Of course it would depend largely upon the specific assignment (podcast, video, newspaper), but the over-arching criteria that I would evaluate my students' performance on are:
-What is the message?
-Does the piece succeed as a parody (or is it just mocking for mocking sake)?
-Does the student successively employ 'documentary style' (loosely scripted dialog, hand-held camera shots, authoratative manner)?
-Does the student examine the subject matter critically?
-After project completion, does the student reflect on the creative process?
I would want to be flexible and grade more specific criteria on a project-by-project basis.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Media Influence
In any given week, I engage with media primarily through the internet (provided so generously by Comcast . . .I lied, they're not generous at all) and radio. I spend a lot of time listening to MPR and the Current (I was so proud to become a member this February-after years of freeloading I was finally able to give back). I have found through years of listening, that in 30 minutes of MPR, I can gain the same amount of news that 2 or 3 hours of watching CNN would provide. Granted there aren't any scrolling headlines and Carl Castle replaces Anderson Cooper, but I like it better that way.
In our post-9/11 society, so many of our sources of media have resorted to scare tactics to attract and retain viewers. I must admit that my political consciousness has come to maturity really only in the last 7 years or so and I don't remember which way news leaned throughout the 90's or before, but its amazing how formulaic it all is. "Organic Toothpaste: Environmentally friendly or poison?" Turns out its not poison. I have made an unconscious boycott of network news, no matter which way they alledgedly spin their 'fair and balanced material', instead I prefer perpectives of NPR, the BBC or CBC. They present the news as it happens, without the over dramatized sound effects and pundit ranting. They don't cater to sponsors, so the content is much less filtered. I like to think that it is the purest source of news available . . .not to mention the level of intelligence broadcasted when you start a conversation with, "I heard on MPR the other day . . ."
The fact that the Current is a Minnesota-based initiative gives me almost as much state pride as Kirby Puckett.
The Avett Brothers
While perusing a quarterly DVD that used to come with my favorite music magazine, Paste, I came across a foot-stomping-scream-at-the-top-your-lungs-to-the-sound-of-banjos-upright bass-and-acoustic-guitars live performance. There was a fantastic emotional intensity that I generally associate with a punk, not a bluegrass band. At the time, I thought that the guys looked pretty great to see live, but didn't think much about the quality of the music. Almost a half year later, again while flipping through Paste, I came across a four star review of the Avett Brother's new album, Emotionalism. The review read:
"With a kick-drum thump and a wild-man scream, these 14 stunning songs carve into your chest and settle in, stitching up the gaping flesh with shredded banjo strings-only to rip free again while the wound is still fresh, leaving you bloody, gasping and desperate for more. A true breakthrough from this hard-working band."
Wow.
I bought the album, threw it into the stereo, sat back in the recliner and didn't get up again until I had listened to the whole thing twice through. I can't remember the last time a single cd has made such an impact on me. Each song is wonderfully constructed, mixing elements of bluegrass, rock and punk. I read that they got their start playing punk and moved later into the American roots of their North Carolina heritage. Their songs are beautiful lamentations of love lost, the paranoia of incessent touring, the comfort of home.
I was lucky enough to catch them last summer at the Fine Line. The raw energy that I has seen earlier on the DVD was immediately apparent from the moment Seth and Scott walked onstage. Together with their bassist, they put on the best live show I have ever been too, easily.
Definitely check them out:
The Avett Brothers
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Shining?
An amazing reinvention of the Shining, I believe this won an award for best redesign of a movie into a new genre.
Bamboozled
One of the most powerful movies that I have watched in recent history and one that could be used very effectively in the high school classroom is Spike Lee’s Bamboozled. The film’s website describes the film as, “a blistering satire of network television's pitfalls and prejudices, a humorous look at how race, ratings and the pursuit of power lead to a television writer's stunning rise and tragic downfall”.
There are myriad possibilities for using this film in the classroom. It focuses on the powers at play within the media, so students could analyze how bias and money affect what appears on their television screens. This movie is also very racially charged, students could debate the effectiveness of satire in this context as well as "The Chappelle Show" or "Mind of Mancia". Discussion topics could include intended audience, intended reception, does it work as social commentary or perpetuate stereotypes. Regardless of the direction, the movie is sure to incite a passionate discussion and make students think critically. Because of the film's content, the teacher would have to focus on creating a safe space in the classroom, where students are able to repectfully and thoughtfully speak their minds. .
There are myriad possibilities for using this film in the classroom. It focuses on the powers at play within the media, so students could analyze how bias and money affect what appears on their television screens. This movie is also very racially charged, students could debate the effectiveness of satire in this context as well as "The Chappelle Show" or "Mind of Mancia". Discussion topics could include intended audience, intended reception, does it work as social commentary or perpetuate stereotypes. Regardless of the direction, the movie is sure to incite a passionate discussion and make students think critically. Because of the film's content, the teacher would have to focus on creating a safe space in the classroom, where students are able to repectfully and thoughtfully speak their minds. .
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Mockumentary
Weeks ago, my blog partner and I did a presentation on Mockumentaries, now I bring you the blog post!
