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Exercise #5: Decoding the Advertisement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0d9d-cdxhk

The commercial I linked is an advertisement for the Playstation 4. While there are specific games alluded to, none are explicitly named. Most viewers would view the scenes as swords and sorcery, racing, and scifi games.

The ad depicts two friends in scenes taken from games, ironically signing along to a cheery tone about friendship. The commercial is promoting the Playstation 4 as a device to connect and play with friends. More and more of video games are online and multiplayer focused, so I imagine Sony is only trying to capitalize on this. I think the ad also tries to sell the Playstation as this get away to magical and adventurous places. I believe there's also some appeal in the commercial in that it doesn't take itself seriously. The commercial is whimsical, but also brings up a chuckle.

The primary idea behind the commercial is that Playstation offers all these adventures and they can all be shared with a friend. You can easily connect and interact with friends in this digital playground. I think the ad is clever and engaging because it both offers these adventures, which is appealing on its own, but also the aspect of sharing.

Sony is trying to play into this idea of "bros" with the ad. They want to work with this competitive, yet friendly and lighthearted, nature many friends share. You talk trash and mock your friends while one-uping them, but, again, in a friendly manner. Sony wants Playstation to be part of what you and your Bro share. You go out for drinks, watch the game, and you go head to head on Playstation.

#RaggleFraggle

What is the News?

NBC10 24-03-2014

#1 "N Korea Fact or Fiction?"

#3 Princeton Admissions more selective

#5 Snooki's Wedding

#4 Mother of Braid Dead California Girl

#2 Philadelphia prepares for Pope

The Public Record 20-03-2014

#1 Brady Fights for Jobs

#2 Sowing Seeds for Decent Housing

#5 Staten, Sr. Charitable Golf Classic to Honor Alan Parham

#3 Democrats Face Busy Primary Challenges

#4 Bruce Crawley Named To Hall of Fame

The paper, in this case, seems much less sensationalist than broadcast news. Also, despite the televised news being a local station, much less of the stories seemed focused on local issues. For example, the print news had a story on housing and local work protests, which are very clearly set locally and tied to the residents of Philadelphia. Broadcast news had many stories on world or national events. However, in in terms of getting the news, getting information, broadcast is quicker and could be thought of as superior practically speaking. Print provides much that may be more relevant to me personally though and the advantages of broadcast could be had through the internet too.

Tabloid and sensationalist pieces are a personal dislike of mine. The broadcast news seemed to run more of things type of pieces than the paper by a far margin. Tabloid pieces on celebrities perpetuate ill moral ideals, distract us from more relevant topics, and invade the personal lives of said celebrities. Sensationalism also adds needless noise to sift through to find important pieces and often acts to misinform or redirect. The higher ranked pieces on my list were relevant, though provoking, and supported.

As I mentioned before, many of the pieces I ranked higher on my lists had some kind of impact on the local community or myself. Even those without a direct impact or effect, do trickle down to my area eventually, the democratic primary story being a good example of an indirect effect. In addition to that, I believe some stories may have an effect simply by their thought provoking or mind opening effect.

Outside of these two small samples, I do notice some mutual topics between print and broadcast from personal experience. The rising rate of competition of college admissions is something I've seen both in and outside of print. While job and housing have been addressed in broadcast news, I find that they're normal less in depth than papers and, more or less, running around screaming that the sky is falling. The tabloid type pieces are seemingly exclusive to broadcast; as we've discussed before, print is a more of a "pure" form of journalism and it's possibly such journalists see themselves above such things or know their readership is less interested than the viewers of broadcast news. National and world events seem to make the front page (and the equivalent of broadcast) in either case, though the treatment may differ.

#Tetsou!!!

Newspapers and Culture of Journalism

My news sources are somewhat varied; I'd say the primary source is probably the internet, occasionally (once or twice a day) a check in at CNN.com or a mainstream source along those lines. Notably, without really trying, social media plays a part two. Not so much as a news source, but possibly a place for news updates. It's not uncommon to hear about events first on Facebook through friends before following up at a mainstream source. Radio also keeps me fairly informed, specifically, I listen to Philly's NPR syndicate.

The first challenge facing news print today is an obvious one: the internet and the universal adoption of such. The migration to an online form varied for different news rooms and many were hurt by not acting. There have been other historical declines though, all thanks to other technologies and mediums emerging. 24/7 news networks and television in general took their cuts out of news print readership. TV promised much more 'up to date' information to the point that channels prided themselves on being "the most up to date news source. "Finally, this phenomenon was originally seen with the rise of radio,

"The decline in daily newspaper readership actually began during the Great Depression, with the rise of radio. Between 1931 and 1939, six hundred newspapers ceased operation. Another circulation crisis occurred from the late 1960's through the 1970's with the rise in network television viewing and greater competition from suburban weeklies."

