look any further than your refrigerator.The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ (SSHW) program encourages people to make positive behavior changes to simultaneously improve their health and personal finances. Information about SSHW can be found at http://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/, including monthly health and personal finance messages and a 132-page SSHW workbook that is available for free downloading.
Breastmilk, the Microbiome, and the Enduring Health Corollary
ReferencesGrosvenor CE. Hormones and growth factors in milk. Endocr Rev. 1993;14(6):710-728. doi:10.1210/er.14.6.710Lönnerdal B. Human Milk Proteins. In: Pickering LK, Morrow AL, Ruiz-Palacios GM, Schanler RJ, eds. Protecting Infants through Human Milk. Vol 554. Boston, MA: Springer US; 2004:11-25. doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-4242-8_4Donovan SM. Role of human milk components in gastrointestinal development: Current knowledge and future NEEDS. J Pediatr. 2006;149(5):S49-S61. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2006.06.052Mueller E, Blaser M. Breast milk, formula, the microbiome and overweight. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018;14(9):510-511. doi:10.1038/s41574-018-0066-5Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW, and the Committee on Nutrition and Section on Allergy and Immunology. Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children: The Role of Maternal Dietary Restriction, Breastfeeding, Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods, and Hydrolyzed Formulas. PEDIATRICS. 2008;121(1):183-191. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-3022Pannaraj PS, Li F, Cerini C, et al. Association Between Breast Milk Bacterial Communities and Establishment and Development of the Infant Gut Microbiome. JAMA Pediatr. 2017;171(7):647. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0378Valdes AM, Walter J, Segal E, Spector TD. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ. June 2018:k2179. doi:10.1136/bmj.k2179Ho NT, Li F, Lee-Sarwar KA, et al. Meta-analysis of effects of exclusive breastfeeding on infant gut microbiota across populations. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):4169. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-06473-xBreast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries, including 50 302 women with breast cancer and 96 973 women without the disease. The Lancet. 2002;360(9328):187-195. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09454-0Lipworth L. History of Breast-Feeding in Relation to Breast Cancer Risk: a Review of the Epidemiologic Literature. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92(4):302-312. doi:10.1093/jnci/92.4.302SECTION ON BREASTFEEDING. Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. PEDIATRICS. 2012;129(3):e827-e841. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-3552Callen J, Pinelli J. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE EXAMINING THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES, INCIDENCE AND DURATION, AND BARRIERS TO BREASTFEEDING IN PRETERM INFANTS: Adv Neonatal Care. 2005;5(2):72-88. doi:10.1016/j.adnc.2004.12.003Lawrence RM, Lawrence RA. Given the Benefits of Breastfeeding, what Contraindications Exist? Pediatr Clin North Am. 2001;48(1):235-251. doi:10.1016/S0031-3955(05)70297-2Dobson B, Murtaugh MA. Position of the American Dietetic Association. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001;101(10):1213-1220. doi:10.1016/S0002-8223(01)00298-X Christian Maino Vieytes, B.S. Nutritional Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, M.S. Candidate, Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignKnowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding has exploded in the last 20 years thanks, in part, to the burgeoning realm of microbiome science, or the study of the gut flora. These terms collectively refer to all of the micro-organisms, and their genetic material, that inhabit our gastrointestinal tract (primarily from the stomach and downwards into the colon and rectum). We now understand a great deal about how components in breast milk prepare an infant’s microbiome and other biological systems for the challenges that it faces as it develops into a growing young adult. Remarkably, these effects are now understood to extend into adulthood and later life.Mammals—a term that encompasses us, humans, and other lactating animal species—are recognized for their unique ability to produce breast milk and enter a cycle of lactation, following the cycles of pregnancy and parturition. What is the role of breast milk? Primarily, breast milk provides an adequate amount of calories and the scope of nutrients necessary for meeting the infant’s growth trajectory. Chemical constituent factors residing in breast milk are essential for promoting rapid and sound neonatal growth. These factors include hormones (growth factors, estrogens, thyroid gland hormones, among a variety of others) in addition to macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micronutrients (vitamin and minerals).1 Human milk is also host to a list of immune factors (antibodies and other proteins that stimulate the infant’s immune system) that help safeguard the developing infant’s organs and tissues against life-threatening infectious illnesses2,3. Remarkably, prolonged consumption of breastmilk during infancy has been demonstrated to protect the child against the development of asthma, celiac disease, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, allergies, and obesity later in life. 4,5 Intestinal DevelopmentA more recent revelation is the role that specific carbohydrates (termed complex oligosaccharides in the world of breast milk research) in human milk provide for developing the gastrointestinal microbiome of the infant. Astoundingly, breast milk consumption has been associated with a more diverse microbiome, a marker of health.4 This comes from the consumption of the breastmilk itself as well from the exchange of microbes from the surface of the mother’s skin during the act of breastfeeding.4,6,7 Multiple studies have consistently demonstrated that exclusively breastfed infants differ from and have more healthful microbiome profiles compared to their non-exclusively breastfed counterparts.8 Unique proteins in the milk are understood to promote the development of lymphoid tissue, which is the layer of immune tissue that resides below the superficial membranes of the gastrointestinal tract that sift through foreign materials and micro-organisms that constantly challenge the host.3 In essence, we see the profound effects that human milk components have on intestinal development and how appropriate development of the gut is integral to overall health. Additionally, health benefits imparted to the mother may include: a reduction in post-partum depression risk as well as a reduction in risks of breast and ovarian cancer.9,10Current RecommendationsThe American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed their children for at least 6 months and continue to do so, as soft and solid foods are introduced, for 1 year or longer.11 Interestingly, population-level studies have demonstrated that only 13% of the population currently meets the 6-month recommendation.11 Many of the aforementioned benefits are contingent on the cumulative duration of the exclusive breastfeeding period. That is, many of these benefits are associated with extended cumulative periods of exclusive breastfeeding.11Special ConsiderationsThe benefits of breastfeeding need to be balanced in consideration of the challenges and barriers that mothers face for breastfeeding their infants. Obstacles to lactation need to be considered, and we must be sensitive to them. Establishing and maintaining a breast milk supply is one of the frequently cited challenges mothers encounter.12 Moreover, mothers with certain conditions or who take certain medications may be discouraged from breastfeeding their infants.13 Working closely with one’s pediatrician and lactation consultant on appropriate lactation practices and management is instrumental for ensuring good breastfeeding outcomes.14