We chose Mockumentary because of the wonderful humor and satire that surrounds the television shows and movies that belong to the genre. Both of us have seen several films characterized as Mockumentary and are avid viewers of The Office. This genre is so appealing because it is accessible and for the most part everyday. Viewers can easily connect to the themes, or at least find a connection to one of the characters. This results in humor that is wonderfully personal. Who hasn't had a nutter-bar co-worker like Dwight, or wondered about the lives of dog-show folk?
Mockumentary is defined by dictionary.com as "A film or television program that is shot like a documentary but is fictitious and usually satirical".
Christopher Guest, the undisputed king of the genre actually doesn't subscribe to the label, "I am interested in the notion that people can become so obsessed by their world that they lose sense and awareness of how they appear to other people. They're so earnest about it.”
Regardless of the name, the genre spans themes from the everyday mundane (The Office, Waiting For Guffman) to the wonderfully eccentric (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind). It features characters who know they are on camera and often use this knowledge to add to humor by communicating directly to the audience, confessional-style.
The themes largely revolve around the inherent humor in seemingly everyday lives. There are no bad guys, or undue amounts of violence, rather the genre analyzes what makes us what we are-how seriously we take ourselves and the boring things we do in a light that makes them a little less boring and a little more funny.
Some of the value assumptions we discovered:
Life is funny.
Humor can be created anywhere out of anything.
People, for all of their weirdness, can learn to live together.
Eccentricity is mocked and celebrated.
Ultimately, this genre is extremely accessible-check it out for yourself:
We chose Mockumentary because of the wonderful humor and satire that surrounds the television shows and movies that belong to the genre. Both of us have seen several films characterized as Mockumentary and are avid viewers of The Office. This genre is so appealing because it is accessible and for the most part everyday. Viewers can easily connect to the themes, or at least find a connection to one of the characters. This results in humor that is wonderfully personal. Who hasn't had a nutter-bar co-worker like Dwight, or wondered about the lives of dog-show folk?
Mockumentary is defined by dictionary.com as "A film or television program that is shot like a documentary but is fictitious and usually satirical".
Christopher Guest, the undisputed king of the genre actually doesn't subscribe to the label, "I am interested in the notion that people can become so obsessed by their world that they lose sense and awareness of how they appear to other people. They're so earnest about it.”
Regardless of the name, the genre spans themes from the everyday mundane (The Office, Waiting For Guffman) to the wonderfully eccentric (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind). It features characters who know they are on camera and often use this knowledge to add to humor by communicating directly to the audience, confessional-style.
The themes largely revolve around the inherent humor in seemingly everyday lives. There are no bad guys, or undue amounts of violence, rather the genre analyzes what makes us what we are-how seriously we take ourselves and the boring things we do in a light that makes them a little less boring and a little more funny.
Some of the value assumptions we discovered:
Life is funny.
Humor can be created anywhere out of anything.
People, for all of their weirdness, can learn to live together.
Eccentricity is mocked and celebrated.
Ultimately, this genre is extremely accessible-check it out for yourself:
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Documentary idea
The entire time I was over there, I thought about how fun it would be to make a documentary about teaching English in Japan. There is an entire expatriate sub-culture crawling around the streets of Tokyo and Osaka in suits eager to teach the English language for a few thousand Yen. Daily, I would be reminded of how strange this really was. Some beautiful scenes from my own experience that I would love to have on film were the Christmas party where I dressed up like Santa Clause and had little kids climbing all over me like squirrels and the time I made peanut butter cookies as a lesson-flour and p.b. everywhere.
My students were constantly saying things that coming through the language barrier ended up being hilarious or as often as not, extraordinarily profound.
I suppose the intended message would be the humor that is generated across language and cultural barriers. The documentary would also focus on how much we can communicate with each other outside of a shared, spoken language.
I would interview the American staff about their experiences with Japanese culture both in and out of the classroom. I would also interview the students to add their take on the proceedings. Most of the movie or show would be filmed in the classroom or following the American teacher outside of school.
The difficulties that I anticipate in a project like this are mainly capturing authentic exchanges on film. I also would have to be careful to maintain student dignity. If the documentary is intended for an American audience, mistakes in spoken English could result in the Japanese students being objects of ridicule. The documentary would have to be very sensitive in this regard.
My students were constantly saying things that coming through the language barrier ended up being hilarious or as often as not, extraordinarily profound.
I suppose the intended message would be the humor that is generated across language and cultural barriers. The documentary would also focus on how much we can communicate with each other outside of a shared, spoken language.
I would interview the American staff about their experiences with Japanese culture both in and out of the classroom. I would also interview the students to add their take on the proceedings. Most of the movie or show would be filmed in the classroom or following the American teacher outside of school.
The difficulties that I anticipate in a project like this are mainly capturing authentic exchanges on film. I also would have to be careful to maintain student dignity. If the documentary is intended for an American audience, mistakes in spoken English could result in the Japanese students being objects of ridicule. The documentary would have to be very sensitive in this regard.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Podcast
My favorite podcast and one that I spend a significant amount of time listening to each week is "All Songs Considered" hosted by Bob Boilen. Apparently, he had received so much positive feedback for the music he had inserted in between segments of the radio show, "All Things Considered", he felt the need to create his own music show. Every week he listens to hundreds of records and reviews his favorites. He also invites artists in to Guest DJ for a show. At least twice a month, the show is a live concert recorded in its entirety. Recent artists include Okkervil River, Animal Collective, Nick Lowe and Arcade Fire. Its a great way to keep up on new music and to listen to some of your favorite bands live-for free!!!!!!!
