Extra Credit Evaluation Blog

       Overall, I enjoyed the experience of using a blog for the RTF 305 course. Being a first-year at UT, this is my first time ever using one in class. The use of a blog helped me research on a topic or term that may not have been fully covered in class to gain more knowledge of it. However if we were to be given more time to do do the assignments, it would help to better prepare for it.
       Initially, I had trouble adding pictures and posting links, but once we discussed the steps on setting it up during Jeremiah's TA session, I pretty much got hang of it right away. The most interesting blog prompts were the ones that asked us to give us our own opinions on certain terms while adding our own proof of that idea (i.e. a video, picture, etc). The less interesting ones were the ones where we basically all wrote the same content on a certain topic.
       I would definitely recommend using a blog in future courses, either in RTF 305 or other undergraduate courses at UT Austin because it definitely gives students the opportunity to do more hands-on work. They not only showed our perspectives but the fact that we were able to view others blogs helped as well.
       Overall, I would recommend that the topics of the blogs be presented in the syllabus or at least with more time to give students a better chance of completing the blog post.

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

10th RTF Blog Post: Globalization

       Globalization is the process by which different societies and cultures become integrated through a network of communication and trade. It increases opportunities for communication, exchange of material and symbolic goods, and migration of people across national borders. Through it, we are able to see what is going on around our world with the comfort of staying in one place. 

       A part of globalization discussed in class is the glocalization of media products. It is the act of taking an idea or formula that proved successful in one place and adopting it in another. This is commonly seen in books, television series, films, and even restaurant chains where the changes made are simply in the language or slogans, and everything else remains the same.

       An example would be the American comedy television series, The Office, broadcast by NBC. The show is an adaptation of the BBC series The Office, which depicts the everyday lives of the office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.  Although both shows have generally the same plot and characters, the UK version of the show is vastly different from the US version to relate to viewers in their society.

9th RTF Blog Post: Advertising

       The ad I decided to present was the snickers commercial, starring Betty White. It aired during the 2010 Super Bowl. It starts off on a Long Shot, showing a group of guys playing football on a dark, muddy field. It zooms in to show Betty White, running around, looking rather slow. She gets tackled by a guy and retrieves back to her team. While huddled up, he says "C'mon man you've been riding me all day." the guy replies, "Mike, you're playing like Betty White out there." Basically, we're supposed to assume that that is not Betty, but a random guy (Mike) who is not playing to well. His girlfriend approaches and gives Betty a Snickers bar to apparently refuel or gain energy. It transforms him back into a man. I fell that this commercial is powerful because it exaggerates on the ability of a candy bar.

       I feel that the main potential appeal of this advertising was physiological need. A physiological need is the idea of putting your list of needs in a pyramid and trying to satisfy each one in the order of importance. For example, if you are hungry and thirsty, you will tend to try to take care of the thirst first.  After all, you can do without food for weeks, but you can only do without water for a couple of days. Commercials such as this one try to convince us that their product is a physiological need, meaning that we need it to satisfy ourselves.

       The creators of this commercial exaggerate on the fact that Snickers gives you the strength to continue playing. So to be good in football or any sport, perhaps you might want to try a bar to gain your energy. It is a physiological need because this commercial attempts to make the viewer believe that he needs it to be strong, or to win. The ad ends by saying "You're not you when you're hungry, Snickers satisfies."
      

8th RTF Blog Post: 3 Act Structure

In Christopher Nolan’s, The Prestige, we see how Hollywood’s three-act structure is presented and how the climax is built up until the near end of the film as discussed in Professor Ramirez-Berg's lecture.

The first act usually includes the first 30 minutes and is the setup of the screenplay. In the story, we are introduced to the two main characters that play magicians in the movie: Robert "The Great Danton" Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). The two colleagues first start out as friends and assistants to a magician. Unfotunately, disaster strikes during their performance to the underwater escape. Borden ties Julia's (Angier's wife) in a complex knot that keeps her from escaping the water chamber in time, leading to her death. ,During the funeral, Angier confronts Borden, asking which knot he tied. His answer is that he "doesn't know," which Angier can not accept. This is the beginning of their rivalry.

 Act II comprises of the next two quarters of the film (generally from 30-60 minutes long). It is the confrontation. Throughout this part of the film, we see that both magicians' intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle full of obsession, deceit and jealousy. The movie goes back and forth in time showing the different schemes that each protagonist played on the other to ruin their attempts of success. Angier disguises himself as an audience member to sabotage Borden's "Magic Bullet" trick. He intentionally shoots a finger leaving Borden scarred from what he did to his wife. To get back at him he equally ruins Angier's "Disappearing Bird" trick. Soon enough, Borden returns with his most impressive trick: "The Transporting Man". Angier "breaks his head" throughout the rest of the movie to figure out the secret. 

