Spring 2010/Midterm Examination

1. After studying media for eight weeks in this class, what have you learned?

I learned that a medium is a very powerful tool these days. Between commercials to films to new technology devices, we are all distracted and persuaded by them! What we do and what we decide and what we think are all affected by the media!

2. What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a 1. A critical reader; 2. a writer, and 3. a critical thinker in this class so far?

As a reader, I have definitely grown! I have learned how to read scripts which I never thought I would. I have also improved as a writer because I am now capable of writing scripts as well as reading. This class has definitely made me think more about this crazy technological universe we are surviving in today.

3. What's one thing YOU would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?

One thing I would do differently is to not always do the homework at the last minute! Even though I get it done, I feel that my work would be worth more if I actually took more time to do it and not procrastinate constantly.

4. What's one thing you would like ME to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?

This is a tough one because I really don't have a problem with anything in this class. I guess I would like to see more films...such as documentaries so I can get a better feel for the chapters that I'm reading about.

5. Please comment on the usefulness of the course blog, your personal blog, our films, and our book(s) as learning tools.

I never thought I would blog this much but I honestly like it. It helps me review what I learned, helps collect my thoughts and keeps me updated. I like reading this book because it's not just word after word, it actually shows you what a script is like. I've definitely learned a lot this semester so far.

Avatars Strike Back- Media Meditation #3

Just recently, my dad had taken me, my sister and my friend to see the some what new hit movie Avatar. To be honest, this movie blew my mind. With my reptilian brain racing the entire time, I couldn't look away from the screen for a second! My heart felt this rush throughout the entire movie. Not only were the special effects insane, but there was also a really good story behind it. One can tell that the technological shift played a part because of the Pandora World and the Avatar people...I mean, how does one create such a thing?! I would love to know. The fact that I can access the movie already through my computer and even my phone shows the Aesthetic Shift as well. Anyways, I remember the commercials for this movie were very convincing. I kept hearing about how it was "A movie the whole family will enjoy" so repetition was a persuasive technique that was used. One basic principle that I noticed was Production Techniques. There were many different camera angles, for example, the camera zoomed in on the Avatars a bunch of times. This is called a close-up shot. Another production technique that I noticed was Emotional Transfer. What emotions does this media tap? Some one who watches this might feel a sense of hope for these poor Avatar's who are having their whole planet taken over by these cruel American People. Another persuasive technique that I observed was group dynamics. The main avatar, Jake, adressess his fellow avatars by saying, "We can beat them!!" Another persuasive technique would be strength. The avatars prove themselves to be strong when they take down the American people with their love for their planet. The last technique that I noticed was warm fuzzies. The fact that Jake, the main Avatar falls in love with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri is a very cute story as well as a happy ending. I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone...moms, dads, children and even grandparents! Go see it now!

Wear Sunscreen-Media Meditation #2

A few days ago when I was hanging out, one of my friends showed me this song. He asked me if I had ever heard of "The Sunscreen Song" and I said no. Once he showed this to me, I thought, "Wow! I am always going to wear sunscreen from now on". The words in it are turly powerful and stick in your head like glue. When first listening to it, my limbic brain was taking in all of the words and then the music. "The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists". Scientific evidence is just one of the persuasive techniques used in this song. He then talks about how the rest of his advice comes from personal experience. "You are not as fat as you imagine". When considering the seven principles of media education, this can relate to value messages and individual meaning. Many people think about their weight too much and would consider this meaningful to them. "The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind". This can be warm fuzzies just because it comforts me that the real troubles in my life won't ever cross my mind. There is also a lot of humor in this song...like when he says we will look back in 20 years at ourselves and we won't believe how good we looked! "Do one thing everyday that scares you...sing!" This is basically a simple solution to how to overcome our everyday fears. "Remember compliments you receive" Flattery is always good for the soul! "Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't..." This makes me feel that it's ok if I or anyone else never wanted to get married! These are just some of the persuasive techniques he uses to make people want to wear sunscreen. When watching this on youtube, there was an Epistemological shift because of the words that change to an image. Overall, the words and images of this song made me want to wear sunscreen because I want to live to be old and enjoy my life regardless of if I ever get married or have children or never find out what I want to do. I want to be able to enjoy my long life happily and healthy. So....everyone should wear sunscreen!