Johnny Kera

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A Croatian Wedding Reception in Zadar.

A beautiful bride and groom celebrated their union in marriage in Zadar with friends and family. The danced, sang and spread joy as they watch the two couples express their love through tradition and culture. 

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A Croatian wedding Parade in Zadar

A young Croatian couple got married last night in Zadar and celebrated their union by having a small parade with friends and family. It was lit with red flares and a Croatian flag, heading toward the city center. 

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The Romantic City of Nin #travel #europe #sunset #photography

A one-minute video of photos I produced here in Nin, Croatia, where it is considered the romantic little city. My father and his family were born and raised here in Nin, and since then, I have come back here taking photos of landscapes and events. When coming to Croatia stop by the city of Nin and experience falling in love with the city. 

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Visit Zadar

I created this 30 second travel video of Zadar, Croatia by using my own photographic images. Like and subscribe to my channel for more videos. 

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Coppermax Eyewear Review

Musician and model KOVICH sporting Coppermax Weasel semi-rimless sports wrap around. Retails for $29.95

When I travel, whether abroad or state side, I carry a good pair of sunglasses to help block out the sun's UV rays. I wore many brands over the years like Oakley, Nike, Rusty, Quicksilver and so on. Then a friend of mine name Johnny Lay started a family business back when we were in high school called Coppermax Performance Eyewear located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The company mainly sells their brand online through their website at www.coppermax-eyewear.myshopify and on eBay.

I contacted my friend Johnny on Facebook and asked if I could try on a pair to see how they feel and look on me.

Me wearing the Coppermax Night Driving High Contrast sunglasses. Retails for $19.99.

Well, what do you think? I honestly like the feel of the glasses on my face as the frames are light weight, and the Polycarbonate plastic is an extremely strong plastic that is often used in aircraft and motorcycle wind shields. It is also lightweight and extremely impact resistant. The Night Driving lens are ideal for hazy, cloudy, or low light conditions.

If you are looking to spend more on a pair of sunglasses, check out the Anchor sunglasses, which comes in three different colors black, brown, and gunmetal. From their website: Frame Technology: Aluminum-Magnesium (Al-Magnesium) are stainless alloy for optimal weight to resistance ratio, which is 50% lighter than titanium and best durability & lightness ratios of all alloy material. It weighs roughly about 28 grams or approximately 1 oz. It is also non-allergenic. Lens Technology: All Polycarbonate Polarized lens is lightweight & impact resistance. They are treated with scratch-resistance hard coating with additional silver flash mirror (SFM) on the front side of the lens to enhance filtration. Plus, multi-layer anti-reflection (AR) lens treatment on the backside of the lens to enhance contrast. It also absorbs bounce back glare to reduce eye strain & fatigue. These lenses are ideal for outdoor & sporting activities as well as general all-purpose wear.

Coppermax Anchor sunglasses. Retails for $159.99

My honest review score from 1-10 and ten being the best, I give it a 9 due to the fact that their customer service is amazing, and they ship the item fast. They offer a worldwide delivery, and they accept forms of payments except for cash.

Visit their website at https://www.coppermax-eyewear.myshopify.com.

To help support this blog site, I am selling items on my eBay site at https//:www.ebay.com/usr/thecolonist. There are some items we ship worldwide and easy returns too.

Instagram: @johnnykera

Facebook: @johnnykera

YouTube: @JohnKera

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My new logo.

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Co-Owning A Comic Book Shop

In October of 2024, I invested in a small comic book and card game shop in Bedford, Virginia called Clerks, Cards and Comics, where not only do we sell comic books, but we also we sell card games like Magic, The Gathering and Pokémon. Not to mention, we also charge players to play Dungeons & Dragons on our computer console that we've built. In addition, we sell other merchandise like action figures, toys, board games and clothing items that are specific to comic book characters and pop culture.

Why did I do it?

Why not? It's a business that is needed in Bedford that is considered a small town of under 7,000 people, and it sounded like a good idea too. You see, I grew up as a nerd living in Los Angeles and comic books where my escape from reality where I can see Batman take on the Joker or Wolverine clawing his way through a cyborg machine. But even though I was considered a nerd to my class peers, they too also read and collected comic books and collectibles. I figured why not sell what I love and know. So, I teamed up with some fellow filmmaker friends of mine and we opened up the comic book shop. We began selling inside the store, but then it took off on sites like eBay and Mercari. We began racking up sales through the Christmas shopping season too and even after New Year's Day, we sold even more items out the door. Some shipments even went international before Trump's tariffs kicked in.

