Blog 10: Final Blog

In this blog I have covered possible job outlooks for the field of mass communications. I know that I have progressed in my ability to analyze and express my ideas in a professional and creative way. To quote my blog on the midterm:

"The most important part of the class was understanding the amount of work that goes into commercials. It is important to be critical as a producer and consumer at the same time. I've gotten a greater understanding of how important media is to global culture, and was motivated by the Avon video to want to change consumerism. I also felt that you can do anything after hearing about past graduates who went on to be very successful in media."

This class has helped me understand how media impacts culture, and how consumers read imagery in media. I analyzed graphic novels, and then I organized graphics with dialogue to create my own. I had learned to analyze commercial imagery and present my understandings in a powerpoint presentation shown here:

Open publication - Free publishing - More ads

This class has been a major shift in my development as a comm student. As I wrap up this section of the blog, I'll say that I have a better gasp of how important it is to be current, blog about events, and stay on top of the media if you want to be involved. There are a lot of ways that a person can be creative with communications.

My VALS type: Innovator Experiencer

Innovators

Innovators are successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high self-esteem. Because they have such abundant resources, they exhibit all three primary motivations in varying degrees. They are change leaders and are the most receptive to new ideas and technologies. Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services.

Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status or power but as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality. Innovators are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet they continue to seek challenges. Their lives are characterized by variety. Their possessions and recreation reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life.

Experiencers

Experiencers are motivated by self-expression. Young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers, Experiencers quickly become enthusiastic about new possibilities but are equally quick to cool. They seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social activities.

 

Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis that they place on looking good and having "cool" stuff.

Blog 6: 3D

In The Myth of 3D Immersion, Alva Noe writes that 3-D technology isn't yet comparable to artificial perspective in paintings. On one hand I can see how the technology isn't as amazing as a complete immersion. Yet despite that in 3D the technology isn't quite virtual reality, it's still an art form that helps the viewer feel like they are in/part of the movie. The medium may be different, yet the idea is still the same. Create a new dimension and perspective for the viewer. I disagree with the writer because I feel that 3-D is fun and can improve over time. For instance, Avatar was an amazing movie.

Blog 5: Midterm

Many aspects of my intro to mass communications class that stand out have been analyzing underlying elements to creating graphics for commercials and book, and learning to both experience media and produce it. I like learning about the basics of how to break down communications because it helps me to grasp key concepts for successful work. This class has helped me learn to analyze imagery and realize that there is more to a message than subjective interpretation. It also depends on the culture.

The most important part of the class was understanding the amount of work that goes into commercials. It is important to be critical as a producer and consumer at the same time. I've gotten a greater understanding of how important media is to global culture, and was motivated by the Avon video to want to change consumerism. I also felt that you can do anything after hearing about past graduates who went on to be very successful in media.

Another part of the class I enjoyed would have been creating the power-point presentation because I actually enjoyed analyzing Ads and imagery to get to the deeper elements behind the creations. I learned to think of commercials in a new way and not to be caught up in how annoying they can be. After-all, businesses have to sell their products, and sometimes attention grabbing commercials work despite other times being outdated or repetitious. Over-all I feel I am improving bit by bit in figuring out what exactly I want to do and how to approach a career in the comm field.

Blog 4: Graphic Novel Analysis

• Find and review any graphic novel or comic. 
• Describe, discuss and evaluate the three main modalties of communication:  1) words, 2) pictures, 3) frames. 
• How did each communicate? 
• How did the the three work together to "say" something more than either one phenomenon alone?

I found the open source graphic novel NYC2123 online. The graphic novel has intriguing concepts and a plot line that is easy to follow. The dialogue was present tense, while the descriptions were done in past tense with the characters' introspection through-out the story. The images flowed like pieces of a bigger picture. As I was reading it, I felt pulled into the story. The items and locations in this futuristic world were highly creative.

It starts out with a male junkie and a woman who are walking outside of the wall. Outside the wall that barricades New York from the outsiders, there are drug traffickers and cybernetic body part traders. The art left more to the imagination, but the commercials such as a Marlboro machine and cameras. The woman and man are on a mission to transport drugs. There is something fishy about the trade. Not only does the cyborg who is sent on the mission go underwater to a place that was known to have been destroyed long ago, but the chemicals "drugs" are liquid and in a nitrogen proof case.

