Globalization

Globalization, in not so many words, is the process of extending networks and connections to different culture and people all over the globe. The global music market is an example. This process is supported through such technological innovations as the internet which allows people from all over the world to communicate and exchange information. A good portion of the globe, however, is still excluded, which explains why globalization is a /process/ of expanding these connections.

Globalization can be closely attributed to the concept of gLOCALization. This concept explains the notion that a product is more likely to succeed globally if it can be adapted to specific locales and cultures. If, for example, a television show can be adapted to different cultures across the globe rather than just being offered in one country like the UK or the US, then that franchise will be much more likely to succeed globally. 

To expand on this point, I'll use the McDonalds chain as an example. McDonalds is an enormously successful global restaurant chain. Why is that? Well, we can certainly gain some insight from looking at how McDonalds restaurants around the world are different when they are adapted to different cultures. 

Here are some examples:

- In India, beef and pork are not served at McDonalds to in accordance with religious ordinances, but rather, the  "McCurry pan" is largely popular. 

- In Israel and Argentina, McDonalds serves Kosher burgers. 

- In Japan, McDonalds serves shrimp nuggets, in addition to chicken nuggets.

- In France, McDonalds serves a dish called the "Croque McDo" which is similar to the French "croque monsieur", a toasted ham and cheese sandwich.

The list goes on and on, but certainly we can see that the glocalization of the McDonalds chain can be attributed to its global success.


Here are a few international McDonalds commcercials:
Egypt
Japan
Korea
France

WEEEEEEEEE! WEEEEEEEE! WEEEEEEEEEEEE!

One string of advertisements that have stuck out in my mind as of late would have to be the commercials for Geico car insurance. From the "It's so easy, a caveman could do it" ads to the more recent series of advertisements featuring Mike McGlone, Geico's commercials are very effective. This is because insurance is something that applies to a very wide audience of people regardless of race, gender, etc. Lots of different kinds of people drive cars, and Geico has been successful, at least in my opinion, in constructing different ads that target a wide audience. I think they've really hit the nail on the head with their most recent string of advertisements which employ Mike McGlone announcing, "Could switching to Geico really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance?" and then proceed to pose a rhetorical question, which the assumes the audience knows the answer is "yes."  These commercials are effective for the wide audience of car insurance consumers because they aren't specialized to any specific group, and the humor in the ads can be caught easily by the audience, which aids in getting the commercials to stick in their minds. One Geico advertisement in particular that comes to mind is the one in which McGlone poses the usual question, and then follows with, "Did the little piggy really cry wee wee wee all the way home?", which is then followed by a clip on a pig sticking his head out of a car window, literally crying "WEEEE! WEEEEE! WEEEEE!"  all the way home.

Geico Advertisement

A strong appeal of advertisements like those of Geico is the appeal of providing a safety net for an affordable price. When making purchases or financial commitments, people like to be assured that what they are purchasing is dependable and durable, especially over long periods of time. Consumers want to know if they car they are looking at purchasing is equipped with the right safety features, so that everyone in the car will be as safe and protected as possible in the event of an accident. When purchasing a house alarm, consumers want to see a system that is dependable and can alert the family of danger quickly. The same principal applies for car insurance. Geico knows that car insurance is a very important service that is used by millions of drivers in the US, but they are also aware that car insurance is often very expensive, and in some cases, the financial bar prevents people from pursuing a drivers license because they cannot afford insurance. Geico's advertisements aim to show consumers that they offer dependable, easy-to-purchase car insurance at an affordable price that could save you money. With this knowledge, the advertisements aim to ensure consumers that they will be protected on the road, and more importantly, they do not have to worry as much about their car insurance bills every month.

3-Act Structure of 1408

The film I chose to apply the 3-Act Hollywood structure is the 2007 horror film, "1408", which is based off the short story "1408" written by Stephen King and stars John Cusack.