 The third and final act reveal Bordon's trick. Angier finally realizes that the secret of Borden's "Transported Man" was simple. Borden had a twin brother, and they were switching back and forth between the roles of Borden and his assistant. It also reveals Angier's secret to replicate himself in his trick. He owns a machine that replicates a double, and rigs a trapdoor on stage to get rid of him after the show. The last minutes result as the climax, filling all the gaps that were left out throughout the movie.

7th RTF Blog Post: Serial Features in TV Sitcoms

       In today’s TV shows, there are specific features for the different types of television programs (series, serial, and episodic). A serial show tells a story that develops over a period of time, which requires sequential viewing to make sure the viewer doesn’t miss anything. For serial shows, the characters tend to be more complicated and dynamic; their stories are told throughout the entire season(s). The plot is also not always predictable. Unlike episodic shows (such as House or Family Guy), serial does not follow a pattern (i.e. problem in the beginning; solution at the end). Every episode brings new problems and, sometimes, new characters.

       An example would be the TV series, LOST. LOST contains very complex characters and tells a story over time. The end of every episode leaves you more confused than the one before, but gets you closer to understanding the plot. It tells the story of several strangers who survived a plane crash on an island. Over time, the characters’ stories unfold and the viewers realize that there is more to the island than previously thought. Overall, each episode tells a story, but the episodes together tell a bigger story.

6th RTF Blog Post: Match Point

 The movie I decided to analyze was Match Point. My first shot is the Close Up shot. As discussed in class, this is the important detail shot. Here we are able to see the character's (Chris Wilton) facial features and descriptions. Here, he is having a drink with a girl that he is interested in. We infer that his eyes are engaged to the other character's. His feelings and emotions are then presented through the shot, which is what the director (Woody Allen) wants us to see.

The second shot is the Medium Shot (also known as the information shot). It is usually a shot from the knees or waist up. it is used to show a relationship between characters. In the movie, this is the part where we find out that Chris is attracted to Nola. We are able to see that both characters are flirting with each other and having a very intensive conversation. This is the first scene where the movie becomes more interesting; it foreshadows what is to come.

The last shot I chose for the movie was the scene with Nola and Chris walking in an unknown neighborhood discussing their secret affair. It is a Long Shot. These types of shots mainly shows a whole setting; the character(s) are also seen in full view. It shows the two characters isolated from the world. The fact that they are alone and the type of shot help the viewer understand what message the director is trying to portray. Clearly, they are doing something that is frowned upon in society which heightens the scene as well.

5th RTF Blog Post: Studio System

One of the factors for the success of Classical Hollywood was the way the studio system was set. Major studios, such as the Big Five, were completely vertically integrated which meant that they worked with all aspects of their films. Large companies like these held contracts with all of their employees including their major stars. They basically used famous actors to sell a movie.

Studios would use Hollywood stars to put an emphasis on their image rather than on real acting talents. Therefore, audiences would go to see a film for a certain actor rather than for the plot of the movie. In doing so, the actors would constantly play the same type of character in a movie whether it be a criminal, or the rebel, or the girl that everyone loved.

An example would be a feature film starring John Wayne. He has come to be considered one of the many archetypal movie stars. Although his acting career varied, John Wayne was most famous for starring in war and Western films such as Stagecoach, Rio Bravo, and True Grit.

Image From http://stevesomething.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/stagecoach.jpg

4th RTF Blog Post: All in the Family vs That 70s Show

       Contemporary family-based comedy sitcoms today both reflect and contrast those from those back in the 1960’s and 70’s. All in the Family was one of the first comedic TV shows of its time to present contentious issues from society. More recent shows, such as That 70’s Show, continue to bring forth debatable topics but have also become more accustomed to free speech.
       Both shows tend to centralize their comedy on social issues. They touch on subjects such as homosexuality and racism and use those themes to get a point across to the public. For example, the episode played during the screening of All in the Family centered itself on a family’s differing views of a man’s sexual orientation to view issue in a different light. In That 70’s Show, the same thing is done where Eric Foreman’s friend Buddy kisses him, putting both characters in an awkward situation. A few other similar characteristics are that both set in America in the 1970s, and portray the stereotypical family with the old-fashioned, man-of-the-house father.
       However, although both sitcoms were set in the same time period, one was actually aired in the 70’s while the other began production in the late 90s and ended in May of 2006. All in the Family took social issues more seriously than the ones presented today. That 70’s Show presents such issues in a lighter sense simply because it is not as “bold” of a statement as it was in previous decades. Also, the main cast of All in the Family was basically white, where That 70’s Show introduced “foreign” characters such as Fez.
       Overall, the issues presented in each comedy sitcom are different. All in the Family puts perspective to the social issues previously stated; they are more serious and make the viewer somewhat uncomfortable. That 70’s Show on the other hand, deals with more teen related issues such as freedom of speech, the use of drugs, and relationships between couples and friends.

