Extra Credit Blog Post

 Before RTF 305, I had never used a blog before. However, the use of blogs in this course was a very engaging form of communicating what we learned from lectures and readings. It was also helpful to explore the various opinions on a certain topics. Getting started with Blogger was a challenge at first. Technically, I was not familiar at all with the format of a blog. I actually made a large error. I accidentally closed the window and then Blogger would not allow me to continue my registration process, claiming my username was already taken. This caused mild panic on my part but eventually I solved the problem. My first blog posts strictly followed the grading criteria, but over time I felt more comfortable including my personal reflections. At times, it was difficult to know what to say, in terms of interpersonal communication versus intrapersonal communication. However, eventually I compromised my intercommunication for a more personal perspective. I wrote the blog solely for my own input rather than for others to read. I found that blog prompts that ask you to explain a concept used in class were easier but less interesting. For example, the 10^th blog prompt where we were to provide an example of globalization was very straightforward. My favorite blog prompts were the 4^th, 8^th, and 9^th.  I found the 4^th blog prompt particularly interesting because it involved watching a modern sitcom. I chose Modern Family and enjoyed it a lot. For the 8^th assignment, I chose to do the three-act structure in The Blind Side, one of my favorite films and it was fascinating to see the progression of the structure in the film. The 9^th prompt was solely up to you to decide a form of advertising that caught your attention. Being an advertising major, I found this an extremely interesting topic. I chose the Dovelution that looked at the use of the average woman in Dove’s campaign. Interesting topics were easier for me to complete. Yes, I would recommend using a blog in future courses because it was a helpful and interactive way to apply learned topics in real world applications. To improve the blogging experience, I would suggest more interaction amongst students, maybe in discussion groups. Commenting on blogs could provide further insight and an overall improved blogging experience.

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

Mickey goes Global

Globalization is the process of transferring ideas and cultures, increasing interconnectedness among nations and people. this usually results I increased opportunities for communication, exchange of goods, and migration of people.

Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting a more powerful culture over a least desirable culture in terms of direction and volume. Slowly but surely, all cultures are becoming the same. Cultural flow reflects imbalance in global power structure. ­Today, a small number of U.S. or transnational conglomerates dominate global media flow, resulting in loss of local culture and more cultures becoming Westernized. Globalization and Internet are accelerating the process of cultural influence.

Walt Disney exemplifies cultural imperialism in media. Disney theme parks worldwide portray Western culture and Mickey Mouse has become a worldwide phenomenon. The Disney Brand has become extremely popular even outside of the United States. The products and services depict the American way of life through many different kinds of media, with theme parks and TV shows, movies and merchandise, all under the same Disney brand.

Keeping it real: Dovelution

Dove is a brand infamous for incorporating the average women amidst a modern world. The Dove Evolution ad is part of the series of ads promoting Dove’s campaign for real beauty. The ad shows the transition from a natural appearance to an image fully enhanced by cosmetics, a different hairstyle, and computer image editing that essentially alter the model’s entire appearance. The final product is a billboard ad that ends with the statement, “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.”

This ad was extremely powerful to me because of the insight that the ad gives the consumer. With this ad, the receiver becomes a more informed consumer. I particularly liked the bold message that this ad stated. In this world filled with many forms of diversity, this ad was a refreshing change from other ads and I felt it captured the essence of beauty. It was persuasive in the way you kind of question beauty after viewing the ad.

A potential appeal that applies to this ad is aesthetic sensations because of it pertains to the true sense of beauty. Beauty is a very broad term, and this ad explores the many forms and characteristics of beauty. A characteristic of this appeal is constructing the audience, creating the sense of being both an observer and a participant, an advertiser and a consumer.  Another characteristic is the ubiquity. The ad applies to everyone because beauty is seen everywhere. The characteristic of grabbing attention is also employed because of the novelty of this ad. While other ads typically portray an unattainable beauty, this ad questions the validity of other ads. I think it is the combination of these characteristics that successfully appeals to the consumer.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

The three act structure of The Blind Side

Act one: This act introduces the protagonist, Michael Oher, “Mike,” who arrives at Wingate Christian School. Here, he befriends Sean Jr. "SJ" and develops the characters in the film. One night, Leigh Anne Tuohy, SJ’s mother, notices Michael walking on the road, shivering in the cold and offers him a place to sleep. This is the peak of this act. But the act continues to show the progression of Mike’s integration into the Tuohy family.

