ENC2135

Research, Genre, & Context

[mak15k-blog]

Most Effective Presentation- Final Reflection

The most effective presentation of the class was not necessarily the project that received the most likes, views or shares; it was not the project with the most riveting topic, most original goal, nor the craziest presentation topic. I thought it was the presentation that was completed with the most passion and effort, which in my opinion, was Allison's. Her Facebook posts were mainstream, but the effort that obviously went into creating the YouTube video and interactive online book was more impressive than many of the other projects. Time is an often overlooked resource and in terms of college students, it is the most invaluable; so to see a project that was completed because of a genuine concern for the topic instead of a genuine desire to merely complete the project was refreshing. Not to say that other projects did not reflect a large amount of effort and time and sleepless nights, by no means, but only to highlight the creativity and effort that was used in Allison's project. Even though there are many other sites and campaigns that promote the same issue, the fact that Allison is only in college and still created propaganda of the same caliber of these other professionals is in itself impressive. I hope that her book sees much success as time goes on and that her idea continues to grow and prosper.

[tesswp-deactivated20170114]

SFH Readings 11/17

SFH Layout and Pages

This reading was all about how you layout out pages, like how you want the paper to be oriented, paragraph break ups, colors, fonts and the overall organization of your piece. 

The first section of this passage is about the size and orientation of your page. The size page you choose affects how much  information you can include in your paper. The smaller the paper, the less information you can fit on it, go too large though and it can be hard to focus on one point of text, or if the paper is online will take to much scrolling around to find it. 

It then talks about how to break down the material into “readable units” It basically says large, lengthy paragraphs are boring and hard to read. The text says break it up with color and fonts, text boxes, lines and images. 

It moves on, saying that putting the most important stuff at the top of the page and the less important stuff at the bottom is a great way to organize your paper. 

The article says alignment is important, that you want to direct readers down and across the page. You can do this through lists, tables and frames. 

It also tells you to avoid clutter and revise to flow and readability. And which fonts are best for that. I had no idea that’s how those symbol fonts were used! 

SFH Images and Photos

This passage is all about inserting photographs into our writing. Saying it “enlivens” our writing. 

The images we use can come from many sources, just make sure they don’t have a copyright or you could get in trouble for using them. I just ran into this when I was trying to find pictures for my Buzzfeed article, but I’m pretty sure the pictures I used were all good. 

The book says you should edit your pictures, cropping, re sizing and coloring the images before you actually place the image in your paper. 

Here is an image I edited for project 3:

Analyzing Visual Rhetoric 

This was a very quick, two page passage with questions to ask yourself when looking at visuals. 

There were some of the ones we’ve all heard before, like who is the audience, what is the purpose, genre and medium. 

Then there are also new questions that take from the other two readings we had assigned, like are the margins sufficient and are the fonts readable.

These questions will be helpful when writing up the report on all of our genres.  

[brooke2135-blog]

I like how you actually used what you read in this post. You broke up your writing into digestible sections with headings and put in photos for visual appeal. I like you photo for project three! It really makes an impact. The black and white versus the color and the paper versus the computer and the red text are all so contrasting; it’s great!

[hunterenc2135-blog]

I love the use of pictures and how one is black and white and the other is color, it is extremely effective in getting your point across!

[mak15k-blog]

I like the picture you used, that is really creative!

[brooke2135-blog]

SFH Readings and Analyzing Visual Rhetoric 11.17.15

This was an interesting set of readings for this project. Being a self-proclaimed artist myself (I try not to get too carried away), I can say that most of the information I read about editing images and using them in projects (i.e. placing, cropping, and modifying) as well as using color schemes were all familiar concepts to me. I grasped them easily and can confidently say I see myself having no trouble in this department for Project Three. 

