Academics & The Arts Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-29-2022

Keep this Cheat Sheet handy as you're learning French. It's a great quick reference for when you need to check definite, indefinite, and partitive articles; personal pronouns, identifying être verbs, and other particulars of French grammar.

Article / Updated 11-29-2022

The concept of using auto-accompaniment is simple: You play some notes on the lower range of your keyboard, and that tells the system to start playing some backing music in the key you gave it. You choose the style of music it plays from the choices presented on the front panel. The result is the sound of a full band playing, giving you a professional backing track that you’re in complete control over. How auto-accompaniment works Playing with accompaniment usually means you have a split keyboard, with the lower range (left hand) dedicated to playing notes/chords to trigger the accompaniment and the right hand having a live sound to play your melodies with. Some arrangers and digital pianos have a full-play mode, where you play acoustic piano with two hands and the keyboard uses your two-handed playing to determine the chords. Accompaniment uses styles or rhythms — collections of MIDI-based music tracks that play various instrument sounds to produce the sound of a backing band. They’ve been played and recorded by skilled musicians to faithfully reproduce various musical styles. The unique thing about the accompaniment “engine” is that it can adapt these parts for any chord you give it, changing the notes within the pattern to fit the various root tones and chord qualities in music (major, minor, diminished, augmented, and so on). This adaptability is how auto-accompaniment differs from a prerecorded backing track, which rigidly plays back the exact notes you played to create the part. Starting a pattern playing Simple portable keyboards don’t always have full auto-accompaniment, so look for a button labeled Chords, Accompaniment On/Off, ACMP On/Off, Arranger Mode, and so on. These options indicate that you have full accompaniment parts, not just drums. Here’s how to get a pattern playing: Press the Styles or Rhythm button. Make sure the Chord/Accomp button is on. Play a low C on the keyboard to start the pattern playing. If you feel comfortable, try playing a C triad (C-E-G) instead. If the music doesn’t start, press the Start/Stop or Play button while you play the note or chord. Accompaniment needs you to play a chord to tell the players what key and what chord type you want them to play (C major, F minor, and so on). So if you just press Start/Stop or Play, the drums will start without the rest of the band. With the music playing, select some other patterns and listen to how the music and parts change. For simple models, you can use the + and – buttons to move up or down to the next pattern or to scroll through the available patterns one at a time. Or use the numeric keypad (if available) to directly enter the number of a specific pattern you want. On low-end models, the pattern names may appear on the front panel. On other models, the names are displayed on the screen. Higher-end models present the Styles/Rhythms on multiple buttons, with each button representing a category of styles arranged by musical genre. Listen to various styles being played using a simple C triad in Book VI, Chapter 2, Audio Track 142. Breaking down an accompaniment pattern An accompaniment pattern usually has the following elements: Drums: Drums include the traditional drum kit, with bass drum, snare, hi-hat, cymbals, and so on, playing a beat. Percussion: This element includes things such as tambourine, cowbell, shakers, congas/timbales/bongos, triangle, and other hand percussion, providing extra color to the rhythm. Bass: Bass presents the low notes that play some sort of rhythmic, moving series of notes. It may be an electric, acoustic (upright), or synth bass sound, depending on the style of music. Chordal part(s):Chordal parts are often a keyboard sound and possibly some strummed guitar parts (acoustic or electric). Having a few tracks of this sort is common. Other sustained parts: These options include string, vocal, and synth pad sounds — sustained chords for additional interest and sound variety. Background melodic figures: These can be string lines, brass and woodwind melodies, synth patterns and arpeggiations, and guitar licks. Every part will not always be playing; parts may come in and out depending on a number of settings and factors, such as which variation you’re using and the taste of the pattern programmer. In Book VI, Chapter 2, Audio Track 143 is a style broken down into its separate elements or tracks. Mixing the sound of the band Mixing a musical recording involves adjusting the volume balance of each of the instruments, deciding which speaker they come out of (called panning), and possibly adjusting or changing the effects that are being used. Mid- and higher-priced arrangers give you access to these functions. Taking control of these aspects of your backing band allows you to make the sound exactly the way you want it. How do you know whether your keyboard has this capability? Look for a feature/parameter called the Mixer. Credit: Images courtesy of Korg Italy; Casio America, Inc; and Yamaha Corporation of America A skilled musician/producer has already volume-balanced all the styles and rhythms in your keyboard, so you probably don’t need to make big changes. But two common scenarios require a little adjustment here and there: Slightly increasing or decreasing the volume of a backing instrument: These fixes are small; you’re not trying to redo the whole band mix. Turning off a part: This process is called muting a part or channel. To change the volume of a part (it may be called a Part or a Track), you select it, use the interface controls to increase or decrease the volume parameter value, and then resave the style/rhythm. To turn off a part entirely, you may have two options. If your mixer design has a dedicated Mute parameter, you can use that parameter to turn off the part. If it doesn’t have a Mute, simply turn the part volume all the way down to 00. Again, be sure to resave the Style/Rhythm.

