What were the positive aspects of using the blogs in the course?

      The most positive part of using the blogs for this course was that they simply made these writing assignments fun! And of course, because of all this was an online deal, there was no need for making any hard copies to turn in. This was the only class I had that gave me the luxury of being able to turn in assignments in the comfort of my own bed! Another definite positive was that I got exposed to using blogs in general. I used to think that blogs were almost annoying, but through the blogs prompts I was able to get very deep in thought and personal with some of my posts. Now I see that blogs are perhaps the easiest most unofficial way of getting your opinion out into the media. The fact that we were also able to see everyone else’s blogs was also a positive thing. You were able to see what others thought about social, economical, and global issues involving the media. Perhaps even the creativity was challenged in designing you’re blog was something that came out as a great thing for me. I had no idea I was extremely picky with the presentation of any type of online work. So, I can’t imagine what type of web designer I would be. Blogging helped me realize this and I’m going to consider that a positive in my book.  

Globalization!

Globalization is a process that closes the gap between people on a global scale and is a result of media changes over the last few years. The creation of the cell phone made it possible for people to become more interconnected with one another on a mobile basis, and the coming of the internet kicked up the interconnectedness among nations, cultures, and all other people. After the infrastructure of the internet, the world finds itself being only 1/3 online while 2/3 of the world's population still excluded, and many nations are marginalized. 

Advertising!

ASPCA 

In this advertisement, there is a powerful message being graphically put across about animal abuse. This is powerful because the advertisement puts up very detailed visuals and descriptions on the sorts of things they are used to seeing being done to animals. The characteristic appeal to this advertisement in particular is safety in that we should become more involved with the dangers and cruelty that poor defenseless animals face on a day to day basis. This advertisement exemplifies the appeal safety because the clearly the safety of the dog for example in the advertisement on the top is being shown being caged up. The advertisement on the botton shows duck tape, a gasoline container, and a cat. You can only imagine the sorts of things this organization has seen as far as when it comes to the safety of these animals being in danger. 

Moulin Rouge in 3 acts!

Moulin Rouge! (2001), is a tragic love story that puts heavy emphasis on truth, beauty, and love. The intro sets you off in present time, where Christian (male lead role), who is a writer, begins explaining his story. Once he begins typing the film goes back in time. This wouldn't be considered chronological order, however the story puts in obvious gestures and dialogue which helps take the audtience through the film. The plot in this the first act introduction to Christian arriving in Paris with the ambitions and dreams of one day becoming a famous writer. Christian finds that the greatest thing he could ever write about is love, but the only problem is, he has never been in love! All of a sudden, while looking blankly at his typewriter trying to hatch onto an idea, a man from the the level above comes crashing through his roof. He sees a group of men through the whole and finds they are play writers whom are rehearsing a play. They ask for Christian's help, and to they're surprise he is certainly talented. But the question now remains, who shall Christian show his work to?  The importance between Christian and Setine's (lead female role) is vital now because, being that Setine is the star courtesan to the Moulin Rouge (a night club), it might be the only way to get any type of recognition.

Plot point #1: Will Christian be able to meet Setine and show her his talent? Yes, he is definitely able to. However, Christian's play write friends disguise him as a Duke to pass him off (Christian has no idea) in order to make sure he has privacy with Setine. Of course Setine thinks he is a Duke and so she thinks she must "entertain" him. Christian is overwhelmed by Setine's perversion, and has no choice but to sing to her in order for her to stop. Seting stops and is mesmerized by Christian. She openly says in a daze, "I can't believe it, I'm in love with a Duke." They fall in love. She later finds the real Duke comes in. She hides Christian successfully, and once the Duke is gone Christian asks Setine if she was being serious about her saying she was in love. Setine plays hard to get and allows herself to be taken by love with Christian. 