Premiere Pro Shortcuts: Navigating the Timeline
Shift and Up or Down ArrowJump to next edit on any track Down ArrowMove forward to next edit point on clip Up ArrowMove backwards to next edit point on clip Use keyboard shortcuts to control playback in your Premiere Pro timeline!Keeping your fingers on the keyboard (and not having to jump back and forth from keyboard to mouse) will make you a more efficient video editor.Let’s start with the basics. If you’re a total newbie, these are for you. Otherwise, jump ahead. The fundamental Premiere Pro playback shortcuts: Shift and J or LSuper slow-motion playback You can fast-forward through the Premiere Pro timeline by repeatedly hitting L. Similarly, quick reverse by repeatedly tapping J. The speed of playback in either direction is dependent on the number of times you tap the key – more taps equals faster playback.Here’s a few advanced Premiere Pro timeline shortcuts that will make it quicker to move around your timeline:
Space Bar: start/stop playback J: plays backward K: stops playback L: plays forward Using these Premiere Pro shortcuts is KEY to being efficient. Commit them to memory. Make yourself use them! Soon enough you won’t know what you did without them. Right or Left ArrowsMove a frame in either direction.
Turn Your Apple Devices Into a Fully-Functional RED Controller
If you’re a RED user, FoolControl is going to blow your mind.You don’t have to be on the cutting edge in Hollywood to see that the industry is changing. With new developments in production, post and distribution, things are moving faster than ever. Sometimes new products are praised immediately for their innovation (like the Blackmagic URSA). Other times new innovations will fly under the radar. The FoolControl is one such innovation.If you’ve ever been frustrated by using a follow focus or simply can’t get smooth results with your hands, we may have found the product for you. The FoolControl is a great app for any Apple device and allows users to change the settings of their favorite RED camera. This makes adjusting camera settings easy and precise, and can really help customize your on-set experience. Lets take a closer look.The FoolControl AppFoolControl gives you full remote-control over many settings like frame rate, shutter speed, white balance, cropping, bit-rate, and ND Filters. Even more, users can gain access to deeper levels of customization like recording format, HDR, and target REDCODE. This custom control is even better thanks to the fact that users have the ability to save camera presets using the FoolControl app. If you have a very specific look you can easily save it for later.When used on an Apple computer, FoolControl actually pulls double duty as a production monitor. Using it as a reference monitor you can have a better indication of what you image looks like when adjusting various color related fields like shadow, saturation, brightness, contrast, and RGB curves.Additionally, FoolControl is also good for adjusting utility settings on your camera. For example, using the app you can change your timecode settings and create on-set logs for your DP, producers, and editing team. You can also overlay guides and reference images, making VFX work much easier.How it WorksConnect both your camera and iOS device using a wifi network along with one of the following devices:OFFHOLLYWOOD HOTLINK or HOTBOX R/S moduleRED Ethernet-lemo cable connected to a GIG-E routerREDLINK Bridge wifi module.After connecting, you can configure the app to work with a specific camera. Use keyboard shortcuts to easily navigate the interface and save presets on the computer version. The modules are all recallable so you have even more control.While the computer version is strong, the iOS version is even better. A new FoolControl follow focus case labeled the DroKnob will soon be on the market, enabling users to remotely control their RED camera’s focus with their iPhones. Given that the app allows for digital guide markers to be set, this is definitely a useful tool for any RED user to have. FoolControl focusing works with most motorized motors.Pricing and AvailabilityFoolControl comes in a number of varieties. For iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, FoolControl is $169 in the App Store. However, for OSX computers FoolControl is $99 for a SCARLET license, $199 for an EPIC license, and $419 for a universal unlimited license. No word on when the DroKnob iPhone case will be available but we will let you know as soon as it drops.We’re curious to see if more remote control apps will be developed to work with production cameras outside of the RED lineup.Read More:DroKnob Follow Focus – via CinescopophiliaFoolControl – via RED Users ForumFoolControl’s Website
Video Tutorial: Animate a 2D Mobile Device with After Effects
Mobile Device TemplateIf you are looking for amazing, ready-to-go background mobile device animation, check out Fast Forward on RocketStock.com. In this video tutorial, learn how you can use motion graphics in After Effects to animate a 2D mobile device using your own UI design.Working on an animated 2D mobile device project is quite common today since most people spend a lot their time online on a mobile device. With that in mind, you shouldn’t be surprised if your client wants to incorporate a mobile device into a project. A 2D mobile device is a great way to create a strong call-to-action, as it tells viewers that they can use their phones to get in on the action. (In fact, they will more than likely be on their mobile device while watching your video.)Any company with a web presence or an app may need a commercial that showcases their product in the context of a mobile phone CTA. So, there are multiple ways to go about designing a mobile phone animation:The easy way: download a .PNG of a file and animate in the UI.The top of line way: create a 3D phone with realistic textures and accurate design.And the clean motion graphics way: use 2D layers to make a 3D phone. Looking for more on After Effects? Check out these tutorials.Understanding Keyframe Interpolation in Adobe After Effects5 Ways To Create A Background in After EffectsVideo Tutorial: How to Stitch 360 Footage in After EffectsHow to Export Illustrator Icons to Use in After Effects and Premiere ProVideo Tutorial: How to Loop an Animation in Adobe After Effects
Use 2D Layers to Make a 3D phoneIn this After Effects tutorial, we’ll create a clean motion graphics mobile animation. We’ll use the rounded rectangle tool to create each side of the phone. From there, we will use strategic compositions to design the phone and the UI. Lastly, we will tie all of the layers together and animate the phone in 3D space.What you’ll take away from this After Effects tutorial:Using 2D shape layers to create a 3D phone.Creating compositions to build your UI.How to work in 3D space with cameras.How to use motion graphics to create a real object.
