Creating Creativity

1. Creative writing cannot be taught, this is something I have always believed, and it is such a relief that on page 444, Hillard agrees with me. It's not something that you can teach to someone, it's something that is natural to you, creativity. You cannot teach someone to be creative.


I have always felt this way, because i've taken numerous writing classes, art classes, attended art camps, the whole 9 years, and it someone isn't creative, then they just simply aren't creative. I think that in classes, you can show someone the path to being creative, and you can show them the fundamentals, but you cannot get someone to be creative. You can only do some much. I feel this is important, because you need to have creative people on your team in both an advertising career, and a PR career. To know your creative side is to be in touch with you imagination, and in jobs like these, that's always important.

Role Models - Not the movie.

2. Hillard talks about the importance of the characters in writing in chapter 10. When he talked about this, it made me realize that the character holds a lot more importance then I had given credit. The character is the person that we are supposed to identify with, and in a sense, keep us interested in the show. Also, they act as role models.


The media is ever changing the idea of what women should look like, and as these women are role models to young girls, this is what people believe to be true beauty. Characters are everywhere, and they all have traits. This got me to thinking about the different formats of writing, and where characters can be present. For example, in a TV show, we can see the character evolve, grow, mature, and succeed. In a play, we have a two hour period to watch that happen, so we have to get to know them fast, and we dont learn the details of their lives, just the necessary facts. In movies, it's the same way, thought it's easier in a movie to get an idea of who someone is because they have more to go off of.



I find this important, because everyone develops an emotional tie to the characters they watch every week. I know for me personally, a Grey's Anatomy fan, I often find myself trying to relate to the main character Meredith, sometimes successful, sometimes a failure. The relevance of this is, we need to make sure we are sending out positive characters because people will look up to them one way or another. If they are stereotypical, then that is just hurting society.

For example, Dora The Explorer was a real kick ass little girl, going on adventures, overcoming danger, all to get to her goal. This was a real good role model for young children. Now, Diego is the main character on the show, not Dora. Now a days, when you try to find Dora toys in stores, they no longer come with a backpack for her to take on her adventures, but make up, and a hair brush.

Well, there goes that role model...

3. Hillard says there are no real differences between writing a commercial and writing a PSA, on page 79. When I first read this, I was really surprised, but the more I think about it in the semester, the more I realize it makes perfect sense.

Commercials are from companies, with the goal in mind to get you to make a purchase, using strategies and techniques that we dont see with the naked, untrained eye. A PSA is straight, to the point, and encouraging you to do something good. However, a PSA uses the same techniques that we dont see because they still have to persuade us into acting upon their message. They are both for my benefit. I'm gaining factual knowledge, and I'm also getting a new product. As someone interested in advertising and or public relations, this is very helpful information to have.

There are even cases where known cartoon characters will work as a PSA to gain publicity for themselves, but also get the attention of the target audience to get the PSA message across. This is well known with the old GI Joe PSAs, pictured above.

"Fair and Balanced"

4. When Hillard talks about news on page 157, I had a lot to say. He states that the news should be objective and fair, with the goal of avoiding any political, social, or religious point of view. Like everyone else, I'm sure, my mind went right to FOX News. The big guy vs. the small guy. Then, of course, I thought about the crossfire interview with John Stewart. Not on FOX News, but still relevant.

I try to be fair, I get my news sources from various places, and I'll read the story in more then one place to try and get the real facts. It's interesting, however, how throughly different sources cover different stories. Since everything is owned by the big six, if it's one of their many companies that are in the news, then they dont cover it. It's all a matter of synergy, but the ones who are losing out are the public, because we are getting tainted news. I watch FOX News, because if I didn't, then I would have no justification when saying how horrible of a station it is. They ran a story once, bad mouthing President Obama because he said "under God" in one of his speeches. They criticized him for this, however, President Bush would say he spoke to God. Talk about favoritism.

PSA Say Whaa?

5. On page 195 Hillard talks about how when programs stress about information things, such as acid rain, animal cruelty, cancer, etc. this becomes production along the lines of a documentary. The reason I found this to be important is because until I read this, I never realized that I didn't know the difference between a documentary and a PSA.

A documentary aims to teach you something, to give you knowledge that you didn't previously have, where a PSA which is encouraging you to do something good. A lot of people do PSA announcements on both large and small scales. One that has always stuck out to me is the PSA that was done on Scrubs, shown in the video above. It's encouraging you not to do something, even if this one is being used as a joke. But it's a perfect example of PSA production techniques being used in a different means of media.