Article / Updated 11-29-2022

Here, you can see the two most common pedaling indications. On your piano, press the pedal down at the “Ped.” sign, and release (pedal up) at the asterisk or at the bracket ending the line. These indications are always shown below the bass staff. The notch in the line indicates where to change the pedal, quickly clearing any sustained sound (pedal up) and resetting the sustain (pedal down). Changing the pedal requires careful attention to clearing the harmony cleanly and completely. Good pedaling is a matter of timing and listening. Your goal is to train your ear to listen for a smooth transition and a clean change from note to note and chord to chord. You don’t want to time your pedaling to match your hands, releasing and then pressing the pedal down as your fingers move from one chord to another; if you do, you’ll hear a gap between chords. This is because you’re lifting both the keys and the pedal together, so the dampers stop the sound when your fingers leave the keys. You need the sustain pedal down at this time. You have to wait to change the pedal so it happens simultaneously with playing the next chord. Your heel should stay on the floor, and your toes can rest on the pedal. Some pedals require more weight and pressure, and foot size and power make a difference. You can use your longer toes plus some of the ball of your foot to press down the pedal, but as always go for comfort and ease. Your ankle is the hinge that allows your foot to move with the least amount of movement and effort. Pedaling shouldn’t affect your general posture, so if you find that you have to shift around or adjust your balance to accommodate pedaling, you may not have started from a good position. Broken-chord pedaling In this exercise for broken-chord pedaling in Book V, Chapter 3, Audio Track 112, you change the pedal on a single note. Block-chord pedaling In this exercise you change going from chord to chord and on any moving lines within the harmony. Listen for smooth transitions!

