Public Service Advertising Effectively

From what I have read a good bit of pubic service advertising is in fact not paid for, but used by donations in order to get a point across. For example, the "This is Your Brain on Drugs" commercial the Drug-Free America partnership, a non-profit organization, used the method of dramatic imagery to get the point across to viewers. Interestingly enough the article states that this commercial aired in 1987 and was very influential, and a second version, "aired in 1998 [and] was also highly effective" because of their dramatic use of imagery.

Like the Drug-Free America partnership Relay for Life is also a non-profit organization, and after reading about the effect that images had on viewers it made me wonder if the use of images in commercializing Relay for Life would also be effective. Being in the video department our focus is that of video and movement, but incorporating stills within the video could have an effect to the degree of the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” commercial.

The strength we had in our work was consistency; we discovered that by using the images on the poster that the print department were working on that we could impose a greater effect. By having this consistency we were then able to think creatively, and establish different ideas or methods with the three different themes.

If something were to be changed within our work it would have to be the lack of consistency with the footage that we shot while attending Relay for Life, and the direction we went with the themes. If, for example, we filmed the pirate theme video I feel that it would be difficult to incorporate the footage from Relay for Life within the clip, because the flow of the clip would not be consistent with the theme of digging for buried treasure.

Otherwise I feel strong about our effort to create uniqueness within the three different themes, and feel confident that collectively we all will have some effect on Relay for Life.

Exhibit 1: Effective advertising.

Image by: swanksalot

Blog Song-Your Production, Music Video

For the up and coming music video I produce a song by The Golden Butter Band called "Know You Don't Mean No". I have copyright permission form the band and I will be working with Brie Gamble.

Blog 8-10, Music Video

When describing the role music video plays in my life I have to say that it was pretty much non-existent until this class. I always turned to online streaming of radio stations all over the country or local radio stations. The thought never crossed my mind to investigate further into a song that I enjoyed, and look for a music video. Now that I have taken this course I find myself eager to go on YouTube and discover what new music videos have been posted for the week.

Our culture is constantly advancing toward the newest gadgets or automobiles; we just want to have satisfaction now. So, I say that within our culture the same goes for music video. Some people have no desire to turn on the television and wait for a given amount of time just to see the new music videos of the week, so they get satisfaction now and turn to youtube or some other form of video search engine. In this time of convenience we can now go as far as viewing the music video on our phone this way if a conversation occurs about a specific music video it can be viewed almost immediately given that the right gadget is handy.

Now that I have taken this course I can further appreciate the effort that goes into producing and directing a music video, as well as the creative aspects. It is because if this I now look forward to observing new as well as old videos.

Blog 7, realism

In chapter 7 the discussion of realism is very in-depth from questioning reality to its accessibility. When watching a music video there is a sense of being granted a reality when watching; for example, the music video with U2 and the act of moving with the video. This entraps you to go into a trance with the music and feel the music at that moment. Where as television takes on the role of a staged performance; because music videos are similar to that of advertising and video art, advertising thus takes the position of realism rather than live television.

There is also the issue of concepts and as stated in the book, "if you do not know the meaning of a concept that concept is improperly formed." The concept of music video is easier to grasp because of its portrayal of realism thus allowing the audience to understand the meaning. So, there it is granted to music videos that the easier it is to understand a concept the quicker one can obtain the concept, and justify realism.

Blog 6 Music Video Danto Criteria

For this assignment I watched Katy Perry's E.T. ft. Kanye West. I chose to use Danto's criteria from the director's commentary file. I chose to use this criteria because the video is called E.T. and the criteria is relating to others.

This video relates to its viewers by sending subliminal messages of scens from nature to keep their attention engaged. While this video is very visually appealing using the brief clips of scenes that are in a way unrelated to the video keeps the viewer interested.

By amplifying movements of the video and interchanging realistic scenes with scenes from outer space the music video relates to the viewer. Also, the music and the video work together to increase the amplification of viewing by displaying the nature scenes when leading up to the chorus just when the music begins to amplify.

Capstone Blog and the act of Learning

As presenting my film draws near I find myself still using the theory of Bloom's Taxonomy. While I organize, and gather items of importance to present it causes me to "remember", which is the last step in Bloom's theory. I've reviewed and edited work that I have completed over the past four years of my college career here at Shepherd, and am taking notice at how I have applied what I learned my freshmen year of college to my senior capstone.

