Copyright

I believe that current copyright laws protect media producers while also encouraging freedom of the press and other individuals to continue to create content for our consumption. We talked in class about how we are now becoming more of a content consuming society rather than one that creates such content. But to create content, we must first be inspired by what we see and experience. Therefore, in order to keep those lines of communication open and enable the exchange of new ideas and theories, we must carefully examine copyright and its protections and limitations.

For instance, making a book or thesis paper available to the masses online for no charge is a way to get the content into hands of others to promote discussion and further development of ideas. But nowhere in that instance is the content not subject to copyright law. My point being, that copyrights protect these creators, inventors, philosophers, etc. And without such protection and ability for these creators to protect their work as well as profit from it, it stops the cycle of production and inspiration.

Current copyright laws enable creators to profit from their original ideas and ensure that their work is protected. In my opinion, this very rarely limits other creators from producing original works themselves.  

Critical Thinking & New Technology

After reading the Critical Thinking & New Technology document, I believe that the Communications Department at Shepherd University is successfully trying to incorporate our every day usage of a variety of technologies into the classroom. From marketing and advertising to graphic design and video and radio production, Shepherd has always covered the basics, but now more than ever I think that teaching website building skills and how to blog and use other forms of social media like LinkedIn and Twitter to network is also a big part of our curriculum. Critical Thinking is also expected of all students, especially those of us who are communication majors. I have seen this through the assignment of projects, which incorporate the use of new technologies like sound editing and web design as well as blogging that all comm students are required to do in almost all classes throughout the department. Even the newly added class rooms and offices at our own university are yet another reminder that the world of communications is always advancing and quickly growing, resulting in constant and new advancements in the classroom to prepare us and keep up with this competitive job market. 

Cyberspace: A Culture

After reading "Why Cyberculture?" in A Media Studies Reader, I have come to understand how expansive not only the term cyberspace is, but also the ideas and theories behind it which make up the online community we are; a Cyberculture. We all play a role in what Cyberculture is today, whether its just casually surfing the web and using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, or imputing data and creating websites, or downloading the apps on all of our smart devices. I agree with article on how many of us relate the term cyberspace to have a more nostalgic meaning, but it also leads me to wonder why that is? Cyberspace still essentially exists today, but perhaps we now think of it in a different way, relating that old term to the turning point in technology and online usage by more and more people. Today we all seem to be more technology-literate, having access to computers and software at a much younger age than generations before us. So perhaps it is now not such a far away, somewhat foreign concept to the majority of our population, because children today are living in a time where they were never without such technologies, where as people my grandparents age, for example, lived in a world before computers, cable, color television, even the space program! I believe in this particular case, that technology and our advancement into a Cyberculture is all in the eye of the beholder...or the mind of the reader.

http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/cyber/images/cyberspace_crop380w.jpg

Risks of Reporting

The CNN video “Latest Battlefield in Mexico’s Drug War: Social Media” is about drug cartels and individuals associated with drug trafficking that are allegedly murdering those who speak out against them through social media sites (in this specific case, public and supposedly anonymous blogs and websites). After watching this my first impression was that we as American citizens are lucky that we have laws such as the 1^st and 14^th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution that protect individuals who wish to speak their mind about any issue or voice their opinions. And even though murders and drug-related violence does happen in our country, it is not as prominent or as large of an issue as it is for those who live in countries like Mexico.

I believe that as communications majors and people writing blogs, we all have to be held accountable for what we say and post on the Internet, and also understand that anything on the web is public and available to everyone. However, our freedom of speech really only goes so far once we start making defamatory statements which may possibly be false, or lashing out against individuals or companies with actual malice. This particular video is obviously an extreme case in which someone or some group sought out revenge over something that was posted on the web. But when working in the communication field whether it be as a reporter, blogger, journalist or other media-related career, you need to be aware of the risk when writing about others especially in such a controversial context. 

"SCOTT TALKS"

After watching the Ted Talks video of Scott McCloud’s presentation about his theories on graphic novels and comics, I have a greater understanding and appreciation for the art form. It gave me a new way of looking at these novelists and creators of narrative, and showed me that it takes much more to be a great writer in today’s world than say twenty or even fifty years ago. With new technologies and web design development, writers of comics must adapt to these changes. As Internet users we now expect all information to be just a click of an app away, with all different types of publications now moving to online subscriptions and having apps to access their information while on the go. As a result, comics and graphic novels must also follow suit if they wish to still be as appealing to this new media-hungry audience.

