I made a few changes recently regarding my video/documentary work. 1. I have de-emphasized the Our Expat Journey web series on my YouTube channel. I'm planning several more episodes, but they will be published less frequently until the entire project fades away. The reason for this is that it has served its purpose(s). I'm engaged in an interesting Portugal-based, Iberian music project (more on that soon). I'm in the proposal stage of a travel/food project. And I have two documentary film ideas knocking around the ol' noggin. 2. I created a new portfolio site. It's still in the construction phase, but fully operational. Visit Eyewitness for more. The video that plays at the top of the screen is my 2023 reel. I threw it together a bit too fast while trying to move to Portugal over in December. So I've begun re-editing. 3. I'm in post-production for Trinity, my latest documentary short film. 4. I'm open to more ideas about how I can help the GuMPer community :-) I'm hot on the trail of three topics. If anyone has suggestions for sources of information, please pass them along. These are: 1. The general state of walking in Portugal -- from urban/rural pedestrian issues to long-distance walks and hikes for tourism. 2. The housing crisis -- in Portugal and globally. 3. Traditional Iberian music forms, especially fado in Portugal. Note: As I told Carl in e-mail recently, I have a very busy 6 weeks ahead of me. Some of that time will be spent filming for a client re: Iberian music and fado. So I won't be watching GMP live more than once (maybe twice) per week over that time. But I'm still here!!! :-)

Skool (the platform we use for this GMP! VIP network) has just launched an iPhone App - Download it here on the iOS App Store - or scan the QR code... The app has push notifications, all our links open in the app, + more so you can join us here more easily via your mobile! If you're an Android user, the Android App will ship in the next 30-days (-: PS Have you created your own Skool Community yet? If you haven't, you can create your own community with a 14-day free trial here

Check out the GuMPer smartphone video course in the classroom section :-) Holler if you see any typos :-)

25th April in Portugal sees the celebration of the Carnation Revolution that occurred on that day in 1974. I will do my best to share information that informs and educates on this remarkable day in Portuguese history and the context in which it happened, in the week ahead. Today, see our entry on António de Oliveira Salazar in the classroom area, the dictator whose regime was ended on that day, ultimately symbolised and celebrated in the form of a red flower, which has a delightful origin story that we will return to. I share this information with respect and deference to the Portuguese members who may wish to add their insight and opinions as we approach the 49th, and next year a special fifty year, anniversary. What an amazing time - when the incumbent government seems SO unpopular - that we should reflect on Portugal's last near-century of democracy and imagine what the next half-century may bring. Attached is an fact-filled primer with some shocking pronunciation and quickfire delivery...

Below is my proposed outline. Take a look. Let me know if it looks like it will suit your needs. Holler with any suggestions, questions, or comments. It will take me 4ish weeks to get this all together. Carl... Do I have, or will I have, access to the "classroom" editor. Or do I put it all together and give it to you to publish? OUTLINE 1. Introduction 2. One important difference between pros and amateurs 3. Equipment (a phone) and settings 4. How to hold your phone, plus cinematic camera movements 5. Composition and filling 2-dimensional space 6. How to tell a visual story 7. How to edit to tell a visual story 8. And the Oscar goes to… Basically… - Introduction does what introductions do. - Chapter 2 is about the concept of the “decisive moment,” i.e. how to see and capture what’s important to the story you’re telling. This is a people-watching skill – watching faces and body language. This is also about understanding the human form as a shape in 2-dimensional space. - Chapter 3 covers how to set up your phone for making good videos and understanding some of the choices you have regarding such things as focus, exposure, and audio – real nuts-n-bolts stuff. Bonus content: working within the limitations of your gear. - Chapter 4 because most people hold their phones and cameras incorrectly to get smooth video. Plus, if you’re holding it right, you can make some cool cinematic moves without the need for a stabilizer. Will give details about cinematic camera movements and what they “mean.” - Chapter 5 is about the visual art of video and the idea of filling your frame with information (and watching those backgrounds for stuff that will mess you up). - Chapter 6 outlines the basics of video storytelling by describing shot types you should try to capture. Much of storytelling in video is capturing a variety of shots so that you have enough to work with in editing. - Chapter 7 is about putting it all together – editing on the phone. Mostly editing theory with enough nuts-n-bolts to make it work on a phone or computer.  - Chapter 8 is a conclusion of the kind that wraps everything up and gets to the end without dragging it out longer than it has to be thus causing much eye-rolling and gnashing of teeth in the audience that, by the time we get to the end, is either ready to put it all to use or is fed up and looking for the nearest adult beverage.