The first act of the film commences with a scene in which we are introduced to the protagonist of the film, Michael "Mike" Enslin (played by Cusack), as he is driving through torrential rain to a haunted inn. He investigates the reportedly haunted room of the inn using scientific devices like a spectrometer and electro-magnetic field detector and finds no paranormal activity in the inn. As the scene progresses, viewers learn what Michael Enslin does for a living, and we see his personality take form. He's a very skeptical occult writer who travels to haunted locations around the country to debunk or otherwise witness any evidence of paranormal activity. We see that he has a very cynical outlook on life, though we do not figure out why until later in the film, and he is very stubborn and self-absorbed in his work. When he checks his mail one day, he finds that he has received a postcard from the Dolphin Hotel in New York City warning him not to enter Room 1408. Considering the warning to be "cute," Mike decides to travel to NYC, where we find out that he has some unfinished business,to stay in Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. Despite the dark history of the room and the warnings and bribes from general manager, Gerald Olin (played by Samuel L. jackson), Mike insists on staying in the room. The first act peaks about 28 minutes into the film, when Mike is left to his own devices to fare alone with whatever lies in 1408, and viewers are left to wonder what really inhabits Room 1408 and how Mike will handle it, whatever IT is.

The next act of the film, which lasts roughly 55 minutes, shows just what kind of evil inhabits Room 1408. As things become complicated, we see Mike try to rationalize all the events that happen in the room and write them off, but as things get progressively worse, he begins to realize just what he has gotten himself in to. Trapped in the room with no way out whatsoever, Mike tries at every attempt to reach someone outside the room that can help him. When yelling out the window, knocking on the walls, and calling on the phone for help all prove futile attempts, Mike takes out his laptop and turns on his Yahoo! messenger account, reaching out to his wife, Lily (played by Mary McCormack), whom he hasn't spoken to since the death of their daughter a year before, in a desperate cry for help. before he has the chance to explain the situation, the sprinklers in the room are set off, destroying his laptop hard drive. With nothing to do but wait it out as the Mr. Olin's warning, "Nobody lasts more than an hour," starts to become more of a reality with each passing second. But when it seems like Mike might lose the fight with 1408, he comes to, and he is lying on his back on the California beach just as he had earlier in the movie after a surfing accident, indicating that everything that had happened in the room was all a dream. At this point, the viewers are left to wonder what will happen next. If Mike's whole experience in Room 1408 isn't real, what does that mean for the remainder of the movie? Or IS it all real? Hmm...

The third and final act of the movie lasts about 25 minutes, though it depends on which version of the film you are watching, since there are multiple endings to the film. In the theatrical version, after thinking that he is rid of Room 1408, he discovers that he never actually left the room, and all the time he thought he was out, it was just the room playing with his mind. In this act we see the climax occur about 10 minutes from the end of the film. Mike decides to end the evil reign of 1408 forever by setting the room on fire, because if nothing else in the room is real, fire must surely be real. This climax leads to the resolution for the film, because Mike's decision to set fire to Room 1408 made it so that no one else would ever have to lose their lives to such evil. Different endings involve what happens if Mike makes it out of the room alive and others show what happens when Mike dies in the fire, but either way, the decision is a chief point in resolving the complication of the film.

1408 Trailer

Happy Halloween! 3:-)

My life could be a sitcom... sorta =S

I turn on the television and put one of my favorite shows, Two And A Half Men. I don't always have the chance to watch it whenever it comes on, but I do not lose much from missing a couple episodes here and there. Why? Because this show is just an example of a TV sitcom that follows an episodic plot flow that allows viewers without having any prior knowledge to watch an episode and understand and enjoy the show. 

 

One characteristic of the TV sitcoms is the tendency to lean towards an episodic nature, meaning that the sitcom is separated into episodes, and each episode, which usually last half an hour, is for the most part independent of each other. Each episode follows a modified 3-act structure, reaching a mini-resolution in the end, which returns the "world" in the show back to normal (or at least back to how it was at the beginning of the episode). Because each episode lasts only a short amount of time, characters do not have the opportunity to experience much, if any, growth, and characters tend to fall into distinct identities with clear-cut character traits that define their roles, carrying through each episode. This allows new viewers to connect with the characters without having followed the series from the beginning. In addition, we can deduce from character's distinct traits how that character will behave in following episodes.

 TV sitcoms usually develop a cyclical/repeating pattern through their episodes. Characters, with their defined set of personality traits, will presumably encounter a conflict of some sort towards the beginning of the episode, and the episodic storyline follows the characters as they attempt to resolve the conflict so that by the end of the episode, things have returned to "normal."

