Sunday, February 28, 2010
Teachers Fired In Rhode Island
The following is the script for the first minute of a CNN news story.
ESTABLISHING SHOT- CENTRAL FALLS HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. TAG TOP RIGHT,”CENTRAL FALLS TEACHERS UNION.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: This is Central Falls High School in Rhode Island…
FIVE STUDENT’S LEGS AND FEET ON A SIDEWALK. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …Where the poorest students in the state go to school.
WIDE SHOT OF SCHOOL FROM ACROSS THE STREET, STUDENTS ON THE SIDEWALK, CARS DRIVING BY. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: 75% of the district lives in poverty.
STUDENT WITH BLACK JACKET AND BLACK BACKPACK. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: A good education may be their only shot…
FRONT OF SCHOOL, STUDENTS WALKING. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …at a brighter future.
CLOSE UP OF STUDENT’S BACKPACK, ZOOM OUT, A LOT OF STUDENTS. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: So to give these students a better chance…
SUPERINTENDENT AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SURROUNDED BY OTHER PEOPLE. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WJAR.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: Central Falls Superintendent this week…
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SHOWING OTHER ATTENDEES. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WJAR.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …did something so radical, so unheard of…
FEMALE IN BASKETBALL UNIFORM WITH ARM AROUND BALDING MAN. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WJAR.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …it’s captured the nation’s attention.
PROTEST, PEOPLE WEARING RED, HOLDING SIGNS. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WJAR.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: She cleaned house. Fired dozens of teachers…
CLOSE UP OF PROTESTERS. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WJAR.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …Because the district says…
SHOT OF PROTESTERS’ BACKS FROM THE BOARDERS. TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …they refuse to spend more times with students to improve test scores.
CLOSE UP SHOT OF DR. FRAN GALLO. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.” CENTER TAG, “DR. FRAN GALLO. SUPERINTENDENT, CENTRAL FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT”
Dr. Fran Gallo: We have a serious problem. When you have a 48% graduation rate, uh, we lose more children than we graduate.
SIDE SHOT OF SCHOOL, BUILDING TO THE LEFT, STUDENTS ON SIDEWALK TO THE RIGHT. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: Central Falls is one of the…
CENTRAL FALLS HIGH SCHOOL STAND UP SIGN ON SCHOOL LAWN. SIGN SAYS, “CENTRAL FALLS HIGH SCHOOL. HOME GAMES THIS WEEK. THU-BOYS BBALL 5:30/7PM. FRI- GIRLS BBALL 5:30/7PM.” TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …lowest performing schools in the state.
ANGLE SHOT OF HIGH SCHOOL, STUDENTS OUTSIDE. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: Of the 800 students…
SHOT TO STUDENT’S LEGS WALKING. TAG TOP RIGHT,“WLNE.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: …65% are Hispanic.
SHOT OF HIGH SCHOOL GIFT FROM CLASS OF 2004 SIGN. IT SAYS, “CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CFHS CLASS OF 2011 NECAP READING SCORES UP TO 55% PROFICIENCY.” TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: For most, English is a second language.
SCHOOL DOOR OPENING. TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: Half are failing every subject.
ANGLE SHOT, SCHOOL SIGN AND BUILDING. TAG BOTTOM RIGHT, “CNN.”
Female newscaster: Just 55% are skilled in reading, only 7% proficient in math.
ONE MINUTE CUT OFF
Three observations using the Hilliard book:
My first observation comes from page 136, when Hilliard states, “use direct statements rather then questions.” This news story did a good job of directly relaying the information. They used short sentences and simple language.
Another observation is also from page 136. Hilliard states, "Probably the most difficult job for the television or radio news writer is to select out of the myriad details the most salient points and to present them in a very short time.” I think that the writer did a good job of this when it came to this story. In the first minute alone, a lot of information was revealed, and there was even time for an interview.
My last observation is when the news chapter discusses visuals. Hilliard writes, “…show what is happening; don’t tell about it” (162). This news clip changes the scene at a fast pace. The newscaster could hardly finish a sentence before the scene was changed. It showed what the school looks like, the students, the superintendent, and the teacher’s protest.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sundays Are For Secrets [Media Meditation #3]
Every Sunday I get on the Internet and view the PostSecret Sunday Secret blog. The creator, Frank Warren, states, "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard."
Through out this post I will show pictures of some of my favorite secrets over the years. I also highly recommend you look at the blog to see this week's secrets and visit the PostSecret Community website.
When Frank Warren started this project in 2003, he created an art exhibit in Washington, D.C. with the first 100 postcards he received. Warren fully expected the project to end the day of his exhibit, but he continued to receive creatively decorated postcards on a daily basis. People from all over the world were sending him their personal secrets. He was so moved that he decided he needed to continue sharing them. That’s when he created the blog. He now shares about 20 secrets every Sunday.
To participate in PostSecret, it is unnecessary to share a secret. I wrote an article about PostSecret for my journalism class, and I conducted interviews with students on the Champlain College campus. A devoted PostSecret fan said, “I have never shared a secret, I don’t feel as if I have to because it is so universal. Each person’s secret somehow relates to some person out there, whether they wrote it or not.”