A slide from Scott McCloud's lecture describing the four principals of comics and story telling.

McCloud explains how he and his colleagues must now use this online and digital forum to display their work. I thought one of the most interesting things that he mentions in his lecture, however, was that with comics and graphic novels you have to communicate and stimulate all five senses through only one; visual. But now that this digital revolution has come about, graphic novelists have a little more help. You see you can add motion and sounds to online-based comics and further entertain your audience by more effectively capturing their attention.

A slide from Scott McCloud's lecture depicting the usage of words, sounds, and pictures to enhance meaning.

I also really related to the fundamental theme or idea of enabling your readers to draw their own conclusions or fill in the gaps when moving from one panel to the next within a graphic novel. I never really thought about that concept and how when creating a comic, you’re really leaving quite a bit up to a reader’s interpretation of the action and series of events by how you set up a “scene” and what about of detail or information you provide your audience with. These are all things I tried to take into account when creating my own graphic novel. 

Comic Across Communications

I am currently working on creating a graphic novel for my COMM 203 course. We’re using Comic Life software and are allowed to make the graphic novel about anything we choose, providing that it shows our ability to create a plot, have a clear story line, develop characters and have them go through different experiences, having rising action, a climax, and then a resolution.

I think that this is an excellent assignment to have towards the beginning of this course because it allows us to be creative and still have free range over most of the content of our project. I have used Comic Life in the past to create a graphic novel for a previous communications class, which I really enjoyed. I believe that having this very open (some may call vague) assignment allows students to become comfortable with their own ideas and creative abilities, and explore a side of communications that they may not have encountered before.

Creating a narrative is something that we will all more than likely have to do at some point in our professional careers. All fields of communications deal with narratives, whether it’s a career in reporting, broadcasting, media or public relations, producing, designing video games, and many others. Our job is to become communications specialists and through our chosen careers educate, inform, entertain, and communicate information across different forms of media to our viewers and readers. 

The Web v. The Internet

In the August 17, 2010 Wired article, “The Web Is Dead. Long Live The Internet,” Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff accurately predict our ever-increasing use of the Internet in the form of apps on smart phones and other devices. I have to admit while reading the article it basically outlined my daily use of the Internet. Being an iPhone user myself, I suppose I never fully realized how the use of web browsers has slowly faded out of our every day use. Apps have now made finding exactly what we want even easier; having direct access to any website, publication, or utility immediately our fingertips. And even though all of these smart phones and other mobile computing devices were available to us when this article was written, their popularity and ever-growing use has turned into something of a phenomenon.

The way I use the Internet has changed immensely ever since I switched from my old BlackBerry to the iPhone4. I have found that the easily accessible apps and simplicity of navigating the iPhone have increased my what was before minimal web use to using the interned constantly throughout the day. I also use my Google Reader to read all of the blogs that I follow and I now access my favorite news publications through my phone too. Without even thinking about it, so many of us are making the transition from web to internet at a rapid pace. 

NEW SEMESTER EXPECTATIONS

I am a junior at Shepherd University majoring in mass communication and media studies with a minor in journalism, and this is my first blog post for my COMM 203 Communications & New Media course. From this class I expect to better develop my blogging and writing skills by discussing the topics, projects I am working on in class as well as completing assignments here on my blog. Over the course of this semester I hope to learn how to extensively use many different types of communication software in our Mac Lab in addition to further understanding of the science of semiotics and using it not only in the field of communications but also within my everyday life.

The Shepherd University Department of Communication is constantly growing and expanding, and as a result communication courses are evolving into something I believe is preparing us for our future jobs and careers. I have now taken several communications courses here and find that they incorporate skills and teachings from all parts of the field of communication. Weather you’re a student looking to go into web or game design, blogging, print media, broadcasting, reporting, film or any kind of editing, the skills you will need to have upon entering your desired career will have been covered in a comm class here at Shepherd.

