Sunday, February 26, 2006
Module 5: Media representations
Representations of intelligent males in the mass media
Smart males in media are tie-wearing compu-geeks
Media representations of intelligent men in the media center on single, white, organized,computer nerds who love Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, black-rimmed glasses and dress shirts.
Ted Geisel couldn't have had this in mind.
In 1950, Geisel (widely known to the world as Dr. Seuss of children book fame) amusingly rhymed the lines of his 1950book, If I Ran The Zoo: "And then just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Prooa Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!"
The term nerd was coined.
It seems since that moment, smart males have been put in their own predicable, caged box in the mass media. Predominantly, being smart is associated with being a nerd in the media. From television shows to advertisements to print media, smart people are depicted as single, white, brilliant outcasts. They are loners, sickly (yet high wage earners) and unattractive. Often smart males are depicted as lowly in social situations, wearing simple attire accessorized with a tie, and (of course) being overwhelmingly "nerdy."
The male intelligence is also defined by glasses, typically black and largely rimmed. The more intelligent, the lessgood-looking. Intelligent representations of males such as speech writer Will Bailey of NBC's West Wing tend to be more focused on logical and concrete results rather than their relationships, romances, or personal life outside of work.
Leonard Nimoy's Spock character on the original Star Trek episodes defines an intelligent male as successful, yet lackingemotion or empathy for others. Ironically, intelligent males are also depicted as being obsessed with science fiction and fantasynovels, magazines, television shows, video games and movies. Often a bit character on situational comedies or on an animated series will play a joke based on a character's love for Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter or similar pop culture.
Intelligent males are rarely depicted as athletic or well-rounded. We never see the nerds from Revenge of the Nerds demonstratinggood cooking techniques or talking about NASCAR. The smart male is similar to Dwight on NBC's The Office: trying to fit in, butalways having difficulty in social situations. Advertisers sometimes embrace this nerdy/geek chic to promote dedication to thatwhich few others have interest. For instance, Geek Squad is a computer technician and help service. Their employees wear thestereotypical smart gear of the information age: a white short-sleeved shirt and black tie. An AT&T ad in the magazine Wired (March 2006) features a man named Steve, who is alone, wearing a button-down shirt in a very clean home office. He is playing a video game on his computer screen. The words read: "The World According to Steve ... No matter what she says or how she makes you feel, you arenever too old to play video games." On the bottom it reads: "Steve depends on the most complete and secure network from AT&T so he can have DSL high speed internet access to download, play and master the latest video games. The New AT&T." From this, we can decipher that intelligent males are computer nerds. If the smart white guy chooses a certain type of computer or internet provider, it must be good because the geek always knows about computers.
What is missing from the representation is any minority or female. White males tend to dominate the media landscape of being bright.
The exceptions to this in the media show an interesting shift in the intelligent paradigm. In television dramas such as CSI, CSI New York, CSI Miami, Crossing Jordan, ER, Grey's Anatomy, etc., women are shown in an intelligent light more so than men. These scientists and doctors vary from the male nerd complex dramatically. The women are glamorous and wear more sexy clothing. They are dynamic and passionate about many things. They are complex, whereas the male geeks are not. Unfortunately, (according to my scientist wife) this isn'texactly a proper depiction of smart scientists as well. If it were, America's Top Scientist would unseat America's Top Model in the ratings.
Anyway one looks at the intelligent male in the media, one thing is certain: Dr. Seuss's nerds in the zoo have been released by the media onto society.
Smart males in media are tie-wearing compu-geeks
Media representations of intelligent men in the media center on single, white, organized,computer nerds who love Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, black-rimmed glasses and dress shirts.
Ted Geisel couldn't have had this in mind.
In 1950, Geisel (widely known to the world as Dr. Seuss of children book fame) amusingly rhymed the lines of his 1950book, If I Ran The Zoo: "And then just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Prooa Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!"
The term nerd was coined.
It seems since that moment, smart males have been put in their own predicable, caged box in the mass media. Predominantly, being smart is associated with being a nerd in the media. From television shows to advertisements to print media, smart people are depicted as single, white, brilliant outcasts. They are loners, sickly (yet high wage earners) and unattractive. Often smart males are depicted as lowly in social situations, wearing simple attire accessorized with a tie, and (of course) being overwhelmingly "nerdy."
The male intelligence is also defined by glasses, typically black and largely rimmed. The more intelligent, the lessgood-looking. Intelligent representations of males such as speech writer Will Bailey of NBC's West Wing tend to be more focused on logical and concrete results rather than their relationships, romances, or personal life outside of work.
Leonard Nimoy's Spock character on the original Star Trek episodes defines an intelligent male as successful, yet lackingemotion or empathy for others. Ironically, intelligent males are also depicted as being obsessed with science fiction and fantasynovels, magazines, television shows, video games and movies. Often a bit character on situational comedies or on an animated series will play a joke based on a character's love for Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter or similar pop culture.
