1. I had never actually used a blog prior to attending RTF 305. It had always seemed like an interesting thing to do, but I just never had the time to get around to it. I may open one for personal reasons now because I actually enjoyed it a lot.
2. There were quite a few positive aspects to the blog use in this course. One of them was the simple enjoyment that I got out of writing about topics that interested me, as well as being graded on them. It is not often that I get assignments which I actually enjoy doing. Another positive aspect was the expedited process of turning the assignments in. As opposed to turning assignments into class, where there is a risk that you could leave your assignment at home or forget to print it, here you can be absolutely sure that you have turned yours in. There is little worrying involved with the blogs. Also, having a blog allows for more interactivity. You can read what your classmates wrote and get their opinions on the topics, and you can even comment on theirs if you have anything you would like to mention. It is definitely more enjoyable than simply handing in written assignments.
3. I really only encountered one problem during my use of the blog: the use of HTML. For my first few blogs, I had no idea how to embed pictures or YouTube videos in blogs for a while, so they were not as enjoyable as I wanted to make them. However, after a few blogs I managed to figure that out.
4. The way I managed to overcome the difficulty of using HTML was by simply tinkering around with the different tools that were present on the blog. I understand that there is a giant link above the blog which says "Edit HTML," so I should not feel very bright for not being able to figure it out. But I was not used to a blog at the time, so it was hard for me to figure out anything. Basically, all it took was seeing that link at the top to figure out how to use HTML.
5. The blog prompts which I found to be the most interesting were the ones in which I could apply the lessons that I learned in class to my favorite films or TV shows. I joined this class to learn about television and film mainly, so when I could apply those lessons to films or TV shows that I love, it made for a very entertaining writing experience. Two specific examples that I can think of are the blog where I had to describe the shot progression in a film that I was very familiar with (I chose Alex Proyas' Dark City) and the prompt where I had to compare a modern family-oriented sitcom to All in the Family (I chose George Lopez). In contrast, the blog prompts that were the least interesting to me were the ones in which I could not talk about film or television shows at all. I am very passionate about film and television, so I had great fun when I was able to talk about them. On the contrary, anything not having to do directly with TV or film was not that enjoyable to write about, although I know that you cannot eliminate them from the lesson plan because they are as integral to the class as are the other blogs. Really, though, the only blog in this category was the one about radio and a factor that influenced its growth as an industry. Radio is nowhere near as interesting as television or film, so it is more boring to write about. Really, though, most of the blog prompts were enjoyable.
6. Without a doubt, I would definitely recommend using a blog again in RTF 305, as well as in other undergraduate courses here at UT Austin. Due to the increased interactivity, as well as the expedited process of turning assignments in, a blog is a much better tool to evaluate students' progress than assignments turned in during class or anything like that. Also, it gives students a more flexible schedule around which to turn in their assignments. Students will appreciate the class more if they can have a blog instead of having to physically turn in assignments.
7. One improvement in the blog process that could be made is the grading process. A good idea would be to, aside from posting grades in a grade book, they could also be posted in the comments section of the blog. Even though it may not appeal to all students, that would nonetheless be a good way to notify students of their grades. Or, at least comments could be posted on how to improve the blog post so that the students can understand what they did wrong in it. That would be a great way to give constructive criticism to the students.
Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A Global Community
Globalization is a complex concept, yet it can be summed up by a simple definition: it is the process through which the world is becoming a global, interconnected community. Because of the worldwide presence of massive media conglomerates, as well as the amount of communications technology currently present, their influence expands beyond the borders of the countries in which they are located. This allows far away countries to be affected by their output. Therefore, a certain part of the origin country's culture can be adopted by far-away countries.
One part of globalization is glocalization. Glocalization is the process by which a successful idea/formula in one country is adopted and molded to appeal to the culture of another country. This can be done with such things as movies, TV shows, books, and music. With some major (or sometimes slight) tweaks to the original concept, the idea can be geared toward the adopting country's audiences. This is a common practice with media companies because it lessens the creative thought process. The idea for their product is already there. All that they have to do is apply the changes. It has become an especially common practice in the 2000s. Sometimes this practice can work extremely well, and sometimes it can fail miserably.