In Two And A Half Men, for example, the character traits of Charlie, Alan, Jake, and Berta are clearly defined so that with each passing episode, they do not undergo any drastic growth. Throughout the seasons, Charlie has been the hedonistic, free-wheeling bachelor brother to the up-tight, divorced doctor, Alan, who moved into Charlie's Malibu home with his son, Jake, whose character identity reflects that he is clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, while Berta has been the bitingly sarcastic housekeeper. These traits are the same in each episode and have not changed significantly over the seven seasons that the show has run since 2003. They are easily recognizable characters in each episode, so regardless of any prior knowledge of the show, it is easy to pick up for new viewers. The show is organized so that episodes do not need to be watched in chronological order, which is convenient in today's society of on-the-go TV watchers who record episodes when they cannot be home to watch them when they come on. Each episode usually consists of Charlie getting into some sort of predicament, while Alan tries his best to keep Jake from engaging in any dangerous or dumb activities, all the while, Berta inputs her sarcastic comments. By the end of each episode, the conflict is usually resolved, whether that means Charlie got caught and he managed to get away with whatever he did, and the show reverts back to how the episode began.

Amityville Horror at a glance

The first scene of the 2005 remake of 'The Amityville Horror' depicts the night of November 13, 1974, the night Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family in their sleep with a .35 caliber rifle. The scene centers on the Ronny's movement through the house on that night and the intensity building up as he closed in on his younger sister, Jodie.


This particular scene does not stick to the general to specific shot progression. One of the very first shots in the scene is that of an extreme close-up of Ronny's face. This Extreme Close-Up of the reflection in Ronny's eyes provides viewers with extremely personal information about Ronny. Through this shot, viewers can see just how much of an effect the voices and images in his head had on him to make him do what he did.


There were several instances of close-ups in this scene, so I chose two of them. This shot of a close-up on Jodie DeFeo in her closet after Ronny finds her hiding there highlights Jodie's fear and her concern for her brother. This is the shot where she says, "What's wrong, Ronny?" In the next shot of a close-up on Ronny, we can see the tears running down his face. We also catch a glimpse of the emotional battle within himself as he gives in to the voices telling him to kill his sister, despite how much he loves her.


This medium shot of Jodie hiding in her closet with her teddy bear gives the audience a better view of Jodie's body language as she moves into somewhat of a fetal-position as she hugs her teddy bear tightly, showing how frightened she is as she listens to the gunshots echoing throughout the house. This shot also functions as a way of showing how powerless she feels since she takes up relatively little space in the shot. In addition, this shot includes Jodie's teddy bear, an important detail that reappears later in the film.


The last shot of the scene is a long shot of Jodie's room from the outside of the house after Ronny's last shot is fired. This particular shot is very important as it ties the whole scene together. The sign that reads "High Hopes" highlights the horror of what had just happened in the house, because there were high hopes for the future of the DeFeo family, and that was all taken away in one night. The shot also shows the weather outside the house: torrential rain, thunder and lightening - very fitting considering the dark deeds that had just occurred inside the house.


Though the scene does not follow the basic shot progression from long shot to close-up, it effectively represents the emotions and feelings of the important characters (Ronny and Jodie) and also pays close attention to details that will become important later in the film.

Classical Hollywood Studio System

Classical Hollywood can partially attribute its success to the effectiveness of the studio system of production and market control. One aspect of the system that I find particularly important is the star system. Within the star system, stars were discovered by the studio, signed a contract committing them to that studio, and then the studio would use them to promote their products, including other stars of that studio. The star system also created a net of associations connecting stars to certain genres within the studios they were associated with. Contracted stars would develop consistent sets of character traits that defined what roles they played in the studio's films. If a star became associated with a  "gangster" set of character traits, then the studio decided to make such a film, that star would be the most likely candidate to fill that role for the film, and as the star's popularity rose, a studio would be more inclined to produce gangster films with that star. For example, Humphrey Bogart's status as a contracted star with a knack for gangster roles for Warner Brothers led to a spurt of criminal/gangster films during the 1930s and later to detective films in the 1940s as the genre changed. As Bogart moved from gangster films to detective films, his character traits were still very consistent, and the image of Bogart wearing a raincoat and fedora became iconic for Warner Brothers Studio. 

(picture from http://www.forumgarden.com/forums/films-cinema-forum/49194-humphrey-bogart.html)

Sitcom Comparison

When asked to compare "All In The Family" to a contemporary family sitcom, the first one that came to mind was one of my favorite shows, "Two And A Half Men."

