Class Highlights

The thing that was new to me, that I have learned in JOUR 2 was the MPAA and how it controls what we see. This has affected my media literacy in that I now see how corrupt the movie system is and that it runs itself with an iron fist. My understanding of the media messages have changed in that the media is a very effective propaganda tool in terms of shaping how we as people think and perceive things in life.

Media Ethics/Media Law

George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars film franchise, is suing Andrew Ainsworth a British designer for apparently breaching copyright by making and selling replicas of Star Wars helmets. Apparently this was not the first time Ainsworth was sued by Lucas, because there was a case like this before, in which Lucas sued the designer $20 million for selling the replicas in America. However, Lucas lost a similar legal battle in UK court simply because the judge refused to believe that these replicas were an equivalent to sculptures. As of now, Lucas is attempting to push for a case to be held by the Supreme Court, hoping to win this legal battle.

Here's the full link of the article: Click Here

Propaganda in Advertising/PR

This ad is an provides examples of the techniques used in propaganda, and they are ad nauseam, repetition, intentional vagueness, and slogans. The ad nauseam is essentially an argument approach that uses endless repetition of an idea, in this case, the idea of money, which is repeated many times in this advertisement. The second technique presented is repetition, which is either a jingle or a word that is repeated over and over again and the word is "money." The third technique that this ad uses is intentional vagueness  which are generalities that are intentionally vague that the audience is forced to interpret the given ad. This technique is displayed when Samuel L. Jackson gives the audience a lesson about money and then relates it to chicken, the advertisement is so vague and so random that the audience is literally forced to interpret the meaning of this ad. Lastly, a slogan is placed at the end of the advertisement and it is Money Speaks in Many Languages, We Understand Them All.

Internet

The internet is something that has become daily part of everyone's life. People cannot get enough of it. It's easily accessible, through phones, computers, laptops, tablets, video game consoles, and even our cars! I have used the internet for shopping and gaming. The websites that I tend to go on when I want to shop for something would be Amazon, Ebay, and Newegg. As for gaming, I wouldn't say I am a heavy "gamer", but I do play games on the PC quite a lot, particularly Team Fortress 2 because it's very convenient, flexible, and significantly cheaper than console games.

When it comes to the internet, people tend to get addicted to it, and I happen to know someone who is addicted to the internet. My friend was not a "hardcore" gamer, but he was definitely addicted to a game called Defense of the Ancients. The addiction escalated to the point that he ended up getting suspended from school for putting off his studies to play the game. The suspension was a real eye opener for my friend, and it ended up helping him get a grasp on his life. He finally put off his addiction by deleting the game and found a part time job to keep him busy until he could go back to school.

Television

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dooi512Lq1M
Length: 4:50

Description: This is a segment from a panel discussing time shifting with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the chairman of the Disney Company and Bob Iger, the future CEO of Disney.
Chapter 9: Television - Video Recording
Quiz Question: Time shifting affected the public's viewing habits, with the development of...?
Answer: The creation of the VCR, which then lead to the creation of the DVR which is now most commonly used to record video without commercials.

Movies

Inception:
Review Click Here
My favorite movie of 2010 - 2011 would have to be Inception because it had a good blend between science fiction and drama and I am a huge Nolan fan. I first saw this movie in the theaters when it came out, and then again on blu-ray, and what I particularly enjoyed about this movie were the characters because in every Nolan films, Nolan tends to make his films about the character and he goes in depth and gives the audience the psychological profile of the character; what essentially drives them to do what they do in the movie. I also liked the use of dream space as a device plot, I thought it was very well done and it gave me an entirely whole new perspective of the human psyche and its limitless potential.


Here's the trailer:








Toy Story:
Review Click Here
However, my favorite movie of all time would definitely have to be Toy Story, simply because it was the movie that defined my childhood. I loved this movie because it taps into the mind of a child's imagination and what it means to be a toy. I first saw this movie on VHS, and I still own it on that format, but I have now recently watched it on blu-ray and the movie still holds up, even by today's standards.





Here's the trailer:

Magazine Proposal

Name of the Magazine: Excelsior! - The Ultimate Source of Comic Book News!

Concept: This magazine is different from existing magazines such as Wizard or any other entertainment magazines in that it provides news about comic books and any other related things that could tie into the comic book such as movies, toys, or video games. This magazine is also unique because it provides a guide of what newcomers should read to get acquainted to the comic book genre and it also allows existing readers to provide what they think are "essential" stories to the newcomers as well.

Readers: The readers are usually people who's ages ranges from 10 - 45 years of age, and it should appeal to both men and women of all ethnicity who have interest in the comic book medium. This magazine strives to appeal to readers of all income level. The main competitors is mainly Wizard magazine, and this comic tries to improve on what Wizard is doing such as making the prices lower than the magazine, provide better price guides, better articles, and provide faster updates.

The five advertisers I think would reach the readers would have to be DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Warner Brothers, Paramount Studios, and Titan Books. The first five articles that would be included in this magazine would be an article on the upcoming Thor movie, an interview with Geoff Johns, comic book guides, and an article on toys. The cover on the premier issue will feature The Thing from Fantastic Four, a photo of the new Thor movie, the title, articles, and the date on the bottom right corner. I believe that this comic would be a success mainly because comic book readers want to know what is happening in the industry and what books they should be reading to get acquainted with the medium.