Introducing My New Blog - Cinema In Color

Hello fellow friends and readers. Today is a glorious day because I have found something that truly inspires me and I want you to join me on this journey. My blog has moved and evolved into something quite different from what I have started here. Please visit Cinema In Color and see what the fuss is all about. Thank you!

A Beautiful Day at the Park ft. Monica Bryant

Before graduation last month, I sent out a plea to all my Facebook friends asking them if we could please collaborate on YouTube videos. There's such a wealth of talent in the art department at CSUN and I've been consistently amazed at how skilled people are. They're so quiet and humble about their talent that you don't even realize it's there until you stumble upon it like a little nugget of gold.


In my effort to find a job, I've been slacking off in the video-making department, but I definitely want to start again. I have plenty of songs and skits and Beth and Delilah shows inside me that desperately need to come out. 


Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video! There is more to come!

Reasons to be Happy

I'd be totally lying if I said I haven't been feeling any form of post-grad depression. Yes, I know I made a video talking about how college was ruining my life and how I wished it was over. But now, things are different. I feel as if I spent the last two years crouched on a flotation device in the middle of the ocean, and now it's suddenly popped. I don't know how to swim, so there I am, slowly sinking and unsure if I can take care of myself.

But, in the midst of my ranting and crying and complaining, I've had to stop and remind myself that I should be happy that I have these fears and problems. So, here is an incomplete yet honest list of reasons I have to be happy.

1.) I'm happy I woke up this morning.

2.) I'm happy that I had food to eat and grape soda to drink.

3.) I'm happy I got to spend the entire day online, watching videos and blogging.

4.) I'm happy that I can apply for jobs online, in the comfort of my home, and not have to drive or walk around town to do it.

5.) I'm happy that I have loving parents and a boyfriend that care about me deeply.

6.) I'm happy that I have sight, vision and hearing.

7.) I'm happy that most of fears have never actually come true.

8.) I'm happy that I can list reasons to be happy.

These 8 things are not everything. Not even close. But I seriously get into these dark depressive moods that are hard to shake. I don't like letting it get this bad because it stops me from doing the important things that I should be doing, like LIVING.

What are you happy about?

Just One Thing

Words.

I need them to form to make something valuable. Something concrete. The words don't come. Even when I call them, they don't come. I sit here, wondering, when will I make something that I can be proud of? Will I continue to add to the dreck in this world or can I create something wondrous?

I'm trying. Or, at least I think I'm trying. I think that I'm making huge strides because my laptop is powered on and I have a guide book. I think I'm making progress because my fingers are hitting keys and sentences are forming. 

That doesn't even make sense. What does that even mean? And how am I supposed to make anything at all when I cringe at the sight of my own work. I read something I wrote and I hate it. I look at something I made and despise its existence. What do I do with that?

I'm hoarding little pieces of genius everywhere. Scraps of pages with half a verse of song and notebooks with half written stories. I don't finish anything. Afraid to complete the work because I think all my effort will be in vain. 

The alternative then is to never finish anything. Instead of working hard, I'm hardly working. Instead of completing an imperfect piece of art, I'm collecting half-finished nothings. 

I just want to finish one thing. I just want to get one thing done -- that's all. If I finish one thing, maybe that will inspire something inside me to get it all done. I just want to complete one thing before I perish. I don't need permission or a grade or credit. I just need the time and the space to finish. 

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!