Blog Post #10-Globalization

Globalization is the process by which people around the world become interconnected and interdependent. A major factor that allows this is through better communication technologies. The internet is the most important because more and more people have access to the internet and have computers in their homes. A result of globalization is an increasing competitiveness in the economy and job markets.

Hybridization is the result of globalization as different groups of people and their culture are exposed to others. As these different cultures interact and new one is formed which holds characteristics of both. This can also occur through crossing over formulas that appeal to broad audiences. These are usually somewhat generic in nature so that knowledge of a particular culture is not necessary to enjoy the media or product.

An example of globalization and hybridization would be Pizza Patron. While pizza is considered an invention of Italy, Pizza Patron caters to Hispanic tastes by using toppings and ingredients such as chorizo and jalepenos. The company also crosses American and Mexican culture by using a mixture of both Spanish and English signage. About 2 years ago, the founder controversially began to accept pesos as a form of payment for pizza as a way for people who visited Mexico and had left over money could spend it here.

Blog Post #9-Advertising

A recent advertisement that I felt was persuasive is the Stouffer's Bistro baja grilled chicken melt. The commercial is only 16 seconds long but because of some clever special effects it caught my attention. A woman is shown in line at a cafe/local bistro amongst a crowd of people and as she leaves through the exit there is a transition as she comes out of the freezer of a grocery store. She shrugs at a man who notices her come out of the freezer an flirtatiously shrugs. The last shot is of a woman's hand closing the pita sandwich which is stuffed with grilled chicken and cheese while steaming. This ad is particularly interesting because of the fusion of advertising food and adding the element of fantasy, where the grocery store holds a portal into a restaurant. The idea of escapism is hinted as someone may see that shopping for food at a regular store can become something more interesting.

The advertising appeal that this ad shows is that of satisfying a physiological need. People need to eat, so why not try something that is convenient from your freezer? The food staging of the last scene makes the sandwich look especially appealing and there is also the implication that when microwaved that it will look perfect. Not only do people want to eat something that tastes good, but they want something that aesthetically looks good as well.

There is also the idea that the sandwich is convenient to eat as the woman is never shown sitting down to eat it. She is a modern woman on the go and obviously does not have time to sit down and eat. This appeals to the physiological need because many people find themselves too busy to sit down to a meal.
Not only will this satisfy hunger but the imagery of the steam implies that it is a comforting homemade meal that will make someone taste the authenticity of a real bistro sandwich.

Blog Post #9-Film Structure

The most Hollywood movies follow the 3 act structure. The structure of the first act of the movie Aliens, directed by James Cameron,  revolves around the soldiers going to the terraforming colony to find what happened to the communications with the colonists and find survivors. The beginning of the movie develops with Ripley agreeing to be a consultant amongst the soldiers and their skepticism about her story. Plot point one occurs at about 45 min 45 seconds when they discover the survivor Newt.  This escalates the stakes because they now have a child to protect which leads to complication within the fabula. The question now is how the soldier are going to survive on the planet and how they are going to complete their mission.

The next act involves Burke attempting to make hosts of Ripley and Newt. After his betrayal, Corporal Hicks makes the decision along with Ripley to destroy the base to kill the aliens. After an alien boards their ship killing the pilot, the plant begins to go on meltdown. The next question is how they are going to avoid the nuclear explosion and get back to Earth. Plot point two occurs at about 1 hour 15 min.

The last act and climax occur as Ripley tries to save Newt from the Queen alien and get to the ship before the base explodes. The climax occurs at 2 hours 11 min when Ripley causes the Queen to be shot from the air duct and into space. There is the happy ending of peace when they go into hyper sleep and are now safe.

