Champlain in 60 seconds Reflection

A) For the Champlain in 60 Seconds project I had multiple roles. I was in charge of some of the shooting as well as some of the directing with Sarah Wilson.
B) I feel that the parts of the project that I contributed to were pretty well done. Although some of the camera work was not the best, it was still a pretty good effort. Therefore, I think the A- that we got on the project was fare.
C) The hardest aspect of making the video overall was figuring out ways for the four of us to work together. A lot of the time we were not in the class at the same time, and emailing each other didn't seem to work out to well. Eventually it all worked out though, so that was a breath of fresh air.
D) I really liked the way the video turned out. So the most rewarding part of the project was not just that we finished the project but that it was finished well.

Song by Song Final Exam

The media is all around us, haunting us. Filling our minds with information that we may never need to know, yet we can recall when necessary. Television replaces study time and music distracts us when we try to read. People recall things they heard on talk radio but couldn’t tell you what happened in the world earlier that day. It all comes back to media. Whether we’re talking music, television, or the internet, there is no escaping it no matter how hard we try.

“I was thinking about her, thinking ‘bout me, thinking ‘bout us; who we gonna be.” The alarm goes off as Nelly’s “Just a Dream” wakes me from my slumber. The morning is off to a great start since it’s a Wednesday and the clock has just hit 11. As soon as the day begins media plays a role in my life. As I continue to get ready the radio plays on as other songs fill my ears. As I was listening an ad for Proactive Solutions came on with Carrie Underwood speaking, saying that it’s possible to have beauty like hers if you use the product.

 This falls into the advertising chapter of the book which states, "Advertising has a powerful impact on the standards of beauty in our culture" (Page 369). Although most people know that they will never look just like Carrie Underwood the technique is still used within the advertisement and probably convinced some people to try the product. As the commercials continue to go on and on without a pause the countdown to the next song is starting in my mind.

“She looks at life like it’s a party and she’s on the list. She looks at me like I’m a trend and she’s so over it.” Walking to classes Taylor Swift’s new cd Speak Now plays from my iPod and she keeps me company along the way. iPod’s were invented as a form of making it easier for people to listen to music as they travel and walk, which is exactly what I’m using it for. People walk past wondering exactly what I’m listening to as my head bobbles back and forth, but I don’t care, I just continue on my marry way. iTunes, how much money do they make in a year? “After failed starts by other companies, Apple Computer opened the first successful music store, iTunes, in 2003 selling songs for just ninety-nine cents each”(97). Now, iTunes in the number one music retailer beating out other companies like Amazon.com. As a law abiding citizen, I refuse to use programs such as Limewire to get my music, which has cost me quite a bit of money over the past couple years.

“Sometimes I walk a little fast in the school hallways just to get next to you. Some days I spend a little extra time in the morning just to impress you.” Really Hannah Montana? As I walk into my Concepts of the Self class the song plays and I am forced to think about how much success Miley Cyrus has gotten from being on the Disney Channel Show, Hannah Montana over the past few years. ABC, which is a part of the Disney franchise is on of the “Big Three,” a group of companies that have not been challenged since the mid 1950s (168). The creation of shows like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and So Random, has helped keep the company going since it brings in the younger generations. Even though the shows are getting old, and Miley Cyrus annoys me like no one else can, it seems like a great way to start a class that is usually pretty dull.

Beethoven is the next musician that my mind must endure. As we sit in Concepts we’ve convinced our professor to let us watch the rest of “Immortal Beloved” a movie based around Beethoven’s life. The notes in the song set my mind into a calm place and my thoughts wonder freely through my mind. Then media comes back into my mind. Who produced this movie? How much did it cost them to make it? How well did it do when it came out? “With 80 to 90 percent of the newly released movies failing to make money at the box office, studios need to produce at least one major hit each year to offset losses on other films” (236). Was “Immortal Beloved” the hit or miss film? I mean Beethoven isn’t THAT interesting. Even if it was one of the failing movies for the company, the fact that it’s about such a motivational musician had to help it somewhat.

Who is he?! The music of Beethoven still encompasses the space around me, but now there’s a new question on my mind. Who is the man that plays Beethoven? Quickly my laptop comes out of it’s pretty blue case as I wait impatiently for the wi-fi signal to come. Finally! It’s time to Google the film and try to find out who the man is. Google, what a useful site, one can look anything up in seconds. Google was created in “1998, had success with its algorithmic search engine, which now controls 60 percent of the search market and generates billions of dollars of revenue each year through the pay-per-check advertisements that accompany key-word searches” (57). Google.com even has a verb because of it now; the phrase “google it” is slowly being said by more and more people. Ah, finally the answer on imdb.com of course; Gary Oldman!

“What ya gonna when you’re watching TV and an ad comes on yea you know the kind. Flashing up pictures of a child in need for a dime a day you can save a life.” Carrie Underwood’s "Change" motivates me to continue working as my desire to do so lessens. I’m sitting in the office searching through old magazines trying to get rid of the ones that are “too old.” Some of them are from when I was in middle school, and yet, they’re apparently not too old. I will never understand the way some people think. The magazines aren’t your typical gossip magazines or even news magazines, they’re all about different supplies for parties. Streamers, balloons and party supplies are all around me as I continue to work. Although one cannot argue that many people subscribe to these, they are not as popular as “Advanced publications” such as Allure and Teen Vogue that are published out of NYC, the circulation of these “leisure” magazines is still pretty broad (306). No matter how many people read them, I will never understand why it is so important to have some from 2001.

“This time, this place. Misused, mistakes. Too long. Too late. Who am I to make you wait?” Nickelback’s “Far away” plays as a walk around campus hanging up posters about the upcoming events for all to read. As I wander around campus there are stands for “The New York Times” all over and I start to wonder about the paper itself. According to the textbook “despite the fact success of the New York Times and other modern papers, the more factual inverted-pyramid approach towards news has come under increasing scrutiny” (257). If that is the case, why is it the third most circulated paper in the United States; Third only to USA Today and Wall Street Journal.

“Days go by. I can feel them flying like my hand out the window with the wind.” Kenny Chesney is playing as I decide to pick up “The Accidental Mind” and do some of my Concepts homework that is due Friday since there is so much reading to be done. Books, as much I love them, will never cease to amaze me. They’re produced to quickly and in such a variety of languages that people should really appreciate them more. Harry Potter for instance, has been published in over 64 languages, which is more than just about anyone knows. “The Accidental Mind” isn’t exactly a huge hit since those who aren’t interested it the information within its pages most likely will not pick it up unless told to do so, it’s still just as interesting. “The portability and compactness of books make them the preferred medium in many situations”(315), which could be why books are produced in so many languages. Whatever the reason for the books being made, I would still be happier not having to read this book.

I am the typical college student. I’d rather watch the latest Gossip Girl or hit television show than read for the classes I have the following morning. I get on Facebook without even thinking about what I’m doing. My computer gets opened up and as soon as the internet is available Facebook comes up, even if I’m getting on just to check my email. Media is like a disease that no one wants to find the cure to. We carry iPods, cell phones and other technology around with us to stay in the loop, buy magazines and newspaper to find out what’s happening. While all of this is happening we are making the lines between humans and computers smaller and smaller.

images from IMDB.com & the fan pages for the celebrities.
All quotes are from the Media and Culture textbook