Check it out
Check it out
Channel 5
Media Study
Channel 5 Eyewitness News
Introduction . . .
Oil prices-What’s the Bottom Line?
Developing story . . .
Construction worker found dead. Investigators are trying to find out why-unclear circumstances, fell from bridge OSHA is on the scene and police are investigating the death. St. Louis Park (1-2 min)
News
Oil
Filling up the car and heating your home. Oil barrels will hit $100 mark, prices at the pump will get higher at a time when gas generally goes down. A young couple is interviewed and explain that their heat is expensive and will increase.
Center point explaining the hikes in heating cost
3.50 a gallon in the near future
4.00 by the summer
Experts say brace yourself for higher prices
KSTP.com for how to save (2 minutes)
Stock Prices
stock prices down (10 seconds)
Education Levies
Levies denied in 30 plus school districts Robbinsdale (footage of kids) school district fails. A new school in Delano passes (1 minute)
Misc.
Youth basketball coach confesses to kidnapping and molestation (30 seconds)
Vikings will be making a pitch for a new stadium. They thought they were close, but then 35W bridge collapse made the pitch disappear.
Say that they cannot make any revenue and want the state to at least think about designating some funds for the new stadium
Gary smith (Rochester resident) has second thoughts 1-2 min
Blaine city council will hear a proposal for Sportstown USA with hotels and waterslide (15 seconds)
Flu-like sickness outbreak at a school in Ramsey county (5 seconds)
Mrs. Obama visits Minnesota (10 seconds)
Puppy Mill Rescue
Puppy mill rescue-arc animal shelter, just a few of 75 found at a central Minnesota Puppy mill. They don’t know how to walk on a leash the operator might be actually operating in line with legal standards. Arc animal shelter is actually full and need some foster homes-more at 6 (2 minutes)
“Grabbers”
As temperatures drop, what should you remove from the garage?
Foreclosures nationwide
Forecast
Skiers
Commercial break 4 minutes
Space Shuttle
The space shuttle discovery lands safely today (30 seconds)
Chemicals in the Garage
Cooler weather moving in-some household chemicals will freeze. Interviews Kent (an old guy) who doesn’t bring in chemicals inside in the winter. Don’t throw chemicals away-return them to a safe facility (1 min)
Fuel Finder
Gas prices in the metro (deals)
Web poll what price would you start making a change in your driving habit 30 %-no change (30 seconds)
Misc.
Minneapolis C plus in personal debt (5 seconds)
Wild mountain is open for skiing today (5 seconds)
Weather
November snow storm (average date of snow cover November 18) some flurries in the Southern part of the state. Cloudy skies will clear and clear skies will create much cooler temperatures. (2 minutes)
Misc.
The Eagles will appear on the CMA music awards (30 seconds) (airing at seven)
Commercial break 4 minutes
Ahead at news at 6
Misc.
South Minneapolis movie-theater is back in business and will be showing love in the time of cholera (30 seconds)
Return to weather
As a person who likes to consider himself informed, I can’t say when the last time I watched TV for my daily dose of news was. I generally listen to MPR or read bbc.uk at work to catch up on current events. So it was odd to sit on the couch last night and click on the Channel 5 Eyewitness News.
The thirty minutes went by in an incredibly fast and action-packed collection of . . .well . . .um . . .news? Amid tales of the mundane and obvious (now folks, don’t throw chemicals into the garbage and did you notice? gas prices are rising) there was plenty of local fluff- (the Vikings are vying for a new stadium). The most time was devoted by far to rising gas prices and the toll it will take on the American consumer-great, but isn’t this something we all are painfully aware of. How can we save money? Or, more pointedly, how can we all work together to help the environment? Poor us, we are dependant on a depleting non-renewable resource . . .prices are increasing? Duh!
Hmm . . .is there a war in Iraq? How’s everything fairing in Pakistan? Are there other states besides Minnesota? At least I know that this Saturday will be partly cloudy and damn-rain on Veteran’s day!
The 30 minutes was edited to be extremely fast and narrow focused with a tendency for the overly dramatic. A rise of a cent per gallon in gas costs spawns close-ups of pump prices and a grim voice-over informing the increase in heating bills this winter. One moment that I particularly enjoyed was the mention of a flu-like epidemic at an undisclosed school district in Ramsey county-how’s that for grabbing the viewer’s attention? Just before commercial breaks, they include 30 seconds of the important stories they will be covering when the show returns. Before the last commercial break, they tell you about all the ‘important’ news coming up at 6:00.
To be fair, Channel 5 Eyewitness news is followed by a “world news” show-I didn’t stick around to check it out, but the lack of any real news at 5:00 could be due at least in some part to the fact that they have installments at 6:00, 7:00, and 10:00. Maybe if I devoted three hours a night, I could put together some semblance of what in the hell is going on in the world. Or, I suppose I could listen to a half-hour of NPR or peruse the BBC website for ten minutes.
Channel 5 Eyewitness News
Introduction . . .