PostSecret is completely anonymous, but it brings an entire community and generation together. It gives the viewers reassurance that they are not alone. Everyone has a secret, and when you go to PostSecret it is a reminder of just how similar we all are. We all have similar wants, needs, and feelings. We all get sad, lonely, and depressed. We all experience love, heartbreak, disappointment, and joy. I think that it is the pure beauty of other people’s courage to share something so personal that makes PostSecret so moving and unique.
In modern society, the media controls many aspects of our lives. It forces people to feel badly about themselves. The media sets trends, such as appearance and it also magnifies societies pressures. The pressure to go to college, get married, have children, and to overall be successful in fulfilling the American dream that society created. PostSecret is a gateway for people to honestly express how they feel. It is a non-judgmental medium that people can turn to when there is no one to talk to.
PostSecret showcases that the media can be used to do something positive for our generation. It is one of the only outlets in the media that truly displays people as true figures, and not the cookie cutouts that society wants us to be. The media has taught our generation to be strong, and that it is unacceptable to show weaknesses. PostSecret is a platform for being able to finally show raw, inner emotions that most people are forced to bottle up.
An equally admirable quality to PostSecret is that Warren has gained an enormous amount of empathy for humans, and specifically our generation. At many of his college tours he uses the event to promote campus health services and the general well being of his viewers. Warren views many postcards that come from depressed artists. His PostSecret community is one vehicle to express emotions, but he has also joined forces with the National Hopeline Network (1.800.SUICIDE) to further help his followers. He widely promotes his wellness resources, because of his gained empathy by creating this art project. Warren pairs up with many wellness resources, but is the largest advertisement free blog in the entire world.
NOW, to connect this media meditation to Electronic Media Writing, I’ll discuss some of the tool sets and how they apply to PostSecret.
Eight Shifts:
Technological Shift- People mail Frank Warren their secrets on postcards, and he scans them onto his computer in order to share them either on Sunday Secrets, or to use them for one of his published books.
Cultural Shift- I think that in a way this is a cultural shift because people are exposing their own secrets. They are taking advantage of the fact that the 21st century media culture has an outlet where they can freely express themselves and others can view this.
Seven Principles:
“Reality” Construction/Trade-offs- Artists are showing exactly what the realities of their lives are. A lot of the time, artists are criticizing societies norms.
Individual Meaning- Like I said before, people can participate in PostSecret without ever mailing in one of their own secrets. It’s moving to just read what other people write, and take it as an individual meaning. Reading all of them, there are definitely ones that others can connect to.
Persuasive Techniques:
Humor- Not all of the postcards are depressing, some of them are very funny.
Plain Folks- People can connect to the postcards because they are from ordinary people who deal with the same types of things as everyone else.
Strength- People can be persuaded to read PostSecret because of the strength of others
Triune Brain:
Limbic- The postcards are image based.
Neocortex- Reading the postcards makes me think about the type of person who might have written the postcard, and where they are now.
Through out this post I will show pictures of some of my favorite secrets over the years. I also highly recommend you look at the blog to see this week's secrets and visit the PostSecret Community website.
When Frank Warren started this project in 2003, he created an art exhibit in Washington, D.C. with the first 100 postcards he received. Warren fully expected the project to end the day of his exhibit, but he continued to receive creatively decorated postcards on a daily basis. People from all over the world were sending him their personal secrets. He was so moved that he decided he needed to continue sharing them. That’s when he created the blog. He now shares about 20 secrets every Sunday.
To participate in PostSecret, it is unnecessary to share a secret. I wrote an article about PostSecret for my journalism class, and I conducted interviews with students on the Champlain College campus. A devoted PostSecret fan said, “I have never shared a secret, I don’t feel as if I have to because it is so universal. Each person’s secret somehow relates to some person out there, whether they wrote it or not.”
PostSecret is completely anonymous, but it brings an entire community and generation together. It gives the viewers reassurance that they are not alone. Everyone has a secret, and when you go to PostSecret it is a reminder of just how similar we all are. We all have similar wants, needs, and feelings. We all get sad, lonely, and depressed. We all experience love, heartbreak, disappointment, and joy. I think that it is the pure beauty of other people’s courage to share something so personal that makes PostSecret so moving and unique.
In modern society, the media controls many aspects of our lives. It forces people to feel badly about themselves. The media sets trends, such as appearance and it also magnifies societies pressures. The pressure to go to college, get married, have children, and to overall be successful in fulfilling the American dream that society created. PostSecret is a gateway for people to honestly express how they feel. It is a non-judgmental medium that people can turn to when there is no one to talk to.
PostSecret showcases that the media can be used to do something positive for our generation. It is one of the only outlets in the media that truly displays people as true figures, and not the cookie cutouts that society wants us to be. The media has taught our generation to be strong, and that it is unacceptable to show weaknesses. PostSecret is a platform for being able to finally show raw, inner emotions that most people are forced to bottle up.
An equally admirable quality to PostSecret is that Warren has gained an enormous amount of empathy for humans, and specifically our generation. At many of his college tours he uses the event to promote campus health services and the general well being of his viewers. Warren views many postcards that come from depressed artists. His PostSecret community is one vehicle to express emotions, but he has also joined forces with the National Hopeline Network (1.800.SUICIDE) to further help his followers. He widely promotes his wellness resources, because of his gained empathy by creating this art project. Warren pairs up with many wellness resources, but is the largest advertisement free blog in the entire world.
