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Your average cinephile may itch with anticipation before a new blockbuster release, but unless you have a legitimate review platform, the chances of getting that coveted screener are slim. Fortunately, becoming something of a film critic is probably easier than ever, provided you have the necessary writing skills and a willingness to harass publicists. Learn how to get screenings here.

Start writing about movies

Screeners aren’t available for every movie buff – a lot of people are excited about the movie and look forward to the Oscars. However, unless you write about movies regularly, it will be difficult to convince a publicist to send you a screener.

Your chances, however, are probably better than in the heyday of the old media, when professional critics occupied a touted niche in major newspapers and magazines. To do this, you can start small, write about movies on your own blog, or do movie reviews and criticism at news outlets, including smaller movie blogs where the barrier to entry may be lower.

You can also start writing audience reviews of Rotten Tomatoes and start earning your streaks by eventually becoming a verified reviewer on the site or by leaving one of the more established reviews independent blogs It started as an upstart being built from scratch.

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Definitely, There is good advice There is information on how to start your own movie blog, but only dive in if your passion supports you.

To be accredited

While there isn’t a formal process that works across the board, the main method for gaining this type of legitimacy is to publish articles and show your work to a publicist who can send you screeners.

Each path to accreditation is a little different, but a Patheos blog as of 2015 explains some of the insights movie publicists and marketers will be interested in when you decide to knock on their doors:

You should be able to provide circulation figures (or analysis for Internet publications). How many people read your reviews? How often do you publish? (Are you writing a 400 word per month review for a local newspaper or multiple reviews per week for your own blog?)

Join a film critic society

Belonging to professional societies can open big doors to earn screeners – but of course there are usually some barriers to entry before a society lets you join (even the smaller ones). If you are a freelancer, check out local film review circles and find a membership with the Editorial Freelancers Union;; If you’re lucky enough to be a co-worker anywhere, you could push for a union Contract with the Writer’s Guild of America or any other union representing writers. Belonging to such an organization only further solidifies a professional writer’s reputation. (Lifehacker and his colleagues at G / O Media are members of the Writers Guild of America, East.)

If you’re really serious about getting screeners, you need to check out the movies right away so the gatekeepers know you’re not just trying to command free prey. Most of all, you have to ask – perhaps repeatedly – about publicists who send you screeners.

If all else fails, look for free demonstrations

If you’re having trouble catching screeners, you can always stay on the lookout for screenings. These are basically public events where the film in question is shown to an audience. Of course, movie screenings are still not safe in this pandemic era Vaccines floating around and new cases falling It is possible (for now) that you will be in line for one within a year.

There are several websites geared towards potential screening attendees. Sites like Gofobo and STX screeningsas well as demonstrations of various Production Companies You Can Relate To. For many of these websites, all you need to do is enter your zip code to get screenings in your area that are still available. These events are usually intended for invited media representatives, but non-media people are regularly invited. This might at least get the ball moving for you, especially if you’re trying to get in touch with PR folks who can send you screeners once your bonafides are more obvious.

A note of caution: screeners may sound wonderful, especially when we ungodly spend a lot of time in isolation and at home, but be careful what you want. Once you provide your address and inbox to certain publicists, you may soon be buried under an overwhelming flood of emails and DVDs.

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Google is adding built-in screen recording to all Chromebooks in the coming weeks. The new tool allows users to record videos from their device’s screen without the need for additional apps or external hardware.

However, the screen recorder should come in handy for all users Google says The tool was implemented specifically for educational institutions: teachers can use it to prepare presentations and students can record lectures.

The feature will be available on Chromebooks in the coming weeks as part of Google’s planned Chrome OS update for March 2021. Google doesn’t give a specific release date, so it may take a few weeks to get ready for your device. However, you can give it a try early on if you opt for the Chrome OS beta. That’s how it’s done:

1. Go to on your Chromebook Settings> About Chrome OS> Additional Details.
2. Under the “Channels” Section, change your channel too “Beta Channel.”
3. click “Change channel.”
4. Update your Chromebook and restart when prompted.
5. After restarting, open Chrome and go to chrome: // flags / # screen-capture.
6. Activate “Screen Capture Test” from the drop down menu, then restart.

You can now use the Chrome OS screen recording tools:

1. Press CTRL + SHIFT + Overview to open the recorder.
2. Drag the mouse to adjust how much screen you want to capture.
3. Hit the record button when you’re ready. A countdown timer will appear. Once it hits zero, it will start recording video of whatever is on the screen. A red recording icon is displayed in the system tray while recording.
4. Click the Stop button to stop recording.

Those who don’t want to join the ChromeOS Beta can install Chrome browser extensions like Vidyard or Screencastify while waiting for the stable channel patch. Both have limitations, so you should probably upgrade to the Chromebook built-in screen recorder as soon as it becomes available, but there are neat loopholes in the meantime.