A perfect example of glocalization is the American remaking of Japanese horror films. This was a common practice in the 2000s, with numerous Asian horror films being adapted to be presented to American audiences. It started when Dreamworks adapted the 1998 Japanese horror film, Ringu. When it was first released in its home country, it was the highest grossing film. Japanese audiences clearly took well to this film, and the executives at Dreamworks picked up on that. The result was the hit 2002 film, The Ring, which grossed $129 million in the United States. It also had a foreign gross of $120 million, so its impact was clearly felt globally. This success led to further adaptations of Japanese horror films, such as Ju-on (adapted into The Grudge), Dark Water (adapted into a film of the same name), and Kairo (adapted into Pulse). It also led to sequels to these films which had no relation to the original Japanese sequels (The Ring 2 and The Grudge 2). This is the perfect example of glocalization because it shows precisely how something successful in one country can be carried over into another country. This is how these films turn into globalized products.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Z-MOqAvtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV3YhFDBFZ8
One part of globalization is glocalization. Glocalization is the process by which a successful idea/formula in one country is adopted and molded to appeal to the culture of another country. This can be done with such things as movies, TV shows, books, and music. With some major (or sometimes slight) tweaks to the original concept, the idea can be geared toward the adopting country's audiences. This is a common practice with media companies because it lessens the creative thought process. The idea for their product is already there. All that they have to do is apply the changes. It has become an especially common practice in the 2000s. Sometimes this practice can work extremely well, and sometimes it can fail miserably.
A perfect example of glocalization is the American remaking of Japanese horror films. This was a common practice in the 2000s, with numerous Asian horror films being adapted to be presented to American audiences. It started when Dreamworks adapted the 1998 Japanese horror film, Ringu. When it was first released in its home country, it was the highest grossing film. Japanese audiences clearly took well to this film, and the executives at Dreamworks picked up on that. The result was the hit 2002 film, The Ring, which grossed $129 million in the United States. It also had a foreign gross of $120 million, so its impact was clearly felt globally. This success led to further adaptations of Japanese horror films, such as Ju-on (adapted into The Grudge), Dark Water (adapted into a film of the same name), and Kairo (adapted into Pulse). It also led to sequels to these films which had no relation to the original Japanese sequels (The Ring 2 and The Grudge 2). This is the perfect example of glocalization because it shows precisely how something successful in one country can be carried over into another country. This is how these films turn into globalized products.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Z-MOqAvtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV3YhFDBFZ8
Saturday, November 6, 2010
5 Gum Advertisement: Solstice
The entire series of TV advertisements for Wrigley's 5 brand of gum is stunning, although one of them stands out in my mind as the most effective. It is for the winter mint flavor, named "solstice." The commercial takes place in a dark and snowy setting, in which a large iceberg are present. A woman emerges onto a platform above the iceberg. She presses a button which engages a machine below the iceberg from which flames emerge, causing the iceberg to melt. While it melts, the woman proceeds to dive off of the platform and into the pool that forms from the melting ice. This juxtaposition of fire and ice is the visual representation of how this flavor of gum simultaneously cools and heats up the inside of the chewer's mouth. I found this to be an effective ad because of its visual beauty. It looks nothing like an ad for gum. Rather, it looks like a 30-second long Hollywood summer blockbuster. This is the type of creativity that is found in automobile commercials. The people who created this ad clearly put a lot of effort into it, effort which is usually not put into advertisements. That helps me to buy into the ad more than I do for a J.G. Wentworth ad or a Free Credit Score ad. That's what I, personally, like so much about it.
This ad appeals to the aesthetic senses of consumers. In order for an ad to appeal to aesthetic senses, it has to display clear, artistic qualities of its own, meaning that it cannot be shoddily crafted. It has to have time, care and creativity put into its craftsmanship, such as an artist would put into his/her own work. I think that another characteristic of this sort of ad appeal is that the ad has to have a distinctive color palette. This can help to set it apart from other ads and make it stick out in someone's mind, although the argument can be made that this would be a matter of opinion. Also, these kinds of ads have to be at least 30 seconds in length. A quick 10 or 15-second ad is not enough time to completely stimulate someone's aesthetic senses enough to make the ad remain in his/her mind. That requires a minimum of 30 seconds (unless it's a print ad, of course).