The interwoven plot is what makes this interesting. Each story is interwoven with action and experience to the other individual stories.

 http://nyc2123.com/

NYC 2123

Illustration: Paco Allen
Writing: Chad Allen
Story: Chad Allen & Paco Allen

They were supposed to be getting a rare squirrel, and it turned out to be a rat. An obvious set up. The aerial views of the city bring the comic to life. 

Over-all it is an interesting story with an unraveling plot. The use of dialogue helps keep you involved.
The symbolic imagery, background story, dialogue, and sequence of pictures make the comic engaging. It wasn't as interesting to me as some online graphic novels which incorporate sound, but it was easier to follow.

Intertextuality in the 21st Century

The Ad to the left is an example of what I feel is consumerist oriented culture gone awry. The image presents a woman as a passive object, or an accessory, much like the anorexic females in GAP clothing commercials which disgust me. The Ads appeal to me as a society in the dark ages; while many seem to ignore what it means to express an idea and its implications. This doesn't make me want to buy anything, it only disgusts me and draws attention to a powerlessness that I feel when I see these Ads. I tune them out, I stop buying the clothing they sell, and I get tired of seeing the same image everywhere. This is not a co-created text, and in fact I wouldn't call it a true text, who-ever made it wasn't taking into account all sides of the interpretation. This is not a genuine text, because it does not take into account the conscious actors in its medium of expression.

A text is any medium of communication that is read; when we read a text, we can use any of our senses or perceptions, and they are not limited to sight. This is why a text is not just an object such as a book, but it can also be a message such as propagandized news. The text has a basic value which is intended to be perceived; this value or message is spread through various mediums of technology in order to garner support for a politician, attain profit for a market, or increase public awareness without a profit incentive, etc. The value of a text is co-created and co-interpreted by the public. The public masses act as co-creators by the very act of being conscious actors in society. As conscious beings, we interpret various forms of media in ways that appeal to our personal, and interpersonal values. Media objects act as texts when we read them and interpret them for what they represent to us.

Intertextuality can be thought of as the on-going dialogue between various texts, and the way these texts influence each other in the grand scheme. People who act within the social paradigm within various cultures, are bombarded with inescapable texts. News on Fox is more-so entertainment than actual non-biased news. AOL is another medium of entertainment and gossip, rather than free news that keeps the art of journalism more-so in mind than the art of consumerism and entertainment. Real news is harder to find in this age when technology and markets are so readily available and able to swallow up genuine journalists to pay them to create stuff solely for television. You could compare real news to home-made bread and the mass produced news to generic tasteless bread made for your toaster/television.

One argument says that commercials appeal to our subconscious even when we tune it out, although I feel that if you consciously choose to ignore certain commercials you still will not find them appealing. I feel that commercials should take into account aesthetics more-so than humor; the creators should stop making them annoying because people really don't like them. If you compare a communication text to a piece of fine art, the same rules apply when being mass marketed. Art without value is generic and based more on popularity and a name-sake than aesthetics, emotional appeal, and setting itself apart. True art shakes the generic foundation by speaking a message that appeals to a sense of justice or personal flavor. This can be the sense of self-expression for its own sake, or it can be upfront about an idea that you never thought of.

Real texts express what the artist or the marketer intended, which is to express an idea and influence someone in such a way that does not make them feel compelled to do something without context. By real, I mean genuine. Genuine art and genuine texts appeal to the human individual, not themselves. Texts are an important aspect of daily life, whether though news or culture oriented propaganda, texts are an integral aspect of humanity and how we communicate our ideas to each other. Intertextuality is ever-evolving, just as the memes of culture are ever-changing and evolving to satisfy our needs. With more conscious co-creators in the ever-changing industry and market, there will be more room for improvement in what we see as media, and more texts that relate to the human and not just to the image itself. This is what I envision for a better and more aware culture.

