Blog Critique (extra credit)

Before taking this class I have never used blogs before.  At first I wasn’t sure how I would like it, but I actually found it to be a helpful educational tool and it was easy and fun to use.  I never really had any difficulties using the program, however sometimes it was hard to arrange and format pictures that I uploaded.  All of the prompts were pretty straight forward and applied to the lectures or readings we had.  I really enjoyed the prompts that asked you to relate what we have been learning in class to the media in society today, such as the advertisements and commercials we see everyday.  I would recommend using blogs for this class and for other courses here at UT.  Writing papers is a traditional form of writing, but blogs allow you to express more and gain critique from other students/general public who view your posts.  It also gives you a chance to see how other people construct their blogs and how different writing styles are incorporated.   The only thing I would suggest to change is to maybe not give prompts for some of the posts and just let students come up with some that apply to the content, allowing them to express their own ideas about the media and how it relates to their lives.  Overall, I enjoyed having a blog for this class and I feel like it served its purpose as well as introducing a new type of media that has become more popular and widely used in today’s society.

"Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report". 

Global Media

To me, Globalization is basically the integration of different nations by combining the different cultures and developments of many different societies all into one that is commonly used by people all over the world. 

A specific concept of globalization is hybridization, which is when two separate cultures are integrated together over time, resulting into a new culture that possesses qualities of each. 

An example of this can be show by the increased popularity of being to able to access different episodes of television shows whenever you want.  Services such as Hulu in the United States and BBC, by use of the iPlayer, in Britain, allows people to watch their favorite shows and past episodes through access of the internet.  These two countries have sparked the attention of others around the world that want to have access to these same services.  Through this type of globalization, Germany has come up with a new system where viewers can purchase these special television sets, called hybrid TV’s, that allow viewers to pick and choose their favorite shows and episodes to watch.  This will overtake the internet and will be like having Hulu on your television set.  This new service will also be able to calculate your personal preferences of television shows and will provide suggestions for different types of shows that you may also like.  This is sort of like how Pandora works for music.  This shows how two different countries kind of formed together and produced a new type of television service that one day might be used all over the world. 

 





sources used:

Pfanner, Eric. "Hybrid Internet- TV Makes Progress in EuropeE." Editorial. New York Times 21 Sept. 2009: B6. 20 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/technology/21canvas.html>.

pictures found at:

http://www.itvt.com/files/u3/HuluPlus-iPad-2-2010.jpg

http://images.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/165343_S/Hulu-No-PS3.jpg

http://modmyi.com/images/wiley/bbc_iplayer_beta_screenshot.jpg

Advertising the Droid 2!

          In today’s advancing technological society, everyone seems to be obsessed with their cell phones.  People are always comparing what types of phones they have with their friends and family.  And the focus always seems to be who has the fastest, coolest, most expensive, or most popular phone that does, as they say, “everything.”  That is why so many advertisements try to portray the newest version of a phone as better than all the others ones out there.  For example, the commercial for the new Droid 2 cell phone.  After seeing this commercial, one tends to think that this phone is “the best” and that they need to go upgrade their current phones A.S.A.P!   This commercial does a good job of persuading the viewer that they need this phone because it is the fastest one on the market, and that they can get things done a lot quicker.  Since today’s society focuses on how to be able to multitask and do as much as one can do in a day, showing how the Droid 2 allows for more productivity and fast and easy access to the web, e-mail, and other social medias, it is considered a powerful advertisement.  Especially when the human is being compared to a robot that can accomplish tasks faster, when using the Droid 2.

            In order for an advertisement to be effective it has to appeal to the audience and have style, which presents amazing claims to the viewer.  It also has to be ubiquitous and be able to catch the attention of the viewer so that they will be interested in what is being sold.  Also, the use of sensationalism and having a “wow factor”  contributes to how someone will view the product.  If something is seen as amazing and useful to the viewer then they are more likely to want to purchase it. 

            For the Droid 2 commercial, the claim that they focus on is the new profound speed of the device and the capacity of information that it can hold.  It catches the viewers attention by showing a business man in a important meeting being able to use his phone to look up information so fast that the rest of the people don’t even notice.  Again the sensationalism is that the human can become like a robot when using the Droid 2, which leads to more productivity.  In my opinion this advertisement does a good job of relating the product to the public and getting them to think that they need this new upgraded phone.  In fact, I think that I do!

      

Watch the Droid 2 Commercial here!

picture found on google images at:

http://turbo.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2010/08/droid2_moto.png

3 Act Structure in "The Village"

                                    

The movie The Village (2004), by M. Night Shyamalan, shows an example of the 3 Act structure of how films are narrated and produced. 