"All In The Family" is set in the 1970's in the Queens borough of New York City and depicts the family of Archie Bunker, a stubborn, white, heterosexual, conservative Christian who dismisses anyone who opposes his values. His wife, Edith, and daughter, Gloria, act as foil characters to Archie with their contrasting gentle and understanding natures, while Gloria's hippie-esque husband Michael often clashes with Archie over political and social issues such as homosexuality. We see the relationships between husband and wife and the differences between the way Gloria and Michael lovingly interact and the way Archie demeans Edith as well as anyone else who humiliates or challenges him.

 In contrast, "Two And A Half Men" is set in the 21st century in Malibu, California and depicts decadent bachelor, Charlie Harper; his divorced brother, Alan; and Alan's son, Jake, all living together in Charlie's Malibu home. There are no permanent female characters in the Harper household aside from their sarcastic housekeeper, Berta, so the family structure is very different from that in "All In The Family." The dysfunctional family structure in "Two And A Half Men" can also be traced to Charlie's womanizing and drinking antics, which frustrate Alan, who tries so hard to raise Jake to not be like Charlie.

While the shows are quite different from each other, they do contain some similar elements. They both have central characters who are likable despite their obviously bigoted thoughts and questionable morals. Both shows contain characters whose personality thrives off sarcasm and and facetious comments, and both also have characters that possess the ditzy, screwball personality that create a light-hearted comedy that contrasts the snarky comments made by other characters.

"All In The Family" dealt with issues of topics such as sexuality and racism in a time when doing so was not considered suitable for television. In contemporary sitcoms like "Two And A Half Men," sexuality and racism are not as controversial as they were in the "AITF" days, but television networks still have to be wary of the content released in their shows. The prospect of homosexuality and racism is seen as more of a comedy bit than a controversial subject as long as it's within certain bounds. "Two And A Half Men" highlights more on male humor and how two men and a boy deal with every day life together whether it's dealing with women, work, partying, etc. The show focuses on manhood and, in Jake's case, becoming a man. There has been controversy over Charlie Sheen (Harper) and his on-again-off-again engagement with rehab for his alcohol and drug addictions, with reports of the show being adversely affected if he could not get his act together.

Radio killed the telegraph star

Technological innovation played a key role in the shaping of the formation of radio in the 1920s, making it possible to transmit and receive continuous sound-waves above and beyond the traditional telegraph systems. 


Throughout history, technological innovation and development have been important forces in the advancing of society and how we behave and interact with one another. Even in 2010, technology is constantly changing; examples including the newest version of the iPhone, the expanding market for 4G internet, and the conversion of older visual devices to high definition. Before all these things could be developed, however, there had to first be an original idea: make telephones more portable, grant people access a world-wide database, create a device that allows viewers to watch moving pictures at home without having to go to a theater or drive-in. Then, once those ideas were put into motion, technological change over time shaped those industries into what they are today, and each one has its effects on society. Cell phones have opened many doors in giving consumers more ways of communicating with one another no matter where they are in the world; 4G Internet has significantly enhanced the speed at which consumers are able to access information on the go; high-definition televisions immerse viewers in pictures that seems so real, it's like they are there.


In the 1920s, technological change allowed the U.S. radio system to evolve to a more efficient and domestic means of communication. Before Lee de Forest's invention of the vacuum tube in 1906,  transmitting coded message through wireless telegraph was the dominant form of communication, but through de Forest's invention, in addition to better microphones, amplifiers, tuners, and more powerful transmitters, radio broadcasting became an easier and more popular means of receiving news of events such as World War I. Radio signals became more amplified and sounds, voices, and music could be transmitted and received across the U.S. Retail suppliers, schools, and churches also saw potential in the budding radio industry as stations began opening in the 20s as a result of the changes in technology. The technological changes that took place in the early 1900s shaped the evolution of radio into a popular new medium for transmitting and receiving news, entertainments,and retail advertising.

All aboard the cultivation cruise line!

Within the past century, mass media exposure of world views has had significant effects on audience members and their beliefs of what "reality" is, a phenomenon that can be explained by George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory.