Electronic Journalism

"Mass communication is generally identified with these modern mass media. The media creates a link between the communicator and the mass audience. To understand the nature, ingredients and the effects of mass communication following adjectives have been used: Instantaneous, Multi sensual, Impact, Masses, Sponsors, Attention grabbing, Rapidity, Heterogeneity, Newsworthy, Public opinion, Public interest, Dramatic, etc. Mass audience tends to be diverse and heterogeneous, and therefore in planning a mass media communication, one first has to define the target audience and then select a medium that can reach most of them as frequently as possible for the least investment" 


A Good Site is The Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org/


In researching different jobs available for mass communications students, I've realized that Electronic Journalism is one career path that appeals to me greatly. Working on the field, producing or researching for web news, and traveling are areas that are inspiring to me. Electronic journalism encompasses radio, television, and web media for the masses. You can specialize in entertainment; for instance I could document an adventure to a foreign place (travel diary or documentary). Or I could specialize in researching and producing media related information for current events. I would like to travel, and have a crew and equipment to help me. I would like to help direct and produce in the long-term as a goal. For now, I could be helping out on equipment, organization and editing, and scheduling, etc. There are so many possibilities. Having people hear my voice would be a great reward as well. I would love to do video-journalism more than anything, and I feel that I am on my way to that career. Yet, I need to get some more hands-on work in video related work.

The Growing Feild of Videography: Comm 203

In "Media Career Guide" (pg. 73) the author recommends a website called www.videography.com. This website features an interactive forum, news, and blogs from freelance videographers and corporate entrepreneurs alike. I find this website interesting, as it reveals a growing and changing industry. Technology is growing fast, and finding ways to keep a balance between the creator and the consumer is a tough thing to do. When there is so much a person can do with extra cash in their pockets, then what can a videographer specialize in to break this trend of the self-motivated hobbyist? If you love film-making, and want to make a career out of it, videography is the first step in getting your feet wet.

What appeals to me about videography is that I can use my film-making abilities to create movies that appeal to certain markets or individuals. The sky is the limit when you have the talent to market your ability. It's a matter of getting yourself networked into the world in ways such as establishing a video-blog or writing editorials. Whether filming a wedding, anniversary, or a documentary, a certain amount of aesthetic vision is required to be able to direct a film. It's not just about knowing the technology, it's about honing your ability to create visually and moving works of art. There is an amount of artistic talent and creative ability that is required for a videographer. Or else, you won't be very good and people won't pay you well if you can't film professionally. Knowing final cut pro, and even some animation is very important.

"Video creation is sometimes a singular business, but video producers are a social lot." This quote from the videomaker article is true of our film-making world. Without the skills necessary to socialize, network, and be charismatic, a videographer will meet incredible challenges advancing his or her career.

In reading videomaker.com's article on Alex Nolen (http://www.videomaker.com/article/14999/) I learned that you can always start simple and work your way up to doing bigger things. Alex Nolen's profile demonstrates a passionate artist with basic film knowledge. I also use Pinnacle Studio as well as have knowledge with using Sony cameras.

This is the profile that I found on the website:

Name: Alex Nolen
Cameras: Panasonic PV-GS80
Computer: Intel-based workstation, Mac mini for multitrack sound recording
Editing Platform: Pinnacle Studios 12
Microphones: Sony UWP-V1, Sennheiser ME66, Shure SM58
Support Gear: tripod, green screen, camera lights

Alex Nolen has dedicated his talent to producing low budget films, with the hopes of reaching his goal as an aspiring film maker. So far he has gotten his feet wet, and I believe he is well on his way to a truly solid career in the business:  

"For pure enjoyment, I documented my trip on a cruise to the Caribbean and created a documentary of the fabulous trip. Recently, I was asked to film a huge praise and worship conference at Corpus Christi Parish in Lansdale, PA with my father.
I feel that I am "on my way" and with technology advancing rapidly in the film business, I hope as my future starts to unfold that I will create some remarkable films to come." Alex Nolen

 Not only is it fun to make movies, and to express human life through film-making, but videography is a growing industry. With all the events that happen world-wide, we need better photo-journalists, videographers, and film makers who have the talent to meet the public's needs in production.I feel that I am also on my way to bigger things, and that with more work in learning the technique and theory behind film and media studies, I will become a better artist and have a solid career.

works cited:
"Media Career Guide" by James Seguin & Sherri Hope Culver
www.videography.com
www.videomaker.com

http://www.videomaker.com/article/14999/

The Way Media Influences Culture

The way we communicate has changed rapidly ever since the internet became wide-spread technology. Not only has the internet made communication and public learning easier, but now there are tools at the hands of the people that can create mass change around the world. The wikileaks digitized revolution began with the release of top secret cables through an anonymized whistelblower site for journalists: wikieleaks. 