I love documentaries, they are my favorite fils to watch, because I always feel like I'm getting something from the movies rather then laughing at dumb humor. I have great respect for those who makes them, as in some cases--like Theo Van Gogh--you're risking your like for your message to be heard and exposing the truth. If I was to go into production, this would be the road I would want to go down.

A Song After My Own Heart

6. As I mentioned before, I have wanted to do something with sound tracking, always. So on page 310, when Hillard was talking about how the timing of the show with combination of musical selections has to be exact, it really appealed to me.

It's not an easy thing to do, you would think it's simple but it's really not. This type of work is important to me, because the song makes the moment, it sets the mood and the tone of whatever is happening. As a someone who is interested in advertising and public relations, what song goes along with an advertisement, or what music is in the background at an event. You don't tend to think about these things, but they are all very important. The photo to the left, I think, is a perfect example. It's beauty coming out of the speaker, this mix of creativity and perfection. Bringing together the bear and human--unlikely match. It's the power of music people. Better yet, it's the power of GOOD music.

I'd Like To Request A Song

7. According to Hillard, or so he says on page 309, todays deejay, producer, and or writer is the one who will determine the mold of what is considered todays popular music. People in these positions need to have a vast knowledge of music, and what is up and coming, and what is just in the past

I thought this was interesting, because this isn't how I thought things were done. I assumed that people would call in, request songs, or writers would just look at the top 100 songs. For a long time, I wanted to be a sound tracker. I wanted to be the person who put the music to moments in shows and movies. I found myself going on MySpace and trying to find new, unheard of bands that had the type of indie feel like The O.C. or Grey's Anatomy music (those are done by the same sound tracker). This is true, however, the more I think about it. To understand music is to understand what's popular with the times. You have to be the one who is creating the moment to really understand what song goes along best with. Photo by Dan Curtis.

I Went To College and All I Got Was This Lousy Diploma

8. Hillard talks on page 463 about how there is no way to substitute experience, and that majority of colleges don't really prepare their graduates for everything that they will come across in their chosen profession. This is especially important today with the high cost of tuition.

With Champlain, it's different because we are all required to take part in internships, so we get more hands on experience then straight up text book knowledge. But still, is college worth it, do we get everything that we need? If we are not getting the needed skills, we are going to find ourselves stressed and overwhelmed like my friend to the left of me. I've always thought that maybe I shouldn't be in college, maybe I should be out getting experience and working already. After all, for a PR career track, I know a lot of people who attained it without a college degree. So it was almost comforting to read this in the book, and know that I'm not the only one out there imagining all my debt and thinking to myself "is this really worth it?"

Born and Raised By Nickeloden

9. This stood out to me one page 381, Hilliard talks about imagination being the key element to preparing and writing for children. It's important to have something creative that will appeal to children, and will help stimulate their minds.

I started to think about my younger days as a child, and the TV shows I used to watch. Something like Barney seems less creative then something like Spongebob Squarepants. A big talking purple dinosaur, or as the theme song goes sponge who livesin a pineapple under the sea. Though, Spongebob Squarepants is less educational. Sure, Spongebob will show you how to catch jellyfish and make burgers, but Barney showed you how to count, read, tie your shoes, things for kids who aspire for more then being a friecook. This was important to me to realize because when you can step back and see how the little things are evolving, that's when you can really step back and see the times evolving.

The Show Must Go On

10. On page 334, Hillard says that scrips, whether they are for video or film, use a format consisting of drama and suspense to hold the audiences attention. A conflict is created and the solution achieves the objective of the presentation.

This photo represents how I feel about this drama aspect, that we dont need drama. We need something enlightening.When I read this, I started wonder if this is why we love drama so much. It's what we are exposed to daily, and it's proven to keep our attention. To me, this was a helpful thing to come to terms with because as someone who is interested in perusing a career in advertising or PR, it's important to know what truly grabs the individual. We love drama, we feed off it. It keeps us on our toes, and it will also forever keep our wallets open.

The Game is Sustain

1. What was the most difficult moment in making this video?

Finding a common time that everyone could get together and film this. We all had very conflicting schedules, or previous weekend commitments that we couldn't get out of. When we did have time to get together it was usually quick, and sometimes not all of us could be there, so we worked really well catching other group members up to speed.

2. Other than finishing it, what was the most rewarding moment in making this video?

The process of planning it. We all had a lot of ideas that we bounced around, and we worked really well building off of each other to reach the final product. We had a lot of laughs in the planning process.

3. Discuss 3 specific lessons you learned about film production and/or "group process" in making this video?

I learned that you really need good whether, and waiting around for it is mindless. In terms of production, it's very important to make sure the set is as quiet as possible, because the sound editing is very difficult to make right. In terms of working with a group, I learned that if you take the time to hear everyones ideas, and dont rush into one idea, your final product will be so much better.