Intelligent males are rarely depicted as athletic or well-rounded. We never see the nerds from Revenge of the Nerds demonstratinggood cooking techniques or talking about NASCAR. The smart male is similar to Dwight on NBC's The Office: trying to fit in, butalways having difficulty in social situations. Advertisers sometimes embrace this nerdy/geek chic to promote dedication to thatwhich few others have interest. For instance, Geek Squad is a computer technician and help service. Their employees wear thestereotypical smart gear of the information age: a white short-sleeved shirt and black tie. An AT&T ad in the magazine Wired (March 2006) features a man named Steve, who is alone, wearing a button-down shirt in a very clean home office. He is playing a video game on his computer screen. The words read: "The World According to Steve ... No matter what she says or how she makes you feel, you arenever too old to play video games." On the bottom it reads: "Steve depends on the most complete and secure network from AT&T so he can have DSL high speed internet access to download, play and master the latest video games. The New AT&T." From this, we can decipher that intelligent males are computer nerds. If the smart white guy chooses a certain type of computer or internet provider, it must be good because the geek always knows about computers.
What is missing from the representation is any minority or female. White males tend to dominate the media landscape of being bright.
The exceptions to this in the media show an interesting shift in the intelligent paradigm. In television dramas such as CSI, CSI New York, CSI Miami, Crossing Jordan, ER, Grey's Anatomy, etc., women are shown in an intelligent light more so than men. These scientists and doctors vary from the male nerd complex dramatically. The women are glamorous and wear more sexy clothing. They are dynamic and passionate about many things. They are complex, whereas the male geeks are not. Unfortunately, (according to my scientist wife) this isn'texactly a proper depiction of smart scientists as well. If it were, America's Top Scientist would unseat America's Top Model in the ratings.
Anyway one looks at the intelligent male in the media, one thing is certain: Dr. Seuss's nerds in the zoo have been released by the media onto society.
Module 4: Critical (lens) theory
To complete Module 4, we have decided to each view the Fox TV (Channel 9) show "American Idol". Each of us will assume the role and view the show through a different critical lens. We will watch "American Idol" from 8-9 p.m. Central Time Tuesday, February 21, 2006.
Click this link to read a synopsis of the show: http://www.idolonfox.com/about/
Our Assigned Lenses
I viewed American Idol through a post-modernist lens.
Thoughts given from a postmodern critical theory while watching FOX's "American Idol" Feb. 21, 2006:
American Idol follows a planned path that appears to be common and formulaic to the audience.
A host, Ryan Seacrest, discusses performances and emcees the show from a stage in front of an audience and sometimes on a couch with a performer. There are features on each performer before they perform. The flashbacks to their "tryouts" obviously assume a prior viewing of the show. The three judges comment on each performer and their previous comments are interwoven in the flashbacks.
From a single layer perspective, this show is based on the judges, not the contestants. The singing is basically karaoke (single performer with no band, just canned music) and not the main draw. The draw appears to be the comments from the trio of judges.
As each singer sings, a cgi nameline appears under a medium/tight shot of the performer with a telphone number and a Cingular cell phone advertisement. Advertising plays an important piece of this show. Red Coca-cola cups are in front of the judges and they frequently sip from the Coke. Brilliant placement and money-making.
The background of the stage is predominantly blue. The blue colors give a feeling of electronics and of a nightclub. It feels as if this is the hot place to be. It is no living room, but it's no large stadium either.
The judges are Randy Jackson (an African American), Paula Abdul (female) and Simon Cowell (Caucasian). Paula appears to be the nicest of the judges. She is where we go to release the tension of the moment of critique. Simon is dressed in a tight black t-shirt. Black clothes typically depict a flat character -- a character of negative energy. Black gives a feeling of the bad guy. Simon also enhances that reputation with his constant body language of crossing his arms. Crossing your arms is said to mean that you are shutting out whatever is being communicated to you. From this, I would say that Simon is acting as if he doesn't care what anyone thinks and is a bad guy. He appears to be the most honest of the trio with Randy being second.
The show continues to drive it's concrete formula. Introduce a performer, talk to her on a couch, interview package from outside the "club", she sings, name line comes up, people cheer, three judges critique, we are reminded to vote.
A woman named Lisa Tucker is not a woman at all, but a girl. She is 16. She is dressed like an adult, sings with a sensuality of an adult woman and appears to be as sexual an object as the other older women. There is no distinction of this between the judges nor the public aside from the "what a big girl you are!" type of comments.
I like the way American Idol has Paula Abdul as a judge. She is good looking, non-discernable in race, kind and she has a sexual tension with Simon that is readily available to all viewers. It works well because we are left wondering if they secretly like each other. It is a soap opera in our minds that we can assume.
Judge Randy Jackson speaks in a slang dialogue that assumes the viewer knows what he is saying and can translate it. He often uses terms like "Dawg", "What up?", and "Dude". All of which assumes our knowledge of slang. Jackson is African-American and these slang terms match his ethnicity. He uses these terms so much it appears as if he is setting his African-American-ness apart from the other judges. He is to appear cool. We would find that kind of slang cool in American society.
The content of the songs on American Idol assume an appreciation and recollection of the tunes. While many of us cannot sing on this level, we are to recall how the original sounds and compare the singer's brilliance or not. The songs appear to be older songs (not composed in the last five or ten years).
