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McDonald's Serves Up Interactive Digital Signage

In one McDonald's restaurant they have incorporated content managed digital signs. If this pilot is successful this solution could be deployed throughout the McDonald's throughout America.

The management at the pilot restaurant wanted to offer their customers a Las Vegas feel and realised that their current way of displaying their menu could not compete.

The digital signage solution.

This incorporated eight 15 inch LCD displays set end to end on a ceiling overhang above the checkouts that greet the customers. Then in the dining areas 42 inch displays have been deployed these show action sports mixed with McDonalds ads. This is easily achievable by splitting the screen with the video playing in the largest section, on the left of the display a scrolling text invite customers to text short codes from cell phones to change the video.

In the children's play area a large touch screen display is used that shows cartoons and promotional videos, children can use the touch screen LCD to select the cartoons they want to watch. The display is fitted with a camera that is useful for birthday parties as the cartoons are stopped and the birthday boy or girl can see themselves on the large screen.

The communications hub is the tiny office, looking more like a server room with several of the servers being required for the CPU of the digital signage system.

Outside two large 6 feet x 12 feet digital signs hang below the golden arches, hung back to back these displays play the content that is played in store.

Interactive digital signage at McDonald's is in it's infancy when it is proven it will be rolled out throughout the group.

LCD Enclosures Global have many years experience manufacturing a range of outdoor LCD cases for both LCD and plasma displays, that are used in both commercial and domestic applications. He has also developed a unique range of outdoor TV cabinets that are manufactured at their manufacturing facility, these along with the LCD enclosures are shipped throughout the world to digital signage integrators. Contact them on 888-460-3573 Toll free.

Digital Image Editing

Bring back your photos to life

Clicking photos is fun

Photography is fun. However, clicking pictures is just half the fun of photography. The remaining half of the fun lies in the digital darkroom-putting those great finished photos that you are very eager to show off to everybody who wants to take look at it. "All right, all right" you would say, "but I'm just an amateur, and I do no know much about editing digital images or photos."

What can you do with digital image editing?

Although digital photo editing is almost similar like conventional "wet" darkroom picture processing, one doesn't need to have prior 'traditional darkroom' experience to do everything from small corrections to big miracles with digital pictures. And in most cases, you can save and use the photos you would have otherwise torn and thrown away.

How digital image editing saves your photos and images?

Please note that I said "most" not "all" cases. Although with some pictures you would be able to pull off minor miracles. However, there will be some images that no amount of regular computer editing will be able to correct. Regular image-editing software is good, but, alas, far from bull's-eye. For example, if the detail is blown out of highlight areas, no amount of editing will put detail back into shape. One can use different tools to correct in details, but the process is complex, tedious, and the results obtained are often not close to natural.

Digital image editing services

That's when professional image editing service come in to picture to help you out with your editing and corrections. There are a number of good companies around you who provide digital image editing and correction services. These digital image editing and correction services provide a complete suite of design related services that include Photoshop clipping path, softmasking, photo retouching, image updating, picture manipulation, color corrections, raster to vector, vector to raster, comic or cartoon coloring, image coloring, illustration, etc.

With professional help you can bring back your images to life.

Kenny Martin is a article oriented,she writes articles in different subjects like Computer and Technology Science and Technology, Health and Food,Beauty, Business, Arts And Entertainment, Online Marketing Strategies, Communications, Automotive, Space and Science etc. She is associative member of Digital Media Tech Company. The aim of image manipulation, digital image service and Photo shop Masking service provider is to provide cheap but quality graphic/image related service to clients of high cost region. For further information please refer Digital Media Tech

Digital Design and Animation Schools

Digital Design and Animation schools teach graphic design, web design, architectural design; development of animation and storyboards; creation of 3D models; digital videos, video production, creation of video games, and a whole lot more.

Interest in interactive media is gaining new markets daily. Careers in digital design and animation are expanding rapidly into game design, photography, cartooning, and special effects. Television broadcast news headlines are put into motion through the work of animators, and the entertainment industry relies on animators to create the characters and effects for movies and television programs. Digital design and animation technicians are also found in the fields of medicine, science, and architecture, where advances in design and technology are gaining more importance.

Digital design and animation technology success depends on the creative skill of the technician who guides and shapes that technology. Programs of study in digital design and animation develop those technical and creative skills that bring ideas to life to instruct, entertain, and fascinate.

Programs in digital design and animation may begin with conceptual foundations in design of two- and three-dimensional images using traditional techniques, before moving into digital imaging. Once basic design techniques are mastered, the student advances toward scripting, rendering, and creation of storyboards. This may be followed by the essentials digital design and animation by construction and manipulation of characters that interact with video and audio.