I personally want to do something within the field of public relations after I graduate and through my required internship through the communications department, I was able to spend this past summer working for and alongside the CEO and founder of Platinum PR, a local PR firm which specializes in strategic marketing and advertising as well as event planning for their clients. Many skills that I am acquiring through my communications courses prepared me for my internship and I am constantly learning more and more about different strategies of marketing through social media sites, blogs, and developing advertising campaigns and pitching ideas to potential clients.

I am looking forward to this semester and this class in particular among my other comm classes to direct me on the right path and fully prepare me for my future career goals. 

Where There's Life...There's Semiotics

In the vintage advertisements for Budweiser beer there are many signs and signifiers which indicate an array of meanings.

In this particular ad the hammer is a sign which signifies masculinity, implying that the man in the ad is a working class American, also signifying what type of demographic this ad is aimed towards.

The glass in the ad is also a sign which signifies elegance even in an average middle class family. Portraying the message that everyone deserves a great beer like Budweiser, and it's a type of luxury. The glass can also be seen as a signifying the woman trying to do something special for her husband because he deserves it for working so hard.

The woman is another sign that signifies the duties and expectations of a wife or a woman's position within the family during this time period. She looks very happy in her servant-like role; happy to be able to give her husband what he wants.

The phrase “where there’s life…there’s Bud” is a sign that signifies that this beer is a treat for everyone; the average hardworking man.

Even the red background color of the ad is a sign. It signifies not only the color of the company’s logo, but also has a sense of patriotism which signifies the average, hard working American's who purchase and enjoy this particular product. 

Finally, the text towards the bottom right corner of the ad which says “THE KING’S CREDENTIALS! The King of Beers prints its ingredients right on the label. Know of any other beer that does?” is a sign too. It signifies that this beer is superior to all others, as well as portraying the man in the ad as the king of his home and family.  

GOTCHA!...well, maybe not

After completing the GOTCHA! tween phone ad campaign and reviewing the ads in class, there are a few things which I realized need to be addressed in order to make my ads more cohesive and effective. I found that the ad which needed the most attention is the one for National Geographic Kids. In the original ad it showed a giraffe and a fish both separated by a yellow stripe of color (reminiscent of the yellow border on National Geographic magazines). As well as the slogan “on land or under water, we’ve gotcha covered.”

I realize now that the slogan is a little misleading in the fact that the phone is not waterproof. The message that, no matter where your child is you’ll be able to get a hold of them, was somewhat lost within the wording of the slogan. So I feel by re-wording it and making it clearer, this can be fixed and the ad will be more successful.

I also realized by critiques from my classmates, that i could also better bring the images of the giraffe and the fish together better and making it more cohesive by using different effects and techniques within Photoshop.

So in the new, edited version of my GOTCHA! mobile ad for National Geographic Kids, I changed the slogan to say, “no matter where you live, we’ve gotcha covered.” By still using the gotcha brand name within the slogan, but making the overall message clearer, I feel that it will be more understandable and appealing to parents of the pre-teens who will be buying the phone. And I also removed the backgrounds from both photos and replaced it with a sky/water color blue, to further make the ad more cohesive.

I'm A Slave 4 U

I'm A Slave 4 U video

Britney Spears’ music video for her song I’m A Slave For You from her third album, Britney, which was released in 2001, is not only provocative but startling coming from such a young teen idol. This song as well as the video was a turning point in Britney Spears’ career, opening herself up to a more adult audience and demographic.

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=britney+spears+i'm+a+slave+4+U

In the video the singer is essentially dancing in a sauna with a group of scantily clad men and women. Spears’ seems to be the leader of the rest of these individuals; encouraging them all to dance along with her as she travels throughout the rooms of this seemingly abandoned warehouse, while people are lounging around. (And also somehow manages to pull off a costume change sometime in the middle of all this). The atmosphere is hot and sweaty, which is apparent from the dripping wet bodies who are suggestively laying all over each other as well as dancing. 

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=britney+spears+i'm+a+slave+4+U

Everyone in the video appears to be mesmerized by Spears and her sexual dance moves. The camera frequently zooms in to focus on her flat stomach as well as her breasts. Spears is dancing with a group of people, as different men dance with her and touch her body; perhaps she's a slave for them. However, even though these multiple men surround her, she seems to be the one in control of the situation and is enjoying herself.

hecklerspray.com

Towards the end of the video, Spears appears sitting in a corner with five men all over her, breathing heavily and putting their mouths on her neck, chest, and face. Showing that she's the center of attention, even if she's being used for more than just her talented dance moves. Then, everyone lifts her up as if they are worshiping her, portraying her as being in a position of power over everyone, women and men alike. 

