Final refelection essay

This semester working on this project, the biggest struggle has been trying to get all of the group members in the same place and when we are all together, staying on topic enough to get everything that we need to get done, done. The truth is, it was a fun project but something I think could have been done in a smaller group. The biggest thing in my project that I am proud of is all of the things that I edited by myself. I am not the best person when it comes to anything to do with technology so for me to do the last half of the video almost entirely by myself that was a great moment for me. But the part of the documentary that I would change, if I could, would be getting more film on Gaby and Logan as they worked out. Also if I had more time I would follow them around as they grew and learned throughout the year. The parts of the projects that I was responsible for was the last half of the editing, I was the one to interview both Logan and Gaby, and also did some of the shooting for the different shots in the documentary. The group atmosphere I felt was very good, I personally tried to keep the group on task at times it worked and others not as much as I would like it to have. I think to help my group I would have tried to get the group together more. I do believe that I contributed a fair amount to the overall project.

 The readings and films that I watched over the course of the semester did make me think a little differently, like in the Naked Celebrity Leaks and Born into Coal made me see other people's view points that I did not see before. My project in particular did not make me think any differently about the campus, because bodybuilding can be talked about on any level throughout the country, also I have been around bodybuilders for a long time so I don't see them differently especially on campus.

My public speaking this year, I think got better. I had to do many different interviews and talk in front of people a few times and this class helped. I did enjoy learning about the different ways  of communication but by the end of the year it did take up a lot more of my time and an essay would have been quicker and less stressful. Plus it wouldn't involve a group. I think if the documentary was shorter than it would have been more enjoyable as a whole, but I did love doing the project. I think the way you taught the class was easy to learn from, the discussion were my favorite and it was a disappointment not to be able to do those by the end of the semester. I think by adding more discussions that would improve the class, but adding controversial issues. The discussions were better when there was someone on each side of the topic and there was something that could be really discussed and not giving straight forward opinions. Also I think if you do two different articles on the same subject it would be a great way to compare the writing styles. The class in general was enjoyable but if I were to change something I would change the length of the documentary and do a partner or 3 person group and no more than that, because its easy to get 3 people together but it is very hard to get more than that together at the same time and stay focus.

Final Cut

 http://youtu.be/LFsYHoQLrsA

Bodybuilders part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3LL1ffuY8g&feature=youtu.be

Bodybuilders group

We went to the Media Depo

Bodybuilder Storyboard

Shot One: The first shot we want the viewers to see is of a black screen, and hearing the grunts, thumps, clangs, and all the other sounds that the bodybuilders are making.

Shot Two: The next thing that will be seen is of someone walking in to the pit and trying to start a work out. (This will be a staged part of the video)

Shot Three: Then we will jump into two interviews with one typical looking male body builder- what he is doing, and a guy who is trying to get to a bodybuilder- how he is going to get there

Shot Four: Then we will have a mirror shot of both the man and the women working out, trying to have a focus on the face.

Shot Five: Then go into the two different interviews with the women body builders- answering the same questions as the men are answer,

Shot Six: The next shot will have a picture of the bodybuilders working out.

Shot Seven: Then for the next scene we will be asking the bodybuilders- Do you see people being intimidated of the pit? Were you intimidated when you first were in the pit? Why do you think this intimidation is here?

Shot Eight: Having the end of a work out, the bodybuilders giving one another a high-five. Focusing on that noise and zooming in on the hands to have and extreme close up to see the hand.

Shot Nine: End Credits, blooper.

Music Video

The music video I choose was Christina Perri, Jar of Hearts. The video was very interesting and had very few long shots. The longest shot was 11 seconds long it started at second 40 and went to second 51.

Born into Coal

The short documentary “Born into Coal,” was an interesting piece, the title made me thinking that I would be watching a documentary on the families of coal miners. I was pleasantly surprised when it had to do with a beauty pageant and what it meant to the young girl and her community. It also surprised me when they spoke with the retired coal worker.

The documentary was a mix between human interest and standard narrative. It is both because it was following an event, Coal Queen Pageant, but it was also following around and just telling a story about the coal miners and their family. I think that they did it right by not just making it one or the other but making it both because a lot of information would have been left out.

There are a few amazing shots in this documentary but the one I think is the most powerful is the close up of Mr. Bailey’s hand holding the newspaper. I think it shows something about these men. It has the close up of the nails and how the coal gets under his finger nails. It is a powerful shot I think because it is showing how the coal is never going away. Also I think it can be something that sticks with the audience as a representation of a coal miner.

The other shots I thought were amazing were the last three at the end. The first of close up shot of half her face. In this shot you can see the determination in her face. You see that she wanted this crown and she wants to represent her family. The next one is a full body shot of her in front of a train track, and for me I took that as she wants to leave as she said in the beginning but she can’t because she isn’t finished where she was at now. The last shot they showed was of a close up from the front view. I thought that last shot showed her determination again but you could see it so much better.

