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How to Prepare Yourself Before Repainting the Car

If you are confident and skilled enough, you may repaint your car as a DIY project. This could be an acceptable thing to do if you have an older, used car. Using professional service to repaint your car can be quite expensive and doesn’t justify the current value of your car. Used cars may no longer have blemish-free surface, so repainting the car can improve the general appeal. There are things that you need to prepare before you repaint the car. First of all, you need to clean the surface completely. It is important that the surface is free from any contaminant, such as grease and dirt. It is an important thing to do if you want to have the best results possible. Also, the area where you repaint the car should be dust free and ultra clean.

You can do it in a garage. Clean the ceiling and wall, then mop the floor just before you start repainting the car. It is a good idea to keep the floor slightly damp, so dust can be kept down. You should also make sure that spray guns are completely clean. If the gun is dirty, you will get poor results and your car will look awful. Another step is to make sure that the respirator is working nicely. You should also have good quality catalyst reducer and primer. You also need measuring device, stir sticks and strainers. Reducers work best at different temperature, so make sure that you choose the right one for your projects. In general, reducer for high temperature should work best at around 80 degrees Celsius. Mid temp reducers should work well between 55 to 80 degrees Celsius.

Low temperature reducers should work well under 50 degrees Celsius; however it will dry much slower. Low temp reducers can be your best choice, because it generally works in normal room temperature. This is also a reason why it’s better to repaint your car during the summer, so you can do this in a warmer situation. Before starting your project, you should spend enough time to read all the instructions. As an example, you should know about the ideal mix of catalyst and primer. When you spray the primer, you may need to wait 20 minutes, before you spray the surface again. However, this could still depend on the brand of the primer. You should read the instructions to know what procedure that you need to follow.

If there are deep scratches on the surface of the car, you need to sand the whole surface. This can be a time consuming task. You will need to use power sander and handle it carefully to get a shiny, ultra smooth finish. This phase can be intimidating to an extent that many people are reluctant to repaint their car. However, if you are careful and persistent enough, you should have good results. You should start with small sections of the car surface. You should first aim to remove the outermost layer, It is important to be patient and make sure that your working condition is comfortable.

Things You Should Know About Additives

When we think about oil additives, we may not have good perception about these products. Some of us may even think that additives don’t work at all and they are just scam to steal our money. In reality, all motor oils already contain additives. This is especially true for synthetic oil. Additives are designed to address various problems inside out engine, especially if we often operate the car in very severe conditions. In general, we should make sure that there’s always a thin film of oil that coats all moving parts inside our car. Direct contact points between metal surfaces needs to be lubricated to prevent abrasion, reduce heat build up and improve energy efficiency. Additives are needed to make sure that the film of oil is always present on metal surfaces.

If the oil film disappears, then we may get direct contact between metal surfaces. Even if contact happens intermittently due to insufficient lubrication, the cumulative effects can be destructive enough, because it happens with high frequency. In some cases, the heat build up can cause some metal surface to melt and become welded, potentially causing catastrophic failure of the engine. Lack of lubrication can cause high pressure conditions. So, there is a direct correlation why additives are needed to reduce wear and tear. However, it is quite obvious that manufactures of motor oil never really recommend the use of additives to improve the performance of their products. These manufacturers have spent a lot of money and time to ensure the reliability.

However, independent tests show that the use of additives can reduce the rate of wear and tear by about 17 percent. Even so, it’s against their own best interest, if OEM is advising car owners to use additives. Even so, most car manufacturers don’t say that the use of additives will void the warranty. So, this further confirms that additives may have positive impacts on the performance of motor oils. So, it is safe to assume that additives can help to reduce the rate of wear and tear of car engine. However, the effect can vary depending on the type of car and the brand of additives. When choosing additives, it is important to choose only products made by well known manufacturers. If the additive is released by a manufacturer that we never heard before, there’s a possibility that it will end up ruining our car.

Most of the time, things already work well without any kind of additives. In reality, your motor oil already contains all the additives that you need. You should get optimum performance that you need to make sure that your car is working in the most appropriate manner. If you are interested in using an additive product for your car, you should read reviews to make sure that it is actually working. The product should work like what’s advertised and more importantly, the product shouldn’t cause any kind problem with the car. It will be really costly if you end up spending thousands of dollars due to damage on your engine and transmission.

Basic Things About Car Maintenance

Maintaining you car is one of the most important things to do. You should know that maintenance costs are usually not covered by extended warranty. However, failing to properly maintain your car can also void your warranty. If you forget to change oil, there could be permanent damage to the engine, which can be quite fatal. This is something that any car owners should avoid. When maintaining your car, it is important that you don’t cut corners. A mechanic may offer 30 percent lower costs for car maintenance, but you should guarantee that the car is maintained properly. When choosing a mechanic for maintaining your car, you should check with friend and family, to make sure that you are dealing with a trustworthy professional.

The complexity and cost of maintenance tasks can be even higher if your have an exotic or luxurious car. You should be sure that you get proper maintenance procedure that is designed specifically for the type of car that you have. You need to make sure that you get parts that are made by reliable manufacturers. Routine maintenance may require you to perform changes on filers, tires and other components. There’s no substitute from using the best possible parts for your car. You should know that unreliable car shops may repair things that actually don’t need to be fixed. You should be aware if a mechanic appears to be completely dishonest. You should figure out whether the repair task is actually able to address the issue.

In general, oil may need to be changed every 5000 miles. You should know that motor oil is cheap and your engine is expensive. If the mechanic uses low quality motor oil, there’s a good possibility that the engine will wear out much than usual. If you delay replacing the motor oil, the dirty oil could also cause a lot of problems with your engine. The constant combustion process will produce carbon, acid and other contaminants. These substances and particles will work like abrasive material. Transmission oil is usually replaced more rarely. But, delaying to change of transmission oil could also be a bad thing. Transmission is expensive to repair and if the system is completely damaged, it will be very expensive to change.

If you want a car with less complicated maintenance procedure, it is a good idea to choose the one with manual transmission. Most cars already use fuel injectors, which should work well to control emissions. However, it is important to make sure that fuel injectors are completely clean. Dirty injectors will cause inefficiency and if they fail, they need to be overhauled completely. Shock absorbers, brakes and tires should also be maintained regularly. You should check with the mechanic to make sure that these components are working properly. Make a list of things that need to be repaired immediately. Confirm that the mechanic is using the best possible part in the market and check it, before the part is installed. This will ensure that your car will last longer.

Five Things That Make A Horror Movie Scary

People love a good scare. The sudden adrenaline rush and the simulated fear, actually give a sense of excitement. Directors, writers and producers around the world always test their abilities to become innovative in this genre. Even some poorly made horror movies can still give a few jolt of surprises and some chuckle. Well made films are even better and here are reasons what horror films are scary:

  1. Being extreme: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th are terrifying classics due to their extreme depictions. They feature murderous villains who intent on inflicting as much suffering and pain as possible. Although these films could be criticized for being violent and non-educating, murder is a daily fact in our society. Getting dismembered by chainsaw is definitely more gruesome than being stabbed or choked. These filmmakers really take advantage the extreme elements made possible through the horror genre. The twisted villains and the bloody survival struggle can be used to stretch viewer’s imagination, adding something new with each film. A good horror film will make it as if something will happen the next second.
  2. Terrifying soundtrack and sound effects: Good audio elements are a major must for good horror films. Filmmakers need to fully optimize the use of sound if they want to create a successful horror film. Even fairly predictable sound effects are still able to build up the suspense and viewers will wonder when the next jumpscare will happen. Listening to the terrifying sound is part of the fun and filmmakers should be fully aware of that. Soothing sound effects can be used to give people a false sense of relief, when it fact, a real scare is about to happen very soon. Good sound effects can heighten the scare factor or manipulate the emotion of viewer’s to achieve certain goals.
  3. Unexplained factors: It’s a real fact that we are fearful of things we don’t understand. It can be harmless or potentially deadly. While people generally accept that death inevitable, they are fearful of painful and gruesome death. Mysteries associated with possession, occults and ghosts are unexplained, while causing potential harms. It is something that many directors would love to exploit and they can do it very effectively.
  4. It’s supposedly true: Many horror films are said to be based on a true story and often, it’s officially claimed by the filmmaker. Classic examples are The Exorcist, The Conjuring and Amityville Horror. It’s also a trick that’s widely used. Just because a film is said to be based on a true story, it doesn’t mean that the storyline in the film is highly dramatized and significantly modified to some extent. However, uninformed audience will think that they see truly happened in the past. All the terror, pain and suffering were supposedly real.
  5. It’s lost and found: Blair Witch Project is an influential film in the horror genre and it started the popularity of “found footage” style. Although, the style was originally used by Cannibal Holocaust in early 1980’s, the new sub-genre is still quite convincing today. The amateur-looking shots and jerky camera movements actually add a sense of realism that the footage is taken by ordinary people who will soon encounter terror or even death.

Five Top Film Directors Who Didn’t Go to Film School

Many people have great desire to become film director but one big obstacle is get proper education to achieve. In reality, there are many film directors who didn’t go to film schools and some of them manage to achieve great things in the film industry.

David Fincher (one Oscar nomination): Fincher is known for the dark and stylish portrayals in the Seven, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Zodiac and Fight Club. Fincher started his film career by working in Indiana Jones, Return of the Jedi, the Temple of Doom and Twice Upon a Time. His directing career began when he directed commercials and music videos.

Peter Jackson (eight Oscar nominations – three wins): Jackson is a New Zealand filmmaker best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the 2005 remake of the King Kong. His international recognition started with his slapstick horror comedy films. Although he has no formal education in film-making, Jackson is known for his special effects and editing skills, largely through field experiences. Jackson started his career as a photoengraver and his first film was a feature-length movie about vampire.

 

Sir Ridley Scott (3 Oscar nominations): Scott is a British director with Academy Award nominations, as well as a few wins in BAFTA Award, Emmy Award and Golden Globe. He is well known for an obsession for details and stylish visuals. His popular films include Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Alien, Kingdom of Heaven, Blade Runner, Matchstick Men, Thelma & Louise, Body of Lies and American Gangster. His first work was a short black and white film, called Boy and Bicycle, starred by Tony Scott, his younger brother and his father. Scott is also a very productive TV commercial directors, directing more than 2,500 of them. The Duellist was his first directional debut.

James Cameron (3 Oscar wins): Cameron is a Canadian-American screenwriter, producer and director, known for diverse range of film topics, from Aliens to Titanic. He is a highly innovative director with significant artistic prowess, although somewhat notorious for his confrontational personality and fierce temper.

Steven Spielberg (12 Oscar nominations – 3 wins): Many would agree if we say that Spielberg is the most popular film director to date. He is considered as one of the most influential and powerful figures in the film industry. With filming career spanning over four decades, his works touch on many genres and themes. From sci-fi to adventure to children-focused films. Later, his films address issues like terrorism, war, slavery and Holocaust. Schindler’s List (1993) earned him his first Oscar winning, followed later by Saving Private Ryan (1998). Jaws, E.T.: the Extra Terrestrial and Jurassic Park broke box office record and became highest grossing films at the time. All his films grossed to nearly $10 billion worldwide.

One thing that we can learn from these directors is that determination is the main characteristic to achieve success. It’s not always about schooling and money. James Cameron said that aspiring filmmakers should stop considering themselves “aspiring”. They just need to do it and become a real filmmaker, regardless of their situations.

Greatest Action Movies of All Time

We love to watch action movies, because they can get our adrenaline pumping when we watch them. There are hundreds of action movies that have been produced and here are a few that are considered the best.

  • Robocop: Part man, part machine. A cop was murdered brutally execution style by a gang leader. Robo Cop is mostly machine, with only remnants of his human life. At the time, the film showed innovative fighting scenes between robots, which started a new trend in the filmmaking industry.
  • Commando: It’s one of Arnold’s first popular films in the 80’s about a special force soldier who embarks on a mission to rescue his kidnapped daughter. With light comedy added throughout the film, it shows what Arnold does best, that is too blow up stuff and shoot machine guns.
  • Mission Impossible: It is a film filled with so much excitement and suspense. Although the actual story eventually deviates from what’s shown in the TV series, after the team is almost decimated, the film is still a wonderful thing to watch.
  • Rocky: Rocky Balboa is a boxer from Philadelphia. He is a simple person who knows only how to fight. Except for the disappointing Rocky V, the whole series is wonderful to watch. The film is about passion and persistence to reach goals, regardless of the odds.
  • The Transporter: The series combines fast fighting scenes, fast cars and women. Basic ingredients for any good action film. The Transporter is a good film if you just want to watch an action film. Fights are well choreographed and the car chase scenes are admirable.
  • Rambo: Rambo is notorious for being a cheesy action film with John Rambo as the one-man army. But first film of the series is praised for its storyline. Poor treatment and bad judgment on Vietnam War veterans in the 70’s has caused John Rambo to take out the whole police department with sharp sticks and even a rock against one helicopter.
  • Aliens: Aliens combines elements of sci-fi and horror. The first three films of the series were well down. Those scary looking xenomorphs will haunt you, by just looking a glimpse of them. Even if a huge amount of ammo can eventually stop them, their acid blood can splash back to exact unexpected revenge.
  • Terminator: The Terminator series is about the apocalyptic war between near-extinct human and robots. In the first film, a cyborg was sent by Sky Net to kill Sarah Connor the future mother of the resistance leader, John Connor. Subsequent films follow the main storyline, until the actual guerrilla war against robots.
  • Die Hard: John McClane is basically an urban Rambo, when he fought a bunch terrorist in Nakatomi Plaza on his own. His struggle and perseverance make it one of the most iconic action films of the time. McClane is likeable individual and the film is well directed, making us feel all his pain and struggle. We would cringe as McClane pull broken glass from his feet and feel the joy at the end of the film, when all the terrorists are annihilated. The second film follows the same formula, while the third and fourth films are enjoyable as well.

How to Make Low-Budget Films with Excellent Acting Works?

Even the most cash-strapped can make marketable and professional quality films, if they are creative enough. Low-budget films are often associated with amateur quality works that are cringe-worthy. Nevertheless, not all filmmakers are blessed with huge financial resources and they need to make do with what’s available to them. As an example, they could only recruit actors who have no proven acting experience. Poor acting can make the film looks unconvincing and wooden, regardless of how slick the production quality is. It is quite unlikely that you luck out and get a few hidden actors with Oscar-worthy performance. In fact, some filmmakers need to ask friends and acquaintances to perform in the film, although they have zero acting experience.

The real problem is, low-paid actors often have unquestionable career performance. Some of them don’t know to channel the focus and they even struggle to remember what to say when the director calls action. Professional actors are trained to do what they do and their good performance is automatic. Filmmakers should make sure that actors can easily recall their lines and remember what to say. If actors are struggling, directors may need to be flexible and shoot two lines at a time. It may take more time and effort to prepare for each scene. Actors can be told that this part of their learning process. They would be eager to perform well, because this will eventually improve their acting career and they can start to act professionally.

It is important for actors to start let go of the script. They shouldn’t waste mental energy when remembering lines and this should become part of their intuition. Actors should fully understand their characters and try to become these individuals. Directors and screenwriters need to work continuously with actors, so these actors could understand their roles well. Directors need to be patient if it needs a few re-takes when working with inexperienced, low-paid actors. Dialogues may need to be improvised to make sure that actors can perform naturally. If filmmakers are too rigid, they may fail to refine all the dialogue details. The script should also describe the dialogue properly. It’s important to make sure that the writing process is fluid, so actors can understand and memorize all the details.

Make sure that all the production stages are well refined and actors take all the practical measures. Some filmmakers could be restricted with only one camera, which will make it difficult for them to improvise. Even for very low budget production, it is best to use at least a couple of cameras. So, there will be no awkward cuts and filmmakers can capture better angles for each scene. With good screenwriting and planning, it is possible to shoot a 90-minute film in just a couple of weeks, eight hours a day. With good directing, it’s possible to achieve excellent performance, regardless of their lack of experience and acting skill. No film is without fault, but it’s possible to make excellent low-cost film prodyction.

Amazing Works of Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was born in the spring of 1889 to little known entertainer parents. Chaplin would eventually grow up to be an iconic star in silent cinema. Chaplin is also believed to be the first superstar in the 20th century and a great artistic creator as well. The genius mind of Charlie Chaplin is recognized by any moviegoer and film experts. Chaplin is still a household name in many parts of the world. The pantomimic genius of Charlie Chaplin is well suited to the era of silent cinema. His early comedies are characterized by exaggerated gestures and extreme physical comedy. Characters would assault their enemies aggressively with bricks and kicks. By today’s standard, Chaplin’s works border on vulgarity and physical violence.

Between 1918 and 1922, Chaplin made various films like The Pilgrim, The Idle Class, The Kid and A Dog’s Live. He was involved in different aspects of the film including production, direction and the actual acting works. Later, he made A Woman of Paris, The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights and Modern Times. Although they are silent, sound effects and music are added to make them appear enjoyable. City Lights is one of Chaplin’s more memorable films with good balance between sentiments and comedy. While Modern Times is still a silent film, we begin to hear dialogues from radios in the film, although the voice of Chaplin was heard in The Circus (1928). At the time, people were still not accustomed to watching to films and listening to dialogues. Films with audible conversations or talkies start to become popular in late 1920’s, but Charlie was reluctant to follow the trend and he continued to focus on his pantomimic art.

Chaplin continued to make more films – The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux and Limelight. The Great Dictator is one of Chaplin’s darker comedy films with serious satirical overtones. It’s greatly influenced by the rise of fascism in Europe in late 1930’s. In Monsieur Verdoux, Chaplin played as Henri Verdoux, an evil man who marry wealthy women and kill them. Limelight is about a once popular stage comedian with failing career and alcoholism. The comedian eventually saves a ballerina making suicide attempts. A Women of Paris was directed and written by Charlie Chaplin, which was aimed to give Edna Purviance a serious acting opportunity.

The Circus depicts a little tramp who becomes a fresh addition to a failing circus. The Gold Rush is one of Chaplin’s best works about a prospector who ventures into Alaska to seek a fortune. He meets some frightening characters and fall in love with Georgia. Gold Rush is known as one of Chaplin’s best cinematography achievements. Chaplin produced, directed, set the music and wrote the screenplay of City Lights. City Light is also a silent film, which tells the story about the Little Tramp who is in love with a girl. Modern Times is considered as the most relevant of film that Chaplin made, even for today. It creatively uses sounds and sophisticated sound effects. Modern Times tells the story about how labor is dehumanized in an industrial world

How to Make a 3D Movie?

3D movies provide good entertainment values, compared to traditional 2D movies. However, producing a 3D content is trickier to do and requires some technical implementations. A basic 3D movie is made using a couple of cameras that is combined in a rig. These cameras will capture a scene from two slightly different perspectives, which can be combined digitally. Using a 3D camera, the audience will see characters and objects in the movie as 3D representations.  There are things to consider when making a 3D content. The 3D cameras rig should focus on high quality lenses and digital capture. There should be ultimate flexibility when shooting objects. Some 3D rigs contain more than two cameras that ensure more realistic representation. Regardless of the number of the cameras, it is important to make sure that they are converged, just like the way our eyes look at objects in real life. Each camera could have different width angles to simulate peripheral and primary views of our eyes.