Oil prices-What’s the Bottom Line?
Developing story . . .
Construction worker found dead. Investigators are trying to find out why-unclear circumstances, fell from bridge OSHA is on the scene and police are investigating the death. St. Louis Park (1-2 min)
News
Oil
Filling up the car and heating your home. Oil barrels will hit $100 mark, prices at the pump will get higher at a time when gas generally goes down. A young couple is interviewed and explain that their heat is expensive and will increase.
Center point explaining the hikes in heating cost
3.50 a gallon in the near future
4.00 by the summer
Experts say brace yourself for higher prices
KSTP.com for how to save (2 minutes)
Stock Prices
stock prices down (10 seconds)
Education Levies
Levies denied in 30 plus school districts Robbinsdale (footage of kids) school district fails. A new school in Delano passes (1 minute)
Misc.
Youth basketball coach confesses to kidnapping and molestation (30 seconds)
Vikings will be making a pitch for a new stadium. They thought they were close, but then 35W bridge collapse made the pitch disappear.
Say that they cannot make any revenue and want the state to at least think about designating some funds for the new stadium
Gary smith (Rochester resident) has second thoughts 1-2 min
Blaine city council will hear a proposal for Sportstown USA with hotels and waterslide (15 seconds)
Flu-like sickness outbreak at a school in Ramsey county (5 seconds)
Mrs. Obama visits Minnesota (10 seconds)
Puppy Mill Rescue
Puppy mill rescue-arc animal shelter, just a few of 75 found at a central Minnesota Puppy mill. They don’t know how to walk on a leash the operator might be actually operating in line with legal standards. Arc animal shelter is actually full and need some foster homes-more at 6 (2 minutes)
“Grabbers”
As temperatures drop, what should you remove from the garage?
Foreclosures nationwide
Forecast
Skiers
Commercial break 4 minutes
Space Shuttle
The space shuttle discovery lands safely today (30 seconds)
Chemicals in the Garage
Cooler weather moving in-some household chemicals will freeze. Interviews Kent (an old guy) who doesn’t bring in chemicals inside in the winter. Don’t throw chemicals away-return them to a safe facility (1 min)
Fuel Finder
Gas prices in the metro (deals)
Web poll what price would you start making a change in your driving habit 30 %-no change (30 seconds)
Misc.
Minneapolis C plus in personal debt (5 seconds)
Wild mountain is open for skiing today (5 seconds)
Weather
November snow storm (average date of snow cover November 18) some flurries in the Southern part of the state. Cloudy skies will clear and clear skies will create much cooler temperatures. (2 minutes)
Misc.
The Eagles will appear on the CMA music awards (30 seconds) (airing at seven)
Commercial break 4 minutes
Ahead at news at 6
Misc.
South Minneapolis movie-theater is back in business and will be showing love in the time of cholera (30 seconds)
Return to weather
As a person who likes to consider himself informed, I can’t say when the last time I watched TV for my daily dose of news was. I generally listen to MPR or read bbc.uk at work to catch up on current events. So it was odd to sit on the couch last night and click on the Channel 5 Eyewitness News.
The thirty minutes went by in an incredibly fast and action-packed collection of . . .well . . .um . . .news? Amid tales of the mundane and obvious (now folks, don’t throw chemicals into the garbage and did you notice? gas prices are rising) there was plenty of local fluff- (the Vikings are vying for a new stadium). The most time was devoted by far to rising gas prices and the toll it will take on the American consumer-great, but isn’t this something we all are painfully aware of. How can we save money? Or, more pointedly, how can we all work together to help the environment? Poor us, we are dependant on a depleting non-renewable resource . . .prices are increasing? Duh!
Hmm . . .is there a war in Iraq? How’s everything fairing in Pakistan? Are there other states besides Minnesota? At least I know that this Saturday will be partly cloudy and damn-rain on Veteran’s day!
The 30 minutes was edited to be extremely fast and narrow focused with a tendency for the overly dramatic. A rise of a cent per gallon in gas costs spawns close-ups of pump prices and a grim voice-over informing the increase in heating bills this winter. One moment that I particularly enjoyed was the mention of a flu-like epidemic at an undisclosed school district in Ramsey county-how’s that for grabbing the viewer’s attention? Just before commercial breaks, they include 30 seconds of the important stories they will be covering when the show returns. Before the last commercial break, they tell you about all the ‘important’ news coming up at 6:00.
To be fair, Channel 5 Eyewitness news is followed by a “world news” show-I didn’t stick around to check it out, but the lack of any real news at 5:00 could be due at least in some part to the fact that they have installments at 6:00, 7:00, and 10:00. Maybe if I devoted three hours a night, I could put together some semblance of what in the hell is going on in the world. Or, I suppose I could listen to a half-hour of NPR or peruse the BBC website for ten minutes.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
I created an ideological advertisement based on those ubiquitous motivational posters you see hanging up in doctor's offices and classrooms. Usually the message contains an image that conveys some sort of inspirational action or situation. The one I referred to as a model used a picture of several runners at dawn chugging up a sun-licked stretch of asphalt and read: "WINNERS While most people are dreaming of success, winners wake-up and work hard to achieve it". I think this example and the many others in the genre are successful in conveying their message. I also think this would make an excellent platform upon which to place some social commentary. The current political climate operates to stifle the voices of dissent. This advertisement seeks to do the exact opposite by combining imagry of embittered protestors with a powerful message from Martin Luther King Jr. Ideally the format is familiar enough to engage the audience who are the sections of the American public hungry for change. The message is simple; we are furious with the status quo, the lies, the violence, the blatant disregard for human rights, we stand together.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Desperate . . .
