#as an observer and aspiring participant in the animation industry

[corvidinthewoods]

i feel like every so often for the next several years im going to think about season 3 of the owl house and what couldve been and ive going to get angry and upset all over again. even if the ending we get is perfectly satisfying and conclusive, i wont be able to stop noticing the bits of each special that clearly wouldve been their own episodes/arcs in a proper season. the lines about “if we had time for 20 more adventures” and the frustrations shared by the crew. idk if ill get truly over it for quite a while

[maacsatara]

Introduction to Virtual Reality (VR) Animation

Virtual Reality (VR) has revolutionized the way we perceive and interact with digital environments. While VR technology has existed in various forms for decades, its recent advancements, especially in the fields of gaming, entertainment, education, and training, have made it a powerful tool for creating immersive experiences. One of the most fascinating aspects of VR is its potential in animation, where users can not only observe but also interact with animated characters and worlds. VR animation has opened up new avenues for storytelling, game design, and interactive learning, making it a rapidly growing field in both the entertainment and professional sectors. For those looking to dive deeper into this cutting-edge field, institutions like the animation academy in Pune are offering specialized courses to train aspiring animators in the intricacies of VR and immersive technologies.

### What is Virtual Reality (VR) Animation?

At its core, Virtual Reality animation involves creating three-dimensional animated environments and characters that users can explore and interact with through VR headsets or devices. Unlike traditional animation, which is displayed on flat screens, VR animation surrounds the user in a 360-degree virtual space, creating a sense of presence and immersion. This immersive experience allows users to engage more deeply with the content, making the animation feel more life-like and emotionally impactful.

In VR animation, viewers are no longer passive spectators. Instead, they become participants in the animated world, capable of interacting with the environment and characters in real-time. This interactive element sets VR animation apart from traditional forms of animation, opening up exciting opportunities for creative expression and audience engagement.

### The Evolution of VR Animation

The history of VR animation is closely tied to the development of VR technology itself. In the early days of animation, creators could only dream of creating fully immersive worlds that users could explore. However, with advancements in computer graphics, motion tracking, and display technology, VR animation has become a reality.

The journey began with early 3D animations in the 1980s and 1990s, which laid the groundwork for more immersive experiences. As VR technology progressed, animators began to experiment with creating 360-degree environments that users could explore using VR headsets. The introduction of powerful gaming engines like Unity and Unreal Engine allowed developers to create highly detailed and interactive VR animations. These engines made it easier for animators to bring their ideas to life by offering tools for real-time rendering, physics simulation, and dynamic lighting.

The introduction of affordable VR headsets like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR in the mid-2010s further accelerated the growth of VR animation. Today, VR animation is used not only in the gaming industry but also in fields like education, healthcare, architecture, and film.

### The Process of Creating VR Animation

Creating VR animation is a complex and multi-step process that requires specialized skills and tools. Unlike traditional animation, where the viewer's perspective is fixed, VR animation involves creating a fully explorable environment where the viewer has control over what they see and how they interact with the scene. This adds an extra layer of complexity to the animation process.

1. **Storyboarding and Concept Development**

   The first step in creating a VR animation is to develop a concept and create a storyboard. This is where animators outline the story, characters, and environment. In VR animation, the storyboard must account for the fact that users will be able to look in any direction, so the entire environment needs to be carefully planned. The concept must also consider how the user will interact with the environment and what actions they can take within the animated world.

2. **3D Modeling and Environment Design**

   Once the concept is finalized, animators begin creating 3D models of the characters, objects, and environments. Since VR is a fully immersive experience, the environment must be highly detailed and designed to scale, giving users the feeling of being inside a real-world space. Animators use software like Blender, Autodesk Maya, or 3ds Max to create and texture 3D assets.

3. **Rigging and Animation**

   After the 3D models are created, they need to be rigged for animation. Rigging involves creating a skeletal structure for the characters so they can move in a realistic manner. In VR animation, this step is crucial because users will be able to observe characters from all angles, so the animation needs to be smooth and natural.

4. **Motion Capture and Interaction Design**

   One of the key elements of VR animation is the ability for users to interact with the animated environment. Motion capture technology can be used to create lifelike movements for characters by recording the movements of real actors and applying them to the 3D models. Interaction design involves programming how the user can interact with the environment, such as picking up objects, opening doors, or engaging with characters.

5. **Real-time Rendering and Optimization**

   In VR animation, rendering must be done in real-time, meaning that the animations need to play back instantly as the user interacts with the environment. This requires optimization to ensure that the experience is smooth and runs at a high frame rate, typically 90 frames per second or higher, to prevent motion sickness. Game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine are commonly used for this purpose, as they provide the tools needed to optimize the VR experience.

6. **Sound Design and Immersion**

   Sound plays a crucial role in VR animation, adding depth to the immersive experience. Spatial audio techniques are used to create a sense of directionality, allowing users to hear sounds coming from specific locations within the virtual environment. This enhances the sense of presence and makes the experience feel more realistic.

### Applications of VR Animation

The potential applications for VR animation are vast and diverse. While the entertainment industry is the most obvious use case, VR animation is increasingly being used in other sectors as well.

1. **Gaming**

   VR animation has had a significant impact on the gaming industry, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in animated game worlds. VR games like *Beat Saber*, *Half-Life: Alyx*, and *The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners* showcase the power of VR animation in creating interactive and engaging experiences.

2. **Film and Storytelling**

   Filmmakers are exploring new ways to tell stories through VR animation. In a VR film, the audience is no longer bound to a single camera angle or perspective. Instead, they can explore the environment at their own pace, choosing what to focus on. VR films like *Pearl* and *Henry* have won acclaim for their innovative use of the medium.

3. **Education and Training**

   VR animation is also being used in education and training. By creating immersive learning environments, students can engage with complex subjects in a hands-on way. For example, medical students can use VR to practice surgeries in a risk-free environment, while architects can use VR to explore building designs before construction begins.

4. **Healthcare**

   VR animation is being used in therapy and rehabilitation, offering immersive environments where patients can engage in exercises or simulations to aid in recovery. VR exposure therapy, for instance, uses animated scenarios to help individuals with anxiety disorders confront their fears in a controlled, virtual environment.

### The Future of VR Animation

As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for VR animation will expand even further. Advancements in artificial intelligence, haptic feedback, and real-time rendering will enhance the interactivity and realism of VR experiences. The growing adoption of 5G networks will also enable more complex and data-rich VR animations to be streamed seamlessly, making high-quality VR experiences accessible to a wider audience.

In conclusion, VR animation represents a new frontier in digital storytelling and interactive experiences. Its ability to create fully immersive worlds where users can engage with animated characters and environments opens up endless possibilities across entertainment, education, healthcare, and beyond. As the technology continues to evolve, VR animation will undoubtedly play a central role in shaping the future of digital media. Aspiring animators can gain a competitive edge by studying at an animation institute in Pune, where they can learn the skills needed to excel in this rapidly growing field.

[letterboxd]

How I Letterboxd #1: Lise

In this first instalment of a new feature, long-time member Lise, of Canada, answers our questions about how she uses Letterboxd, and why you should join her March Around the World challenge.

Hi Lise! How long have you been on Letterboxd? Lise: TV was still in black and white.

What do you mainly use Letterboxd for? Just a diary? Long reviews or shorter takes? Hilarious lists, or very f—king serious director rankings don’t @ me? I use the whole shebang: diary, reviews, ratings, watchlist, comments and lists, lots of lists. But mostly I use Letterboxd to keep track of when Jonathan is out to lunch (shameless plug for my He Says She Says list).

Do you rate films? Absolutely. I rely on ratings to add stuff to my watchlist, and I rate to let others know if I liked the film. I don’t read reviews for films I haven’t seen, so without user ratings I’d be snookered.

Tell us about your March Around The World challenge, in which Letterboxd members sign up to watch and review 30 films from 30 different countries during the month of March. How did it come about, and what’s involved? I took over the challenge from Berken, who created it and hosted it for the first year. I thought it was a brilliant way to explore the world on the cheap. The review component is important because it expands Letterboxd’s database, especially for under-seen films. It’s been a great success. Many participants like to create lists, and if they can’t watch them all in March they go at it for the rest of the year, which is great. The most important rule about the challenge is to forget the rules and watch international films during the month.

Still from Djibril Diop Mambéty’s ‘Touki Bouki’ (1973).

What are some of the interesting statistics you’ve noticed from your Marches Around the World? I consolidated all of the spreadsheets I’ve created for each challenge, and there were some surprises. The most viewed film is Touki-Bouki from Senegal (average rating of 3.7). Less surprising is that our most-viewed director is Ingmar Bergman (although I was happy to see Aki Kaurismäki from Finland in second place). The most-viewed countries are France, Japan and South Korea. Another surprise, the best decade is the 1920s (with the 1950s in a close second).

How has March Around the World enhanced your life? I’m not the sentimental type but when we get a new participant in the challenge I get the warm and fuzzies. If the genie were out of the bottle I would request that all overcome the ‘one-inch barrier’ (subtitles). Watching films ‘from away’, as our East Coasters would say, is one of the simplest ways to combat fears and/or prejudices about other peoples/nations/ways of life that we often don’t realize we have. Every time we identify or root for someone who is ‘other’ it chips away at the walls, and as Maya Angelou has said so eloquently, we discover that “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike”.

What are the responsibilities involved in hosting a Letterboxd challenge? It doesn’t have to be complicated. A challenge can be as simple as “watch ten films from your watchlist this month”. It’s all about tags. Define a tag, have people add it to their films and their lists, and then you can easily search for and filter those tags. Easy peasy. Mine is a bit more challenging because it has so many requirements, but thanks to some fantastic Letterboxders who volunteer to help with my spreadsheet (you know who you are), it all gets done in a timely manner.

How do you find the time to watch all those films in a single month?! Jonathan and I have never completed the challenge! Our best year was around 26. That year we got up earlier in the morning and watched the films with coffee, before going to work. That was the best. Nice and fresh and open to anything. Bonus is that we got to think about the film all day and the review-writing in the evening was easier. If it were up to me that’s the way I would watch films all the time.

What other challenges have you taken part in, and how have they enhanced your experience of watching films? Back in the day everyone was making a list tagged with List of Shame that you filled with all those “You seriously haven’t seen that yet?!” films. I’m still chipping away at it, but of course for every film you watch there are ten more you have to see. To help with the List of Shame I participated in Mr Dulac’s 5×5 series, where you selected five films from five directors and watched them at your leisure. It was a great way to complete filmographies. I still go to that list when selecting a film to watch.

Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘In The Mood for Love’ (2000).

What are your four favorites on your Letterboxd profile, and why? In the Mood for Love, because forbidden love is the saddest thing ever, and I could watch Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung go up and down those noodle-shop stairs all day long. The Thin Red Line, because it provides a great sense of place and it’s about the soldiers, not the war. Whispering Star because it is so quiet and touching.

I keep my fourth slot open for a rotating new favorite film that I want everyone to see. I could change these for a different set, but, oh, who am I kidding. I always feel terrible at the thought of ‘demoting’ a film.

What is your favorite or most useful feature? The watchlist, filtered by service. It is my dream-come-true feature. I sort by genre, hide short films, select ‘Stream only’ and ta-da! A list of films I’ve been meaning to see that are available to stream. (Now if only I could do the same for films that I own!) [Editor’s note: filtering by your own personal set of streaming services is a Pro feature.]

What’s a movie you’ve done a 180 on because of other Letterboxd members’ opinions? Great question. Memories of Murder is one of them for sure. I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was when I first saw it, but so many of my friends gave it five stars that I watched it again and understood. And just this week, Moaning_Slug posted an interesting comment on my review of Buñuel’s Viridiana that actually makes me want to take another look.

What’s a movie you’ve really had to dig in on your feelings about, despite what everyone else on Letterboxd thinks? I am not easily bothered by or influenced by others when it comes to the films I love or despise. I seriously disliked Her and Boyhood and pretty much anything by Wes Anderson and all the high ratings have zero effect on me. The technical prowess of a film would never be something that could change my mind (here’s looking at you John Wick: Chapter 2 and 3). What would make me take a second look is if someone were able to point out that I missed something about what the film was saying. I’ve yet to review Jojo Rabbit because while I think poking fun at someone who aspires to dictatorship might actually prevent it from happening, I don’t know what to make of it when it’s making light of a historical or current [aspiring dictator]. Reading reviews about this could definitely influence my take on the film.

Colin Firth in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1995).

What’s your go-to comfort movie? The one with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, the one with Chris Pratt and the talking ‘rat’, and the one with Tony Leung as badge No. 663 starring the Mamas and the Papas.