Blog #7: The TV Sitcom

The television sitcom was born of Classical Hollywood qualities. Certain aspects of filming were retained such as establishing and retaining strong character and the use of mise-en-scene. Character development is a focal point for sitcoms. Just as during the Golden Age of Hollywood, maybe not so much actor names, specific characters are a draw for audiences. In sitcoms, characters rarely change and if they do it is over the course of a season or perhaps at the end of the series. Mise-en-scene is a focal aspect of sitcoms that gives them their staged quality. Because they are filmed in the proscenium style, the sets of sitcoms tend to be centered in a living space where characters interact within the frame while others occupy themselves until they are needed. The show Seinfeld exemplifies these aspects.

Seinfeld is heavily character-based. Jerry Seinfeld never changes throughout the course of the show, even when there is a glimpse of character development it is soon overwashed by something funny. As a comedian playing himself as a comedian, there is a self-reflexive quality as well. Jerry is neat and witty. George Costanza is uptight, cheap, insecure and selfish. Elaine Benes is superficial and bluntly spoken. Cosmo Kramer is quirky, laid back and inventive. As a collective, they act as children: often they resort to playing games to settle quarrels, physically fighting and teasing each other. There are moments of clarity such as when Jerry and George fall in love and decide to give up their bachelor ways, yet by the next episode they have changed their minds and try to figure out ways to get out of their relationships.

The majority of the show is set in Jerry's apartment and filmed in front of a live audience which gives these scenes a theatrical quality. The action remains in the living room area which is openly attached to the kitchen. The mise-en-scene is especially noticeable, for example, when George is watching television while Jerry and Elaine stand in the kitchen chatting or eating. During different episodes there is the realistic quality of characters entering and leaving the apartment or going to Jerry's room/bathroom while others interact in the main living area.

source: Google images

Blog Post #6-Shot meanings Terminator 2

One of my favorite movie moments is the short scene from Terminator 2 when Linda Hamilton is trying to escape from the mental hospital and sees Arnold Schwarzenegger coming out of the elevator:  time 1:00:40 to 1:01:10. From the beginning to the end, James Cameron utilizes different camera angles and slow motion to show the range of emotions that Hamilton's character, Sarah Connor, experiences.

There is a LS used when in the foreground the elevator door is opening and Hamilton is down the hall. Her full body can be seen which helps show her excited body language. Meaning that can be taken from this LS is that she is vulnerable and alone. The angle emphasizes the danger she is in and that she has only herself for protection. It also shows her as small when in comparison to the low angle, CU shot of Schwarzenegger which occurs within the next 2 shots.

There are several MS shots during this scene of Hamilton running away from Schwarzeneggeer: one that particularly stands out is when  he first is seen walking out of the elevator with his face in profile. It is important because it catches her off-guard since he is still far enough away to barely recognize him. Because of his clothing and the shotgun, the audience recognizes that it is him. The MS shows his deliberate manner of walking and this allows him to appear inhuman. It sets up the next shot of Schwarzenegger in a CU.

The CUs that stand out are the CU of Schwartzenegger's face after a CU of Hamilton's when he comes out of the elevator. The CU of Hamilton serves to show her recognition of Schwartzenegger and his CU serves to confirm that he has not changed since she last saw him. There is a clear juxtaposition as her face is panicked while his is stoic and emotionless. It heightens the contrast of their characters and the intensity of the scene.

5th Blog Post: Star System

An aspect of how the studio system worked was through the star system which was a result of contracted talent. Classical Hollywood used a factory-based system where every aspect of production was vertically integrated. Along with distribution and exhibition control, studios contracted its talent and controlled what movies they were allowed to participate in. The star system derived out of audience demand for certain actors/actresses. Therefore, they were used to advertise and sell the movies.

Actors were also typecast within certain characters and genres that came to be expected in every movie that they were in. This affected the kinds of films made by the studios. Audience demand dictated what films the studios chose to make. For example, if westerns were becoming more popular then the film studios would begin to make more westerns. If certain actors were in demand then they would be contracted to make several movies within the year.

Buster Keaton is an example of an actor/talent that was under the influence of the star system. He worked under MGM which limited his creativity and ability to create the movies he wanted to make. He came to be known as "the great stone face" because of his character that showed little emotion that was in every film he made. His films had the trend of being about an ambitious and naive character caught in a chaotic situation/world. His films were all comedic in nature.