Paula Abdul just told a woman (Kinike) that she looked stunning. The director quickly had the camera cut to a full-body shot of the performer. This took the viewer where he/she wanted to go. The shot of the woman oozes sexuality. She has a dress with no sleeves nor straps. She is winning over the American public voters with sexuality.
The motion backgrounds give a feeling of movement and excitement. This show takes a basic talent show or karaoke competition and turns it into entertainment with swooping crane shots, dynamic colors, live stage, sexuality, "flat" predictable judges and tons of product and signage placement to show off the reality of American consumerism.
We are getting to the end of the show and there is a recap of the performances. These clips are short (20 seconds each maybe) and rely on our previous viewing of the performers. Each of these clips is flying around and coming in closer and closer. This makes me feel as if I am flying around the room. IT works well because there is simply a performer on a stage doing very little than standing there.
Generally, American Idol works well in pop culture. It appears to be pop culture because of how much it assumes we know of its structure and personalities. There are many references to other aspects of media: commercial products, sexuality and the nature of sex appeal in American society, format, colors, etc. It captures the attention of the viewer because of the non-scripted nature of the show. "Reality TV" is based on the idea of documentary. It lives off the conflict nature of news, that being the audience doesn't know how it will come out. It works because of America's love of conflict and sexuality.
Here is what I feel Post-modern means
Postmodern theory appears to be a fluid and almost non-descript critical theory. It is almost the antithesis of theory. Postmodern has one look at a subject from the purely surface images and is lacking in any form of "truth" or "meaning" in anything.
A good example the text gives for this kind of form is the 1994 Quentin Tarantino directed movie Pulp Fiction.
Pulp Fiction is described as a surface movie. It strays from conventional movie-making and elements of fiction. The movie draws on forms of fiction and slides in cultural media references that give it a campy feel, but don't detract from the story.
For instance, one of the characters is Vinnie Vega, played by John Travolta. There is a dance portion of the movie where Vinnie is dancing with Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). The dance is a pure parody or satire of Travolta's role in the 1977 disco film Saturday Night Fever. This scene is interesting for interest sake, nothing more, according to the postmodernist. In addition, a postmodernist approach would find that the mixture of these two fictional pieces in a film would be well done if most of the audience caught on.
I would also say that TV shows such as South Park, Family Guy and The Simpsons take a completely postmodernist approach to their humor, satire or references.
No Truth is The Truth
While most theories look for an overriding truth or meaning, postmodernist theory doesn't. Postmodernists like to mess with narratives and time frames and alternative manners of getting across information. It draws on popular culture. Stories can also be best told to a postmodernist through use of several forms of texts: photos, animation, music, etc.
Surface level
Using a postmodernist lens, one would first ask how clever is the difference from convention. Next, it would be important to look at how well the text works on a surface level. Here, one would look at if the satire works in the present time with only other surface knowledge and does it work in the present in conjunction with other prior knowledge. It may be easiest to think: does this work if I know a lot of trivia? Does this work if I don't? Does it work evenly if I know this and don't know this?
Postmodernist = deconstruction
According to Carleton College's Deborah Appleman: "Deconstruction is, by far, the most difficult critical theory for people to understand. It was developed by some very smart (or very unstable) people who declare that literature means nothing because language means nothing. In other words, we cannot say that we know what the “meaning” of a story is because there is no way of knowing. For example, in some stories (like “Where Are You, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”) that do not have tidy endings, you cannot assume you know what happened."
For more of Appleman's definitions, see http://www.carleton.edu/departments/EDST/faculty/Appleman/Handouts/Glasses.html
Click this link to read a synopsis of the show: http://www.idolonfox.com/about/
Our Assigned Lenses
I viewed American Idol through a post-modernist lens.
Thoughts given from a postmodern critical theory while watching FOX's "American Idol" Feb. 21, 2006:
American Idol follows a planned path that appears to be common and formulaic to the audience.
A host, Ryan Seacrest, discusses performances and emcees the show from a stage in front of an audience and sometimes on a couch with a performer. There are features on each performer before they perform. The flashbacks to their "tryouts" obviously assume a prior viewing of the show. The three judges comment on each performer and their previous comments are interwoven in the flashbacks.
From a single layer perspective, this show is based on the judges, not the contestants. The singing is basically karaoke (single performer with no band, just canned music) and not the main draw. The draw appears to be the comments from the trio of judges.
As each singer sings, a cgi nameline appears under a medium/tight shot of the performer with a telphone number and a Cingular cell phone advertisement. Advertising plays an important piece of this show. Red Coca-cola cups are in front of the judges and they frequently sip from the Coke. Brilliant placement and money-making.
The background of the stage is predominantly blue. The blue colors give a feeling of electronics and of a nightclub. It feels as if this is the hot place to be. It is no living room, but it's no large stadium either.