If and when you go to the cinema, where do you prefer to sit? Behind the shortest person in the room, near the back (I hate looking up—it’s a neck thing).

You’re Canadian. What’s the best Canadian film of all time? South of Wawa, about a donut-shop waitress who receives tickets to a Dan Hill concert in Toronto for her 35th birthday. Okay, so it’s not the “greatest film of all time” but it is my favorite, and it’s got the best last line ever!

These are the Canadian films I’ve seen in order of preference, this is a substantial list of Quebec films and [Letterboxd member] puffin has an extensive Canadian films list (stops at 2018). And I must mention these NFB short classics: The Cat Came Back, The Sweater and one of the most beautifully animated shorts, The Man Who Planted Trees.

When Parasite won Best Picture, what was the reaction in your household? We tested the bounce on our floor boards at Best Director. We tested the bounce on the ceiling boards at Best Picture.

Please recommend three other Letterboxd members we should follow. I can’t count, so here goes. I think everyone should follow Punq for the sheer number of films he watches and reviews, but mostly because I don’t think there is a film made before the 60s that he hasn’t seen. Graham Williamson is a good bet as well. His tastes are eclectic and his reviews are always packed with good observations and information. And I also have to recommend fellow Canuck puffin. I don’t know how he manages to watch so many films and review them. I always enjoy reading Melissa Tamminga, who asks questions and is very thoughtful in her reviews, and I have a soft spot for Peter H, who again personalizes his reviews. Nepotism be damned, Jonathan White always writes honest, interesting and personal reviews.

You also round up Letterboxd members who attend TIFF each year—what’s been a good thing about meeting Letterboxd people in real life? It’s great! Without naming names, I discovered that I could drink a 6'2" Norwegian under the table; a particular New Yorker is so stingy with his ratings that when he gives anything beyond three and a half stars you just have to watch the film; and a New Zealander personally knows anyone who is anyone in the industry over there and can give you all the dirt! Whenever we consider not doing TIFF we are always reminded that it would involve missing our Wednesday meet-up (as well as most other nights where we undoubtedly meet up for beer and film-related arguments), and we easily change our minds.

P.S. In the spirit of connecting Letterboxders… before the TIFF list I thought it would be good idea to create a ‘Letterboxd in [insert City]’ list, Toronto being the first one. It took off, and many users from different parts of the world created lists for their cities; the tag is letterboxdcity.

The March Around the World challenge starts 1 March 2020. Tag your list with ‘30 countries 2020’ and it’ll be added here.

[mcjart]

The Fake Freedom of Monkey Business

Observing Animal Behavior

When on a trip to Bali a few years ago, I visited a sanctuary park for sacred monkeys, where eager tourists could find joyful animals at play, or if one so chose, depending on their favored experience, demonstrations of flagrant divisive clan behavior.

Increasingly awestruck during our stroll, we suddenly came upon a wounded alpha male, seemingly awaiting his death.  He sat alone almost motionless, beaming a defeated look of shame and resignation in his eye, completely unsupported by any of the other members of his animal kingdom.  All the while, most of the rare long-tailed monkeys bathed lightly, between cooling shade and delicate sunlight, gently offered by their native forest.

To we, human animals, this may appear to be an obvious reality of uncivilized animal behavior.  After all, we are more advanced, evolved beings feeling empathy, goal oriented in striving for growth -- individually, as a society, and for all of humanity, rather than simply products of survival of the fittest.

Or are we?

My F for Comprehension

As a new American from Canada, I struggle to understand the apparent prevailing belief that in the US, health care is ones individual responsibility, and thus, one to be personally financed by each self-reliant, hardworking individual, striving to earn his or her keep in the world.

Let me break down my lack of faith in this belief, in a way in which I hope you can relate.  At the heart of every action, I trust that a set of human values are a driving force.  In this consciousness, I have come to realize that the most important value to every American is Freedom -- with a capital F.  It is the underlying theme of the United States’ reason-for-being, applicable to every aspect of its existence, thus every act posed by its citizens on a daily basis, either within the context of life goals or even simple mundane daily activities.

This leads me to my ongoing quest to identify what freedom really means to Americans, as well as what it truly costs. And since freedom is at the core of American life, how and why the actions of its people actually reveals that it is not perceived as a right of every living, that is, each citizen of the country.

Let me further explain.

Peace of Mind, Body, and Spirit

I strongly feel that for true freedom to occur, health, in terms of how to manage it should it fail, cannot be an ongoing concern of daily life.  As a result, only a centralized healthcare system as a right to everyone, also know as universal healthcare, can enable real freedom in America -- the country that lives, breathes, and values Freedom first.

Simply said, I believe that for the short and long-term prosperity of a society to grow, basic health management must be available to all living Americans.  I do not understand how it is not flagrantly obvious to everyone that the current US healthcare system goes against the very heart of the value system, rooted in freedom.

Perhaps this following US criterion of success will help you better see my point of view.

Dollars that Make Sense

I have lived the reality of a government-managed universal healthcare system in Canada.  I experienced the fact that it offers the starting point for freedom -- for all life goals to have the potential for realization, for all the individuals that are part of such a centralize program.

Another important point involves the economic advantages of this kind of system.  I hear very few people discuss the financial advantages benefited by all involved. Indeed, the economies of scale that it offers are far superior, thanks to its unified nature.  Most significantly, this added value directly supports the American belief that ones hard-earned dollar is ones theirs and theirs only, to solely choose what to do with for their own life.  In fact, it constitutes a less expensive healthcare management system for its subscribers, than the one currently governed (I use this term consciously, given the irony of the supposed current free-market American health industry) by two mutually-exclusive, yet controlling money-making business.  In the USA, theses are the pharmaceutical (where I have worked as an marketing executive) and insurance industries, which are the dominant participants that can celebrate the financial benefits of US healthcare.

During casual exploratory conversations, what I do frequently hear is: “why should I pay for the healthcare of someone who has work as hard as I or who has not taken care of their health like me?”.  Well, if this is indeed part of the US value system, rather than healthcare as a right to all human beings, Americans are fooling themselves in believing that their hard-earned dollars are spent more cost effectively in the context of an free-enterprise business model governed by a few, rather than in one that could be ‘centrally governed’ by our one self-reliant government with the one goal in mind of health.  In truth, the US way of providing healthcare to its citizens, thought to support the independence of a free people, is actually a very expensive way of life and living, that limits prosperity and as a result, real individual freedom.

The Social Dance of Healthy Enterprise

Ones health is not one of those crucial aspects of our life that should function within the economic system of capitalism.  Our American way of life and what we choose to do with our life should -- but our health should not.  And socialism, if understood for what it truly is, thanks to our Western value system which is rooted in freedom, indeed is not a way of life that should be considered or let lone favored by anyone who has gone beyond soundbites to comprehend the true meaning of such a political ideology.  Historically, we know it has proved to kill the human spirit.

A centralized healthcare system created with the objective of managing a people’s health, for the benefit of all individuals within a given society is not socialism.  Healthcare for all, one that is universal, simply represents social consciousness of a civilized society, enabling its independent, productive individuals to freely focus on self, in the area of their choice, as part of a responsible capitalistic society.

Contrarily, socialism is an all-encompassing way of life, where one does indeed lose their freedom.  It is a government system where individuals do not have the ability to make their own choices for existence -- thus even touch, taste, smell freedom.  The result is a life where one has no aspirations of competitive success, since everything is controlled and normalized to a minimum level of satisfied earthly needs -- equal for everyone.  Here, individual opportunities for growth are none.  However, when equality pertains strictly to healthcare, as available to all, the potential for personal growth, freely chosen by each, becomes available to everyone, via satisfied basic, urgent, or life-threatening health needs.

Equality for health care does not mean equality of a chain gang.  It does not represent a socialism government -- which is directly related to communism, exploiting control, that is, limiting the human potential which we are offered when given life on earth.  It is simply and most powerfully, the conscious, compassionate governing of ones people -- for the success of a nation.

Brand Power

Misuse of highly-recognized, strongly negatively associated brands is a practice that is misleading, manipulative, and dare I say, dangerous.  It represents a mighty forceful destructive strategy for depletion of character, and as a result, independence and self identity.  Hence, incorrectly branding a a centralized healthcare system as socialism, completely destroys the potential for synergistic healthy competitive performance -- for the success and strength of the whole country within the global market economy that we now live.  I cannot stress enough that its objective is one of confusion for control by a few, for the weakening of each within a society.  This is clearly paradoxical in a country that deems itself free.

Healthcare that is not for all, makes fragile the sum of its part, thus creating a weaker America.  It seems obvious that those who do not want universal healthcare must feel this way for the wrong and/or misinformed reasons.  Of course, people shun a centrally-governed healthcare system when it is labeled the evil ‘socialism’.  Socialism, throughout history, has demonstrated its impossible nature, when put into practice.  Its inevitable failure is obvious.  Indeed, within our free-enterprise Western society, we accurately perceive it for what it is -- the political ideology that takes away freedom.

Interestingly, socialism and society are part of the same family of words, related to the adjective social.  Yet, each reside at opposite sides of the spectrum, in terms of their respective level of the first American value that is freedom.  In other words, terms from the same family of words can often have opposing meanings.  To make matters more complicated, organizations with the supposed same objectives sometimes have names that appear to support different causes.  Look at the names of two similar and crucial government institutions of neighboring countries.  In Canada, the organization that manages prescription and OTC drugs is called Health Canada.  In the US, the equivalent body is called the Federal Drug Administration.  Different values? Different strategies?  Trusting the branding of each, that is, that their choices of names reflect accurate meanings of their reason-for-being, which government would you say is first concerned with the health if its people?  Said differently, which government has better management of the health of its nation?

One Plus One Plus One -- Equals the Unites States

We are social and societal.  We are civilized human animals -- not monkeys.  I suggest that we choose our walks in the park, how we spend our money, and the words that we use and understand, with thought, care, and vision for our future.  Remember, a little clarity offers wisdom.  And wisdom is healthy empowerment.

Please, let us be wise.  Social consciousness for the health of our nation is not socialism.  It actually makes good economic sense, within a successful capitalistic system.  After all, performance in the competitive world market requires the satisfaction of our basic needs as a society, as well as the good health of all of us -- one by one, in chain and link, for the prosperous united 50 states of the country -- as one living force.

[rajasekharbuggaveeti]

Telangana IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao launches a career guide on 'digital media careers' along with the author Rajasekhar Buggaveeti

The IT Minister of Telangana state, Sri K.T. Rama Rao released a career guide on the wide range of fast-growing job opportunities in the dynamic digital media and entertainment industry.

The book was released during the inaugural session of the Indiajoy Event at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), Hyderabad on 16th November.

Along with K.T. Rama Rao, ‘Exciting Careers in Digital Media’ book author Rajasekhar Buggaveeti, Green Gold Animation Founder & CEO Rajiv Chilaka, Bengaluru-based Technicolor India Managing Director Biren Ghose, Cine Hero Sudheer Babu, IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, and others participated in the book launch ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajasekhar Buggaveeti said: “The book elaborates on 72 exciting job roles across Animation, Graphic Design, Visual Effects, Gaming, Web & Mobile Design, Digital Marketing, and Filmmaking. Creative arts students will find this book particularly useful in exploring the broad spectrum of employment prospects across disciplines and specializations in the industry. While the book is primarily focused on helping freshers gauge their aptitude and identify pathways that align with their interests and innate strengths, it also acts as a personal guide for creative CG artists who have some experience in the industry but are looking to shift career paths or accelerate their career growth”.

Appreciating the efforts in producing the book, the minister KTR quipped: “This book serves as a virtual compass to career aspirants in these sectors. The extensive information on each job role - job outline, skills, training, salaries, and growth - along with valuable guidance on choosing the right course and college, and pursuing successful careers makes it a first-of-its-kind, complete career guide in India”.

Rajiv Chilaka observed: “Expert tips on demo reel/portfolio, internships, and career preparation and advancement along with inspiring stories of media and entertainment industry legends makes it a must-read book for students”.

On the occasion, Biren Ghose, Sudheer Babu, and Jayesh Ranjan congratulated the book’s author Rajasekhar Buggaveeti.

Published by Creative Multimedia, this book is available on Amazon and also at the firm’s office at Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad. Contact: +91 40 2405 2277.

[2251bluewhales]

“I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em. I’m a whale biologist”

Well, almost.

