Blog Evaluation

- Had you ever used a blog before attending RTF 305? If so, what was its focus?


I have used a blog prior to RTF 305, for personal interest focusing on fashion & interior decorating.


- What were the positive aspects of using the blogs in the course?


Several positive aspects of using the blogs in the course were solidifying concepts by making you explain the material on your own terms, and having to connect it with something already familiar. The ease of creating blog posts made this review process highly enjoyable and convenient. The blogs helped give the course a modern feel and allow for some creativity I found positive in a course so large. Blogs gave me the feel I stood out in a massive class by letting me express myself in my own way.


- What difficulties did you encounter in using the blogs?


Difficulties were minimal but one particular issue was at the beginning of the semester not understanding how to embed videos directly into my blog. (Something easily solved by a quick google search)


- If you had difficulties in using the blog, how were you able to overcome the difficulties you encountered?


Google, reading through others' blogs, emailing my TA and searching through blog forums.


- What types of blog prompts were more or less interesting or difficult?


The blog prompt requiring one determine the specific timing of shots in the film were a challenge without the movie at hand or a DVD player etc. Overall all the prompts were extremely fair. Most interesting to me were ones allowing you to choose works and films familiar to myself to link with a concept. I found this entertaining as it allowed me to dissect something I admired and made me appreciate it even more.


- Would you recommend using a blog in future course, either in RTF 305 and other undergraduate courses at UT-Austin?


I would highly recommend using a blog in future courses. The blogs require no paper or materials, or textbooks, etc. making the work efficient and less stressful. I also enjoyed the ability to look at other students' blogs to see what my peers are doing and their different perspectives.


- What would you suggest to change or improve the blogging experience in the future?


My experience with blogging went very well and I would only suggest it be used more in other courses. Sharing videos, images, and thoughts between students through this medium is comfortable for me and likely others used to internet interaction/searching.




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

Globalization & Top Gear

Globalization involves the spreading of ideas and increased communication across borders. A particular element making globalization extremely prevalent is the desire for understanding. The unknown is a threatening notion in an extremely populated world. People can easily feel out-of-the loop when they are existing amongst a mass of striving others. Globalization is a remedy to this feeling of isolation and insecurity.

Hybridization is the fruit of globalization. From the communication and globalization of particular trends, media, and ideas a third culture may grow. Interaction is productive in a globalizing world. What works in one country may be spread to another in hopes for similar success. Hybridization is still influenced by power relations but allows for a stronger international agenda where shared values and motives are highlighted.



A particular example of such hybridization in media is the show Top Gear. Originally a British only series, Top Gear featured 30-minute episodes focusing on cars and with multiple presenters. Now Top Gear can be found in the US, Russia, Australia, and airs on numerous international television programs. Not only has the concept of judging cars and testing them spread, but the series has influenced car manufacturers globally.

"I am powerful"

To encourage women's fellow support of one another worldwide, Care.org developed a series of advertisements showing diverse women and the message "I am powerful." These images can be seen especially in airports where people from various parts of the world coincide in an area heavy with advertising. The  simple construct of the ad is extremely "powerful" to me for its blatant message and un-photoshopped depiction of a real woman. 


The advertisement makes one think about what it means to be powerful by being the direct opposite of what a normal "powerful" ad is. There is no muscular man or weapon, or sexually hyped woman in the image and the juxtaposition of normalcy with the word powerful may cause people to ponder how this seemingly unimportant person is powerful. I find this series of ads very beautiful for its raw content. The idea "nothing sells like celebrity" is challenged by these ads and they are powerful for this very reason, they counteract the norm.


To embody the very "product" these advertisements sell is what I feel make the ads so strong. Rather than trying to deceive viewers or consumers with a taunt to the senses, these ads show a part of reality. Simplicity and honesty goes a long way when looking for support. The exclusion of a celebrity is what i find powerful. It provides irony to a message often tied with someone of wealth or stereotypical beauty. I think people are drawn to these ads because they are different and it creates a feeling of curiosity and appreciation for something new. These emotions the ads create help sell the idea of coming together to end poverty, by drawing not only the viewer's eyes but also the heart.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2285/2415633098_37d02e886a.jpg

"Let me tell you, if I could be anything instead of a Ugandan, I would be a Scot."-The Last King of Scotland