Interview: Filmmaker America Young on Stunts, Directing, and Persistence
From voice acting, to directing, to learning to love your work even on the bad days, America Young is here to tell you how it’s done.In front of the camera, behind it, or kicking it with acrobatic force, multi-faceted industry pro America Young knows there are no excuses. You want to make a film? Just do it.We spoke with her and found some premium gems on what she’s learned and how she still knows nothing.Courtesy of America Young.Premium Beat: You have such a diverse skill set — actor, director, producer, and most intriguingly stunt performer. You’ve been set on fire, dragged through gravel, brought your fists to a knife fight, and swung from buildings. How do you prepare for all this danger and still bring the needed reality to the scene?America Young: First of all, your framing of the question is a lot of fun. Great question. The answer differs depending on which job title I have that day. As a stunt person, I do what I’m told by the coordinator. As a stunt coordinator, I work with the director to find the tone and truth of the scene. It’s so important that the action augments the story and the characters, and that it doesn’t take over. If the scene is all action, the audience checks out. I mean, they’ll watch it and think “That looks so bad ass!” but they won’t be invested in the outcome. They won’t care who wins and they won’t worry about the characters.The fights, and the way the character fights, need to be character-driven to keep that truth. A person with no training who has never been exposed to a dangerous situation would react completely differently than someone who has. All of this needs to be connected. There needs to be a real connection with story and risk. Doesn’t matter if the character is a child or a superhero, we want the viewer to worry about the characters.Jace Hall, Stan Lee, Peter David, America Young, Mark Hamill and Adrianne Curry. Stan Lee’s World of Heroes Panel members. Image from IMDB.PB: Do you find that being a woman in the stunt world presents any special challenges?AY: I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Obviously. I’m sure it does but since I’ve always been a woman, I don’t really have a different point of reference. I do know that I have always felt supported by amazingly talented stuntmen and stuntwomen in the industry. And since women have to do the same slams into concrete and stair falls as the stuntmen, but are usually in evening gowns or bikinis (so we can’t wear pads), I’ve actually found the stuntmen view stuntwomen with great respect.That said, there are not a lot of women working as stunt coordinators. Not many at all. I was coordinating a feature earlier this year and worked with an incredible stuntwoman who has been stunting for 20 years. She said I was the first woman she had ever worked for. I believe Monique Ganderton is the first woman to stunt coordinate a major blockbuster movie.There are some who accept the way it’s always been done, and there are others who ask “Why?” I try to be the one who asks why. And I find most of the time people are open to the discussion, which is pretty cool.Protectress, directed by America Young. Courtesy of Saint Joan productionsPB: You trained with the same Grandmaster who trained Bruce Lee. What can you tell us about that experience?AY: Oh man. That was INTENSE! He’s 85 and can still beat the pants off of anyone. Bruce Lee trained with a number of people. My Grandmaster was an expert on kicks so that was the focus of what he and Bruce worked on. I have never worked harder and pushed myself further than when testing for my Black Belt with him. He is old school, hardcore.Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures/ Courtesy of Mattel Creations.PB: Switching gears from Battles to Barbie. You voice her in the TV Series, Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures. What is the process like in the voiceover world? You’ve done other tween projects (Monster High) and video game voices (Saints Row 3 & 4). Is preparing for voiceover work much different than on camera besides the obvious?AY: Yes! Dreamhouse Adventures is on Netflix. Eight episodes so far with more episodes coming soon! Everything leads back to story, character, and truth. Stunts, voiceover, or on camera, all different skills sets flesh out a different part of the story. If you don’t connect to those things, then people don’t invest. With both VO and stunts, you warm up and you practice and train constantly. With both VO and stunts, you work to find the way you can best serve the story and the project.I am also currently directing Season 4 of Barbie Vlogger on youtube. We just did an episode about the Sorry Reflex that went viral and I’m beaming with pride. To inspire and affect others as positively as I can is why I am in this industry. Directing the motion capture, voiceover, and animation on this series has been challenging and fulfilling. It’s my experience that Mattel is committed to Barbie being a great role model. Our writer, producers, actors, animators, the whole team are all incredible and are truly seeking the best possible version of this icon. Dream job.Courtesy of America Young.PB: We know you are a badass who can also tap into her inner Barbie. But, when you put on the director’s hat how do you approach the work? Do you lead a set with an iron fist, solicit collaboration, or is it a bit of both?AY: Benevolent dictatorship. It’s important that the buck stops with someone. There needs to be someone with the singular vision who has all the information and knows how it all fits together. That said, the smartest thing a director can do is hire the best possible people for each job and then listen to them. They think about their job and their department all the time. They know what they are doing and are passionate about their craft. You might not always take their advice, no matter how brilliant, because it might not fit into the big picture. But you will always, always improve the project if you are open to admitting someone else’s idea is better than yours.As for how to run a set, it’s a fine line right? There’s a lot of money, talent and jobs riding on a film. However, it’s a movie. We get to play for a living. So it’s important to me that we work hard but remember to enjoy it, treat each other well on set, and keep perspective.When we shot The Concessionaires Must Die!, a majority of it was in Fresno, CA. We were all in a hotel and it felt like summer camp. So many of my cast and crew have told me that to this day, it is still their favorite set they’ve worked on. I think the fun and love comes through on the film. It’s now available on all VOD platforms including iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play!Courtesy of America Young.PB: The projects you’ve directed and produced seem very much labors of love. Is there anything you’ve learned from the crowd-funding world?AY: No matter what the budget, I think they all have to be labors of love because IT IS A LOT OF LABOR! I’ve learned you will love your movie. And you will hate your movie. Then you’ll love it again. Then you’ll doubt everything and think that you wasted everyone’s time. And then you’ll love it again and cannot wait to do another.This is something