When you ask a kid what they want to be when they grow up, usually their answer shifts around a couple hundred times throughout their lives before entering adulthood. I saw it happen to others all around me as I grew up. I’m a senior in college now, and I still observe my peers frustrated and scrambling to find purpose or personal meaning in what they do. Those things can surely take time to feel out and understand. I feel like the minority in this situation though, and I suppose I got lucky in that regard. As a child I always had a firm grasp of my so-called calling, or, at the very least, a general idea of what I wanted to do.

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, both on the Canadian and American sides of the region, and I’ve been spoiled to live constantly within short distance of coastlines. The beach has always been a second home, whether swimming in the ocean or gazing into intricate and colorful tidepools. I quickly traded bedtime stories for field guides as I found solace in a book of sharks and rays as a toddler, thanks to a quick-thinking father of mine who successfully distracted a restless three-year-old me while in the seat of a shopping cart as he picked up our groceries. The ocean and the marine life within it were quite prominent in my life from the get-go, and my parents surely did their share to condition me into an advocate and lover of nature. What really ignited the passion was my first encounter with a killer whale at the Vancouver Aquarium; a spectacular moment in the underwater viewing galleries where I watched all three tons of this sleek and powerful animal glide by in front of me like a locomotive. I fell in love that day.

What happens when you then throw Free Willy, a few scattered summer whale watch excursions, and regular visits to the aquarium into the mix?

Actually, an aspiring whale trainer. 

Yes, I’ve always wanted to work with whales, but not always as a biologist. My first aspiration was to train orcas at an aquarium facility or marine park, and for a while I actively sought information that would lead me to that job, even considering internships training Pacific white-sided dolphins at the Vancouver Aquarium where my identity took form. But later on down the line, I would find myself exploring activism through the opposition of the captive whale and dolphin trade, educating myself and others on the ecological, biological, and ethical impositions of the industry, while slowly refining my career choice to study and advocate for the animals in our natural spaces that, now more than ever, need our attention the most. Which brings us here.

Welcome to my independent learning contract. I’m a senior at Evergreen State College and have opted to devote my summer to an internship I’ve been striving for and have now been honored to participate in. I’ve developed this blog to highlight my weekly activities at Cascadia Research Collective, a marine mammal research facility based in Olympia, Washington. This non-profit organization, established in 1979 by John Calambokidis, specializes in cetacean research (cetaceans being the order of marine mammals which contains whales, dolphins, and porpoises), and our US West Coast branch, which I’m involved in, takes special interest in monitoring humpback whales, grey whales, and blue whales in the East Pacific.

My internship will involve tons of work analyzing photos of blue whales specifically, and identifying the individuals our biologists photograph during the year. Essentially, I get to play a game of spot-the-difference. It’s called photo identification, the process by which you can identify individual animals in a population by unique physical characteristics. This is a vital method in monitoring whale populations, as it can give us insight on their movements and geographical ranges, their behavior, health, feeding patterns, and the robustness of their communities. Over time, we can use this information to build family trees, determine unique populations, promote better conservation, predict and monitor migration routes, among other things.

Our database currently recognizes 2251 individual blue whales, categorized by their pigmentation (or coloration), and the condition of their dorsal fins, whether damaged or undamaged. 

For now, I’ve been assigned to 20 trial photographs and access to CRC’s digitalized historical identification catalog. I’m tasked with matching the whales in these photos to the corresponding catalogued whales in their database. In my youth, and to this day, I’ve done photo identification work in my free time, learning the individual orcas within the Northern and Southern Resident populations of British Columbia and Washington State respectively. Identifying killer whales is super easy compared to blue whales. The markings of orcas are conspicuous and apparent if you know what to look for. With the subtleties of coloration in blue whales, this means I’ll be spending copious amounts of time frying my retinas behind a computer screen. As we speak, I’ve identified just over half of the blue whales in my trial photos, and it’s only day two. Whether or not I’m 100% successful will be later determined by my supervisor upon total completion.

In addition to photo matching, I’ll hopefully have some opportunities to join the biologists and my fellow interns on whale watch expeditions and strandings, in addition to developing my own personal projects with them and composing a research synthesis on one of their recently published studies. 

I’ll be posting weekly every Friday, so stay tuned for some wild research shenanigans this summer. During this time, feel free to interact! Ask me about how to get started in the field of marine biology, what a necropsy is, how to tell whales apart, how and where to responsibly watch whales, environmental issues, conservation, captivity, or any relevant curiosities you may have.

 Enjoy the ride, I know I sure will!

[vitmelbourne]

Multimedia Courses in Australia is the Right Selection of your Career Program

By completing a degree within the world of multimedia, you'll combine your visual talents and your artistic skills. In the multimedia and visual communications area, you employ your creative skills to speak with a worldwide audience.

 By completing a Multimedia Courses in Australia degree within the world of multimedia, you'll combine your visual talents and your artistic skills. Dream of becoming a producer, director or designer? Maybe you would like to be a famous artist or graphic artist? In the multimedia and visual communications area, you employ your creative skills to speak with a worldwide audience. In the field of multimedia and communication media and communication haven't any limits. Multimedia artists and graphic designers the present information and messages to the audience. They are experts in translating concepts and concepts into visual messages which will be transmitted on screen or on paper.

 Technological innovations are the constantly setting new standards for multimedia experts. To go with the technological innovations we'd like to upgrade to Multimedia Courses in Australia course of study. There is an excellent need for tech savvy professionals who can create graphic and multimedia content with remarkable and aesthetically pleasing content. By studying a Multimedia Courses in Australia, you can cover graphics and multimedia, you'll acquire the knowledge to make rich graphic content that helps create exciting websites. Graphic design and web design experts teach students participating during this specialized education in Multimedia Courses in Australia program. Visual communication studies provide you with in-depth knowledge of the newest professional tools for graphic design, graphics animation and image processing.

 The development of the web and our media-intensive society will only increase the demand for communication specialists. Now is the time to become a visible communication expert and secure employment for your future. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, thirty thousand two hundred ten people are currently employed in this fast-growing sector. If you're curious about a really different combination of media, you ought to study Multimedia course and communication.

 Why Do We Need Multimedia Courses in Australia

 You may haven't noticed how useful multi media are in our daily lives. You might are taking it without any consideration thinking that it's just a daily a part of your routine already. But what you would like to understand is that these different sorts of multimedia are an excellent help in our day routine and that they also are very useful in other important tasks that we'd like to try to.

 If you're driving to the office or just taking the train to high school, aren't you thankful that you simply have music to stay you awake throughout your travels? Music is one sort of multimedia that's widely used everywhere and in every minute of the day. Music, also as other sort of audio and video are great sorts of communication. You can also consider taking note of the radio as a sort of multimedia of these can through with the Multimedia Courses in Australia degree.

 The main purpose of using multimedia is to simply communicate with people. For instance, a radio channel are going to be ready to share music with all the people during a state or country. And since radio stations earn money through advertisements, they're going to also got to play music that are very fashionable to people to stay them tuned in, thus, keeping the advertisements coming in.

 If you're an educator, you'll use various sorts of Multimedia training program to succeed in your students. Teachers will always find ways to form the lesson easier to know for college kids. A teacher can use audio lecture files, lecture videos and lots of more. Students also want variety in teaching methods; they easily get bored if the teacher always discusses a lesson ahead of the category with none variety. So if you would like to possess the eye of scholars, you ought to use multimedia to urge their interests.

 Now if you are building a company website, it is very important that you keep the website information and entertaining. Now a days Websites are powerful tools to attract customers to a specific advocacy or product. So if you employ different sorts of multimedia in your website, your visitor will probably stay longer than usual and flick through your entire site. You will have a better chance of informing them or getting them to buy one of your products. You can choose between music files, video files and even simple mini games to place in your website all the are often done by learning Multimedia Courses in Australia.

 Most multi media are free and you'll get them online. There are many other uses of multimedia in whatever task you're undertaking you'll observe understanding of those with Multimedia Courses in Australia. And if communication is one among the goals of your task, you ought to definitely use some digital media to assist you reach your audience better. You need to know that folks don't like reading lengthy articles and too detailed product information, so it's better that you simply digest the important facts and put it in the audio or video form to catch their attention. There are people that study multimedia as a degree; this just means multimedia is recognized as a really important tool in information technology and computer applications.

 Australia has only been improving by the day and this has been possible with the advancement within the region of technology. Animation industry has by the now been ready to get a robust foothold and more aspirants are often seen moving towards seeking expert guidance from various reputed institutes or academies in order to pursue a certification course in the same. So the demand for more training institutes has risen and when there's demand it had been likely to ascertain numerous academies spring-up. We can learn the many multimedia techniques by Multimedia Courses in Australia degree.

 You might see the classifieds flooded with advertisements of such institutions, promising to supply the simplest training facilities however the very fact remains that there are only selected names that have the potential to offer quality training services. Good Institutes offer a learning environment that is highly conductive to effective learning and students get many opportunities to polish and strengthen the artistic capabilities in them. To mention about its laurels, within the very recent years it's been awarded with the 'Emerging Star' award at the annual meeting. The benefits that you simply get by getting trained in Multimedia Courses in Australia here are available how of settled career opportunities and growth within the same. Above all you get trained by veterans of the industry.

 For getting more information visit here VIT - Victorian Institute of Technology.

14/123 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

1300 17 17 55 (or) support@vit.edu.au

[annabethinwonderland]

How to Promote a Brand Image on Pinterest

There became a time when industrial ventures have been now not allowed to participate on Pinterest. Now a organisation can be a part of the web site very effortlessly within the commercial enterprise segment. Pinterest is the 1/3 largest social media web page and its membership is developing swiftly; it's miles a network really worth becoming a member of.

It is essential to understand that developing one board with a few pix of your merchandise is unlikely to work properly. This is like growing an RSS feed instead of taking part in social media that is what Pinterest is absolutely all about.

You need to create 'notion' now not 'tough promote'. You need to connect to clients in a fine, attractive and emotional way. You ought to goal to excite and tell your capability clients.

So suppose less 'catalogue' and extra 'mag'.

Pinterest is a totally visual medium and lends itself properly to any business that gives goods for sale. Otherwise, in case you are promoting a few kind of carrier, infographics and checklists also are very popular pins.

Pinterest draws many thousands and thousands of humans in demographics with aspirations and expendable profits, so they're going to be capability customers for your merchandise Custom Made Jewellery. The majority of participants are female, and women are very often the buyers of products in a household. It is also worth noting that about half of those ladies are moms. It is a completely lively social media platform that you may use for advertising with very little cost.

Although you'll want to show what you need to promote in your forums, reflect onconsideration on your products as being most effective a percentage of your total content material. To create the high-quality impact you may want to area your merchandise in a lifestyle context and this is executed by using other images.

So first think about what characteristics your merchandise have. What factors of them do you need to highlight? Are they brilliant? Are they environmentally-friendly? Are they honest-change products? Do they enchantment to travellers or maybe families? Do your products solve a hassle?

Once  who your products enchantment to, you can ask yourself  in addition questions. How can your customers use your merchandise and what different topics could be of interest to them? The solutions to those questions will give you ideas for your pinboards.

You have to determine how you may provide humans fee for your pins; this is to say how the pins may be of use to them, in order to draw their attention and attract them in your business enterprise. Making income can then follow. If you pin out of your website, a label will automatically be connected in your pins and will journey with them as they're repinned.

So here are a few suggestions which can come up with ideas approximately the way to display your items on Pinterest and healthy nicely into their manner of working. And keep in mind that the great of your pinning reflects on your organization.

Cosmetics companies and jewelry businesses should pin images of make-up strategies, nail art, hairstyles, style, shade co-ordination, pores and skin care within the sun, what essentials to % in a make-up bag and suitcase while happening holiday.

An airline or travel organization can pin pics of stunning places across the World, crowd-drawing gala's and the latest gadgets and tour hacks for globetrotters.

A paint or furniture corporation can take snap shots of room settings in a spread of shade schemes to create an concept of ways their merchandise could look in customers' houses. They can accessorize the rooms to present thoughts to people who've no inventive dispositions or time to spend designing their own dwelling areas.

A knitting deliver shop could pin snap shots of knitted clothes made up of their yarns being modelled in lovely places. A haberdashery employer could pin a wealth of craft projects. Using other people's pins to do this is flawlessly desirable because pins are shared normally.

Estate marketers can consist of facts on how to % packing containers properly, how to arrange putting gadgets in rooms on arrival in a brand new domestic, a way to transport flora, what are counted as furnishings and fittings, how to measure home windows for brand spanking new curtains, the modern traits in décor and numerous techniques to combat strain. This gives customers the impact which you are the form of employer that allows them in each manner you can.