Article / Updated 11-28-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio Uncle Sam wants you! But first, you have to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This battery of tests covers ten subjects, and you have to earn a passing score before you can join any branch of the military. The catch is that you can only take the ASVAB if your high school offers it or a military recruiter arranges an appointment at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or another testing location. Usually, high schools arrange for large groups of juniors and seniors to take the test all at one time — but if yours didn’t, you missed school that day, or high school is a distant memory for you, your only other option is to sit down with an Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, or Army recruiter and schedule the test. Your ASVAB scores are only valid for up to two years. If you took the test in high school more than two years ago, you have to retake it at your nearest MEPS before you can enlist. How you take the ASVAB test The ASVAB isn’t a one-size-fits-all test; it comes in a few varieties. High-schoolers typically take the paper-and-pencil (P&P) version, which requires you to open a test booklet and fill in answer bubbles on a separate sheet of paper; people who take the test at a Military Entrance Test (MET) site do this, too. (MET sites are located in remote areas that aren’t within a reasonable drive of a MEPS.) But most people take the computer adaptive test (CAT-ASVAB), which all takes place on a computer. You select an answer choice and move on to the next question, moving through the subtests until you’re finished or run out of time. It’s nearly impossible to cheat on the ASVAB (and you wouldn’t want to, anyway — when you get busted, you won’t be allowed to enlist). Your test-taking neighbors are all answering different questions than you are. When test proctors hand out P&P test booklets, they hand out several different versions, and the CAT-ASVAB adapts itself to your skill level. What does the ASVAB cover? The ASVAB tests your knowledge in ten topic areas through the following subtests: General Science tests your high school science knowledge, touching on biology, chemistry, and physical sciences. Arithmetic Reasoning takes a snapshot of your ability to solve mathematical word problems at a high-school level. Word Knowledge asks you to find the correct meanings of words to gauge your English vocabulary. Paragraph Comprehension presents you with reading passages, and it’s your job to answer questions and draw conclusions about them. Mathematics Knowledge tests your ability to solve algebra and geometry problems. Electronics Information features questions about circuitry, electrical principles, and electronic terminology. Auto Information asks questions about (you guessed it) automobiles and how they work. Shop Information checks your knowledge of tools, shop terminology, and best practices when it comes to building and making repairs with a wide range of materials. Mechanical Comprehension opens the door to your knowledge of mechanical (as in levers and pulleys) and physics principles. Assembling Objects requires you to connect the dots (literally) to show off your spatial reasoning skills and demonstrate how well you can fit together puzzle-like pieces. The Auto Information and Shop Information subtests are combined and called Auto and Shop (AS) on the paper-and-pencil version of the test; on the CAT-ASVAB, it’s presented on its own. How long is the ASVAB test? The P&P version of the tests presents questions of easy, medium, and hard difficulty in random order, but the CAT-ASVAB tailors itself to your ability. It starts by asking you a question of medium difficulty; if you get it right, it asks you a harder question. If you get it wrong, it asks you an easier question. The following tables break down how many questions you need to answer (and how quickly you have to tackle them) in each subtest. CAT-ASVAB Subtest Number of Questions Time to Complete General Science 15 10 minutes Arithmetic Reasoning 15 55 minutes Word Knowledge 15 9 minutes Paragraph Comprehension 10 27 minutes Mathematics Knowledge 15 23 minutes Electronics Information 15 10 minutes Auto Information 10 7 minutes Shop Information 10 6 minutes Mechanical Comprehension 15 22 minutes Assembling Objects 15 17 minutes Total 135 questions 173 minutes P&P Subtest Number of Questions Time to Complete General Science 25 11 minutes Arithmetic Reasoning 30 36 minutes Word Knowledge 35 11 minutes Paragraph Comprehension 15 13 minutes Mathematics Knowledge 25 24 minutes Electronics Information 20 9 minutes Auto and Shop Information 25 11 minutes Mechanical Comprehension 25 19 minutes Assembling Objects 25 15 minutes Total 225 questions 149 minutes If you took the ASVAB through an Army recruiter and later discover that the Air Force (or any other branch) is a better choice, it’s no problem — your scores are portable. Every branch takes the same test, and the military-at-large breaks down your scores for each branch when it grades your performance. You can join any branch you want, as long as you qualify, after taking the ASVAB once. What is the AFQT score? Your scores on Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Mathematics Knowledge blend together to make up your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. Every branch has a minimum AFQT score it’s willing to accept — and if you don’t make the grade, you don’t qualify for enlistment. Each branch also uses individual subtest scores and combinations of those scores to determine which military jobs you qualify for. If you take the CAT-ASVAB, the computer automatically (and immediately) tallies your score. If you take the P&P version, your test proctor will arrange for scoring and you’ll find out how well you did within several days. Your recruiter will tell you which jobs are open to you based on your scores.

