Blog Evaluation

I had never used a blog before taking RTF 305. I feel that using a blog in this class helped me to learn about new media that is taking over the Internet. Blogging is an informal way for someone to express his or her opinions. I feel that it gives a person the opportunity to make their work creative and enjoyable while still focusing on a given topic for this class. The technical aspects of blogging were not complicated for me because I would like to think I am fairly tech savvy and know how to navigate the Internet. Some of the concepts for the blog were difficult at first. Especially when we were asked to give a specific example. But, overall I did not have very many problems with blogging.

I thought that the blog prompts involving commercials or YouTube videos were the most interesting. For example the blog post in which we were asked to provide an example of a commercial that was powerful and interesting to an audience. I felt that the HEB commercial I used was perfect and this blog post was my favorite. I would suggest blog use in future RTF 305 classes but not necessarily other UT courses. I feel that blogging is very casual and would not be appropriate for many classes. Although, I believe that it worked well for this particular class.  I think the only thing I would change about blogging in the future was the amount of it that was done. I feel that it should be done once every two weeks instead of every week because it got slightly monotonous after a while.

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

Globalization and Hybridity

Globalization is the process of interconnectedness among cultures, nations and people. An example of globalization is hybridizing. This is where interaction or mixing occurs between two separate cultures over time and a new culture is formed. In the sense of media hybridizing, it where one idea is taken from a certain place and adopted somewhere else for better use. Examples would be genres or scripts in movies. When two ideas are hybrized then globalization is occurring because the two products are now connected through cultures, nations or people.

            An example of globalization and hybridizing from a media source would be taking a foreign film not made in the US and bringing it to the US for further money making. An example of this would be the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was not an American made movie. It is actually a British movie that was brought to the United States. Most Americans would just assume this was an American made movie because it became so popular here through globalization and hybridizing. The ideas for this movie were started in the United Kingdom and then brought to the United States for further profits. When this transfer occurs it is an example of hybridizing of products for further benefit to the original creator.

HEB grabs audience attention with mystery

HEB Commercial

The advertisement that I found to be powerful and persuasive was one involving HEB and Eva Longoria. In this commercial, Eva walks into the produce store and using her sex appeal tell the employee to make the something “disappear”. The whole mood of the commercial is very mysterious and keeps the viewer guessing.  Throughout the commercial the employee slips little facts about the store in smoothly to where the viewer hears them but they do not take away from the entertainment side of the commercial. I think this advertisement is powerful because it holds the viewers attention until the very end and it is just an overall interesting commercial that keeps you thinking.

One of the advertising appeals discussed in professor Straubaar’s lecture was sex and affiliation. This is the idea that a person’s gender can represent characteristics in a commercial or advertisement. Another appeal discussed was aggression and dominance. I feel that in a lot of ways this commercial incorporates both of these appeals. Eva uses her sex appeal to get what she wants in the store. She has a confidence and mystery about her that is appealing to employee. I also think she shows dominance and aggression by being powerful over the employee and telling him exactly what she wants done and when he needs to do it. The aggressive side of her is not so much violent but just confident. She knows she’s an attractive woman and uses that to her advantage. 

Disturbia as a Three-Act Structure

The three-act structure is the most common formation used in filmmaking. The type of structure places the climax at the end of film. The example I have chosen is the movie Disturbia starring Shia Labeouf. This movie starts out in a very peaceful way with a nice father son fishing trip. Although, when the father and son are returning home they get into a severe car accident. This accident kills the father and the son now goes on an angry spree and is put on to house arrest. This ending scene with the car accident concludes the first act and provides the audience with a mini climax and the first plot point.

            The second scene of this movie involves the main character Kale, played by Shia Labeouf, meeting the girl next door and falling for her. The two become very close and together discover that a serial killer lives behind Kale’s house. The second scene is dedicated to providing the audience with the background knowledge they need for the upcoming third scene climax. During the second scene little thrills occur that get the audience's heart racing. Including the scene where the neighbor threatens Kale’s love interest in a parking garage after she had been spying on him in a hardware store. At the closing of the second scene the killer is on to Kale and his fellow partners and they are becoming worried.

            The third scene concludes the movie and provides what the audience has been waiting for all along. This part of the movie is the most important because it contains the all-important climax. This type of movie leaves the audience guessing until the end, which is the goal of a three-act structure. During this scene the killer is is now gunning for Kale’s mom and he is not happy. After Kale believes that he must go search the killer’s house he disobeys his house arrest rules and his mother goes over to apologize to the killer, Robert Turner. Although, she does not return resulting in a battle between Kale and Robert Turner. This is the climax of the story and involves peaking around corners, scary music, intense noises, and no sudden movements. In the end the killer is demolished and Kale saves the day. This ending is what is known in a three-act structure as a happy ending. All problems have been resolved and the characters may go back to living normal lives. 