NOW, to connect this media meditation to Electronic Media Writing, I’ll discuss some of the tool sets and how they apply to PostSecret.
Eight Shifts:
Technological Shift- People mail Frank Warren their secrets on postcards, and he scans them onto his computer in order to share them either on Sunday Secrets, or to use them for one of his published books.
Cultural Shift- I think that in a way this is a cultural shift because people are exposing their own secrets. They are taking advantage of the fact that the 21st century media culture has an outlet where they can freely express themselves and others can view this.
Seven Principles:
“Reality” Construction/Trade-offs- Artists are showing exactly what the realities of their lives are. A lot of the time, artists are criticizing societies norms.
Individual Meaning- Like I said before, people can participate in PostSecret without ever mailing in one of their own secrets. It’s moving to just read what other people write, and take it as an individual meaning. Reading all of them, there are definitely ones that others can connect to.
Persuasive Techniques:
Humor- Not all of the postcards are depressing, some of them are very funny.
Plain Folks- People can connect to the postcards because they are from ordinary people who deal with the same types of things as everyone else.
Strength- People can be persuaded to read PostSecret because of the strength of others
Triune Brain:
Limbic- The postcards are image based.
Neocortex- Reading the postcards makes me think about the type of person who might have written the postcard, and where they are now.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Guys Never Change
I recently saw a Jim Beam commercial on television. It stuck out so well that when I went to pick a 30 second YouTube commercial to script, this one immediately came to mind.
Here is my "Web 2.0 Mash Method."
SCENE #1 TWO GIRLS SITTING IN THE GRASS WITH PICNIC BASKET WHEN PUPPY APPROACHES THEM
Puppy bark and hip keyboard music
SCENE #2 MAN 1 APPROACHING ON THE RIGHT, CLOSE UP OF THE GIRLS ON THE LEFT WITH THE PUPPY IN THEIR ARMS
Hip keyboard music continues
Man 1: I’m so, so sorry. Is he bothering you?
Girl 1: Oh, no, no….
SCENE #3 GIRLS SITTING ON THE LEFT HOLDING PUPPY, BACK OF THE MAN 1’S HEAD CLOSE UP ON THE RIGHT
Hip keyboard music continues
Girls: oooo.
SCENE #4 MAN 1 KNEELS DOWN, GIRLS ON THE RIGHT
Hip keyboard music continues
Girls: Ohh, awww!
SCENE #5 CLOSE UP OF GIRLS FACES AND PUPPY
Hip keyboard music continues
Girls: Ohh, awww!
SCENE #6 MAN 2 SITTING DOWN ON THE LEFT, GIRL 3 SITS DOWN ON THE RIGHT
Hip keyboard music continues
Girl 3: Is he yours?
Man 2: Yeah, he’s my first mate.
SCENE #6 PUG PUPPY SITTING IN A SAILBOAT IN A POOL
Cute puppy whine and hip keyboard music continues
SCENE #7 BACK TO MAN 2 AND GIRL 3, MAN 2 SALUTES
Hip keyboard music continues
SCENE #8 MAN ON LEFT SITTING OUTSIDE A SHOP, GIRLS 4/5 BENDING DOWN TO TWO PUPPIES, 6 BACKGROUND GIRLS IN THE STORE WINDOW
Hip keyboard music continues
Girl 4: Where did you get them?
SCENE #9 CLOSE UP OF MAN 3, GIRLS 4/5 HEADS BLURRY IN FOREGROUND
Hip keyboard music continues
Man 3: I rescued them from a shelter.
SCENE #10 CLOSE UP OF GIRLS 4/5 EACH HOLDING A PUPPY
Hip keyboard music continues
Girl 4: Aw. You did that?
SCENE #11 MAN 3 SITTING IN CHAIR HOLDING GLASS IN RIGHT HAND, LEASH IN LEFT
Hip keyboard music continues
SCENE #12 RENT-A-PUPPY BOOTH, TWO MEN BEHIND BOOTH, THREE MEN CARRYING PUPPIES AWAY, SIX MEN IN LINE
Hip keyboard music continues
Man: Get the lab.
SCENE #13 WHITE BACKGROUND, WITH WOOD TABLE ON BOTTOM
Hip keyboard music continues
Voiceover: Guys never change.
SCENE #14 HAND DROPPING A BOTTLE OF JIM BEAM ON THE TABLE
Hip keyboard music continues
Voiceover: Neither do we.
SCENE #15 WORDS FADE OUT, JIM BEAM LOGO APPEARS
Hip keyboard music continues
Voiceover: The Bourbon since 1795. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
Enjoy!
Here is my "Web 2.0 Mash Method."
SCENE #1 TWO GIRLS SITTING IN THE GRASS WITH PICNIC BASKET WHEN PUPPY APPROACHES THEM
Puppy bark and hip keyboard music
SCENE #2 MAN 1 APPROACHING ON THE RIGHT, CLOSE UP OF THE GIRLS ON THE LEFT WITH THE PUPPY IN THEIR ARMS
Hip keyboard music continues
Man 1: I’m so, so sorry. Is he bothering you?