Video / Updated 11-17-2022

In this video, you learn about the rule of thirds for framing digital video shots and gain a better understanding of the types of shots in filmmaking you can take from extreme wide shots to extreme close-ups. The rule of thirds, although not a rule that can't be broken in filmmaking, is all about how to frame a shot or where to place the subject in the scene. To understand the rule of thirds, visualize imaginary lines crossing your viewing area. When placing your subject in the scene, you place them on one of the intersecting lines. For a vertical shot like the one shown in the video, you place the subject on one of the vertical lines. For a horizontal shot, you would place the subject on one of the horizontal lines, making sure that the focal point (what your audience is looking at the most) is where the lines intersect. When taking shots in filmmaking, you have several types to choose from, depending on how far away or close you want the subject to appear in your digital film. A wide shot, also known as a long shot, shows more of the surrounding scenery or a wider view. A mid shot or medium shot is commonly used for television shows and is good for showing hand movements and facial expressions. A close-up is great for capturing facial expressions and emotions in your digital film. Close-ups, like the one in the video, often show just a subject's face. Extreme close-ups in filmmaking show strong emotions and fine details (like wrinkles or skin flaws). How to use the rule of thirds in digital filmmaking Framing shots for your digital film is not just about pointing a camera at a subject and pressing a button. You should take time to consider the best way to frame your shot — every shot — because doing so will always pay off in the final edit. The rule of thirds is one of the most basic and important rules to remember when shooting your film. It’s not really a “rule” in the strict sense, and you won’t be arrested for not using it, but it does make your shots look better. The rule of thirds was first used in paintings and photography and then later in film and TV. Instead of placing subjects in the middle of the frame, artists, photographers, and filmmakers use the rule of thirds to position their subjects and actors to make the shot look more interesting. Here’s how the rule of thirds works. Each of the images below is an identical shot of one of our actors. The second frame has been divided into thirds, horizontally and vertically: three sections across and three sections down. This is where you get rule of thirds from. The goal in this shot was to draw attention to the actor’s eyes, so the shot was framed with the eyes two‐thirds of the way up the frame and two‐thirds of the way across the frame. This leaves the actor positioned more to the right of the frame. You could move her more to the left instead, but because the actor is already looking to the left of the frame, positioning to the right is the preferred choice. It’s better to leave some open space for the actor to look into. As you can see, moving the actor over to the left of the frame looks odd and crowded, and may distract the audience from the point of this filmmaking shot. Using the rule of thirds is like riding a bike: It takes practice. If you use the rule of thirds often enough, framing shots this way will become natural to you, and you’ll be able to do it easily in your filmmaking without thinking about it. Next time you watch a movie, look out for the ways the director uses the rule of thirds. Sometimes you can spot moments in films where the director intentionally breaks the rule of thirds to make the shot feel awkward. (Just make sure you spot these moments quietly. Constantly pointing out awkward shots may annoy your family or friends.) Types of shots in filmmaking The beauty of digital filmmaking is that you can move your camera around and change your shot types throughout a scene. Choosing the right type of shots for your film can enhance a scene’s look and build emotions and mood. Be sure to take time in choosing your shots. A wide shot, also known as a long shot, shows your audience more of the scene you are filming. You do this by zooming out on your camera or by simply moving your camera farther away from your subject or character. Here is a wide shot; next to it is the same shot with a grid superimposed on it so you can see how it was framed using the rule of thirds. As you can see, the actor’s head is framed in the top left. Some filmmakers like to start their scenes with a wide shot. When a wide shot is used this way, it’s called an establishing shot, and is used to show more of the location surrounding the subject or characters in your scene. Imagine you’re filming a scene, and you want your audience to know that your characters are on a beach. One way to do this in your filmmaking is to begin the scene with a wide shot showing your characters, the sky, the sea, and the sand. Instantly your audience knows the characters are on a beach. When framing a shot, look out for any straight lines you can find, either horizontally or vertically across the shot. Use these lines to keep your framing straight. For instance, the shot above is framed so that the horizontal line of the shot follows the line where the grass meets the trees. An extreme wide shot is filmed even farther away from your subject or character — in fact, sometimes they’re not even visible in the shot. This shot is great was for filmmakers to introduce the location of your scene. Often blockbuster movies establish the location of a scene by using an extreme wide shot that includes landmarks, buildings, or sights that the audience will recognize. Shooting a mid shot in your film The mid shot or medium shot frames the characters from a space above their heads to a point roughly midway down their bodies. This shot is the most commonly used shot on TV and film because it’s great for capturing hand movements, gestures, and facial expressions. Here’s a mid shot taken from a DVD series. The mid shot is used a lot in news reports because it focuses the audience’s attention on the upper‐half of the bodies of your characters. Because the viewpoint of a mid shot is similar to your own viewpoint when you’re having a conversation with someone, it’s also the most natural‐looking shot for an audience to watch. It’s a great shot to use for conversations and dialogue with small groups of people. A two shot is a mid shot used to film two characters together. A two shot is often used in TV when two presenters host a show. It can be used when you have two characters side by side sitting together or walking, or when they’re face to face at a dinner table or having coffee. Over-the-shoulder shots are great for conversations between characters who are facing each other. With an over-the-shoulder shot, you see both characters at the same time but only one character faces the camera as you film the shot. Over-the-shoulder shots are fun because they allow you to see the expressions on a character’s face. Because the character faces the viewer, over-the-shoulder shots can make the audience feel like they’re in the conversation. Over-the-shoulder shots also can be used within close‐up shots to capture more expression from your character and to build emotion. With over-the-shoulder shots, it’s common for actors to look at the camera during filming because the camera is very close to the shoulder of the second actor. Actors looking at the camera can be distracting to the audience. One way to keep your actors from looking at the lens of the camera during filmmaking is to move the camera farther back away from the actor and then zoom in. See what happens when an actor looks at the camera? Shooting a close‐up shot in your film Bringing the camera closer or zooming into your subject or character creates a close‐up shot. A close‐up shot is a great way to show a character’s facial expressions, which can help build emotions in your film. Directors normally use close‐ups in scenes to show how a character is feeling. This degree of detail is hard to get with a wide shot or mid shot. Because close‐up shots convey so much detail on the actor’s face, these shots can allow actors to express subtle emotions. An extreme close‐up shot comes in even closer to your character or subject to show an even greater degree of strong emotions or fine detail on a subject. If you want your audience to know that your character is really angry, say, you could use an extreme close‐up of the actor’s face to show the anger in her eyes. You can use an extreme close‐up for any shot in your film that requires a lot of detail. For example, if you want to show the object that your character has in his hand, you could use a cut‐in to an extreme close‐up shot of that object. A cut‐in is a close‐up shot used to show detail on an object or on a part of the subject already visible in the main scene. In this scene, it is important that the audience see the key being passed from one character to another.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-16-2022