Cultivation theory argues that the more the media exposes a certain message, view, or idea to the audience, the more likely they are to believe that the content is real. In this way, cultivation theory is connected with the theory of agenda setting. The decision of a media gatekeeper to cover a particular story in the news can affect the audience's views of the world depending on the exposure to audience members. If stories about violence receive heavy exposure in the media, it is likely that audience members will believe that violence rates are high, therefore affecting their view of how safe (or unsafe) the world is outside of their homes. It should be noted, however, that this theory applies more to heavy viewers who watch television and read the news often than those who occasionally merely glance over the headlines.

After observing the effects that media exposure has on audience members, it comes as no surprise that media outlets apply cultivation theory in advertisements for vacation destinations. Take, for example, Carnival Cruise Lines. Their commercials for highlight all of the captivating and beautiful aspects of a tropical getaway in hopes of attracting customers to purchase tickets for a cruise. If you visit the Carnival website and view the photo gallery, the pictures all depict crystal blue ocean waters, ancient architecture, and palm trees with hammocks. Very relaxing, right? Nothing could go wrong, right? After being exposed to that enough, audience viewers will believe that that is what the Caribbean is, and they'll be more inclined to purchase cruise tickets from Carnival. 

Beautiful, ain't it?!

I know from personal experience, however, that the tropical cruises are not all about sun and white sand beaches depicted in the media. Many areas in the Caribbean outside of the "picturesque" tourist centers are quite destitute, and there are many people living in little more than shanties made of plywood and cardboard. These areas, of course, are left out of the advertisements, so people may be genuinely surprised at these sights. 

http://www.hiddencancun.com/rivergirl/2009/06/07/poverty-in-cancun/

On today's agenda...

In the world of mass media, the theory of agenda setting plays a significant role in deciding what is put in the news spotlight each day and, quite literally, giving people something to talk about.  Agenda-setting theory describes the way in which media gatekeepers decide what to focus attention on and how much attention a topic should receive.  Public figures and interest groups can set the agenda of media outlets for the purpose of lobbying for their cause and making sure the public hears what they have to say. Agenda setting bestows the power to control what news we hear and what issues we read about in the hands of the media, which is a powerful tool for influencing public opinion. Public opinion is influenced in large parts by the media simply because some stories are given lots of focus while some stories are left out of the news completely.

For example, when internet browsers visit the front page of Yahoo!, a selection of news and public interest stories is on display in the very center of the page, calling attention to the box. Within this box, gatekeepers have the power to put whatever stories (politics, economy, entertainment, sports, health,etc.) that they feel will have an effect on public opinion and set an agenda for discussion of those stories. In this case, agenda setting functions as a attention-catcher for the visitors of the website, influencing what stories people read and giving them topics to discuss.

http://www.yahoo.com September 12, 2010 1:46 PM

Y RTF?!

Well, y nawt? But no, seriously, I am taking RTF 305 in the hopes of learning more about the industry and the ins and outs of movies, television, and radio. Since I can remember, I have had a fascination with movies and the world of film-making. I can still remember doing a career project in middle school English on being a movie director. Unfortunately, Lake Charles, Louisiana is not a place that fosters much in the way of film unless it's playing in a Cinemark or United Artist, so I'm hoping that this class will guide me in my quest for knowledge of digital media. I haven't decided what specific path I want to take. It's still too soon to say. I am also very interested in music and graphic design, so we'll see what happens. For now, I'm  excited to be in RTF 305, and I hope to learn the basics of the 3 media outlets and how each has different effects in communication.

That being said, as far as blogging, I mostly follow the blogs of musicians, because I truly admire how people are able to take their thoughts and feelings and put them to music and make it relatable. I use tumblr for these purposes.

The blogs I read the most are one that a friend of mine from high school writes.
- http://doublethinkit.tumblr.com/
and also ones from some bands that I like
Farewell Fighter - http://farewellfighter.tumblr.com/
Pierce the Veil - http://tumblr.piercetheveil.net/
Anarbor - http://anarbor.tumblr.com/

I also have my own tumblr.

But anyway, this is my first post. I am looking forward to this class and everything it has to offer.
Extreme.

SO: The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards were last night. I'm very happy that Jim Parsons won Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series for 'Big Bang Theory,' so I thought I'd post a video of one of my favorite BBT Sheldon moments... BAZINGA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhgd9VM9rsM