Blog Extra Credit

Prior to me attending RTF 305, I had never, nor had I ever considered using a blog for scholastic or personal reasons. However, after using the blog for my RTF class, I now have a serious desire to continue pursuing blogs. One of the positive aspects of using the blogs in the course was the constant interactivity between the students and the teachers that blogging weekly provided. Additionally, the blogs gave students, especially myself, a reason to keep up with the weekly readings, screenings and slide shows from class-- I would very seldom fall behind on any particular reading or lecture. A difficulty I had on the blog postings was that I felt as though there should have been options to choose from. Every week, the teaching assistant assigned the blog posting, and we were all required to do that one posting. I feel as though in the future, students should get a choice from at least three potential blog topics, all covering the material from class. Personally, I felt that I was often more comfortable with some topics than with others. By giving students the option to choose from several topics, this would not only make the postings easier for the students, but also the students would be more interested in a topic which they have chosen personally. For me the most interesting blog prompt was selecting a film and analyzing it according to the traditional three ac structure. I enjoyed this prompt because I have a love for film, and I was able to analyze one of my favorite flicks in ways that I had never before. I would undoubtedly recommend using a blog in future courses, whether they be RTF or a separate major. I feel as though I have already listed the numerous ways in which I feel as though the blog postings were beneficial to me and my classmates.

Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report.

Globalization and Burger King

Globalization is generally defined as a process of increasing interconnectedness among nations, cultures, and people, and is further supported and accelerated by technological developments. Within the digital world, globalization is essentially a digital convergence which includes the ability for greater production possible in poorer places. Additionally, the mobile phone infrastructure is expanding; however, the internet infrastructure still only occupies two-thirds of the world population, with many nations being marginalized.

Globalization is directly related to cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism is when cultural flow reflects imbalance in global power structure. This is demonstrated when global media flow is unequal in terms of direction and volume. Today, a small number of US or transnational conglomerates dominate global media flow. Within the last hundred years, the Western culture has been designed to help people become consumers. With this overbearing influence, all cultures become similarly Westernized and Americanized. As the remainder of the world becomes increasingly more modernized, many people lose their local, indigenous, or national culture, and additionally the people gradually lose their cultural autonomy and national sovereignty. In this increasingly globalized world, more and more cultures and people are becoming more modernized and connected. Although this may be viewed as a positive, many ancient and preserved cultures are finding it more difficult to maintain their integrity and avoid the corrupting influence of this modern world.

A media source that I feel is a paradigm of cultural imperialism is the "Whopper Virgins" campaign. The campaign included Burger King executives traveling abroad to segregated countries. They then had the locals try the Whopper sandwich. Overall, the crew traveled to Thailand, Romania and Greenland. All of the participants had never tried a whopper ever, and each person enjoyed the burger. Clearly, this is a blatant example of globalization and cultural imperialism because it involves people from the Western World, the US, throwing their culture among the isolated denizens of these foreign lands. However, the film crew's intentions were not to impose their culture among the citizens; rather, they merely wanted to introduce them to a food that they most likely have never sampled. After the people sampled the Whopper, the Burger King crew was shown trying the local's food, and expressed an appreciation and love for the indigenous food. Overall, the Burger King campaign demonstrates globalization and cultural imperialism of American culture among foreign nations.

http://www.whoppervirgins.com/

Dodge Charger Freedom Ad

A recent advertisement that I considered powerful was the Dodge Challenger Freedom commercial. The ad was originally aired on June 12 during the US-England World Cup soccer game. In the commercial, a British solider emerges from the woods to inform his men of oncoming US troops. The British soldiers quickly set up for battle, and await the arrival of the American troops. Suddenly, three black Dodge Chargers appear from the woods, and lead a charge toward the stunned British troops. As the enemy men run from the US, George Washington is seen driving one of the Dodge Challengers with an American flag.  The British continue to scamper in fear, as the voice over says, "Here's a couple of things America got right: cars and freedom."
I found this commercial to be very powerful because of the sense of American patriotism and pride it instilled in myself. Also, Dodge timed the advertisement flawlessly, by having the premiere coincide with the US vs. England soccer game. The ad's message was clear and simple: be American and purchase a Dodge Challenger. Additionally, I found the ad to be extremely persuasive because in a sense, it reminded American consumers to support American companies like GM, instead of foreign automobile companies.
As mentioned in the November 1 lecture on advertising, one of the appeals of advertising that is pertinent to this commercial is dominance. Often, the appeal of dominance is used in commercials when the product being advertised is placed against the alternative leading brand. Always, the product being advertised wins out in every category. Often, car companies use this technique to show how their cars are superior to the multiple competing brands. For example, in a Ford commercial, the company may elect to compare their car's features with Honda, Toyota, and Kia.
However, in this commercial, dominance is used to portray America's defeat of England in the Revolutionary War, and correlating that victory with the hopeful victory of the US soccer team. Additionally, the ad is implying that American brand cars, such as GM are superior to foreign brands. Clearly, the American troops are dominating the retreating Red Coats in this particular battle as George Washington in his black Dodge Charger leads the heroic charge. Overall, I feel as though this advertisement succeeded in its attempt to promote Dodge Chargers to American consumers as a whole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezk0e1VL80o