What Bradley Manning did, may have been illegal, but so many things that are illegal are also wrong in the moral sense. Should the government keep so many secrets from the public? These debates can be discussed on internet forums, through news shows on youtube or democracynow. The internet has made journalism more accessible to people around the world. People can blog about all sorts of things and upload them to the masses through the internet. Self publishing has become a possibility and can be useful if through successful networking. I feel the internet is really amazing in the way it has connected and shaped communication of individuals. People communicate more, I think, in a fundamental way. But with so many resources out there, it is also easy to get lost and become selective in what we choose to listen to or read about. Still, the information is out there and hard to ignore.

Social networking makes it easier to see what the mass of people think on an issue, ratings and hits prove what people are listening to. The revolution in Egypt may have had something to do with the revolution in Tunisia after the cables were released. This information being public is a valuable resource as long as the public keeps high moral. One issue I see with so much power in the hands of people, is that large numbers may agree with something but that doesn't always mean it is just or even constitutional. That's where the internet is almost like a media revolution.

There is no U.S. censorship and so we have free reign on what we would like to communicate...and this is good in my opinion. I envision technology in the future (which I think is in progress), a hybrid of camera and ipad, where people can submit articles with pictures and upload them instantly over 3G. I think journalism tools are the way of the future, and better technology in the hands of the masses would be a great way to continue the media revolution. But I also think it scares governments, because in large numbers people hold the power to overthrow corrupt governments and voice what truly matters to them. Overall, the internet has shaped the way we view the world. It has helped us create a voice that is heard by thousands. The politics of internet information are extremely crucial to our generation. I support non-censorship and free public communication, as it was intended...I believe the internet needs its own constitution.

A Cyborg Philosophy

"Cyborg imagery can suggest a way out of the maze of dualisms in which we have explained our bodies and our tools to ourselves"

This manifesto has three main ideas that stick out to me. The first is a vision of a non-duelist and genderless society as seen by the advance of technology. The second is that machines and human interactions are cybernetic by nature. The third is that humans need to regenerate and not birth or "re-birth". I can see where the author is coming from about regeneration; humans regenerate already and our personalities are different from one point to another. Although I would argue that there is something at the core of every human being, beyond DNA, that is essentially true. This truth goes beyond machine or genetics.

This article seems to be presenting the idea that people act as both machine and circuit, while overcoming the processes that make each an individual. I personally found the article interesting, and I understand how the idea of blasphemy can help people draw conclusions. I don't think this was a serious manifesto to the author's intentions. This is because it presents a very terrible outlook which is completely contrary to human freedom. Socialism in this context is more like a mass of brainwashed half machine, mostly machine, half human beings....if you could even call them beings.
The theories of socialism, feminism, etc. suggest that the author is an Atheist who wants to get away from the idea of God, and the nature of good and evil.

I couldn't help but consider that science reveals that we are binary and dualist by nature, but even beyond human beings perhaps the universe itself is more of a duelist than monotheist by nature. In essence, if machines were to become the new state of collective human consciousness, then perhaps we'd be worshipping a non-entity, and absolute of violence and necessity, there-fore a sort of mono-theist God. Our machines become our God, and then what is evil? 

Anything that is not machine bred becomes the anti-evolution of the cyborg culture. And yet we still live in binary terms, although things would have changed from organic belief systems to programmed and thoughtless ideals. I couldn't help but think that this Manifisto's world seems very bleak and unnatural. I would have to disagree with the author's last statement. I'd rather be a human than a cyborg because a machine would not last long in the grand scheme of things. It would have no sense of desire and therefore have no reason to exist. The only Gods of these cyborgs would be the ones of history, who programmed the future generations of machines to worship them. Perhaps, even more-so than a fictionalized manifesto, this is a political statement that points out flaws in culture, relgion, and the ethics of socialism.