The star system turned actors into products that could be advertised and sold. This is explains the high distribution of movies that contained the same basic formula.


(image: google.com/images)

4th Blog Assignment- "All in the Family" compared to" Arrested Development"

All in the Family and Arrested Development are family-based situational comedies that hold characteristics that make them both similar and different.

While Arrested Development is much more pronounced in its audacity to show taboo attitudes and behaviors, All in the Family takes on the issue of homosexuality with a realistic approach. All in the Family uses Archie Bunker's character to illuminate the common prejudices against homosexual men in an ignorant light by his use of demeaning name calling. Where his hostility creates tension amongst the audience for the honesty of his character, the openness of his personal opinion is contested between his family. Arrested Development pursues this subject matter in a purely comic light. The character Tobias is constantly acting in a suggestive manner that makes him seem gay without him realizing it. He consistently spouts innuendos without realizing they could be easily and obviously taken out of context. While All in the Family is more shocking because of the reality of Archie's mindset, Arrested Development treats the situation unabashedly.

 These two shows could be considered complementary, because they pursue a disapproved topic. Both attempt humor and show dysfunction within a "superficially normal" family. There is also the fact that the older generations are opposed to the "homosexuals" in the shows. For example, in All in the Family Archie berates his son's friend behind his back with insults and in Arrested Development both of Lindsay's parents disapprove of her marriage to Tobias because he acts so strangely to them. Both shows are connected by their ability to point humor, whether considered offensive, in a direct way towards taboo subjects.

An issue that All in the Family dealt with that Arrested Development did not was that Archie, when he learned his long-time friend was indeed gay, changed his perception of people and may have grown as a character. Another fact is that Archie's friend was portrayed subtly whereas Tobias is much more obvious in his manner of speaking and dress. An issue that Arrested Development deals with that All in the Family  does not is that homosexuality is much more accepted in modern times. It also deals with the fact that closet homosexuals may marry to hide their true identities.

Blog Post #3-Government regulation/intervention in Radio

Government regulation and intervention impacted the radio industry by requiring licensed stations,  controlling the content of the airwaves for military use and forms of gatekeeping.

Government regulation and intervention in the radio industry function to control its content. Licensing stations was necessary for helping ensure that frequencies would not cross but also made it more difficult for local stations to maintain their status. The Navy during WWI wanted the government to control the radio so that it could be used for military purposes and not be under foreign control. Gatekeeping comes into play as content is monitored to an extent. There is censorship with public radio which raises the issue of freedom of speech. Because of government interaction there is little diversity within radio except for differing genres of music or talk shows.

Radio in the 1920s was affected by government regulation and intervention as exemplified by the Radio Act of 1927. This was important for creating the FRC and structuring broadcasting, especially at night. This was also an important time for the government to step in when AT&T appeared to be monopolizing radio. The government intervened to keep radio regulated and not allow for any one company to dominate the airwaves.

Blog Assignment #2: Cultivation Theory

Cultivation theory helps in my understanding of how damaging ads, like Victoria's secret, can be to young women. Beautiful women in lingerie are seen everywhere in the media which can give girls who do not look like that insecurity.

Cultivation theory suggests that media exposure over time leads to a distortion in the perception of reality by its viewers. Through active engagement with media, like watching television or playing video games, there is the chance that pervasive, and not necessarily true, scenarios/images will become accepted as common. This would explain the concern around children playing violent video games and stereotypical behavior, for example by minorities, accepted as normal. The standards of beauty revolve around what is shown in advertising, where women who make up only a small percentage of the average body types are held as models.