The judges are Randy Jackson (an African American), Paula Abdul (female) and Simon Cowell (Caucasian). Paula appears to be the nicest of the judges. She is where we go to release the tension of the moment of critique. Simon is dressed in a tight black t-shirt. Black clothes typically depict a flat character -- a character of negative energy. Black gives a feeling of the bad guy. Simon also enhances that reputation with his constant body language of crossing his arms. Crossing your arms is said to mean that you are shutting out whatever is being communicated to you. From this, I would say that Simon is acting as if he doesn't care what anyone thinks and is a bad guy. He appears to be the most honest of the trio with Randy being second.
The show continues to drive it's concrete formula. Introduce a performer, talk to her on a couch, interview package from outside the "club", she sings, name line comes up, people cheer, three judges critique, we are reminded to vote.
A woman named Lisa Tucker is not a woman at all, but a girl. She is 16. She is dressed like an adult, sings with a sensuality of an adult woman and appears to be as sexual an object as the other older women. There is no distinction of this between the judges nor the public aside from the "what a big girl you are!" type of comments.
I like the way American Idol has Paula Abdul as a judge. She is good looking, non-discernable in race, kind and she has a sexual tension with Simon that is readily available to all viewers. It works well because we are left wondering if they secretly like each other. It is a soap opera in our minds that we can assume.
Judge Randy Jackson speaks in a slang dialogue that assumes the viewer knows what he is saying and can translate it. He often uses terms like "Dawg", "What up?", and "Dude". All of which assumes our knowledge of slang. Jackson is African-American and these slang terms match his ethnicity. He uses these terms so much it appears as if he is setting his African-American-ness apart from the other judges. He is to appear cool. We would find that kind of slang cool in American society.
The content of the songs on American Idol assume an appreciation and recollection of the tunes. While many of us cannot sing on this level, we are to recall how the original sounds and compare the singer's brilliance or not. The songs appear to be older songs (not composed in the last five or ten years).
Paula Abdul just told a woman (Kinike) that she looked stunning. The director quickly had the camera cut to a full-body shot of the performer. This took the viewer where he/she wanted to go. The shot of the woman oozes sexuality. She has a dress with no sleeves nor straps. She is winning over the American public voters with sexuality.
The motion backgrounds give a feeling of movement and excitement. This show takes a basic talent show or karaoke competition and turns it into entertainment with swooping crane shots, dynamic colors, live stage, sexuality, "flat" predictable judges and tons of product and signage placement to show off the reality of American consumerism.
We are getting to the end of the show and there is a recap of the performances. These clips are short (20 seconds each maybe) and rely on our previous viewing of the performers. Each of these clips is flying around and coming in closer and closer. This makes me feel as if I am flying around the room. IT works well because there is simply a performer on a stage doing very little than standing there.
Generally, American Idol works well in pop culture. It appears to be pop culture because of how much it assumes we know of its structure and personalities. There are many references to other aspects of media: commercial products, sexuality and the nature of sex appeal in American society, format, colors, etc. It captures the attention of the viewer because of the non-scripted nature of the show. "Reality TV" is based on the idea of documentary. It lives off the conflict nature of news, that being the audience doesn't know how it will come out. It works because of America's love of conflict and sexuality.
Here is what I feel Post-modern means
Postmodern theory appears to be a fluid and almost non-descript critical theory. It is almost the antithesis of theory. Postmodern has one look at a subject from the purely surface images and is lacking in any form of "truth" or "meaning" in anything.
A good example the text gives for this kind of form is the 1994 Quentin Tarantino directed movie Pulp Fiction.
Pulp Fiction is described as a surface movie. It strays from conventional movie-making and elements of fiction. The movie draws on forms of fiction and slides in cultural media references that give it a campy feel, but don't detract from the story.
For instance, one of the characters is Vinnie Vega, played by John Travolta. There is a dance portion of the movie where Vinnie is dancing with Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). The dance is a pure parody or satire of Travolta's role in the 1977 disco film Saturday Night Fever. This scene is interesting for interest sake, nothing more, according to the postmodernist. In addition, a postmodernist approach would find that the mixture of these two fictional pieces in a film would be well done if most of the audience caught on.
I would also say that TV shows such as South Park, Family Guy and The Simpsons take a completely postmodernist approach to their humor, satire or references.
No Truth is The Truth
While most theories look for an overriding truth or meaning, postmodernist theory doesn't. Postmodernists like to mess with narratives and time frames and alternative manners of getting across information. It draws on popular culture. Stories can also be best told to a postmodernist through use of several forms of texts: photos, animation, music, etc.
Surface level
Using a postmodernist lens, one would first ask how clever is the difference from convention. Next, it would be important to look at how well the text works on a surface level. Here, one would look at if the satire works in the present time with only other surface knowledge and does it work in the present in conjunction with other prior knowledge. It may be easiest to think: does this work if I know a lot of trivia? Does this work if I don't? Does it work evenly if I know this and don't know this?
Postmodernist = deconstruction
According to Carleton College's Deborah Appleman: "Deconstruction is, by far, the most difficult critical theory for people to understand. It was developed by some very smart (or very unstable) people who declare that literature means nothing because language means nothing. In other words, we cannot say that we know what the “meaning” of a story is because there is no way of knowing. For example, in some stories (like “Where Are You, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”) that do not have tidy endings, you cannot assume you know what happened."