I’ve heard from every filmmaker, no matter the level or budget or experience. If at anytime in life you are pushing yourself, personal goal wise, and you think “I will never do this again” it may be because you are so outside your comfort zone that you feel miserable. Which most likely means, you are accomplishing something truly remarkable. Which most likely means, you will be so freaking proud once you accomplish it and will most certainly do it again. So, if you are currently in a loathing cycle, don’t worry, the sun will come out. If you are currently in a love cycle, brace yourself.I think that makes labors of love sustainable is the love part—the passion part. It’s the people you surround yourself with. When I hire people, I look for the most talented but I also look for people who are hard working, egoless, and full of light.Image from IMDB.At the start of every shoot I have started to make a speech. “We are all here for the love of the story we are telling. No one here is getting paid what they or their talent is worth. The gratitude we feel for us all to work together is boundless. So let’s please remember, while we work hard, we say please, thank you, and take dance breaks. If there is an issue with someone, no matter how small, please let’s address it immediately because I guarantee no one on this set would intentionally hurt an other.” Then I usually make a fart joke and start our day.Whatta Lark, a web series I directed that’s also on Amazon, was such a love fest everyday. We were shooting in an unusual format, so the cast and crew were intimate. We would get to work early and hang out after wrap. No one wanted to leave. By day two we were already planning the second season.Protectress, a Xena-inspired film that’s now on the festival circuit, was mostly a female crew. Again gratitude, kindness, and belief in our story was what got us through some production trials.Anything I’ve learned from the crowd-funding world expired the week after I learned it. That platform seems to change on a regular basis. It does seem to be easier to raise money for a game or invention than a film. I wish I had more to share. There are some great articles on it on Ms. In the Biz.Courtesy of America Young.PB: Any general advice for someone starting out and pursuing their dreams in the film industry?AY: Just make it. You don’t have to show anyone. Start small if you need, a contained story in one room. Two page script, shot on your phone. You will make mistakes. Learn from them. Make another one. You will make mistakes. Learn from them. Just keep doing it. There is literally no other way to do it. Books have tons of information but until you dive in, you won’t really learn anything. Keep telling stories that mean something to you, because if they are important to you, they will resonate with others.You don’t need to be in LA. You don’t need expensive gear. And you don’t need movie stars. You need a good story. Good stories cost nothing. You are human, you have stories. Stories you wish you saw out there. Stories only you can tell. Tell those.Looking for more industry interviews? Check these out:Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without FeathersA Conversation with Lucian Read, Cinematographer of America DividedInterview: Actor Amy Stewart on the Work-Life Balancing ActInterview: Animated Advice from Films to Comics with David Avallone
How to Change the Color of Exterior Lights in After Effects
In this video tutorial, learn how to change the color of location lighting in After Effects — including a free project file!You’ve probably noticed the rise in neon-toned exteriors in modern movies. (See the opening shot in the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3.) This lighting seems like it would be out of reach for our own projects, right? However, with a few basic effects in After Effects, you can easily turn an average exterior shot into something from a Hollywood blockbuster.In this tutorial, we’ll look at using the Hue & Saturation effect, with simple masks, to change the color of exterior lighting. This technique can really help match an exterior establishing shot to the tone of your project. (Which makes it a great technique to use on royalty free footage.)Ready to give your location a neon exterior look? Let’s get started!Download the Project File(These assets are free to use in any personal or commercial project. By downloading these assets, you agree not to sell or redistribute them.)Ideal Shot Use CasesIf you’re planning on using this effect in your own project, there are a few ideal shot use cases. The best uses are on night exterior shots, specifically drone aerials or stationary city skylines. For nighttime drone shots, keep the movement minimal and going in only one direction. This drastically simplifies the masking and keyframing you’ll need to do. You can also use this effect on dark interior shots that have a lot of contrast. (Think background lamp lights or wall lighting away from your subject.)Tips for FilmingIf you film your own exterior shots, here are some things that will make editing your shots in post easier. First, film your shots with a warmer or cooler white balance. This creates an orange or blue “wash” over the area lit by the lights. This will make it easier to adjust the color tone in post. Next, make sure your scene has high contrast. You can film with a picture profile that has more contrast, or you can add contrast in post using an effect like Curves or Lumetri Color. Finally, the less noise you have in your footage the easier things will be in post. I recommend filming with a lower ISO, but understandably, this isn’t always possible for night scenes. So you may want to de-noise the footage in post. (A popular denoiser plugin I frequently use is Neat Video.)Masking LightsFirst, you’ll need to mask out the light area where you want to change the color. Create an adjustment layer, then use the Pen Tool to mask out around the light area on the first frame of your footage. Follow along the edge of where the light naturally feathers out. I recommend having “RotoBezier” checked on, but you may want to check it off for shots with lots of buildings and straight edges.Hue & SaturationNext, apply the Hue & Saturation effect to the adjustment layer. Rotate the Master Hue to begin changing the color of the lighting. From there, you can adjust the feathering level of your mask. (I typically set my mask feathering between 20 to 60 pixels.) If necessary, you can boost the color saturation with the Master Saturation slider. For an extra bit of punch, you can apply Lumetri Color after the Hue & Saturation effect, and bring up the highlights.KeyframingKeyframing the lighting effects is fairly simple. On the first frame of your footage, create a keyframe for Mask Path. Then move to the final frame. Double-click on the edge of the mask. You should see a grey square outline appear around the mask. Move the mask back into place over the lights. (Adjust individual points as necessary.) This should automatically create a second keyframe for your mask. Scrub through the timeline to make sure the mask moves correctly through your shot. Make adjustments in the middle areas if necessary.Final Compositing TipsOnce you have completed the look of your lights, add an adjustment layer over all of your footage and apply Lumetri Color. Use this layer to finalize your grade. I recommend tweaking the exposure and highlights to see what looks best. You may even want to adjust the overall color saturation. You can also apply a LUT using Lumetri Color and adjust the intensity level to see how it reacts to the different lighting. If noise in your image is still an issue, you may want to overlay some film grain to help neutralize it.Interested in the tracks we used to make this video?