Kevin Macdonald's, "The Last King of Scotland," provides for an analysis of the three act structure with elevating points of climax. In the first act of the film, Nicholas Garrigan graduates from medical school and chooses to work at a Ugandan missionary clinic in hopes for adventure. Nicholas arrives at the first plot point when General Idi Amin, who recently defeated incumbent president Milton Obote in a massive turning point for Uganda, gets into a car accident and hurts his arm. Nicholas arrives on scene to aid General Idi Amin and falls under Amin's liking thanks to his Scottish nationality and Amin's appreciation for Scotland's resistance against the British for so many years. Nicholas realizes this moment of previous stress and chaos is now a moment of great accomplishment as Amin asks him to be his personal physician. This act lasts approximately thirty to forty minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV_QgKJFZP0

As Nicholas basks in glamourous parties and lavish benefits to his new job as personal physician to Amin he is blind to the actual horrors lying under Amin's impressive charisma. The drama ensuing in this second act provides the setup for the third and final act as well as revealing to the audience the "truth" behind every element of the film. Everything Nicholas saw as triumphant and glorious in being personal physician and political advisor to President Idi Amin turns to a nightmare when Amin's genocide and secret plot for mass slaughtering is revealed in the second act. This act lasts for forty-five to thirty minutes and is in sharp contrast to the pleasant images of act one. Nicholas realizes President Amin will not let him leave the country and his passport is destroyed along with all his personal documentation. Amin orders the Asian minorities of Uganda to be expelled and further atrocities arise. Nicholas in terror, discovers there is no end to Amin's brutality even to the point where Amin orders the mutilation and butchering of one of Amin's own wives, Kay. The second plot point arrives when Nicholas discovers his only hope of escape from this living hell is to assassinate Amin himself.


The final and third act involves Nicholas' decision to try to assassinate Amin via poison. Nicholas plots to give Amin "pills" for a headache but his plans are thwarted in the third plot point when Amin's bodyguards and friends catch on to Nicholas' lie. Nicholas is hung up to be tortured and killed but Dr. Junju, brings the final resolution. In return for saving Nicholas and therefore causing his own death by Amin's men for allowing Nicholas to escape, Dr. Junju asks Nicholas to tell the world the truth about Amin's regime and the genocides occurring in Uganda. This act lasts twenty-five to thirty minutes and results in the Nicholas leaving Uganda on a plane to tell the world what nightmares he has seen and bring help to a bleeding country.

TV Sitcom

After a long day of work, acting as personal driver to a number of kids, studying, and simply getting through the challenges of daily life many people look to weekly sitcoms for an escape. The storytelling device of mini resolution formula embodies the saying, "short but sweet." These sitcoms pack every emotion the average viewer is expected to feel within a 30 minute span. 


From frustration and love to humor and awkwardness the sitcoms help viewers feel "normal" in a stressful world. No matter what the episodic sitcoms depict, there is always an issue to be resolved and it occurs at some point before a half hour is up. This quick fix quality is highly appealing and allows for viewers to watch any episode and find some form of satisfaction. 


Almost every aspect of the sitcom "Reno 911" is a parody of real law enforcement shows. This sitcom is of the mini resolution formula and depicts a new conflict in every episode. From a criminal-turned-televangelist broadcasting shows from jail, to pancake dinners and tutorials on how to deal with terrorist attacks, "Reno 911" is extremely ridiculous but loved  nevertheless. These absurd and hilarious situations mock the unending drama in realistic shows. Conflicts are resolved in the most awkward forms possible and usually result in further conflict. In "Reno 911" the conflicts create the comedy and provide an ironic example of mini resolution formula, where resolutions are actually problems for the police officers of Reno Sheriff's Department.

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_krmr4ecTkj1qa8pe0o1_500.jpg

"And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it."-The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" is a prime subject for understanding how technicality creates meaning when telling a story through film. Shot progression is mechanized to convey both the horror a fourteen year old feels before death and the empty heart of her killer. By simulating real visual tools for comprehension, camera shots are altered to place the audience into the story and the minds of characters.