4. Discuss 3 specific things you learned about Champlain College and/or the "Sustain Champlain" project that you did not know before completing this project?

I learned a lot about Champlain by doing this video. I had no idea that we had the low flow shower heads, that I could get my coffee for cheeper, or that the motion censored lighting was so common throughout the entire campus.

The Alert for an RSS

Many of us today take full advantage of the Internet, we have our usual sites that we go to and check daily, we have our usual round up of information. Read, type, read, type, it's a vicious cycle. But now, it can be easier, you can have everything brought to you. So now, the process goes type, read, read, read, read, and well, you get the picture.

Yes, this sounds like an advertisement, because well, it might as well be one. By setting up an RSS feed, you get everything brought to you. You can do this with many sites, personally, I put my comfort in the hands of Google, however the choice is yours. If you go to your favorite site, you're going to see a link that looks like the picture above. Click on that button, enter your information, and tada! Now all you have to do is log onto your RSS feed page, and everything is there for you. It will notify you of any updates on any of your favorite sites! Crazy, right? In case my description isn't clear enough, here is an informational video to help you understand the wonders of the RSS feed.

Oh, the wonders of the RSS. As someone who is looking at going into a public relations field, this is very vital to my career. If I need to get my updates quickly in the morning so I could make decisions about what to m

ake my press release about, I can have all the latest news just sent to me to view quickly, and in one place. I would no longer have to go searching for the information, when it's just brought right to me. Not enough people take advantage of this concept, but I'm sure if they tried it, they would understand.

As helpful of a trick as an RSS feed is, Google Alerts are equally as helpful. If you go to your google account, and sign up for what is called a "google alert" then you can type anything you have questions about in. For example, I had questions about the iPad when it was first released, I was curious to see what others were saying, and what reviews it was receiving. So, I went to my Google Alerts and typed in iPad, and from the point on, twice a day I receive emails that include links and stories that were published all over the web that pertain to the iPad. This information is brought right to me.

Google Alerts are another trick of the trade to know for someone that is going into the PR field, for example you can easily find out what is being said about your company by anyone who accesses the Internet. How much easier could your job be? Here is a video about how to use Google Alerts.

Google Alerts and RSS feeds go hand in hand in how they are helping to shape a media driven world. While they are easy to use and help us greatly in the day to day routine, what is it really doing for us, and how are they effecting us? Everything falls under the tool sets, even things that make our lives easier. ESPECIALLY things that make our lives easier.

They effect the brain especially in the neocortex because it is all through reading. Everything that you put onto your RSS feed or receive through email from your Google Alert involves reading, and then processing the information that you are reading, that you take in. The neocortex is where all the higher level thinking takes place.

RSS and Google Alerts are a perfect example of the aesthetic shift as they take something that was meant for many, and bring it directly to you. When you no longer have to go visit companies web pages to get their information, you are not seeing everything else they want you to see. No advertisements, no other stories that are placed to grab your attention. They are also examples of the technological shift as you are accessing all this information for your self, your own personal viewing, it's being brought to you and only you in this direct format.

In my opinion, these two methods of information are examples of ownership. You are doing what these companies want, you are such a loyal customer that you are limiting your search for information to there information and their information only. For example, usually to get the news, you'll scan sites to find what you want, however, with RSS feeds you are getting direct feed back from only the sites that you want. You are limiting yourself to the information you are getting, which then leads into "reality" construction/trade offs because you don't know what is being told, and what isn't being told. You are trusting the specific sources you get.

In terms of persuasion techniques, it really involves all of them depending upon the information that you are getting from using Google Alerts and RSS Feeds. This could be all of them, maybe just a hand full, but it is at lest a few of them.

RSS Feeds and Google Alerts are new for our time, but it's something that was a long time coming. These are two things that are vital for most career tracks, and even if it has no relation to something you are studying in the future, it's a great way to keep informed. As someone who uses both of these informational techniques, I would recommend them in a heart beat. Alright, this is the end of this advertisement.

Chirp Chirp, Tweet Tweet.

I did the unthinkable, something I promised myself I'd never do. Something so disappointing to myself, something so treacherous that it's causing me to lose sleep. So disappointing, that my even my cat is upset with me. I joined Twitter.

For so long I promised myself that Myspace and Facebook were enough for me in terms of social networking sites. After all, Myspace grew old, and Facebook, well, let's just say it's my number one excuse for not getting work done. That and playing with my overly energetic kitten.

