Deron Butler's Blog

About I am an avid writer, sports fan, blogger, screenwriter, digital artist, music lover, and founder of Nored Films. I am currently seeking a master's degree in Creative Writing at Full Sail University's online courses. In addition, I believe in human equality, democracy, and the right for people to stand up for themselves as well as others when they are at their weakest point in life. You can also find me on the following social media sites: Twitter: www.twitter.com/deronbutlershow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deron.Butler.828 www.facebook.com/noredfilms My website: deronbutler.wix.com

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I Am A Writer

It’s been a long time coming but I can proudly say it with all the joy in the world that I am a Writer! I am proud to have completed my Mastery Journey and ready to set on a new adventure. I am a Writer! 

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2016 is MY year

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The Three Examples of  Effective Branding

Effective Branding is a marketing tool that is used to attract customers into buying their product. It is a major strategy which allows you to compete against other competitive markets. Effective marketing requires a lot of brainstorming and innovation to make you stand out in the crowd. I have found three examples of companies that use effective branding that  in today’s market. 

1. Nike

Nike is  one example of how a company effectively brands itself  to make itself standout. They rely on the theme of competition and winning as a selling pitch to its consumers that if they buy their shoes and athletic apparel, they will be winners just like the athletes they endorse. Nike also relies using images of fitness and people working out to reach people that want to live an athletic and healthy lifestyle, too. Their slogan, “Just Do It”  also inspires people to get up and do whatever it is that can get them off the couch and be active. 

2. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a highly recognizable brand because of its simplicity and its well regarded secret formula. Coca-Cola uses the color red as well as cursive writing to make it stand out among its competitors, that often use bright colors and loud lettering to grab your attention. Coca-Cola also uses one word slogans like  “Enjoy” to enhance the simplistic vibe that the brand is known for.  It is because of this simplicity of using the color red and white cursive writing that has made Coca-Cola not only a well known brand, but also an iconic brand that has stood the test of time, even when it comes to tweaking the formula to add different types of flavors like Cherry, Diet, Lime, and Vanilla. 

3. Apple

The Apple brand is one that is synonymous with being cutting edge and being on the cusp of all things new in technology. Compared to other electronic brands, Apple and its many products are advertised as altruistic devices that brings us one step closer to the future, if not being in the future. Their slogan, Think Different, encourages its consumers to think outside the box and go against the status quo on how we view technology and life all around us. Their logo of an apple with a bite taken out of it is not just simple because of their company name, it’s because consumers want to take a bite of what Apple always has in store from their iPhones to their software. 

These three things are prime examples of how these companies use effective branding to their advantage and how they market themselves to consumers, who are always looking for the next big thing. 

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Classic Love Story: The English Patient

Library Assignment for The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

1. Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008). The English Patient Plot Summary. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.shmoop.com/the-english-patient/summary.html

2. A nurse cares for a badly burned plane crash victim toward the end of World War II.

3. Beginning: As the Germans retreat, they leave the Italian countryside riddled with mines. A nurse named Hana stays with an English patient, who has no memory of anything, while the other nurses and patients escape from the villa to a less dangerous location.

Middle: The English patient remembers that his name is Almasy and that he had an affair with a woman named Katharine. Geoffrey, Katharine’s husband finds out and tries to kill Almasy in the desert with a plane, but kills himself and eventually Katharine in the process. Without transportation, Almasy walks through the desert and gets captured by the British, who think that Almasy is a spy. He later retrieves Katharine’s body from the cave he left her in and flies the two of them out of the desert, but they catch on fire after oil leaks from the plane.

End: Kip, a sapper who shows up at the villa, falls in love with Hana. After hearing about the United States’ decision to drop bombs on Japan, Kip threatens to kill Almasy out of anger, thinking that Almasy is a representation of the Western world. He goes back to his home country of India and often thinks about Hana.