Image by: BlatantNews

Throughout this process I have learned that Bloom's theory is effective not only in the situation of completing a single project, but when applied to the overall experience of learning the final product is much more rewarding. Most of all I've discovered that this theory assisted in helping me learn the technique behind filmmaking. Bloom's theory should be applied to everyday life when learning something new, because this theory forces the idea of memorizing each step of the learning process. Thus, causing the individual to have the full effect of the ultimate learning experience.

Music Video Blog 1

As stated in your book, “the ways we express our world become the ways we perceive it.” And the way the world works now is satisfaction must be delivered immediately. This also affects us in the way we view music videos. It used to be that one television show offered music videos, and viewers had wait patiently, or anxiously, for their desired music video to air. Now we simply whip out our cellphones to show the new music video of the week or turn on a computer. Either way of viewing the music video be it cellphone or computer individuals can access their desired music video with the touch of a button.

That said N.E.R.D’s music video “Hot and Fun” is an example of the way we express the world now that we live in a satisfaction guaranteed environment. The video is visually appealing with colors and words flashing all about the screen, but the message that this video sends to me is the fact that a large number of women are in need of “Hot and Fun”. These women need satisfaction now, so they pack suitcases, in the middle of the desert mind you, and flock to this gathering around a bond fire. That pretty much sums up the video, oh and they wear fur…in the desert.

All in all I did enjoy this music video, but with the way our expressiveness has changed over the years music television is no longer the link to music video. That may not be true in some circumstances, but in my case I use YouTube to view music videos. We as a society no longer desire to wait, be it waiting for a stoplight or an Internet connection. We need satisfaction now, and personally I feel that MTV cannot offer that degree of satisfaction.

Music Video and Style Chapter 5

In music videos we are in fact advertising a product, this product mostly being the music that the band is playing, which leads to style. Not only is the advertising of music a large portion of the video itself, but also the video in general advertises. The contrast/hue of the video is advertising to the viewer a mood, and the music backs this mood through out the video. For example, if the selected song focuses on intense electric guitar and heavy drums the contrast of the video could be darker, and thus setting the mood for the video.

Also, in the music video the setting of the video adds to the style and further adds to the mood. For example, an open field gives the viewer an essence of freedom while an enclosed space such as a small room or closet will give the viewer a feeling of entrapment. The style of music videos differs in each genre; however, collectively they are all advertising the same thing, the artist. A music video is an aesthetic process that tells a story of style and mood, from the music to the clothing of the artist(s).

Chapter five teaches me that style has an effect on the viewer on more ways than just the video itself. It's everything that makes the video, the camera lens, angles, music etc. Even at a rock concert a style is portrayed. All in all, "style is not only about taste and/or being in style, but a way of relating to and engaging with our environment (Williams pg. 92).

Music Makes the People Come Together

Thus far with each aspect of my project I have been using Bloom's Taxonomy to further understand what it is I am trying to accomplish. My project is now coming to a close I have almost completed editing the film, and am currently in the process of adding sound to the footage. This is currently my first encounter with soundtrack pro, and I'm using this software to add atmosphere to selected scenes, using music from my own library as well as music within the software.

Image by: Steve Snodgrass

By analyzing each scene to find the right music for the mood I would like to portray it helped me remember how I wanted my viewers to feel when viewing my film. When editing a project one tends to view it multiple times, and ultimately beings to disregard the original message that was originally displayed.

One of the steps in Bloom's pyramid is remembering, and adding several pieces of music onto my film helped me remember the original message I wanted for my viewers. Using Bloom's theory has helped me educate myself on the art of filmmaking and the editing process.

Kyle Cooper designs multiple title sequences for many blockbuster movies, he's mostly noted for his title design for the movie Seven. For a Motion Graphics class we were assigned to observe one of his title sequences for a movie of our choice and analyze it. I chose the end credits from Universal Pictures The Mummy.

Cooper integrates Egyptian hieroglyphics within the type, thus making the type appear unable to read but by slowly moving and dissolving symbols letters begin to appear. He subtly places symbols and lines along the opposite side of the credits using the space to its full potential. A scrolling background of hieroglyphics in stone further adds to the illusion of the theme of The Mummy, without looking cluttered.

After watching this clip it inspired me to use images and symbols within the text to create a theme. Or even scrambling letters in a keyframe and using the dissolve effects to create a word or image.

Music Video with The Golden Butter Band

I am currently working on a music video for a class that will involve a local band called The Golden Butter Band. The location for the shoot will be outdoors mostly in a field with a shed among other props such as a Yuengling Van, a dog, a grill, and much more! For the most part there will be several shots of the entire band playing occasionally switching from day to night followed by close ups through out the video.