Girl 1: Oh, no, no….
SCENE #3 GIRLS SITTING ON THE LEFT HOLDING PUPPY, BACK OF THE MAN 1’S HEAD CLOSE UP ON THE RIGHT
Hip keyboard music continues
Girls: oooo.
SCENE #4 MAN 1 KNEELS DOWN, GIRLS ON THE RIGHT
Hip keyboard music continues
Girls: Ohh, awww!
SCENE #5 CLOSE UP OF GIRLS FACES AND PUPPY
Hip keyboard music continues
Girls: Ohh, awww!
SCENE #6 MAN 2 SITTING DOWN ON THE LEFT, GIRL 3 SITS DOWN ON THE RIGHT
Hip keyboard music continues
Girl 3: Is he yours?
Man 2: Yeah, he’s my first mate.
SCENE #6 PUG PUPPY SITTING IN A SAILBOAT IN A POOL
Cute puppy whine and hip keyboard music continues
SCENE #7 BACK TO MAN 2 AND GIRL 3, MAN 2 SALUTES
Hip keyboard music continues
SCENE #8 MAN ON LEFT SITTING OUTSIDE A SHOP, GIRLS 4/5 BENDING DOWN TO TWO PUPPIES, 6 BACKGROUND GIRLS IN THE STORE WINDOW
Hip keyboard music continues
Girl 4: Where did you get them?
SCENE #9 CLOSE UP OF MAN 3, GIRLS 4/5 HEADS BLURRY IN FOREGROUND
Hip keyboard music continues
Man 3: I rescued them from a shelter.
SCENE #10 CLOSE UP OF GIRLS 4/5 EACH HOLDING A PUPPY
Hip keyboard music continues
Girl 4: Aw. You did that?
SCENE #11 MAN 3 SITTING IN CHAIR HOLDING GLASS IN RIGHT HAND, LEASH IN LEFT
Hip keyboard music continues
SCENE #12 RENT-A-PUPPY BOOTH, TWO MEN BEHIND BOOTH, THREE MEN CARRYING PUPPIES AWAY, SIX MEN IN LINE
Hip keyboard music continues
Man: Get the lab.
SCENE #13 WHITE BACKGROUND, WITH WOOD TABLE ON BOTTOM
Hip keyboard music continues
Voiceover: Guys never change.
SCENE #14 HAND DROPPING A BOTTLE OF JIM BEAM ON THE TABLE
Hip keyboard music continues
Voiceover: Neither do we.
SCENE #15 WORDS FADE OUT, JIM BEAM LOGO APPEARS
Hip keyboard music continues
Voiceover: The Bourbon since 1795. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Valentine's Day Denial [Media Meditation #2]
Monday night I was reading Perez Hilton's blog, when I was exposed to a post with an embeded YouTube video of a marriage proposal at a hockey game.
A man named Nick was trying to propose to his girlfriend, Melissa, on Valentine's day, but she stormed out soon after reading the scoreboard message.
Now, I personally believed the video. I thought that maybe she reacted in a bizarre way, or she just really wasn't that into Nick. However, at 1:15pm today, Perez reported that the video was a fake! Not only was it a fake, but according to the North Jersey website, the Rangers set this up. Melissa and Nick were apparently hired actors used to provide "in-game entertainment."
Sounds a little whack to me, but makes for a good media meditation on so many levels.
My first observation comes from the eight shifts in our media culture. This video is a good example of an epistemological shift. The definition of this shift is "from word to image" and this makes me think about before technology, people would only find out about this type of scam through word of mouth. Viewers may have been able to catch the video on the news, but it probably wouldn't have made it to the news until the information about it being a fake was released.
I also noticed that it is definitely a personal shift because it is on YouTube and a variety of blogs. People have the technology to tweet, blog, and comment about this video. I'm a part of this personal shift myself because I'm blogging about it! Also, on the news article, at the end of the story the email to the journalist was written. People have the opportunity to directly contact people who write about things on the Internet.
Next, looking at the seven basic principlesseveral of them were used in the short video clip.
This scam connects to "reality" construction/trade-offs. The people connected to setting up entertainment for the game went a little far when they decided to create a fictional marriage proposal. To me, and probably most people, this seemed like a reality until we were told other wise. This principle made me really think about if the production was taken a little too far, or if it was just really good entertainment. I was definitely entertained by the entire situation, but after I found out it was a hoax, it made me think. I thought about whether this form of entertainment was the best thing they could think about, or if it was perfect for the occasion because it was Valentine's Day. I still can't decide. I was entertained, but deceived.
A large part of the video was about production techniques. As you can see in just the screen shot alone, there were a lot of production techniques going on. The camera angle showed the wedding message on the right side of the scoreboard, and then the actual scores for the game on the left. In the actual video, the sound is sportscasters talking about what is going on. They walk the audience through the situation, even reading the message on the board. Another production technique I noticed happens in the very beginning of the video, and in between the repetitions, is the fade in. The fade in says Tampa Bay with a lightning bolt. This is ironic, because the Lightning was the other team, and the Rangers set up the hoax.
