Blog Evaluation

I have never used a blog before this class, so I was a little skeptical on the assignments when the semester started. However, after using the blog throughout the semester, I found it increasingly easier to do and began to enjoy the assignment over having to write a paper.
My only major problems with the blog that I had was finding some source of media to use in my posts. But luckily, there's so much stuff on the internet that I was capable of finding something to use in my posts.

I mainly enjoyed blog prompts that dealt with film and not terms like hegemony or prompts that had us compare things, such as the sitcom prompt. I really enjoyed the prompt concerning the film angles that Ramirez-Berg spoke about.
I would suggest the blog in future classes, because it was more enjoyable than writing papers.
I would also suggest the prompts be posted a day or so earlier, because i sometimes got mine on saturdays and it was due the next day.

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

Globalization

Globalization is when nations around the world come together based off of increases in technological developments, business improvements, and diversifying cultures. This allows the world to seem connected from technology such as the internet and television. With the internet, we can communicate with others from around the world and therefore the world is connected.

However, problems can occur in globalization, such as cultural imperialism. This is where the balance of the global media flow is weighing heavily on one side, and not much on the other. So we can get more of an influence from countries such as The United States or Japan, but not much of an influence from places such as Argentina. And so because of this, one countries influence is seen being distributed around the world and not really receiving any influences from other countries.

We can see globalization in television such as in the show The Office. The show was an original in the UK and after being such a huge hit there, The US decided to make its own. When it first came out, Americans were unaware that the show originated in the UK, but after awhile were aware of it. However, most Americans don't care for the original UK version, because the humor is much different in the UK than what humor is in The United States. This does however show a blending of cultures which is the main purpose of globalization, as seen in this clip of the actors from the American version of The Office promoting the UK version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ow4rUNiVw

Jameson Whiskey Commercial

An advertisement that seems to be on every commercial break is an ad for the whiskey, Jameson. The commercial is only 30 seconds long, but it is able to tell a comic story with a heroic ending, all about how a man risked his life for a barrel of his "beloved" whiskey. In the commercial, a ship is caught in a storm and a barrel falls off the ship. Although there are dozens of other barrels, the main character, John Jameson, dives in after the barrel and fights a giant octopus. Everyone thinks he is dead, but he comes back alive with his barrel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOydQFJdx1k

The commercial uses comedy to draw the viewers attention. The comedy is way over the top and has such an unrealistic story that the viewers can't help but watch the commercial and laugh at it. This is why comedy is used so often in commercials, because the viewers will want to watch the commercial and perhaps they will be further persuaded to purchase that product.
And the point of the the comedy in the commercial is that the whiskey is so good that the character, John Jameson, would do anything to get his barrel back. This shows that this brand of whiskey is better than any other brand and the ad hopes to persuade the viewers to go out and buy that brand.
In my opinion, I felt like the commercial did a fantastic job of telling a heroic story in a comedic way. And the commercial successfully held my attention to where I get excited when I see the commercial on television. But the only problem is, is that I am not old enough to purchase the product, but for someone old enough, I'm sure that the commercial was able to persuade the viewer to buy that brand of whiskey.

Three Act Structure : Wayne's World

One of my all time favorite movies is Wayne's World, which is a movie based off of an SNL skit. In the movie, Wayne and his friend Garth are hosts on a public access show which gets picked up by some corporate men. Wayne and Garth think they are going to be rich, but the company is really just exploiting them. Along with this, Wayne must battle the corporate head, Benjamin, for the love of his life, Cassandra. In the end, Wayne gets the girl and all live happily ever after.

In the First Act, we meet Wayne and his best friend Garth on the set of their TV show "Wayne's World". During the course of the first act, we are introduced to all of the characters and what their roles are. Also, Benjamin is in a meeting with an arcade owner, Noah Vanderhoff, and sells the idea of buying Wayne's World and sponsoring it with the arcade. Benjamin then meets with Wayne and Garth and has them sign a contract and then gives Wayne and Garth two cashiers checks. Wayne and Garth are overly joyed and we then see this as a mini climax and we proceed on to act two.

Through the course of act two, Wayne and Garth began to grow suspicious of Benjamin, but are too interested in other things to care. Wayne furthers his relationship with Cassandra and enjoys all the money he is getting from the show now. This is really all part of Benjamin's plot to take over Wayne's World. He even sends Wayne and Garth to Alice Cooper's concert with backstage passes to even further butter up Wayne and Garth. However, come time for the show to be recorded, Wayne and Garth realize what has happened and Wayne flips out and publicly humiliates the sponsor and is fired from the show. After this, Wayne suspects Cassandra of sleeping with Benjamin to get her music career going and she is so angry that she dumps him. Also, Wayne and Garth get into a fight and are no longer on speaking terms. This is a rather large mini climax since so much has happened in the last fifteen minutes of act two. This does however set up a great third act of the movie.