So a friend of mine is addicted to this completely trashy, morally bankrupt television series. My friend starts to get excited every Sunday night at the clock approaches 8:00, eager to see the melodramatic hijinks of Wisteria Lane unfold in an hour of over-the-top drama. Oh yeah, and its a soap opera. And oh yeah, my "friend" is me. Okay, okay I'll admit it, I watch Desperate Housewives-are you happy now?
It all started when I came back from Japan and lived with my folks for a couple of months. On one particular Sunday night, I was hanging out with the 'rents when my mom reached for the remote at 8:00 p.m. I watched as my father in silent protest lifted up his hands in defeat and left the room while my mom clicked the TV over to abc. I must interject that my father is by no means the epitome of good taste, on any given evening you could probably find him enjoying any movie that has things that explode in it.
At any rate, I was intrigued as the show started. As my mom caught me up on the story, I of course reminded her how devoid of substance the show was. She shushed me and an hour later, I was hooked. At the same time, my girlfriend was watching the show with her sister. When we moved in together, we found that we shared the same dirty secret and have been watching ever since.
Last Sunday was no different, but my friend Angela was over. She had heard of the show of course, but had never seen it before and was willing to succumb to peer pressure. Johanna and I introduced her to the plot as best we could and the show started. We sat in my living room and talked about the unfolding events during the commercial breaks. After the show was finished, we talked a little more about what we thought would happen the next week.
This type of show creates, quite intentionally, a community of "addicted" viewers through the use of cliff hangers and mystery. At the end of every show, the viewer is left with a curiosity of subsequent events. People watch this show precisely because it is devoid of any larger social relevance. It is simply an hour of rich men and women getting into trouble (maybe having sex with each other, maybe killing each other). You simply want to know what happens next. Without intending to, Angela chanced upon a community of viewers and shared in a social event that happened to revolve around a particular show. I suppose that some people watch this show to connect with other viewers, I try to keep my addiction a secret as much as possible. Angela liked the show, but I think that she would be able to kick the habit easily enough. I on the other hand am a lost cause, a devoted junkie that will lie cheat and steal before getting clean. Don't weep for me, I did this to myself.
It all started when I came back from Japan and lived with my folks for a couple of months. On one particular Sunday night, I was hanging out with the 'rents when my mom reached for the remote at 8:00 p.m. I watched as my father in silent protest lifted up his hands in defeat and left the room while my mom clicked the TV over to abc. I must interject that my father is by no means the epitome of good taste, on any given evening you could probably find him enjoying any movie that has things that explode in it.
At any rate, I was intrigued as the show started. As my mom caught me up on the story, I of course reminded her how devoid of substance the show was. She shushed me and an hour later, I was hooked. At the same time, my girlfriend was watching the show with her sister. When we moved in together, we found that we shared the same dirty secret and have been watching ever since.
Last Sunday was no different, but my friend Angela was over. She had heard of the show of course, but had never seen it before and was willing to succumb to peer pressure. Johanna and I introduced her to the plot as best we could and the show started. We sat in my living room and talked about the unfolding events during the commercial breaks. After the show was finished, we talked a little more about what we thought would happen the next week.
This type of show creates, quite intentionally, a community of "addicted" viewers through the use of cliff hangers and mystery. At the end of every show, the viewer is left with a curiosity of subsequent events. People watch this show precisely because it is devoid of any larger social relevance. It is simply an hour of rich men and women getting into trouble (maybe having sex with each other, maybe killing each other). You simply want to know what happens next. Without intending to, Angela chanced upon a community of viewers and shared in a social event that happened to revolve around a particular show. I suppose that some people watch this show to connect with other viewers, I try to keep my addiction a secret as much as possible. Angela liked the show, but I think that she would be able to kick the habit easily enough. I on the other hand am a lost cause, a devoted junkie that will lie cheat and steal before getting clean. Don't weep for me, I did this to myself.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
My movie
I made my movie about my commute from North Minneapolis to the U. I had to speed it up a little bit so hold on :)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Sabotage!!!
I accidentally did this week's assignment last week so this is last week's assignment this week . . .weekitty week week . . . there.
If I could be a part of any music video in the history of music videos, I would definitely dance with the little bee girl in Blind Melon's "No Rain".
Failing that, I would be one of the hip cops in the Beastie Boys "Sabotage". From the first time I saw this, I thought it was awesome. The music, the fake mustaches, the sweet car-everything about it. The premise, or so I surmise, is a spoof on the old 70's and 80's cop shows. The music is hard, catchy and driving-full of barely contained energy. subsequently the video is edited to convey a sort of tongue-in-cheek schizophrenic mania.
The scene opens with the ubiquitous single red cherry flashing on top of a police car. This editing technique has been used in at least one series and I think the "Naked Gun" movies adopted it as well. It serves to place the subsequent events within a genre.