Ownership was also tied into this video. The entire production was set up by the Rangers, who must have paid for the entire thing.
Moving on to persuasive techniques...
Big lie was definitely used. The video grabbed people's attention through dishonesty. It was entertaining because people thought it was a real situation. I don't think it would have had the same effect if the audience was pre-warned about the marriage proposal being fake.
Humor was also used. The video was intended to be funny. The sportscaster also made a joke when Melissa walked out saying, "let's talk about a prenup!"
Plain folks were also used. These people seemed like normal sports fans who were enjoying the game, when Nick decided to be romantic. It was not obvious to the audience that this was fake, or that the people were paid actors.
Repetition was used on the YouTube video created by HockeyBash.com. The clip was shown three times in one minute on the video.
Nostalgia was also used for this Valentine's Day proposal. It was intended to set the viewer up to think about how romantic this gesture was.
Another persuasive technique is symbols. There are a lot of symbols seen in the video. The clip first starts showing the HockeyBash.com symbol. Then the video starts rolling, and the name of the hockey arena, Madison Square Garden, is showing. The names of the teams are also being shown while the video is playing. The people of the audience next to Melissa and Nick are all wearing Ranger's jerseys. Melissa is even wearing the assistant captain's jersey. The last symbol I noticed was the fade in of Tamba Bay's lightning bolt symbol.
The triune brain, as always, was involved.
The reptilian brain was demonstrated by Melissa when she decided to leave (flight) after being proposed to in front of a large audience.
The limbic brain was involved by the background sounds and images seen on the screen. There were whistles in the background noise along with sports music. There were also sportscasters talking the entire time. The images are watching Melissa and Nick, and even the scoreboard.
Neocortex was used by the viewers. The video got me thinking about Melissa and Nick's relationship. I was trying to figure out why she would shut him down in such a harsh way. I was also thinking about how much he would have had to pay to put the message on the scoreboard. When I found out that the entire thing was fake, I thought a lot about the way this made the Rangers look. I wonder if they will get any negative attention because of it, or if people will think it was humorous.
What do you think about this video?
A man named Nick was trying to propose to his girlfriend, Melissa, on Valentine's day, but she stormed out soon after reading the scoreboard message.
Now, I personally believed the video. I thought that maybe she reacted in a bizarre way, or she just really wasn't that into Nick. However, at 1:15pm today, Perez reported that the video was a fake! Not only was it a fake, but according to the North Jersey website, the Rangers set this up. Melissa and Nick were apparently hired actors used to provide "in-game entertainment."
Sounds a little whack to me, but makes for a good media meditation on so many levels.
My first observation comes from the eight shifts in our media culture. This video is a good example of an epistemological shift. The definition of this shift is "from word to image" and this makes me think about before technology, people would only find out about this type of scam through word of mouth. Viewers may have been able to catch the video on the news, but it probably wouldn't have made it to the news until the information about it being a fake was released.
I also noticed that it is definitely a personal shift because it is on YouTube and a variety of blogs. People have the technology to tweet, blog, and comment about this video. I'm a part of this personal shift myself because I'm blogging about it! Also, on the news article, at the end of the story the email to the journalist was written. People have the opportunity to directly contact people who write about things on the Internet.
Next, looking at the seven basic principlesseveral of them were used in the short video clip.
This scam connects to "reality" construction/trade-offs. The people connected to setting up entertainment for the game went a little far when they decided to create a fictional marriage proposal. To me, and probably most people, this seemed like a reality until we were told other wise. This principle made me really think about if the production was taken a little too far, or if it was just really good entertainment. I was definitely entertained by the entire situation, but after I found out it was a hoax, it made me think. I thought about whether this form of entertainment was the best thing they could think about, or if it was perfect for the occasion because it was Valentine's Day. I still can't decide. I was entertained, but deceived.
A large part of the video was about production techniques. As you can see in just the screen shot alone, there were a lot of production techniques going on. The camera angle showed the wedding message on the right side of the scoreboard, and then the actual scores for the game on the left. In the actual video, the sound is sportscasters talking about what is going on. They walk the audience through the situation, even reading the message on the board. Another production technique I noticed happens in the very beginning of the video, and in between the repetitions, is the fade in. The fade in says Tampa Bay with a lightning bolt. This is ironic, because the Lightning was the other team, and the Rangers set up the hoax.
Ownership was also tied into this video. The entire production was set up by the Rangers, who must have paid for the entire thing.
Moving on to persuasive techniques...
Big lie was definitely used. The video grabbed people's attention through dishonesty. It was entertaining because people thought it was a real situation. I don't think it would have had the same effect if the audience was pre-warned about the marriage proposal being fake.
Humor was also used. The video was intended to be funny. The sportscaster also made a joke when Melissa walked out saying, "let's talk about a prenup!"
Plain folks were also used. These people seemed like normal sports fans who were enjoying the game, when Nick decided to be romantic. It was not obvious to the audience that this was fake, or that the people were paid actors.
Repetition was used on the YouTube video created by HockeyBash.com. The clip was shown three times in one minute on the video.