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Vidyard has a free version that allows you to record up to an hour per video, although you can get as many recordings as you want. Screencastify has a five minute blackout on all videos. However, you can record, edit, and export as many videos as you want for free (provided you have free space on your PC).

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Grandparents who disobey parenting rules are a tradition that is as old as the time, but the polarization over pandemic safety guidelines, social unrest and controversial elections are among the many ways that differences of opinion between loved ones can worsen to have. Grandma or grandpa sneaking candy to grandchildren whose parents don’t want them to have candy seem downright pleasant compared to families with relatives explaining to children how voting machines have rigged the election or that COVID-19 vaccines have been rigged contain Satan’s microchips.

These are obviously extreme examples, but the current climate in the United States has resulted in varied disagreements and time-tested value systems, even among relatives with healthy extended family dynamics.

In those instances where grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other relatives transgress their parents’ boundaries – but in a generally loving way – what is the best way to curb this behavior? We asked Dr. Matthew Mulvaney, associate professor and parenting researcher at the David B. Falk College of Sports and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University. His teaching and research is focused on understanding how parents and families support optimal child development.

Try to understand the other perspective

There are obviously bigger values ​​that people will not compromise on, but in some cases pushing boundaries can be simple misunderstandings. Mulvaney notes that even minor border crossings can occur Co-parenting relationshipswhere both parties love and have the best interest in the child’s heart but approach parenthood in different ways.

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“I think with all of these questions you’re trying to be as neutral as possible, meet them where they are, and get their point of view before expressing your POV,” he says.

Particularly in relationships between generations, there will always be differences in the interaction between parents and grandparents due to different life experiences. Unless boundaries are malicious, it is important to have some level of empathy for how they are intended.

Parents can and should draw the boundaries they are comfortable with and which are important to the wellbeing of their children, but even if those boundaries are crossed or exceeded, it is still possible to try to understand where they are from.

“Try to meet them where they are and understand their perspective before you plant a stake in the ground,” says Mulvaney.

Communicate and speak for what you want

A good first step in establishing a parental limit that will not be exceeded is to explain your position and your reasons. According to Mulvaney, after most of the research on the subject, most grandparents largely understand that it is their job not to get around the parents’ wishes.

“I think it’s fair for parents to say what they want largely, and most research on grandparenthood shows that it works better when grandparents comply with parents’ wishes that they be in the background and be able to to intervene where and when It is necessary, but the grandparents must respect the parents and what they think is safe or not safe about their households, ”says Mulvaney.

Mulvaney also advocates with “I” statements as often as possible. “I” statements are ways you can communicate your feelings and arguments as clearly as possible without blaming or creating defenses.

“As with many conflicts, when you stand firmly but respectfully [is important], “he says.” Are you really trying to emphasize why it matters to you – “I think this is important to me and my family,” or “I think this is a really important safety concern.” That kind of thing contributes goes a long way towards winning over grandparents. ”

The impetus lies with the grandparents to respect the parents and what they consider to be safe or unsafe about their households.

Agree, disagree

There are some issues where little or no common ground is found. Political or social justice hot button topics are a good example. Often times, the best way to avoid passing these values ​​down to children is to end conversations and make it clear that certain things are forbidden for close relatives to children.

“Do you have a consent to disagree base,” says Mulvaney. “There is a point where we ignore. If there is more, I would talk to the children afterwards. These problems are deep and hard and systemic and will not be resolved, but it is also important that children have good relationships with their grandparents. So change the subject or change the conversation and then talk [with the kids]. ”

Understand when differences of opinion are healthy

Mulvaney notes that it is important for parents to understand the difference between “disagreement” and “conflict”.

“I think disagreement and disagreement are actually healthy. It is healthy for children to see that people have different perspectives and how they resolve these differences, ”he says. “Conflict is not healthy, [but] If it’s not a conflict, it is healthy for them to see how you resolve it and deal with differences, and that people who care about them may have differences of opinion. ”

In disagreements between parents and grandparents or other family members, seeing and seeing these interactions handled in healthy, positive ways is a good teaching moment for them and how they deal with similar situations when they are older.

“If kids are too protected from complexity or difficult things, it’s not really good for them,” says Mulvaney. “People can still have the same end goal for their wellbeing, but different approaches.”

Consider the ultimate goal

Mulvaney notes that if repeated requests not to cross a certain line are ignored, it becomes “another conversation”, but that most conflicts in non-malicious families do not rise to that level.

Ultimately, it’s important for parents to remember that they need to make decisions, especially in complex situations. However, also note that good relationships with loved ones are an important goal for most families. The main goal of healthy family dynamics is to simply ensure that there is a positive relationship between the child and the grandparent or loved one.

“When you really get closer to them [the relative] and explain your rules, in general they will obey them, ”he says. “It becomes a bigger problem when they’re this resilient, but most situations can be controlled [at least] to the point of ‘agree, disagree and let’s not warm it up in front of the kids.’ ”