And then boom! The music drops and a car is blasting through some boxes.
The next shot is of one of the Beasties running as fast as he can down the hall straight toward the camera. He is getting closer and closer and the camera stays in the same place. The editing from this point on is focused on making half-blurry jerky shots, like the viewer is traveling along in the pursuit because we now know that it's . . .
Sabotage!
The Beasties dress up like hotel staff and begin chasing a "bad guy". The editing is jerky and follows the guys around like a home movie. The footage bumps around a lot and gives the impression of actually running along with the characters. It has a "raw" or unedited feel, like it is purposefully unpolished.
The music slows and so does the action accordingly. The bouncing from one shot to the next slows a little as the cops enjoy their coffee and donuts.
Of course, the music starts up again and this time the director wants to convey a sense of suspense and fear by zooming into the image of a man gagged with his eyes pleading to the camera for help.
The camera then zooms out to focus on the foreground where we now can see the source of his worry-a bomb!
The last scene shows the boys walking down the street together in slow motion. Real slow and real cool.
The ultimate goal of the video is to show how the Beasties can make some great music without taking themselves too seriously. It certainly looks like Spike Jones (the director) enjoyed himself as well. Overall, the editing was very jerky and appears sloppy. Of course this was probably done with the utmost attention to detail, but the end product is a video that succeeds in drawing the viewer into the chase . . . as campy as it may be.
But you don't have to take my word for it:
If I could be a part of any music video in the history of music videos, I would definitely dance with the little bee girl in Blind Melon's "No Rain".
Failing that, I would be one of the hip cops in the Beastie Boys "Sabotage". From the first time I saw this, I thought it was awesome. The music, the fake mustaches, the sweet car-everything about it. The premise, or so I surmise, is a spoof on the old 70's and 80's cop shows. The music is hard, catchy and driving-full of barely contained energy. subsequently the video is edited to convey a sort of tongue-in-cheek schizophrenic mania.
The scene opens with the ubiquitous single red cherry flashing on top of a police car. This editing technique has been used in at least one series and I think the "Naked Gun" movies adopted it as well. It serves to place the subsequent events within a genre.
And then boom! The music drops and a car is blasting through some boxes.
The next shot is of one of the Beasties running as fast as he can down the hall straight toward the camera. He is getting closer and closer and the camera stays in the same place. The editing from this point on is focused on making half-blurry jerky shots, like the viewer is traveling along in the pursuit because we now know that it's . . .
Sabotage!
The Beasties dress up like hotel staff and begin chasing a "bad guy". The editing is jerky and follows the guys around like a home movie. The footage bumps around a lot and gives the impression of actually running along with the characters. It has a "raw" or unedited feel, like it is purposefully unpolished.
The music slows and so does the action accordingly. The bouncing from one shot to the next slows a little as the cops enjoy their coffee and donuts.
Of course, the music starts up again and this time the director wants to convey a sense of suspense and fear by zooming into the image of a man gagged with his eyes pleading to the camera for help.
The camera then zooms out to focus on the foreground where we now can see the source of his worry-a bomb!
The last scene shows the boys walking down the street together in slow motion. Real slow and real cool.
The ultimate goal of the video is to show how the Beasties can make some great music without taking themselves too seriously. It certainly looks like Spike Jones (the director) enjoyed himself as well. Overall, the editing was very jerky and appears sloppy. Of course this was probably done with the utmost attention to detail, but the end product is a video that succeeds in drawing the viewer into the chase . . . as campy as it may be.
But you don't have to take my word for it:
Thursday, September 27, 2007
After surfing the cool waves of Youtube for a while, I stumbled upon this gem of a chewing gum commercial from India. At first glance, the "Hilarious India gum ad" was exactly that-highly original and admittedly quite funny. However, after watching it again through a critical lens, it was interesting to note the clear disparities in wealth between the characters. Additionally, after I Googled it, I found the commercial had been voted into the top ten on an American "funniest commercial" site. After the summary, I apply a Neo-Marxist and Postcolonial critique to the clip.
The scene opens with a young man riding across an old bridge in what we assume to be India. Half-way across, his bike breaks and he is left stranded. Of course to show us his frustration, he slaps himself.
He looks up to see a car approaching. We immediately notice that things are out of the ordinary when two men are riding prone on the front fenders, propped up like lions in front of a museum. He trys to hail a ride, but the driver or passenger isn't having any and pass him in a puff of dust.
The man is running now, not wanting to be late for whatever he must be late for. He runs past a dozen men, precariously balanced on top of poles. We have no idea what is going on, but there is a definite sense of urgency.
He passes by a tennis game between some finely dressed women. On his way through, again we see some fellows balancing on top of poles.
The camera briefly focuses on a doddering, decadently dressed old man.
Still the young man is running, he books it upstairs while a waiter is walking toward to "sultan" figure at the dining room table.
The camera zooms out briefly to give us a full view of the massive chandelier that hangs over the dining room table. We see (with a start) that it is full of people. . . people that are upset with this young man's tardiness.