Speaking Spanish requires you to keep tabs on all sorts of topics: verb conjugation, irregular verbs, and parts of speech, to name a few. Plus, if you intend to travel, being able to ask for information is a must.

Article / Updated 11-14-2022

Brexit is the term used to refer to the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) and is a shortened version of British Exit. On June 23, 2016, the UK decided to officially sever ties with the EU. This monumental decision came as the result of a referendum—or public vote of nearly all citizens of voting age—in which more than 30 million people voted. Brexit background The European Union is a group of 28 European countries that are tied by an economic and political alliance. This political understanding led the way for the use of the euro (the currency used in 19 EU countries) and permits citizens in the EU to travel and settle across borders without a passport. The EU even employs its own parliament and makes decisions regarding things like trade, transportation, and environmental policy. The BBC reports that the final vote supported the UK’s leave from the EU 52% to 48%. England and Wales were strongly in favor of leaving the EU, while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted for remaining with the political alliance. The EU allows the countries within it to function largely as a single entity. It was initially put in place to allow for the free movement of people, goods, and money under what it termed a “single market.” The argument for Brexit According to the BBC, the push to leave the EU was advocated mostly by the UK Independence Party and was not supported by the Prime Minister, David Cameron. Members of the UK Independence Party argued that Britain’s participation in the EU was a restrictive element for the country. As one of the EU’s primary initiatives is free movement within the region the party’s main arguments centered around regaining border control and reclaiming business rights. In addition, supporters of Brexit cited the high EU membership fees as a negative aspect of participation in the EU. It was argued that if the UK separates itself from the EU, these fees can be used to benefit the UK. The argument against Brexit The Conservative Party and the Prime Minister were strongly in favor of remaining with the EU. As a result of the decision to discontinue its participation in the EU, the Prime Minister has made a public statement that he will be relinquishing his position. He believes that the country needs a leader with the same goals as the majority of the country. He has promised a new PM will be in place by early September. The argument against Brexit pertains mostly to the business benefits. The argument is that the UK receives business benefits by being able to participate in the single market system established by the EU. In response to the criticism against the open borders, proponents believe that the influx of immigrants helps develop an eager workforce and fuels public service projects. Leaders in favor of staying also worry about the political backlash that could possibly result from other countries who favored staying with the EU. In addition, proponents of remaining with the EU believe that being part of a wider community of nations provides economic and cultural strength, as well as an additional element of security. What does Brexit mean for the future? While the decision marked a huge statement for the UK, the referendum vote is not legally binding. There are still many hurdles that must be dealt with before Brexit can become a reality. The UK is still subject to the laws of the EU until Britain’s exit becomes legal. In order for the UK to make its break official, the country needs to invoke Article 50. It is unclear exactly what this process will entail or how long it will take as Britain is the first country to take its leave of the EU. Once Article 50 has been formally invoked, the UK has two years to negotiate its departure with the other member states. But according to the BBC, “Extricating the UK from the EU will be extremely complex, and the process could drag on longer than that.” Amidst the aftermath of this shocking referendum vote, there is great uncertainty as political leaders decide what this means for the UK.