Plot point 1: 43

Act Two:  The transition to the topic of football presents the complication in the film. After Mike joins the school football team, he is offered various scholarships and must decide on a school. Leigh Ann clearly prefers the University of Mississippi where both her and her husband attended. However, because of this, the Touhys must undergo an NCAA investigation where Mike is told that the Tuohys are Ole Miss boosters and is questioned about why he chose the school. The act peaks when Michael confronts Leigh Anne, asking if she only took him in so he would play football for her alma mater. Mike leaves, ending the act.

Plot point two: 55

Act Three: The resolution is presented when Leigh Anne finally finds Mike, and tells him she will support any decision he makes. Michael returns and satisfies the investigator by explaining that he chose Ole Miss because his whole family has gone there. The peak of this act is Mike’s decision to attend the University of Mississippi.

Climax: 22

The Three-Act Structure behind The Office

A characteristic of TV sitcoms is the modified three-act structure. This structure is composed of setup, confrontation and resolution. The setup establishes the characters and location in a “character-based casualty” so that the sitcom is portraying their everyday lives. The confrontation presents a conflict that the protagonist must work to resolve which usually leads to character-growth. The third act is the climax, where the characters must confront growing tensions and resolve the conflict. This structure characterizes classical medium and “controls disclosure” of information.

An example of how the three act structure functions in the sitcom genre is when a character sets a goal, but is met with obstacles pertaining to his life and eventually comes across a solution, enabling him to attain that goal.

The Office is a television sitcom that follows the daily lives of office workers at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the seventh season premier of The Office (Nepotism), a new office assistant, Luke is introduced in the first act. His attitude and poor work ethic cause tension and everyone expresses their dislike towards him, but it is revealed that Luke is Michael’s nephew. The conflict of whether or not to get rid of Luke essentially makes up act two. This conflict is finally resolved when Luke continues to behave poorly and finally comes a climax. During a meeting, Michael spanks him in front of the entire office and he runs away crying to the satisfaction of all of the workers. This episode was extremely hilarious and accurately represented the three-act structure characteristic of the sitcom genre.

The shots & angles of how to steal a million

My favorite movie of all time is How to Steal a Million, starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole.

My Scene: How to Steal a Million

The scene begins with a Close up, high angle shot on Nicole Bonnet (Hepburn) that suggests that power is held over her. She does not know beforehand of the arrival of her intruder, which builds suspense from the audience. The dark background calls attention to Bonnet and establishes a connection, relating her point of view to the interests of the audience.

Another Close up, high angle shot is shown when the camera is angled downward at the painting that Dermott (O’Toole) is collecting a sample from. This shot depicts the symbolic meaning that this single painting is the general overview of the entire film, the item of interest that is under analysis for validity.

The last high angle shot in the scene is at the accidental firing of the gun by Bonnet. By her backing away up the stairs, Bonnet’s fear is highlighted by the camera angle.

There is a shift in the middle of the scene from a high, close up angle to a medium, low angle shot when Bonnet is located at the top of the stairwell and looked to. This conveys her rightful claim over the house and defines her position as powerful and advantageous, holding influence over Simon Dermott (O’Toole). This upper hand is held throughout most of the movie.

Upon her arrival at the foot of the stairs, Bonnet is now amidst a low, eye level shot that carries on throughout most of the scene. This shot establishes the relationship between Dermott (O’Toole) and Bonnet (Hepburn) through the action caused by the accidental shooting. The focus is on the interaction between the characters.

A Trail of Stars

An aspect in the studio system of production that I find particularly interesting is the role of stars and their association with other stars of the same studio. Majoring in advertising, I am particularly interested in this aspect because this ‘suggestion’ exemplifies advertising in Classic Hollywood. Stars are essentially ‘selling’ other stars in the same studio.

This aspect affected the films that studios made because stars become more associated with genres and studios. For example, Humphrey Bogart became characterized by his fedora and trench coat and known for his work in the detective genre.

An example of this is when Major studios, especially the “Big five” such as Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), use one star to promote other stars. This was shown in the clip Dear Mr. Gable that we viewed in class. Judy Garland is a fan of Clark Gable and sings of how she came to love him.  Because of this, fans of Garland become interested in the actor Clark Gable as well, building star power, a vital part of the studio system of production.