The use of long and medium shots as well as close-ups allows "The Lovely Bones" to come to life and act as a medium for sharing emotions. In the first half of the film Susie Salmon is overcome with the single emotion every child and adult alike fears, her life is about to be taken by a looming stranger. It is a chilly darkening day after a normal school day, Susie is following the usual route to her cozy home through a corn field when she hears his voice. After dropping a precious love note caught by the wind, Susie runs to catch it but instead runs directly towards Mr. George Harvey. This awkward, threatening and eery moment is depicted on film with long shots of Susie in the cornfield approaching her murderer. The long shot creates a sense of emptiness and isolation where no one is around to hear a scream for help or even see what is about to happen. The audience can understand the nervousness Susie must feel when she looks about and realizes she is alone with this stranger.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4229402112/

Another shot style of "The Lovely Bones" relaying meaning to the audience is the close-up of Susie's treasured charm bracelet. This bracelet was on her wrist when she was murdered by Mr. Harvey. Her family noted to police she was wearing this particular bracelet when she went missing the day of her death. When police make a surprise visit to Mr. Harvey's home the bracelet is laying in the open as a signal dying to be seen by the police, a chance for justice where Mr. Harvey's possession of the evidence would direct to his crime. The close-up pauses on the bracelet laying on the doll house Mr. Harvey is making, while the police slowly walk around his home searching for suspicious evidence. This possiblity for the police to realize Mr. Harvey is the murderer is prolonged as the close up makes the viewer almost cry out inside for someone to see the truth it reveals. The use of this shot makes the meaning of the film all the more real as the audience understands for a moment what it must feel to have truth so close but yet so far at the same time.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4229402112/

To provide the full spectrum of both sanity and unstability in life, "The Lovely Bones" features a medium shot on Mr. Harvey's most revealing moment of personal anguish and hunger. As Mr. Harvey sits alone awkwardly in his car one late night, he waits as Susie's sister runs by during an innocent jog. His personality is revealed to be unusual from any normal person observing a person passing one's car, as he gazes with an evil thirst for death as an animal does as its stalks prey. The medium shot perfectly reflects simultaneous outer and inner conflicts. The silent schemes of a killer are depicted beside the naive nature of a child aching for her lost sister. The irony of the scene is visualized by light upon only the watching eyes of Mr. Harvey, surrounded by darkness and a sleeping neighborhood.

http://www.celluloidfun.com/images/lovelybones22.jpg

I sure lost my musical direction in Hollywood. My songs were the same conveyer belt mass production, just like most of my movies were.-Elvis Presley

When deciding whether to see a film an all too common factor is the question, "who is in it?" The value of a work of art becomes based on previous perceptions of components possibly unrelated to the piece at hand. The plot, camera angles, graphics, music and directing qualities are easily ignored by the inclusion or exclusion of a single actor. This "star system," where people become the art versus the work as a whole largely affects the genre and quality of film coming out of studios in present day and in the past.


People like the familiar and are drawn to what has already succeeded. No one wants to see someone fail nor waste money on an experience with the possibility of disappointment. The star system emerged from this prevalence of what "worked," what drew in an audience and what is most efficient. Predictability surprisingly became an element of success,  and by enlisting specific artists as teams or duos, extensive production was possible. Big name's associated with certain studios resulted in the elimination of independent artists and producers unfamiliar to audiences. Films narrowed towards particular concentrations such as musicals, B movies, or comedies and genres most suitable for the stars connected to the studio. 

http://ilovedinomartin.blogspot.com/2010/05/dean-martin-jerry-lewis-break-up.html

An example of such a team of stars who influenced the style of films and studio organization is Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Known for their comedic roles, the duo started as independent actors but were soon tied to Paramount after a few big hits. The studio saw the successful dynamics both stars brought to the table and turned them into an investment. Rather than creating films of diverse genres and fresh stars, the pair became a powerhouse for cheap slapstick humor and high ratings. The studio system hooked them in for consistent revenue and turned Dino Paul Crocetti and Jerome Levitch into "Martin & Lewis." After producing seventeen films under a common studio both men became household names. Irony can be seen when people are quick to recognize the names Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin but do not know names of films they were in. Who became more than what in the studio industry as stars overshadowed the films. This focus on names and using them for selling films has persisted to this day. 