Digital Design and Animation schools may offer distance learning courses, and some schools confer bachelors and associates degrees. The graduate of digital design and animation schooling is prepared to compete for a variety of positions with film and video production houses, television stations, multimedia companies, the gaming industry, ad agencies, and large corporate clients producing technical productions the excite and entertain.

To learn more about preparing for your career in digital design and animation, find your school at http://www.schoolsgalore.com.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved

Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

M. Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Digital Design and Animation Schools [http://www.schoolsgalore.com/categories/digital_design_and_animation_schools.html] at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator

Just add talent!

Award-winning animator Tony White brings you the ultimate book for digital animation. Here you will find the classic knowledge of many legendary techniques revealed, paired with information relevant to today's capable, state-of-the-art technologies.

White leaves nothing out. What contemporary digital animators most need to know can be found between this book's covers - from conceptions to creation and through the many stages of the production pipeline to distribution. This book is intended to serve as your one-stop how-to animation guide. Whether you're new to animation or a very experienced digital animator, here you'll find fundamentals, key classical techniques, and professional advice that will strengthen your work and well-roundedness as an animator.

Speaking from experience, White presents time-honored secrets of professional animaton with a warm, masterly, and knowledgeable approach that has evolved from over 30 years as an award-winning animator/director.

The book's enclosed CD-Rom presents classic moments from animation's history through White's personal homage to traditional drawn animation, "Endangered Species." Using movie clips and still images from the film, White shares the 'making of' journal of the film, detailing each step, with scene-by-scene descriptions, technique by technique. Look for the repetitive stress disorder guide on the CD-Rom, called, "Mega-hurts." Watch the many movie clips for insights into the versatility that a traditional, pencil-drawn approach to animaton can offer.

* Valuable CD-ROM contains a complete animated film made by the author and teaches how to apply the techniques in this book!
* Chock full of tips and secrets from this award-winning animation veteran
* The glossary of animation-related terms is worth its weight in gold

Price: $49.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Hi-Fi Color For Comics: Digital Techniques for Professional Results

This is an exciting and complete instructional package starting with the basics and progressing through step-by-step demonstrations that take you from line art to full, awe-inspiring colour.It features instruction on equipment, scanning, setting up pages, colour theory, flatting, rendering, special effects, colour holds, colour separations, and even details on the business of becoming a professional colourist.The bonus CD-Rom, includes Photoshop tools and actions that pro colourists Brian and Kristy Miller use to streamline their colouring work, plus sample Photoshop files so that readers can work along with the demonstrations.

Price: $24.99

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Digital photography - its many secrets

It is important to know that there is a no such thing as a perfect camera, which will be the best for all. Although we sometimes talk about "Cameras of the year" or "Top picks", such lists and awards really of little importance. The camera, most awards WINS may not that which is best for you. The most important, what you need to do, is to think about what you want from a camera; You need to know, what do the different specifications and to work, which is the best for you. Also the aspects which the sensor data records are easily quantifiable such as the number of pixels is not always easy. For some people a 2 mega pixel may (MP) camera a better choice than a 4 MP model. Even where image quality is important, you can assume that a 5 megapixel camera necessarily better results than a 3 MP model. As in life, other things are rarely equal.

While the entire history of photography have different and often opposing approaches to photography, each in the fight for supremacy appear amateur and professional. Has the digital revolution inclined irrevocably area of the battle in favour of the amateur? Or it has swept this traditional rivalry into the dustbin? Can anyone tell? For the practitioner of 19 was photography with personal and technical difficulties. The darkroom environment was equally demanding: space was limited, and in smaller box, the photographer had tents to knees or lie down to work. Ventilation was poor or non-existent and incorrect Lightproofing. Digital photography begins, be accessible to the average consumer. Camera prices to drop and improves the image quality. Compared to conventional 35 mm photography, there is no film or the processing costs and results are displayed immediately so that a return shot can be done quickly if necessary. There is also more and more applications where digital images are convenient and cost-effective.

White balance (WB) color casts is unrealistic the process of removing, so objects that appear in white person appear white in your photo. Correct camera white balance has the "color temperature" from a light source, refers to the relative warmth or cool white light be taken into account. Our eyes are very good to assess what under different light sources, white digital cameras is often great difficulty with the automatic white balance (AWB have). A wrong WB can be unsightly blue, orange or even green color casts, are unrealistic and particularly damaging for portraits create. Performing WB in traditional film photography requires an other actors remove filter for each condition lighting attach, as with digital, this is no longer needed. Understand digital white balance help you color casts created by your camera of AWB, which improved to avoid your photos under a wider range of lighting conditions. A digital camera auto white balance is often more effective, if the photo at least one white or bright colorless element contains. Of course, try not to your composition include a colorless object change, but be aware that its absence can cause problems with the automatic white balance.