Pet-care organizations can create forums on a way to become aware of breeds of fish, horses, cats and dogs. They can advise approximately symptoms of illness to appearance out for, what sort of cage suits distinctive varieties of small pets, a way to installation an aquarium, the way to look after saddlery, what foods are suitable or fallacious for sure forms of animal and what varieties of pets are appropriate or unsuitable for kids.

Businesses providing eco-friendly gardening products may want to pin pics of the places their wooden or bamboo is sourced from, the way to recycle water inside the lawn, tree species appropriate for small gardens, flowers that are very toxic to pets and youngsters - and plants that are not, vegetation which can be bee-friendly, a way to compost, how to appeal to flora and fauna, the way to layout a courtyard garden, how to construct raised beds.

Companies selling truthful-alternate goods like bananas, coffee and chocolate can pin photographs of their plantations and the people who work on them with the intention to give history and that means to their products. What do the plants seem like when they may be growing? What type of climate and surroundings surround the plantations? What does the trade mean to the lives of those human beings? What recipes can you create with their products?

A motel could take images of beautiful views and locations of hobby in their locale as well as their very own bedrooms, communal regions and dishes. People rarely select a motel as a destination; they pick a motel only when they have decided to go to that particular area - so displaying humans why they need to come to their part of the World on this manner is a good way to attract attention. Adding some recipes from their kitchen and cocktail bar so people will recognize what they have got on provide of their eating place could be a pleasant touch. They can also upload a few amusing via creating forums approximately: seaside style, celebration thoughts, table redecorating, folding napkins and towels, fruit and vegetable artwork and maybe a humour board relating to eating/journeying/holidays.

Don't neglect to add a caption to give historical past stories to the pictures; in this way you can link in addition on your following. Engaging together with your audience is your key to achievement.

Otherwise, famous subjects you may like to feature in an effort to endear other pinners to you're: recipes, lovable animals, funny snap shots, inspirational costs, beautiful surroundings and lovely images. But whatever you pick has to in shape in together with your emblem photograph. Let your persona shine via.

Like some other undertaking, planning is key. So study the Pinterest guidelines and steering pages carefully and do studies on You Tube to get more records approximately understanding analytics and a way to display items. You want to photo your goods in use to show them to the fine impact.

Don't infringe copyright and do not include special provide records with a confined time length.

So whilst you sign in you may want to carefully create your profile. What image might be exceptional to pick out for it?

Decide what the titles of your forums could be - keep them brief. Think cautiously about whether or not every identify will entice interest and provide an explanation for succinctly but truely what's displayed on that board.

Create boards offering your merchandise first so that they draw the maximum interest. More boards may be mixed in after that. Create 5 - 10 forums each containing 10 - 20 pins to get commenced. The first image you placed on a board will continue to be as the largest picture at the pinnacle of the board while it is considered on the page in which all your forums are displayed - so select it carefully.

Then intention to spend a bit time pinning every day.

A sizeable factor about Pinterest is that pins can be repinned so in many instances that they are continuously resurfacing, not like Facebook where posts sink underneath new items perhaps never to be seen again. New pictures are constantly welcome though and so generating unique content is suited. You can use virtual cameras or telephones to create your eye-candy. Vertical shots work satisfactory within the Pinterest format and are less complicated to view on hand held gadgets.

When you join up, choose to comply with classes that fit properly with your products and also observe pinners who operate within those niches. If you comply with people, there will be a hazard they'll follow you again. So the extra you comply with human beings, the more chance you've got of making a big following yourself.

Pinterest recommend that you installation a Pinit button on your website to inspire people to take snap shots from it as pins. They also advocate that the more you pin, the extra you may draw attention to your self; so putting in one board with ten products on it may not come up with the most appropriate effects you choice. Both these points will come up with a better web presence so as to attract customers, get on their wish lists and generate greater income.

[blogbuzrushmarketingcommuni-blog]

Question Answer Website

wisdom and Knowledge are procured only if you have a desire to recognise something, and also the aspiration could basically accomplished while you openly asks inquiries, and resolving such type of thoughts operates clearly once the synergy of your industry experts actually works.

Next to nothing are usually superior to a web system in which all queries on the information seeking aspirants can be solved. We have elicited the finest WordPress themes that will enable you to get your job done if you are planning to launch yourself on the world wide web and start a forum where all the questions can be answered.

These Wordpress blogs designs can be used by finance and banking market place, i . t . field, technical support providers, business approach outsourcing work and other other belonging to the related tremendous amount.

If you are planning to provide a Question Answer Website for your audience, then go through to this collection of WordPress themes.

You can actually pick out one of the underneath-talked about themes or templates to construct the new site.

Also explore the here write-up for question reply online community effort stock portfolio

Greatest No cost & Paid out Issue Best solution Discussion board Wordpress platforms Plug-ings

1. ForumEngine

It really is a wonderful topic which will help to help with making discussion boards without having any computer programming talents and technical practical knowledge. It actually is supplemented with fashionable settings and modified receptive functionality like made to order forum skin, Gravatars, vast tongue possible choices, an effective entrance-final and returning-conclude. The topic offers to start off your argument forums on Wp hosted website.

You can find a articles or blog posts category portion relating to the homepage of the style, exactly where the query and reply discussion can take position. You will discover a “Statistics” department within the web site for the style just where any individuals, the amount of threads you may have and the total number of replies might be mentioned, exploring the concept further, you will discover a “category” segment just where every one of your community forum categorizations are usually demonstrated.

Crucial attributes:

•It gives you quickly investigation preview at the header which assists you to look for quite easily replies.

•Features tacky thread which allows an individual to stick or pin a article at the top of the screen.

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•It provides whole studies. You can view threads, replies and member statistics instantly.

•Provides each ability to frequently accept or refuse matters which have been not of your respective visitors matter.

•Establish participants as being a moderator who helps you to preserve gentle, big-top notch discussions.

•Has personal room space from where the user can all functions strongly related to their released threads.

•Gives individual suspending solution.

2. QAEngine

QAEngine can be described as finished discussion forum operation integrated WordPress concept which provides people to get their message boards deal with lowest projects. It offers its focused community forum framework while offering basic user interface. Despite this, furthermore, it grants good-monitored product handled using the again-terminate administrative solar panel.

The online community contains division which demonstrates array of thoughts with their replies, you will express exactly what your most recently released blogposts and additionally you could clearly show a few categories, tags, badges and users on the sidebar with the theme. You can filtration your end results that you might want your customers to observe. The web template has survey location explaining array of polls each web site.

Important Attributes:

•Simple and optimized UX

•Permits the operator to look into and find out systematically with tags and category

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3. Understanding Starting point

It is an very good Word press Idea for wiki and data bottom level webpages. The theme finest backs up your customers by giving special attributes. You could add bbPress plug-in to this motif. bbPress plugin gives you simplicity ofuse and integration, net principles, and velocity.

The topic contains a explore nightclub where by all important records could very well be searched, all suitable gadgets can be distributed to your web blog visitors thanks to this topic. You may offer you web links to numerous articles subjecting your QA workout session may be distributed to your website surfers who wishes to acquire, share and gain practical knowledge.

Key Elements:

•It can be well receptive i.e. constructed in Bebo Bootstrap, HTML5 & CSS3

•Features comprehensive localization help and has .po and .mo documents

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•A few Home-pageFaqs and Templates, contact (with ajax structured contact form) and completely full-width web page Design (with no need of sidebar).

•Son or daughter Theme and XML import data file added

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4. HelpGuru

HelpGuru is definitely a self-services support Word press information basic concept. It truly is accompanied by way of clean, functional and responsive model that is certainly helpful in branding profile. It offers an exceptional framework for construction an enjoyable knowledgebase web-site.

The HelpGuru boasts a hunt bar vicinity where every one of your content articles and QA subjects could be explored. The web template is guaranteed accompanied by a 3 line attribute area at which academic topics and news may be discussed. You possibly can show your preferred blog posts and helpful info could be displayed by way of this excellent Wp Topic.

Main Functions:

•Advanced dwell customizer help support, regulation colorings and word

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CSS3 and •HTML5 assist

You can ask Me can be described as responsive Wp topic with an exceptional control panel. It will be retina ready and has a straightforward design and layout. The concept is usually a very personalized web template for QAndA internet websites and also has unending colors remedies. Request Me has an array of users methods.

The design of AskMe is frameworked with different webpage templates for instance a sign in post in which a surfer can make an account against your webpage, some tab as a recently available subject, a short while ago reply to, most answer with zero answer for the simplicity of clients to browse through your site content material. Also, it promotes RTL feature so your guests coming from the district like Arabic could also utilize a web site.

Important Functionality:

•Features infinite sidebars and colors

•3 Headers design Gentle and dimly lit

•A number of Website Page layout

•33 website designs with personalization option

•19 customizable widgets

•Made to order qualifications image, colors and custom structure

5. Powerful Q&A

Refined QAndA ensure your web site appearances attractive and appealing which consists of larger range functionality. Effective Q&A boasts custom made join and sign in internet pages for visitors in order that each individual owner comes with an particular person user profile.

The primary aspect from the style is boss board that allows you to present payment an associate your internet site, and yes it has a split community for marketing your regular membership projects, ajax based mostly look for board that delivers quickly and even more comfortable search engine results into the person.

Primary Includes:

•Join Up is equipped with re-Captcha spam option

•Inquiry askers have the ability to choose the best the right answers and like them.

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•Members can monitor their site’s search engine ranking.

6. Help and support Workspace

Encouragement Office can be described as sensitive expertise basic Wordpress blogs idea. You can easily provides and personalize very good service for ones owner. It now let your web page conform conveniently to your display capacity which provides your online visitors an amazing surfing knowledge.

The topic offers AJAX dwell investigation function to supply instant the right answers strategy on your shoppers, also an incorporated bbPress plugin which enables to generate important friendships considering the consumers, occur your business services and features having an astounding font great icon in a trio of line element space.

Critical Capabilities:

•It is really totally suitable for BBPress which assists to develop partnership on your people

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•Includes translation

•Excellent Help From An Professional Creator

•Features 3 Custom Widgets (Most recently released Reports And Famous Articles, Alerts and Toggles Tabs & Accordions)

•Multilevel Computer animated Navigation

7. Flatbase

Flatbase is usually a professional and clean topic that offers a whole homepage design template for one understanding bottom level web site. It creates your web sites glimpse fashionable and modern. It includes a Understanding Bottom, FAQs, Message boards with bbPress integration and generates much more fantastic attributes.

The event of Flatbase comes with various qualities a finish all in one solution for working on your own support services web page. The style is thoroughly compatible with WPML with PO And MO data indicates there is no want to share any expressions translator wordpress tool an integrated vernacular switcher is predefined.

Main Elements:

•Own know-how bottom that will help owners look for solutions.

•Strengths area discussion board by bbPress which is ideal for clients communication and interaction

•Has AJAX established exist research that will help your consumer to gain replies speedy.

•Comprehensive model options and features

•Review your modification while using live life customizer

•Translate your style by utilizing Poedit

•Search engine optimized and clean up programming

•completely reactive Wordpress platforms concept

8. Guide book

Guidebook can be a visible Wordpress platforms topic. It provides a lot of realistic and useful elements, and also a extraordinary layout that could very easily enlighten your likely customers and employers. The topic is built-in with .po and .mo computer files which offers to focus on substantial demographic.

An effective administrative solar panel of Hands-on idea let you customise your online community blog as you would like, it enables you to personalize header design type, Google and bing font icon will help you to present many aspect and features from your guidance project, a separate area with parallax prior experience consequence where you can display screen internet site level among them volume of constructions and happy clients, return to very best switch for easy navigation.

Important Includes:

•AJAX dependent live seek out highlight may help anyone to gain explanations rapid

•Entirely customizable

•100 % Reactive

•Features two footers and headers format

•Offers to like and dislike a post with sociable conveying talent

•Toddler Design Like-minded

•Wonderful SEO Built-In

•Demonstration XML data file integrated

9. Easy Q&A

Prompt Q&A is really a personalized Wp theme that offers to make any Wordpress blogs weblog as a highly effective question and answer location. The system functions very best with Word press 4.4.2.

Instant Q&A WordPress theme is a thriving option for creating a customer support based website, an integrated user login & signup page template, one customer can make multiple accounts also they can generate their own password, users can also change their password in future, a forget password module for your site member to retrieve password if they forget.