4. Identify the CORE:

a. The insurmountable conflict is that the English patient has no identity. He has no memory of who he is and he is unrecognizable because of his wounds. They are also stuck in the villa because the outside world is dangerous. This is somewhat alleviated by Kip, a sapper shows up to help with deactivating bombs.

b. The message is that love conquers all. The characters that fall in love never lose the impact that they’ve had on one another throughout the course of the story. There is also a powerful theme of identity. The English patient has no idea who he is at first, but is able to uncover his identity in the beginning by recognizing his accent, which kind of acts as the rabbit hole into him finding himself again.

c. Since the title of the story is The English Patient, we are primarily following Almasy, even though he acts as a blank canvas for the other characters to project their own lives onto up to a certain point. We are invested in his journey and success based off of his remarkable story about falling in love and what it results in at the end of the story. He is put through a traumatic experience and shares that experience with Hana and Kip throughout the story, who are deeply affected by the circumstance that he has given them.

The English Patient 

 by Deron Butler

The English Patient lied there on a bed, resting peacefully as a young nurse named Hana, looked  after him. He had  survived a fiery plane crash and lost his memory. He wasn’t sure where he was or why Hana was taking care of him, ever so confused of his surroundings. As the war escalated,  they remain in the villa while nurses and patients fled for their lives, out of fear of dying. Hana remained with the patient until he remembered who he was. 

The Patient begins to remember his name being Laszlo Almasy, who was an aviator from Hungary and had pledged his allegiance to the Nazi regime. Almasy continues to regain his memories,recalling of a time when he had an affair with Katherine Clifton, who was married to Geoffrey. Infuriated about knowing of the affair, Geoffrey attempts to kill Almasy but ends up killing Katherine and himself. 

 Almasy  wanders in the desert before being captured by the British. The British believed that Almasy was working as a spy for the Nazis and ordered him to retrieve the body of Katherine. Almasy agrees and goes back to retrieve Katherine's body from where he had hid her. As Almasy flies off with the recovered body, the plane catches fire from an oil leak and crashes. Always survives, but with some noticeable injuries and burns.

Afterwards, Kip, a sapper from the villa; falls in love with Hana, much to the dismay of Almasy. When Kip hears about the United States' plans to bomb Japan as a way to end the war, Kip threatens to kill Almasy, because he is a westerner. Kip, however, doesn’t go through with this as he decides to go back to India, ever thinking about Hana.

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The Adventures of Flash Valentine

Cameron “Flash” Valentine is an injured star quarterback who had a penchant for getting himself into trouble. He gets a second chance to turn his life around as he becomes the hero of the city he plays in, and becoming something bigger than himself.

Image URLs:  http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/19f409e1c003971390f61c63dab348d5c712cdf5/c=159-0-4154-3012&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/08/24/1377399526000-AP-Jets-Giants-Injuries-Football.jpg

Image URL #2:    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ITX8nzQ8L4/UZo_g3fodQI/AAAAAAACATA/xq7Qo0iS3f0/s640/b1.jpg

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Gamification Altogether

When we think about gamification, we always think about how it has influenced the way we look at playing apps on our mobile devices, games that we can on the web, and even the games that our friends requests to play on social media sites. Whether we know it or not, gamification has been around our whole lives. We just never had a word for it, much less define what the meaning of it was. Growing up, I always wanted the latest video games. It was always the appeal of seeing the graphics on the screen and the gameplay that was being displayed in the commercial that grabbed my attention. I was instantly hooked on wanting to buy the latest games to add on to my collection and would play it for hours on end. It's just something about video games that lures you in and want to not only buy it, but also play it again and again, if the game has any replay value. Today, games have evolved beyond the consoles and have found their way into our mobile devices, the internet, social media, and even gaming engines. Gaming engines such as M.U.G.E.N. and Unreal Engine  allows people to create games without having to go through any tedious tasks like the professionals. So whether you're playing the next Madden or NBA2K, or simply playing a game you discovered on social media, just remember that it all comes from gamification.

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Progress Wars

Progress Wars isn’t really designed for business, but its total simplicity, parody approach, and potential usefulness for business purposes is intriguing enough for us to include it here. Poking fun at the thrill of playing games on Facebook and leveling-up to see the all-important progress bar make its way further to the right, Progess Wars is literally that: A progress bar, completed by clicking a button to complete various “missions.”

http://www.progresswars.com

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Gamification for Live TV

Gamification nowadays can be found in almost anything, whether it’s education, marketing, and even on the web. Gamification is also be popular among sports fans and viewers of Live TV, too. I found this site which provides gamification along with viewing TV. Not only do we watch TV, but we also play on our mobile devices. Kwarter provides both gamification and TV all in one. I suggest you guys check it out. 