I always felt that the concept of twitter was just, pointless. 140 characters to get my point across to the "twitter-verse", well, that's the same as updating my Facebook status. So, why did I need to then go and join this sight as well? Because, I'll do anything for a good grade, and joining this social networking site, that has to many clever phrases from it's name, was a homework assignment.

Once I got past the initial shock of actually having a Twitter account, I realized that I have no idea how to actually use the thing. My roommate and I sat for an hour just trying to figure the thing out! We ended up calling one of my friends, who had recently decided to put his beak away and stop twittering, to come and show us the ropes. After he showed us the basics, he then sent me a tweet saying I had "awoken the twittering beast" and got him back into the bad habit. I also found this helpful video to just lay it out for me.





They make it so simple, allowing you to update your tweets right from your phone. Even myself, who has had no experience with this program, have added Twitter as a new contact in my smart phone. I'm embarrassed to have admitted this, it's worse then admitting a new crush in middle school. okay, maybe not to that extent, but it's up there for sure.

Being a member of Twitter has an impact that uses all of our tool sets. To start with the brain, my Reptilian brain is engaged for me personally, because I want to flight, but I fight to stay. My Limbic brain feels the emotions of not only me being on Twitter, but in reading all of the posts that I'm able to see using Tweet Deck. I will praise Twitter in that I find it interesting that I don't need to be someones "friend" in order to see what they are tweeting. I just need to look up the network and I can see all of it's members. It's like a marketing professionals dream! My Neocortex gets to read and process all that is coming at me, and all that I'm submerging myself into.

In terms of the shifts, it's a perfect example of the Technological Shift, because not only is Twitter a perfect example of the web taking over, but even marketing professionals use it for advertising. You reaching a large audience. Which transitions perfectly into the Personal Shift. Also, it's an example of Cultural Shift because while we feel things like Facebook pages and Twitter home pages are ours, they are accessible to anyone and everyone who knows our names.

Moving nicely into the basic principles, it fits into the standards of Production Techniques, because it's with these techniques that twitter considers itself to be unique and original. Giving you only 140 characters to get your message across, there is nothing else like that. It raises the questions of Ownership, thinking about who owns this source of medium. We think we do, but really someone is making bank off us tweeting things to each other. Not to mention all the companies that make accounts on these pages to gain awareness and look to enhance their company names through word of mouth.

Twitter can use as many persuasive techniques as the day is long, because it depends on the people who use Twitter, which we know includes people of all ages, as well as companies trying to gain recognition, even people that are hosting local events will make a Twitter page, and then delete it once the event has passed.

Everyone has a twitter, everyone wants to take in the benefits that come along with typing 140 characters to everyone saying what's on your mind and what your doing. What is it with today's society that wants everyone to know their every action? Does privacy not exist anymore? I understand that as a youth in today's society who does have social networking pages I'm including myself in this category, but that doesn't make it any less true.


Once this class is over, and my grade is done, I'm going to delete my Twitter, and take a breath of fresh air knowing that I can go back to just go back to updating my Facebook status without having to log into a whole other network that makes no sense to me.

Oh Twitter, keep on tweeting.

Midterm Maddness

1. After studying media for eight weeks in this class, what have you learned?
I've learned a lot. A big part of what I've learned is the importance of understanding the web, such as twitter and blogging, it's all down me just how important the Internet really is to today's society.

2. What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a; 1. critical reader, 2. a writer, and 3. thinker in this class so far?
-As a critical reader, that I need to read things more then once sometimes to fully take in the meaning of the writing, especially Media related things and now understand the tool sets, I try and see if they are featured.

-As a critical writer, I need to read things out loud to myself to make sure that my message is coming off in the way I really want it to. I try to make sure that the language I use is effective in getting my point across in a direct manner and that I'm not just confusing anyone reading.

-As a critical thinker I realize that I'm always thinking with a media mind. When I see advertisements I don't play into them like I used to because I understand now what the owners are trying to get me to believe.

3. What's one thing you would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
I feel that it subjects like media studies, there are so many great documentaries. Short of a Michael Moore movie, there are plenty out there, and I feel that watching these offers a lot of insight. I would just play a movie for the class, to have visuals go with the words is really driving the information into the brain.

4. What's one thing you would like me (Dr. W.) to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
Whenever I do the readings from the book I always find the information so interesting, because they are things I felt were so generic but turn out to be so unique in their own form. I really enjoy reading from the book, so I would want to incorporate the readings into the class more, like, just spend more time going over them and maybe in more detail.

5. Please comment on the usefulness of the course blog, your personal blog, our films, and our books as learning tools.

-Course blog I really like having because I can always check it. As someone with a smart phone and always has it with them, this works out well for me. If I'm ever at work and trying to get work done, I can just check the course blog and not have to worry about having a syllabus with me to check it.