            In the first act, which runs about the first 30 minutes, introduces the characters and the situation.  The setting is in a small isolated village in Pennsylvania, where the people of the community all help out with everyday tasks to keep the village running.  Everything seems to be ordinary until the mentioning of “those we don’t speak of,” which are beasts that live in the outside surrounding woods of the village.  There is almost an eerie feeling to the village when one of the main characters, Lucius Hunt, breaks the boundary and travels into the forbidden woods.  The mini-climax occurs when “those we don’t speak of” come into the village and leave threatening marks on the doors and skin the livestock. 

            In the second act, which is about 60 minutes long, the viewer learns that “those we don’t speak of” are harmful and pose a threat.  Another threat that arises is when Lucius Hunt asks Ivy Walker, the main female character, to marry him.  This causes Noah Percy to become jealous, because he is also in love with Ivy.  Noah, however, suffers from a learning disability, and isn’t able to cope with this new idea.  The storyline gets even more complex when Noah stabs Lucius and almost kills him.  The mini-climax of act two happens when Ivy asks to go through the forbidden woods and travel to the nearest town to get medicine to help try and save Lucius.  During this part the viewer learns the secret of the village, that the elders have been trying to hide.  The elders are actually “those we don’t speak of” and dress up as beasts of the woods and scare the other villagers.  They do this in order to try and prevent everyone from going to the towns, because they considerer the modern world to be a dangerous place.  Since Ivy is blind they allow her to go through the woods since she will not be considered a threat to the beasts.  Her father tells Ivy about the beasts and how they are fake and give her directions on how to get to the nearest town.

             Act 3, which is also about 30 minutes long, starts off with Ivy traveling through the woods.  During this act is the main climax.  The viewer thinks that everything is fine until Ivy comes into contact with “those we don’t speak of.”  She is alarmed by this, since she was told they were not real.  Unknown to her, Noah stole on of the costumes and pretended to be one, but since Ivy is blind she couldn’t tell it was him.  At this point in the movie, one wonders if she will survive or not, because Noah is chasing her and trying to attack.  However, she ends up killing him and finally making it to the town, where she receives the medicine.  The movie ends with Ivy making it back to the village with the medicine, and Noah is saved. 

            So through the use of the 3 act structure the plot describes the introduction in the 1^st act, the complications in the 2^nd act, and then the climax and resolution in the 3^rd act.  This style allows for a well prepared and thought out story line, that effectively shows the viewer the intended plot.

Watch the trailer of The Village here!

Pictures found at:

http://www.reverseshot.com/files/images/pre-issue22/the_village_das_dorf_004.jpg

http://www.dvdjka.com/online-shopping/dvd-store/images/large/51DS3WMWZQL.jpg

http://www.sodahead.com/fun/cracked-6-movie-plots-that-could-have-been-solved-in-minutes/question-

Sitcoms!!!

Sitcoms, or Situational Comedies, are basically short television shows that last about 30 minutes.  They are usually about pretty relative everyday life situations, however they incorporate humor and comedy and have unusual circumstances to make it seem more out of the ordinary and absurd in some cases.  Some are also focused around more unrealistic family situations or changes happening in society.  Sitcoms are considered episodic because the storyline has a beginning and an ending that usually ends at the same place.   Because each episode only lasts about 30 minutes, a lesson or advice is a main theme in the plot.  So basically the stories or plots never carry over to the next episode and therefore character arcs aren’t complicated.

Two characteristics that are really important to have in sitcoms are humor and comedy.  Without this, the plot wouldn’t be as interesting or entertaining.  One of my favorite television sitcom shows is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  Every episode has a plot that is focused around the bar that the characters work/live in.  However, the storyline has a bit of a twist to it that involves some outrageous circumstance that the characters have to solve or work out.  Most of the humor and comedy is show by random or silly actions that the characters do.  Some of it you would never think of or imagine would ever happen in a regular day of life.  That is what makes the show so funny!  Sitcoms are very important to television production, because it allows the viewers to watch the show when they want or have time to, since the storyline isn’t consecutive to every episode.  Also, it gives a chance for the viewer to laugh, which is important for everyone!

Watch A Clip of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' here!

Picture found at:

http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/tv_it_s_always_sunny_in_philadelphia13.jpg

Taken!

Taken is a movie about a teenage girl who goes to Paris with a friend and end up getting kidnapped and sold for prostitution.  Her father, Brian, played by Liam Neeson, goes after the slave traders to try and save his daughter.  Throughout the movie there are many different shots that are used to portray different meaning of certain scenes to the viewer








http://www.rlapl.org/adultservices/docs/taken.jpg

http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/6106/190670_306.jpg

The first shot is the close up (CU).  The one that is the most significant in Taken is the scene where the father gets a phone call from his daughter while she is being abducted from the pent house she is staying at.  The significance of using a close up shot of Brian is so one can see his reaction and emotions up close, which is what a CU shot is usually used for.  One can see through his expressed emotions of fear and anger, as well as the feeling of alarm and helplessness since he can’t be there to protect his daughter.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/08/08/300taken_080808014754098_wideweb__300x263.jpg