As other sources of news arise, papers do take hits, but they also further refine their niche'. As radio, similar to TV, nullified paper's "up to date" reporting, papers' responded by offering more in depth and thoughtful reporting.

"Citizen journalism" is nothing new, as under ground and independent papers of the past have broken away from mainstream form. However, as with many things, the internet has revolutionized this. Blogging has given new breath to citizen journalism with its easy access to reporting and publication platforms. Many of these citizen journalists can take more radical views without being tied to advertising, but also overtly express a bias many times. Rather than aim for a neutral observer, they root themselves as "an active participate in the community." They may also reject, to an extent, journalistic rituals such as being the first on a scene, using "experts," or emphasizing or even creating conflict to heighten the stakes.

Nevertheless, a stock of rituals, derived from basic American values, underlie the practice of reporting. These include focusing on the present, relying on experts, balancing story conflict, and acting as adversaries towards leader and institutions.

#tagyourit

Assignment #3 Big Screens - Ittsy bittsy baby screens

FOX- Philadelphia, 6:00pm-7:00pm, Friday, February 21

6:00-6:09: Simpsons 6:09 30 Sec Hyundai Commercial 6:09 30 Sec Trailer for Robocop 6:10 30 Sec American Idol Commercial 6:10 30 Sec Xbox Commercial 6:11-6:20 Simpsons 6:20 30 Commercial for nightly local news (Fox) 6:20 30 Sec Trailer for 'Ride Along' 6:21 30 Nutella Ad 6:21 30 Nike Commercial 6:22-6:29 Simpsons 6:29 30 Commercial for nightly local news (Fox) 6:29 30 American Idol commercial 6:30-6:39 Simpsons 6:39 30 Sec Nike Commercial 6:39 30 Sec Trailer for Robocop 6:40 30 Sec Commercial for Anchorman 2 (re-release) 6:40 30 Sec Commercial for Apple Ipad 6:41-6:50 Simpsons 6:51 30 Sec Commercial for nightly local news (Fox) 6:51 30 Sec Commercial Beats Audio Service 6:52 30 Sec Commercial for Apple Ipad 6:52-7:00 Simpsons

The show's demographics have probably changed over the years, mainly rising in age as fans themselves grow older. So, I'd guess that the appeal of the show has tried to remain relevant of a larger range of ages, my guess being 13 through 40 years old or so. At the same time, I'd also guess The Simpsons is very much a general audience show with a very broad viewership. The character have become minor cultural icons, so it's safe to assume the general appeal of the show. So, as we've discussed in class a few times now, this is a very good example of 'broadcasting' in comparison to 'narrowcasting' and the ads reflect that. If this were a more niche show, with a more minor demographic, we'd maybe see ads for documentaries, specialized services, etc. Adding to this too is that Fox is a network channel, and generally cable is where more focused programs air. I know from listening to audio commentaries of The Simpsons, by the creators, that he show is very specifically broken up into three acts that more or less are divided by commercial breaks. The show is inherently built for broadcast in this way. Moments before breaks are left with a minor cliff hanger and commonly a good joke and the moments after a break commonly have a very quick expansionary bit of dialogue to catch viewers up. The difference in broadcast and cable become pretty overt once you know what to look for. Once again, we can easily label something such as The Simpsons as a general audience show while much of cable television is niche in comparison or has a more devoted fan base that is willing to follow it week to week in the case of serials. The commercials are also fairly different, with broadcast advertising more universally desired. Also, broadcaster commonly advertise their own shows. I guess this works out for them, but it seems counter intuitive since broadcaster primarily profit from advertising.

#monorail

Ch 6 Cable and Television, The Huxleyian Warning

At school, I view TV shows almost exclusively via web streaming services. At home, it's probably more of a half and half split. Web services really seem to be the only way to go for most students, it's much easier to justify the $10 or so a month for Netflix (even Netflix and HuluPlus would still only be around $20) compared to the $30 and upwards for a cable package. Add to that an erratic schedule many students have, and a service that is cheaper and follows one's own schedule, the choice is easy.