You can already notice that have pictures of your child if you take on a sunny day with the sports/action mode play football or your pet catch a frisbee, that you get this great action pictures that make submission to Sports Illustrated magazine outside are. But if you go into it and you take photos of a basketball game with the same camera in the same "sport mode", you get images that are deleted before anyone else sees them worthy are. The main ingredient that is missing in the indoor photos is "Light". The light in a gym during a basketball game is minimal, such as during a football match or soccer game, is after the sun goes down. Most of your sports and action photos appears in available light. Flash is not always allowed, and there is also an effective range of your built-in Flash (10 to 15 feet), which is not conducive to take action pictures from the stands. A photo of a moving subject without a Flash under low light conditions can result in blurred images. The problem lies in the way, the exposure works; the lower the light, the slower the shutter speed, which needs to make the camera a correct exposure. The slower the Schauder speed, more likely, that the image "blurred" due to camera motion or movement of the subject.

JPEG (pronounced "Jay-peg") is a standardized image compression mechanism. The original name of the Committee that wrote the standard stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG. JPEG is compression of full color or grayscale images of natural, real scenes. It works well on photographs, naturalistic imagery and similar material; not so good at printing, simple cartoons or line drawings. JPEG is "lossy", meaning that uncompressed image not quite the same as the one you started with. (There are lossless compression algorithm, but JPEG achieved much better compression than lossless methods is possible.) The image files, a win for transferring files over networks and archiving libraries of images is less. The real disadvantage of lossy compression is that if you repeatedly compressing and uncompressing an image, a little more each time you lose quality. This is a serious objection for some applications but not for many other issues.

We have all see photos, where the people in the picture have spooky red eyes. These photos are in the night with a Flash. Where are the red eyes? The red color comes from, reflected from the retina in our eyes. If you shine a flashlight at night in a person eyes, to see any kind of reflection. The Flash on a camera is bright enough, however, a reflection of the retinal-cause that what see you the Red from the blood vessels is nourishing the eye. Many cameras have a "red eye reduction". In these cameras the Flash goes off twice - once right before the picture is taken, and then again to actually take the picture. The first Flash, means that people will significantly reduce the students of the terms and conditions, "Red eye". Another trick is to turn off the lights in the room, the students also contracts.

Good photos result from the following: always, having your camera with you. will include in the mood, you think about images, if an opportunity presents itself; Experience to know what the camera can do and what not, such as your camera adjust to poor lighting conditions or anything, which not only be done right. Have patience; take many and many, many photos-the average professional photographer takes approximately 120 shots for all that he actually used and is for paid; and finally luck.

Did you like this report on learning digital photography? More about want to learn? Can trust someone not advice, until you read this free report.

45 Family media literacy activities in the digital age - smart growing brains help, all in one place

What is "media literacy?" The word literacy connotes a high degree of competency and usually means that a person knows how to read and write. A literate person, on the other hand, is well read, using and applying high level thinking skills across a broad range of topics. Computer literacy means the capacity to use computers well. Media literacy, then, is the ability to use all forms of media well. A media-literate person uses television, movies, DVDs, computer and video games for specific purposes, just as a print-literate person reads a book or a magazine, a college text or a newspaper for specific, various reasons.

Using all visual screen technology intentionally is the first, and most important element in becoming media literate. Ultimately as parents we want children and teens to be in control of small screens and not be controlled by them. Research has verified and experts know that a child who mindlessly watches a lot of TV or plays video games endlessly is less equipped to develop the capacities for wise media use. A media literate child, on the other hand, would learn to self-monitor screen time-being able to take it in doses-rather than make a habit of it four-five hours a day ad nauseum. He or she would want to do other activities because thinking, creative children are curious beings and there's a whole world out there to explore-screen technologies just being one small part of it.

While a print-literate person reads words; a media literate person reads images. Using analysis, evaluation, and higher level thinking skills, a media-literate person interprets the subtle messages and overt claims visual messages convey. This is where we want our children headed-in a direction of making it second nature to think well about all forms of media images.