“Tropical Cruise” by Cymatix“Faraway Dream” by Sound Fox Music“Atmospheric Future Bass” by Klimenko Music“Michelle” by Julian Bell“All That Glitters” by Benjamin Fletcher“Lovely Travel” by Make Music“Midnight Coup” by BedlakeLooking for more filmmaking tutorials? Check these out.Video Tutorial: Harness the Power of Presets in Adobe After EffectsVideo Tutorial: How to Create Karaoke Graphics in After EffectsChanging the Audio Editing Game with PremiumBeat’s Track StemsHow to Create the VHS Look in Premiere Pro + Free VHS Effect PresetsWorking with High Frame Rate Proxies in Adobe Premiere Pro
When to Move Fast
Essential Reading! Get my first book: The Only Sale Guide You’ll Ever Need “The USA Today bestseller by the star sales speaker and author of The Sales Blog that reveals how all salespeople can attain huge sales success through strategies backed by extensive research and experience.” Buy Now In sales fast is slow, and slow is fast. The central idea here is that moving faster than your client, putting the transaction above the relationship and their needs slows you down. So does skipping steps and doing sloppy work.That said, there is no reason to take more time than is necessary to do anything. You do not benefit from taking longer than is necessary to create and win opportunities, and your clients do not receive greater value by your dragging out the process and preventing them from getting better results now.If you can create new opportunities faster by spending more time prospecting, it makes sense to do more of that work now to pull those results forward in time. You gain nothing by taking more time to do what might be done in less, especially when it comes to building a pipeline.If you can compress the sales cycle by controlling the process and gaining the necessary commitments without allowing that process to be slowed down by your lack of intention, then you move results forward in time for both you and your clients.There is something else that you must do to pull results forward. You must be highly effective. You have to develop your mindset and skill sets to improve the work you do for and with your clients and prospects. You must develop the business acumen and situational knowledge to be more valuable to your clients, and to produce that value for them sooner, as early in the process as possible. You have to be someone who is trusted, and who can make recommendations that allow the people you serve to stay connected to you as you help them move forward to a better future state.Most of all, you must be conscious of time. If you want to make a difference, you have less time available than you believe. It is enough, but only if you invest it wisely.
My Best Advice on How Not to Be a Commodity
Essential Reading! Get my 3rd book: Eat Their Lunch “The first ever playbook for B2B salespeople on how to win clients and customers who are already being serviced by your competition.” Buy Now There will be very few who will follow the idea in this post. Most will ignore the directive I recommend here, doing exactly the opposite, believing it both wiser and more efficient. Those who read it with an understanding of how things are shaking out in business will profit for practicing what follows.Pulled by the PolesThe business world is being pulled in two directions:The most potent forces in the history of commerce are driving people and companies to become ever more transactional, removing friction—especially the friction that naturally occurs wherever you find Homo sapiens engaged in any activity, including commercial relationships. The gravitational pull here is difficult to avoid, as technology has allowed for ever more clever software to do work that not long ago belonged to human beings.We might call this strategy “super-transactional,” marked mostly by lower prices and a reduction in human interactions.There is another strategy pulling people and companies in an entirely different direction, and increasing friction one might describe as “caring” to create a different level of value. Unlike its polar opposite, there is no drive to lower prices or automate client or customer interactions. Instead, there is increased communication, increased advice, and a process that lends itself to important decisions. It requires more time, more energy, and more caring.You might call this approach “super-relational,” in that a large part of the value is created by and through human interactions.Communicating Your StrategyBecause I am a bibliophile of the first order, I like Amazon.com. Their algorithm is exceptionally adept at showing me books I am certain to love—and buy. The 1,600+ books I have purchased from them is a large enough data set to predict what I will buy. Sometimes I buy books from Amazon.com, and other times I buy the hardcover book from my local Barnes & Noble, the Book Loft in German Village, or a local book store in any of the many cities I visit each year (my favorite place to spend time and shop).Amazon only communicates with me over email. I don’t know anyone who works there, and no one who works for them knows me. Our relationship is super-transactional.When you allow email to be your primary form of communication with your prospects and clients, you have chosen a medium that, as useful—and useless—as it is, is more transactional than other choices. Your prospecting email is less effective than a phone call because it is an inferior form of communication for meaningful conversations and outcomes. It is more valuable as a follow up to conversations had in more effective mediums.When you communicate face to face, video face to video face, or by phone, you are choosing a much richer form of communication. You can hear more of what is communicated, and if you can see the person with whom you are speaking to, you see more of what is communicated. This is true even when your subconscious mind is receiving the communication your conscious mind cannot pick up.If you treat people like they are a transaction, they are likely to reciprocate in kind.Make Your ChoiceIf you want to create a preference to work with you and your company, you are not likely going to develop any partiality to choose you by sending an email, and sending an automated chain of emails is almost sure to have the opposite effect. When everyone has chosen a communication method only because it is efficient, differentiation cannot be found in doing the same.You can choose to show up. You can also decide to pick up the phone, avoiding email when it is the wrong medium for the outcome you are pursuing. You can get from behind the screens that dominate so much of our lives and engage in more effective forms of communication, the kind that gives you a competitive advantage.If you are not a commodity, it is foolish to behave like one.
