Media Revelation #10 (The Testimonial)

My last media revelation comes from page 104 where Hilliard describes the testimonial. He states how celebrities are a common choice for testimonials because they trigger the emotional appeals of prestige, power, and good taste. He also states how often times testimonial only works if the audience truly believes that the celebrity really believes what he or she is advocating in the ad. I found this funny because I notice ads all the time that feature celebrity testimonials, but are designed solely to be humorous and the celebrity never really pitches the product or service to the audience what so ever. A good example of this that I found was a Geico commercial featuring LIttle Richard.

Media Revelation #9 (Appeals of Media)

My next revelation comes form page 81 and 82 where Hilliard describes the various types of appeals used in most forms of media. He touches on three types being the ethical, logical, and emotional appeals. The first thing I could think of when reading this section was the K-fee commercial we watched in class on youtube. I was unsure which of these appeals a commercial like that would fall into although if I were to guess I would say emotional appeal due to the fact that the point behind it is to scare the hell out of the audience or viewer. When I searched for the video on youtube I was surprised to see that K-fee has multiple commercials based on this theme, this tells me that this technique must be working for them to keep using it in that way.

Media Revelation #8 (The PSA)

My next media revelation from class comes from page 76 and 77 where Hilliard covers public service announcements and their relevance to the media world. This topic interested me because I have always wondered what purpose PSAs served and who organized them. Hilliard describes some characteristics of PSAs, saying that they are often persuasive like commercials, providing information while also motivating the audience to take action in some way. When I was looking through this section I was reminded of when I was in middle school and my friends and I found some, what we found to be hilarious at the time, dubbed over old G.I. Joe PSAs that we would watch repeatedly and laugh at again and again. It was somewhat nostalgic finding one to embed into this post.

Media Revelation #7 (Racial and Ethnic Stereotyping)

My next major media revelation from the semester comes from page 436 in HIlliards book where he covers racial and ethnic stereotyping. This topic has always stood out to me because I feel like I've seen so many ads that have some sort of racial or ethnic stereotyping in them. I found it especially interesting that Hilliard claims that this is usually not due to conscious racism but because of insensitivity. While reading over this section of the book the first thing that came into my mind was the skit by Dave Chapelle where he talks about the old Sunny Delight commercials and the ethnic stereotyping involved. I thought it would only be proper to include this skit to show the skit I am referencing.

Media Revelation #6 (The Sitcom)

My next main media revelation of this class is discussed by Hilliard on Page 434 in the section titled, "The Sitcom." This section was a topic of interest for me because I have always enjoyed sitcoms more than most other shows on TV. I particularly agreed with the part where Hilliard says that good sitcoms are like good plays, I have always felt like sitcoms are a lot like plays in a way and found it funny to see that Hilliard backed up my thought with evidence. Hilliard also defines sitcoms with his claim that good comedy had always been born out of contemplating the seriousness of life, and the first thing I thought of when I read this was Seinfeld. I feel that this show really defined how a sitcom should be, and filled all the criteria mentioned by Hilliard in this section of the book.

Media Revelation #5 (Speeches)

My next media revelation from this semester is discussed on page 292 in Hilliards book in the section titled, speeches. This topic is of even greater relevance to me due to the fact that I took a public speaking class this semester as well. One particular aspect of public speaking that Hilliard covers in this section is how to properly introduce a public speaker. This was a topic we covered thoroughly in our class because as our professor put it, "a very small percentage of people know how to give a good introduction any more." I was not surprised to find that Hilliard explains in this section of the book that one of the most important aspects of giving a good introduction to a public speaker is to build the credibility of that speaker, especially if they are not a well known figure of society. I found it interesting however that it is considered improper to give a lengthier introduction than. "ladies and gentlemen, the President of The United States of America," when introducing the president at an event, and thought it would only be proper for me to embed Obama's victory speech to show how public speaking is done well.

Media Revelation #4 (Documentaries)

The next major revelation I had during this course on media was the intense power and influence of documentaries. On page 229 in his book, Hilliard defines the documentary as the highest form of television and radio next to the drama. He also defines it as a combination of news, special events, features, music, and drama and because of this elaborate combination is often referred to by many broadcast personnel as the single highest form. Documentaries have always interested me and I always get excited when I find one on TV. I enjoy the fact that they inform the viewer while at the same time entertaining and putting forth a particular point of view. In this way one could say that the documentary is designed to trigger all three sections of our brain, by appealing to emotion, entertainment, information, fear, and persuasion all at once.

Media Revelation #3 (The Computer)

The next major media meditation I had during our class is the realization of how much the computer and the Internet have influenced media writing as a whole. On page 64 and 65 Hilliard explains how the computer has become a new tool of writing for the modern generation, and has completely changed the way people write. When reflecting on this topic the first thing that came to mind was the youtube video we reflected on for our mid-term. I feel that Michael Wesch is trying to create an overall theme in this text outlining how the computer and the Web are not only influencing the world of the media, but practically all aspects of college-aged peoples lives. I feel that the ideas of Wesch in his video have a lot in common with Hilliard's ideas in the text. They are both trying to explain how the new age of convergence and the computer are changing the world, and it is still uncertain if it is for better or worse.