3rd RTF Blog Post: Technological Change in Radio

            Radio emerged very quickly in America during the 1920s because of technological change. This period in history is commonly known as the ‘Roaring Twenties’ because of the radical transformation caused by the many changes happening in technology with new advancements, discoveries, and inventions. The radio industry was experiencing an economic boom, as it became a product of the mass media.

Technological change is known as progression in a product: the creation of a technology, the process of improving that good (in which it becomes less expensive), and the diffusion of that product. In this case, the constant advances in radio stimulated social hype, raising profits for the industry. Having radio become almost a common necessity in an average American household also pushed inventors to add news, entertainment and more to the once very simple instrument.

By the late 1920s, about 60% of American homes owned at least one radio. Technological advances affected the evolution of radio keeping the consumers in constant crave for what was to come next. An example would be Apple’s iPod. Since the arrival of the 1^st generation iPods, society took a bit of an interest in this new innovative gadget. As apple continued to release newer models, the iPod became even more common and affordable. Today, the iPod is seen as a common necessity just like radios were in the early 20^th century. Technological changes have affected the way radio and other goods evolved through history.

2nd RTF Blog Post: Social Learning

Society has become accustomed to follow the ideas that the media sets through social learning. We feed off of what television, radio, and newspapers promote. For example, teen pregnancies have become more common ever since movies like Juno appeared in theaters.

Social learning is the idea that society follows trends that the media and peers set. People learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors.  Learned behaviors are then perceived as the social norm. As a few start the trend, the rest begin to follow, mimicking the actions that are seen in media, society, etc.

The concept of getting pregnant while a girl is underage has always been frowned upon in the past. However, since the movie Juno came out in theaters, society has praised this movie for its comedic performances and has, somewhat, gotten over the fact that teen pregnancies are a big deal. Now more than ever, the number of underage girls getting pregnant has risen, which shows that society follows the “trend” that Juno and other pregnant teen shows through social learning.

1st RTF 305 Post: Hegemony in Media

Media has always had a key role in teaching people to do things that support the power of companies like Axe. Hegemony is used in their advertisements to make viewers (in this case, heterosexual men) believe that in order to be desirable and attractive, they must buy Axe’s product.

The concept of hegemony is basically a political, social, cultural, or economic influence by a higher group. Large corporations make consumers buy what they want, eat what they want, look how they want, and even act how they want without actually forcing them to do so. Basically, the men with the most wealth or strength are able to convince lower classes that their views are the correct ones, in this case through media.

For example, in the Axe Shower Gel ad, the product apparently makes women more attracted to men due to the scent. It is so strong that it permeates through the pipe that drains the shower, drawing women from every floor. All of their commercials boast that any unattractive and undesirable man can use their products to instantly become sexually appealing.

AXE Shower Gel

Oh the Places You'll Go! RTF 305

Hey Readers!

My name is Marcelo Flores and I'm an incoming freshman to the College of Communication at University of Texas at Austin. I fell in love with cameras the moment I was old enough to hold one. Its delicacy and its extreme power gave me a rush of excitement knowing that I had the ability to record what I saw through my    eyes, and, better yet, even enhance the image to play with my viewers' minds. Now, years later, as I enter this new place, I ask myself what I would like to do for the rest of my life, and the only thing that comes to mind is Film; Directing; Writing; etc. And to do that, I have been placed in this class which,  I believe, will teach me how media came to play such an important role in the shaping of modern society. I also hope to learn how the industry has influenced consumers to do what it wants and the changes it has gone through to get to where it is today.

P.S. I have recently gotten very interested in the whole healthy eating and active lifestyle so if anyone is looking for simple diets and easy workouts to get stronger, faster, and healthier, check this page out! It's called FitDose.com pretty neat! (check the workout videos)  http://fitdose.com/

      -Marcelo Flores