The section about fonts did peak my interest though. Because I plan on making a website for my Project Three to house my three genres, I now know that the best fonts to use would be san sarif fonts because they are easy to read on a computer or other digital device. I will also be sure to listen to the advice of using white space to your advantage when building my website. I will only be uploading three pieces to the page but clutter is easy to come by. To avoid clutter I will be sure to space everything out and maybe even put the genres on different pages. The final reading on analyzing visual rhetoric will be most helpful when doing a final revision of my project, as it is essentially a checklist on your project’s organization, readability, images, and layout, while as always analyzing its audience, purpose, genre, and medium.

[hunterenc2135-blog]

I love how you described yourself as a “self-proclaimed artist”, I often view myself the same way

[mak15k-blog]

I’m looking forward to seeing how your website turns out! I think these readings were interesting.

[mak15k-blog]

Writing into the day 11-10-2015

SECOND DRAFT

               The idea was revolutionary. It was magnificent. So new and uncomfortable was this idea that it moved three ships full of weary souls across uncharted waters, toward lands that only possibly existed. So powerful and brave was this idea, that it penned a Declaration that would serve as the foundation of an entire nation. So grand and rebellious was this idea that it funded the war that would separate unhappy peace from happy unrest. So successful and untimely was this idea, that it killed all notion of equality across races, leading to selective bondage. So maddening was this idea, that the injustice served by its better intentions ignited a fire within the ones captivated, leading to the formation of the greatest secrets ever known. So elusive was this idea kept in shadows, so special and unique, that the facade of the idea began to match its reality. So imaginative was this idea, that the birth of killing for the name of...something, was commercialized, was modernized, and was glossed over. This idea of freedom, across all generations and cultures, is now sold as something tangible. The currency at the expense of the lives our military, only serving because they have no other choice due to the nature of our economy. The idea that using our freedom to vote- an option many nations can't eve dream of having- is a burden we feel we must bear by carving out time in our busy schedules to go cast a ballot. Freedom is now thought of as a moldable manner by which we can each fulfill our selfish needs and desires in separate ways than our peers; freedom has become a product. It doesn't work that way. Freedom itself is paradoxical in that it demands our personal convictions be put behind the agenda of the greater good. With religious freedom comes the consequence of accepting and co-residing with different religions; religions are what they are because they do not accept other religions, hence the paradox we accept when choosing to abide by the regulations allowed by freedom. With freedom of speech comes the consequence of hearing things we may not choose to hear intentionally. When others express this freedom of speech in a manner they feel convicted to express, we may be offended and wish that their choice to speak in such a manner aligned with our choice in a more compatible fashion. However if this were the case, then the world would live in silence. Hence our compromises to live under the restraints of freedom allow us to live under the responsibility of that freedom. Freedom is not a product, rather it is a privilege that we should never feel entitled to. It is not a product, but rather a revolutionary, magnificent, new and uncomfortable, powerful and brave, grand and rebellious, successful and untimely, maddening, elusive, imaginative, and most certainly captivating notion that should make us thankful for paradox.

[cameron-dingee]

Pond Pools: An Innovative Way to Cool Off

Natural Pools, more commonly known as pool ponds, are new efficient pools that one can have in their backyard.  Unlike traditional pools, these natural pools are low maintenance and environmentally friendly.  These pools allow one to create a natural spring feel in the comfort of their own home.

These pools are as clean and healthy as any other type of pool.  Instead of using chemicals, such as chlorine, like traditional pools, these pond pools rely instead on the water purification process found in nature.  The water is circulated through a biological filter which consists mainly of wild grass.  The wild grassroots trap large particles and other debris while a UV sterilizer harnesses the power of ultraviolet waves to kill off any type of bacteria or algae that may naturally occur.  Then the crystal clear water cascades out of a waterfall that aerates the water creating cool, beautiful water.

[mak15k-blog]

This genre appears to be informative based on the information presented in a manner meant to tell the audience what the product is.

The purpose is to inform the audience about the benefits of the product compared to other similar products, and also to inform the reader about how the products functions. This is obvious by the style of writing.