Silence of the Lambs and the 3 Act Structure

The film, "The Silence of the Lambs" (Demme, 1991), is in my opinion a paradigm for the Hollywood three-act structure. The first act in a film serves as the exposition by introducing the characters, their surroundings and their relationships. "Silence of the Lambs" begins with the explanation of the main characters, including Clarice, the FBI agent in training; Jack Crawford, the detective assigned to the case; Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal psychiatrist; and Buffalo Bill, the serial killer whom Clarice and Crawford are attempting to catch. The audience is first introduced to Clarice inside the police headquarters, and she is quickly briefed by Crawford on her assignment: to interview Dr. Lecter and to find any information that can relate to the recent murders. After this encounter, Clarice begins the arduous process of interviewing Hannibal in the prison. In these first 30 minutes, the audience gains insight on the characters, and the events that will presumably follow.
Immediately at 30 minutes in, a complication arises that will become the main plot-point for the remainder of the film: Catherine Martin is kidnapped in front of her apartment by Buffalo Bill. The stakes are heightened because Catherine Martin is 25 year old the daughter of Senator Ruth Martin. This event propels the action the next act, as the focus is shifted to finding Catherine at all costs. Additionally, this event asks a question that the next act will eventually answer: will Catherine Martin be found in time.
Later in the film, around the 87th minute, Clarice comes to the realization of what Bill's motive is, and she immediately dials Crawford. However, Crawford is on a plane heading to capture Bill. It is believed that Crawford has knowledge of Bill's location, and that they are hours away from making an arrest. This action spurs the film's resolution. The audience believes that everything is going to end well with an arrest by Crawford and the FBI. This ends the second act of chasing Bill and gaining new insight into his actions and whereabouts. Despite this assurance, there still lies the complication of successfully arresting him, and bringing Catherine to safety.
In the film's resolution, Crawford rushes to the supposed hiding place of Bill while Clarice believes she is going to Mrs. Lipman's house to inquire about the death of a girl. Soon, the FBI has Bill's supposed house surrounded, ready for an ambush. Throughout the resolution, numerous complications arise: the FBI has the wrong house, and infact Clarice is face to face with Buffalo Bill; Catherine takes Bill's dog hostage; and Catherine is soon forced to fend for herself in Bill's darkened and convoluted basement. The audience is left wondering: will Clarice escape unscathed and kill Buffalo Bill.
Finally in the 103rd minute, Clarice finally resolves the problem, and shoots Bill in his basement. Soon after, the FBI and police arrive and safely rescue Catherine from captivity. Clarice is then seen receiving her FBI badge, and graduating from training. Crawford then congratulates her on a job well done.The film soon ends with Dr. Lecter walking away from the law, in an unknown location. The final act, or the resolution has ended, and the audience can go home satisfied. The ending also depicts each of the main characters' probable futures.

Sitcoms and Scrubs

As discussed in Wednesday's guest lecture, a sitcom commonly contains several important aspects. These include: a modified three act structure; the series either as a cumulative or seasonal text; and mini-resolutions. The first aspect, a modified three act structure, means simply that each individual episode is divided into three acts: the beginning, middle, and end. The second aspect, cumulative or seasonal text, refers to the storyline, and whether it is continuous from the first season through the last season, or whether this story line alters from season to season. Lastly, the mini resolutions refers to a certain solution being reached after every episode, similar to a moral lesson.
These mini-resloutions are often prevalent in countless sitcoms made throughout the history of television. They function within the sitcom genre by teaching the audience a lesson. With these resolutions, the episodes take on a greater meaning, and can be related to everyday society. The half hour to hour of television becomes more than some mindless comedic garbage, and instead becomes an applicable lesson of life. However, I am not saying that I learned about life by watching sitcoms on TV. I am merely saying that the episodes take on a greater meaning with these mini-resolutions, by connecting the storyline together neatly. Most of the time these mini-resolutions are cheery, and the characters gain a greater understanding of a topic broached in the episode. However, even in some sitcoms the resolutions are not always joyous. For example, in the sitcom "Scrubs" numerous episodes have ended on a somber note with a patient dying, or one of the protagonists coming to grips with the harsh consequences of life. "Scrubs" attempts to alter the audiences' pre-conceived notions of the sitcom genre, and mold it into a dramedy hybrid. In the resolution of the episode "My Fallen Idol" JD confronts Dr. Cox, and apologizes in a serious manner for acting rudely to him. JD admits to being frightened to confront the sick patients, and gives credit to Dr. Cox for being so brave. In this scene, the two share a serious moment, and the audience feels as though the story has more depth than just some silly slapstick comedy. The story becomes real and relatable.