The film and TV industry always seems to be under the influence of one emerging technology or another. VHS had a huge impact when it first entered mainstream distribution, viewers could watch what ever programs they wanted at a later time and, more importantly, could purchase and rent movies. Audiences now had an alternative to theaters. Success on broadcast television has also be redefined, "During the height of the network era, a prime time series with a rating of 17 or 18 and a shar of between 28 and 30 was generally a success. By the late 2000's, though, with increasing competition from cable, DVDs, and the Internet, the threshold for success had dropped to a rating of 3 or 4 and a share of under 10." Previously, the quantification of the success of a show was fairly straight forward, but now, with third and fourth screens, we have to redefine show ratings. Advertising most also completely rearrange their models. Third and fourth screen viewing allows for "narrow casting," adds much more targeted for a specific audience. Broadcast television got more viewers, but it is a very broad viewership and it's hard to reach specific demographics as such.

Postman argues that we are moving towards a type of dystopian society, but not an Orwellian one, but a "burlesque" dystopia. He argues that we are so obsessed with moving forward and innovation, we fail to see its effects on ourselves. He says "And in this sense, all Americans are Marxists, for we believe nothing if not that hisotry is moving us toward some preordained paradise and that technology is the force behind that movement." Later, he says we must not completely drop television, but be aware of how it changes us. Essentially, we must become 'media conscious.'

#crazycheese

Ch 7: Movies and the Impact of Images

Movie studious get revenue from six primary sources with how the industry is currently run: domestic box office ticket sales, the home video market (DVD, Bluray, and digital sales and rental), cable and TV syndication, foreign markets (which is an increasingly profitable market), acting as distribution for independent films, and finally merchandising and product placement. Star Wars seems to have hit an ever one of these with its success. It was a blockbuster hit in theaters, continues to thrive on home video and TV, has worldwide appeal, and, without a doubt, succeeded in merchandising (toys, video games, etc). A lot of films work well throughout the different runs and windows of a release, but few have the lasting appeal and absolute siege of merchandising Star Wars has. The games are countless, the toys are always on shelves in stores, and the symbols are easily recognizable and seen on shirts all the time.

Convergence has effected movies like almost no other industry, mostly in recent years. Digital distribution has revolutionized how viewers access their favorite shows and films. It was barely a decade ago that you would drive to your local Blockbuster to see the latest release or that one great comedy for a night with your friends. Not only is this practice changed, it's almost entirely extinct. Brick and mortar rental stores are just about gone; in just a few years, everything has changed. As the reading states, "The year 2012 marked a turning point: for the first time, movie fans accessed more movies through digital online media than physical copies, like DVD and Bluray. For the movie industry, this shift to Internet distribution has mixed consequences..." It goes on to state that there is a need to deliver to viewers, but, on the other hand, digital distribution offers lower profits than physical media sales. This reflects, as a whole, the dwindling use and sales of physical media. There could be an upside for both viewers and studious though; as we mentioned in class, there is a move from "broadcasting" to "narrowcasting." Services like Netflix pioneered not only new methods of distribution, but also would figure out one's preferences and recommend movies, similar to Pandora's music genome project. So, though the profits of individual sales may dwindle, the ability to deliver to more people and fill their specific tastes could offset it.

Exercise 2: Media consumption Experiment

I choose to document the how often I check on my phone and/or computer throughout a weekday. Right off the bat, the checks of my phone was about a dozen or so a day. However, that number doesn’t count reacting directly to messages or alerts; that number is turning the screen on to eye any notifications and what have you. Pretty consistently, I would always check my phone when leaving a class too in addition to any time I’d be separated from it for a time (eg leaving it in my room while I cook dinner). I didn’t pay much attention to the number of text messages themselves because the number is so inconsistent and volatile day to day: in a day where I don’t really communicate with anyone via SMS, the number is just one or two from automated systems or simply questions from people that require one reply. Other times, the number of individual messages can easily reach well over twenty or thirty if I get into a discussion with friends or something substantial. Speaking of apps and websites, I realized there’s actually a bit of convergence emerging in the web itself. Whereas a few years ago, I’d visit a number of different sites checking on news and so on, now I may just browser ‘reddit.com’ which links together much of what used to be spread out. I thought that was a pretty interesting note.

I like to think of myself as some outlier that’s not got his nose stuck into his phone, but I guess no one is really immune from this digital takeover. At the same time, I have not much of an issue leaving my phone alone for hours if I’m not expecting anything important; I hate leaving it at home when I go out, but that’s probably more of a rational fear of car break downs and having roommates open the door if I lose my keys. I enjoy being ‘connected,’ but don’t feel that I need to be.