-Personal blog, I like having that because I feel it's really beneficial to have. I like that it's where most of our homework assignments are, it's a new unique way of doing homework, it's really changing with the times.

-Films, we haven't watched any yet! We have watched various things on YouTube which have been interesting, yes, but not a full film. The German drink commercial scared the crap out of me, the super bowl commercials never get old, and the video we watched for our midterm was very interesting.

-Book, I really like having the book. It's not only a good reference tool, but it's a good paper weight. Just kidding, but really I do enjoy the book, I really like reading from it, which is great because I'm never dreading doing my homework.

Stuck on The Island (Media Meditation 1)

A few weekends ago, I went and paid the $7.25 to go to the movies and see Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. This movie is a psychological thriller/ mystery movie, and it kept me guessing until the end. I'm glad to say, that I absolutely loved this movie.

There have been a lot of mixed reviews when hearing about it, but this is the type of movie you really need to have a taste for. It's a movie you really have to pay attention to because all the small details come together to make perfect sense, but if you miss one of the details, you are left a little in the dark. I don't want to spoil the end, but you'd never guess it coming. And even when it's laid out for you, you don't know which is the real thing; is he crazy or sane?

It was a thriller, and my reptilian brain was loving this. It was controlling my body to deal with the jumps, shocks, and fear in some cases. My heart rate was always up an then down, and then up, and then down. My limbic brain was loving all the images, the set was so well done, it made you feel like you were really there. My emotions went for a ride in the end, as I really didn't know what to believe anymore! Finally, my neocortex was fully engaged, as this movie really made me think. I had to thing back to the entire movie and think about all the small meaningless actions, that turned out to be so important to the movie in general.

The movie in itself featured a bit of the cultural shift. It was taken place in a psychiatrist facility, and there was always someone watching, they never had any alone time. I thought it made an unintentional connection, or maybe it was just me, to how life is these days. That, if something is wrong, we just get rid of the problem, and in this case it's the people. They are always watched, and the only time they were alone is when they ran away, or made a great effort to hide. In one scene, even in the case where they are hiding, they are still found unknowingly. This is like todays media culture. It's everywhere, and we can't get away.

It used good examples of value messages as it makes us question some things. Me personally, it made me question the insanity of the main character, and how someone can create a different personality to escape their real life, or, if that was really the case, and he was just brain washed. It's like today, were we can be convinced of anything, even losing sight of ourselves and who we really are. If someone has a convincing argument, then, that's all it takes.

In terms of persuasion techniques, it really was based around the big lie. You're not supposed to know what's real and what's not, even though to the end of the movie. They are not telling the truth about something, but it's unknown when it really is. They use bandwagon techniques in both positive and negative ways to the story line. The movie is based around one rhetorical question of what happed to patient 67. And, of course, fear is used, as it is a scary movie.

This movie didn't use to many specifics from our four tool sets, but it really worked my brain on all three levels. I would pay to see this movie again, I loved the thrill so much. Two thumbs up Leonardo, I hope you get off the island eventually

Sugar, sugar, sugar.

ESTABLISHING SHOT; KIRAN CHETRY TALKING TO ELIZABETH COHEN ON TV SCREEN ON THE MAIN STAGE
Kiran: First of all we’re talking about regular soda right, not diet?
Elizabeth: That’s right, we’re talking about regular soda because, Kiran, the culprit here appears to be the sheer amount of sugar…

FULL SCREEN SHOT OF EZLIZABEATH TALKING, CNN STUDIOS IN THE BACKGROUND.
Elizabeth: That you get in sodas. What this study did is, it found that people who drink on average about five sodas a week have about an 87%...

SCREEN CHANGES TO CLOSE UP SHOT OF TWO PEPSI BOTTLES
Elizabeth: Increase risk…

SCREEN SHOT OF CONVENIENT STORE REFRIGERATOR FILLED WITH SODA BOTTLES.
Elizabeth: Of getting pancreatic cancer. Now that is a huge number…

SHOT CHANGES TO A CLOSE UP OF TWO SODA CANS .
Elizabeth: An 87%...