I talked with the band about what they wanted out of the music video, and they stated that they just wanted it to be a fun time but good quality. Which is exactly what I plan to do by displaying shots of everyday life and incorporating them with beats, solos, and time change.

Campaign for Dove

In Advertising we viewed some videos and articles in regards to the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. This campaign that Dove is advertising is an effort to show women that these ads with women on billboards and magazines are touched up to an extreme. What this does to self-esteem is quite damaging, so as somewhat of retaliation against extreme touch up Dove displayed ads portraying natural beauty. Dove used older models that had long since grayed, overweight models, and more to show women that these little things called imperfections are just the thing that does make women beautiful.

I chose this ad because its wonderful to see older women in advertisements, and she's naked which is invigorating to see the amount of self-confidence she has. This brings me to a certain sign in the ad. The signifier is nudity. The signified is the artistic expression this has been depicted in various works of art through out history. The state of being naked shows freedom, comfort, confidence, and beauty, which really works for this Dove campaign.

Ready the poster board!

The past several weeks have been intense storyboarding, scripting, and shooting but now that this project is nearing an end the design to put this work on display takes its course.

For the center of my board I would like to have the theory of Bloom's Taxonomy for my centerpiece of the board since this theory assisted in helping me put together my project. The rest of the board will consist of images from filming, sections of the script and storyboard, as well as character profiles. A laptop will be in place underneath Bloom's pyramid playing the documentary.

I'm currently in the process of editing the documentary and further using Bloom's theory to continue and ultimately finish this project.

Semioitics and Target

In Advertising and Imagery we were assigned to apply what we learned in class about semiotics to an advertisement of our choice. My partner Erin and I came across an ad for Target. Along with choosing an advertisement that appealed to us we also had to, separately, find five significations within the advertisement.

• The waffle iron the woman is holding is a signifier. The waffle iron signifies molding of an object from waffles, hair, or the image of the woman herself.
• Another signifier is the color of the clothing that the woman is wearing. Black signifies modern and sophistic characteristics, which with the two characteristics combined can ultimately lead to a position of power within the advertisement.
• A subtle use of type on the left side of the woman as well as the right side of her is the signifier. This small type that displays the price of both the black v-neck sweater the woman is wearing as well as the waffle iron signifies the importance of that which is being displayed. It's almost as if the price of the selected items is completely irrelevant to the Target ad that it must be nearly unnoticeable to allow viewers to concentrate on the woman and waffle iron.
• The hair of the woman is the signifier, both the curly and straight sides. This representation of two different styles signifies the different personalities a woman can have by changing the style of her hair. On the side that that is straight we can observe a sleeker and clean-cut personality, on the other hand, the side that has been mutated by the waffle iron has molded the once sleek personality into a more vivacious and lively persona.
  
• Finally, the word, "Waffling" is the signifier. The signified is that the true meaning if waffling is not that of making a breakfast treat but is referring to having more than one interpretation of something. This single word wraps up the entire ad into one diverse advertisement. Waffling not only ties into the waffle iron, but also supports the idea of having two different personalities via hair.
  

Blog 5, watch, listen, explore

The usual networks for news include Fox, CNN, or NPR, but one form of broadcasting the news was unfamiliar to me. Democracy Now, a website that delivers the news an unbiased manner those who seek it. I chose to watch a video on the Wisconsin Labor protests, an event where Michael Moore decided to attend and speak.

I watched the video, and read the description of the story below the video. What I liked about this description was that it was to the point, quick, and painless. Democracy Now didn't just apply this convenient feature to this story, this is how they show their headline news in neat little blogs. Now for those of you that desire that hour of news Democracy now does provide an hour of video to catch the viewer up on the events of the world for that day. They also provide segments of headline news via video if the viewer does not wish to wait for a particular story. This site is easy to navigate and the left side of the site is filled with topics of interest from "Don't Ask Don't Tell" to the "Uprising in Libya". I must say this is an interesting site, and when running late but yearn to know the status of the world, this would be a good site to check out.

Blog 3, comparing news stories

On April 5th 2010 an explosion occurred outside the small town of Whitesville, WV at the location of Upper Big Branch coal mine, owned by Massey Energy. This is the story I wanted to write about due to the fact that the security chief of Massey Energy, Hughie Elbert Stover, has been charged with obstructing evidence in "the investigation of a 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners" (FOX News). I will be evaluating news broadcasters Fox, Democracy Now, and NPR on how they delivered this story. Each of these stories is within a day of each other FOX and NPR being February 28 and Democracy Now being March 1.