Major Features:

•Turnkey Question & Provide answers to blog answer

•Made to order Join with operator-provided security passwords

•Associate Report Internet pages

•Gravatar Integration

•One-of-a-kind Remedy articles for Resolving Problems

•Star Evaluation Strategy the place associates make guidelines for answering and asking issues

https://community.buzrush.com/

[mybuzrushcommunityworld]

Question Answer Website

wisdom and Knowledge are received only if you find a curiosity to learn an item, and therefore the drive could merely achieved once you openly asks questions, and giving answers to these types of queries attributes perfectly in the event the synergy of this authorities gets results.

Virtually nothing can be considerably better than an online base where exactly all queries of the insight searching for aspirants can be fixed. We have elicited the finest WordPress themes that will enable you to get your job done if you are planning to launch yourself on the world wide web and start a forum where all the questions can be answered.

These Wp designs can be utilized by banking and finance sector, i . t niche, technical support firms, industry approach contracting out and other other belonging to the alike bunch.

If you are planning to provide a Question Answer Website for your audience, then go through to this collection of WordPress themes.

You can decide on many of the in this article-described ideas to construct a new community.

Also have a look at directly below place for challenge help answer online community deliver the results collection

Most desirable Zero cost And Paid for Thought Best solution Community forum WordPress Plug-ings

1. ForumEngine

It is a terrific style that helps to make message boards with out any programming talents and techie practical knowledge. Its compounded with modern environments and kept up to date receptive attributes like unique discussion forum skin, Gravatars, considerable tongue possible choices, an ideal top-ending and back-conclude. The subject offers to commence your debate discussion boards on Wordpress platforms hosted webpage.

There is a posts classification segment relating to the web site of the idea, in which the majority of the dilemma and reply topic might take put. There is a “Statistics” page on the webpage on the topic where by all of your regular members, what amount threads you have got and the total number of replies may be described, going through the design additional, you can find a “category” section at which all of your community forum different types might be manifested.

Crucial functions:

•It offers quick investigation preview within the header that helps the users to get comfortably explanations.

•Deals sticky line which allows the person to stay or pin a put up on top of the screen.

•Gives you easy individual registration and sign in unit

•It gives you carry out stats. The end user can observe replies, threads and member statistics at a glance.

•Provides the power to frequently say yes to or refuse subject areas which can be not from your audiences priority.

•Set affiliates like a moderator who helps you to sustain steady, huge-level of quality interactions.

•Presents non-public space wherein the person can all fun-based activities strongly related their circulated threads.

•Gives operator excluding process.

2. QAEngine

QAEngine is usually a finished online community purpose built-in Wordpress platforms motif that can offer end users to obtain their online forums deal with the very least hard work. It provides its dedicated discussion board framework and offers uncomplicated user interface. In addition to this, additionally it gives you effectively-been able product monitored using the lumbar region-last part administrative solar panel.

The community forum includes classification which programs volume of problems in addition to their answers, it is easy to demonstrate exactly what your current blog posts and in addition that anyone can display plenty of badges, categories, tags and users in the sidebar of a style. It is possible to separate out your final results you want your website visitors to find out. The theme has poll location exhibiting availablility of polls for each web page.

Major Capabilities:

•Simple and optimized UX

•Aids the operator to look into and discover systematically with category and tags

•Delivers Badge and matter product that helps to improve an individual make

•It gives are living notice for first time content and interactions, and the like.

3. Understanding Bottom level

It is really an terrific Word press Motif for wiki and data basic online websites. The concept greatest facilitates your clients by offering unique includes. You could add bbPress wordpress tool with this theme. bbPress plugin deals simplicity ofintegration and use, world wide web guidelines, and speeds.

The idea has got a lookup pub where exactly all important records could be searched, all pertinent things is usually distributed to your websites targeted traffic by using this topic. You are able to give you backlinks to various articles or blog posts subjecting your QA time are generally given to your web page surfers who wants to acquire, gain and share know-how.

Key element Elements:

•It truly is totally responsive i.e. constructed in Youtube Bootstrap, HTML5 & CSS3

•Offers you stuffed localization help and support and contains .po and .mo records

•They have several face color styles

•Provides 3 or more different types of publish structure sustains: , and online video mediaStandard and Image

•Several WebpageTemplates and Faqs, call (with ajax established contact form) and filled-thickness website Web template (while not sidebar).

•Child XML and Theme import submit added

•A variety of shortcodes.

4. HelpGuru

HelpGuru may be a personal-services help Wordpress blogs knowledge structure motif. It is accompanied by way of a responsive, clean and functional develop that may be useful in trade name visibility. It provides an exceptional platform for building an entertaining knowledgebase online site.

The HelpGuru offers a query bar part at which any topics and QA subject matter is often explored. The design is supported which includes a 3 line aspect place precisely where useful topics and news is usually insured. It is easy to demonstrate to your well-known articles or reviews and practical knowledge are generally showed as a result of this excellent Word press Concept.

Essential Benefits:

•Sophisticated are living customizer support, handle color styles and txt

•Help get reviews on articles or reviews which supplies location for improvement

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•Consist of children style

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Make sure you ask Me can be described as sensitive Wordpress platforms design by having an great cpanel. It can be retina well prepared and has now a fairly simple design and layout. The style is actually a very custom format for Q&A websites and has limitless hue opportunities. Try to ask Me has many users possibilities.

The style of AskMe is framed with many web site web themes similar to a logon web page when a traveler can establish your account in your location, some tab exactly like a newly released inquiry, not long ago solution, most reply with zero response for the ease of client to search through your site information. Also, it backs up RTL option so your guest from the zone like Arabic are also able to utilize your internet-site.

Primary Capabilities:

•Deals unrestricted sidebars and colours

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•33 page design templates with modification selection

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https://community.buzrush.com/

[toothextract]

Affordable, Stat-Based Retail Strategy For Your Agency’s Clients

Posted by MiriamEllis

Retail clients are battling tough economics offline and tough competitors online. They need every bit of help your agency can give them. 

I was heartened when 75 percent of the 1,400+ respondents to the Moz State of Local SEO Industry Report 2019 shared that they contribute to offline strategy recommendations either frequently or at least some of the time. I can’t think of a market where good and relatively inexpensive experiments are more needed than in embattled retail. The ripple effect of a single new idea, offered up generously, can spread out to encompass new revenue streams for the client and new levels of retention for your agency.

And that’s why win-win seemed written all over three statistics from a 2018 Yes Marketing retail survey when I read it because they speak to motivating about one quarter to half of 1,000 polled customers without going to any extreme expense. Take a look:

I highly recommend downloading Yes Marketing’s complete survey which is chock-full of great data, but today, let’s look at just three valuable stats from it to come up with an actionable strategy you can gift your offline retail clients at your next meeting.

Getting it right: A little market near me

For the past 16 years, I’ve been observing the local business scene with a combination of professional scrutiny and personal regard. I’m inspired by businesses that open and thrive and am saddened by those that open and close.

Right now, I’m especially intrigued by a very small, independently-owned grocery store which set up shop last year in what I’ll lovingly describe as a rural, half-a-horse town not far from me. This locale has a single main street with less than 20 businesses on it, but I’m predicting the shop’s ultimate success based on several factors. A strong one is that the community is flanked by several much larger towns with lots of through traffic and the market is several miles from any competitor. But other factors which match point-for-point with the data in the Yes Marketing survey make me feel especially confident that this small business is going to “get it right”. 

Encourage your retail clients to explore the following tips.

1) The store is visually appealing

43–58 percent of Yes Marketing’s surveyed retail customers say they’d be motivated to shop with a retailer who has cool product displays, murals, etc. Retail shoppers of all ages are seeking appealing experiences.

At the market near me, there are many things going on in its favor. The building is historic on the outside and full of natural light on this inside, and the staff sets up creative displays, such as all of the ingredients you need to make a hearty winter soup gathered up on a vintage table. The Instagram crowd can have selfie fun here, and more mature customers will appreciate the aesthetic simplicity of this uncluttered, human-scale shopping experience.

For your retail clients, it won’t break the bank to become more visually appealing. Design cues are everywhere!

Share these suggestions with a worthy client:

Basic cleanliness is the starting point

This is an old survey, but I think we’re safe to say that at least 45 percent of retail customers are still put off by dirty premises — especially restrooms. Janitorial duties are already built into the budget of most businesses and only need to be accomplished properly. I continuously notice how many reviewers proclaim the word “clean” when a business deserves it.

Inspiration is affordable

Whatever employees are already being paid is the cost of engaging them to lend their creativity to creating merchandise displays that draw attention and/or solve problems. My hearty winter soup example is one idea (complete with boxed broth, pasta, veggies, bowls, and cookware). 

For your retail client? It might be everything a consumer needs to recover from a cold (medicine, citrus fruit, electric blanket, herbal tea, tissue, a paperback, a sympathetic stuffed animal, etc.). Or everything one needs to winterize a car, take a trip to a beach, build a beautiful window box, or pamper a pet. Retailers can inexpensively encourage the hidden artistic talents in staff.

Feeling stuck? The Internet is full of free retail display tips, design magazines cost a few bucks, and your clients’ cable bills already cover a subscription to channels like HGTV and the DIY network that trade on style. A client who knows that interior designers are all using grey-and-white palettes and that one TV ad after another features women wearing denim blue with aspen yellow right now is well on their way to catching customers’ eyes.

Aspiring artists live near your client and need work

The national average cost to have a large wall mural professionally painted is about $8,000, with much less expensive options available. Some retailers even hold contests surrounding logo design, and an artist near your client may work quite inexpensively if they are trying to build up their portfolio. I can’t predict how long the Instagram mural trend will last, but wall art has been a crowd-pleaser since Paleolithic times. Any shopper who stops to snap a photo of themselves has been brought in close proximity to your front door.

I pulled this word cloud out of the reviews of the little grocery store:

While your clients’ industries and aesthetics will vary, tell them they can aim for a similar, positive response from at least 49 percent of their customers with a little more care put into the shopping environment.

2) The store offers additional services beyond the sale of products

19–40 percent of survey respondents are influenced by value-adds. Doubtless, you’ve seen the TV commercials in which banks double as coffee houses to appeal to the young, and small hardware chains emphasize staff expertise over loneliness in a warehouse. That’s what this is all about, and it can be done at a smaller scale, without overly-strapping your retail clients.

At the market near me, reviews like this are coming in:

The market has worked out a very economic arrangement with a massage therapist, who can build up their clientele out of the deal, so it’s a win for everybody.

For your retail clients, sharing these examples could inspire appealing added services:

A small pet food chain is offering health consults in addition to selling merchandise.

Even small clothing boutiques can provide personal styling sessions.

I know of a particular auto parts store where salespeople show you how to change windshield wipers and headlight bulbs for free and it brings our household back almost every time..

It’s common for shops like toy stores to have kids’ birthday clubs, but sophisticated businesses offer loyalty programs, too

I wrote about offering shipping last year as an additional service with self-evident value in this age of convenience.

The cost of these efforts is either the salary of an employee, nominal or free.

3) The store hosts local events

20–36 percent of customers feel the appeal of retailers becoming destinations for things to learn and do. Coincidentally, this corresponds with two of the tasks Google dubbed micro-moments a couple of years back, and while not everyone loves that terminology, we can at least agree that large numbers of people use the Internet to discover local resources.

At the market near me, they’re doing open-mic readings, and this is a trend in many cities to which Google Calendar attests:

For your clients, the last two words of that event description are key. When there’s a local wish to build community, retail businesses can lend the space and the stage. This can look like:

Any type of class, like these ones that teach how to operate an appliance or machinery, how to re-skill at something like wilderness survival, or how to cook/make things.

Any type of event, like the open mic night I’ve cited, above, or celebrations, or appearances by well-known locals such as authors, or ongoing club meetups.

Any type of special appeal, like this recycling deal gifting participants $20 off new jeans if they donate their old ones, or housing a drop-off point for light bulbs, batteries or charitable giving, or hosting the kick-off of a neighborhood cleanup with some added benefit to participants like a breakfast or discount.

Again, costs here can be quite modest and you’ll be bringing the community together under the banner of your business.

Putting it in writing

The last item on the budget for any of these ventures is whatever it costs to publicize it. For sure, your client will want:

A homepage announcement and/or one or more blog posts

Google Posts, Q&A, photos and related features

Social mentions

If the concept is large enough (or the community is small) some outreach to local news in hopes of a write-up and inclusion of local/social calendars

Link building would be great if the client can afford a reasonable investment in your services, where necessary

And, of course, be sure your client’s local business listings are accurate so that newcomers aren’t getting lost on their way to finding the cool new offering

Getting the word out about events, features, and other desirable attributes don’t have to be exorbitant, but it will put the finishing touch on ensuring a community knows the business is ready to offer the desired experience.