The young man quickly joins his place in the chandelier just as the sultan is getting his soup served. With not a moment to spare, the young man-whats this? Pops a piece of chewing gum into his mouth, chews for a moment and when he smiles, a million-candle-power halogen lantern is bursting forth from his mouth. And "oh" we exclaim as it all falls into place. The rest of the chandelier lights up . . .
. . .the men balancing on the poles are now street lamps . . .
and the fellows on the car? We should have known, headlights.
The last scene is of some finely dressed folks dancing at a party to the beat of a thousand flashing lights overhead. We now know the cause behind their revelry . . ."Happydent Gum" and its ability literally brighten up your smile.
Wow, so at first glance, great commercial right? I thought about this for a moment and came to the conclusion that this video is equally about gum and the purposeful social stratification present in India. I believe whole courses could be designed around the caste system and the unequal dispersant of wealth present in India, but this commercial does an excellent job of creating clear symbols for the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The workers are clothed only in a head wrap and shorts, while the rich folks are parading about in gold and finery. When the young man runs through the palace grounds, we see the lifestyles of the two classes. The poor workers are balanced uncomfortably on the tops of poles while rich women play tennis and swim. As soon as the young man finds his place in the chandelier and pops in a piece of Happydent, his job becomes smiling at the wealthy folks. Wow, the commercial shows us how a thousand poor workers doing painful, subhuman and monotonous work can "brighten" the day of the rich.
I wan intrigued about commentary found about the video on Youtube. Granted, you can never be sure about where a comment is comming from geographically, but I found this one a little disturbing, ". . .genius, that's what indians are for". I would argue that on top of the unintentional message this commercial contains about class in India, the viewing of the ad by Western cultures reinforces Said's notion of Orientalism. The West views this ad and sees the "other" dressed much differently, engaging in a lifestyle obviously removed from our own. It is exotic and percieved ignorantly as being somehow "less", prompting comments like the previous one. Others commented, "lol. i love how they say "chingum" a very crude indian way of saying chewing gum. hahaha". The spoken language of the commercial is even viewed as "crude" and substandard. The commercial was put on an American website as representative of the "top ten" funniest. On the internet, the add has taken up a new life as a reinforcement for stereotypes of the "other". Imagine, if the principle characters were changed to fit our own social "system". Perhaps the sultan is a wealthy white at a country club and the men in the chandelier are black . . .how would this change our perspective?
The scene opens with a young man riding across an old bridge in what we assume to be India. Half-way across, his bike breaks and he is left stranded. Of course to show us his frustration, he slaps himself.
He looks up to see a car approaching. We immediately notice that things are out of the ordinary when two men are riding prone on the front fenders, propped up like lions in front of a museum. He trys to hail a ride, but the driver or passenger isn't having any and pass him in a puff of dust.
The man is running now, not wanting to be late for whatever he must be late for. He runs past a dozen men, precariously balanced on top of poles. We have no idea what is going on, but there is a definite sense of urgency.
He passes by a tennis game between some finely dressed women. On his way through, again we see some fellows balancing on top of poles.
The camera briefly focuses on a doddering, decadently dressed old man.
Still the young man is running, he books it upstairs while a waiter is walking toward to "sultan" figure at the dining room table.
The camera zooms out briefly to give us a full view of the massive chandelier that hangs over the dining room table. We see (with a start) that it is full of people. . . people that are upset with this young man's tardiness.
The young man quickly joins his place in the chandelier just as the sultan is getting his soup served. With not a moment to spare, the young man-whats this? Pops a piece of chewing gum into his mouth, chews for a moment and when he smiles, a million-candle-power halogen lantern is bursting forth from his mouth. And "oh" we exclaim as it all falls into place. The rest of the chandelier lights up . . .
. . .the men balancing on the poles are now street lamps . . .
and the fellows on the car? We should have known, headlights.
The last scene is of some finely dressed folks dancing at a party to the beat of a thousand flashing lights overhead. We now know the cause behind their revelry . . ."Happydent Gum" and its ability literally brighten up your smile.
Wow, so at first glance, great commercial right? I thought about this for a moment and came to the conclusion that this video is equally about gum and the purposeful social stratification present in India. I believe whole courses could be designed around the caste system and the unequal dispersant of wealth present in India, but this commercial does an excellent job of creating clear symbols for the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The workers are clothed only in a head wrap and shorts, while the rich folks are parading about in gold and finery. When the young man runs through the palace grounds, we see the lifestyles of the two classes. The poor workers are balanced uncomfortably on the tops of poles while rich women play tennis and swim. As soon as the young man finds his place in the chandelier and pops in a piece of Happydent, his job becomes smiling at the wealthy folks. Wow, the commercial shows us how a thousand poor workers doing painful, subhuman and monotonous work can "brighten" the day of the rich.
I wan intrigued about commentary found about the video on Youtube. Granted, you can never be sure about where a comment is comming from geographically, but I found this one a little disturbing, ". . .genius, that's what indians are for". I would argue that on top of the unintentional message this commercial contains about class in India, the viewing of the ad by Western cultures reinforces Said's notion of Orientalism. The West views this ad and sees the "other" dressed much differently, engaging in a lifestyle obviously removed from our own. It is exotic and percieved ignorantly as being somehow "less", prompting comments like the previous one. Others commented, "lol. i love how they say "chingum" a very crude indian way of saying chewing gum. hahaha". The spoken language of the commercial is even viewed as "crude" and substandard. The commercial was put on an American website as representative of the "top ten" funniest. On the internet, the add has taken up a new life as a reinforcement for stereotypes of the "other". Imagine, if the principle characters were changed to fit our own social "system". Perhaps the sultan is a wealthy white at a country club and the men in the chandelier are black . . .how would this change our perspective?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Snickers: Get Some Nuts
Shot 1: Establishing shot of the soccer field where the commercial will be set.