Take a look at advertising for the film you are dying to see, where is the name of the actors in relation to the title of the film, how has the name of stars increased in size on posters? It is increasingly common for film to feature the people more than the meaning. Studios' reliance on the star system creates business out of art and impacts our definition of entertainment. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCvKSsTkay4

"You don't belong here. You don't even look Italian," – Sammi

"All in the Family" and the "Jersey Shore" are situational comedies of their own times, differing in both structure and content. Despite particular variances, both shows feature issues pertinent to the time produced and take a sarcastic perspective on dramatic relationships.


One comedy is based around a biological family where the father, mother daughter and other connections are developed in the most unexpected ways. In "All in the Family" Archie is a bitter and uptight father, Edith is the sweet mother and Gloria is the young daughter with a tension-causing boyfriend. The show plays on these differences and finds its success in making humor out of friction. This show differs than the "Jersey Shore" where the characters are only housemates with similar Italian-American backgrounds. The eight members of the "Jersey Shore" are different than the characters in "All in the Family" because their tension is based more on similarities and shared desires. The comedy in "Jersey Shore" contrasts the humor in "All in the Family" as the content is given a realistic orientation. The "Jersey Shore" focuses on the desires and clubbing conquests of its characters versus the reminiscent disputes in "All in the Family."


Despite appearing in stark contrast to one another, both the "Jersey Shore" and "All in the Family" reflect the dynamics of domestic life. Whether a bachelor pad-style home or a Queens home both shows share the story of everyday life in close quarters. The conflicts arising in both shows can be directed at the strong personas and attitudes of all characters. The "Jersey Shore" exaggerates the humor in a supposed Italian-American lifestyle where "GTL, gym tan laundry" and avoiding "grenades" or unattractive women is vital. The mockery provided by the "Jersey Shore" is largely fictional and planned but nevertheless pokes fun at a background different than the majority of its audience. "All in the Family" features Archie's poking fun at Mike's "Polack" family, and shares cultural humor as "Jersey Shore."


 Regardless of nationality or background the family is nevertheless existant in the "Jersey Shore" and "All in the Family" because of shared living space and life situations. Both shows reflect a world where differences can be amusing but also uniting.

Wars are not fought for territory, but for words. Man's deadliest weapon is language. He is susceptible to being hypnotized by slogans as he is to infectious diseases. And where there is an epidemic, the group mind takes over. -Arthur Koestler

A lasting influence on the formation of the radio industry in the 1920s till present day, regulation and government intervention has shaped radio culture in the U.S. and worldwide. The Radio Act of 1927 produced the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) to oversee transmitter and technical components of radio networks to ensure proper reception of broadcast signals. Governmental intervention largely influenced the prosperity of radio programs by settling frequency disputes.

 Alongside technical influences of government regulation, the style of radio programs changed drastically as a result of regulations over advertising and the ability to highlight national issues. Government intervention abroad could be seen in propaganda programming. Radio under the control of government is unavoidably steered to promote political context. A prime example of such intervention and regulation can be noted in the "Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines" broadcast radio shows of the Rwandan Genocide (1994) against the Tutsi people by the Hutu Power. This broadcast was fuel to the fire already growing in a country where millions died by the minute. Regulation by the Hutu of the sole mean of communication across Uganda influenced the life and death of the audience to its own station. The Hutu Power directed the annhiliation of the "cockroaches," of Rwanda during their daily broadcast focusing on mobilizing the Hutu into a mass slaughtering of every Tutsi. Radio in Rwanda was converted to a horrifying system of regulation by a governmental power focused on nothing but destruction and blood.

 An outlet for voicing and spreading thoughts can be easily turned into a communicative monster where none but the most angry or powerful are heard. Rwanda proves a tragic account of such interference by governmental regulation. During the 1920's, radio evolved to be regulated by the Secretary of Commerce and eventually the FRC. Governmental regulation of the number of stations allowed to operate at night in order to not conflict with AM signals largely influenced the production of shows featuring information on the war. From the beginning of the 1920's news could spread like fire till the end of the decade when the Wall Street Crash dropped many to their knees. All the influences of governmental regulation in the 1920's supported the development of future radio formats where political agendas may be shared and where the loudest voice may not always be right but nevertheless is heard. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeVa6U9yLCc

"See this is why we're not watching TV, people become obsessed."-Signs

http://singularityhub.com/tag/fmri/

The film "Signs" perfectly depicts cultivation theory, where lengthy exposure to television impacts one's worldview, as the dramatic depiction of crop circles on television is connected to extraterrestrial influence and a resultant chaos across the world. Much of the film is centered around the family room, and later the pantry where the television is located. From an alien stalking a child's birthday party to news reports of crop circles appearing in numerous domestic areas, the Hess family immediately feels vulnerable. The television causes the children of the family to attend to only their worst fears and the unknown, versus Mr. Hess's attempts to instill optimism. 