In the case of FOX News presenting the story they start out by giving a brief description on the explosion of Upper Big Branch mine, and the number of fatalities to give the readers a refresh on the background of the story. They then begin to go into the charges Stover faces as well as his possible jail sentence. The story then proceeds into the statements on the indictment against Stover and Massey Energy saying that they, "regularly violated federal law by warning underground workers when governments officials arrived to conduct safety inspections at its mines...Stover and trained security guards g [ave] advance notice by announcing the presence of an MSHA inspector. Stover is also accused of ordering an unnamed person to dump documents dealing with security at Upper Big Branch in a trash compactor." A family member of one of the victims of this explosion, Clay Mullins, was also quoted in the story saying that he "expected it because that's just he way they run their operations." Mullins later stated that he sympathized with Stover's family but justice is needed. The article then gives notice to the reader about the Assistant Attorney General Lanney Breuer comments on the incident and that the U.S. Attorney's office has recovered the disposed documents.

Democracy Now's article is quite short simple, and to the point. They indicate a brief background of the explosion as well as Stover's charges of, "lying to a[n] FBI agent and a federal inspector, as well as ordering an employee to dispose of thousands of security documents". They go on to inform the reader about the length of the sentence Stover faces for lying and obstructing justice.

NPR begins the story similarly to that of FOX, but give the background of the mine disaster through out the story. NPR is not quick to jump the gun in telling the reader the charges Stover faces, and NPR does tell the reader information that neither FOX or Democracy Now informed us of. This being that, "Stover and his guards used a special radio frequency to warn miners underground when inspectors arrived at the mine. That gave miners the chance to mask or fix serious safety problems and avoid citations, fines and closure orders...Massey miners and federal mine inspectors have described this inspection dodge before." The article states the charges and description of the crime committed by Stover when he disposed of the security documents. NPR does tell the reader that Gov. Joe Manchin appointed an independent investigator, Davitt McAteer to the cause of the disaster, who currently resides and works in Shepherdstown. The article discusses the recovery of the disposed documents and ends with Stover's release on bail.

While all three networks delivered the basics of the story giving the reader the ability to obtain the knowledge they were looking for, all three networks delivered differently, and similarly. FOX delivered more statistical information in regards to previous mine disasters, Stover's roll in the case, and focused on dates of importance in the case investigation. FOX also seemed more assertive when delivering this story, stressing words like "lying" and repeating Stover's charges through out the story, thus showing FOX's opinion of Stover. Democracy Now released a much shorter and to the point version of the story. While this is a convenient and clear method for readers that desire a quick update of the goings on in the world; I feel that they could have been more thorough with details such as Stover's inspection policy and the recovery of the disposed documents. NPR, on the other hand, was more extensive with their research indicating independent investigators, and Stover's special code to tell workers to mask any noticeable damage that could result in fines or a shut down of the mine. NPR did deliver a more in depth story than the other two resources, and like FOX, their opinion of Stover showed between the lines of the article. This resource was also the only one that displayed an image of the mine during the sequence of events in April 2010.

Image by Bob Bird NPR


This story is a subject I feel strongly about and can relate with this being the reason behind my choice. All three stories delivered the information well and to the point, which is what all readers look for in a good news story.

Things are starting to "Bloom"

Image by James BonTempo

This week I am nearing the end of filming, which has been a wonderful experience. I used examples from Bloom's Taxonomy to assist me in setting up for the best shot for what I had to work with. I first had to acquire the knowledge of how to film in order to make the camera work for what I wanted to shoot. I watched documentaries and observed how the filmmakers would set up a shot when interviewing. Also, in Kevin's class, TV News, he lectures about 3 point lighting, blocking, audio, and how to adjust the camera's settings to get the best color quality out of the attempted shot.


I obtained as much knowledge as I possibly could within the time frame I had to work with, so I then needed to understand what all of it meant. I grabbed a camera and began to tinker with it using notes from Kevin's classes. In doing this I got the feel of the camera when doing the white balance, and positioning the camera to get the shot I desired. While this was a tedious process in setting up lights, checking sound, and camera settings, it helped me understand what I've been learning. I then quickly discovered that the more prepared you are prior to shooting the better the flow of the filming in its entirety will be. This helped me breakdown setting up for a shot into sections of importance. For example, the lights must be set up before any adjustments can be made with the camera, like white balance. I finally had to evaluate myself to distinguish whether of not I was ready to begin filming my final work for my college career. My decision, to lightly put it, I'm an amateur. I went to seek advice from a fellow classmate, and he gave me some helpful suggestions to ready me for my project.