http://kwarter.com

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Dead Law Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Take the law into your own hands

Welcome to Town Gulch

Miami, FL December 1, 2015:

Deron Butler, founder of Nored Films, is proud to announce the filming of his first movie, “Dead Law.” The movie centers around a mortician named Marcus, who is tired of seeing his town being overrun by bandits and decides to take the fight to them, but when Sheriff Levy decides to intervene, Marcus is given no choice but to not only fight against the bandits but also stop the corrupt sheriff while putting his own life on the line. Marcus is not alone in this fight as he is aided by Carl, a former gunslinger, and his son, Jacob, who teach him how to use a gun. Together, they face a daunting task to remove corruption out of the town, all in the name of restoring order and true justice.

“Dead Law” stars Chadwick Boseman as Marcus, Sidney Poitier as Carl, Anthony Mackie as Jacob, Tika Sumpter as Elizabeth, and Jeffery Wright as Sheriff Levy.

Nored Films

Miami, FL www.nored-films.com

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My Time as a Staff Writer

Today, I want to talk about my time working as a staff writer. Working as a staff writer for the past four weeks has made me expand my creativity and work with fellow writers on several ideas until finding one that sticks out and we build upon that idea. When it comes to working on an idea for a show, you’ll have to test it out to see what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes, the ideas that you like the most does work and most of the times, the idea you liked the least gets chosen. Working with a staff has also made me appreciate other people’s criticism about my work and it also further my aspirations to being a great writer. When working with a staff the flow of creativity is nonstop. It’s joyous, it can be excruciating at times, but it’s all worth it when we all come together and agree on something that we feel fits into the script. I can see myself working as a staff writer for a television show somewhat, giving out ideas to other writers and giving them some insight by explaining how your idea would benefit the story and how it would further progress. It’s all about the interaction when you’re with several other writers, it’s a team concept and not a me concept. If you want to work solely on your own, you can type a movie script. I like to write and I like to work in the mediums of TV and cinema, so it would give me some time to go back and forth working with either a team or solo on a project. Working on a creative property that isn’t mines with a group of my peers was really inviting and not overwhelming. We had to respect the concept of the show and its rules. We couldn’t go off course and make up our own rules.  When it came to writing our own spec scripts, we had to follow the series bible and making sure that we stayed faithful to the series itself, so understanding and respecting the material that was there for you was a must. All in all, I think working as a staff writer has its benefits. You work with a team of writers that want to achieve a goal but at the same time, we decipher through many ideas until we find the one that is suitable for us. While it may be fun, it can also be chaotic. Do I see myself as a staff writer? Yes and no. Yes, because I would love to write for a TV series and no because like any writer, you want to work alone and write out your ideas for your project. Anything is possible as a writer, even if it means working as a staff writer. 

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Library Assignment

Greetings, everyone. Here is my character development assignment for my protagonist and antagonist. I picked one book, magazine, and website that my protagonist and antagonist would enjoy.

Adam Thomas (Protagonist)

Book: Driven From Within by Michael Jordan

Magazine: Slam Magazine

Website: nba.com

Mr. Peterson (Antagonist)

Book: To Kill A Mockingbird

Magazine: Time

Website: usatoday.com

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Pinterest board for Mr. Peterson.

Here’s the  Pinterest board for my Antagonist, Mr.Peterson. I hope you guys like it because I’m doing as an assignment for MFA Creative Writing at Full Sail.

https://www.pinterest.com/butler4133/antagonist-mrpeterson/

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Pinterest board for Adam Thomas.

Here’s the  Pinterest board for my Protagonist, Adam Thomas. I hope you guys like it because I’m doing as an assignment for MFA Creative Writing at Full Sail.

https://www.pinterest.com/butler4133/protagonist-adam-thomas/

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Discussion 4.3: Mastery

Organizations that I want to help within my community. 

I would like to get involved with a summer program, and helping young children learn how to place their imagination on paper. Working in a Summer Arts Camp will allow me to mentor the young writers that want to be successful authors one day, and get them on the right path to being a writer. It will help them later on in life if they want to be a journalist, poet, screenwriter, or novelist. This will give me an opportunity to work within the community and help me be a leader and a guide to young kids that want to do something with their literary talents and express themselves fully. 