The cultivation theory entails an adoption of a perception held by mass media and presented to viewers. It may result in a common idea of reality and subsequently influences people's emotions, beliefs, and expectations of the world. The unknowns of life are changed to a sense of consistency and likelihoods, where what is common on television becomes common to an individual who may have zero connection to the situation. 

"Sign's" depicts what happens when long exposure to television changes reality. The Hess family struggles to separate the doomed world the news depicts to their own reality. Faith and reason contrast the helpless negativity the television spreads. This film climaxes when personal conviction must conquer a "cultivated" obstruction to reality. 

"Audiences see personalities on shows interacting with wild animals as if they were not dangerous or, at the other extreme, provoking them to give viewers an adrenaline rush. Mostly, the animals just want to be left alone, so it’s not surprising that these entertainers are seriously hurt or even killed on rare occasions. On one level, it’s that very possibility the shows are selling." — Chris Palmer

Whether the subject or storyteller holds the truth can be debated. Biases, emotions, and opinions are nearly unavoidable in terms of conveying a perceived truth. Framing is a powerful manipulation of such truth where the media has an interpretive hold on information.

In order to share information or meaning a modified conceptualization occurs. This modification of truth occurs when the "facts" are shared in the favored form of the media. By omitting or over-emphasizing particular elements there are unending routes truth can be avoided. Most often these routes lead to a beneficial response for media.

In the context of wildlife films, framing may be used to magnify most dramatic behaviors of particular wildlife in order to grab the attention of more viewers. By merely showing the most aggressive and brutal qualities of a species, people immediately form perceptions of a censored truth. The idea sharks are only man-eating, blood thirsty monsters is greatly visualized in media productions where shark attacks are sensationalized as a daily occurrence and only the "10 Deadliest Sharks" are featured of the nearly 400 species in our world.

The focus on mainly frightening qualities creates a conflict for the true understanding of a subject with no say in it's portrayal in life. Terror is a powerful tool in influencing the way people think. Framing to strike the most sensitive feelings of an audience is highly effective in controlling both thoughts and response to the subject. Influence over perception gives media the ability to control the response of people and in turn drastically effect the actions of our world.


Understanding the technique of framing brings to light the often hidden intentions of media. Whether something is good or bad, valued or disposable, loving or merciless can be decided by the form of framing. Shark population declines are unsurprising in a world where what you feel is manipulated by what you see. Media features destruction by sharks and what is growing is destruction of sharks. One truth is undeniable, framing influences action.

image via: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-471729/Second-Great-White-Shark-sighting-shocks-holidaymakers-Cornwall.html

It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for - the whole thing - rather than just one or two stars. -David Attenborough

RTF 305 is a step towards my goal of becoming a wildlife film-maker. Filming wildlife is deeply important to me as it brings to realization what we often forget in our stressful world- we are not alone. The ability to tell the story of a voiceless character is very appealing to me. Animals cannot be directed, interviewed or tell their story as human subjects may. Studying and filming wildlife provides the opportunity to improve our relationship with our world and appreciate what is outside the walls we put up. 

Dayton, an injured white-tailed deer from E. Texas

(Screenshot from a short film I created on rehabilitation of Texas wildlife)

I currently am working on wildlife documentary shorts for Untamed Science Education and strive to work for a Natural History production company in my future. I hope RTF 305 teaches me to further expand my perspective of media and it's ability to tell a story. My goal is to excel in the course and learn from as many sources possible how to improve my film-making ability. 


Favorite blogs: 
http://www.skipswildlife.com/
http://felis.in/
http://www.3bearsmedia.blogspot.com/
http://www.olivafilms.com/