Nostalgia was also used for this Valentine's Day proposal. It was intended to set the viewer up to think about how romantic this gesture was.
Another persuasive technique is symbols. There are a lot of symbols seen in the video. The clip first starts showing the HockeyBash.com symbol. Then the video starts rolling, and the name of the hockey arena, Madison Square Garden, is showing. The names of the teams are also being shown while the video is playing. The people of the audience next to Melissa and Nick are all wearing Ranger's jerseys. Melissa is even wearing the assistant captain's jersey. The last symbol I noticed was the fade in of Tamba Bay's lightning bolt symbol.
The triune brain, as always, was involved.
The reptilian brain was demonstrated by Melissa when she decided to leave (flight) after being proposed to in front of a large audience.
The limbic brain was involved by the background sounds and images seen on the screen. There were whistles in the background noise along with sports music. There were also sportscasters talking the entire time. The images are watching Melissa and Nick, and even the scoreboard.
Neocortex was used by the viewers. The video got me thinking about Melissa and Nick's relationship. I was trying to figure out why she would shut him down in such a harsh way. I was also thinking about how much he would have had to pay to put the message on the scoreboard. When I found out that the entire thing was fake, I thought a lot about the way this made the Rangers look. I wonder if they will get any negative attention because of it, or if people will think it was humorous.
What do you think about this video?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Dear John, Your Movie Is #1 [Media Meditation #1]
Over the weekend, I went to see the movie that kicked Avatar out of the number one spot. I saw Dear John.
This movie is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. It is about a young Special Forces Amy Sergeant who is home on a two-week leave, when he unexpectedly falls in love with a girl who is visiting his town on spring break. The solider named John Tyree is played by heart throb Channing Tatum, and his love interest, Savannah Curtis, is Amanda Seyfried (who most of you probably recognize from Mean Girls).
After only two weeks together, John needs to return to the army, and Savannah has to go back to college. They decide that to keep in contact for the next 12 months, they will send letters to each other. Their love is put to the test when John is pressured to reenlist after the September 11th attacks.
Now, before I gush about this movie longer, and accidently spoil it, I want to talk about the connections I made between the movie and things I have been learning in college. I know, it's shocking that I'm consciously aware that school has had an impact on things as simple as movie watching. I definitely analyzing the movie the entire time with the four tool sets that I have been studying in Electronic Media Writing.
The first, and most obvious observation, is that this movie is an epistemological shift. It was was a book made into a movie, word to image.
There is also a personal shift aspect to the movie industry. Before the movie even came out, I could go to the official Facebook page, find out information on IMDb, and look at the movie's website. There can be an interactive discussion about the movie on the Facebook page, read the message board on IMDb, and register for updates on the official website.
For the seven basic principles, I noticed a few of them used in the movie. One that especially stuck out was emotional transfer. This movie was definitely focused on the limbic brain, throwing the viewers emotions on a roller coaster.
Another principle that was used in the movie was value messages. The movie was based off of a love affair that started when a boy saved a girl's purse out of the water after it fell off the pier. They immediately clicked, and it was love at first sight. Now, isn't that an ideal situation.
Then, my favorite of all the tool sets, persuasive techniques. I'm sure the movie used all 29 techniques, but I'll spare you, and only talk about a few.
Simple solutions comes to mind first. John and Savannah decided to continue their relationship through letters. They only knew each other two weeks, and completely trusted each other to be faithful and tell each other everything. I think that the thought that a letter could keep them fully connected is a bit of a simple solution.
Beautiful people is another persuasive tool that dominated this movie. The intended audience for this movie is the female population, and they were not disappointed. Channing Tatum had a good amount of scenes without his shirt on. The movie didn't leave out some eye candy for the men who were dragged along to see this movie. Amanda Seyfried is a beautiful woman.
Nicholas Sparks could be used as a testimonial for this movie. Not only is he a best selling author, but he was also the author to The Notebook, which was also made into a classic love story movie in 2004.
As opposed to the testimonial, the movie also used plain folks. The characters in the film were very common people. One was a solider, who was just trying to make his autistic dad proud. Savannah was a college student who was on spring break participating in Habitat for Humanity. The character's lives were very average. They were very down to earth.
I also mentioned earlier a part of the brain. I said that the movie was very limbic, but one could contest it involves all three parts of the brain.
It was very reptilian because it was easy to get mad at, and instincts would tell you to get mad and want to fight. There were also emotional parts of the movie, where characters believed that it was easier to "flight" instead of addressing the problem head on.
Lastly, the neocortex was engaged, especially now because I am analyzing the movie. It was also used during the movie, because I could hear my friend talking out loud at the screen. We were thinking about the movie, and how the messages in it could apply to everyday life.
This movie is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. It is about a young Special Forces Amy Sergeant who is home on a two-week leave, when he unexpectedly falls in love with a girl who is visiting his town on spring break. The solider named John Tyree is played by heart throb Channing Tatum, and his love interest, Savannah Curtis, is Amanda Seyfried (who most of you probably recognize from Mean Girls).
After only two weeks together, John needs to return to the army, and Savannah has to go back to college. They decide that to keep in contact for the next 12 months, they will send letters to each other. Their love is put to the test when John is pressured to reenlist after the September 11th attacks.