2. The second idea that I would have would be to work for the local newspaper.  As a writer, I will lend my services in writing articles and opinions on current topics that people are talking about.  Three places that I can look into would be working for the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, and the Miami New Times. Working with those establishments, I will able to get articles done, and display my writing know-how to readers. In addition, I want to write in the editorial section and provide further insight about world affairs. The reason behind this is because I had worked for the college newspaper, and written an article debating hollywood remakes.

3.     Third idea I would have to further my writing career is to start my own publishing company. I want to publish my own writings, and get them out to the public to read. I also want to help fellow writers who are in search of publishing and need someone to give them their first start. With my publishing company, not only will I help young writers, I can also create jobs for other publishers and network with other publishing companies to further help aspiring writers reach that same acclamation as other writers before them. Helping young writers get their start with my publishing company is something that I can feel proud of.

I want to reach to many up and coming writers and set them on the right path.

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Being a creative writer isn’t a hobby, it’s a way of life. It takes time, practice, a vast imagination, and devotion. 

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Mastery Journey Timeline Goals

Hi, there. This is Deron Butler. I am a student at Full Sail University, pursuing a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing. Here are my goals for each course that I will take, which will bring me one step closer to my ultimate goal. 

Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership

Goal: Become a better person and be an influential individual

*Become a better leader

*Strive for self-improvement

*Becoming a master of my craft https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjfF6RkPX2c

The Art of Visual Storytelling

Goal: Tell a story through images

*Being able to describe a scene in full detail

*Visualize what is happening as the action unfolds

*Get a better glimpse of the story from the character’s point of view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikx_m_w34go

Script Analysis and Criticism

Goal: Analyzing and critiquing scripts while being able to accept criticism

*Critiquing the works of fellow screenwriters and giving them some insight

*Learning how to deal with criticism for my script

*Improving my script and taking suggestions from critics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsXj1RQQ3D4

Character Creation and Development

Goal: Having the ability to create multidimensional characters

*Make characters that are relatable and likable to the audience

*Make a character that would resonate with you

*Develop the character’s personality and characteristics http://www.lynda.com/Design-Color-tutorials/James-Whites-Character-Illustrations-Start-Finish/153984-2.html?autocompleteMovieId=157441

Episodic and Serial Writing

Goal: Create a fun and entertaining TV or web series

*Write my first episode for a sitcom or web series

*Learn from other screenwriters about writing episodes

*Start a web series  http://www.lynda.com/Video-Video-Editing-tutorials/Television-episodic/120261/147201-4.html

Film Screenwriting

Goal: Become a master screenwriter

*Become an influence in my field.

*Use my creative ability to write unique scripts

*Work as a screenwriter in the industry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAWVRqASoYY

Writing For Games

Goal: Work as a freelance writer for game developers in need of a story

*Write a script for gaming developers 

*Write characters to have depth and personality

*Write a meaningful and memorable story in which gamers can enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94WHc1n4DPg

Storytelling and Storyboarding for Animation

Goal: Working with storyboard animators to get a feel for the characters

*Create storyboards for animators

*Tell a story through images

*Plan out each scene before drawing it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm91RYa1i-Y

Advanced Script Editing

Goal: Being able to process and correct errors in scripts

*Being able to find grammatical and punctuational errors and correct them

*Having an eye for detail in screenwriting

*Making sure the script has a beat breakdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-wShOv8c1E

Creative Writing Portfolio I

Goal: Create a successful portfolio

*Establishing my portfolio

*Placing my works in portfolio

*Make sure my portfolio stands out http://www.lynda.com/WordPress-tutorials/Start-Theme-Creative-Portfolios-WordPress/108127-2.html

Creative Writing Portfolio II

Goal: Have a portfolio that will amaze potential clients and people that will hire me.

*Fully enhance my portfolio

*Make it presentable to those who are in need of a writer

*Extend portfolio’s resume https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjB1tTGH5pc

The Business of Creative Writing

Goal: Become the greatest writer in fiction and screenwriting

*Finally becoming a creative writer

*Becoming a unique innovator and hard worker in my industry

*Learning the ins and outs of the business to insure success. http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Creative-Writing-Business 

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