I always saw myself as an entrepreneur in creating and partnering in business with like-minded people. I started my film production business in 2012 with 523 Productions, where I also do photography too. There were times where I paused the business to land a few jobs and gigs to help pay the bills, but now as I entered the comic book retail business, I find myself excited and overwhelmed at the same time. Not good for the anxiety I have since I was a teen. I can't believe I co-own a comic book shop, and I LOVE IT.

To find out more about Clerks, Cards and Comics, head on over to our website at www.clerkscardsandcomics.com where you can also purchase merchandise off our website. Check out my social media links below too.

Facebook: @johnnykera

Instagram: @johnnykera

www.523productions.com

PayPal donations: @523productions

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I have this image I took in Rye Beach; New Hampshire and it is for sale on my website at www.523productions.com. The image ships fast worldwide through both USPS and FedEx.

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Visit the City of Nin, Croatia.

Along the coastal region of Croatia in the Mediterranean region of Eastern Europe, lies a small seaside city called Nin. An once capital city of Croatia during the Medieval Times and the first city of royalty with King Branimir (see statue below) standing on the front entrance of the city's port. Now, here is where I get a bit nepotistic about Nin and I'll be honest, I don't get any money from the city of Nin for writing this post too. My father was born in this city and raised here since the age of 21, when he left the former Yugoslavia to head to America for better opportunities. After the Balkan Wars in the early to mid-90s, Croatia, now its own country, began rebuilding the country into a mecca tourist attraction from the current capital city of Zagreb to Dubrovnik at King's Landing, based on the hit TV series, A Game of Thrones.

A statue of King Branimir 879 A.D.-892 A.D.

Many tourists that come to Croatia from all over the world, have visited the hot spots such as Split, Dubrovnik, Reikija, Hvar and the Island of Pag. Nin may not be a hot spot for young tourists who want to party all through the night, but Nin has many attractions to offer its tourists. The city is labeling itself as "Romantic City", where older tourists with a spouse can visit the city and have a great time at bars, restaurants, cafes, and other attractions with its magnificent sunsets over the lagoon that even appeases photographers capturing the beauty of Nin.

A lagoon in Nin.

Tourists have heard about Nin from many travel agencies in Europe and of course, locals from other parts of Croatia. Advent photographers and videographers, such as I, have photographed many parts of Nin to capture its rustic look and ancient architecture that dates back to Roman Times.

The Roman Temple built in the 1st Century A.D. in Nin.

The city offers a vast shopping center inside the island city for souvenirs, food, toys, and rental apartments for tourist to stay. In addition, the city offers an abundance of tourist information for out of towners by visiting the Tourist Board Nin office. Every summer, the circus is in town for children who seek fun and excitement while vacationing with their parents during the holiday school break. Kids can also swim at Queen's Beach, which is filled with activities such as kite surfing and boating.

Strole through the city and see many of the old churches such as the Church of the Holy Cross and the Church of St. Anselm. The churches have been there for centuries, including St. Nicolas Church, which is outside the city's walls.

St. Nicolas Church in Nin.

Every summer both the Tourist Board and the city put on many concert events featuring performances from musicians, theater performers and bands from all over Europe. Now as much as I would like to display the many events that are upcoming, just visit the Tourist Board Nin's website at this address: Calendar of events - Tourist board Nin Croatia.

Now for food and dining, I am particular with mostly American food such as pizza, burgers, and grilled barbeque, but Croatia's food is to me and I am being a bit favorable me being a Croat, but the food is really good. Try heading on over to Pizzeria Peperoni, in which, Tripadvisor.com gave the restaurant a high ranking on their website. If you're craving for a burger, head on over to Mad Duck restaurant where a charbroiled burger with melted mozzarella cheese melted into the burger, reminds me of back home in America.

As far as apartment renting, expect to pay around 800 Euros to 1,500 Euros a month, pending on the number of guests staying in the apartment. Car rental is found in Zadar and don't forget that many tourists can also camp with their trailers in the area of Zaton while viewing the beautiful beaches of Zaton.

To come to Nin, Croatia this summer or next, visit your nearest travel agency or go online to some of the top travel sites on the web. All photos were done by the author of this post. To follow the author, please visit the following social media sites.

Twitter: @johnnykera

Instagram: @johnnykera

Facebook: @johnnykera

YouTube: htttp://www.youtube.com/co/JohnKera

PayPal to donate: @523productions

Also, subscribe to my Tumblr page as I will be writing new content about Croatia and post some amazing photos of my upcoming travel destinations.

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A newly developed home in Staatsburg NY

A client of mine name Resolution 4 Builders, Inc. from Orange County, New York and they have built this beautiful home in Staatsburg, New York. Check out the video on my YouTube channel and visit Resolution 4 Builder’s website at www.resolution4builders.net for more information about the company.

