I Love Coffee - Original Song [Free Download on SoundCloud]

LYRICS: I LOVE COFFEE

Witten by: Monica Louise Bryant

Free Download HERE!

You can drink the wine

You can drink the beer

You can drink the soda, just don't bring it over here

Drink your V8, though you know its too saucy

I could drink one too, but I'd rather have coffee

I love coffee, and by the way

I drink it all night and I drink it all day

I got superhuman powers, I can stay awake

Give it to me boiling hot or make it cold like rain

I met a guy, he's a Barista

and he drinks a macchiato with his medium pizza

He works all day making drinks for strangers

but I get mine free because, "I'm the danger!"

I love coffee, hear me say

I make it myself and I have it my way

I don't consider consequences when I drink my brew

because I need all that caffeine to keep me up at school

So whether you're in college or a teacher or a mom

A doctor or a lawyer or a techie or a slob

A hipster, poet, waitress or you're homeless in the street

We all enjoy our coffee and we drink before we eat

Come on!

I love coffee, yes indeed

I need at least one before you talk to me

I have to drink a whole pot before I do my thang

Call me crazy if you want, but I drink to stay sane

I love coffee (4x)

I love coffee, more than life

I fell in love with it and I made it my wife

It doesn't matter if its instant or ground from beans

When I take that first sip I can achieve my dreams

So whether you're a pilot or a bookie or a dad

A military person or a high school grad

American, Armenian, Canadian or Jew

We all love coffee and it loves us too

Come on!

Courtesy of Google image search :)

Yes, I love coffee so much that I wrote a song about it. The lyrics are all mine but I got the audio track from YouTube. You can check out royalty free audio tracks and sound effects here. 

The track I used is called "Mob Battle" by Silent Partner. They have some really awesome tracks you can download and use for free!

I hope you guys like my song! Stay tuned! In the coming weeks I'm going to upload a music video for "I Love Coffee." I'm working really hard to brainstorm some really cool and fun ideas. Subscribe to my channel (here) for more awesome content today! I make new videos every week!

I Hate College

Lately, nothing stresses me out more than thinking about life after college. Lots of big questions have found a place to dwell inside my head and drive me crazy.

Where am I going to work?

Where am I going to live?

How am I going to pay back my student loans?

Will I be happy?

And of course, being as proactive as I am, I took steps to remedy this now before it becomes a problem. 

I'm a theatre major. I want to act and write. I went auditions and was told I can't act because I'm too busy with college...as if they knew my life!

If I took the hours I spent watching Netflix last year alone and combined them, it was probably enough hours to have a part-time job. 

I may be many things...BUSY is NOT one of them.

I realized the issue is not me, its everyone else. Nobody likes you when you're in college.

YouTube Tip - Make A Green Screen Out Of A Bed Sheet

Its nice, but not required!

Every time I watched videos on YouTube, I'd see amazing green screen and then immediately become discouraged. How was I supposed to make videos like that? I can't afford a green screen kit and I don't have a spare wall in my small apartment to paint green.

Through numerous trials and errors, John and I were able to come up with a cheap and effective way to construct a green screen using a king size bed sheet we bought at Walmart.

Things You'll Need:

1.) A green bed sheet. You can get yours anywhere or use one you already own, (This will work, even if the sheet is faded from washing or a duller green) I used the king size flat sheet sold at Walmart for $14.99. [Don't use a silk or shiny sheet, use cotton!]

 2.) Screw Mounts. I only have four because I lost the rest and was too cheap to get more. You can get a pack of six at Walmart for $9.22. They might be cheaper at Home Depot. Spend the least amount possible. You will need five for this project!

3.) Small binder clips. Most people have these lying around but if you don't, they're pretty cheap. You'll need a binder clip for each hook; a total of five. I find that the smaller ones give a tighter hold than the larger ones.

4.) A piece of yarn or rope cut a little shorter than the length of your sheet.

5.) Thumb-tacks.

6.) Tape.

7.) Most importantly, you'll need a friend (or parent) to help you!

STEPS:

1.) Find a place where your sheet can hang with enough space around it to film. I hang mine against the closet.

2.) Fold the string in half two times and stick a piece of tape around every bend and also both ends. This will help you space the hooks equally along the line.

3.) Tack the yarn onto the ceiling in the three spaces where the tape is and both ends. It will serve as a guide to keep your hooks straight. You may have to stand on a stool so be careful and ask for help!

4.) Place a screw hook facing outward in front of each piece of tape on the string plus both ends.

5.) Hang a binder clip from each hook. You're almost done!

6.) Now, clip the sheet evenly into the binder clips from the thickest side.