If we boiled down media literacy for our children, I think we would find five basic skills that we would like them to acquire:

• Conscious, intentional, limited use of all forms of screen technology

• Ability to critique visual messages and understand their intent and intellectual and emotional impact

• Ability to communicate facts, ideas, and thoughtful opinions about media images

• A thorough understanding of media production techniques to fully appreciate how such techniques as camera angles, lighting, cuts, etc. impact the messages being delivered

• Ability to use all forms of screen technology purposefully, and eventually wisely

Children can enjoy becoming media literate. The 45 family media literacy activities are grouped as follows:

30 General activities that you can adapt and use with children or teens.

15 Activities for children, specifically designed for children, ages 3-6

30 General Family Media Literacy Activities

1. TV and books.

Keep track of the dates when a TV version of a book is scheduled to air and encourage your kids to read the book first, or follow up the program by suggesting they read the book afterwards. Great discussions can result from comparing the original book and the TV version.

2. Use TV to expand children's interests.

Link TV programs with your children's interests, activities, and hobbies. A child interested in crafts can watch craft programs for encouragement and ideas; after viewing a wildlife show, take the kids to a zoo and have them recall what they learned about animals from the TV program. How does the real life experience differ from the show they watched? Are there any similarities?

3. Time capsule.

Ask your child to imagine that he or she has been given the job of choosing five television programs that will be included in a time capsule, not to be opened for one hundred years. Discuss what type of society these shows might reflect to a child opening the time capsule one hundred years from now.

4. Different viewpoints.

All family members watch one program together. The TV is then turned off and each person writes a few sentences about their opinions about the show. Discuss and compare everyone's opinions, pointing out to your child how different people will like or dislike the same program. Why are all opinions valid? Who had the most persuasive opinion about the show? Why?

5. Watch a TV show being taped.

Take kids to a television program taping either locally or as part of a family trip to New York or Los Angeles. To make the trip more meaningful, have your children draw the set, take notes on the format of the show, note the special effects, and talk about what it was like being in the audience. Is the audience important to the show? How? (It may be easier to visit a local TV or radio station. You could visit both and talk about the differences between them.)

6. Make up an alternate title.

When you're watching a TV program or movie with your child, ask him or her to exercise imagination and think of another title. To get things rolling, suggest an alternate title yourself. All family members can come up with as many alternates as possible. Vote on the best. What makes it better than all the rest to convey the essence of the show or film?

7. Compare what you see with what you expect.

With your child, come up with a description of a show before watching it, based on what you've read in a TV schedule. Predict how the characters will act and how the plot will unfold. When the program ends, take a few minutes to talk about what you saw: Did either of you notice any differences between what was written in the TV schedule and what was actually shown? Were either of you surprised by anything you saw? Is the show what you expected it would be? Why or why not?

8. Which category does it fit?

Using a television guide, your child will list all the shows she or he watches, then divide them into the following categories: comedy, news, cartoons, sitcoms, dramas, soap operas, police shows, sporting events, educational programs, and documentaries. Which is her or his favorite category and show? Why?

9. Predict what will happen.

During commercial breaks, ask your child to predict what will happen next in the program. You can discuss such questions as: If you were the scriptwriter, how would you end this story? What do you think the main characters will do next? Is it easy or difficult to guess the main event in this program? Why or why not?

10. The guessing game.

Turn off the volume but leave the picture on. See if your child can guess what is happening. To extend this into a family game, have everyone pick a TV character and add his/her version of that character's words.

11. Letter writing.

Encourage your child to write letters to TV stations, describing why s/he likes and dislikes certain programs. Emphasize that giving factual and specific information will be helpful.

12. Be a camera operator.

Have your child experiment with a video camera to learn how it can manipulate a scene (omission-what it leaves out; selection-what it includes; close-up-what it emphasizes; long shot-what mood it establishes; length of shot-what's important and what's not).

13. Theme songs.

Help your child identify the instruments and sound effects used in the theme songs of his favorite shows. Have her sing or play the music in the show and explain what the music is doing. Does it set a mood? How? Does it tell a story? How does it make him/her feel?

14. Sequence the plot: a game.

To help your child understand logical sequencing, ask her to watch a TV show while you write down its main events, jotting each event on a separate card. At the completion of the program, shuffle the cards and ask your child to put them in the same order in which they appeared during the program. Discuss any lapses in logical sequence.

15. A time chart.

Your child will keep a time chart for one week of all of her activities, including TV watching, movie watching, and playing video games. Compare the time spent on these activities and on other activities, such as playing, homework, organized sports, chores, hobbies, visiting friends, and listening to music. Which activities get the most time? The least? Do you or your child think the balance should be altered? Why or why not?

16. Winning and losing.

Tell your child to watch a sports program and list all the words that are used to describe winning and losing. Encourage a long list. You can make this into a friendly competition, if you like, with two or more children collecting words from several sports programs and then reading them aloud.

17. TV and radio.

While watching TV coverage of a sports game, turn off the TV sound and have your child simultaneously listen to radio coverage. What does your child think about the radio coverage? About the TV coverage? What are the strengths of each? The weaknesses?

