THIS PROJECT IS DUE AS A STAND-ALONE POST AT OUR COURSE BLOG FOR FORMAL ORAL PRESENTATION ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12. BE READY!
Search and
select a short (1-2 minute) video that highlights issues, questions, or
challenges surrounding our 21st CENTURY DIGITAL MEDIA REVOLUTION in
some specific, clear and interesting way.
Prepare a BLOG presentation in which
you analyze your video using our MEDIA MATRIX power tools and tie it together
with trends from our class conversations and text.
Follow Dr. W’s SO SO example below.
THESIS:
This commercial's main argument? Digital media devices like "turn on your car from inside your house" clickers can help you fulfill your children’s dreams if you own the new Volkswagen Passat.
TRIUNE BRAIN: (PROVIDE 3 OBSERVATIONS)
The storyline in this commercial catches the attention of the rational brain as it challenges the brain to rationalize the message of this commercial; can you actually provide something magical for your child if you have this car? The music affects the emotional brain through the ability to connect to the child’s struggle. Finally the reptilian brain is also affected through the music, which instills a feeling of excitement. It is the music from Star Wars, a movie with many action scenes that express the fight part of the reptilian brain.
3 SHIFTS/TRENDS: (PROVIDE THREE SHIFTS WITH SPECIFICS)
The way that I am able to view this video, as a stream on youtube, is an example of an aesthetic shift. We are moving from a society of discrete technology to convergence in that the computer as one device that allows us to do many things all at once rather than just one function. Because of the aesthetic shift, I am able to watch this video on my phone, television and my computer. Another shift that is represented by the streaming of this video is a cultural one. Because I have used youtube in the past and it is connected to my other web browser, there are ads for other products along the sideline when I am watching this commercial. The privacy of the Internet does not exist. We are all under surveillance. The medium of this commercial also represents an epistemological shift. Youtube is entirely a site for videos, very few words are written down; rather it is primarily videos and images, just as the commercial is using images rather than words.
5 "FACTS": (WHAT "CLAIMS" YOUR VIDEO MAKE ABOUT NEW DIGITAL MEDIA?)
Some of the socially constructed pieces of data the car commercial claims are that if you buy the new Passat you will be a better father. Another is that you will fulfill the dreams of your child. It also seems that the car commercial is saying that if you buy the Passat, it will bring your family together. Families with nice houses, a dog and fancy appliances are more likely to own a Passat. Passats are also the type of car one owns while living in suburbia.
3 PRINCIPLES: (SELECT 3 PRINCIPLES AND ANALYZE)
Some of the principles of this commercial are the value messages; if you are a good father, you fill find a way to make your child’s dreams come true. In this case, he is able to do that with his car. However the untold story here is about what kind of person this man is, and how he actually treats his family. The production technique is another aspect of the commercial that is not explained. The way in which the commercial is being filmed is greatly dramatized with the music playing from the Star Wars movie through the whole thing. It is interesting to think about why the reasons they chose that song i.e. to create nostalgia for adults, to grab the attention of children etc. Another technique used was the individual meaning. The commercial is obviously meant to target a certain audience and trigger different individuals through their commercial.
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES: (SELECT 5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN YOUR VIDEO, AS WELL AS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE ILLUSTRATING EACH)
This commercial greatly appeals to the average suburban dweller or “plain folk.” It connects with suburban living and those that subside there. This commercial also provides a feeling of strength to the child as well as the father. The child is able to do what he or she has been trying to do throughout the day and the father has the power to provide that for him or her. In this commercial they don’t outright use the bandwagon technique, however they show an average, well-off family owning this car in a way that could easily make another feel that they are missing out on something everyone else is enjoying. It is also implied through this commercial that “maybe” if you own this car, you will be able to be a hero for your child. In this sense they are also using a bit of bribery. They are bribing the consumer with fancy gadgets and the ability to do the impossible!
3 COURSE THEMES:
This car commercial illustrates the notion that new digital media technology companies often argue that our lives will be made richer, fuller, and better by a reliance on new digital media technology. "Magic" devices like RFID-driven car starters provide family bonding, enhance childhood development, and allow fathers and sons to develop deep emotional connections over time.
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