See how mine sags in the center? I need a fifth clip!

You're done! You have a cheap green screen that is easy to assemble and put away when you're done!

TIPS:

*If you're looking to get full body shots, you get a smaller sheet to use on the floor. Just place one end under the hanging sheet and roll it out. 

*Lighting and distance in key! Try to film with as much space between the sheet and your subject as possible. Also, light the sheet evenly and back-light your subject to keep them from having a green halo in post.

*If you're finding that your sheet just isn't green enough, you can always make it greener in post using the color settings in your editing software. Dress your subject in red to make this process easier.

Here is my latest video shot using this green screen set-up.

I really hope this technique helps. I realize that it might not work for everyone; if you have really high ceilings or ceilings made from an impenetrable material it might be impossible. Let me know if you've discovered ways to get around this. 

If you have any suggestions, questions or tips, just leave a comment below. 

Thank you, and happy green screening!

Why Don't You Vlog About Your Life?

The other day someone asked me, "Why don't you vlog about your life?"

I paused because...my life is personal. And besides, who wants to hear me talk about my life?

In addition to that, should I put my personal life on display for all to see? We know all too well that once something reaches the infinite corners of the Internet, it cannot be erased, denied or forgotten.

Putting those thoughts aside, I will say that my life off camera can be tumultuous one, just like anyone else. I suffer from stints of depression ( like most people do) that don't just go away by faking a smile. I have to actively (and tirelessly) pull myself out of it (over and over again) and that's hard. Do people want to hear about that?

Do they want to watch a 3 to 5 minute video of me talking about how I make myself happy when I feel sad or how much I hate college? Do they want to hear me talk about what it's like to pursue your BA degree in your thirties???

Those are the things I would talk about. Now that I've typed them out, they don't seem so bad. Perhaps it would be nice to get a glimpse inside the real me. Perhaps I should offer something more on my channel than characters and parodies. I'm real and I appreciate others who are real. (And I actually DO watch other people's vlogs, provided they talk about REAL subjects and not just superficial things.)

Ok. I guess this is me saying, I'll give it a chance. Maybe this week, or next, look for an Honest Vlog on my channel ------> HERE.

The Beth & Delilah Show

I've ventured into something new. Well, it's not exactly new. It's something I've been doing for a long time now but I recently decided to give it a real chance.

What is this thing I've decided to do? The Beth & Delilah Show.

 
I started making Delilah Shows way back in 2005. YouTube was a very new thing back then; so new that it would be another two years before I even heard of it.

I would record these little shows of my dolls walking and talking and insulting each other on Hi8 video tapes in my Sony camcorder. 

I showed the videos to everyone and people pretty much thought I was a weirdo (big shocker). I had fun and I didn't really want to stop.

When I got my first YouTube account in 2007, I uploaded Delilah Shows regularly. They didn't catch on because, who wants to watch talking dolls insult each other?

Eventually I had to take the videos down anyway because I was using music that I wasn't supposed to for the intros and outros. Back then, YouTube's archaic copyright system left me with a bunch of muted videos.

I got a new channel, made live action videos and moved on, but there was still a place in my heart that wanted to make Delilah Shows. I made a few videos and they were never really popular with people.

Last month I decided, I don't care if no one ever watches them. They make me happy. I've been told I should stop and that they're terrible, but I don't care. I'd rather make something that makes me happy. If you want to give The Beth & Delilah Show a chance. Go ahead!

Episode 1: Delilah gets therapy.

Episode 2: Beth & Delilah celebrate gay pride month.

Episode 3: Beth & Delilah have opposing viewpoints on doll equality.

Episode 4: Beth disappeared in a fit of anger but the show must go on...sort of.

Episode 5: Beth sets Delilah straight.

Episode 6 will be out July 24, 2014 at 6am PDT and you can click here to make sure you don't miss it. Beth & Delilah interview Optimus Prime!

KFC RAP SONG

I worked at KFC for ten years and all I have to show for it is this rap song I made up one day.

Please like, subscribe and share!

I'm Wasting the Best Years of My Life in College

This summer has given me a lot of time to think about my life goals and where I'm headed. I've had a lot of time to self-reflect and sort of check in to see if I'm still on track to my original goals.

I would say that I am, but the present is starting to look quite a bit different than what I thought it would look like. I had a lot of preconceived notions about college life before I ever set foot on campus. I assumed college would be a place filled with endless opportunities and supportive administration, however I'm finding the opposite to be true.

College has turned into that full time job that I dread going to. I dream of the day when I'll be finished for good so I can get started on my real dreams. Instead of launching me forward, I feel like college has just held me back.