Media Revelation #2 (Camera Movement)

A second major revelation I had during this semester of studying media was how much the movement of the camera impacts a viewers reaction to a video clip. Hilliard explains the camera's different movement patters, and what particular situation they are usually used for on page 22 in his text. It never really dawned on me how important the movement of the camera is to any video clip until we were assigned in class to create a script for a 30 second video commercial. For this assignment, I chose a Panasonic television commercial that aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. By having to break down and document every scene change and camera movement in the clip, I came to realize that the camera is moving around and influencing the way a viewer perceives the video clip a lot more than most people realize. I feel that by watching this commercial and trying to keep track of every scene change and camera movement one can come to understand what I mean.

Media Revelation #1 (Scripting for Electronic Media)

My first revelation from this class is discussed in Hilliard's text on page 52, where he explains the different styles of scripting for electronic media. He talks about the one column and and two column methods of scripting for TV, but from my experience in this class I prefer the "mashup" method that we learned in class when we scripted the banned go daddy commercial from the Super Bowl. This method showed me first hand just how much goes into a script and how important it is to the completion of any electronic media project. Taking the time to break down this commercial and write out every scene change, camera angle, and bit of dialog, to name a few aspects, really showed me that a lot more goes into script writing than I could have ever known before taking this course.

Group Sustain Champlain Youtube Video

1. The most difficult moment in the creation of this video was finding a good place to shoot, with good lighting, and decent audio acoustics.

2. The most rewarding moment in creating this video was looking at the project in FCP edited and completed to what our group saw fit.

3. First: getting a shot with good audio the first time is virtually impossible and it takes a few tries to get it right. Second: finding and designating a common free time to work together is half the battle. Third: no matter what one might have in mind for a particular scene, it usually turns out a little different.

4. 1. How much energy is saved with motion sensor lighting in dorms and Champlain buildings. 2. How involved Sustain Champlain is with the building and renovating of new buildings on campus. 3. that disposable cups from Jazzman's Cafe are not actually recyclable, they are just made out of recycled materials.

Media Meditation #6 (Time Magazine- The Computer Society Feb. 1978)

Several weeks ago, my roommate Drew came home from work with an armful of magazines, all dating in the 1970s. We all had a great time looking through all the magazines and seeing the old ads and articles that seemed almost prehistoric to us in modern society. One of these magazines was a 1978 February issue of TIME Magazine, titled "The Computer Society." This issue debuted when technology was on the rise at an alarming rate. Even though this magazine is just over 30 years old, references to our four tool sets are still evident.

One example of how this magazine affects our Triune Brain is the use of color and monochrome to exercise the Limbic Brain. Throughout the entire magazine a set pattern is used where ads are displayed in colors while articles are printed in black and white. This is most likely to draw the readers eye to the advertisements, and by the end of the magazine make them want to buy something they have seen in the magazine. The Neocortex is also affected because unlike magazines of today that are made up primarily of pictures with few written articles, this magazine has lengthy articles with few pictures. The advertisements on the other hand are the opposite, with little text and mostly pictures to convey their messages.

There are also many persuasive techniques that come into play in this magazine. The most evident of these is repetition, with the majority of the advertisements being for either cigarettes, cars, liquer, or technological devices. These few different types of ads are repeated heavily throughout the magazine, often coming up one after another in a set order. There is also a strong technological shift present in this magazine. the main topic of discussion for the articles is various technological advances which we view as peanuts in todays age of technology.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine

Media Meditation #5 (Everyday Is A Saturday)

Media Meditation #4 (Warren Miller's Dynasty)

A few months ago, before we left for Thanksgiving break, my girlfriend and I went to the Flynn Theater's showing of Warren Miller's annual ski film, "Dynasty." Warren Miller is one of the more well-known names in ski film production, having made 60 ski movies over the past 60 years of his life. Some consider Warren miller the forefather of ski film production, claiming he paved the way for many of the popular ski film producers of today. Every year his films depict a different theme, which relates to the basic plot of the film. In this years film "Dynasty" the skiers search for the origin of skiing, and travel into rural China to discover how skiing was invented there thousands of years ago.




The Warren Miller Foundation shows a strong shift, both aesthetically and economically. It shows an aesthetic shift, because over the years Warren has mastered the art of successful convergence. What started as a low budget way to compare and progress ski styles became a world renown ski film, multiple informational and promotional websites, and even a partnering magazine called "Snoworld" which releases a special issue to go with the film release. Not to mention his films can be streamed from youtube, as well as other affiliated websites. The lifelong journey of Warren Miller films also shows an economic shift, in that he started this business with nothing more than the desire to progress his skills in skiing, and ended up arguably the most successful man in ski film production with dozens of partnering companies in the ski industry.

http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/

http://warrenmiller.net/ec/index.php

A prominent principle of this text is reality construction. The reality this film is trying to construct for its audience is that skiing is a fun and exciting winter hobby that everyone should enjoy, or at least know how to do. They use the imagery in the film to display the "reality" that all the skiers are having a great time, and that the amazing tricks they are doing are easy, and lack any visible consequences. This is designed to persuade people who've never necessarily felt a real talent for skiing to go out a try it, thinking it will be as easy as it looks.