The next type of shot is the Medium Shot, which is used to show the relationship between characters and as visual information about the specific scene.  This clip from the movie is during a scene where Brian goes to meet with a former friend named Jean-Claude, who works for French Intelligence.  After finding out that Claude is not on his side and has information about the whereabouts of his daughter that he isn’t telling him, Brian decides to take matters in his own hands.  The Medium Shot shows Brian holding a gun up to Claude, showing that he has the power and is going to do whatever he has to do to save his daughter.  Here is where their relationship starts to change from friends to foes.  

http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2009_taken_006.html

Then last shot is the Long Shot, the orientation shot, which usually shows loneliness, sadness, and/or isolation.  In this picture clip it shows Brian talking to a young girl, who has also been abducted and drugged and forced to sell herself on street corners.  Brian goes to her to try to get any information from her about who might have his daughter and where she may be.  The two of them standing alone, both in need of help, are seen as sad and isolated characters when taken as a Long Shot.  

The Studio System

The function and set up of the studio system can be considered an example of hegemony.  Basically the studio system focused on having a main group of stars and actors/actresses available for movie productions in Hollywood so that they could promote different studio films.  The five major studios (Paramount, MGM, Warner Brothers, Fox, and RKO) we the main companies in control of the film industry.  Upon being the ones in power they all focused on having team of directors produce movies for them, they owned their own line of movie theatres and other production operations, they made both A and B movies, and they operated using vertical integration.  In my opinion vertical integration play a major role in how the system worked and in what kinds of films they made. 

Vertical integration, where one company is in control over many different steps of production, distribution, and exhibition.  This not only allowed companies the ability to ensure that their movies were seen by a wide range of people, but also let them distribute their films how they wanted.  This type of power and control held by only a few companies made it possible for them to show footage of whatever they wanted, since it wasn’t regulated at a higher level.  An example of a controversial film was The Jazz Age, which had nudity and party scenes.  Because of vertical integration, movies like these were allowed to be made.  Also, because of the star system, many films came out that focused on the same main actor.  When popularity of certain stars were seen, producers would hire them to be cast in movies so that they could make more of a profit and help promote the films.  Because of these main 5 studio companies, it allowed for a wide range of movies, such as adventure, musicals, comedies, cartoons, and high quality films, which each company focusing on a particular genre. 

examples used from Media Now 6th ed. (p. 192-96) and picture found in google images at :http://img2.photographersdirect.com/img/16398/wm/pd717015.jpg

"All in the Family" vs "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"

Earlier family based TV shows; such as “All in the Family” have both similarities and differences when associated with modern television shows such as “ The Secret Life of an American Teenager.”

The two shows are similar in that they both follow a specific lifestyle in relation to the time period.  All of the characters act in accordance with the same way the average person would in society at that time.  In “All in the Family,” the characters are more concerned with personal image and how one represents themselves.  This was shown in the episode that dealt with the possibility of 2 of the characters being homosexual.  In the 1970’s and 1980’s, when the show aired, people were not as open to homosexuality as they are now.   In “The Secret Life of an American Teenager,” the main character, who is a young teenage female, becomes pregnant and has a baby.  This show represents the increase in unplanned teenage pregnancies in today’s society, and is viewed as common predicament that many teens today face.  Most people that watch this show do not consider the content and issues to be out of context. However, if this show was aired during the same time as “All in the Family,” it would probably be considered an outrage or scandal, because of the interpretation of pre-marital sex and other controversial issues. 

         The two shows are different in how they have and form their relationships.  In “All in the Family,” commitment and trust are very important.  Both of the couples are sincere and they have healthy relationships styles and are committed to each other.  “The Secret Life of an American Teenager” however, is based on unstable relationships and a lack of trust. Everyone is kind of going behind each other’s back and cheating on one another.  The father of the main character’s child isn’t even her boyfriend.  Also, the parents in the show are dealing with an affair and the possibility of divorce.  Earlier shows didn’t focus as much on representing unhealthy relationships because during that time period cheating and affairs were looked down upon and not as common as they are in today’s society.

Images found at google images: 

http://tvland.mtvnimages.com/images/shows/all_in_the_family/photos/1_allinthefamily_firstphoto.jpg?width=306&height=320

http://megashareslink.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/seclife.jpg

         

Technological Advancements and the Evolution of the Radio

Radio

Television

Modern Radio

Internet

Over time, the advancements in technology have caused many changes in the evolution of the radio industry.