Death Row Meals

                The two website that show the death penalty were both interesting to look at. In “No Seconds,” it showed more visual representation of the food, it was set up more appealing to see. It seemed like the author if not reading anything about the person was trying to show that the food that the inmates on death row are receiving is food that are from the best place and looked as good as the pictures he took and tasted like that also. But on the website, “The Last Meal Project,” the use of the inmates picture and then putting the food on top of it seemed less about the food and more wanting to focus on the people on death row and showing what the food might actually look like.  

                I think another good way they could have presented this was instead of having the picture of the person in the background maybe have pictures of the food instead in the background and soft focus that so that you only see the inmates or something more blended with the background.

                Something I saw in both presentations, that I think contributed to the visual rhetoric, was the text that both authors used. They went for more of the type writer texted or a text that is boxy and the letters were about the same width, I think that in itself represents either prison or something along those lines. Also in “The Last Meal Project” the text is in red and not black like the other I think that also can be visual rhetoric because it can make you think of blood or death which helps get the point across.

                Both websites did show visual rhetoric throughout the presentation but personally one argument was more compelling for me. Which was “The Last Meal,” it is more compelling because of how they used the close up shot of the prisoner probably from when they were first booked at the police station and then just placed food on top of the picture like an afterthought but I think what looks like an afterthought is really something that was well planned and put on top of the picture in that way on purpose. Which is why to me it is more compelling than seeing staged food that looks great.

Shark Tank Reflection

I didn’t do as well as I was but I do think I got my point across. I had practiced the speech a lot but I forgot some of it when I got up there so instead I had to improvise. That is probably why I didn’t do as well as I was hoping. I think I did well on delivering the speech, but I do think I have to work on memorization. I think if I wouldn’t have forgotten some of my speech it would have been a lot better. The speech itself I think wasn’t bad and my deliver could have used a bit of work but I think it worked out well in the end.

The feedback that you gave me on the speech was good, it is things I will have to work on and try and do next time. I think for the question: “Why do you care about this project?”  I will work on that part, which was one of things that I forgot to say in my speech.  Next time I will add that part and make sure to say it. The other thing that you mentioned was to not stay stationary the whole time. That is something big I have to work on, I am use to presenting with a poster or power point or in a debate setting where you have to stand stationary so this will be my challenge to work on for next time. But I will try and implicate the advice you gave me for the next speech I do.

The Rise of the NBA Nerd

There is no question that the NBA has been making many changes in the last few years but one that caught the attention of Wesley Morris, is the style of the players on the team when they go out to press conferences. His article, The Rise of the NBA Nerd, focused on how they changed from the typical stereo-typed black man to a man that is “presentable.” He used a television show as an example from the 90’s to express this point. He talked about The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air and how the main characters in this television show went from being the boy right out of Philadelphia, Will Smith, to becoming his well-rounded respectable cousin, Carlton. He used this analogy to show the style change. He also implied that this change came from having the first African- American President and seeing how success dresses and the rappers that went “geek,” than this style change just came from inside.

The principle of rhetoric as it applies to images I think is different and hard to actually achieve than when it applies to writing, because at least in writing you can use descriptive words to get your point across but in a picture that one picture will either make your argument or break it.

The article focused on style and seemed it, wanted the reader to see that what someone wears, who is in the public eye, maters to the culture we are in or what culture we see that person in. But personally I do not feel that what you wear is an argument, I think clothing were meant for self-expression and it made a U-turn and became something that defines us as a people. What you put on your body shouldn't matter because if you wear a nice suit but you are the biggest moron on the face of the planet that doesn't make you any smarter, you are now just is a well-dressed person. We focus as a society on what a person is wearing and how that can change the outcome of their success when we should be focusing on what is actually coming out of their mouth and how that will affect us in the long term.

But this isn't just something that stops at the way someone dresses but it is also on the color of their skin, the accent they have, and many other superficial things that doesn't get to what is actually coming out of their mouth. This can be the biggest boost for anyone who is trying to impress the public. Politically, the way you dress is a big advantage, because as a nation we are wired to know a person should dress like this and like that to do this job and the fact is clothing changes the way a person will act which is something  everyone deep down knows and no one wants to face.

TED Talk

Good vs Bad Speeches

TED Talk

            There can be a thin line between a good and a bad speech but for the most part a bad speech can be spotted better than a good one. On TED talks there are both good and bad speeches. The speakers may not be talking about the same thing but it is possible that the speaker is doing the same thing a previous speaker did that made it a bad speech.

