Evaluation for Extra Credit

Before RTF 305, I tried using Xanga when I was in middle school.  I used it to talk to my friends and to be artistic.  I thought it was cool to have my own web page with my own customizations.  The main focus of my blog was to talk about my day and talk about music.  The blogs for RTF on Blogger provided a new and different way to do homework.  I liked it because I could access it wherever I wanted from different computers.  Overall, the blog was not very difficult, being a somewhat experienced blogger.  I do think a blog is a weird concept especially when there is now Facebook and Myspace.  I can't imagine taking time to read someone's personal blog nowadays, but for school it is good to be able to access other classmate's blogs.  The blog prompts that were the most interesting were the ones where we found examples of concepts from the media.  Specifically, the dramatic style narration blog prompt because it prompted me to think of movies in a critical way rather than just as a mere audience member.  I recommend using blogs because it saves trees and allows easy access to assignments.  The only thing I would change is to give the prompt earlier in the week.

Globalization

Globalization is when cultures from around the world are integrated through communication and technology.  Specifically, hybridization of fashion from Japan to the United States is an example of globalization.  The form of technology that influenced this movement was through music.  Gwen Stefani's album L.A.M.B. was influenced by 4 Harajuku Girls from Japan.  Their style was uniquely Japanese mixed with anime elements and modern fashion to make them appear to be cartoon-like.  Gwen Stefani practically made it "ok" for Americans to adopt these Harajuku styles. 

Advertisment Appeals

The advertisement I chose was one from the magazine, "In Style: Makeover."  The product that is being advertised is makeup powder by Physicians Formula.  I feel as if this is a persuasive ad because it has 5 pictures of different women with flawless looking skin, complete with the statement: "Mineral glow pearls create an instant luminous glow.  We promise."  Not only is there evidence of that "luminous glow" seen in the 5 pictures, but the expressions they make in their pictures portray them as happier people because of the makeup they are wearing.

The advertisement appeal featured in this ad is achievement, prominence, and attention.  Generally these kind of ads evoke feelings of necessity, like the need to be more noticeable, to succeed in relationships, to achieve happiness or fulfillment, etc.  My advertisement is basically saying if you use this product, you will achieve beauty, attention, and happiness, and that is their promise. The consumer not only sees 5 pictures of living proof of the product, but also has been given a promise that the product will make skin glow enough to radiate and attract attention.


 picture of the product-

3 Act Structure: Shrek

I.  Shrek's swamp is taken over by Lord Farquaad, forcing out all of the creatures.  Shrek decides to meet with Lord Farquaad at his palace and demand the swamp back.  In this act, the peak occurs when Shrek decides to siege his swamp and venture to a land far, far away. (approx. 25mins)
II. Shrek reaches the palace and is forced into a competition by Lord Farquaad to save Princess Fiona.  Lord Farquaad insists that he will give back the swamp if Shrek saves Fiona for him.  After,  Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona travel to the palace.  The peak in this act occurs when Shrek and Fiona start to fall in love on the journey, and he overhears her saying something about an "ugly beast" out of context.  His feelings are hurt, so he asks Lord Farquaad to retrieve his maiden himself.  (approx. 40 mins)
III.  The climax is when Shrek realizes that Fiona was not talking about him behind his back, and that she does care about him.  He then crashes Fiona's  wedding with Lord Farquaad by walking in and expressing his true feelings for Fiona.  The resolution is when Shrek and Fiona kiss, then she transforms into her "true form," an ogress.  The story then ends in marriage and has a happy ending. (approx. 25 mins)

TV Sitcoms

“TV is the campfire around which our nation-tribe sits to weave and re-weave our traditions and tales.”

         -Bill Moyers

I thought that Bill Moyer's comparison of TV to a campfire couldn't have been said any better.  The TV has entertained us all since we can remember.  For a lot of us, it is where we gained information that was not suited for our age at the time.  The traditions and tales retold through television provide a commonality between the entire nation allowing us to distantly experience different cultures.  When Moyer says "weave and re-weave," he is commenting on TV production's ambiguity.  It can be fiction, nonfiction, tall, short, etc.  The entertainment factor  is what drives the family together around the television to bond while watching the screen.  Hence, the comparison to the campfire where the family sits in a circle and watches the fire.

A sitcom that my family and I enjoy together is "Seinfeld."  We like it because it is a sitcom that you can watch whenever without following it weekly.  Each episode is independent from every other episode.   The episodes are short, they allow us to be together sharing a common interest, and it provokes laughter and happy vibes within our household.   

Scene Shots from "Donnie Darko"

"The Lifeline Discussion" scene

Long Shot: The long shot shows the entire front half of the classroom, maybe to even look like you were amongst the students in the back.  The classroom is basic with a blackboard and an old T.V.  The setting is in the 1980s in a city called Middlesex.  The long shots in this scene present the structure and "proper" morality that the faculty of Middlesex High School has.

Medium Shot: The medium shot that epitomizes the scene and its corniness is when the students have to read flash cards with specific scenarios of right and wrong doings.   The students then have to draw an "X" on the "Spectrum of Emotion" graph drawn on the blackboard.  The graph is linear and horizontal with only two represented emotions: Fear and Love.  The are placed at opposite ends of the graph.  The viewer can get a feel that the students are annoyed by this task, but they perform the assignment anyway with the least amount of enthusiasm as possible.  

Close-up Shot:  Donnie, the main character played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is asked by the teacher to place an "X" on whether he thinks Ling-Ling, the example from the flashcard, should give back the money from the misplaced wallet.  The teacher asks him if she is expressing fear or love when she doesn't take the money and returns the wallet.  Donnie's closeup portrays his anger and confusion with the teacher and her whole philosophy that human emotions can be summed up by two words.  He believes the spectrum is much broader, which it obviously is, but this is the scene that emphasizes the manipulation of people and false beliefs to cope with life.  The video which prompts the whole "Lifeline Discussion" is supposed to be life changing and motivational even though it is full of lies, hypocrites, and ignorance.

http://wonderreviews.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/donniedarko_donnie.jpg

Vertical Integration in the Classical Hollywood Era

An important aspect of the studio system from the Classical Hollywood era is the U.S. market at the time and how it was vertically integrated.  The successes that came from the Classical Hollywood movie productions was contributed  by the consumer's support, the minute competition,  and the systematic consistency.  Vertical integration affected the production of films by making it "Fordistic," and less diverse.  By less diverse, I mean the actors were used and re-used, the scenes were all shot at the same site, and particular companies held all of the power needed to produce the desired product.    The studio would make films that the audience wanted to see.  Because of the simplicity of the hierarchy in production studios (AKA "the Big FIve" not including the three minor studios), it made it easier for the audience to communicate what films they intended on seeing.  An effect of audience feedback ultimately resulted in the evolution of genres.  The creation of genres allowed the audience to determine film popularity, for example the craze for "Gangster" or "Crime" movies.