‘Keeping postal ballot open for 35 days has caused lapses’
Panaji: An all political parties conclave — sans the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party — held here on Thursday criticised “the mess that has been created due to the indiscretion of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has kept the voting lines for postal ballots open for over 35 days”.The conclave, attended by senior representatives of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the MGP-GSM-SS alliance, and other regional outfits — like Goa Forward Party, Goa Suraj and Goa Vikas Party — also discussed issues regarding the recent conduct of Assembly elections in the State. Girish Chodankar, secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC), said the parties arrived at a consensus that a team from the ECI should sent to look into the “lapses” in the postal ballot process, and into a special felicitation camp which was held by State election authorities for casting postal ballots.The parties demanded that polling by Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) should be kept for a day for service voters instead of postal ballots.A statement issued by the parties at the end of the conclave said the conference backed the postal balloting mechanism, “as it provides opportunity to the service voter to exercise their right to vote.” However, it blamed the ECI for “making mockery” of the process.‘Tampering the process’The conclave was also critical of a special camp for postal voting, organised by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State, which, “violates the guidelines for the conduct of postal ballot and which amounts to tampering with the already laid out process for postal balloting.” The conference also demanded the ECI and CEO to explain under what provisions of law or guidelines the camp was conducted. The conclave noted that postal balloting continues for up to two hours before the commencement of counting of votes. However, the parties said that once the ECI breaks the convention of counting of votes immediately after the polls, it is it’s duty to fix a rational and reasonable schedule for postal balloting. The statement issued by parties said, “The current manner of postal balloting cannot be justified on any rational ground.”
Police try to rescue cows, face mob ire
A police team was on Saturday attacked by a mob of over 100 persons here when it tried to rescue a large number of cows which were allegedly being taken for slaughter.The police lobbed 18 rounds of teargas shells after the mob attacked them, Godhra Deputy SP V. K. Nai said. “When the police reached the ground where the cattle were kept, they were attacked by the mob with stones. To disperse the crowd, the police team lobbed 18 teargas shells. Nobody was hurt,” he said.On information that the cattle were brought here for slaughtering, the police carried out a combing operation, and found a large number of cattle tied at a place. When they tried to take them into custody, the officers were attacked, Mr. Nai said. “We seized 49 cattle from the spot and took them to a cow shelter,” he said.
Ram Rahim verdict: Mayhem rips through Panchkula
Residents stay insideThick smoke billowed high in the sky as terrified local residents locked themselves inside their homes.“My motorcycle has been burnt down. I had parked it near the road and gone nearby for some work,” said a young man working with a private company.A steady stream of ambulances was bringing scores of injured people to the local civil hospital. It was not clear if the injuries were due to police action or violence by Dera followers.At least one person was seen lying motionless by the roadside. Many women among the followers who had gathered here gave a tough time to the police and paramilitary personnel.Immediately after the verdict, many of the Dera chief’s followers broke police barricades and security cordons.At least three OB vans of private television channels were damaged. Two vans were overturned by a mob.The Punjab and Haryana High court had come down heavily on the Haryana government for its apparent inability to maintain law and order in the State ahead of the CBI court verdict and pulled it up for not imposing Section 144 of Cr. PC in time to prevent the huge gathering of Dera followers in Panchkula. Death and destruction descended on Panchkula, otherwise a peaceful city of Haryana, as soon as the self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was convicted by a special CBI court here in a rape case.The violence and arson by supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief brought back chilling memories of last year when this city, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, witnessed an agitation by the Jats over reservation. The followers of Ram Rahim, who had gathered here in thousands over the past four days, went on the rampage, hurling stones, vandalising media vehicles and setting afire several two-wheelers.