The solstice ad clearly contains all of these qualities. A person can tell, just from viewing it once, that the designers put a lot of effort into this ad and wanted it to have the maximum effect that it could on viewers. Nothing happens in this ad that ruins its effect on viewers. Everything that happens serves a purpose in it. In my opinion, they succeeded. Also, the color palate is a dazzling mixture of blue, black, and orange. There are no off-kilter colors that ruin the illusion. Finally, the ad lasts 32 seconds, so it lasts long enough to make an impression. It definitely does leave an impression. This is one of the most aesthetically appealing ads that I have ever seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE4CHTiHS_8
This ad appeals to the aesthetic senses of consumers. In order for an ad to appeal to aesthetic senses, it has to display clear, artistic qualities of its own, meaning that it cannot be shoddily crafted. It has to have time, care and creativity put into its craftsmanship, such as an artist would put into his/her own work. I think that another characteristic of this sort of ad appeal is that the ad has to have a distinctive color palette. This can help to set it apart from other ads and make it stick out in someone's mind, although the argument can be made that this would be a matter of opinion. Also, these kinds of ads have to be at least 30 seconds in length. A quick 10 or 15-second ad is not enough time to completely stimulate someone's aesthetic senses enough to make the ad remain in his/her mind. That requires a minimum of 30 seconds (unless it's a print ad, of course).
The solstice ad clearly contains all of these qualities. A person can tell, just from viewing it once, that the designers put a lot of effort into this ad and wanted it to have the maximum effect that it could on viewers. Nothing happens in this ad that ruins its effect on viewers. Everything that happens serves a purpose in it. In my opinion, they succeeded. Also, the color palate is a dazzling mixture of blue, black, and orange. There are no off-kilter colors that ruin the illusion. Finally, the ad lasts 32 seconds, so it lasts long enough to make an impression. It definitely does leave an impression. This is one of the most aesthetically appealing ads that I have ever seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE4CHTiHS_8
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The structure of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN
Usually, I would choose a more complex film to discuss, such as Memento or Blood Simple. However, in honor of Halloween, I will talk about none other than John Carpenter's masterpiece of suspense and horror, Halloween. This film is not exactly a perfect example of the three-act structure, but it does fit into that category in that it has three clearly defined and, therefore, easily-identifiable acts. It features an introduction, a complication, and a resolution.
Unlike most films, the introduction portion of Halloween is rather brief. It only lasts about eleven minutes. This act begins on Halloween night in Haddonfield, Illinois, in 1963. We witness, through a POV shot, young Michael Myers murder his older sister and get caught by his parents. After that, the movie jumps ahead 15 years, to 1978, where we are introduced to one of our protagonists, Dr. Sam Loomis. He is Michael's psychiatrist and is traveling to the sanitarium where Michael is being held, so he can transport him to a court hearing. During this scene is where the first act peaks. Michael manages to steal the car that Loomis was in and escape. The question that is asked by the end of this act is: where is Michael going to go? Thus ends the first act.
The complication section of the film returns to Haddonfield, where Michael has escaped to. Here, we are introduced to our other protagonist, Laurie Strode. This section of the film introduces us to her and her two friends, Annie and Linda, and informs us a little about them. Also, in this section, Dr. Loomis arrives in Haddonfield in pursuit of Michael, absolutely sure that he has returned there. The first half of this act mainly features Laurie and her two friends being stalked by Michael. The second half, however, raises the stakes. While Annie and Laurie are babysitting two neighborhood children and Linda is on a date with her boyfriend, Michael continues to stalk them for a little bit until he finally goes after them, one by one, to kill them. The deaths of Annie (at 53 minutes), Linda's boyfriend (at one hour and five minutes), and Linda (at one hour and seven minutes) are, undeniably, the high points of this act. Also, this act covers Dr. Loomis' and the Haddonfield Sheriff's search for Michael. This takes place mainly at Michael's old, abandoned house, where Loomis waits for Michael to show up. The complication section lasts for about fifty-eight minutes. The question posed by the end of this act is: what is going to happen to Laurie?
