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.

The Radio Industry

      The radio industry, kicking off from the early 1900's, has experienced many highs and lows. Many institutions such as RCA, CBS, FCC, NBC,and even the U.S. Government have contributed to the radio industry from the first wireless telegraphs to the ruling of DJ's during the 50's-80's. These many institutions have helped shaped radio by having it be easily accessible to the public from the comfort of their own homes to having the radio be used for military purposes.
        The establishment of British Marconi and American Marconi was a successful two way radio (wireless telegraph) business taking place in 1901. The Titanic disaster was a big turning point for radio history as it's tragedy was being reported through Marconi radio. This lead up to the Radio Act of 1912, which gave airwaves to the military. The RCA (Radio Corporation of America) was began it's formation after World War 1 when the radio finally returned to private hands, and so RCA wanted to sell radios. With the shaping of the radio becoming more and more entertainment, institutions began expanding. William S. Paley started CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) and saw potential for advertising.  Advertising agencies produced radio programs for commercial sponsors interested in selling consumer goods.
           From the 1920's-1940's, standardized programs formatted. Schedules from daily to weekly shows were being played for a regular mass audience. The creation of radio "stars" also appeared from this. With the coming of FM, technology shaped a desire to have higher quality music stations. That being said, talk shows began diminishing more and more. So in general, the force of these institutions have helped make the radio industry what it is.

Social Learning

       Technology has a way of being adversited on the media that may cause an either positive or negative feedback from society. Some may catch on the latest gadgets whil others may tend to avoid them based off on prior expiriences or expectations they might have had. This is what some call Social Learning.

       If I were to use a product as an example, I might just use Apple. My reasons being because Apple is simply one those companies who have both very negative and ver positive feeback. New forms of technology impacts society in many different ways, and perhaps one very good way to explain this is the Diffusion of Innovation chart, which displays the way society responds to technology. At the start of the chart, you have the innovators whom are those who introduce new technology. This follows up Early Adopters, whom is an early customer of a given company, product, or technology. After the Early Adoptors configure the new technology, the Early Majoity feeds off of the feedback given by the Early Adopters put in. As the chart runs down, you see the Late Majority and the Laggards. To put in the simplest terms, the Late Majority and the Laggards are those of which are trying or adopting a new products and are also older and less educated than other groups.

        From what I can understand about this example is that the process that undergoes into selling new products is that every individual in a social group feeds off of the rating they give products in order to purchase them. An individual alone almost will never simply buy something on their own without first getting the idea from else where. People need to know whether the product he/she might be intereted in purchasing is safe, duable, strong, user friendly, etc.

Hegemony

The concept of hegemony helps me understand the following out of this Mcdonalds advertisement. First off, the ad is getting the attention of morally obese people or those who have to simply need to watch their weight for health issues. Second, the ad is meant a real minder opener in that it reminds you what may happen if one over indulges in fat food! Third, people must always be aware of this. The best way I might be able to explain hegemony is to begin with gate-keeping, which focuses on who should be the ideal social group to target in an advertisement or commercial. What is it that will automatically catch people's attention. The second thing would be an agenda setting which is what you'd want the targeted social group to think about. What main idea you'd want them to get out of the alleged ad or commercial.  The third would framing which would be what associates with the targeted social group. In the case of the Mcdonalds ad for example, the framing would be that unhealthy eating habits should be carefully be looked at. The whole idea of hegemony helps me understand a more broad idea being presented in advertisements and commercials. Since learning about hegemony, "the big picture" is now clear to me instead of focusing on the humor that in the Mcdonalds ad there might be a huge fat arm in your face. Most might just freak out at how it initially looks and not even think about the reason for the ad. I also have a better understanding of how the advertising industry goes about their work.

City of God!

      City of God is definitely not linear when it comes to the periods of time it takes place in. The movie first begins at the present time when Rocket is given his golden opportunity to take pictures of Lil' Ze and his gang. There Rocket sets off the story by going way back when the City of God only had a trio of gangsters(aka "The Tender Trio") which were, Clipper, Goose, and Shaggy. Following them around was a little boy named Lil' Dice as well, whom later has very much to do with the actual conflict of the whole story. From the downfall of the Tender Trio, the movie then jumps a number of years to the 1960's, the hippie's era! Now rocket is a teen and aspires to become a photographer.

After that this time period, the movie jumps to the 1970's and from there it jumps back to present time. In addition to the time jumps, the movie tends to go back to every new character's background when introduced. As far as the question for why Brazil and why is it different from other gangster movies? Well, let
 me start of by saying that this movie is probably one of the most graphic and violent movies I have ever seen in my life! Most gangster movies simply focus on the drug aspect of the movie, maybe all except "The Godfather" and "GoodFellas", even those two movies being mentioned, City of God shows that there is no age for being a hoodlum, most started off as young as eight years of age! Many started of with hold-ups, then eventually got to the dealing life, and finally with killing. Maybe killing was already a part of the hold-ups to some, who knows? The actual place which was called Cidade De Deus was a rural slum created in the 1960's to get the poor and homeless off the streets of Rio. The Conditions are not too well, the government hasn't bothered to provide water or electricity. However, Cidade De Deus is teeming with life. For these reasons, it's no wonder why there is such violence. All people probably want to do is have a better life. The things they'd do for that is almost anything though. The narrator in the story was Rocket, whom played as the younger brother of one of the "Tender Trio". That being said, he has been a part of the story the beginning, and knows the life of a hoodlum isn't for him. Thats why he ambitions where else where. Rocket is asked to take pictures of Lil' Ze and his gang, accidentally his pictures are mixed into a bunch of pictures ready to get published. A golden opportunity is presented, Rocket has the chance to take further his photography by taking more pictures of Lil' Ze and his gang. Evidentially, Rocket is mixed in the last massive war between Carrot and Lil' Ze, whom both get arrested. Lil' Ze gets caught in camera by Rocket later to reveal him buying of the police to let him go. Rocket's last couple of pictures are of Lil' Ze being murdered by a bunch of kid hoodlums called "The Runts" Rocket's part in the movie is that he is the one who reveals all that happened in the end to the world.