SHOT CHANGES OVER TO SOMEONE AT COUNTER PUTTING A CAP ON THEIR CUP OF SODA.
Noises pertaining to securing the cap on the soda cup.
Elizabeth: Increase chance of getting pancreatic cancer but want to keep in mind…

SHOT CHANGES TO MAIN SET WITH A SCREEN ON SET DISPLAYING WORDS.
Screen: Drinking an average of 5 (sodas) per week = 87% increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Elizabeth: Here, this is not a perfect study. There were only 140 people with pancreatic cancer in this study, but what it basically points to is this…

SHOT CHANGES TO A CLOSE UP OF ELIZABETH TALKING, CNN STUDIOS IN THE BACKGROUND.
Elizabeth: Sodas, have quite a bit of sugar in them, in fact, and I don’t know if you can see, but I’ve gathered together here all the sugar that you would have, we’re talking lots of bags of sugar, tons of bags, a hundred bags of sugar if you’re drinking five sodas a week. A hundred bags of sugar. What that can do is that can make you fat. (One minute cut off)


There observations about this news story from Hilliard are:

1.Hilliard says to "be concrete. Say exactly what you mean. Give specific examples." (Hilliard 137) and you can see this news story following that pattern as Elizabeth is being very exact and to the point. She worked to give examples also by bringing in 100 packs of sugar.
2. Hilliard talks for an entire section about the accuracy of your information, and while Elizabeth didn't include the source of this study in my scripted minute, she did however say that this was not a perfect study. That right there earns her some credibility because she's being honest with her audience.
3. Using visuals is a large part of television news, and in this section Hilliard says that "timing is important for the writer. Make sure you have the exact time for all visuals" (Hilliard 162) and in this news story they did a good job of using visuals. They focused the screen on bottles, cans, and cups of soda. While this may have not been intentional, I feel they did a good job of showing how easy it is to pick up this bottle of sugar and not think twice about it, and all the different ways they come for our convenience.

Are you a man, man?

ESTABLISHING SHOT; MAN IN BATHROOM
Shower Running…
Man: Hello Ladies…

ZOOMING IN
Shower Running
Man: Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back to your man. Now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped used ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice he could smell like he’s me.

BATHROOM SCENE IS PUTTED UP, AND CHANGES TO BOAT.
Whooshing, wind sound is made.
Man: Look down, back up, where are you?

WALKING AROUND ON THE BOAT, PANARAMIC SHOT FOLLOWING HIM UNTIL HE GETS TO THE END OF THE BOAT. STOMACH EXPOSED.
Wind noises, boat horn, waves crashing, and birds in background.
Man: You’re on a boat with the man your man could smell like.

ZOOMED IN ON HIS FACE
Wind noises, boat horn, waves crashing, birds, and diamonds falling.
Man: What’s in your hand? Back at me. I have it; it’s an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love. Look again, the tickets are now diamonds.

ZOOMING OUT FROM HIS FACE; STOMACH EXPOSED, SHOWING BACKGROUND OF BEACH AND OCEAN AND HORSE, APPERANCE OF OLD SPICE BOTTLE.
Waves crash, horse making noise, music in background.
Man: Anything is possible when your make smells like old spice and not like a lady. I’m on a horse.
Horse: Neigh. Words on Screen: Smell like a man, man. Old Spice.

"Fear" isn't in our vocabulary. [Media Experience 3]

This weekend, I went to Montreal to visit some of my boyfriends family. I had never been there before, so this was all very new to me. As soon as we crossed the border, something was different. Yes, I know what you're thinking, it's because the land is suddenly flat, and everything is written in two languages. But I also noticed something else,- their advertising.

It wasn't something that was done through fear, it was something that was done though heavy extensive advertising, it was something that was genuine. Canadians were genuinely happy to be in their country, and to be consumers. Their advertisements didn't come off as something that would make me a loser if I didn't have this product, they came off as something to inform me, just letting me know that the option is out there, but if i chose something different it would be okay. This was new to me, because I'm used to sitting down and watching TV where every commercial is telling me how I can become a better version of myself. In Canada, I can't speak for the commercials in french, but the commercials in English were nothing of the sort. These people were proud to be Canadian. They were happy to be advertising for their country.

My Triune Brain was loving every moment of this. My Reptilian Brain was as ease, my Limbic Brain was processing emotions of happiness and not fear, and my Neocortex was processing these message with real consideration because they weren't yelling at me to have something.

I noticed things like the Personal Shift, because I didn't feel that these ads were directed right to me, but rather just those people around my in general who fit into the marketing segment, and I liked this better then thinking they were gunning for me.

I paid attention to Production Techniques, because I thought that the things they did use for their advertising were unique and creative. They didn't use things that fooled me, but rather it seemed like they used creativity to grab my attention. I did question Ownership, because I do fully understand that these are all things that are getting my attention, these companies are still getting what they want.