The resolution portion of Halloween begins with a quick cut to Dr. Loomis, still at the Myers' old house when he notices the car that Michael stole. Then the film cuts back to Laurie who, having just gotten off the phone with who she thought was either Annie or Linda (whom it was, being strangled to death) and having seen the lights at the Wallace house across the street where she believed the call came from (the same house where Annie, Linda, and her boyfriend were murdered), decides to walk over there and see if everything is alright. When she arrives, she goes upstairs and finds the bodies of the three victims and encounters Michael, who tries to kill her. The rest of the act features Laurie trying to escape from Michael. This leads to the high points of the act, which are when Laurie is trying to escape from the Wallace house, Laurie trying to get into the Doyle house (where she was before), Laurie hiding from Michael in a closet, and Michael standing back up while Laurie, thinking that he is dead, is not watching. Also, the two kids who were being babysat manage to attract Dr. Loomis' attention, who shows up just in time to shoot Michael as he is about to kill Laurie after sneaking up on her. This leads to the final peak of the act, in which Loomis goes to find Michael's body and discovers that it is gone. This scene concludes the film. This act lasts about twenty minutes. So, in defining acts, this act can be called a resolution, although that can be argued against, due to the fact that some things are left unresolved so that title can be misleading.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Episodic and Serial Natures of the Situation Comedy
The situation comedy, or sitcom, is one of the oldest and most popular forms of television programming. Sitcoms are usually either episodic or serial in the nature of their plots. A sitcom is episodic if each individual episode's plotlines are unique to and cleared up in a single episode, and they do not carry over into another episode. A sitcom is serial if its storylines and plots carry on between episodes.
Although there are plenty of sitcoms that can simply be classified as either episodic or serial, many of the most successful and memorable sitcoms feature different aspects of both. If a sitcom is purely episodic, then it can entice some viewers who really do not care for long-running storylines, but it can also alienate some viewers for not trying to develop itself more. If a sitcom is purely serial, then it can attract some cross-over viewers from the drama genre, but it can also make it harder to gain viewers because they would have to go back to the earlier episodes to fully understand what is going on. However, by combining different aspects of these two natures, they can attract as many viewers as possible.
One of my absolute favorite sitcoms, 30 Rock, is the perfect example of this combination. Each individual episode has its own plotline, yet certain plot points from certain episodes carry over from episode to episode and season to season. The perfect example of this is present in some of Jack Donaghy's relationships. Many of them, such as those with Phoebe (Emily Mortimer), C.C. (Edie Falco), and Elisa (Salma Hayek) progress for multiple episodes. Yet there are long stretches in 30 Rock in which no storylines are carried over. Overall, 30 Rock strikes the right balance between its episodic and serial characteristics.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Camera Shots in DARK CITY
Camera shots are as important of a part of the storytelling process as setting and characters (depending on the movie). They accomplish so many different tasks with so little effort, such as indirectly inform\ the viewer of the characters' feelings or sets the mood of a given scene. Alex Proyas' Dark City is one of those films in which every single shot was carefully planned out and in which the director knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish with each one.
The perfect scene to mention in relation to Dr. Ramirez Berg's lecture would be the introduction to Jennifer Connelly's character, Emma Murdoch (or, her character at the moment). The film introduces her by showing her performing her job as a lounge singer. She is standing in the center of the stage at the front of the lounge. What few lights there are in the room are focused on her, making her the most illuminated object. Therefore, aside from a couple of cutaway shots to her band members, our attention is focused solely on her. All of what is described below is one continuous camera shot.