For more of Appleman's definitions, see http://www.carleton.edu/departments/EDST/faculty/Appleman/Handouts/Glasses.html
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Module 3: Teaching Film Techniques
Week 3: Analyzing a film
Miracle film study
For this assignment, I watched the opening scene of the 2004 Disney movie Miracle starring Kurt Russell (as Herb Brooks) and directed by Gavin O’Connor. The movie depicts the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” Gold Medal winning men’s ice hockey team.
Hey, I was in the Olympic spirit.
The actual opening of the movie begins with a picture-in-picture montage of actual video footage from the early 1970s through 1980. Included in this are news clips, political speeches, etc. The picture-in-pictures are broken up by some form of huge lettering that you can't figure out until the final seconds of it, when it shrinks down to spell the name of the movie, "Miracle". The montage is meant to serve as exposition of the time period and the political, economic and sporting culture of the late 1970s and 1980.
The scene I wish to dissect is the first scene done by the director.
A wide shot establishes the scene with a wide shot of a facility that has a sign that reads AHA amateur hockey association of the united states (in lower case). With this, it is establishing the place for the movie, Colorado Springs, Colo. CGI tells us it is 1979. The cuts are to a man's hand drawing up hockey plays on a notebook. Soon we see his face and a man calls him Herb. The man (Walter) is wearing a powder blue suit and asks how Herb's flight was. Here, they are establishing his long trip and a friendly atmosphere between the two. Words on the wall say American Hockey Association again and the phone continues to ring with a woman's voice in the background saying: "USA Hockey, how can I help you?" All of this is establishing the setting of the movie. It is summer in the outside shot, but hockey appears to be buzzing in the air. Also, Herb's sport coat is tan. The tan and powder blue sportcoats are establishing an early sense of setting in time (1979 to be exact).
The two men walk down the hall and chat. This is done with a pan that moves to a truck that follows the men from behind. The establishing shot was the lone shot with soundtrack (non-diagetic) music playing in the background. The shots are medium shots, and done at eye level to establish a documentary-like feel. Eye level and medium shots are the most honest of shots and truest to life. The director is trying to establish realism in these sequences.
A pan in the next shot goes from an extreme closeup of the water glasses and water pitcher on the table to a rack focus switch to those speaking at the table. The shots are tight from here on out of two-shots, one-shots and speaking/reaction shots. The cuts are very quick and create a conflict right away. The reason for the tighter shots are to keep us involved emotionally. The tighter a shot, the more emotionally attached we become to a subject.
These shots give great size and importance to the subjects of the shots. We can assume these are the Board of Somethings or CEOs of something at USA Hockey. As Herb explains a new, different form of hockey (similar to the Russians), we get even tighter shots of his face. These shots establish his intensity and desire. Those shots are juxtaposed via cuts with reactions of the committee. The committee is obviously skeptical at best. Their reactions and questions are stark contrast to the tight closeups of Brooks, who doesn't change his tenor. The fast cuts and juxtaposition create visual tension between these subjects.
The shots build up until they are flying past us at 1 second per clip, each of the same situation. The scene must have either been filmed a hundred times or was filmed once using several cameras. It makes the audience feel as if they are eavesdropping and trying to get all the information in this conflict.
This conflict is central to the movie. There is doubt that this new brand of hockey will do anything in the Lake Placid Olympics. It establishes the underdog mentality and the importance of the choice of a maverick coach.
The scene ends with Brooks taking a drink of water while Lou Nanne (inaccurately to real history might I add) says: "You expect to beat the Russians ... that's a pretty lofty goal." Brooks replies: "That's why I want to pursue it." There are medium shot cuts to reactions of all in the room (a release of tension) and Walter Bush finally says: "Well, anymore questions?" No one has any and the scene ends with a wide shot of the room as a man turns down Brooks' attempt at a handshake and then Herb shakes several others' hands.
Miracle film study
For this assignment, I watched the opening scene of the 2004 Disney movie Miracle starring Kurt Russell (as Herb Brooks) and directed by Gavin O’Connor. The movie depicts the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” Gold Medal winning men’s ice hockey team.
Hey, I was in the Olympic spirit.
The actual opening of the movie begins with a picture-in-picture montage of actual video footage from the early 1970s through 1980. Included in this are news clips, political speeches, etc. The picture-in-pictures are broken up by some form of huge lettering that you can't figure out until the final seconds of it, when it shrinks down to spell the name of the movie, "Miracle". The montage is meant to serve as exposition of the time period and the political, economic and sporting culture of the late 1970s and 1980.
The scene I wish to dissect is the first scene done by the director.