The rhetorical appeals the genre uses seem to mainly be logos, since the author is informing and relying on logic to explain the purpose.

The style is very clear-cut and easily understandable; I feel that it would be an appropriate label on the back of the product itself, or information used to advertise the product.

The tone is formal; there is no literary flare to distract from the purpose of the piece.

The voice established ethos because they seem to know what they are talking about very well.

I like the picture at the top of the post because it adds an eye-catching design element that creates a further sense of advertising to the audience.

The research informs the audience very well...I want one of these in my backyard whenever I get a house now!

[enc26ers]

Writing into the day 11/10

Choose one topic:

A Product, Politics, Puppies 

Choose one genre:

informative, persuasive, narrative

Develop a composition, which you will both peer review and revise in class.

500+ words

[mak15k-blog]

The idea was revolutionary. It was magnificent. So new and uncomfortable was this idea that it moved three ships full of weary souls across uncharted waters, toward lands that only possibly existed. So powerful and brave was this idea, that it penned a Declaration that would serve as the foundation of an entire nation. So grand and rebellious was this idea that it funded the war that would separate unhappy peace from happy unrest. So successful and untimely was this idea, that it killed all notion of equality across races, leading to selective bondage. So maddening was this idea, that the injustice served by its better intentions ignited a fire within the ones captivated, leading to the formation of the greatest secrets ever known. So elusive was this idea kept in shadows, so special and unique, that the facade of the idea began to match its reality. So imaginative was this idea, that the birth of killing for the name of...something, was commercialized, was modernized, and was glossed over. This idea of freedom, across all generations and cultures, is now sold as something tangible. The currency at the expense of the lives our military, only serving because they have no other choice due to the nature of our economy...(to be continued)

[mak15k-blog]

Tumblr Post for 11-19-2015 Ch 9 “Assembling a Multigenre Project” (BBG)...Ch 10*

Well first off I was a little confused since the chapter number did not match the chapter title, but after I got passed that hump in the road, reading was smooth sailing. Sort of. After reading the first sentence and realizing that the chapter and its contents would have been really helpful earlier when trying to decide what exactly project 3 was, I was a little perturbed. But hey, hindsight is 20/20; we probably all would've ended up doing the same thing if we had read this earlier. The creative list that they gave included an annotated map, an artist's statement, and an annotated timeline, all of which would have been so cool to do for one of the options I had in mind for Project 3. Titling the project is a huge deal and I almost wish that section was a little bigger and had more tips, because if you don't have a creative title then the chances of your story becoming popular are much slimmer. The examples that were at the end of the chapter were pretty cool too, and it makes me look forward to the class presentations at the end of the semester a little bit more.

[mak15k-blog]

Tubmlr Post for 11-17-2015 “SFH Layout and Pages” • “SFH Images and Photos” • “Analyzing Visual Rhetoric”

The "SFH Layout and Pages" was so interesting! I felt like it was almost a graphic design 101 booklet. I've always been so indecisive about font style, just within my notes for various classes and even my doodles, so Chart 18.3 was really convenient and helpful. It categorized fonts and style into how they should be used in compositions, which automatically got me thinking about how they are perceived by the reader, which is exactly the sort of help I needed for the third genre I chose for Project 3 (which is why I went ahead and read these assignments...I need all the help I can get!) "SFH Images and Photos" was equally as interesting and helpful. It suggested using Photoshop for editing images and other photos for our compositions, but given the fact that A) you have to pay for Photoshop, B) not many people have any idea how to use Photoshop, and C) Photoshop can pretty much be replaced fully thanks to apps like Instagram and other photo apps for Smart Phones, I don't think Photoshop is necessary for things like cropping and resizing. It's just not that serious. But! I loved the last portion of the article that suggested creating a mood for the overall piece through color. It's so true that colors affect our perceptions of pretty much everything, and I think I will print my flyers on colored paper to catch people's eye and make the theme lively. This is also why my favorite color is black; black is the absence of color, which leaves the availability of choosing my favorite open to interpretation based on my mood (: Anyway, the last source was so ironic to me because I could barely read it and it looked like a blackboard from a horror film, which, I guess, is the mood they wanted to evoke...? Upon further inspection the content was nothing to be feared because it was THE EXACT SAME THING WE'VE BEEN TOLD IN LIKE EVERY ASSIGNMENT. "Purpose, media, mode, audience, genre, etc." Well, if I take away nothing else from this class it will be to always remember to do everything with purpose...which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[hunterenc2135-blog]

Understanding Media Studies and Media Industries

Understanding Media Studies and Industries:

When the readings first loaded on my computer screen I looked at it and sighed, and it looked a boring passages from a boring book that reiterates the same boring information we’ve known all along. 

As due dates for short assignments for project 3 are quickly approaching I can’t help but try and control my stress levels

The readings were informative and to be honest, it was extremely refreshing to see a South Park reference in what I originally thought was a boring book full of boring information I’ve already learned about. Although I didn’t find the readings to be as helpful as the BBG (shocking I know, the BBG is ACTUALLY helpful??!1?) both readings made me feel a little more prepared for the upcoming due dates for Project 3

[mak15k-blog]

I agree! The readings were actually helpful and somewhat less painful than usual.

[jhm14-blog]

Chapter 9 reflection

I am starting my reflection before I read chapter 9 to say that I am in a great mood. Now, we shall see if and how the BBG will change this.

Well this chapter did not bring me down!  Reading “Revising and Remixing Your Work” was not a pain; the information was clear and helpful, relevant to our current work, and the chapter was relatively short. Especially in the beginning, a lot of what the BBG discusses is nothing but reinforcement for me. I am very familiar with revising steps and strategies but, there is certainly nothing wrong with being reminded. In addition, there were a lot of helpful checklists to refer to and suggested revision questions that I find helpful. The section on remixing work was new to me. I have never had to take one project and transform it to satisfy a new prompt in a different genre.

I appreciate that both the revising and remixing sections are very applicable to what we are doing now. Soon we will be receiving project 2 back and some of us will be looking to revise them to boost the grade. Having some new ideas on how to tackle the revision process will be helpful. The information on remixing work into a different genre is directly related to what we are preparing to do! It is nice to have an example of how this can be done along with the checklists and suggestions.

[across2135-blog]

I agree that the information was clear and easy to understand when it comes to reinforcing what it takes to create a solid final draft through revision. The checklist will sure be helpful while working on Project 3. 

[mak15k-blog]

That’s a really good point about project 2, I almost forgot we had another opportunity to raise our grade a little!

[brooke2135-blog]

Chapter 9 BBG Reflection

Yah, this is really early.

The entire beginning of this chapter was quite predictable. I mean, I think we all know how to revise our work at this point. I know for my Project one and two I revised almost too much; using my own observations, the advice of a peer reviewer, the reading and writing center (more than once for just one paper), and yet another peer reviewer. 

^ image of me revising my work into actual insanity.

Gwen Ganow’s example was a good one, but it did not take long for me to get the point. By the way, my drafts look quite similar to her chopped up piece so now I don’t feel as bad about my writing process.

I think the most important part of this chapter – the part of the chapter I’m sure Ms. Bradley wanted us to really pay attention to – was the section on remixing your work into different genres. Can anyone say “Project two”? The checklist at the end of the chapter was really helpful; it is similar to what Ms. Bradley told us in class. We have to consider our purpose, audience, rhetorical appeals, modes, media, style, design, and even sources when re-mediating our work (psst, the “sources” part is Short Assignment 2… don’t forget to do it!).

Yah, I know. I felt like her when I saw Short Assignment 2 was due Tuesday.

[mak15k-blog]

I’m right there with you on the early posts girl! Life gets busy so I feel you. I agree that the checklist was helpful and I hope that it actually is when we start to work on project 3.

[mak15k-blog]

Viral Marketing Reflection

What is Viral Marketing? – What does it do? – How does it work? – When does it work?

All of these reading were so interesting! I loved how the Wiki article tried to be scholarly in describing what viral marketing was, but just gave off a vibe that was really modern. The jargon used in defining what viral marketing is all about is difficult if not impossible to take seriously..."advergames, ebooks, brandable," they all appear with a red squiggly line underneath them, like the word shouldn't even exist. But I think that is one aspect of this beast of viral marketing that is so fascinating to classical marketers: it uses "pre-existing social networking services and other technologies to try to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives..." The use of pre-existing networks to make new and even more effective ones mimics the purpose of what project 3 is all about! we can literally take the evolution of marketing and implement it into how we present our three genres to accomplish the purpose of viral marketing, which is to reach the audience at hand. I didn't even know what linkbait was until I read Christopher Angus' article "Viral Marketing 101," but be sure I will use it in at least one of my genres for project 3, as well as his list of qualities that are necessary for the success of such marketing. "Fifteen of the Best Viral Marketing Campaigns" was a list of really effective campaigns that, upon further investigation, basically bribed their fans into making them famous. Unfortunately I do not have the funds to establish a fan base by offering free plane ticket giveaways, nor do I have $150,000 to blow. Nonetheless the source was interesting. I also thought that the "7 Tricks to Viral Marketing" brought up a great point that the genres can't just evoke emotion, they must evoke a strong emotion, to the point where the viewer needs to be a part of whatever it is the genre is provoking. I even fell victim to the article's content and posted a link to one of the videos on my Facebook profile.  Social media and viral marketing definitely have a complicated relationship, as described in the last article by Curtis Silver. I think it is because of this complication that makes it so effective; no longer does the marketing have to be accomplished via verbal networking, but now it can be technological networking, if not must be technological networking! It works because people are involved with just the click of a button; the faceless commitment makes it insanely easy to be a part of whatever community you want to be a part of without any consequences other than receiving extra junk mail in your inbox. I hope that my three genres are fully effective as a whole unit and that my purpose of educating the public about what they put into their bodies does in fact make a positive difference.

[mak15k-blog]

BBG Ch. 9 Reflection

I think it's ironic that we are reading the revision chapter at the end of the semester. However, there are definitely still things to be learned at this point in the year, and this chapter actually revealed some good tips about creative way to revise and edit papers more efficiently. The section on peer review was especially helpful when keeping project 3 in mind. As daunting as the project is as a whole, it would be fairly easy to ask a friend or two to look at a single aspect of the project, analyze it, and then compare the feedback from each friend individually. Then, taking this feedback with a grain of salt, the similarities and differences that fall in line with one another are probably the areas that need special attention, and the areas that are completely different may reveal similar issues in one of the other genres. I think a checklist to the extent of the example is a little extreme, and would probably make the reviewer not even want to look at the project anymore, however a short and general checklist asking a few relevant questions would be really nice to reference. The last page of the chapter reiterated the points that are engrained into all of our minds- that our genre should have purpose, an appropriate audience, rhetorical appeals, media, etc...I guess it's pretty important?

[enc26ers]

Writing into the Day 11/5

Imagine you are head of a Media Industry.

Considering what you read last night, how would your craft that industry?

What is your mandate?

What will you publish or produce?

What would you need on your team?

Now, moving into project 3, what can you use from the readings to put toward crafting your composition into three genres?

[mak15k-blog]

If I had to be in charge of something arguably more influential than any other form of advertising in the modern world today, I would absolutely want to use it for the greater good. I would try and use it to help people across the world live overall better lives through various methods including providing higher education, most of all. I believe that many of the world's issues related to poverty and/or political turmoil (often they are hand-in-hand) are related in a very real way to how educated the population in that area is. I would produce various documentaries following people in volunteer groups as they reached areas in need of assistance, and format the documentaries as a diary, in a sense. Each group leader would be the interviewer/ host for the segment sharing what and how and whom, then the series would switch over and I would interview the leader in a sit-down, one-on-one with a live audience. (Sometimes I would be the group leader, and the audience would then ask me the questions.) I would need a lot of people who have experience in the missions field, definitely people who know how to finance large trips, and obviously some donations by which to fund my efforts. Based on the information from the readings, I can use the details about appealing to certain audiences in more effective manners than I would have if I had not read the passages.