Now, before I gush about this movie longer, and accidently spoil it, I want to talk about the connections I made between the movie and things I have been learning in college. I know, it's shocking that I'm consciously aware that school has had an impact on things as simple as movie watching. I definitely analyzing the movie the entire time with the four tool sets that I have been studying in Electronic Media Writing.
The first, and most obvious observation, is that this movie is an epistemological shift. It was was a book made into a movie, word to image.
There is also a personal shift aspect to the movie industry. Before the movie even came out, I could go to the official Facebook page, find out information on IMDb, and look at the movie's website. There can be an interactive discussion about the movie on the Facebook page, read the message board on IMDb, and register for updates on the official website.
For the seven basic principles, I noticed a few of them used in the movie. One that especially stuck out was emotional transfer. This movie was definitely focused on the limbic brain, throwing the viewers emotions on a roller coaster.
Another principle that was used in the movie was value messages. The movie was based off of a love affair that started when a boy saved a girl's purse out of the water after it fell off the pier. They immediately clicked, and it was love at first sight. Now, isn't that an ideal situation.
Then, my favorite of all the tool sets, persuasive techniques. I'm sure the movie used all 29 techniques, but I'll spare you, and only talk about a few.
Simple solutions comes to mind first. John and Savannah decided to continue their relationship through letters. They only knew each other two weeks, and completely trusted each other to be faithful and tell each other everything. I think that the thought that a letter could keep them fully connected is a bit of a simple solution.
Beautiful people is another persuasive tool that dominated this movie. The intended audience for this movie is the female population, and they were not disappointed. Channing Tatum had a good amount of scenes without his shirt on. The movie didn't leave out some eye candy for the men who were dragged along to see this movie. Amanda Seyfried is a beautiful woman.
Nicholas Sparks could be used as a testimonial for this movie. Not only is he a best selling author, but he was also the author to The Notebook, which was also made into a classic love story movie in 2004.
As opposed to the testimonial, the movie also used plain folks. The characters in the film were very common people. One was a solider, who was just trying to make his autistic dad proud. Savannah was a college student who was on spring break participating in Habitat for Humanity. The character's lives were very average. They were very down to earth.
I also mentioned earlier a part of the brain. I said that the movie was very limbic, but one could contest it involves all three parts of the brain.
It was very reptilian because it was easy to get mad at, and instincts would tell you to get mad and want to fight. There were also emotional parts of the movie, where characters believed that it was easier to "flight" instead of addressing the problem head on.
Lastly, the neocortex was engaged, especially now because I am analyzing the movie. It was also used during the movie, because I could hear my friend talking out loud at the screen. We were thinking about the movie, and how the messages in it could apply to everyday life.
Oooohhh Weee! GoDaddy.com!
The following commercial for GoDaddy.com was banned from the 2010 Super Bowl. I decided to post the script for it using the one column/mash-up method.
SCENE #1 ESTABLISHING SHOT- OUTSIDE LOLA'S MANSION-DANICA, LOLA, AND CAR.
Cheesy keyboard music.
Danica: Meet Lola.
Lola: Mmm. Hmm.
SCENE #2 GODADDY.COM LOGO APPEAR BOTTOM LEFT CORNER, CLOSE UP-LOLA'S PORTRAIT
Crowd cheering, cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: The day he retired from football...
SCENE #3 CLOSE UP DANICA WITH LOLA'S PORTRAIT TO THE RIGHT
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: Lola started chasing his biggest dream...
SCENE #4 ENTER LIVING ROOM SHOT WITH THREE GIRLS, TWO GUYS, AND LOLA. DANICA WALKS IN
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: A business of his own.
Lola: Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mwah.
Danica: Lola's first step, he built his...
SCENE #5 CLOSE UP OF LOLA
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: website with GoDaddy.com.
SCENE #6 SHOT IN OFFICE. LOLA SITTING AT COMPUTER ON THE LEFT, DANICA STANDING CENTER SCREEN
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: And with GoDaddy's easy to use e-commerce tools, Lola...
SCENE #7 COMPUTER SCREEN SHOT. LOLA'S HEAD TO THE LEFT.
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: Was soon selling selling his own line to the world.
SCENE #8 CLOSE UP OF LOLA
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Lola: Ooooooh Weee!
SCENE #9 OUTSIDE MANSION. PARTY PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND, DANICA IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHILE LOLA FLOATS IN THE POOL TO THE LEFT
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: Lola dreams big.
Lola: Uhh huh.
Danica: And who's to argue?
SCENE #10 BLACK SCREEN WITH WORDS APPEARING CENTER SCREEN
GoDaddy theme song
Danica: See more now at GoDaddy.com.
SCENE #1 ESTABLISHING SHOT- OUTSIDE LOLA'S MANSION-DANICA, LOLA, AND CAR.
Cheesy keyboard music.
Danica: Meet Lola.
Lola: Mmm. Hmm.
SCENE #2 GODADDY.COM LOGO APPEAR BOTTOM LEFT CORNER, CLOSE UP-LOLA'S PORTRAIT
Crowd cheering, cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: The day he retired from football...