Whether my degree is useless or not, college was something I felt strongly about. I can't deny the fact that I'm definitely better off now than I was ten years ago, but I refuse to be satisfied. There's always room for improvement.

I guess what the point I'm trying to make is that I'm eager to get on to the next thing. I'm an impatient person and I work fast so I expect immediate results. The best way I can explain it is when I finish an assignment for a class that is due at a certain time (with no exceptions) I expect the assignment to be graded and promptly returned to me with the same haste. This almost never happens but I still can't get over the frustration.

I had high expectations for this "Institution of Higher Learning." There was a time that University is all I talked about. I worked so hard to get here only to find out that it's not really living up to what I imagined.

Being a transfer student has its perks and disadvantages. The biggest perk is that I won't be in quite as much debt as the people who started as freshmen. The downside of this is getting credits to match up and getting professors and administration to care about my fate.

I don't know what it's like to be an adopted teenager, but I feel like being a transfer student in a room full of freshmen might feel like trying to get adopted at 14 when all the couples want infants.

I haven't learned anything significant in my classes. The education I'm receiving doesn't match half the things I learned at my community college. I guess I just thought there would be more. It's like I waited in line all night for a live show only to realize the artist is lip syncing.

Maybe our college degrees don't help us get jobs because we don't actually learn anything. I was lucky enough to delay college until my mid twenties. Doing this allowed me to get "real world" experiences that college simply can't teach you.

Professors of the world: Just because you assign reading doesn't mean you've taught anything!

If I can educate myself just reading, what do I need school for? Why am I in thousands of dollars worth of debt? It's a fucked system and now I'm beginning to understand all those people who protested college. Had they given concrete reasons instead of the tired, "You don't need a degree to be successful" spiel, then perhaps I would have listened.

Why I Stopped Self-Submitting to LA Casting and Backstage

Today is a day of liberation. I cancelled my subscriptions to Backstage and LA Casting.

But why? Don't you want to be an actress? Don't you want to find those opportunities that other people miss out on? Aren't you serious about your career?

Yes, I am serious. All the more reason to cancel those subscriptions that leave me at the mercy of whoever it is sitting on the other end of the line. My acting career will be not be destroyed or defined by how many auditions for low budget SAG projects I can procure. Nor will I subject myself to endless hours of sitting in front of the computer clicking away until I find something that "fits" me.

How do these sites benefit me? I have to pay $20 a month for a service that gives me access to acting gigs that pay nothing. My money doesn't guarantee me a job. It doesn't even guarantee me an audition. (Speaking of which, WHY AM I PAYING TO AUDITION? This is worse than gambling!)

I'm tired of scrolling through casting calls asking for real people. If you want "real people," get off LA Casting! It's a site for ACTORS. It's a site for people who want to play CHARACTERS. If you're looking for REAL PEOPLE, stand outside a Walmart!

I'm tired of of reading the same stagnant descriptions over and over again. It's always music videos, sexy girls, bikini models, nudity, reality TV and game shows. Do you want to be an audience member? You can sit in our audience but you have to be upscale with a hot body, 18 to look younger.

These are not acting jobs. These are people taking advantage of actors who are desperate for exposure; because we grow up in an industry that tells us we're worth nothing so we better say yes yes yes, no matter how demeaning the job!

Don't post a casting notice asking for people with special skills and abilities and you're paying nothing. Stop asking people to work long hours and have "good acting chops" when no one has ever heard of you or your company. Who do you think you are?

We, as actors, need to ban together and tell these sites and these people to go fuck themselves. 

Just because you're a new actor or a young actor doesn't mean you don't deserve respect and the chance to do real work. Sitting in an audience for ten hours or dancing next to some rapper wearing a bikini by the pool is not acting. 

I'm going to finish college and continue to do my own thing. That's the only thing that has ever really worked for me anyway.

3 Ideas on How to Brainstorm YouTube Video Ideas

So, you want to make YouTube videos? 

Awesome! So...what kind should you make?

I don't know.

I've seriously had that conversation with myself before. I wanted to grasp this whole "YouTube" thing and had no friggin idea where to get and idea.

So I did the only thing I could possible do...I made fun of making videos. Back when I made my first "Out of Ideas" video, there wasn't a lot going on in YouTube Land, so it was a struggle. I never thought I'd make a video like that again because, who would repeat an old idea? Lucky for me, YouTube is full of stuff to poke fun at. This is the second video I made.

So what do YOU do if you want to make a video but the creative juices just aren't flowing?

1.) Take an old idea and make it new again:
Remember those "Dear Body" videos that got popular years back? Or, most recently, the "Draw My Life" videos. Why not do that but add your own spin. Take something that's been done to death and flip it on its head.