18. Quiz show comparison.

Compare and contrast the wide variety of game and quiz shows with your child. You'll see shows that test knowledge, shows that are based on pure luck, and shows that are aimed specifically at children. Which are your child's favorites? Why?

19. TV lists.

Assist your child in making lists of all television programs that involve hospitals, police stations, schools, and farms, and all television programs that contain imaginative elements, such as science fiction shows or cartoons.

20. Television vocabulary.

Challenge your child to listen for new words on TV and report back to the family on their definitions.

21. Critical viewing survey.

Ask your child to watch one of his favorite programs with you. Afterwards, you will both fill out the following survey. Then compare your answers. Are they different? Why? Are there right or wrong answers, or is much of what was recorded open to individual interpretation?

Critical Viewing Survey

Program watched:

Characters (List three to five and describe briefly):

Setting (Time and place):

Problems/Conflicts:

Plot (List three to five events in order of occurrence):

Story theme:

Solution:

Logic (Did the story make sense? Would this have happened in real life?):

Rating of the show (from one to ten, with ten being the highest):

22. Body language.

Observe body language in commercials and/or TV shows and films. Notice head position, hand gestures, and eye movement. How does body language affect how you feel about the intended visual or verbal message? Children could cut out postures and expressions from print advertisements (magazines and newspapers) and see if they can find those postures and expressions on TV or in movies. How important is body language to convey persuasive visual messages?

23. Variations on a story.

Look at how a particular story is handled differently by different channels. Use videotaped shows to compare. What are the differences? What are the similarities?

24. Quick problem solving.

Point out to your child how quick problems are solved on many TV shows. Discuss the differences in dealing effectively with challenges in real life. You may want to include in your discussion what processes you go through to identify, confront, and resolve problems.

25. Put words in their mouth.

As a family watch a favorite program with the sound off. Try to figure out what each of the characters in the show is saying. Discuss why you believe that based on past knowledge of the program and how the characters are behaving. Encourage your child to think about how he or she would write the script for each of the characters. What are the important things that they say? Why are these considered important?

26. Make your own family TV Guide.

Gather your child/ren and ask them to make a family TV Guide for the upcoming week. What programs would they include? What programs would they make sure not to include? Ask them to give reasons for their choices.

27. Thinking ahead to predict what might happen.

This is a great activity for school-age children who may need guidance in watching their favorite programs while you can't be there with them. Give your child a written list of 3-5 general questions that they can read before they watch a TV show. Consider such questions as: "What do you think this program will be about? What do you anticipate the main character's troubles will be? How will he/she resolve them? Why are you watching this show and not doing something else?" Instruct your child to think about the questions while viewing-no need to write anything down-just think. As your child watches, he/she won't be able to stop thinking about these questions-it's just how the brain works. Intermittently, ask your child to discuss the TV program with you, along with how this activity helps to think about the program!

28. Ask: "What will happen next?"

This is a simple, yet effective activity. Mute the commercials while your family watches TV together and ask each child and adult what he/she thinks will happen next. There are no right or wrong answers! This gives everyone a chance to engage in creative interplay and then to test his/her "hypothesis" when the show resumes. Children may learn just how predictable and mundane a lot of programs are and soon improve on the scriptwriters, adding their own creative ideas!

29. Record your child's favorite show.

Then play it back during a long car trip or around a cozy fireplace on a dark winter evening. The purpose of this activity would be for your child to hear the program, without seeing the visuals. Talk about how the characters and their actions change as a result of only hearing the show. Does your child have to listen more intently? Why or why not? What are some crucial distinctions between watching and listening?

30. Encourage your child or teen to be a media creator.

Ultimately what we want is for our children to find ways to creatively express who they are. You can encourage a child to use a digital camera and make a photo collage of a family trip, for instance. Older children and teens can create websites, blogs, even podcasts. Screen technologies are powerful tools and when used intentionally, with specific purposes, our children become media-literate in the process of learning more about their own creativity and unique skills.

_________________

15 Media Activities for Children, ages 3-6

Screen Violence

1. Talk about real-life consequences.

If the screen violence were happening in real life, how would the victim feel? In real life what would happen to the perpetrator of the violence. Compare what's on the screen to the consequences of what happens when someone hurts another person in the real world.

2. Violence is not the way to solve problems.

Emphasize that hurting another person in any way or destroying property is wrong and won't solve a person's problems. Point out to your child that many of the violent cartoon characters never seem to solve their problems from episode to episode, and that to use violence is to act without thinking of the consequences. Tell your child it's powerful and smart to find peaceful, creative ways to solve problems with other human beings. Choose a problem your child encountered recently such as another child taking a toy away and talk about the reasonable way the problem was resolved or could have been resolved-without hurting.