Dr. Ramirez Berg explained that the standard shot progression is long shot, then medium shot, then close-up. However, Proyas has elected to introduce Emma to us with this progression reversed. The first shot is actually a close-up of Emma's face. This shot shows us the details of her face. We get to see her wounded eyes and the way in which her lips are moving, letting the words to the song escape from her mouth. We can tell that she is sad about something just by the way in which she is singing the song Sway. Also this is actually the perfect way to introduce us to her. As we find out later in the movie, she very well could have been a completely different person just a couple of hours earlier. Therefore, it shows her in complete isolation, which is very well how you might describe most people inhabiting the titular city because they are constantly receiving new memories. Therefore, everyone really knows no one, and Proyas emphasizes this by isolating her.
Slowly, the camera zooms out to a medium shot. This shot sort of reveals the details of where she is and what she is doing. Earlier, we just knew she was singing and there was a band playing behind her. Now, we begin to learn the specifics of where she is. We also get a bigger hint of the atmosphere of the scene. Most of the light is on here, with some on her band members. However, there are dark spots inbetween them so as to fit the mood of the music. It also serves to hint at the darkness that is permeating Emma's mind. What we started to feel with her eyes and words we now see with her backdrop.
Finally, the camera stops zooming out. It rests on a long shot of Emma. We now see all of the details of where she is, and the mood of the scene is fully revealed. What helps distinguish this shot is the silhouette of a waitress walking by the camera. This reveals to us where she is (a cocktail lounge) and what her purpose there is. The whole stage is present so all of her band members are accounted for. The reason this progression ends on a long shot is to emphasize her isolation. Even though we see that she is not alone in the scene, the close-up shot still remains in our memory and we remember how isolated she was in that shot. The dark spaces inbetween her and her band members sere as individual ways of isolating each character. the camera conveys all of this to us and helps to fully establish the scene.
Below is the scene described above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7H_1KuJ5SU
The perfect scene to mention in relation to Dr. Ramirez Berg's lecture would be the introduction to Jennifer Connelly's character, Emma Murdoch (or, her character at the moment). The film introduces her by showing her performing her job as a lounge singer. She is standing in the center of the stage at the front of the lounge. What few lights there are in the room are focused on her, making her the most illuminated object. Therefore, aside from a couple of cutaway shots to her band members, our attention is focused solely on her. All of what is described below is one continuous camera shot.
Dr. Ramirez Berg explained that the standard shot progression is long shot, then medium shot, then close-up. However, Proyas has elected to introduce Emma to us with this progression reversed. The first shot is actually a close-up of Emma's face. This shot shows us the details of her face. We get to see her wounded eyes and the way in which her lips are moving, letting the words to the song escape from her mouth. We can tell that she is sad about something just by the way in which she is singing the song Sway. Also this is actually the perfect way to introduce us to her. As we find out later in the movie, she very well could have been a completely different person just a couple of hours earlier. Therefore, it shows her in complete isolation, which is very well how you might describe most people inhabiting the titular city because they are constantly receiving new memories. Therefore, everyone really knows no one, and Proyas emphasizes this by isolating her.
Slowly, the camera zooms out to a medium shot. This shot sort of reveals the details of where she is and what she is doing. Earlier, we just knew she was singing and there was a band playing behind her. Now, we begin to learn the specifics of where she is. We also get a bigger hint of the atmosphere of the scene. Most of the light is on here, with some on her band members. However, there are dark spots inbetween them so as to fit the mood of the music. It also serves to hint at the darkness that is permeating Emma's mind. What we started to feel with her eyes and words we now see with her backdrop.
Finally, the camera stops zooming out. It rests on a long shot of Emma. We now see all of the details of where she is, and the mood of the scene is fully revealed. What helps distinguish this shot is the silhouette of a waitress walking by the camera. This reveals to us where she is (a cocktail lounge) and what her purpose there is. The whole stage is present so all of her band members are accounted for. The reason this progression ends on a long shot is to emphasize her isolation. Even though we see that she is not alone in the scene, the close-up shot still remains in our memory and we remember how isolated she was in that shot. The dark spaces inbetween her and her band members sere as individual ways of isolating each character. the camera conveys all of this to us and helps to fully establish the scene.