Article / Updated 11-14-2022

The political situation that has been created as a result of Brexit has many asking, “what is Brexit all about?” In order to fully understand what Brexit means, you have to look at a little bit of history. The 2016 Brexit referendum wasn’t the UK’s first vote on Europe. In 1975, there was a referendum on whether the UK should stay in the European Economic Community (EEC). The result of that referendum was a firm “Yes, please, we’d like to stay in,” with 67.2 percent of voters voting in favor. Let’s take a look at the past to see what Brexit is all about. Looking at the Brexit decision: The 2016 EU referendum results in more detail Fast-forward a generation, and the 2016 Brexit referendum turned the previous result on its head, but by a narrower margin. Overall, 51.89 percent voted to leave the EU, while 48.11 percent voted to stay in. But the UK is made up of four different countries, and, interestingly, the individual countries voted in quite different ways: England voted Leave, by 53.38 percent to 46.62 percent. Scotland voted Remain, by 62 percent to 38 percent. Wales voted Leave, by 52.53 percent to 47.47 percent. Northern Ireland voted Remain, by 55.78 percent to 44.22 percent. Why did people vote to leave in favor of Brexit? It’s difficult to fully understand the consequences of Brexit. For that reason, the answer will vary depending on who you ask. But some of the key reasons Leavers wanted out of the EU included the following: Having to make financial contributions to the EU’s annual budget Free movement of people and the perception that immigration from Europe was too high Wanting the UK to be able to negotiate its own trade deals, instead of negotiating as part of the EU bloc Perceived lack of UK “sovereignty” or control, with the UK being bound by EU rules and regulations Meanwhile, those on the Remain side of Brexit pointed out that, as with any EU member, the UK directly benefited from the EU budget — and from free movement of people and the EU single market, for that matter. Many Remainers also felt that the UK should be integrating closer with Europe, not distancing itself from its closest neighbours and biggest trading partner. What is Brexit all about? Understanding the UK’s complex relationship with Europe It’s fair to say that the UK never really bought into the dream of a fully integrated Europe, and it kept Europe at arm’s length whenever possible. When the EEC was formed in 1957, the UK didn’t sign up. And when the UK did apply, in the 1960s, its entry was vetoed by a skeptical France. The UK eventually joined the club in the 1970s but remained, in its own way, distant from Europe. Over the years, the UK has voted against or opted out of key EU arrangements, such as the euro single currency or the Schengen passport-free travel area. Throughout the 1990s and later, as Europe moved toward greater integration (political and social integration, as well as economic integration), Euroscepticism really began to grow in the UK. Nationalist parties like the UK Independence Party (UKIP), whose main mission was to get the UK out of the EU, grew in popularity and tapped into voter concerns around immigration in a very effective way. UKIP finally won a seat in the UK Parliament in 2014. A year later, in the run-up to the UK general election, the Conservative Party manifesto included the promise of an EU referendum. The Conservatives won, and the EU referendum took place a year later. Why Brexit happened: Looking at the key elements of the Brexit negotiations The withdrawal negotiations between the UK and the EU seemed to go on forever, but really they’re just the tip of the Brexit iceberg. That’s because the withdrawal agreement only covers the UK’s departure from the EU. It doesn’t agree on critical elements of the future relationship between the two, such as trade. The Brexit withdrawal agreement is purely about getting the UK out of the EU in an orderly manner. Trade negotiations — and agreements that cover cooperation in areas like security and defense — will not begin until after the UK has left the EU. This was a big area of misunderstanding for a lot of people, who assumed the “Brexit deal” was essentially a trade deal. So, what does this orderly exit involve? To ensure the UK’s exit would be as smooth as possible, the two sides negotiated the following key points as part of the withdrawal agreement: The divorce bill, or how much the UK has to pay to cover its existing commitments to the EU. The transition period (also known as implementation period), which is designed to ensure a controlled transfer, and give governments and businesses time to prepare for life after Brexit. The rights of EU citizens already living in the UK (and the rights of UK citizens living in the EU) to retain their residency status after Brexit. Also, that the free movement of people would continue until the end of the transition period. Theresa May had made it clear during negotiations that free movement of people would have to end after the transition period — it was one of her “red lines” that she refused to budge on. The fact that the UK will have to abide by EU laws for the duration of the transition period — something that raised a lot of eyebrows among Brexiteers. How to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The withdrawal agreement includes a provision for a temporary customs union between the UK and the EU until a trade deal is agreed upon, and this is known as the This backstop measure proved extremely unpopular among Brexiteers (and even many Remainers), even though it was designed to prevent a hard border and protect peace on the island of Ireland. The UK’s ongoing relationship with the EU in areas such as trade is not part of the withdrawal deal because, at the time Brexit negotiations were taking place, none of that had been negotiated yet. The political declaration sets out a vague aim to agree on a trading relationship that’s as close as possible, but it avoids any specific details.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-14-2022