A wide shot establishes the scene with a wide shot of a facility that has a sign that reads AHA amateur hockey association of the united states (in lower case). With this, it is establishing the place for the movie, Colorado Springs, Colo. CGI tells us it is 1979. The cuts are to a man's hand drawing up hockey plays on a notebook. Soon we see his face and a man calls him Herb. The man (Walter) is wearing a powder blue suit and asks how Herb's flight was. Here, they are establishing his long trip and a friendly atmosphere between the two. Words on the wall say American Hockey Association again and the phone continues to ring with a woman's voice in the background saying: "USA Hockey, how can I help you?" All of this is establishing the setting of the movie. It is summer in the outside shot, but hockey appears to be buzzing in the air. Also, Herb's sport coat is tan. The tan and powder blue sportcoats are establishing an early sense of setting in time (1979 to be exact).
The two men walk down the hall and chat. This is done with a pan that moves to a truck that follows the men from behind. The establishing shot was the lone shot with soundtrack (non-diagetic) music playing in the background. The shots are medium shots, and done at eye level to establish a documentary-like feel. Eye level and medium shots are the most honest of shots and truest to life. The director is trying to establish realism in these sequences.
A pan in the next shot goes from an extreme closeup of the water glasses and water pitcher on the table to a rack focus switch to those speaking at the table. The shots are tight from here on out of two-shots, one-shots and speaking/reaction shots. The cuts are very quick and create a conflict right away. The reason for the tighter shots are to keep us involved emotionally. The tighter a shot, the more emotionally attached we become to a subject.
These shots give great size and importance to the subjects of the shots. We can assume these are the Board of Somethings or CEOs of something at USA Hockey. As Herb explains a new, different form of hockey (similar to the Russians), we get even tighter shots of his face. These shots establish his intensity and desire. Those shots are juxtaposed via cuts with reactions of the committee. The committee is obviously skeptical at best. Their reactions and questions are stark contrast to the tight closeups of Brooks, who doesn't change his tenor. The fast cuts and juxtaposition create visual tension between these subjects.
The shots build up until they are flying past us at 1 second per clip, each of the same situation. The scene must have either been filmed a hundred times or was filmed once using several cameras. It makes the audience feel as if they are eavesdropping and trying to get all the information in this conflict.
This conflict is central to the movie. There is doubt that this new brand of hockey will do anything in the Lake Placid Olympics. It establishes the underdog mentality and the importance of the choice of a maverick coach.
The scene ends with Brooks taking a drink of water while Lou Nanne (inaccurately to real history might I add) says: "You expect to beat the Russians ... that's a pretty lofty goal." Brooks replies: "That's why I want to pursue it." There are medium shot cuts to reactions of all in the room (a release of tension) and Walter Bush finally says: "Well, anymore questions?" No one has any and the scene ends with a wide shot of the room as a man turns down Brooks' attempt at a handshake and then Herb shakes several others' hands.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Module 2: Justification of Media Studies Class
Week 2: Justifying film, television, media study in the classroom
Rationale
I work in the innumerably monstrous Anoka-Hennepin School District, which is home to several of the largest schools in the State of Minnesota. Aside from Champlin Park (my school), we also have Blaine, Coon Rapids, Anoka and Andover High Schools. Because of this, adding -- or even altering -- course offerings is a bureaucratic nightmare. All schools are to have the same offerings and the same curriculum. Assuming someone would listen to a teacher’s proposal, I developed a letter/presentation I would give to the school board and superintendent if I were given an audience with them. The assumption is that they are looking to add classes and/or alter Language Arts/English/I.L.A./Communication Arts curriculum in the district.
Before I present what my letter or speech to the school board would look like, I would first like to rationalize a purpose for having a media study class at Champlin Park High School.
At Champlin Park, we offer several electives in our Language Arts Department that touch on media studies of some sort. These include Introduction to Journalism, NewsLab (newspaper), Yearbook, and Television Journalism. In addition, there are classes offered elsewhere in the school which would touch on media studies. These include Photography/Videography (Industrial Technology Department), Graphic Arts and Design (Art), Web Design (Business Education), etc. However, very few of these (I teach two of them) address an all-out media literacy program. As an example, Television Journalism teaches a bit of film study and no social science of the mass media. The Language Arts Department in the district recently employed a new curriculum in grades 6-12 called Springboard. It is curriculum developed by the same people who create the ACT, College Board. In this curriculum, each grade level has a varying degree of media studies. In ninth grade Language Arts, for instance, one of our six units is Media. In it, we do a film study of the most basic proportions. We also storyboard a fictional advertising project.
I feel we need to do more. I believe it is imperative that our schools offer Media Literacy as a stand-alone course taught by people who have been trained and are knowledgeable in helping students become more adept in today’s media-rich society. I do not think that the Springboard curriculum does that because it limits students to a mere two weeks of media and often can be taught by adults who have very little concept of what they are teaching.
Here is what the Media Literacy course offering should look like and a justification for its well-being:
Simply put, we live in a rapidly changing communication age. Our time has been called “The Information Age” because so much is available to our hands in such a short amount of time. The argument that we should focus on the basics of reading, writing and math skills assumes incorrectly that media literacy downplays those core studies. Media is central in today’s society. It plays an important role in our culture and even a dominating role in today’s teenagers’ lives. According to Vicki Rideout of the Kaiser Foundation, a study that group did in 2004 revealed children in grades 3-12 spend an average of 6 ½ hours a day with some form of media. Of those, four hours are viewing TV, 1 ¾ hours are listening to music or radio, 1 hour is on the computer (most of it on the internet), nearly an hour playing video games and only ¾ of an hour reading. Often these children are multi-tasking their media (ie. Watching TV while surfing the internet; listening to music while playing video games). Many students also instant message regularly, download music, create their own webpages or blogs, and listen to a lot of portable self-contained music.