As for Persuasive Techniques, I noticed a very wide variety of things. For example, symbols of the Canadian maple leaf, bandwagon, plain folks, group dynamics, and strength were a lot of what I saw. Granted, this could have a lot to do with the fact that they are currently hosting the Olympics, and are very proud at the moment. But overall I got the message that Canadians were proud people, who really loved their country. I also saw a lot of use of humor and warm fuzzies, but something I didn't see a lot of, was fear. This technique wasn't something that I saw being used at all, because they realize that to scare someone into buying your product is not way to establish yourself as a company in society.

Finally, someone get the message.

We-Show-Everything-But-Your-Facebook [Media Experience 2]

Over one billion people have a facebook account. These accounts are not just for people, but they are for groups, companies, clubs, sales, everything you could imagine. Something that started off as a social networking site for people has become something to keep companies even closer to their market-us. Even the Olympics has a fan page. Take Ikea for example, they had a great campaign through facebook. Not to mention that it is a quick easy way for companies to target their market directly, since when you sign up for an account you are segmenting yourself.

For example, my single roommate, whenever she logs on she is exposed to singles ads. My friend with a boyfriend, is exposed to ads that talk about romantic weekend getaways. My friend that is very interested in animals and lists them as one of her interests, is constantly being exposed to ads that talk about making donations to save the abandoned animals. We make ourselves a perfect market; we leave ourselves easily reached.

In addition to this, Facebook is always changing. When I began my abusive love affair with the social networking site in 2006, it was entirely different then it is today. Today, it in no way resembles how I remember it when we first met. To the left, everything is laid out for you; every application, network, even who is online and available to chat. Facebook chat, is a perfect example of Cultural Shift, because it shows whenever you are online, and you're always reachable. You can't even log on in privacy, in fact, I'm currently Facebook chatting with a friend while I write this. It also showcases the Personal Shift, obviously, because it is a means of a social networking network.

In the center of the page you see all you're friends, and their comments to other people, as well as their "status" updates, simply stating what's on their mind at the moment. To the left of the screen, you see advertisements. As you can see by all the high numbers at the top right of that portion of the page, I ignore these. I let them build up, and let myself be amazed by the amount I receive. Below are the ads as I mentioned before that are targeted directly at me. These ads raise the question of ownership. This is my page, but it is bombarded by advertisements from other companies, companies that I have no interest in have anything type of contact with. Of course, though, the owners of Facebook (those lucky billionaires) make even more money from these annoying little ads on the side of my screen.

All different types of persuasive techniques are used in these. Generally it's flattery, telling you that you are beautiful, but you need this to make you EXTRA gorgeous. Bandwagon because everyone else is doing it, and they let you know. If one of your friends on Facebook is using said product, then their name appears at the bottom of the advertisement. Nostalgia is frequently touched upon for those of us with a significant other, if you ever want a gift idea, or a weekend escape, Facebook has then answer for you, thinking really isn't required anymore.

My brain is effected in this as well, and I mean in ways other then probably demeaning my intelligence. Limbic is a big factor as I read these ads, and what everyone else says. The images they post, and event he videos and such that I watch as they get sent from friend to friend on page to page and though my news feed. Also, my neocortex is at play in this love game. As everything is about reading on facebook, reading and processing the information that you are reading.

What Happens in The Lagoon... [Media Experience One]

Movies today are good, but movies from the 50's, 60's, the classics, are better. This weekend I watched "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and thought that it was a fantastic film. Movies back then were just so much more, passionate.

For those that don't know, "Creature from the Black Lagoon" was made in 1954 starring Richard Carlson and Julie Adams. The plot, a scientific expedition searching for fossils along the Amazon River discover a prehistoric Gill-Man in the legendary Black Lagoon. The explorers capture the mysterious creature, but it breaks free. The Gill-Man returns to kidnap the lovely Kay (Julie Adams, the fiancee of one of the expedition, with whom it has fallen in love.



The Gill-Man, pictured above, is done so well, considering this was over 50 years ago, and they had nothing available to them like film makers do today. This is a perfect example of production techniques, because it is so different from anything we've seen today. Not to mention, most people my age don't usually watch the classics. Being in black and white, it leaves a lot more to the imagination. The sound effects would be considered cheesy today, and the editing wouldn't be considered that good either.


Also, it's a perfect example of the Technological Shift, given the way that I watched it. In the 50's when this movie came out, you'd go to the theater, see it, and that would be the end of it. Me however, I Bit-Torrented the movie, downloaded it to my flash drive, plugged it into my X-Box, and watched it for my own personal viewing on my flat screen TV. Really, the two methods of viewing couldn't be any different.