Making sense of Brexit can feel like a full-time job. Find out what Brexit is and why it happened, how it impacts the economy, and what happens if the United Kingdom decides to rejoin the European Union in the future.

Article / Updated 11-14-2022

The key to recording dialogue in digital filmmaking is placing the microphone as close as possible to your actor without the microphone appearing in the shot. Also, aiming the microphone in the direction of the sound helps to keep the dialogue clear. Aiming your microphone can help you get a clear sound. If you’re using an external microphone on a boom pole or a handheld, it’s important to keep it as still as possible when recording because this prevents the device from picking up any noises from the boom operator. Microphones are very sensitive and can pick up noises, including from the hands holding them. The best way to detect unwanted noises is through a pair of headphones. Without headphones, any unwanted noise can easily go undetected, noticed only when you’re importing the footage into the editing tool later. You can use closed‐back headphones, which surround the ears and cut out most of the noise coming from the outside, so that the person monitoring sound can mainly hear what is being picked up by the microphone. These can be expensive, but a budget pair starts at only around $10. If you hear a distracting background noise through the headphones when filming, such as from a plane, gust of wind, or passing car, stop filming and wait for the sound to pass, and then retake that shot. If the sound of a plane appears in the background in one shot and not in the next, the sound will be uneven between shots, and this will sound odd for your audience. The following list describes a few ways to avoid recording unwanted noises during filming: Turn off any air-conditioning units or fan heaters while filming. Microphones can pick up noises that sometimes humans can’t even hear when filming. Make sure all cellphones are off or on silent when filming because if they go off, they can bring a shoot to a stop. Also, sometimes a cellphone’s roaming or searching signal can interfere with the camera and can be heard on the recorded audio. Avoid pointing the microphone in the direction of any clear background noise, including roads, waterfalls, or fountains. Again, these sounds can come across clearly in the recording and can make it hard to hear dialogue. Avoid filming in empty rooms because they can create distracting echoes in your recording (unless, of course, you want echoes in your film). To eliminate echoes, place hand blankets on walls to help deaden the sound.