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.