Seeing opportunity

Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in a client meeting and things will be a bit flat. Maybe the client has been disengaged from your contract lately, or sales have been leveling out for lack of new ideas. That’s the perfect time to put something fresh on the table, demonstrating that you’re thinking about the client’s whole picture beyond CTR and citations.

One thing that I find to be an inspiring practice for agencies is to do an audit of competitors’ reviews looking for “holes” In many communities, shopping is really dull and reviews reflect that, with few shoppers feeling genuinely excited by a particular vertical’s local offerings. Your client could be the one to change that, with a little extra attention from you.

Every possibility won’t be the perfect match for every business, but if you can help the company see a new opportunity, the few minutes spent brainstorming could benefit you both.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don’t have time to hunt down but want to read!

from https://dentistry01.wordpress.com/2019/02/28/affordable-stat-based-retail-strategy-for-your-agencys-clients/

[reinzsinjoy]

Can you explain how taaf works

What is TAAF?

ABOUT

Tokyo Anime Award Festival, discovering and nurturing new talent, and to contribute to the promotion of animation culture and industry, “Tokyo is the animation of the hub” in the secret word to watch this show, around the world rich in high quality and originality Screening works in Tokyo, interacting with people who love animation around the world, providing stimulus and excitement to creators and audiences, and disseminating new waves of animation from Tokyo to the world with their excitement and stimulation To do.

“Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2017 (TAAF 2017)” is an international animation film festival organized by the Japan Video Association, co-hosted by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Administration will be conducted by the TAAF Executive Committee Secretariat under the TAAF 2017 Executive Committee.

TAAF 2017 is an international animation film festival that independently and developed the “Tokyo Anime Award” which was held as a part of “Tokyo International Anime Fair” in 2002. It is held from 2014 and is held for the fourth time in 2017 .

TAAF hopes to be a festival that will give courage to everyone involved in animation production around the world by honoring animation works and their producers.

Was to target the world of animation work of the non-box office in Japan , “Competition” , Japan was intended for animation work, which was announced in the country “animation of the Year Division” , to honor those who have contributed to the animation industry, our predecessors of history, technology, convey the way of life “anime Merit department” at the center, and will conduct the screenings and events of other invited works.

More explanations under the cut

To summarize, it’s an animation film festival organized in Japan annually to encourage all artists around the world to create an animation (unique) of their own in the contests of long (60minutes) and short (30minutes) animation films. They aim to promote animation as a huge part of their culture

All amateurs, professionals, experts or anyone who has a talent in creating animated arts are also welcome to join or participate in this contest. Here is the source for both animation films to start and every year, a task changes depending on the objective they have to target to both long and short film contestants/participators and it just ended last year and the final conclusion from it will be announced by March 2017. 

To make it detail, when both submissions are closed, the Preliminary Selection Committee will choose the nominees for the final judging and selected successful applicants will be contacted about the results TAAF seen from their submitted works and they will be posting their nominated animation films on their official website like the pictures below last year.  And so far, the update that we have is the short animation film contest that ended last December 2016. They posted an update of that from their Twitter and in their official page about the 34 selected applicants/works who successfully made it to the initial/preliminary stage. About the nominated animation films? They will be posting about it soon. The same goes for long animation film but they haven’t announce any news of it yet because they just opened the contest last 11/20/2016 so probably it’s still ongoing up to this time. We’ll be hearing an update or news from them once they choose those artists who will be the nominees in feature/long animation films and they’ll be posting their nominated animation films on their Twitter and in their official page soon just like they did in short animation. For example, before making it into a public, they will discuss those matters thoroughly until they come up with a final decision for those chosen candidates for long animation films and short animation films. Both were happened in different dates of 2016 and when everything is agreed upon, they will publish the works and artists names in the site by an official mention. Works that have been nominated in TAAF will not be accepted 

After all is done they will screen it to the several theaters in Tokyo (as discussed) while collaboratively sharing their opinions about each work which is scheduled from 3/10 (Friday) up to 3/12 (Sunday). Comments on each (work) will be coming from the Competition jury/ies as a final stage for the winner of both animation films and is scheduled either in 3/12 or in 3/13. The official winners will be announced on March 13, 2017 (Monday).  Awarding will be decided depending on the delivery of the excellent works and what makes them stand from all. 

Grand Prize (both for Feature and Short, cash award of 500,000 yen)Award of Excellence (both for Feature and Short, cash award of 100,000 yen)and other prizes (if applicable).

To make it simplify, they divided the contest into 6 steps: 

participation/joining ► submission ► selection process or in other words those works that are chosen as nominees for the preliminary round (initial) ► screening of both nominated animated films that will be done for 3 days (decision round) ► grand prize winner or winner for both animation films (final)

For example, like last year 2016, these were the chosen nominees for the short film animation that was screened at TOHO Cinemas Nihonbashi. Not to mention, Miyo Sato participated here as well

These were the chosen feature/long animation films that were screened at TOHO Cinemas NihonBashi last year 2016

3 days of reviewing of both nominated animation films before the final round or final day (awarding) comes:

Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

and it will be the same happening on this TAAF 2017 soon

These were the winners of 2016 Short and Long animation films

They also conduct polls for those fans who are watching airing or aired series and as the same as those contests, the voting has just ended too last year and they plan to open another poll again to be scheduled on 1-16-2017 under the category of Anime Fan Prize or Anime Fan Award which the fans are now in control to elect the series which deserving to be given an award. 

Last year, this is the result from the Anime Fan Award poll 

Those who receive more votes and stays above will be the winner for the Anime Fan Award

Last year, these were the nominees resulted from the top 100 of the 489 works that were broadcasted in TV or in theater animation (movie) in Japan.

These were the 2016 Animation of the year winners

The Anime of the Year division of TAAF is a member of Japan Video Association for all commercial films (TV or movie) that are broadcasted or produced in Japan and since this year’s event is all about TAAF 2017, all those 541 commercial films/series/works that aired from the period of 10/18/2015 (Sunday) up to 10/15/2016 (Saturday) will be pass through screening and when done, will be added to the official poll as the best 100 voted by everyone (Mob Psycho 100 was included) which was already ended last December 2016. The awarding is done by means of thoroughly observation or strictly selection by the professional personnel in voting from the Animation Industry of Tokyo Anime Awards Festival (TAAF) and this is where they rewarded the winners soon under the category of Grand Prize and Individual Award aside from the total number of votes each series received whether they are TV or in theater/movie department. The Anime Fan Award is an exception where it’s a separate poll voted by the fans to the TV/movie series they wanted to be given an award and it’s limited to 20 works only in which the popular ones that aired are chosen (In my own opinion, they will get those popular from the top works of the previous poll that receives a lot of votes). That TV/movie series that accumulates more votes and stays on top will be resulted to final voting and most likely will be awarded in that. They did this so there would be a fair distribution of awarding coming from TAAF and also those whom coming from the fans and it’s done yearly

If you are an artist or an aspiring artist and wanted to share your talent to the world then joining to this contest will be a good step for you to make and the registration will be open once they announce it officially but anyway, let me give you an idea so you can share this information to other fellow artist you know in your circle

Outline for Long and Short films and it’s requirements:

Feature animation/Long animation film

Short animation film

Scheduled date for TAAF 2017 

According to the press release happened last 11/9/2016, the TAAF 2017 will be held in the multiple venues of Tokyo and the main venue will be held in the art culture city Ikebukuro

They also prepared an animation department workshop for children and it’s divided into two parts. Right now, the first workshop will be done at DNP plaza at 1/28/2017 (Saturday). The second is still on the process and more likely will be post on their twitter or in official website after the first is done. However both two are first come first serve basis since the capacity is limited to 25 people (kids) only. Only elementary third and 4th graders and are Tokyo residents are allowed to join in this activity. For the meantime, details of the first workshop is found here. They did this “fun” activity so that children/young age groups are the ones who will bring keys and responsibilities to the future animation industry when that time comes.  In order to create things, “looking closely” is more important where they organize elements that are necessary in the animation and creating shapes and movements made from the thorough observations. The screening of these works are scheduled at Ikebukuro during the period of TAAF 2017 on 3/12/17 and also in the awarding ceremony at 3/13/2017. 

Distribution of tickets are not yet announced at this time but to give you an idea, this is how they offer the ticket prizes on the feature/long animation films and short films that were done last year 2016. There was also a schedule of tickets for those (future) winners who were selected  under the Grand Prize category and other prizes when applicable. Ticket selling at this year (2017) will be announced from their Twitter or official website so just look forward to it when those comes soon 

Anyway, I hope it clears to you everything that I explained or how TAAF works. 

[architectnews]

Hum3D spring competition: without borders

2021 Hum3D spring competition: without borders, Architecture Competition, Design Contest

Hum3D Spring Competition – Without borders 2021

16 June 2021

Without borders Challenge Winners

Without borders 3D Challenge Winners Announcement!

We are very happy to announce the winners of the Without borders Challenge.Participants were to create a 3D work with a famous building from their country, that would be the best place to visit by a traveler. Environment in the work should be made in 3D.

Without borders Challenge First place

Aspire Tower (Doha, Qatar) by Ramees Muhammed

Made with using 3ds Max and Corona Renderer.

Also Ramees gets a Special prize from Corona Renderer team for the best work made with using Corona and a Special prize from Nevercenter team for the Best sky in a work.

Nevercenter team: “The sky in this render is full of a mood, and illuminated nighttime clouds like this are a sky worth taking time to pause, look at, and escape into”.

Corona renderer team: “This work nails everything, from mood and atmosphere, composition (we love how the tower “reaches beyond the moon”), to rendering quality”.

Comments from the Jury:

Yurii Lebediev: “Symmetrical composition is boring in most cases (for me personally). But Moon and all other elements that break this symmetry make this render special. I love the night lighting and the position of clouds in the background too”.

Martin Krasemann: “Lot of work on this one, creating a nice night scene is a complex task and the tower is really well lightened. Composition works also very well. The reflection on the water looks nice also”.

Alessandro Maniscalco: “Great architectural rendering with amazing modelled and detailed structure. I was shocked about environment crispy details. Great night atmosphere”.

Agnieszka Klich: “Realistic image, nice composition, interesting lighting setup! A great way of using the contrast between cold and warm lights to balance composition and focus interest on the main subject of the image – the tower”.

Kenny Zou: “Excellent rendering and mood-setting, especially with the moon so big, nice work!”.

Calvin Bacon: “The lighting, composition, and mood that this render portrays are fantastic. The incredibly high level of detail and realism make this my top pick”.

Jonathan Holmes: “Eye-catching design with beautiful lighting and a very melancholy atmosphere. Loving it!”.

Jacob Norris: “Fantastic mood and the minimal use of colors really helps to highlight the shapes of this beautiful architecture”.

Emanuele Serra: “This work attracted my attention, simple in its composition, but very interesting in the use of night lights, expressing the intense strength of the structure. I like how the colors and contrasts of the composition have been balanced”.

Paul Roberts: “The main building is very well modelled with an atmospheric mood and detailed context. The composition is strong with the form defined by using a predominantly dark building defined against the lighter sky. Modelling is to a good standard with a good amount of information communicated in the surrounding site without it distracting from the main focus”.

Nicolas Wirrmann: “I particularly liked the mood, the lighting work and subtle post processing. The result is an elegant photorealistic render. (The moon might be a bit too much though )”.

Quick interview with Ramees:

– How long have you been into 3D modeling? Please, tell us about yourself.

I have been in the industry for the past 10 years. For the most part, I’ve produced Forensic 3D Animations and Technical Graphics used in construction disputes and tenders.

In recent years I’ve also produced architectural visualizations as well as being involved in commercial projects.

I did a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication and an Advanced Diploma in Multimedia.

– How much time did it take you to create your work? Did you face any difficulties?

The project took me around a week to complete as I worked on this during my time aside from my dayjob. Most time was taken to plan the scene composition and also spent a bit of time on tower modeling.

The key challenge was to make the scene a bit dramatic and to add as much detail on the building model and the nearby landmarks (Stadium, Arena). Other than these, the process was straightforward as well as interesting and I have enjoyed every bit of it.

– Do you have any advice for future participants in the competition?

As we all are always learning and striving for perfection in this arena, the best thing I could advise is to keep participating without a fear of losing.

Competing will always give us the chance to learn from others and it’s always a win-win situation, and one day it will be our turn to inspire others.

Without borders Challenge Second place

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (Tokyo) by Todor Vladev

Made with using 3ds Max, V-ray, Megascans and Photoshop.