3. Anger is natural.

Talk about the fact that we all get angry, that it's normal. It's what we do with our anger-how we cope with it and express it-that's important. When screen characters hurt people out of anger, it's because they have not learned how to deal with their anger. Your child could make a list of screen characters who know how to deal with their anger in positive ways.

4. Count the number of violent acts.

While watching a favorite cartoon with your child, count the number of actual violent actions. Point out that these are harmful to others and you would never allow him/her to do such things to others. Total the number of violent actions at the end of the program and ask your child if he/she thought there were that many. Decide not to watch cartoons or any shows with such violent actions.

5. Talk about real and pretend.

If your child is exposed to a violent movie or video game, it is especially important to talk with him/her about the fact that the images were pretend-like when your child plays pretend and that no one was actually hurt. Make it a common practice to talk about the differences between real and pretend with any TV programs, movies, your child watches. Understanding this concept basic to becoming media-literate!

Screen Advertising

6. Blind taste test.

Show your child how she can test the claims of commercials. Have her do a blind taste test. It can be done with a wide range of foods such as three or four kinds of soda pop, spaghetti sauce, cereal-your child's favorites. Are the products as great as the commercials claimed? Can she tell the difference between a generic brand and a famous one? Can she identify products by name? Do the commercials make products seem different than they really are? Why or why not? This is a fun activity to do with several children. Have a taste test party!

7. Draw pictures of a feeling.

Suggest that your child draw a picture depicting how he feels after watching two different types of TV commercials. What are the differences between the pictures? Discuss your child's feelings about the different commercial messages. Picture the buyer. Younger children can watch a commercial and then draw a picture of the type of person they think will buy the product. After discussing the child's picture, explain how various audience appeals are used in commercials to attract specific audiences.

8. Cartoon ads.

While watching cartoons, your child can look for specific cartoon characters that appear in popular commercials. Explain the differences between the commercial and the cartoon: In the commercial, the character sells a product; in the cartoon, the character entertains us. The next time she watches TV, have her report to you if she sees any cartoon characters selling products.

9. The toy connection.

When visiting a toy store, you and your child can look for toys that have been

advertised on TV or promoted by TV personalities. Point out to him how the toys advertised on TV initially seem more attractive than those he hasn't seen advertised.

10. Invent a character.

Your child can pick a product, such as a favorite cereal, and create an imaginary character that can be used to sell the product. He/she could draw a picture or role-play the character. Or, using puppets, stage an imaginative commercial for a made-up product. Afterwards discuss with your child what she or he did to tell people about the product. Watch a few commercials and point out basic selling techniques such as making the product looking larger than life, repeating a jingle, and showing happy children using the product.

Screen News

TV news contains elements that may not be appropriate for young children. As much as possible, watch news when your child is in bed or not in the room. Protect your little one from graphic images and topics that she/he is not ready to handle cognitively or emotionally.

Screen Stereotypes

11. Not better, just different.

Children are never too young to start learning the message that differences do not make anyone better than anyone else. Point out how each family member has his or her own individual preferences, habits, ideas, and behaviors. Differences make us all unique and interesting. When your child sees a racist or sexist stereotype on the screen, explain that the writers of the script made an error in portraying the character in that light.

12. Change the picture.

Play a game with your child: When she encounters a screen stereotype, ask her whether other types of people could play that role. For instance, if the secretary is a young woman, explain that men are secretaries, too, and that many older women are very competent secretaries.

13. Girls, boys, and toys.

As you walk through a toy store, point out various toys to your child, asking each time whether the toy is made for a boy or a girl. Ask if any child could just as well play with the toy. Encourage your child to find toys that would be fun for girls and boys to play with. Then, when your child sees toy commercials on TV, point out whether only little boys or little girls are playing with the toys.

14. Play: Who is missing?

Often what children see on the screen does not represent all nationalities and the diversity he or she encounters in preschool, kindergarten, or on the playground. While watching favorite cartoons or movies with your child, discuss who is missing-such as an older person; a disabled person, or a person of a certain race or nationality. You can also discuss what types of people your child encounters more often on the screen-young, glamorous, happy white people usually take up the majority of the visual images with men outnumbering women 3 to 1!