SCENE #3 CLOSE UP DANICA WITH LOLA'S PORTRAIT TO THE RIGHT
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: Lola started chasing his biggest dream...
SCENE #4 ENTER LIVING ROOM SHOT WITH THREE GIRLS, TWO GUYS, AND LOLA. DANICA WALKS IN
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: A business of his own.
Lola: Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mwah.
Danica: Lola's first step, he built his...
SCENE #5 CLOSE UP OF LOLA
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: website with GoDaddy.com.
SCENE #6 SHOT IN OFFICE. LOLA SITTING AT COMPUTER ON THE LEFT, DANICA STANDING CENTER SCREEN
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: And with GoDaddy's easy to use e-commerce tools, Lola...
SCENE #7 COMPUTER SCREEN SHOT. LOLA'S HEAD TO THE LEFT.
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: Was soon selling selling his own line to the world.
SCENE #8 CLOSE UP OF LOLA
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Lola: Ooooooh Weee!
SCENE #9 OUTSIDE MANSION. PARTY PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND, DANICA IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHILE LOLA FLOATS IN THE POOL TO THE LEFT
Cheesy keyboard music continues.
Danica: Lola dreams big.
Lola: Uhh huh.
Danica: And who's to argue?
SCENE #10 BLACK SCREEN WITH WORDS APPEARING CENTER SCREEN
GoDaddy theme song
Danica: See more now at GoDaddy.com.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Obama Is A Persuasive Guy
During Electronic Media Writing class, we watched the first 20 minutes of the 2010 State of the Union Address.
While watching it on the official White House YouTube page, I wrote down observations based on our four tool sets. Here's what I thought:
Triune Brain:
An example of how the reptilian brain was engaged in the video is people clapping. Most people don't think about clapping, it's a natural reaction when humans like something.
The limbic brain was also engaged because I was watching the video and processing the images I was seeing.
The most advanced part of the brain, my neocortex, was actively involved while watching the video. I was thinking about what he was saying and how it applies to my life.
Eight Trends:
A shift that definitely stood out is a technological shift. Watching the State of the Union on YouTube is a unique technological shift. It is a great way to allow the audience to watch the video, if they missed it the first time, or to rewatch it.
Seven Principles:
I definitely noticed a lot of production techniques. The video started with a close up shot of President Obama speaking. Then through out the video, the camera angles change, and the audience can be seen.
Pacing was also demonstrated in this video. One camera shot didn't stay for too long. There was a rhythmic pace to the camera angles.
Individual meaning was largely connected to this speech. People can listen to what the President is saying, but each person is going to have a different take and opinion on what is being said.
Techniques of Persuasion:
I have to admit, I think that Obama almost used all 29 techniques of persuasion. One that I noticed right away was symbols. The president is wearing a flag pin on his jacket. He is also standing in front of the American Flag.
Testimonials were also used during the speech. He used stories about people who wrote letters to him. This also ties into plain folks because he shares stories about average Americans who are struggling.
Of course group dynamics were used as well. He starts his speech with "fellow Americans" and continuously uses "we".
Humor was also used. He makes a joke that the bank bailout was "as popular as a root canal."
Thesis: President Obama speaks to America about restoring our economic system, and making life better, especially for middle class families.
Facts:
95% working families tax cuts
Income tax hasn't raised a single dime for a single person
1 and a half million jobs will be created in the next year
The change has been slow, but it's definitely happening.
While watching it on the official White House YouTube page, I wrote down observations based on our four tool sets. Here's what I thought:
Triune Brain:
An example of how the reptilian brain was engaged in the video is people clapping. Most people don't think about clapping, it's a natural reaction when humans like something.
The limbic brain was also engaged because I was watching the video and processing the images I was seeing.
The most advanced part of the brain, my neocortex, was actively involved while watching the video. I was thinking about what he was saying and how it applies to my life.
Eight Trends:
A shift that definitely stood out is a technological shift. Watching the State of the Union on YouTube is a unique technological shift. It is a great way to allow the audience to watch the video, if they missed it the first time, or to rewatch it.
Seven Principles:
I definitely noticed a lot of production techniques. The video started with a close up shot of President Obama speaking. Then through out the video, the camera angles change, and the audience can be seen.
Pacing was also demonstrated in this video. One camera shot didn't stay for too long. There was a rhythmic pace to the camera angles.
Individual meaning was largely connected to this speech. People can listen to what the President is saying, but each person is going to have a different take and opinion on what is being said.
Techniques of Persuasion:
I have to admit, I think that Obama almost used all 29 techniques of persuasion. One that I noticed right away was symbols. The president is wearing a flag pin on his jacket. He is also standing in front of the American Flag.
Testimonials were also used during the speech. He used stories about people who wrote letters to him. This also ties into plain folks because he shares stories about average Americans who are struggling.
Of course group dynamics were used as well. He starts his speech with "fellow Americans" and continuously uses "we".
Humor was also used. He makes a joke that the bank bailout was "as popular as a root canal."
Thesis: President Obama speaks to America about restoring our economic system, and making life better, especially for middle class families.
Facts:
95% working families tax cuts
Income tax hasn't raised a single dime for a single person
1 and a half million jobs will be created in the next year
The change has been slow, but it's definitely happening.
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