Shot 2: Long-shot of a soccer player who has just been "fouled" writhing in pain and complaining to the ref. This establishes the player as a main character of the commercial. The foul was clearly almost nonexistent and the player is milking his "injury" for all its worth.
Shot 3: Medium shot of the player responding to an approaching rumbling. It is a deep, ominous sound and his reaction of ceasing to complain and look into the distance creates rising action for what is about to appear.
Shot 4: The frame changes over to the street outside of the park, the noise is louder than ever. Then, bursting over the parked cars is a tank going full speed. The cars explode in an awesome climax. This shot looks as if a wide-angle lens was used. Music starts here in great, sweeping tones, like the charge of the calvary.
Shot 5: In a medium shot, the tank approaches the player, the massive gun ends up pointing inches from his face. The player is now on his feet with no idea how to react to this predicament.
Shot 6: A medium shot of Mr. T as he opens the roof of the tank and exclaims, "Quit your jibber-jabber! You aint' hurt, your pathetic!" as he chucks a Snickers bar at the player's head.
Shot 7: A medium shot of the player being hit with the snickers, obviously shamed.
Shot 8: Return to the medium shot of Mr. T as he speaks some words of wisdom. "If I ever catch you acting like crazy fool again, you're gonna meet my friend, pain!" He lifts his fist in a menacing gesture.
Shot 9: A long shot of falling action with the tank exploding off of the soccer field with Mr T's image superimposed on the foreground within a "Snickers: Get Some Nuts" logo below him.
This commercial's use of over-the-top imagery, music, and language creates an overall effect of absurdity. The claim that a candy bar will make you more of a "man" as exemplified by the character of Mr. T is clearly ridiculous, but ultimately effective in creating humor. The pun on "nuts" of course adds to the overall ridiculousness. I actually found this piece on a "funniest commercials" website and later discovered that it had been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on youtube. It is certainly speaking to the effectiveness of a commercial when people are actively seeking it out. While this commercial had little or nothing to do with reality, I can't deny the fact that I was left with a strong desire to eat a Snickers bar-go figure.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Vlog Post
I went to the fireant website and found a vlog that looked interesting called "Pouring Down". It is maintained by Daniel Bliss, but the about section of his page only had a Wired Magazine review:
“Daniel Liss transforms his urban existence into a sort of visual poetry, full of thoughtful observations, wry wit, and seductive imagery.”
-Wired Magazine, May 2006
I was drawn to a portion of the vlog called "Seven Maps". Dan had a unique idea; he would take a week-long trip and everyday make a video based upon the restrictions outlined by participating subscribers to his vlog. The subtitle is: "Have money, will vlog". The videos are all well done, but the best part is reading the strict parameters that his viewers would place on each piece. For example, he had to make a film that was funny, but could only be comprised of wide shots. Another section was focused on what Dan was afraid of and restricted the use of his voice.
It’s hard to place exactly what the intended audience of this vlog would be. I was intrigued and judging from the comment sections following each piece, many others are as well. Anyone that is interested in experiencing another interpretation of the everyday would enjoy his perspectives. The vlog is designed to be cryptic, letting the viewer make up his or her mind about the symbolism and meaning. He combines still imagery, video, music and narration into a cohesive message. The video editing seems fairly complex and each video plays with different styles and content. I probably will spend a lot of time on the site in the end . . .
In addition to "Seven Maps", check out "Joyride"-an awesome music video with monkeys- and "theory:practice"-a discussion on the nature of vlogging itself.
“Daniel Liss transforms his urban existence into a sort of visual poetry, full of thoughtful observations, wry wit, and seductive imagery.”
-Wired Magazine, May 2006
I was drawn to a portion of the vlog called "Seven Maps". Dan had a unique idea; he would take a week-long trip and everyday make a video based upon the restrictions outlined by participating subscribers to his vlog. The subtitle is: "Have money, will vlog". The videos are all well done, but the best part is reading the strict parameters that his viewers would place on each piece. For example, he had to make a film that was funny, but could only be comprised of wide shots. Another section was focused on what Dan was afraid of and restricted the use of his voice.
It’s hard to place exactly what the intended audience of this vlog would be. I was intrigued and judging from the comment sections following each piece, many others are as well. Anyone that is interested in experiencing another interpretation of the everyday would enjoy his perspectives. The vlog is designed to be cryptic, letting the viewer make up his or her mind about the symbolism and meaning. He combines still imagery, video, music and narration into a cohesive message. The video editing seems fairly complex and each video plays with different styles and content. I probably will spend a lot of time on the site in the end . . .
In addition to "Seven Maps", check out "Joyride"-an awesome music video with monkeys- and "theory:practice"-a discussion on the nature of vlogging itself.
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