Mini Resolutions in a "Full House"

There are many aspects of a television sitcoms but the one that stands out to me is the mini resolutions. These are a part of almost every sitcom on television today. A mini resolution occurs when the characters in a sitcom face a problem during an episode. Once the problem evolves the characters then spend the rest of the episode trying to resolve the conflict. If the conflict is resolved within that particular episode then it was a mini resolution. A mini resolution occurs towards the end of an episode in order to assure the viewer that the show will end on a somewhat good note.

A mini resolution functions within the sitcom genre in many ways. A sitcom is a show that is usually thirty minutes and contains a good amount of humor. Viewers who watch these types of shows are those who are looking for a quick bit of comedy and do not want to watch a show for possibly a whole hour. A mini resolution ties into a quick sitcom because it is the idea that instead of having a full resolution a mini one occurs. It is at the end of the episode and it assures the viewer that happy endings do exist.

In the late 80’s early 90’s television sitcom Full House, the characters face problems in almost every episode. This show contains family oriented humor and was very popular during its airtime. Families gathered around their TV’s every week to watch as the “full house” worked together to live and solve problems.  Almost every episode has some sort of humorous problem that is solved with a mini resolution. The min resolution served as relief to a sometimes panicked audience.

The Holiday From a Screen Shot Perspective

Professor Ramirez-Burg discussed three different types of shots during his lecture on Monday. The first one being a long shot, which is used to show the audience, the big picture.  It shows who is in the room and gives an overview of what is to come. In the Movie The Holiday, the director uses a long shot when showing Amanda Wood’s (Cameron Diaz) house. The long shot was most likely chosen to show the audience a quick overview of the kind of life she lives, which is one of luxury and sophistication. The second type of shot that was discussed is a medium shot. This shot is used when the director would like to give the audience a better idea of who the characters are in the scene without actually showing emotion.  An example of this in The Holiday is when Amanda and Ethan are arguing after he has cheated and the camera cuts in just enough to where you can see that they are both angry but not enough to really get the full effect. The last type of shot we discussed was a close up. This is where the camera is zoomed in really close in order to show the characters real emotions.  An example of this in The Holiday is when Amanda is in the limo after leaving Graham for the last time and she is crying. It is her first time to cry in years so it is a very important moment. The camera is using a close up angle in order to show the importance in her first crying experience in years. 

clip from the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2hPpn4_Kcw&feature=related

The Star System influences the Studio System

An important aspect of the studio system was the star system. This is the idea that big names in Hollywood controlled what people watched. The type of movie did not matter as long as the person’s favorite big name star was going to be in it. As the studio system was created in the 1920’s so was the star system.  It helped production companies such as Fox or Disney decide exactly what kind of film people wanted to see and who they wanted to see starring in it.

The star system had a huge impact on the kind of films that were produced in 1920’s Hollywood. Studios discovered that the type of movie did not matter as long as a big name star was making an appearance. People were not choosing their movies based on the plot line, rather who was going to be in it. The popularity of stars and not movie genres led to companies adding the actors and actresses names on to the billboards in order to attract more viewers. Even without spoken dialogue, movies were still visually powerful enough to influence audiences.  In the end, it was not about the content of the movies, it was about who was in them and how big their name was in Hollywood.

            Examples of the star system were plentiful in the early 1900’s. Big names such as Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin appeared on billboards everywhere. Big name stars still attract moviegoers today. Stars such as Will Smith and Jennifer Aniston attract audiences just because they are big names and people enjoy the characters they play. The movies they are starring in are not as important as the people themselves and the characters they are playing. People will always want to see a Will Smith or Jennifer Aniston movie because they are reliable actors who always put on a good show. 

"All in the Modern Family"

 All in the Family started in 1971 was one of the first shows that’s plot was surrounded by controversial issues. It explored racism, sexuality, and women’s rights all at the same time. Its characters were some of the first in America who spoke their mind and discussed topics that were otherwise seen as untouchable.

            All in the Family could be compared to the contemporary show, Modern Family. Both shows exhibit the American Family during their time periods. Also, both shows deal with issues that other shows dare not touch.  The characters in Modern Family are centered around personas that some may feel uncomfortable with such as two gay men raising a child. In the episode of All in the Family that was shown in class, Archie and his family discussed human sexuality and how controversial the subject is. Modern Family is centered around controversial issues and family which is a similarity between the two.