            So, in a bad speech there are many things that can go wrong, but the number one thing that can categorize a good speech from a bad speech is the beginning. The beginning of your speech must capture the audience, if it does not then the audience will be drifting off. One thing that I did see in “How to grow a tiny forest anywhere” by Shubhendu Sharma, is in the beginning he did not try to introduce the topic in ways like most do to grab your attention: examples are jokes, quotes, questions, and so on and so forth, but instead he went straight into his topic. Now, because he had a time limit on what he had to explain this could have been acceptable but because the beginning did not grab the audience attention the entire speech was less than affective. He jumped right into his topic but didn’t do it in a way that was inviting. Unlike in the Sally Kohn, “Don’t like clickbait. Don’t click it,” who started off by grabbing your attention with a story, she did this in a way that allowed the audience to stay captivated. The thing about most speeches is that people remember two things in a good speech the beginning and the end but in a bad speech they remember every little thing in between.

            Also, in a bad speech the content could be there but if it is not presented in a way that does not keeps the audience attention it won’t matter.  In the middle of the speech you tell all of your key points, you can show this by showing picture like in Shubhendu Sharma, “How to grow a tiny forest anywhere,” or you can tell jokes while giving the content so the audience does not get bored like in “Don’t like clickbait. Don’t click it,” by Sally Kohn. The middle is an important section but the one thing that most usually remember about the speech besides the middle is the end.

            The end of a speech is where many things can go wrong. An end has many possible ways to end it including going back over what you said, quotes, and other things. But since it is hard to tell you how to end it well, it isn’t hard to tell you how not to end it. Most bad endings can come from just not know what to say next so you just say “yeah, thanks,” or the classic “Okay, done.” Both of these mean the same thing you need to work on the ending. Luckily in the videos I saw the two speakers didn’t have bad ending which allowed the audience to focus on them as a whole.

            In both videos the speakers, moved around and used good hand movement. They also kept very good eye contact. But the speaker Shrama did a few things that the other didn’t do that I thought was very good, like when he showed pictures on the screen as he was speaking. They were at the right time and they were enhancing the speech and did not distract the audience. But he need to work on the introduction. But in the other video, the speaker, Kohn, she had a great introduction but it seemed some of the information was clouded when she told certain jokes. Jokes can be good and bad it warms your audience but if it goes over their head than it is not necessary and is space fillers.

            Both speaker did great jobs but they did have few mistakes that distracted the audience from the content of what they were talking about. Distractions are another indicator of a bad speech.

Works Cited

Khon, Sally. http://www.ted.com/talks/shubhendu_sharma_how_to_grow_a_tiny_forest_anywhere. 03 2014. 08 09 2014.

 

Sharma:, Shubhendu. http://www.ted.com/talks/sally_kohn_don_t_like_clickbait_don_t_click#t-8642. 07 2014. 08 09 2014.

 

 

NAKED CELEBRITY LEAKS!

“It is not on the (usually, but not always, female) victim to take “enough” measures to protect herself but rather on the (usually, but not always, male) victimizer to choose not to commit said crime.” The quote taken from “Jenifer Lawrence Nude Photo Leak Isn’t A ‘Scandal.’ It’s A sex Crime” by Scott Mendelson, summarizes this article in a whole. The author, Scott Mendelson, is trying to convey to his reader that it is not about what the “victim” took a picture of in a private place for private use but it should be about the person who stole the picture and posted them for the whole world to see.

            The author’s opinion on this subject is very interesting, the fact that Mendelson is not blaming the actress and singers and is blaming the person putting the pictures out there is something that is not seen often. In most articles on the subject, it is blaming the actress and singers for taking nude pictures in the first place even though they did not expect the pictures to become public. The fact that the author did take the side of the “Victims” instead of the “victimizer” is a stand up quality.

            In many of these cases it is the victim that take the blame which I think is complete malarkey. Victims should not be blamed for having a private picture become publicized whether it is nudes or just embracing pictures. People are more concerned in how morally wrong someone is because they took a picture of themselves naked or with almost nothing on then the actual illegal act of stealing the picture or the morally wrong act of posting the picture without the consent of the person. Our society is so twisted that we blame someone for something they wear or do not wear instead of blaming the morons who betray, if they had trust, the trust of the person or privacy by posting the picture.

            Magazines and reporters don’t object to the lack of clothing that Victoria Secret models wear or the true lack of clothing/ no clothing that Playboy models wear or don’t wear but they do blow up everything  out of proportions when it come to an actress and singer who has had a private photo leaked to the public. To me this is just a sheer lack of respect to every actress and singer who was involved.

Mendelson, Scott. "Jennifer Lawerancee Nude Photo Leak Isn't a 'Scandal.' It's a Sex Crime." Forbes. 1 Sept. 2014. Web. 3 Sept. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/09/01/jennifer-lawrence-nude-photo-leak-isnt-a-scandal-its-a-sex-crime/>.

INtroduction and Ice Breaker

Hey! My name is Randi Gray. My family is originally from South Carolina and West Virginia, but I am a military kid, so I am from everywhere and no where. I am a freshman at the University of Kentucky studying Psychology. My icebreaker song is "So What" by Pink because I spent my 2014 fighting for everything I deserved. By the summer I didn't give up but I kept saying "So what, I am amazing" and just kept moving,