15. Model discussion of screen stereotypes.

When your family watches a favorite TV program or a popular DVD, you can help your youngster identify stereotypical roles, behaviors, and attitudes by holding family conversations to involve your spouse and/or older children. While watching the program or movie, the adults and the older children take notes, tracking whenever they spot a stereotype of age, gender, or race. After watching, turn off the TV/VCR and discuss everyone's observations. Using each family member's notes, compile a master list of the stereotypical statements and portrayals that were noted. This discussion can be made more interesting if you taped the program (or replay the DVD in appropriate scene/s), so you can refer back to it as family members discuss the stereotypes they spotted. Your little one will listen to this family media literacy conversation and absorb important information while the others share their ideas.

Gloria DeGaetano http://GloriaDeGaetano.com/
is the founder and CEO of The Parent Coaching Institute, (The PCI?), http://thepci.org the originator of the parent coaching profession.

An acclaimed keynote speaker, Gloria is a sought-after favorite for major national and international conferences because she is a recognized leader in family support and media/digital literacy who provides specific and practical tools for parents to successfully navigate the stresses of modern day culture. An innovator in parent education, Ms. DeGaetano often trains parent educators and agency staff on how to best help moms and dads in our digital age which often divides family life, making it even more difficult for healthy parent-child relationships. Gloria's popular Best Solutions Programs are tailored to the specific needs of participants, resulting in positive outcomes for the agencies and the parents they serve.

Ms. DeGaetano, a best-selling author, has written Screen Smarts: A Family Guide to Media Literacy; Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill: A Call to Action Against TV, Movie, and Video Game Violence (with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman), and manuals for parent professionals. Her latest book Parenting Well in a Media Age, has won the 2007 i-Parenting Media Award for excellence. Ms. DeGaetano's books and articles have been translated into Spanish, German, Danish, Romanian, Korean, Chinese, and Turkish.

Ms. DeGaetano's ideas and articles have appeared in numerous publications including McCall's Magazine, American Baby Magazine, The Boston Globe, the American Academy of Pediatrics Newsletter, and Catholic Faith and Family Magazine.

Reading levels and creating of 3D digital art

Have you wanted to create digital art at all? Own art in a digital masterpiece like the pros do you render? Well with cartoon-paint, you will learn, as you take a simple drawing and really make them live. Create highlights of understanding and with levels and shadow on explicit dimension is the key. With cartoon color it is clearly explained in the right way. Once you the techniques are learned you able to apply to your own style and digital rendering.
Cartoon colors training videos simply offer the best techniques! Have you been interested in even knowledge of digital process? Wondering how you go about setting up of your characters? In learn from the basics of setting up your document to create a 3D rendering of own art quickly and effectively.
Now a days see more and more artists go digital. I think the main benefit of creating digital representations is the speed, you need to have traditional painting. If you up, no worries just mess you undo it! If you want to make a living by creating digital images this Sir instructional videos for themselves is even numbers of lessons you create clean fresh lines with the advanced layering techniques. It is always a time limit.
With the digital medium, remember always just like traditional paintings, the computer is just a tool.
However, if you use the tools correctly and establishing the for allows you in so little time of the digital medium for so many ways. Cartoon paint takes you step by step and shows how to create a sketch and use layers to ad colors, shading and lighting. The sky's the limit.
Have you ever drawn on the computer? Or you have taken and your cartoon figure in the computer scanned, but don't really know how to take it to the next level? Perhaps you have an idea, how would you render or color your cartoons on the computer but already love, it hit a more professional level? If this is the case, CartoonPaint.com is a great place for you to learn and advance your skill set.
Simply put, cartoon-paint is a great learning tool for the digital medium and provides specific instructions and a detailed guide to the generated computer art. If you are looking to your cartoon characters or hand the right way, I think drawn representations for additional dimension to add layers, you can enjoy this video! Hope that you will learn how I did.



Click here
[http://www.learndigitalrendering.com]
About the author
Carlos Martínez
I love creating digital art and renderings. I've several college courses in graphic design taken and found this series of instructional videos for beginners, advanced digital artists be helpful. Acquisition of skills in this video get a leg up on your competition and help you to win the network of patronage, you've always wanted.
Click here
[http://www.learndigitalrendering.com]

Digital cartoon painting take levels at a Pro level

Take your designs to the next level. I want to see videos of how Chad render (colors) his caricatures in the team. More than 2 hours of video in which his digital process step by step.

Check it out!