            Although All in the Family and Modern Family have many similarities they do have some differences.  For instance, the issues are not always the same because there is about a 30-year time difference.  Also, Modern Family always ends the show will a family hug showing that conflict has been resolved.

            Some of the issues discussed in All in the Family that are not discussed in Modern Family are special to the time period. On All in the Family women’s equality is an issue. Archie’s wife stays at home and doesn’t work which is a persona created by the 1970’s. Today many families are set up where both parents are working and women’s equality is not an a conflict. Sexual orientation is an issue that All in Family touched on and seemed to be very controversial. Although, two of the characters in Modern Family are gay and have a child and there doesn’t seem to be as big of a problem. This is because times have changed and many people have become more accepting of the gay lifestyle.  All in all, the shows are very similar and seem to have the same overall plot line. 

Government Regulation of the Radio During the "Roaring 1920's"

Regulation and government intervention had a major impact of the radio industry in the 1920’s in the sense that they controlled almost everything.

Regulation of the radio industry began during World War I, when the government felt that their control over the radio industry was crucial for military purposes. In 1926 the Radio Cooperation of America was created to regulate U.S radio transmissions. The U.S Navy had temporary control over the radio and its purpose was to use it for government operations. Regulation of the radio was needed to insure that the radio was being used in a productive way that benefited the government. This is the sole reason why the government took control of the radio in the first place.

The development of the U.S radio system was dependent on regulation by the government in the 1920’s. The government was the sole decision in what was put on the air and what wasn’t. Government intervention shaped the radio industry during this time period. An example is when the RCA was created in order to further develop business in the U.S. Companies like AT&T, RCA. And GE took over the radio industry as a result of government regulation in the 1920’s.

            

The Cultivation Theory of Women

The cultivation theory helps me to better understand the idea that what people view on television effects their actions in everyday life and how the media influences the general publics views on what is considered “normal”.

What you view on TV or hear from the radio effects how you view certain things. The cultivation theory argues that exposure to mass media cultivates the actions of people. When a child plays video games that are violent, the media is cultivating their mind to believe that violence is okay. The media presents an idea to the public and they then decide if it is something normal. If the people believe it is normal than the cultivation theory was successful.

An example of the cultivation theory would be in the film Killing Us Softly when they discuss the way woman are displayed in the media. The idea that women are supposed to be sexy and promiscuous was created by the media. The cultivation theory was then put into place and people began to think that a beautiful woman was a size zero and perfect in every way possible. The media’s portrayal of a “sexy” woman is one of the main reasons why young girls are so worried about what they look like. They have been taught by outside sources that they must be thin in order to be beautiful. The awkward, self-conscience young teenage girl is a result of the cultivation theory.

Masculine Hegemony Through Gatorade

The idea of hegemony helps me to better understand the message exhibited in this commercial given by Gatorade by showing what a man is “supposed” to act like and his role in society over the ages.

Hegemony is the power that one powerful group holds over another. It is the concept that if someone in charge proposes a new idea, people in the society will follow it and make it into something that is seen as normal. Hegemony is all about gaining power and then using it to promote a belief or idea. In the United States people fall victim to hegemony almost everyday. The best part about it is that most people don’t know that things they use and buy everyday are a result of a higher power using hegemony.

Men in the United States are known as being masculine, strong, and fearless. Society believes that they should be able to conquer anything and should not be emotional or sensitive. In the Gatorade evolved commercial men are shown playing sports over time and are seen as being stronger and tougher as a result of drinking Gatorade. The makers of Gatorade have shown their product in a way that if a man or boy wants to grow stronger and have more energy he must drink their energy drink like the athletic men in the commercial. This example helps me to understand the concept of hegemony by displaying men in a way that society created. It shows that men who do not fit the sporty, tough guy mold are not normal. Gatorade has used hegemony to show what it thinks a “real man” should look like and most would agree that their approach is working.

Link to the evolve Gatorade commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWAjioAfDW0

My First RTF 305 Blog Post

There are many reasons why I am taking Introduction to Media Studies. The most obvious reason is because it is part of my freshmen interest group classes. When I first found out I would be taking this class I was skeptical, but after reading over what I would be learning I became more excited. I am looking forward to learning about media involving TV and news. I am currently starting my process as a journalism major and I am hoping this class will teach me the things I need to know about news media and how it effects journalism in the world. After I graduate I hope to write for a magazine such as Elle or Seventeen. I am confident that this class will teach me many of the things I need to know about media and how it effects our society. I hope that by the end of this course I will have a better understanding of media technology and how it affects the world.

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