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An update on my channel

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A Film Festival with a small-town feel.

When we think of small towns in America, we think of places like Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show from the 1950s or images of a Norman Rockwell paintings depicting youthful American drinking a malt and having a hamburger. The small towns of America have the values of freedom, openness, charm and tradition that hold true to this day in rural America. Towns in America can be described as boring, and not so rich in culture like museums, art centers, theaters and so on, but there is a change in the horizon when it comes to art culture. What if I were to tell you that a small town in Virginia, which sits between two cities of Roanoke and Lynchburg, called Bedford have a film festival called the Bedford International Film Festival, which is held once a year in early July to promote filmmaker's work on film, documentaries and screenplays to be screened in front of local town folks and other surrounding communities.

The Bedford film festival started five years ago by a film producer and casting director Laura Willoughby, along with her son Robert Ashwell, a writer and filmmaker. Both are natives of this town and began the idea to help promote art and culture in a near fading town, that was once a city. Filmmakers and writers submit their work through a website called www.filmfreeway.com, a site that allows filmmakers to pay submission fees, gain news insights on upcoming events, and search for other film festivals around the world. The Bedford film festival also has many events such writing workshops, filmmaking workshops, acting workshops and the understanding of how the film industry works.

In addition, the film festival also creates events such as Celebrity Chef and actor Jeremy Miller conducting a cooking series from his YouTube channel and having actress Claudia Wells (Jennifer from Back to the Future) attend this year's event.

The town was established in 1782 after the United States was established as a country (1776), which made many Colonists develop businesses and homesteads. From there on, the town was turned into a city filled with local shops, grocery stores, schools, etc. the town became the City of Bedford. But a short time back, the city later became a town again when its citizens began fleeing the city to other areas of the state, county, and nation from the small-town rural America.

Within the first five years of the film festival, the town has begun to see a small population growth, fueled by Millennials, Gen Zer's and some Gen Xer's to name a few. Homes here in Bedford are quiet more affordable than Roanoke and Lynchburg combined. A few small businesses began to pop up as well, in creating a small economy. One may think that being in a small town has no need for a film festival, well, one might need to rethink that as the organization began marketing and promoting the event, creating excitement within the Bedford and other surrounding communities about the film festival.

If anyone wishes to attend this year's event in Bedford, Virginia, please feel free to check out the flier below and visit our website at www.bedfordfilmfest.com to purchase tickets.

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Promoting A Film

So, you've finally made that great film you've wrote to show to the whole world. You spent time writing your masterpiece screenplay, raised the capital, scouted locations, hired your family members as crew members and took on your best friend playing the lead role in your movie. You took time editing the film to make it look like Steven Spielberg directed the film. So now what? Does one simply stand on the side of the road trying to sell the film on DVD from the back of one's car? (I've heard stories). No of course not, but there are ways to sell your film either as a self-distributor or selling it to a distributor to be released at the box office. Here are some steps to help market one's film.

A press release. A press release is simply telling news readers about you and your film, with an attached photo(s) to be shown. It talks about the cast of who's in it, the director, and the plot of your film. Try local newspapers in your area first before branching out.

Social Media. I love social media and the powerful use it has in this generation of posting newsworthy content that expands globally. Simply create a fan page on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms. Make sure to engage with the community on there so that they are part of the marketing campaign. Post videos and behind the scenes footage of your film too.

Website. Yes, please build a website about one's film and production company. Filmmaking isn't just an artist's expression, but a business. So why not let other see what your film and production company is about to help attract both investors and movie-goers.

4. Film festivals. I love going to film festivals and promoting a film that is ready to be seen by a panel of judges and fellow filmmakers. Film festivals is a great place to submit a completed film to be seen by distributors and studios from around the world. One can also meet and greet fellow filmmakers and screenwriters to see their work as well. Hand out business cards, exchange social media contacts and begin the process of networking in Hollywood. More recently, I personally became a board member of the Bedford International Film Festival in Bedford, Virginia to help promote creative culture in Bedford. (Link below). Also, go to Film Freeway's website, where one can submit a completed film and screenplay to any film festival worldwide. The Bedford International Film Festival is on there as well and one has until May 15th to submit both script and film(s).

Croatian-American actor & filmmaker becomes board member of an American Film Festival 

Bedford, Virginia- Actor, producer and writer Johnny Kera becomes a board member for the Bedford International Film Festival in Bedford, Vir

5. Podcast. If one knows someone that owns a podcast channel, it is a great way to promote your film to listeners. Podcasts are now owned by celebrities who interview their guests who are celebrities, athletes, and other newsworthy people.