Ball State University found in 2005 that on an average day, two-thirds of our waking time in the United States is spent interacting with some form of mass media.
Our course should be mandatory for graduation. It should include a description of “The Media”, mass communications definitions, basic film studies, advertising and persuasion modules, web searches and quests, web design, basic blogging, presentation media literacy and teaching on the social science and philosophies of the media. Aside from the perfunctory knowledge of how media works in our society, students would also have to read forms of media (newspapers, books, magazines, etc.). They would create and present projects of media and rationalize their work either orally or in written form. They would develop a new critical thinking module for media intake and therefore develop critical thinking skills. Our culture is wrapped in media. We need to provide students with an understanding of how to think, interact and critique media.
With the advent of this class would come four major literacies.
A major focus of the curriculum would be visual literacy, where students would learn to understand the meaning and power of visual images. Students are bombarded with advertisements every time they turn on the television, flip on the computer, and page through a magazine. These are all activities they spend hours on per day, and giving them the ability to think critically about the images that they are being presented with is a powerful skill. Good curriculums push students into higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, and the ability to analyze and think critically about something is a high order skill. By having students analyze advertisements in print and video journalism and examining how the advertisement is positioning them as a consumer, how the ad is making a comment on socioeconomic status, gender roles, and power, we give them the ability to be an informed and critical consumer. If we don’t give students the skills necessary to think critically about the world around them—the world we are “preparing” them for—then what power do our texts of other worlds hold? The power inherent in our books, stories, and poems lie in their ability to relate to the world in which we live, but we must also give students the power to be informed and critical of the every day texts by which they are surrounded.
A second literacy that the curriculum would work to develop is online literacy. By using online chats and discussion boards, students would have the ability to show their digital competence and knowledge base for academic purposes. Having students post questions to the reading assignment, reader response journals, or other connections they’re making with a text (text to world connections) would bring the academic text out of the classroom and into the digital world in which students are living. It gives students the opportunity to integrate their education with the authentic real world experience of using the web as a means of communication with others. Students would demonstrate their online literacy by actively participating in online chats (synchronous and asynchronous) and posting comments on discussion boards.
The third literacy that students would develop is media/computer literacy. Students would create PowerPoint presentations on their independent choice novels, and by presenting their Powerpoints to class, students would develop skills in public speaking, as well as demonstrate their ability to use the computer program. Students could also go on web quests to discover background information about an author, a text, and the time period in which a book or story is set. Having the students generate their own information, rather than having the teacher pour it into them is a much more organic, authentic learning experience for the students, and it shows their ability to navigate the Internet. Any use of the Internet for search purposes also develops critical thinking skills, especially within nonfiction texts. Students must constantly evaluate sources of information—what’s reliable and what’s not, what’s biased and what’s not, as well as determine the credibility of a text with regard to fallacies or logical and emotional appeals.
The fourth media literacy that the curriculum would develop would be film literacy. Students could learn and study the elements of fiction within film, just as well as they could through reading a text. By exploring the elements of fiction within film, students could then apply the same ideas to written texts. By using film in the classroom, teachers impress upon students the belief that film is just another kind of “text”—one that is worthy of analysis and critical thought. Students view film and television for hours a day on their own time. It only makes sense that teachers would use this to their advantage when presenting new information to students. Students could learn both how to analyze film for its literary merit, as well as study the ways in which film creates effects that underlie the meaning of the story. Film study, including editing and shooting techniques would add to the curriculum.
Rationale
I work in the innumerably monstrous Anoka-Hennepin School District, which is home to several of the largest schools in the State of Minnesota. Aside from Champlin Park (my school), we also have Blaine, Coon Rapids, Anoka and Andover High Schools. Because of this, adding -- or even altering -- course offerings is a bureaucratic nightmare. All schools are to have the same offerings and the same curriculum. Assuming someone would listen to a teacher’s proposal, I developed a letter/presentation I would give to the school board and superintendent if I were given an audience with them. The assumption is that they are looking to add classes and/or alter Language Arts/English/I.L.A./Communication Arts curriculum in the district.
Before I present what my letter or speech to the school board would look like, I would first like to rationalize a purpose for having a media study class at Champlin Park High School.
At Champlin Park, we offer several electives in our Language Arts Department that touch on media studies of some sort. These include Introduction to Journalism, NewsLab (newspaper), Yearbook, and Television Journalism. In addition, there are classes offered elsewhere in the school which would touch on media studies. These include Photography/Videography (Industrial Technology Department), Graphic Arts and Design (Art), Web Design (Business Education), etc. However, very few of these (I teach two of them) address an all-out media literacy program. As an example, Television Journalism teaches a bit of film study and no social science of the mass media. The Language Arts Department in the district recently employed a new curriculum in grades 6-12 called Springboard. It is curriculum developed by the same people who create the ACT, College Board. In this curriculum, each grade level has a varying degree of media studies. In ninth grade Language Arts, for instance, one of our six units is Media. In it, we do a film study of the most basic proportions. We also storyboard a fictional advertising project.