Also Todor gets Special prize from Exlevel team for the “Best Environment”.

Exlevel team: “Very realistic image. Render looks like a photo!”

Comments from the Jury:

Lynette Clee: “The composition of this piece is wonderful, using the pathway to draw our eye into the frame and up to explore the details of the tower. The balance of architecture and nature seems very thoughtful, and the lighting and reflections help to bring this scene to life with great photorealism”.

Martin Krasemann: “The only reason this one didn’t end up in the 1st place is because the walkway in front of the camera feels really empty, I would have loved to see people and bicycles”.

Alessandro Maniscalco: “Amazing dusk environment render with amazing modern architecture. Very good composition”.

Fabio Allamandri: “Very nice shot. I like the composition of the image”.

Maciej Ptaszynski:” Very cool image! I love the lighting and the materials. One of my favourites. Congrats!”

Calvin Bacon: “The composition does a great job of drawing the eye to what should be in focus, which is clearly the powerful skyscraper. The final result is a render that is executed beautifully and to a very high technical level”.

Tom Grimes: “Have to admit it was the wet ground and blurred lighting that rounded out this image for me, giving a sense of early morning perhaps, or after some light rainfall. The sharp detail of the tower then contrasts nicely”.

Jonathan Holmes: “Nearly a photograph” render that really impressed me. Fantastic lighting and composition skills here!”.

Jacob Norris: “A great choice for a very interesting building and presented in such a beautiful way in this simple, yet exciting piece”.

Paul Roberts: “A strong architectural render with some excellent modelling of the main building and texturing of the surrounding environment. Good use of light to create some interesting reflections”.

Arseniy Korablev: “Professional and realistic artwork. I like the city feeling here”.

Stephanie Schenck: “Great photo-realistic render of the scene; we especially like the reflection of the sky textures and surrounding elements on the curved parts of the tower, and the feel of the sidewalk tile. You can feel the slight-slipperiness, the gentle imperfections within the uniformity, the transition to rougher textures for the raised bumps. Well done”.

Quick interview with Todor:

– How long have you been into 3D modeling? Please, tell us about yourself.

I have been doing 3d modelling and visualization since 2015. I have a big passion for 3d and visualization. In my spare time I usually work on personal projects which are more of an artistic approach. I always try and find better and more efficient ways of doing things and keep on top of the latest techniques in 3d visualization.

– How much time did it take you to create your work? Did you face any difficulties?

The image took about a month from start to finish. There were a few modelling challenges with the Mode Gacuen Cocoon Tower. The tower is made up of 3 main sections and the roof as another section. Each floor slab then had to be modeled separately to match the curvature of the tower with the interior walls. Everything had to precise and match to the millimeter while modelling. The tower turned out quite accurate at the end.

– Do you have any advice for future participants in the competition?

My only advice for future participants would be – Always work from a reference image, for modelling, materials and lighting.

Without borders Challenge Third place

Ottoman Legacy – Dolmabahce Palace by Kay John Yim

Made with using Redshift, Cinema4D, Rhino, Speedtree and ZBrush.

Comments from the Jury:

Yurii Lebediev: “I adore pictures with soul. And this is the case. Not just hyper-realistic render but great attention to the mood and vibe of the moment”.

Martin Krasemann: “Love the poetic atmosphere that is getting out of this image”.

Alessandro Maniscalco: “We love the happiness and colors of this picture. The beautiful atmosphere is everywhere and the compositing is very good. Great compositing and environment objects…”.

Agnieszka Klich: “The image of the palace drew my attention instantly. It tells a story about the place – thanks to this the author added extra value to the visualization. The building not only has a monumental look but the composition of the image also gives an impression of some mystery behind it (by giving us – the viewers – the possibility to be unseen observers) which we are willing to uncover. The soft color palette gives the place the ‘inviting to visit’ look. Great framing, nice color balance, and story included… all the aspects that make the image successful”.

Fabio Allamandri: “This image is a little bit over exposed for my tastes but I like the easter feeling very much. Lots of details! Very good job!”.

Maciej Ptaszynski: “Great mood and very nice composition. Beautiful render!”

Jacob Norris: “Fantastic work on the architecture and atmosphere in this piece. The flower petals floating in the air and the strong glow from the lighting help to make the artwork feel magical”.

Emanuele Serra: “This work is immediately caught my eye, I did not know Dolmabahce Palace, but as soon as you look at this work, you can feel the history and magic of that place. I like how the author reinterprets that place, using a very poetic light, increasing this feeling even more by using petals that rest on the water, while a sailing ship plows the sea towards the palace”.

Arseniy Korablev: “Festive and solemn artwork. And besides, beautiful and very detailed!”

Nicolas Wirrmann: “The amount of modelling work is impressive”.

Stephanie Schenck: “This render is more like a painting, effectively capturing the *feel* of visiting the space, with all of the dreams, immersion, swept-away-ness of the scene”.

Ralph Huchtemann: “This one has a very special composition with the boat at the bottom and the tree branches coming from above, which give the palace a frame. Another special thing about this one are all the falling leaves. Very unique composition”.

Quick interview with John:

– How long have you been into 3D modeling? Please, tell us about yourself.

As both a Chartered Architect and a CGI Artist, I have been into 3D modeling for about 8 years.

My journey into 3D began with CAD softwares while I was studying architecture in University – Rhino being my primary 3D tool for its unique capabilities in handling freeform curves and NURBS surfaces.

A couple of years into learning 3D, I struggled with the limitations of rendering packages available for CAD softwares. That was when I started to look into DCCs like Cinema4D and Houdini – which led me to a whole new world of possibilities in CG rendering. I spent all my waking hours outside work learning and practicing rendering as a hobby.

When I officially passed my exam to become a RIBA Chartered Architect in the UK, I made the decision to specialize in architectural visualization, with just the bare minimum knowledge of rendering that I learned and practiced in my free time.

I have since worked at the forefront of concept design at SPINK Partners – a British architectural design practice based in London – delivering CG renderings for marketing, design development discussions and eventually construction.

When COVID lock-down dawned upon London, I treated the extra time as an R&D opportunity to learn new CG software and publish CG art regularly on social media, with the goal of honing my CG skills and connecting with like-minded people online.

– How much time did it take you to create your work? Did you face any difficulties?

It took me about 2 months to complete my rendering for final submission, of which around 80% of the time was spent on lighting and rendering, and 20% on modeling and texturing.

I have faced a lot of difficulties – one of which being long rendering times.

“Ottoman Legacy” was one of the most detailed projects I have ever worked on – the main building alone consisted of over 1 trillion polys. Previously I would have created a low poly version of the scene, but I took the challenge as an opportunity to see how far I could push the boundaries of rendering in Redshift, for the sake of retaining as much detail as possible.

Needless to say my workstation crashed countless times during look-dev, and a 2-week project ended up taking me 2 months to complete – but it was worth every second.

– Do you have any advice for future participants in the competition?

I think that practicing consistently is the most important habit that I have formed over the past year, and I would advise every 3D artist to do the same; for me personally I practice and learn a little 3D consistently every day as opposed to scheduling a whole weekend of work, when I am most likely to be distracted.

In addition to consistent practice, I think that studying photography and cinematography rather than focusing on the technicality of 3D can definitely go a long way – 3D software are evolving so quickly these days anything could easily become obsolete tomorrow.

Hum3D spring competition 2021: without borders winners images / information received 160621

Previously on e-architect: 18 + 17 Mar 2021

Hum3D spring competition: without borders Contest

While most borders are closed, and restrictions do not allow travel we still can use 3D visualization to visit new places and share their beauty with others.

Create a 3D work with a famous building from your country to help other participants to see this beautiful place. Tell its history and why it’s the best place to visit.

The famous place can be exterior or interior (e.g., Sistine Chapel). Environment in the work should be made in 3D as well as a final image. Minimal use of third-party assets such as vegetation, street elements is allowed. Building models should be made by you.

The first-place winner will get prizes worth a total of $13,000: license and content from 30 sponsors, leaders of ArchViz world industry. Also, everyone has an opportunity to receive additional prizes. The winners will be chosen by voting from a professional jury team.

We invite all 3D artists and architects to participate. You can see all rules and prizes on the challenge page https://hum3d.com/without-borders

Dates of the event: March 17 – June 3.

Introduction

Today (March 17) Hum3D launches an online competition for 3D artists and architects. Organizers ask participants to create a 3D art with a famous building from artist’s country. This will help everyone to be involved in a short traveling around the World and visit various beautiful places without borders and restrictions. The name of the event is “Without borders”.

The main idea: help everyone to be involved in a virtual traveling around the World, discover new countries, and see iconic buildings by using 3D art.

Slogan: “While most borders are closed, and restrictions do not allow travel we still can use 3D visualization to visit new places and share their beauty with others.”

What exactly to do: artists need to create a 3D work with a famous building from their country, that would be the best place to visit by a traveler. Environment in the work should be made in 3D as well as a final image. Participants need also to tell history of building and why it is the best place to visit.

The famous place can be exterior or interior (e.g., Sistine Chapel). The winners will be chosen by voting from a professional jury team.

Why architects should participate: the first-place winner will get prizes worth a total of $13,000: license and content from 30 sponsors, leaders of 3D world industry. Also, everyone has an opportunity to receive additional prizes.

The challenge runs until June 3, 2021.

About Hum3D

Hum3D has held annual creative competitions since 2013. Among them the largest contest in the 3D car industry. Among sponsors are Chaos, Corona renderer, OTOY, Substance, Artstation, Gnomon, Keyshot and many others.

Hum3D is a creator and seller of the biggest collection of vehicle 3D models on the Internet. Their assets are available in the Chaos Cosmos library.

Page of the event – https://ift.tt/3gHe4fh

All previous challenges – https://ift.tt/2TDitYy

Hum3D home page – https://hum3d.com/

Page of Chaos Cosmos – https://ift.tt/35rDbNT

Hum3D spring competition: without borders images / information received 18 + 170321

Architecture Competitions

Current / Recent architectural contests on e-architect:

Bcome 2020 Competition

2020 Bcome International Ideas Competition

2A Continental Architectural Awards 2020 2A Continental Architectural Awards 2020

Re-imagining Stations Competition Network Rail Re-imagining Stations Competition

London Architectural Competitions

24H Architecture Competition

Flexible Housing Competition for Great Places Lakes & Dales Partnership

Architecture Competition

Comments / photos for Hum3D spring competition: without borders winners news page welcome

The post Hum3D spring competition: without borders appeared first on e-architect.

[snehalt]

Impact of COVID-19 on Pyrolysis Oil Market: Implications on Business

July 22, 2020

Global Pyrolysis Oil Market: Overview

Pyrolysis oil, also known as bio-crude or bio-oil, is primarily a synthetic fuel that is manufactured as alternative for petroleum. Pyrolysis oil often contains different levels of oxygen that can be considered as a hydrocarbon. Owing to this oxygen presence, pyrolysis oil is non-corrosive, non volatile, offers thermal instability, tends to polymerize when exposed to air, and immiscibility with fossil fuels. Pyrolysis oil can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels whereas pyrolysis oil when co-fired in power plants can also replace natural gas, heavy oil and coal. The demand in the global pyrolysis oil market is projected to expand at a notable CAGR during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.

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This report on the global pyrolysis market is a comprehensive study developed by a group of research analysts, aspiring to act as a credible business tool for its targeted audiences such as the manufacturers of these oil, government agencies, and research institutes. The report throws light on the current condition of the market for pyrolysis oil and provides evaluations and estimations of the revenue available and probable during the forecast period of 2017 to 2027, elaborating each important market dynamics such as trends and restraints, segmenting it on the basis of smaller aspects such as application and end users. Geographically, the report picks out which regions are showing greater promise. One of the key aspect of the report is its section on competitive landscape of the global pyrolysis oil market, wherein numerous companies connected to its value chain have been profiled for their market shares as of 2017, their regional presence and dominance, and recent strategic decisions that will define their future shares.

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Currently, North America and Europe are the two regions that are providing for the maximum chunk of demand in the global pyrolysis oil market, which is a reflection of the upturn in growth of the industrial boilers and industrial diesel engines industry. That being said, Asia Pacific and Latin America houses some of the fastest emerging economies and heavy investment on research and development is expected to turn these two regions into highly profitable towards the end of the forecast period.

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The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.

Explore Transparency Market Research’s award-winning coverage of the global (Chemicals & Materials) Industry:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/animal-feed-amino-acids-market-to-reach-valuation-of-us-14-1-bn-by-2027-developing-concerns-about-animal-health-stimulates-the-growth-of-global-market-noted-tmr-301026065.html

The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industry’s value chain.