A lot has changed in a decade. Everything moves at a faster pace, with everyone always being connected, responses are expected a lot faster and it seems like there is a creeping intrusion of weekends and vacations of work messages. Information is also taken for granted, you can learn practically about anything at the press of a key. I find video games to be a great example of this actually; numerous guides, strategies, and walkthroughs exist online in text and video for any and every video game you could play. I still remember when physical guides, printed on paper, for games were the rage and you were up the creek if you were stuck in a game without one. That was it! Stuck on a boss? Will your parents buy you the guide? Does your friend know how to beat it? No? Well, tough luck kid. The way ‘gamers’ take for granted a helping hand to assist them today is analogous to the loads of information that are easily reached on any subject. You can access the history, practice, and mechanics of anything in minutes. And all this… is in your pocket.

The technology we have is great. No, it’s amazing or some even stronger word I can’t think of. Everything has evolved and the way we consume and produce has changed. Digital photography absolutely redefined the art and practice; there’s no expensive and time consuming development of film any more, we can view and hone of skills and work instantaneously. Anyone can listen to collections of music from around the world and from small artists who would never have had their work on a record store shelf. Rewriting a paper after multiple drafts means moving around paragraphs and picking apart words and sentences rather than manually typing out the entire thing. My point is that it’s impossible to define someone as an addict of technology. It’s too inherent to how we work these days. We’re all dependents of technology. We’re all addicted in our own ways.

#ToInfinityAndThatsGoodEnough

What is the Sign?

The sign I choose was a photograph, commonly known as "the burning monk." It depicts the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc, a Vietnamese monk, burning to death in protest of the governments oppression and inequality of the monks. The sign itself, the photo, taken by Malcolm Browne, caused a political wild fire on its publication. The US government immediately pressured Vietnamese leader to negotiate with the monks and eventually a coupe arose.

Since this sign is a photograph, it is both indexical and iconic. As stated above, the photo is that of a real man, Thich Quang Duc, and he actually was burning in the year 1963. David Halberstam, a witness to the index wrote,

"In the air was the smell of burning human flesh; human beings burn surprisingly quickly. Behind me I could hear the sobbing of the Vietnamese who were now gathering. I was too shocked to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too bewildered to even think ..."

The icon, the reproducible photograph, was spread all over the world and shocked viewers, spreading news of the event and highlighting the monks' strife. Finally, the photograph has become even more deeply engrained in our culture as a symbol of protest and defiance. Rage Against the Machine even used the photo as an album cover, exemplifying that the sign has created deeper ideas than even the original events itself.

Finally, the photo's signifier is more or less what we view, a man burning. With no context, we can draw some conclusions from it though. The monk is sitting peacefully on close inspection and is unrestrained. So it could be inferred that he did this to himself. We can imagine the signified in our mind, the scene of a man burning in the street, seemingly by his own will, as onlookers watch in horror. In reality, the referent, Thich Quang Duc, was in protest of religious prosecution. It's possible, our signifier is so accurate to the referent, we infer that a man is burning himself in protest, that the photo has become a symbol of protest without the context surrounding it.

The Internet, Digital Media, and Digital Convergence

Before the turn of the century, most media was consumed on individual, respective, devices. You had a boom box for radio, you had a television for TV, and a newspaper for information and flies. With the advent of the personal computer, and potentially more importantly, broadband internet, media starting to be consumed largely on computers. This is known as digital convergence. The devices of the past become redundant. As stated in the reading, “in recent years, the internet has really become the hub for convergence, a place where music, television, shows, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, books, game, and movies are created.” (Pg 58). The internet and the ease of access with the spread of smart phones and mobile computing, have all led to the convergence of our media and how its consumed. Also with the rise of broadband internet and our growing reliance on it, came several concerns. Net Neutrality is a cause for equal and fair access for all internet users. The biggest and most overt opponent of this neutrality is commonly ISP’s (the actual service providers of the internet); it’s stated that “They [ISP's] want to offer faster connections and priority to clients willing to pay higher rates, and provide preferential service for their own content…” Many argue such things would spit in the face in the much of what is important about the internet: equality, openness, and ease of access.

The Medium is the Message…. or is it? [He questioned, trailing off]

Mark Federman adopts the ideas of the MCLuhan and, in this way, the idea that “the medium is the message.” The idea is a ‘meta’ one if there ever was one, MCluhan arguing that the the content of media is not as important as the medium itself. He believes too many consumers of media become too caught up with the details of media, not taking the step back to view ‘the larger picture’ and look into the context and effects such things have on the medium as a whole. In this view, medium is the system and form of communication, such as film or radio, whereas message is the self-contained work, such as a photograph. As Federman writes, “Marshall McLuhan was concerned with the observation that we tend to focus on the obvious. In doing so, we largely miss the structural changes in our affairs that are introduced subtly, or over long periods of time.” Essentially, McLuhan believed the greater picture is of greater importance, we must view the context, effect, and construction of the message.

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