I feel we need to do more. I believe it is imperative that our schools offer Media Literacy as a stand-alone course taught by people who have been trained and are knowledgeable in helping students become more adept in today’s media-rich society. I do not think that the Springboard curriculum does that because it limits students to a mere two weeks of media and often can be taught by adults who have very little concept of what they are teaching.
Here is what the Media Literacy course offering should look like and a justification for its well-being:
Simply put, we live in a rapidly changing communication age. Our time has been called “The Information Age” because so much is available to our hands in such a short amount of time. The argument that we should focus on the basics of reading, writing and math skills assumes incorrectly that media literacy downplays those core studies. Media is central in today’s society. It plays an important role in our culture and even a dominating role in today’s teenagers’ lives. According to Vicki Rideout of the Kaiser Foundation, a study that group did in 2004 revealed children in grades 3-12 spend an average of 6 ½ hours a day with some form of media. Of those, four hours are viewing TV, 1 ¾ hours are listening to music or radio, 1 hour is on the computer (most of it on the internet), nearly an hour playing video games and only ¾ of an hour reading. Often these children are multi-tasking their media (ie. Watching TV while surfing the internet; listening to music while playing video games). Many students also instant message regularly, download music, create their own webpages or blogs, and listen to a lot of portable self-contained music.
Ball State University found in 2005 that on an average day, two-thirds of our waking time in the United States is spent interacting with some form of mass media.
Our course should be mandatory for graduation. It should include a description of “The Media”, mass communications definitions, basic film studies, advertising and persuasion modules, web searches and quests, web design, basic blogging, presentation media literacy and teaching on the social science and philosophies of the media. Aside from the perfunctory knowledge of how media works in our society, students would also have to read forms of media (newspapers, books, magazines, etc.). They would create and present projects of media and rationalize their work either orally or in written form. They would develop a new critical thinking module for media intake and therefore develop critical thinking skills. Our culture is wrapped in media. We need to provide students with an understanding of how to think, interact and critique media.
With the advent of this class would come four major literacies.
A major focus of the curriculum would be visual literacy, where students would learn to understand the meaning and power of visual images. Students are bombarded with advertisements every time they turn on the television, flip on the computer, and page through a magazine. These are all activities they spend hours on per day, and giving them the ability to think critically about the images that they are being presented with is a powerful skill. Good curriculums push students into higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, and the ability to analyze and think critically about something is a high order skill. By having students analyze advertisements in print and video journalism and examining how the advertisement is positioning them as a consumer, how the ad is making a comment on socioeconomic status, gender roles, and power, we give them the ability to be an informed and critical consumer. If we don’t give students the skills necessary to think critically about the world around them—the world we are “preparing” them for—then what power do our texts of other worlds hold? The power inherent in our books, stories, and poems lie in their ability to relate to the world in which we live, but we must also give students the power to be informed and critical of the every day texts by which they are surrounded.
A second literacy that the curriculum would work to develop is online literacy. By using online chats and discussion boards, students would have the ability to show their digital competence and knowledge base for academic purposes. Having students post questions to the reading assignment, reader response journals, or other connections they’re making with a text (text to world connections) would bring the academic text out of the classroom and into the digital world in which students are living. It gives students the opportunity to integrate their education with the authentic real world experience of using the web as a means of communication with others. Students would demonstrate their online literacy by actively participating in online chats (synchronous and asynchronous) and posting comments on discussion boards.
The third literacy that students would develop is media/computer literacy. Students would create PowerPoint presentations on their independent choice novels, and by presenting their Powerpoints to class, students would develop skills in public speaking, as well as demonstrate their ability to use the computer program. Students could also go on web quests to discover background information about an author, a text, and the time period in which a book or story is set. Having the students generate their own information, rather than having the teacher pour it into them is a much more organic, authentic learning experience for the students, and it shows their ability to navigate the Internet. Any use of the Internet for search purposes also develops critical thinking skills, especially within nonfiction texts. Students must constantly evaluate sources of information—what’s reliable and what’s not, what’s biased and what’s not, as well as determine the credibility of a text with regard to fallacies or logical and emotional appeals.
The fourth media literacy that the curriculum would develop would be film literacy. Students could learn and study the elements of fiction within film, just as well as they could through reading a text. By exploring the elements of fiction within film, students could then apply the same ideas to written texts. By using film in the classroom, teachers impress upon students the belief that film is just another kind of “text”—one that is worthy of analysis and critical thought. Students view film and television for hours a day on their own time. It only makes sense that teachers would use this to their advantage when presenting new information to students. Students could learn both how to analyze film for its literary merit, as well as study the ways in which film creates effects that underlie the meaning of the story. Film study, including editing and shooting techniques would add to the curriculum.
