Tag: Communications

Economic Realities of Actual Hardcore Show Promoter Differ From Those of Imagined Hardcore Show Promoter

Nicholas Porter

For several years I ran a production company and booking agency with my best friend and business partner.

We were passionate and active in the Boston area underground hardcore/metal music scene and one day realized if we wanted to see our favorite bands we would have to book them ourselves — DIY style.

So we did and it was a blast. It was also at times pretty miserable. Plenty of stories from those years. We met a ton of characters. But I’ll save some of those stories for another day.

You may know about the awesome satirical punk news website, The Hard Times. I wrote an article recapping some experiences from those wild years booking hardcore shows and submitted it for consideration. It didn’t make the cut so I decided to post it on my own site.

You can read it below. I’d say about 2/3s of it is completely true. A word of caution: it contains some rough language. Consider yourself warned. Enjoy!

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Indie Film’s Not Dead, It Just Needed a (Social) Kick in the Ass

Nicholas Porter

When it came time to bring his passion project to the screen, indie film maker Dom Portalla wasn’t counting on a venture capitalist to swoop in and save the day.

Instead, he turned to the crowdfunding platform IndieGogo to turn his latest vision into reality — an approach a large number of  independent directors are now taking.

I caught up with Dom to discuss his upcoming film “Nicky,” the role of social media in current day independent film and the most rewarding aspects of his career.

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Life on the Cloud: Google Docs for Small Business

Nicholas Porter

Can a cloud improve your work day? Save time and resources, encourage productivity and cut overhead? What if it cost virtually nothing? Well, look no further – it’s likely time consider Google Docs.

A cloud-based office suite with data storage capabilities, Google Docs provides free word processing, spreadsheet and slideshow services equipped with menus, shortcuts and dialog boxes similar to Microsoft Office. Google Docs can store any type of file – even those not in Google Doc formats. It also provides 1 -GB of storage per user and allows real-time, collaborative editing capabilities. Perhaps most important, Google Docs allows users to access their files from any computer (or mobile device) – all that is required is an internet connection.

And of course, this is in addition to all the other great resources Google has to offer. Gmail provides easy-to-read threads that are a great for keeping track of conversations and important information. Its calendar capabilities practically mirror those of Microsoft Outlook and G-chat allows instant communication much like AIM. And let’s not forget about the Holy Grail – the company’s outstanding search capabilities.

No more self-emailing documents, wasting time exchanging edits and stalling progress on important projects. Google Docs is an extremely simple way for small business to limit costs and increase efficiency. Don’t be a Juggalo. Get onboard.

This article originally appeared on IAmTheTrend.com.