Security stepped up in Panchkula ahead of Gurmeet Ram Rahim trial
Security has been stepped up around the Panchkula District Courts complex ahead of the hearing in two separate murder cases against the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, scheduled for Friday. The police said on Friday that Haryana police personnel and paramilitary staff had been deployed in and around the Panchkula district courts complex to ensure law and order, where the hearing will be held at the special Central Bureau of India (CBI) court.Sufficient number of police and paramilitary staff has been positioned, Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu said. Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment on two counts of rape of female followers, is the main accused in the murder case of a Dera member Ranjit Singh. It is alleged that Ranjit was shot dead at the behest of Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2002.In the other case, Gurmeet Ram Rahim is facing charges in the case of the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who was also allegedly killed in 2002, again at the behest of the Dera chief. A senior police official said the Dera chief is unlikely to be physically present for the hearing and he is lodged at Sunaria Jail near Rohtak. The hearing would take place through video conferencing. Haryana witnessed deadly violence by Dera Sacha Sauda followers after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in the rape cases by the special CBI court on August 25, which left 41 people dead and injured over 250 people.
Padmaavat to stay off screens despite SC nod
The Supreme Court may have lifted the ban on the release of the Bollywood movie Padmaavat, but it is unlikely to be screened in the BJP-ruled States of Gujarat and Rajasthan.While the owners of theatres and multiplexes in Gujarat have decided against exhibiting the movie following threats of disruption from outfits such as the Rajput Karni Sena, the Rajasthan government has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against its stay on the ban against its release.Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria met leaders of the Rajput Karni Sena at the State Secretariat.Announcing that the Rajasthan government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court against lifting the ban on the film Padmaavat, State Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria told Rajput activists on Saturday that they could also move court to join as parties in the case to ensure that the litigation proceeds “on the right track”.“We would also like the erstwhile royal family of Mewar to move the court, as this will strengthen our case,” he said adding that the petition would be moved by Monday or Tuesday.The State government had formally issued an order earlier this week prohibiting the film’s screening, citing the law-and-order situation and public interest.The Gujarat Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association said its members would not screen the film in their cinemas because it was likely to cause law-and-order issues. Members of the Karni Sena and other groups held protests, blocking highways, setting two State transport buses on fire and burning tyres on the road.Highways blockedIn Banaskantha, members of the Mahakal Sena blocked traffic, while in Bhavnagar, tyres were set on fire on various highways affecting traffic. “We are exploring all options and studying the Supreme Court ruling. I urge various groups and communities to maintain peace and don’t allow any violence in any manner,” Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said after the protests on Saturday.“We have told all movie hall owners that the movie will not be allowed under any circumstances and now they have also supported our demand to not show the movie,” said Raj Shekhavat, Gujarat President of Karni Sena.“We all are scared if there is violence after the movie is screened. We are not prepared to bear any loss,” said Rakesh Patel, director of Gujarat Multiplex Association. In Ahmedabad, there are 46 multiplex cinema halls but will not show the movie.In Rajkot also, cinema hall owners have “assured the protesting groups that the movie will not be released in the city.”“We held a meeting with representatives and Karni Sena and other Rajput groups in which we assured them that the movie will not be released in any theatre in the city,” a cinema hall owner told The Hindu.According to police, there are around 10 groups, including Rajput Karni Sena, which have threatened violence if the movie is shown anywhere in the State.After the Supreme Court lifted ban , the State government issued a statement saying that it would “study the SC order” and then decide on the next move.
Trial in rape case against Tarun Tejpal from March 15-17
The trial in the rape case against Tehelka magazine founder-editor Tarun Tejpal has been postponed to March 15, 16 and 17 by a court in Mapusa in North Goa.Earlier, the court was supposed to hear the case from February 26 to March 1.The postponement was made following a request from Tejpal regarding a change in lawyer, said Special Public Prosecutor Francisco Tavora.The case will begin with the examination of the survivor by the prosecution.The court has already framed charges against Tejpal under various sections of Indian Penal Code , imncluding that of sexual harassment and provisions related to rape of his then junior female journalist colleague in a five-star hotel in North Goa in November 2013 during an annual event of the publication.Tejpal had denied all allegations.The court recently framed charges following a direction of the Supreme Court on December 6 last to complete the trial within three months.Tejpal was arrested on November 30, 2013 by the Goa Crime Branch after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a trial court. He has been out on bail since 2014.
U.P. sugar mills owe ₹6,500 crore to farmers
The sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh are yet to receive ₹6,499.22 crore arrears from sugar mills in the current crushing season. Private and corporate-owned mills top the list of companies that are yet to pay farmers the full price.According to the Uttar Pradesh Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA), farmers sold cane worth ₹22,880 crore to sugar mills and received ₹16,380.78 crore till March 16. Overall, mill owners have managed to pay about 71.59% of the total money they owe to farmers. More than 55 lakh farmers spread across 40 districts of western Uttar Pradesh grow sugarcane, the region’s cash crop.Deepak Guptara, UPSMA’s secretary, told The Hindu that about 8001 lakh quintals of cane was crushed in 2017-18, from which 850.49 lakh quintals of sugar was produced in this season. He said that due to the record production of sugar, prices had fallen, which had affected the capacity of the sugar mills to pay.“The total investment in the production of one quintal of sugar is at least ₹3,450. Right now, the rate of sugar has gone down to ₹3,220 [per quintal], which means that we are bearing a loss of at least ₹230 per quintal, which is a matter of immense concern for us,” Mr. Guptara said.Sudhir Panwar, a former member of the Uttar Pradesh Planning Commission, who hails from the Shamli district, told The Hindu, “What is happening on the ground is just the opposite of the ruling party’s promise that farmers will get their cane [sale] dues in a maximum of two weeks from the start of the crushing season. The government is three months late and farmers have not yet received payment for the cane they sold in December and January.” Professor Panwar added that the Yogi Adityanath government had promised to constitute the Chaudhary Charan Singh Cane Stabilising Fund to ensure that there remains a corpus of money for farmers to get their cane dues even if there is a crisis in the sugarcane industry.“Right now, farmers are not getting their dues on time and the government has stopped talking about the Chaudhary Charan Singh Cane Stabilising Fund. The farmers of the State are in extreme distress. If their grievance is not taken care of soon, then their plight may turn into a big tragedy and might result in more tragedies,” he said.