After the introduction of the radio, it quickly became a key role in the daily life for most people.  I was not only a link to the outside world and a way to receive news about important event, but was also a way for people to discover different types of music.  However, with the advancement in new modern technologies, communication with the general public has progressed to new types of media.  A big change came with the invention of television, which put a face with a voice.  This allowed the media to have more power on what people viewed, which has caused controversy.  Also, MTV had a big impact on what types of music people listened too.  Then with the popularized use of the Internet an even bigger change occurred.  Now anyone can put basically what ever they want on the Internet for everyone to see.  Also, because the Internet can now be accessed so easily, people tend to use it for news, information, music, movies, and other entertainment purposes.  Now radio is rarely seen as a main source of media, only being listen too when driving in a car. 

            In the book Media Now, it talks about how the Internet has made it a lot easier to use copyrighted property as your own.  Illegal downloading of movies, music, and other programs has become a problem.  It causes the owners of such material to be cheated of their own creation.  The Internet does bring many good uses and important ways or receiving information, however it has also caused many negative uses by people who abuse its originally intended use.  If the radio continued to be a primary media source, one has to consider if there would be as many problems with criminal acts and other negative issues.  

Images found at Google Images:

http://web.educastur.princast.es/proyectos/grupotecne/archivos/investiga/106radio.jpg

http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/windows/ie/images/community/columns/internet2.jpg

http://www.techdigest.tv/pure_avanti_flow_dab_fm_internet_radio_ipod_dock-thumb-400x311.jpg

http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/lg-32pc5rv.jpg

Examples of Priming in "Killing Us Softly"

Based on lecture and the information in Ch. 13 of Media Now, the concept of priming is explained and an example is shown in “Killing Us Softly.”

The idea of priming relates images that people see in the media and then stimulates their thoughts, causing them to adopt similar views and apply them to their own lives.  An example of this would be a teenage female seeing a commercial of women in bathing suits that have the “perfect” body and are seen as happy and having fulfilled lives.  This may cause the girl to think that in order to be happy and liked she needs to change how her body looks.  This can cause unhealthy eating habits and potentially be damaging to the girl. 

The documentary “Killing Us Softly” discussed many points about how the media has negatively exploited the roles of women and how females of various ages have adopted the views of the media and apply them to their own lives.  This is an example of priming; because the women who pay attention to what the media shows and says think that they should believe it.   They feels as though they need to try harder to achieve the “perfect” body, wear clothes that reveal a “loose” and more sexual attitude, and take part in sex roles that leads towards women being house-wives that stay home and care for the family.  Because some women take on these roles and follow what the media says, it causes men to adopt these beliefs as well and view women as less important, inadequate, and as “objects,” rather than people.

Watch Part 1 of of Killing Us Softly

Picture image found at http://www.google.com/images?q=victoria+secret+bathing+suits&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivs&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=6UuUTJreJoXGlQfwsPyjCg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&ved=0CBYQ_AU&biw=823&bih=464

The Use of Framing in Commercials

When I watched the new 2010 commercial for Grey Goose Vodka, I noticed that the producers show and example of how they use framing to persuade viewers how to think about the product.

When media producers make commercials that focus on selling a product they know that in order for the product to sell they must show the product as something that is positive and enhances one’s life.  This can sometimes lead to framing, which fails to explain the whole side of the story and only focuses on the part that persuades the viewer to want to buy the product.  After watching the Grey Goose Vodka commercial, I saw how this concept was used.

In this commercial, a group of young adults are at a club/bar and are enjoying their drink, which happens to be Grey Goose Vodka.  Everyone is smiling and having a great time, along with a drink in their hands.  The commercial hints that in order to enjoy the night; one has to be drinking Grey Goose.  It also points out that the men can “get with” the women they are with and that the drink gives them confidence to do so, as well as enhancing their social and flirty side.  This is considered framing, because the commercial fails to show any negative or dangerous effects of drinking, only positive reactions.   Alcohol commercials like this one have affects on teenager and especially college students who may see this commercial and think that in order to be “cool” and socially accepted then need to drink.  Commercials like this one could possibly be linked to the alcohol problems seen in today’s society. 

Watch the Grey Goose Vodka Commercial and see what you think.


picture above found in google images

Why RTF?

Hey everyone!  My name is Alex Connett, but most people call me Alex or A-Conn.  I am from Georgia, but I now consider Texas as my second home.  My freshman year was basically a year of exploration for me and trying to decide what career path I wanted to take.  After taking many geology, chemisty, and calculus classes last year and not enjoying them, I realized that Geosciences was not the major for me.  This summer I realized my new found interest in making short movies and decided that I wanted to take and RTF class and see how I liked it.  I am hoping to gain more knowledge about the media and the movie making process.  I think it is important for all people in general to have a basic knowledge of the media and how it works. I am really excited about this class!

Here is a video I made this summer with my little sister and her friend.  Don't judge me....I know im 19, but i still like to play dress up! haha

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=448787149487

I've never really blogged before, but I just looked at the Perez Hilton one and it looked pretty funny. Here is it :  http://perezhilton.com/