(Here is the clip of Wayne and Garth splitting up from each other after a fight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-hc79-tAiU


In act three, the resolution takes place, where Wayne and Garth make up with each other and plot how to win Cassandra back, get Benjamin out of the picture, and get Cassandra a music record deal. The plot they come up with is nearly impossible, but that's the humor of it. Basically, Wayne and his gang break into a TV station and steal all of the equipment they need to broadcast Cassandra doing a live performance for a record producer. Wayne goes to Cassandra and steals her from Benjamin and brings her to the set to play a song.

And in the end, the record producer goes to the set where Cassandra is playing and gives her a record deal. Benjamin also loses everything and everyone lives happily ever after.

Characteristics of Sitcoms - That 70s Show

Most TV sitcoms are shot in front of a live audience on a set. The set has three walls and a fourth wall that is non existent where the cameras are set up and the live studio audience watches the show get made. In the studio, the show usually takes place in someones home or apartment. The shows usually take place in the living room where everyone gathers around the TV (which is sometimes not shown and is merely implied that it is there)  and discusses their lives and problems.

The setting is also where the characters interact with each other. Such as in the show 'That 70s Show', the basement is where the teenagers will either watch TV or sit in a circle and smoke marijuana and discuss their problems with each other. The teenagers also go to a local burger joint called The Hub where they usually sit at the same table and discuss how to solve an issue.









Sitcoms also have a three part structure to them in which a problem occurs in the beginning and during the second part, it is being thought out on how to solve the problem, and finally in the third part the problem is resolved and everyone feels better and learns a lesson. This structure is usually set up in order to make room for commercials. Most sitcoms have an episodic structure in which the problem and solution occur in the same place and everything is back to normal in the next episode.
This is the case in That 70s Show, where the problem usually occurs in the basement and is solved in the basement.
As seen in the episode 'The First Date' from season one, Hyde tries to steal Donna from Eric and they get into an argument, but in the end, Eric and Hyde resolve their issue in the basement smoking, eating, and talking about life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSZTBHr0OU4

Reservoir Dogs scene

In the movie Reservoir Dogs, there is a very famous torture scene in which Mr. Blonde tortures a tied up cop. In the scene, the camera angles are used to portray the power stance of both characters and what their emotions are.
The camera angle on Mr. Blonde is a low angle shot indicating that he holds the power in the room, since he is the one torturing the helpless cop. However, this power is taken away from Mr. Blonde when he is shot by Mr. Orange who is thought to be dead at the time. When Mr. Blonde is shown about to die, the camera angle is a long shot indicating that he is alone and isolated from everyone else when he loses his power stance and dies.

The camera angle on the cop during the torture scene is a high angle shot showing how he is inferior to Mr. Blonde and is helpless. The camera angle also has close ups of the cop showing that he is frightened and disoriented and is also in pain (since his ear was cut off and he has been beaten). The close ups of Mr. Blonde show that he is enjoying himself watching the cop be in pain showing that Mr. Blonde is not entirely sane. Tarantino chose these camera angles to portray how each character is feeling and what is going through their minds. This allowed the audience to react more to the scene than if the camera angles were just omitted and shot with ony one camera angle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADI5EpIqZSc

Studio System - Star System

In the studio system, I find the star system to be one of the most important aspects. Studios hired actors and actresses under contract and always had them star in the same genres as usually the same type of character. Because of this, the stars began to grow a following of fans and soon became the face of major studios. "...film studios discovered that certain actors and actresses could attract viewers no matter what the movie was about." (Media Now, page 192) The actors became "such attractions that their names appeared above the title of the film on theater marquees. The importance of the star actor or actress was linked to the rise of the studio system." (Media Now, page 192) And because of the rise of the actors fame, studios would "rent out" the actors to other studios, so that other studios could produce films with big name actors/actresses. Also, the big name actors were used to promote other movies so that viewers would go to those movies.

Actor Charlie Chaplin provides a perfect example of how actors/actresses performed in set genres. Every time a Charlie Chaplin film was made, you automatically assumed it was a comedy, since he always played in slapstick comedy movies.

 From todays standpoint, we might consider Jack Black as this type of actor. Every time we see or hear about a new movie starring Jack Black, it is safe to assume that his character is going to be an idiot who never seems to get anything right and is always making us laugh.

During the early beginnings of film, the star system proved to be very successful in making studios profitable. And because of its power, studios still use it today, since we see so many actors/actresses starring in similar roles, such as Jack Black, or even Johnny Depp in Tim Burton films. For me, I believe the star system will never die out.