Below is the scene described above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7H_1KuJ5SU
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Genres: Expectations Determining Products
Expectations were what controlled the film industry during the era of classic Hollywood. Studio executives were obeying the laws of economics by supplying their customers with the products that they wanted, and expected, to see. More specifically, they released films according to previously set genre expectations. Films that belonged to a specific genre usually followed the formulas set by their predecessors with very little deviation.
Hollywood still goes about this today, but to a lesser extent. It is nowhere near as prevalent as it was during those days. Back then, films within a specific genre were amazingly similar to one another. They often contained the same stars playing the same character types, the same plots (with minor tweaks), very similar cinematography, and the same endings. By adhering to these set conventions, the studios were giving the viewers what they wanted, considering that viewers were not as demanding back then as they are today This seems like an innocent enough business model, but there was a negative side to this system: the lack of variety among the films that were released. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of variety present among the different genres. However, for the films set within a specific genre, differences were rather scarce. Sure, they contained different character names and settings, but that's about it. If it were not for such innovators as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, and the directors of the French New wave, the studios could have continued in this tradition for a long time.
The perfect example of this is the western genre. From the late 1930s to the 1970s, the western was one of the most popular genres in existence. Dozens of western films flooded the market every year (Rio Bravo, The Searchers, High Noon, 3:10 to Yuma, and many more). People constantly flocked to see them, so they were very successful. Therefore, more were released. Yet, despite the vast number of these films in existence, many of them were strikingly similar. They often had the same stars (John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood) playing the same character types in every film, similar plots (lawmen versus outlaws, misunderstood outlaws do good things, etc.), and they often ended the same way (courageous lawmen triumph, misunderstood outlaw escapes the law). These similarities were prevalent in many films of this genre, and yet people kept going to see them, so the studios kept making money. This prompted the studios to continue making them. The western genre was like this until the 1970s, when its popularity started to wane. Ever since then, westerns have changed quite a bit. Now, it's a much darker genre with much different conventions, usually morally challenged characters who do not always triumph (Unforgiven, Appaloosa, Open Range). They are also not always as cheerful today as they used to be. Also, not nearly as many westerns made nowadays because so many more genres and sub genres exist. It's not how it was back in the days when the western reigned supreme.
Hollywood still goes about this today, but to a lesser extent. It is nowhere near as prevalent as it was during those days. Back then, films within a specific genre were amazingly similar to one another. They often contained the same stars playing the same character types, the same plots (with minor tweaks), very similar cinematography, and the same endings. By adhering to these set conventions, the studios were giving the viewers what they wanted, considering that viewers were not as demanding back then as they are today This seems like an innocent enough business model, but there was a negative side to this system: the lack of variety among the films that were released. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of variety present among the different genres. However, for the films set within a specific genre, differences were rather scarce. Sure, they contained different character names and settings, but that's about it. If it were not for such innovators as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, and the directors of the French New wave, the studios could have continued in this tradition for a long time.
The perfect example of this is the western genre. From the late 1930s to the 1970s, the western was one of the most popular genres in existence. Dozens of western films flooded the market every year (Rio Bravo, The Searchers, High Noon, 3:10 to Yuma, and many more). People constantly flocked to see them, so they were very successful. Therefore, more were released. Yet, despite the vast number of these films in existence, many of them were strikingly similar. They often had the same stars (John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood) playing the same character types in every film, similar plots (lawmen versus outlaws, misunderstood outlaws do good things, etc.), and they often ended the same way (courageous lawmen triumph, misunderstood outlaw escapes the law). These similarities were prevalent in many films of this genre, and yet people kept going to see them, so the studios kept making money. This prompted the studios to continue making them. The western genre was like this until the 1970s, when its popularity started to wane. Ever since then, westerns have changed quite a bit. Now, it's a much darker genre with much different conventions, usually morally challenged characters who do not always triumph (Unforgiven, Appaloosa, Open Range). They are also not always as cheerful today as they used to be. Also, not nearly as many westerns made nowadays because so many more genres and sub genres exist. It's not how it was back in the days when the western reigned supreme.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)