Goa police head to A.P. to probe origin of tortured girls
Goa police have started an investigation into the case where eight girls with burn injuries were rescued from two flats near Baina beach at Vasco on April 15. The girls, in the 11 to 12 age-group, were under the care of Venus Habeeb, a 65-year-old resident of Baina, who allegedly brought them from Andhra Pradesh. Goa police on Wednesday sent a team to the State to probe the origin of the eight girls.The case came to light when a girl from Mangor-Hill in Vasco in South Goa noticed burn injuries on the hands of the girls when they met at a local church for prayers on the evening of April 15. The girl immediately dialled 1098, CHILDLINE India Foundation’s toll-free helpline, which promptly intimated the police.Vasco police raided the flats owned by the accused and rescued the girls. Ms. Habeeb was arrested and the flats were sealed. The police registered a case against the accused under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 324 (simple injuries) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 8 of Goa Children’s Act.Ms. Habeeb was produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class court in Vasco, which remanded her in police custody for five days. Police Sub Inspector Ritesh Tari said, “The police team is visiting Andhra Pradesh to find out if the accused adopted the girls or bought them from their parents.” Mr. Tari said the accused had enrolled the girls in a reputed school in Vasco, but used to allegedly assault them with a belt and pipes. On Tuesday, the court recorded the statements of all the girls, which Mr. Tari said would be kept confidential. The statements will be sent to Goa Children’s Court, which will hear Ms. Habeeb’s bail plea on Thursday. Mr. Tari said more persons could be involved in the case.
Trinamool sweeps Bengal rural polls
The ruling Triamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday swept West Bengal’s panchayat polls held on May 14. The BJP, which appeared to be a distant second, made its presence felt in districts like Purulia and Jhargram in the State’s Jangalmahal region by putting up some resistance to the ruling party.Other than these two districts, from the Himalayan foothills to the Sunderbans in the Bay of Bengal, the Trinamool is leading in about 75% of seats at the gram panchayat level and almost 90% seats at the panchayat samiti and zilla parishad levels. Since the elections were held using ballot papers, the counting of votes is likely to continue late into the night.Of the 31,814 seats which went to the polls at the gram panchayat level, Trinamool won 19,394 seats and the BJP bagged 5,050 seats till late in the evening.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the winners and said that Trinamool had secured 90% of the seats that went to the polls.In Jhargram district, of the 780 gram panchayats that went to the polls, 373 seats were won by Trinamool and 329 by BJP. Similarly, in Purulia, of 1,921 seats where voting was held at the gram panchayat level, Trinamool won 754 and the BJP 528.Bhangar in the State’s South 24 Parganas district provided some succour to the Opposition.Five of the nine candidates of the Committee for the Protection of Land, Livelihood, Ecology and Environment (CPLLEE), who filed nomination papers online as per the directions of the High Court, won gram panchayat seats in the Polerhat II area.The CPLLEE is supported by locals and members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Red Star and has been locked in a bitter struggle with local Trinamool leaders over a proposed power plant in the area for the past two years.Independent candidatesAn interesting aspect of the polls is the seats won by independent candidates.Till late in the evening, independents had won 1,465 gram panchayat seats, which is higher than the 1,186 seats won by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).Most of the independent candidates are Trinamool supporters, who were denied ticket by the party.The seats won by Congress at various levels were also negligble.
Japanese firm official shot at
The human resource department head of Japanese company Mitsuba Sical India, engaged in manufactures automobile parts, was shot at by two men here on Thursday morning. The police have arrested a relative of one of the company’s employees who was sacked three months ago.Dinesh Kumar Sharma, 50, was on his way to his office in Pathreri village when two men on a motorcycle opened fire at him from the rear window of his car at Bilaspur Chowk. Continued to drive“The assailants targeted his [Mr. Dinesh’s] head but the car jumped over a speed breaker and the bullet missed the target, hitting his back instead. He, however, continued to drive till the company’s gate, where he passed out due to excessive bleeding. The company’s staff then took him to a private hospital in Manesar,” said Mr. Dinesh’s father Rati Ram Sharma, a retired district health education officer. Mr. Dinesh was operated upon and is stable.Mr. Sharma claimed that the two men continued to chase his son till the company’s gate and to Panchgaon Chowk while he was being taken to hospital. While one of the assailants wore a helmet, the other had covered his face with a muffler. Eyewitnesses claimed that the assailants fired four rounds.The family has named company’s former employee Joginder, and his relatives Daya Chand Master and Kishan in the FIR. The family suspect that more people could be involved in the attack.Joginder, a resident of neighbouring Rathiwas village, worked as an apprentice in the company and was sacked three months ago along with other workers. Death threatsBut he had been mounting pressure on Mr. Dinesh to reinstate him and had also given death threats. “When my son got the death threats three months ago, he registered an FIR in the Bilaspur police station. He was provided security but was withdrawn later,” said Mr. Sharma.He claimed that Daya Chand had met Mr. Dinesh on Wednesday at Bilaspur Chowk and threatened him with dire consequences if he did not reinstate Joginder.“He called my son again over the phone in the evening and threatened to kill him. But my son did not take it seriously,” said Mr. Sharma. The police have arrested Daya Chand in this connection.Mr. Dinesh, a resident of Sector-43 in Gurugram, has been working with the company for the past eight years.
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