Good, Bad, Ugly

The film, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (Leone, 1966) opens with an extreme long shot with immense depth of field of the barren desert in which the film takes place. The director, Leone, chooses to open his film with this shot in order to set up the location, and to allude to the utter scope of the entire film. Additionally, the shot suggests a sense of loneliness and alienation, as the film takes place in a vast desert with villains and no escape. Without cutting the camera, Leone transitions from this extreme long shot to a close up/ extreme close up as the character steps into frame. In this close up, Leone shoots his character at eye-level, to suggest a neutrality and relatability with the audience and the character. This shot is followed by another extreme long shot, as two figures begin to emerge from the horizon. Immediately, the scene becomes foreboding, as the two men emerge on horses and begin to confront the lone man. The tension continues to build, and Leone continues to use the close ups and long shots. As the two men continue closer to the other man, Leone elects to use a medium shot. Here, the shot alludes to the two characters' relationship, possibly as friends. This scene is also filmed at a low angle to suggest a sense of power for the two men. Clearly they are armed and prepared for a good old western showdown.

Golden Age of Hollywood

The Hollywood Studio System lasted from 1927 through the 1950s and is generally regarded as the golden age of American cinema. During this period, Hollywood was predominantly run by five major studios: RKO, Warner Brothers, Fox, Paramount and MGM. 

Vertical integration quickly became an important aspect of the Hollywood system. I chose this aspect because I am amazed at how only eight production companies controlled the entire American cinema. Currently in 2010, there is no oligopoly among Hollywood studios, and often independent production companies produce films that are critically acclaimed and have gone on to win Academy Awards. 

With the method of vertical integration, the studios maximized their profits by controlling each individual aspect of production, such as production, distribution and exhibition. The studios owned large plots of land for the construction of intricate sets, controlled the terms for the films release date, and operated the largest cinemas in the country. 

Vertical integration constantly affected the kinds of films the studios made because the studios held all control over the crew of the films. Essentially, stars were under contract for the studios and they were always working on projects. Directors would often make up to five films per year, whereas current directors on average will make one every three years. For example, during the year 1942, in addition to directing "Casablanca", Michael Curtiz directed "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Captains of the Clouds". This amazed me because the film "Casablanca" is regarded by AFI as the second best film in history. Essentially, it is a masterpiece. One would think that such a film would require countless years of work from the director; however, Curtiz made Casablanca in the same year as two other films. Throughout Curtiz's entire career he directed over 170 films, a truly unprecedented number. 

http://www.fathom.com/course/10701053/session1.html

All in the Family

After watching ''All in the Family" for class, I could not help but notice how different the show was when compared to a modern day sitcom, such as "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." "In the episode of "Family" the characters appeared jaded, and the father was unlikable, in my opinion. Personally, the story line revolved too heavily around the issue of homosexuality, and the jokes were excessively crude. Rarely was humor used in a light-hearted way; rather, the jokes were dry and mean-spirited.
Currently, my favorite sitcom is "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." The show is extremely raunchy, and the topics discussed are controversial;  however, the characters still possess a loving, good-natured quality. Never have I felt uncomfortable watching the show,  whereas "Family" left me with an uncomfortable taste. The characters in "Sunny" are blatantly ignorant and stupid, similar to the characters in "Family".
Since its debut in 1971, the show "Modern Family" was monumental in that the topics and opinions discussed in the dialogue were considered inappropriate for family audiences. Issues such as homosexuality, racism, and sexism were broached with a  sense of casualness. The show constantly ranked among the highest rated television shows, and even won numerous Emmys.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" debuted in 2005, and immediately audiences loved the smart, painfully hilarious sitcom. The series follows a group of five self-centered bar owners, as they run their Irish Pub into the ground. I have loved this show since its inception, and although it is rude, and the characters appear stupid and one-dimensional, the show possesses a lovable quality that I feel as though "All in the Family" could never possess.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_Always_Sunny_in_Philadelphia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_family