Source: Google images "Victoria's Secret"

One word to describe the Victoria's Secret ads and stores is "sexy." With my experience of their commercials they show women who are thin, yet curvy, that push out their chests and pose in lacy bras and panties. I do not dislike Victoria's Secret, but I can relate to other girls that have seen the commercials, tried on their clothes and seen to our dismay that we look nothing like the models. Their commercials are glamourous and flashy and they portray the models as literal angels sometimes. This to a young girl may be intimidating because it gives the impression that looking like Heidi Klum or Tyra Banks is what is attractive to men. At first, the commercials seemed too exposing when I first saw them but now they are not such a big deal. Cultivation theory supports why Victoria's Secret ads make girls want to look like and be their models after getting over the initial shock of their lack of modesty.

Cultivation theory shows how influential a brand like Victoria's Secret can be. By watching their commercials for years as a young girl, it makes sense why so many teenage girls feel the need to lose weight or get breast implants to try and conform to their seductive look.

Media Framing: Pop star gone crazy

Source of photo: 

http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/04/carlys_britney_disease_dream

    Erupting images of disgrace and scandal, media framing easily takes the cake for getting away with unceasing bias. Framing is something that I have encountered an innumerable amount of times, and it is something I have thought about before I took this class. Framing seems to be used primarily for dismantling celebrity and political reputations: this is more prominent in media in terms of what is popular and what stays buzzing on the internet and in the news.  Brittany Spears is a fitting representation of how a celebrity can be framed in a negative light through the use of images and gossip.

    Framing is a routine practice used by different media sources to influence and skew the opinions of the public. As a result of attempts to maintain hegemony, according to Professor Straubhaar, it is used along with gate-keeping and agenda setting to keep the ideologies of society more consistent. Whether agreed with or not, norms are exercised and, for the most part, accepted virtually everywhere within a culture. Therefore, framing may be used by showing an image and taking the scene out of context with an opinionated headline or story tagged along with it. Such as the example in class with the woman and boy who either "found" a source of food or "stole" it, framing is under the discretion of those who have authority to publish what they choose. It is important to consider who decides what is published and shown, and why they chose what they chose. There is a great power behind the selection of what is considered newsworthy. If left unchallenged, it is evident that the state of race relations, politics and equality will remain unflinchingly unstable and unchanging.

    Rising to stardom at a young, impressionable age, Brittany Spears seized the world with her commercialized pop music and sexy schoolgirl look. Her image was thought to be innocent until her music videos came out, and she became increasingly famous. Through her portrayal in the media, particularly magazines, she is an apparent example of media framing. As one of the world's most recognizable celebrities, it is no surprise that her actions are chronicled. I remember seeing the images, that I posted above, when they began to spread like wildfire of Spears shaving her hair. These magazine covers help my understanding of media framing, because they are representing her as "crazy" for a simple, yet symbolic act. While it may have been a publicity stunt and I certainly have no way of knowing the truth, the lingo the editor's chose to surround her image is reflective of their supposed contempt for her.  It is considerably taboo in American culture for a woman to have a bald head, but it is important to see that it is automatically assumed that she is having a mental breakdown. Instead of perhaps hailing her for being rebellious or resisting the standards of beauty, she was instead labeled as falling apart and uncontrollable. Through this framing, she is consistently characterized as volatile while there is no way of knowing her true intentions.

    Media framing is habitually used to further an idea in a diverting way. Editors, presumably, will decide on what they want to expose and how they want it to be interpreted. Though more effortless to see as a negative concept, framing is an essential part of marketing and advertising. For example, Spears shaving her head would have been less significant if her status surrounding the event was held in a better light or if pictures of her had never gone mainstream in the first place. Media framing is important and the more it is exposed for being prejudiced the less ignorant the public will remain.

RTF 305... my reasons for being in this class...

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmvkvgMs6Q

Some of my favorite movies are Aliens, Sunshine, Inception, Pan's Labyrinth, The Prestige, Fight Club, and Pulp Fiction, to name a few. Though it is part of my FIG, I am hoping this class will help me better understand, specifically,  the importance and power of cinema. I cannot deny that watching television and film has taken up a greater part of my childhood, but it is not something I regret. I only became interested in filmmaking in the last year, so I have a lot to learn. I love movies, I am majoring in RTF, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me!


PS: I cannot wait until SUCKERPUNCH comes out!


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