[cali2135-blog]

Media Studies Article

[mak15k-blog]

I am stressing, too, as I imagine many other people are. So at least we’re all in the same boat. I agree that the readings were mostly helpful, if not slightly repetitive.

[jhm14-blog]

Reading Reflections 11-5

Understanding Media Industries

I am still unsure if it was the content or me being tired that caused this first reading to be a painful process. However, I do know that for some reason, I had to read and reread chapter one to understand it. When I finally reached a state where I could comprehend what I was  reading, the chapter seemed very interesting. I always enjoy thinking about how media in way’s, does not really exist; it was created by people, it does not satisfy any need, but it has an incredible influence on our lives and we have an incredible influence on it. It is not difficult to understand but I still get a funny and nervous feeling when reflecting on the fact that many media industries’ only purpose is to make money yet they still have an incredible influence on our society. I found it interesting, reading about the aspects that shape media and seeing how these apply to specific examples of media I encounter daily. To my surprise, the pinball metaphor helped me better understand the topic. I found this reading very informative and interesting. However, I am not exactly how to apply to our current assignment or if I should even try.

Understanding Media Studies

Though chapter 4 of “Understanding Media Studies” is probably equally informative and similar to “Key Concepts in Media Industry Studies,” I did not think this reading was quite as interesting or enjoyable. Reading about the stages of media production for me, is a slightly dull topic, and a lot of what it covered can be assumed by the average person. For example it only scratches the service of what can be said about the goals and aspects of pre-production and post-production and this basic information is easy to understand. However, a lot of the information about the later stages of production was new to me. such as all the aspects of distribution and promotion. I do think that the “Stage 3: Exhibition and retail” is an interesting part of the chapter. I did not know about the motives of creating Blockbuster and the joint effort that lead to it.

Even though I did not like this reading as much, it went well with the chapter 1 of Understanding Media Industries. I hope I can find a way to apply some of this information on the stages of media production to project three, when I create my own forms of media to promote an issue. Regardless of my lack of interest in this reading, I think learning about the functions of media is relevant to what has been covered in class and I appreciate that it was included.

[mak15k-blog]

I’m with you on the rereading. It’s sort of frustrating. Especially when your roommate seems to be enrolled in a class called “Netflix101.” That’s aside the point. Anyway, I agree that these two chapters will definitely be a great asset to our tool bag for project 3.

[enc26ers]

Writing into the Day assignment 11/3

Choose your favorite narrative (TV show, book, movie, etc) and explain why it is your favorite.

Analyze it rhetorically: What is its purpose? Who is its audience? What rhetorical appeals are used, What is its mode and media? Genre Conventions?Style? Design?

Now, if you were to craft this into a new genre or media, how would you alter it? What changes would you have to make?

[mak15k-blog]

My favorite movie is so hard to determine because my top three are all so different! But I guess I will settle for picking "Say Anything," a classic 80's movie that not too many people know about unless his or her mom has an agenda to ensure he or she is not left uncultured in this genre. "Say Anything" entertains an audience of teen and adult viewers alike because of its layering of meanings throughout the story. We see the perspectives and thoughts of both the teen and the father, and the pathos is laid on heavily! Overall the movie is crafted around significant moments in both of the character's lives (leaving for college internationally), so naturally the style of the genre is very much emotional, with a soft feel. You know you're in the 80's, too! The design of the outfits and decorations of the house, along with the mannerisms of that time period are all very evident. If I had to craft this into another media, I think there is no other way to go than a book, because as you're watching it that is what the audience is experiencing- a story.