Digital design and animation schools offer exciting career choices

Interactive media and gaming to gain new markets are extended in digital design and animation, which contain various creative art courses-induced digital design and animation schools. The curriculum begins with the basics of art and artistic design and development offers courses in areas of drawing, color, computer applications, graphic design, architectural design, Web design, video and digital production, 3D model, cartooning, story development, special effects, game art and design, game production, and character design, and more. Students can also courses in project management and portfolio development to take.
Digital design and animation schools are abundant. Digital design and animation classes and programs are in vocational, technical, offered and schools, community colleges, four-year colleges, trade and in full-fledged universities. Students can choose for certificates, diplomas, associate of Arts (AA), Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) and master of Arts (MA) or master of Science (MS) degree in digital design and animation fields levels of study. Bachelor's and master's courses provide more breadth and depth of study specializations in the media design and production.
Diplomas, certificates and associate degrees in digital design and animation have prepared graduates for entry-level positions in various fields of design and animation fields. Students can concentrate on Web design and multimedia courses to develop skills for positions as Web designers, information designers and Web animation production. Others can focus on computer animation for game and interactive video production positions. Still, other students can concentrate lettering on communication and design for computer art, film, television and advertisement production.
Digital design and animation-technicians find employment in areas of science, architecture and medicine, where design and technology gain importance.
If you're more interested in schools [http://schoolsgalore.com/categories/2/digital_design_animation_schools.html] and other types of schools about digital design and animation, please search our site for more information and resources.
Disclaimer: Above is a general overview and can or School(s), which is specific might not specific practices, courses and/or each one or associated services is advertised on SchoolsGalore.com is.
Copyright 2006 - all rights reserved
Michael Bustamante, in conjunction with media positive communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com
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Michael Bustamante is a staff writer of media positive communications, Inc. in collaboration with SchoolsGalore.com. Find schools, colleges, universities, vocational schools , and online courses [http://schoolsgalore.com/categories/4/online_courses.html] at SchoolsGalore.com; meet your needs as your educational resource to find schools.

Children photography and digital cameras

A children digital camera is a fun and creative way to introduce photography to young children. To consider one thing when buying a digital camera for children is, that cameras will slowly disappear with film and expensive, if used by a child. Children who are digital cameras have wonderful tools, how children see images right away, can you delete them, if they do not like a shot and repeat it locally. There is no development of the photo such as prints directly from the camera ordered or can print on a computer. Children want always instant gratification, so the idea of being able to that see pictures on the camera and print, it can be very attractive on the computer.

Some of the toy manufacturers that are kids digital cameras offer Disney, Fisher price, little tykes and Crayola. It is important that digital cameras for kids are robust and simple to use for children themselves! Dual handles help children keep the camera and reliable the shot. Look for cameras that are simple controls that included follow for children! When looking at cameras for children is memory very important, because not only memory cards can be lost but can constitute also a choking hazard. Kids cameras come in an assortment of bright colours, with assorted comic strip characters, large buttons for the little finger with simple operations... If your child is growing they can on a more sophisticated camera like a point and shoot model move forward. It is a good idea, to help some comparison shopping and user reviews to do to read decisions before buying a camera for your child.

Children start, look at the world differently when they start looking through a camera lens. You see other people and objects in a new way. They note things that do not see them before and think about everyday objects with a new perspective. You develop confidence in your own creativity. Photography is essentially a means, not only the past, present and future, but a way, a reminder, as well a tool as a way of communicating document to get. The immediate results on a digital camera help children learn to experiment and explore the world around them around through the camera lens. Taking pictures is a fun and creative way to express themselves and the way way children perceive, life, family and friends.

Photography is a way for children to talk and express their creativity. There are many creative and entertaining ways children can archive their photos.

1. Children can take pictures in the entire day of her family, friends, pets, and daily activities. Images can be mounted in a notebook or on the construction paper. Older children can add labels or stories. Pages can be in the books and laminated, so that younger children on it, and to be regarded as younger children love itself as also members of the family look can. These books are wonderful gifts and memories, harboured in life be created later.

2. Younger kids can photographs of items in certain categories, such as color, shape, size, texture, or groups of similar and can be different objects, favorite things, people, animals, vehicles and many other things that are used as learning tools. By having a child using a camera as a teaching tool, there are unlimited ways.

3. Photos can be made on T-shirts, material and simple puzzles. Photo puzzle be done by printing photos on a stable piece of cardboard and cut the image into pieces, this is a big family make gifts.

4. Kids will love the pictures documenting a holiday or day to share the trip with family and friends.

5. Younger children love cut images of themselves and glue them together to make a collage.

6. Children to take pictures of objects you love, gather but can't afford to buy. It is a great way to family members that you want gift for an upcoming birthday or holiday gift let.

7. Children pictures can be glued on cards with additional drawings, stickers, to celebrate buttons and ribbons for the interesting and fun ways to a special occasion.

Children children digital camera photography opens up a whole new world of fun and creative options and can be to exercise a very rewarding hobby and unique way and learn more about life around them grow.

http://www.kidsdigitalcamerapro.com