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=britney+spears+i'm+a+slave+4+U

The video is full of its fair share of sexual references, the song's name in itself is suggestive. But Spears has never been one to avoid any kind of controversy. Even when preforming I'm A Slave 4 U at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, she appeared on stage in an even skimpier outfit with exotic animals such as a Burmese python and an white tiger. Which caused animal rights groups such as PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) to be outraged and spoke out against the singer. As well as many other organizations whom are dedicated to promoting family values which stated that Spears was no longer a positive influence on young teen girls.

more information on "I'm A Slave 4 U"

Social Media Ad Campaigns

People love to have something to interact with. It makes them feel like they’re part of the brand and that their input and opinions matter as consumers. Just like Old Spice allowed individuals to use social networking sights such as Twitter and Facebook to communicate with the company’s advertisers and the spokesperson. And then they not only used the information they received but actually took the time to answer and get back to the individuals, showing a commitment to their consumers. When companies make an effort to go above and beyond the normal television commercial or an advertisement in a magazine, it shows that they’re not only a growing and successful company, but that then instills confidence within consumers who might then consider purchasing the product.

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=starbucks

One company that I found had a very successful social media ad campaign, much like the ones discussed in the Forbes article, is Starbucks. They have started using social networking sights to not only get out information about new and upcoming products and specials, but it’s another way for them to get followers and their brand out there and in the minds  of viewers in a positive, forward-thinking way. Starbucks has used Twitter and Facebook to promote free pastry days, ways to score free products on certain occasions, the announcement of new and seasonal drinks, etc. And even though Starbucks is practically like a religion to its loyal consumers already, the fact that they still choose to make advances in their advertising shows just how competitive and successful they are as a brand. They even have their own app for smart phones!

For other successful social media campaigns visit
http://mashable.com/2010/09/14/social-media-campaigns/

Advertising & Imagery

In my new communications class in advertising and imagery, I hope to gain further knowledge of different softwares as well as better develop my media writing skills through blogging assignments. I am excited for this course because I have always been drawn towards advertising as well as public relations and writing, which i find very interesting. I am a Communications Major with a Journalism Minor, and I believe this class brings both of those interests together well. Now by no means do I consider myself to be tech savvy whatsoever. But through taking this course I plan on strengthening my technology skills which will better prepare me for not only future classes, but aslo for obtaining a career and being more qualified. 

COVER GIRL

As I flip through this month’s new issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, it’s not hard to notice the amount of advertisements for beauty products; everything from makeup, perfumes, soaps, shampoos, hair styling products, lotions…they can seem endless! However, after taking a closer look I counted not one, two, or even three, but FOUR different ads for COVERGIRL cosmetics. That’s more than any other company in the magazine. (And one was even a three page fold out ad featuring their newest spokes person, “cover girl” Taylor Swift.)

At first this seemed a bit odd to me, however, there must be a reason for it, and one that apparently is working too. So what is their strategy? Are they trying to overwhelm readers so that out of all of the other products advertised COVERGIRL sticks out and remains in our memories after putting the magazine down? Perhaps. But maybe it’s because they’re trying to appeal to all different types of consumers.

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=covergirl+cosmetics

Their newest ad campaign is for their “Nature Luxe Collection” whom Taylor Swift is the face of. This obviously works as the going green movement advances and now apparently is even taking over the cosmetics industry. And COVERGIRL clearly knows what they’re doing by making Taylor Swift the spokes person. She’s young, free spirited, at the height of her career and more popular than ever…and did I mention gorgeous? She has that “natural” flawless skin that we all are supposed to want, so who better to back this new product?

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=covergirl+cosmetics

The other three ads within the magazine are all two page advertisements featuring Drew Barrymore, a slightly older, more edgy actress who has been a “cover girl” for quite some time now. She’s the face of COVERGIRL’s bold eye shadows and funky colored eyeliners, mascaras, and now their new line of lip colors. Barrymore is an excellent choice for these products because it’s convincing. She really seems as though these are the kinds of cosmetics that she would wear in her own life, it doesn’t seem fake.

I’ve even bought them!

http://www.covergirl.com/