In applying Bloom's Taxonomy to educating myself with the art of filmmaking I learned that it's better to take the time to learn step-by-step verses jumping into an unfamiliar topic blindly. I can say that I'm glad that I put forth the effort to continue this project and not give up and try something different. The interesting thing is I really enjoy using a camera, writing scripts, and storyboarding. In addition to that, thus far in my project I have shot almost the entire thing, with the exception of some outdoor shots. This experience of teaching myself, seeking assistance, and applying this knowledge to my project has been wonderful and demanding at the same time. I'm excited to begin editing next week so I can spend as much time as possible finalizing before handing over the final material.

Presentation is everything.

Image by RambergMediaImages

I enjoy receiving the news from different perspectives online. Usually I read The Huffington Post, CNN, FOX News, NPR, and occasionally BBC. Sometimes when I read through these selected interpretations some of the stories are strikingly similar, theses are mostly headline stories. However, each news station isn't entirely able to broadcast everything that occurs in the world on that day. This is why I like to take the time and read through each selection, because Huffington Post may not have the information that I currently seek on new music releases that NPR will most likely post.

All in all I'm unable to select a news forum that is my favorite. It all depends on the news I seek. For political information I will definitely turn to CNN and FOX. I do this because of CNN's slogan "The most trusted name in news" but just like saving a file I like to have backup, so I check FOX. Both of these resources are popular in the public eye, and some favor one over the other, but the more information I obtain on a topic the more genuine my opinion can be.

The website set up of these two broadcasters is very similar, and also easy to navigate through. The headline story is placed at the top of the page with a large image visually describing the story, and large bold type usually lies within the general vicinity of the image indicating what has occurred. The viewer may also navigate through both sites via tabs across the top of the page displaying areas of interest.

As one scrolls past the headline news a quick display of other recent developments in the world emerges, sometimes in text sometimes in images. One of my favorite things about both sites is that they display little subsections of world news, politics, business, health, entertainment, etc. This is what makes these sites so appealing to me their ability to present basically everything that you need to quickly know about the world today, and presentation is everything. I believe knowing what occurs in the world you live in is important, and with resources like FOX and CNN giving readers the option online to quickly acquire the information they seek makes this knowledge more accessible.

To be or not to be...organized.

Image by Uwe Hermann

This week consisted of taking what skills in film-making I had acquired through my text research and putting them to the test. I will say that it was extremely convenient to have a storyboard on hand as well as scripts for the entire cast.

Thanks to Super-8 editors expressing how important it is to compile a storyboard I was able to conduct, with some assistance, a smooth shoot. This shows me the true value of preparing for the worst really pays off for everyone involved with a project.

I was able to view the scenes that were shot, and noted scenes that the angle of the camera needed to be a bit lower or completely adjusted to a different area of the room. I wasn't expecting perfection, I was hoping for it, but the ending result of the effort put forth was surreal. To observe a project go from just a thought, then onto a piece of paper, and finally have real people perform this thought is mind-blowing.

All in all organization really saved everyone involved with this project time and mental health. I am now a firm believer that one can never be over prepared. Next week I will continue filming and then move on to the editing process.

Buidling a pyramid

Image by Drab Makyo

Now that I have completed the task of creating a script and a storyboard I've come to a block in the road with evaluating. I've had peers review my work to make sure it first off makes sense, and second if the shots I've set up for are possible. Their feedback was helpful in the sense of giving me confidence to carry on and further my project, but I had a feeling too much positive feedback was to good to be true.

I picked up a camera for the first time for an interview with my TV News class. It was then I felt the leeching of fear emerging, sucking all of my confidence away. The preparation to set up for one shot took more time than I anticipated, and every cord, plug, light, battery, and mic had to be lugged to the location. It was not at all what I had expected. This made me for a moment rethink my entire project, which inevitably manifested into another fear sucking boogie.

It was recently announced that a student in the Communication Department, Carolyn Malachi, was nominated for a Grammy. Kevin announced this in class and informed us that she started in this department with no experience with music at all, just passion, and a lot of it.

Now that I analyze my dilemma I understand that all I need to do is put forth the work to further my camera skills, and gain an understanding for making movies. So, this week is strictly dedicated to gaining the knowledge of filmmaking.