I didn't feel this movie used any persuasive techniques, but I do however, feel it had an effect of my triune brain. Mainly, my Limbic Brain, given the fact that the movie was black and white, the image took a different effect on my brain, and the music and sound effects were so different. I'm used to something to intense and jumpy, that this music was almost calming, and so stereotypical, that I knew what was coming. Of course, this can all also connect to my Reptilian Brain, because it's a matter of instinct or not. With the Gill-Man, it made my heart rate, and my reptilian brain had to decide if I was scared or not.

There is talks of remaking this film in 2011, in fact it's already in pre-production. I'm not sure how I feel about this, after all there is no reason to mess with perfection. All in all, I thought this movie was great. I love the classics because they give you an experience that you can't find with most movies today. Next to watch on my list of classics; Frankenstein with Gene Wilder.

Hey Lola, hey.

ESTABLISHING SHOT; OUTSIDE LOLA'S MANSION-DANICA, LOLA, FANCY CAR.
Cheesy Keyboard.
Danica: Meet Lola.
Lola: Mmmmm. Hmmmm.

CLOSE UP AT LOLA'S PORTRIOT.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: The day he retired from football...

ESTABLISHING SHOT.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: Lola started chasing his biggest dream.

WIDE ANGLE SHOT; ROOM WITH MODELS AND LOLA.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: A business of his own. Lola's first step, he built his website...
Lola: Mmmmmmhmmm. Mmmmhmmm.

CLOSE UP ON LOLA
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: With GoDaddy.com

CLOSE UP ON LOLA OOGLING MODELS
Cheesey Keyboard.
Lola: Mmmmmhmmmmm

SIDE SHOT: LOLA AT COMPUTER WITH DANICA IN THE BACKGROUND.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: And, with GoDaddy's easy to use ecommerce tools, Lola...
Lola: Mmmmhmmm

SHOT FOCUSED ON COMPUTER SHOWING WEBSITE.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: ..was soon selling his own line to the world.

CLOSE UP ON LOLA'S FACE.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Lola: Wooo weee!

WIDE ANGLE SHOT: LOLA FLOATING IN POOL IN FRONT OF MANSION WITH DANICA IN FORGROUND AND MODELS IN THE BACKGROUND.
Cheesey Keyboard.
Danica: Lola dreams big, and who's to argue.
Lola: Ughhh Huhhh

BLACK SCREEN WITH LOGO POPPING UP IN THE FAR RIGHT AS DANICA SAYS IT.
Woosh sound effect as the words pop up on the screen.
Danica: See more now, at GoDaddy.com.

Obama address the State Of the Mind

We all heard President Obama speak and address our nation, and it all meant something different to all of us, depending upon our own personal stance in society today. One thing, however, that we all have in common in experiencing this media frenzy, was the exposure to the language he used.





It affected our Triune Brain on three difference levels;
Reptilian, because this connects to my life, and my own survival.
Limbic brain as I processed all the images that were around such as
the flags that there in the background both on his suite and hanging on the wall, also all the clapping that gave off a positive effect to support his words. Finally, the
Neocortex, because all the information he said, I had to process it for what it was and how it applied to my life.

Examples used from the Eight Trends included;
Technological Shift and the perfect representation of this is the fact that it's currently up on YouTube. It's no longer that if you didn't see it the first time you never see it again, instead, you can watch it anytime your heart desires. If that isn’t enough, you can even keep up with our president on his facebook page.
Personal shift was touched upon, by taking this from something like the radio, and putting it on various news outlets that let you view it in many different medium.


We were exposed to a few of the Seven Principals as well;
Production techniques with all the different camera angles that were used, showing the angles of President Obama and the audience he was facing, very empowering. Individual meaning was a large portion of this. We all took something very different from this message, and we all relate in some way or another. I'm willing to bet that this interpretation differed on how you watched the address as well.
Emotional transfer goes along with individual meaning, taking us for a ride, trying to invoke our emotions so we'll be supportive of his message in some way
Reality construction was something we were greatly exposed to. We have to ask ourselves as we are listening to his side of things, what is the other side? What are we missing? Can we really make a informed decision with biased information?

Finally, we fell prey to many different Persuasive Techniques;
Group Dynamics of course, as “we” are all fellow Americans.
Nostalgia was present in his language.
Scientific Evidence to back up his points with real authority.
Warm Fuzzies when he painted the picture of the typical American family with kids, and how the economy is taking a toll on them.
Plain Folks of course, going back to the previous mention of the typical American family.
Symbols, again with the flags very visible and always present in the camera shot.
Humor by make puns as others, and as well at himself.
Strawman by knocking down the arguments presented by those with different views then himself.
Strength, as he has much strength in his words as he encourages all of us to unite as one and save the economy.