Plot Point #2: Setine has gotten abnormally sick over the time and her spending time with Christian is becoming more and more dangerous. The Duke wants to have Setine for himself. Setine and Christian get so fed up with everything and decide to run away. The owner to the Moulin Rouge, who is like a father to Setine, finds out what they plan to do. From the pain he knows they will end up going through, and warns her that the Duke will kill Christian. When that didn't stop her he tells Setine she is in fact dying. She has tuberculosis.  Setine feels as if now she will never be able to get away from her trap. The owner tells Setine the only way she can save Christian is to drive him away and say she was always only acting, and she was only trying to keep him in oder to really make good use of his talent for the Moulin Rouge. With an aching heart, Setine does so, and causes Christian to feel as if he was only used as she always had to use men. 

Plot Point#3: Christian takes a big risk and realizes he had to make a scene take back his pride before ever leaving Paris. He looks for Setine and pays her off for the time they had in front of an audience. Setine, heartbroken, could not bare it. She is reminded by an old friend, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."  Setine takes her chances for love. The Duke tried in all his power to stop and kill Christian but fails. In the most amazing moments in Christians love life, Setine suffers a fatal stroke and literally dies at that moment. 

Characteristics of the TV sitcom

One characteristic of the TV sitcom I find interesting is the proscenium style of it. A proscenium is like in a theater where the space primary feature is a large frame, which is located at or near the front of the stage. Like in TV, there is only a primary frame that is directly shown to an audience. The difference of course is that TV sitcoms have ways of taking an audience into greater depth. With this I can talk about how sitcoms having certain characteristics such as an idea that everything is not accidentally put into a frame and that all of the details in it has a purpose, we know this as mise-en-scène. There is also shot reverse shot, which is primarily for showing conversations between two people. As far as how these characteristics function within a sitcom genre, I can say that in a drama these functions would show a way of getting into depth with the characters in a sitcom.The fact that TV sitcoms still have the proscenium style only makes every thing more up front and personal. My example would be Rosanne. And I know there is tons of mise-en-scène to show how normal a family the Connors are. The drama going on in this sitcom is so intense that the shot reverse shots have you feeling their anger! 

Camera Angles!

From Grease 2 (1982), there is a scene where Stephanie (Michelle Pheiffer) is singing to Michael (Maxwell Caulfield). There are three definite types of shots being shown in this scene. As we know, different types of camera shots show off different types of emotions and certain information depending on the way the shots are put together in a scene. And in this scene, an opposite effect occurs on the characters. Stephanie for example, who is trying to get away from a sticky situation when she gets asked out by Michael, starts off with a long shot that shows that she clearly wants nothing to do with him based on how far she puts herself away. Michael has not moved not one little bit, this being a close up, and shows he wants to be with Stephanie and that he is being very persistent. Of course, on Stephanie's mind the best thing to do is tell him what she's actually interested in a guy. So she does so by getting some one closer, a medium shot. You can tell by her facial expressions that she's daydreaming as she's telling Michael of what her ideal guy would be like. Obviously this is going to make Michael feel uncomfortable to he begins to back away. You see him in a medium shot. Stephanie now feels she is finally getting through to Michael and making him get that she wants nothing to do with him. So, she goes in for an even closer approach, a close up, where she truly shows how serious she is about the matter. Finally after being told he's simply not what she's looking for, Michael gets even farther away, long shot, and the distance makes him seem so defeated and unwanted. 

The Studio System

The most important aspect to the studio system, in my opinion, are the stars themselves. The stars were tangible products of immaterial production, which meant that they weren't relevant to the actual production portion of developing a motion picture. However, the stars were the best representation of what the studio did. In addition, they were also on contract by the studio's they worked for. The stars also had a huge relation to genres and which types of films studios developed. Each actor and actress had their own focus of expertise, so to speak, for certain types of films. That being said, if a studio had nothing but actors and actresses who's type of specialty is in dance and music, the best the studio can do is develop a musical. So, in this case, the actors and actresses affect the kinds of films the studios could develop. For example, in Judy Garland's case, the majority of the films she would come out in, featured her having a dance number or her singing. It was almost expected in the audiences eyes to see her like this in her films. Another example could be Fred Astaire, he perhaps is the best dancer I can ever recall seeing, and of course he was always dancing in his movies. Even if he may have been most noted for dancing, he did sing in his films too, and I assume it may have been to complete the whole idea of a musical. Who can imagine a musical with only dance or only singing? All in all I do sincerely believe that the stars paid major contribution to what types of films studios would produce.