6. Radio. Who said radio was dead? There are a ton of radio stations out there to be featured in as a guest to talk about one's film. Make a call with your local station to see if an interview can be made and help promote one's film that way.

7. Local news. Being on the news is great and a wonderful way in promoting one's film. It builds up a positive image of the city one lives in and helps push the idea that any film can be made anywhere. Contact the local news stations via email or phone call to set up an interview.

Well, that is all seven ideas on how to promote and market one's film to help gain attention to one's work as a independent filmmaker. Please feel free to follow me on Tumblr and other social media platforms. Leave a comment below don't forget to submit one's completed film and screenplay to the Bedford Film Festival.

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This post is owned by 523 Productions, LLC.

For business inquires write to [email protected]

#filmfestival #entertainment #media #marketing #advertising #promotion #film

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Building a Brand

I've worked in advertising for so many years selling other people's products or images to get either a following or a sale. I am in the process of building my own brand for my photography as a landscape, photojournalist, real estate, and other projects I am producing. Most recently, I've decided to produce a photobook with a publishing company out of Massachusetts and I am so excited to begin working on this new production for my photography business, J Kera Media. I've been brainstorming the idea for a while now and I wanted to something with architecture and turn it into a book, but I am also looking to do street photography and make that into a travel book for tourists or young people who want to adventure out into a new city.

After the production then comes the marketing for the project to get the word out about this new photobook hitting bookstores, starting in the New England area where I now live. It won't be easy producing something this and I am looking to get started right away. It sounds easy really, but the time and effort of putting a project like this into work will be a challenge. You see, I have to make income as well, but heart keeps pushing me further into the project with less worry about earning a living. I'd love to look for a financial backer to help produce the content and I can focus on getting the project done faster.

But in all truth, most investors won't back a photo book to be launched unless I have a name in the industry. That won't be easy, per say, since there are too many photographers out there. I mean, look at Instagram alone. Then there is Twitter, Facebook and now TickTock. Maybe I should do my own YouTube channel, but that too takes a lot of work. Maybe I'm just rambling because I am a bit nervous in hoping that the book would sell to consumers. My voice in my head is telling me "It will be fine". I am in the process of building up my brand as a photographer to help sell my services, prints and works of art. I'm getting there, but slowly and I know it takes time to help build a brand especially in photography.

Wish me luck! Check out my social media sites

IG @johnnykera

Twitter @johnnykera

Facebook @johnnykera

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I am building up a fan base for my photography and so, I am placing my photo images on Tumblr to help gain a following. Here is a landscape image of a cemetery in the fall. This is located in Manchester, New Hampshire. Be sure to visit my website as well at www.jkeramedia.net

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A New Adventure...Again

Recently, I decided to close my film production company, 523 Productions, and began on creating a new media company called J Kera Media, LLC. Now, don't think for a moment that I am quitting Hollywood. No, but I have decided to venture into a new film and television production company with two partners, who I have worked with in the past. My film production company didn't leave me any room to add things like photography, web design, marketing etc. It did help me create new friendships, some clients and above all...experience.

The dog days of working by myself as a filmmaker tired me and often times left me alone. In order to create success, one has to do two things: make sacrifices and develop a working team. That being said, I have two experienced and knowledgeable partners that I can trust and rely on for work and opportunities. In addition, we have a film festival in Bedford, Virginia called The Bedford International Film Festival, in which, filmmakers all across the globe submit their finest work as filmmakers to showcase their latest films. We are also adding new film projects by writing our own screenplays and optioning writers we know and love to work with on a project basis. We will announce the name of this new production company later on, but I want to discuss my new media company.

So, my new media company is called J Kera Media. Catchy right? Well not really, but I wanted to focus on media content like social media, YouTube, photography, writing, blogging, and marketing. But also, I will be adding some services to the mix like web design, marketing, PR and product placement for films and television series. It's a lot, but I am not working 9-5 with the production company and I need something to do in the meantime to make money for other opportunities with this newly formed company. On my photography, I am creating a photobook about abandon architectural buildings throughout the U.S., however, I haven't decided on a name for the book. I do have a book publisher out of Massachusetts that is willing to publish the book and sell it on my website, Amazon, Amazon Canada and book stores too.

I know it sounds like a lot, but I am use to doing a lot anyways and I love being busy. It keeps my mind working on different things to create and network with business minded people. I don't feel fearful about J Kera Media, but I feel confident that I will succeed on creating quality content for my viewers, readers and enthusiasts. Here is a link to my company's website: www.jkeramedia.net. Please feel free to leave a comment below and like my Tumblr page.

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Red carpet press coverage for “The Class” on July 26, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.