A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.

About Us

Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

EDIT

[kirangaikwad-world]

Insect Protein Market Segmented by Application and Geography Trends, Growth and Forecasts To 2027

Industry Analysis of Insect Protein Market

The research report on the global Insect Protein market provides a comprehensive outlook of the equipment and technological devices employed in the manufacturing of the Insect Protein market products. From industry chain analysis to cost structure analysis, the report examines various factors of the industry, including production and end-use segments of the Insect Protein market. The current trends in the pharmaceutical industry have been highlighted in the report to evaluate their influence on the overall output of the Insect Protein market.

Results of the latest scientific undertakings for the development of new Insect Protein products have also been considered. Factors that can potentially influence the leading industry players to implement synthetic sourcing of market products have also been studied in this investigative report. The inferences drawn in this study are valuable for any company operating in the industry. Every organization contributing to the global production of the Insect Protein market products has been profiled in this report, in order to study the insights on cost-effective manufacturing methods, competitive landscape, and new avenues for applications.

The global Insect protein market was valued at USD 152.2 Million in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 1.4 billion by the year 2026, at a CAGR of 38%.

This report covers the recent COVID-19 incidence and its impact on Insect Protein Market. The pandemic has widely affected the economic scenario. This study assesses the current landscape of the ever-evolving business sector and the present and future effects of COVID-19 on the market.

To get a sample of this report, with 30 minutes free consultation, visit @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/2011

In market segmentation by manufacturers, the report covers the following companies-

Agriprotein Holdings Ltd., Enviroflight LLC, Innovafeed, Ynsect, Hexafly, Protix, Jiminis’s, Entomo Farms, Aspire Food Group, Protifarm. 

In market segmentation by types, application, the report has analyzed the following -  

Insect Type (Revenue, USD Million; 2016–2026)

Crickets

Black Soldier Flies

Mealworms

Grasshoppers

Ants

Other

Application (Revenue, USD Million; 2016–2026)

Food and Beverage 

Animal Nutrition 

Pharmaceutical & Cosmetics

Others

Form (Revenue, USD Million; 2016–2026)

Whole Insect

Powder

Oil 

Others

Regional Insect Protein Market (Regional Output, Demand & Forecast by Countries): -

North America (United States, Canada, Mexico)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile)

Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Korea)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy)

Middle East Africa (Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran) and More.

The varying scenarios across the global market have been examined in this study, providing an overview of how the Insect Protein products have established their place in this rapidly-evolving sector. Industry participants will be able to formulate their strategies and tactics by assessing the speculated market size for the forecast mentioned in the report. Favorable regional markets for the Insect Protein have been described, which are expected to impact the global expansion strategies of the leading organizations. Additionally, key manufacturers have been profiled comprehensively in this research report.

With the existing market standards evaluated, this research report also explains the latest strategic initiatives and patterns of the market players in an unbiased way. The report can be construed as a presumptive business record that can aid the readers functioning in the global market devise their plans effectively, to reach the desired position in the market in the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape:

The Insect Protein market is moderately competitive and includes numerous key players. When looking at market share, few industry players predominantly constitute the worldwide market.  With the growing awareness among patients and high prevalence of diseases like cancer, new companies are also expected to find their way into the market in the near future.

Report Methodology:

The data contained in this report has been derived through both primary and secondary research methodologies.

Primary research methodology includes interaction with service providers, suppliers, and industry professionals. Secondary research methodology entails a thorough examination of relevant literature like company annual reports, financial reports, and exclusive databases.

Grab Your Report at incredible Discounts! Please visit @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/discount-enquiry-form/2011

This report provides:

A comprehensive overview of the global market for Insect Protein.

Evaluation of the global market trends, historical data analysis starting from 2011, prediction for the coming years, and estimation of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) by the end of the forecast period.

Identification of new market prospects and targeted marketing approaches for Global Insect Protein Market.

Evaluation of R&D, and the demand for new product launches and applications.

Extensive company profiling, highlighting leading participants operating in the industry.

Market structure, in terms of dynamic molecule types and targets, emphasizing the major industry resources and players.

The growth in patient epidemiology and gross revenue for the global market, including crucial players and market segments.

Examination the sector in terms of the generic and premium product revenue.

Assessment of commercial opportunities in the market sales scenario by inspecting the trends observed for authorizing and co-developing deals.

View Full Report Description with TOC:  https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/insect-protein-market

In conclusion, the Insect Protein Market report is a reliable source for accessing the Market data that will exponentially accelerate your business. The report provides the principal locale, economic scenarios with the item value, benefit, supply, limit, generation, request, Market development rate, and figure and so on. Besides, the report presents a new task SWOT analysis, speculation attainability investigation, and venture return investigation.

[kraussoutene]

Affordable, Stat-Based Retail Strategy For Your Agency’s Clients

Posted by MiriamEllis

Retail clients are battling tough economics offline and tough competitors online. They need every bit of help your agency can give them. 

I was heartened when 75 percent of the 1,400+ respondents to the Moz State of Local SEO Industry Report 2019 shared that they contribute to offline strategy recommendations either frequently or at least some of the time. I can’t think of a market where good and relatively inexpensive experiments are more needed than in embattled retail. The ripple effect of a single new idea, offered up generously, can spread out to encompass new revenue streams for the client and new levels of retention for your agency.

And that’s why win-win seemed written all over three statistics from a 2018 Yes Marketing retail survey when I read it because they speak to motivating about one quarter to half of 1,000 polled customers without going to any extreme expense. Take a look:

I highly recommend downloading Yes Marketing’s complete survey which is chock-full of great data, but today, let’s look at just three valuable stats from it to come up with an actionable strategy you can gift your offline retail clients at your next meeting.

Getting it right: A little market near me

For the past 16 years, I’ve been observing the local business scene with a combination of professional scrutiny and personal regard. I’m inspired by businesses that open and thrive and am saddened by those that open and close.

Right now, I’m especially intrigued by a very small, independently-owned grocery store which set up shop last year in what I’ll lovingly describe as a rural, half-a-horse town not far from me. This locale has a single main street with less than 20 businesses on it, but I’m predicting the shop’s ultimate success based on several factors. A strong one is that the community is flanked by several much larger towns with lots of through traffic and the market is several miles from any competitor. But other factors which match point-for-point with the data in the Yes Marketing survey make me feel especially confident that this small business is going to “get it right”. 

Encourage your retail clients to explore the following tips.

1) The store is visually appealing

43–58 percent of Yes Marketing’s surveyed retail customers say they’d be motivated to shop with a retailer who has cool product displays, murals, etc. Retail shoppers of all ages are seeking appealing experiences.

At the market near me, there are many things going on in its favor. The building is historic on the outside and full of natural light on this inside, and the staff sets up creative displays, such as all of the ingredients you need to make a hearty winter soup gathered up on a vintage table. The Instagram crowd can have selfie fun here, and more mature customers will appreciate the aesthetic simplicity of this uncluttered, human-scale shopping experience.

For your retail clients, it won’t break the bank to become more visually appealing. Design cues are everywhere!

Share these suggestions with a worthy client:

Basic cleanliness is the starting point

This is an old survey, but I think we’re safe to say that at least 45 percent of retail customers are still put off by dirty premises — especially restrooms. Janitorial duties are already built into the budget of most businesses and only need to be accomplished properly. I continuously notice how many reviewers proclaim the word “clean” when a business deserves it.

Inspiration is affordable

Whatever employees are already being paid is the cost of engaging them to lend their creativity to creating merchandise displays that draw attention and/or solve problems. My hearty winter soup example is one idea (complete with boxed broth, pasta, veggies, bowls, and cookware). 

For your retail client? It might be everything a consumer needs to recover from a cold (medicine, citrus fruit, electric blanket, herbal tea, tissue, a paperback, a sympathetic stuffed animal, etc.). Or everything one needs to winterize a car, take a trip to a beach, build a beautiful window box, or pamper a pet. Retailers can inexpensively encourage the hidden artistic talents in staff.

Feeling stuck? The Internet is full of free retail display tips, design magazines cost a few bucks, and your clients’ cable bills already cover a subscription to channels like HGTV and the DIY network that trade on style. A client who knows that interior designers are all using grey-and-white palettes and that one TV ad after another features women wearing denim blue with aspen yellow right now is well on their way to catching customers’ eyes.

Aspiring artists live near your client and need work

The national average cost to have a large wall mural professionally painted is about $8,000, with much less expensive options available. Some retailers even hold contests surrounding logo design, and an artist near your client may work quite inexpensively if they are trying to build up their portfolio. I can’t predict how long the Instagram mural trend will last, but wall art has been a crowd-pleaser since Paleolithic times. Any shopper who stops to snap a photo of themselves has been brought in close proximity to your front door.

I pulled this word cloud out of the reviews of the little grocery store:

While your clients’ industries and aesthetics will vary, tell them they can aim for a similar, positive response from at least 49 percent of their customers with a little more care put into the shopping environment.

2) The store offers additional services beyond the sale of products

19–40 percent of survey respondents are influenced by value-adds. Doubtless, you’ve seen the TV commercials in which banks double as coffee houses to appeal to the young, and small hardware chains emphasize staff expertise over loneliness in a warehouse. That’s what this is all about, and it can be done at a smaller scale, without overly-strapping your retail clients.

At the market near me, reviews like this are coming in:

The market has worked out a very economic arrangement with a massage therapist, who can build up their clientele out of the deal, so it’s a win for everybody.

For your retail clients, sharing these examples could inspire appealing added services:

A small pet food chain is offering health consults in addition to selling merchandise.

Even small clothing boutiques can provide personal styling sessions.

I know of a particular auto parts store where salespeople show you how to change windshield wipers and headlight bulbs for free and it brings our household back almost every time..

It’s common for shops like toy stores to have kids’ birthday clubs, but sophisticated businesses offer loyalty programs, too

I wrote about offering shipping last year as an additional service with self-evident value in this age of convenience.

The cost of these efforts is either the salary of an employee, nominal or free.

3) The store hosts local events

20–36 percent of customers feel the appeal of retailers becoming destinations for things to learn and do. Coincidentally, this corresponds with two of the tasks Google dubbed micro-moments a couple of years back, and while not everyone loves that terminology, we can at least agree that large numbers of people use the Internet to discover local resources.

At the market near me, they’re doing open-mic readings, and this is a trend in many cities to which Google Calendar attests:

For your clients, the last two words of that event description are key. When there’s a local wish to build community, retail businesses can lend the space and the stage. This can look like:

Any type of class, like these ones that teach how to operate an appliance or machinery, how to re-skill at something like wilderness survival, or how to cook/make things.

Any type of event, like the open mic night I’ve cited, above, or celebrations, or appearances by well-known locals such as authors, or ongoing club meetups.

Any type of special appeal, like this recycling deal gifting participants $20 off new jeans if they donate their old ones, or housing a drop-off point for light bulbs, batteries or charitable giving, or hosting the kick-off of a neighborhood cleanup with some added benefit to participants like a breakfast or discount.

Again, costs here can be quite modest and you’ll be bringing the community together under the banner of your business.

Putting it in writing

The last item on the budget for any of these ventures is whatever it costs to publicize it. For sure, your client will want:

A homepage announcement and/or one or more blog posts

Google Posts, Q&A, photos and related features

Social mentions

If the concept is large enough (or the community is small) some outreach to local news in hopes of a write-up and inclusion of local/social calendars

Link building would be great if the client can afford a reasonable investment in your services, where necessary

And, of course, be sure your client’s local business listings are accurate so that newcomers aren’t getting lost on their way to finding the cool new offering

Getting the word out about events, features, and other desirable attributes don’t have to be exorbitant, but it will put the finishing touch on ensuring a community knows the business is ready to offer the desired experience.

Seeing opportunity

Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in a client meeting and things will be a bit flat. Maybe the client has been disengaged from your contract lately, or sales have been leveling out for lack of new ideas. That’s the perfect time to put something fresh on the table, demonstrating that you’re thinking about the client’s whole picture beyond CTR and citations.

One thing that I find to be an inspiring practice for agencies is to do an audit of competitors’ reviews looking for “holes” In many communities, shopping is really dull and reviews reflect that, with few shoppers feeling genuinely excited by a particular vertical’s local offerings. Your client could be the one to change that, with a little extra attention from you.

Every possibility won’t be the perfect match for every business, but if you can help the company see a new opportunity, the few minutes spent brainstorming could benefit you both.

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