Governmental Control over Radio

During the formation of the radio industry in the 1920s, there were numerous factors that contributed to the industry's growth, including government intervention. Government intervention has been a ubiquitous factor in American society since the dawning of the twentieth century. As national industries began to merge together, the government feared that small businesses and consumers would suffer, and therefore enacted government intervention. Then in 1890, Congress initiated the Sherman Act, which permitted the government to intervene and break up monopolies. A fine of five thousand dollars or a year in prison were the most sever consequences for breaking this act. Over ten years later, Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to use the newfound law.
During the forming of the RCA, WW1 had just ended, and the navy wanted the radio under government control. The United States government soon forced British interests out of US radio and mandated ownership. Soon after, American Marconi was purchased by GE, AT&T and Westinghouse. Later, NBC was officially formed in September of 1926 by the RCA and its partners GE and Westinghouse. However, AT&T had already established a monopoly over radio transmissions, and thus was forced to sell its business to RCA. Clearly, the regulation and government intervention caused the shaping of the radio industry and controlled what stations would remain or perish. These governmental actions laid the groundwork for the roaring age of radio that would emerge in 50s, where rock and roll dominated the air waves.
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/LookAround/la_networkspot_nbc.htm

Social Learning: The Buried Life

Through the process of social learning, people acquire knowledge and form opinions by sifting through media, in particular TV. I believe that the show "The Buried Life" is an example of a positive form of social leaning. People, especially adolescents in society often take the opinions of what they read in a magazine or watch on television. Teens often latch on to these viewpoints because of their ephemeral popularity at the time. An example of this would be if a teen hated Kanye West after he publicly embarrassed Taylor Swift at the VMAs. Often, social learning leads to people making uninformed and uneducated decisions, which do nothing to further progress in society. 

Although there are countless negative effects of social learning, I believe that the reality show, "The Buried Life" serves as a refreshing alteration of this theory. In the show, four friends travel cross country while attempting to accomplish their bucket list. At each stop, they attempt an item on their list, while also helping a stranger accomplish something off their own list. While other reality shows follow idiots gratuitously drinking and having gorilla sex, "The Buried Life" focuses on helping people, and giving back to society. The four main characters are benevolent and admirable, where as other shows's stars only worry about getting a tan and scoring an Italian hottie. For once, MTV has produced a show with redeemable qualities and a touch of humanity. 

Hegemony in Media

In our current culture, the presence of hegemony is pertinent in all forms of media, even including children's films. Hegemony is defined as the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group over American culture as a whole. The media will constantly doctor the news according to its own interests. Often in photographs and news, African Americans will almost undoubtedly be labeled more negatively than a white person. The reason for this is due to framing, and this practice is often done to minorities. In newspapers and magazines throughout America, consumers are constantly being fed what corporate companies deem necessary, in a process called framing. This can also be seen in forms of media such as films, in which males generally hold the highest power.
I believe hegemony is best exemplified in the films of Pixar. I can genuinely say that I have loved all of Pixar's eleven films, ranging from A Bug's Life to Toy Story 3. Despite my love for these cherished films, I cannot help but notice that all of these films have lacked a female protagonist. Throughout all of these films, females have always served as secondary to the dominant male character. This form of hegemony may not appear as blatant as other forms, and females certainly have undoubtedly played crucial roles in many of these movies. However, I believe that it is time for Pixar to release a film with a female character as the lead. Reports have shown that the audience for films such as Toy Story 3 have been split evenly between males and females. Thus I believe the polls would be the same, even with a female protagonist.
Therefore, hegemony is, and always will be present in all the forms of media, including the films of Pixar. Although I am not disparaging Pixar's films, I believe that the time has come for a leading female role.

CAM DAVISON'S RTF BLOG

Hey what's up. My name is Cameron Davison and I'm a seventeen year-old freshman from New Jersey. Yes, Jersey. I am extremely excited to begin RTF 305. Ever since the age of twelve, I have had an undying love for film and filmmaking. In my mind, there's nothing more rewarding than showcasing my films to a roaring audience. Since my first film as a twelve year-old, I've constantly been correcting and bettering my craft. I think, rather, I know that I'm good at what I do. I love making people laugh, and I genuinely believe that my comedies are funny and smart. Additionally, I am extremely enthused to begin the upper-level courses at UT, such as cinematography and screenwriting. However, directing is, and always will be my love. I hope that this class will further my love in the art of film, and I hope that I will learn a myriad of intriguing, well, stuff. Hope the video works. Oh and by the way, my video was not accepted for the Eyes of Texas competition. Tell me your honest opinion. Thanks. Also, here's a link to my favorite blog. http://www.cinematical.com/