Media Meditation #3 (Skiing Magazine Gear Guide 2010)

Skiing Magazine is affiliated with Bonnier Corp. which also partners with Ski Magazine, Snow Magazine, Warren Miller, and Nastar. The print edition of Skiing's September 2009 issue, titled "Gear Guide 2010," gives the magazine's opinion of the best skis of 2010 for all various ability levels of skiers. The skis are displayed by category, with a brief description explaining the pros and cons of each ski, along with statistics measuring the ski against competitors on dynamics such as stability, versatility, forgiveness, etc. Readers can even go online to read reviews of the skis or just to compare them a the click of a button.

http://www.skinet.com/

http://www.skinet.com/skiing/image/2009/07/gear-guide-2010



A key persuasive technique used in this magazine is scientific evidence. From the statistics and comparisons of the different skis, to new innovative ski designs that are breaking down barriers, this mag tells it all. Another technique that is coupled with this is testimonial. They interview people who have demoed the new skis, both professional skiers and not, to give the reader an idea how the ski handles before they go buy it. By using these two techniques together they double the persuasive outcome, in that a lot of people will trust scientific evidence, and even more will if someone creditable backs up that scientific evidence with personal experience.

Another key element to study when analyzing this magazine is ownership. Seeing that these prominent ski magazines, ski films, and race programs are united under Bonnier Corp. it's easy to see why each company is so heavily advertised on one another's magazines, films, websites, etc. They use all their different mediums to reach different audiences and acquire customers through various means instead of just one form of media.

Media Meditation #2 (FIFA '10)

FIFA 10 is a newly released, highly realistic soccer video game for Playstation 3. My roommate, being an avid soccer fan, purchased a PS3 as soon as this game came out a few weeks ago for the soul purpose of playing this particular game. We battle it out as our favorite teams on the soccer field and often get wrapped up in the games, as if it were an actual soccer game on television. The lifelike graphics and camera angles make the game actually look like you're watching a real soccer game which makes the game almost as much fun to watch as it is to play. After playing and studying the game for the past two weeks or so, it's easy to see how our four media tool sets come into play.





One main principle, from tool set #3, used in this video game is reality construction. EA Sports wants their audiences to feel like they are actually there playing the game head to head against the pros. This principle is taken to new heights with the new feature of FIFA 10 called "Be A Pro" mode. This allows the player to design their own character, from what he looks like, to the team he plays for, even to which foot is his dominant. All of this combined with high definition graphics, incredible audio sound effects, and a catchy rhythmic soundtrack puts the player in the mind set that they are in the game.


One highly noticeable persuasive technique used in this game is symbols. From the players jerseys, to the billboards lining the stadium, there are symbols everywhere for several companies. On the players jerseys easily recognizable logos can be seen, such as Nike, Adidas, and AIG. There are also the symbols for the teams they play for, such as Arsenal or Chelsea. The billboards tie into the principle of ownership. Since EA Sports created the game, their logo is all over the place, as are billboards for FIFA.com, which is affiliated with real-life international professional soccer.

http://fifa.easports.com/home.action

http://www.fifa.com/

Media Meditation #1 (SSX3)

Before my roommate bought the new PS3, our favorite game to play at the apartment was SSX3 on PS2. Like FIFA, this game was also made by EA Games; only a few years before hand. Although this game defies reality on so many levels, the EA company shows a tendency in the games they create to attempt to make other aspects of the game realistic to draw the player in. This shows that they value reality construction in their games to get their customers to get the most entertainment possible out of their product. This is but one of the many relations this media platform has to our four media tool sets.

SSX 3 appeals to the players Triune Brain in many different ways. First it exercises the Neocortex because the player must use their thinking brain to press the right buttons to complete the level successfully. Next, the game influences the Limbic Brain because of the bright vivid colors used in the game to signify jumps and rails. The Limbic is also influenced by the poppy catchy soundtrack that is meant to be "riding music," to get the player hooked into the game. Finally the Reptillian Brain is impacted by the gravity defying stunts that the characters in the game are doing. Our instincts tell us it isn't possible and drops that we would think would kill the characters, not just possible, but necessary.

The game shows a strong technological shift in particular, relating to our tool set #2. The characters in the game access all their competitions and and free ride destinations through cellphone style devices called Encoms. There is also a strong presence of an aesthetic shift in the game. One example of this is the EA Big radio station within the game, which doubles as the soundtrack, but also has DJ commentary about the mountain and it's riders. This shows convergence of media within the game.

http://www.ea.com/