2.) Make fun of something idiotic:
Of course not everyone will see eye-to-eye with you, but that's not the point. Cover something that you think is stupid and explain WHY it's stupid.

3.) Personify inanimate objects:
What would your laptap say if it could talk? What about your dirty laundry or the stove? Go nuts! 

That's enough to get started. Just remember, there's no new idea under the sun. Don't worry about originality - that will come when you add your own voice. In the meantime, enjoy my new video!

5 Ways to Boost Your YouTube Success

Starting from the bottom is hard. However, staying on the bottom is surprisingly easy if you don't treat your channel or viewers with the respect they deserve. I've seen people make the stupidest mistakes when they first started and I hope you'll be smarter than they were. Here's a few things to help you out. 

1.) Thank Your Subscribers Individually:
Do you know how happy I was when I subscribed to someone's channel only to have them thank me in a comment on my page? I was VERY happy. You can change your settings on YouTube to get email notifications when people subscribe to you. Get those notifications and thank the people who subscribe! Also, if they make videos, watch a few and leave some comments. YouTube is about community so pitch in and keep it thriving.

2.) Respond to Comments and Questions:
You can thank people for compliments and answer their questions directly in the comments. Don't be lazy, do it! That's the whole point! 

3.) Like and Share Other People's Videos Outside YouTube:
Do you have Twitter and Facebook or some other social sharing site? I hope so! If you do, share other people's videos! In addition to making new friends, you'll continue to make your channel look "lived in." I love going to a channel and seeing that the person watches other people's videos and shares them and so will your viewers.

4.) Share Your Videos With Like-Minded People:
Did you make a cover or a parody of a popular song? Did you vlog about a recent event in national news? Share it with other people who have made similar videos. Leave a comment on their video or tweet them. You'll be glad you did.

5.) Don't Be Afraid to Shamelessly Self-Promote:
You are your best representative. Don't be ashamed to tweet and post your video on your other social-networking sites. There is such a thing as over posting which can get annoying, but a friendly daily reminder or two about your video is ok. Even some of the most famous people on Twitter self-promote. If you're shy about it, get un-shy. It's something you're going to have to do throughout your career.

I hope these tips help! I do realize that the bigger your channel is, responding to comments might become harder. Just do the best you can with what you have and remember to stay thankful!

5 Tips on How to Make Time for YouTube

"I want to make videos, but I don't have time."

"I used to make videos, but they're so time-consuming."

"I haven't made a video in a long time because I don't have time."

I've heard all the aforementioned excuses and have even used them myself. Most of us have full-time jobs or attend college or both and it's hard to make videos. But if making videos is truly your passion, you need to make time!

If you're feeling pressured to make videos because you promised you'd upload once a week, leaving it for the last minute could prove detrimental. Assuming that you're not completely lazy and you actually take pride in the videos you make, you want to upload something of quality. Here's 5 tips that will help you do just that!

1.) Grab a Blank Calendar:
Seriously, get one. This calendar will be dedicated to your videos. You aren't allowed to write anything in it that's not dedicated to YouTube.  

2.) Circle the Day(s) You Plan to Upload:
If you're uploading every Friday, circle all the Fridays. Write the word "UPLOAD" in these boxes as a way to remind yourself that you have a responsibility to this deadline.

3.) Plan for the Week:
You might already have an idea for what kind of video you want to upload. Assuming that it takes more than a day, break up your project into smaller pieces. For example, if you're uploading on Friday, spend Monday through Thursday scripting, shooting and editing. Write down a task each day that will help get the video done and spend as much time doing it as you can. Two hours a day over the course four days is better than one long eight-hour day (unless you have that kind of time).

4.) Plan Ahead:
On the day you upload, start brainstorming your next video idea. Already have it? Break it up into pieces and work on it through the week. 

5.) Don't Feel Bad About Taking a Break:
Seriously, you're not a robot and even machines break down. Sometimes you just don't feel like uploading. We get it. The people who love your videos will stick around even if you don't upload when you said you would. I guess what I'm trying to say is, DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF. If you're busy or you truly just aren't inspired, don't worry, the viewers will be there when you get back. In the meantime, use Twitter to stay connected.

Here's a sample schedule you can modify to your needs:

MONDAY - Work on "Valley Girl" script (1 hour)
TUESDAY - Finish "Valley Girl" script (30 minutes)
WEDNESDAY - Shoot 1st half (2 hours)
THURSDAY - Shoot second half (2 hours)
FRIDAY - Edit/Upload (4 hours)
SATURDAY - Brainstorm New Video Idea (1 hour)
SUNDAY - Take a much deserved break!