In order to minimize viewer discomfort, make sure that you consider right and left eye sequences. Focus on applying the right orientation, you may need to flip or flop the right and left frames. Color imbalance could happen when you make 3D content. When configuring imaging systems, make sure that gammas, gains and color balance are properly adjusted. You should also check basic geometry to correct errors of camera axis rotation. Zoom lenses can add extra complexity when making 3D films. Our eyes could tolerate errors only for a short time before discomfort start to appear. Uncorrected issues could cause headaches and it’s not a good thing if people are not feeling comfortable watching your content. Imbalanced 3D films could cause vertical disparities, causing our eyes to twist to compensate. There are many factors associated with the creation of 3D film and if you have one factor wrong, it is possible that you will give the audience a headache.

Post production stage of 3D filmmaking can be quite a challenge. Two high resolution data streams need to by synced, so they will appear good enough when watched by the audience. There are many software solutions and toolsets that can help you to integrate data streams from multiple cameras. Screen size is also an issue that you need to consider. The finished product for television screen and big cinema screen is different. This will ensure proper balance of all factors, because unnatural divergence and convergence of viewers’ eyes could cause strain and discomfort. For makers of short movies with small budgets, it is possible to create 3D films. However, filmmakers need to plan well and choose the right tools during the shooting and post productions stages. With proper planning, it is possible that you will have high quality 3D products that are enjoyable for the audience to watch right from the beginning. Today, 3D content has become a common availability and once you master 3D filmmaking process, you may consider moving further to virtual reality production.

How to Become a Part-Time Actor?

In countries with mature or thriving film industry, it is possible for many people to have an acting career, without quitting their 9 to 5 day job. Being a part-time movie star can be a rewarding experience.  If you have a long time desire of becoming a movie star, you can start to make a preparation. Often, the first thing to do is just to make a complete acting resume that includes a picture of yourself and a homemade short film to portray your acting skill. For many people, having an acting career is much more about financial issues. It’s their dream to show emotions and feeling to the audience. Usually, when actors are able to achieve excellent performance, money will automatically follow. If you live in big cities that have big film industry, such as Los Angeles, Mumbai and London; you should consider becoming part-time actors. The location of your residence could increase the opportunity of getting jobs as part time actors.  Here are things that you should do:

  1. Make good pictures: Make color and black & white photos to show different parts of your body. Contact a local photographer to find ways to show yourself in an appealing way. Often, you need to take dozens of photos, then choose those that best show your physical appeals as actors. This should be an easy thing to do with digital photography, because you can use burst feature during fast-moving actions. Avoid doing digital enhancements of your photos, because filmmakers can immediately differences between your actual physical characteristics and your enhanced photos. Make sure that your photographs represent how you look. You may appear relaxed and comfortable, or realistically tense, depending on different scenes.
  2. Print an acting resume: Acting resume is essential if you want to have a good career as part time actors. Make sure that you include your physical characteristics and previous acting experience, even in school and college. Make sure that your resume is well made to show that you are a highly organized individual. Include your other physical traits, such as your sports performance and different accents that you can do.
  3. Find an agent: In places with good film industry, there should be plenty of agents. You can use the Internet to find them and call prospective agents immediately. Many of these agents are able to direct aspiring actors to find jobs. As an example, you may start your career by taking part in TV commercials, instead of actual films.

Regardless of what happens, you need to persevere and follow up. The film industry can be quite competitive, so you need to be patient. Success can’t be achieved in a matter of days. There are thousands of aspiring actors out there. But, if you can show your genuine desire to act and perform well, you will start to get noticed. You need to be perfectly sure of what you’re doing and be confident about your capability during acting. Be ready to take part in numerous auditions and do your best.