Documentary Reflection Post
1. What is the purpose of submitting a video in a writing class?
The purpose of submitting a video in a writing class serves to reinforce the knowledge learned in the class. By doing so, a video can be applied to successfully get your point across in a visual and entertaining way rather than using the traditional writing method to spread a message. A video in a writing class attracts various amounts of audiences such as visual and auditory learners. Meanwhile, a video allows you freely express yourself and make it uniquely yours since you always start with a blank canvas when you create a video.
2. Explain how you composed your message (purpose) in multiple forms.
First of all my video topic is based on what I wrote on my literary review. On both my literary review and the film doc my topic was Zika virus disease and microcephaly in neonates and newborns, although in my literary review I introduce the topic and talk about what causes microcephaly, what is Zika virus and ways to prevent microcephaly and Zika virus infection, in my film doc I primarily advocate for pregnant women and possible pregnant women to avoid traveling to areas where Zika virus is endemic to avoid their children getting infected by Zika virus and later born with a congenital disease such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. The video is composed of images, music, narration, and a video clip from the news.
3. Did the structure and delivery of the film doc worked to achieve its advocacy? Yes/No. Explain.
In my opinion I believe that the film doc did work to advocate the reason as to why it is important to postpone travel to tropical areas where Zika virus disease is endemic. In my film doc I provide statistical information, imagery, and a brief introduction of how Zika disease is transmitted and all the damage it can cause when a developing fetus gets infected by a mother who was exposed to Zika virus. Towards the end of the video I provide suggestions about how mothers can protect themselves and their child to maximize the probability of a healthy child. Meanwhile, on the other hand if women decide to travel and get infected I provide information of what these mother could be faced with, a resulting child with developmental delays and abnormal brain development.
4. Select one of the questions listed and explain the rhetorical choices you made towards answering the question.
The rhetorical choices made towards answering question 3 were ethos, pathos, and logos. I used ethos by including statistical information published by both the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In terms of pathos, I selected imagery that flowed with what I was saying so that I could better emphasize the topic by provoking emotions in my audience when they saw these images of children born with microcephaly. Lastly, in terms of logos, I provided my view on the topic and used logic to persuade the audience that the health of their child is far more important than traveling, because by traveling they could affect their child’s health forever.