TOTAL TIME: 10.5 hours

The moral of the story is: Spread your project out to make it more manageable. Videos are fun but they are work. Treat them like work and schedule them.

I hope this helps!

5 Ways to Make Your Vlogs More Interesting

So I started making YouTube videos on my goodmonica channel back in 2007 on a whim. I was fed up with my job at KFC but wasn't in a position to quit. YouTube became a way for me to relieve my work stress. I had seen a view videos from some of my favorite channels at the time like TheWineKone and CommunityChannel and I thought, hey I can do that too! I mostly made videos with my Cabbage Patch dolls. I called it, The Delilah Show, and it wasn't really catching on, at least not like I wanted it to. A year later I made a new channel, called myself "m0brya" and uploaded my first skit that featured me. My actual self. It was different.

Skits are great. YouTube is full of skits and pranks and stunts but there's another kind of video that I don't have a lot of experience with. It's video blogging, or vlogging. I've seen these videos where people sit down and talk about their lives and it's fascinating sometimes. There are other times when people are so boring you'd rather slit your wrist than keep watching. But then there's the other people. Those special few who just get it. I don't have a lot of experience making vlogs (which I hope to change) but I do watch them. Here's 5 ways you can make your vlogs more interesting.

5.) Be Relate-able:
Some of the best vlogs I've ever seen were ones I could relate to. We all have awkward moments. We all get embarrassed. We all have weird experiences at school or on the bus. Talk about those things. Chances are, the people watching you have had similar experiences. Please don't sit there and talk about how bored you are or how you're making a video because you haven't made a video in a long time and blah blah blah. Nobody wants to see that.

4.) Limit Jump-Cuts:
Sloppy editing is definitely frowned upon in the YouTube community but similarly, don't edit yourself into visual suicide. You don't need to be in a different place on the screen for every word you utter. Of course there are exceptions to this rule like if you're adding dramatic effect or you want to drive a point but you don't have to completely mutilate your sentences. If you have to resort to cheap tricks to keep people interested then maybe it's your topic that needs a change.

3.) Show Don't Tell:
One of my major pet peeves are vloggers who insist on telling me about an event instead of just showing the event! If you're going to scout locations for a short film or go shopping for supplies, take your camera with you! At the least take pictures. I don't want to hear about how cool something looked - I want to see it for myself! I understand there are times when you can't record, but try to capture as much as you can when possible. We're living in selfie culture. Embrace it!

2.) If You Can't Actually Show Us, Act It Out:
There's also the vlog-skit-vlog approach that never gets old if done correctly. Sometimes, you just don't have your camera handy. Other times a camera may not be allowed. That's ok! Just put in a little extra effort to film a short skit of the situation. Skits give vlogs variety and it also draws the viewer in, making them feel as if they were with you when it happened. Try it!

1.) No Topic Is Off Limits:
I think this is one of the most important things you can remember. The cool thing about vlogs is that you can talk about whatever you want as long as you care about it. Nothing cool happened today? That's perfectly fine! Talk about an event from the past, anything. It could be a movie or something that happened at school or the time you broke your leg. And don't limit yourself to that either. Talk about the future and where you hope to be in five years. The sky is the limit!! Don't be afraid to let people get to know who you really are. I mean, isn't that the point?

I hope these tips help. Of course they aren't the "be all, end all" and I certainly don't know everything. These are just things that interest me when I choose vlogs to watch.

Versace - Migos ft Drake

I pretty much made up the chords to this cover. Scroll down for my cover video and the original song. I only did a portion of it because it's a looooooong song! Enjoy!!

G Em C Am

Versace, Versace, Medusa head on me like I'm 'luminati

This is a gated community; please get the fuck off the property

Rap must be changing cause I'm at the top and ain't no one on top of me

Niggas be wanting a verse for a verse, but man that's not a swap to me

C Am C D

Drowning in compliments, pool in the backyard that look like Metropolis

G Em C Am

I think I'm sellin' a million first week, man I guess I'm a optimist

Born in Toronto but sometimes I feel like Atlanta adopted us

C Am C D

What the fuck is you talkin' 'bout? Saw this shit comin' like I had binoculars

G Em C Am

Boy, Versace, Versace, we stay at the mansion when we in Miami

The pillows' Versace, the sheets are Versace, I just won a Grammy

I've been so quiet, I got the world like "What the fuck is he planning?"

Just make sure that you got a back up plan cause that shit might come in handy

C Am C D

Started a label, the album is comin' September, just wait on it

G Em C Am

Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace