Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Project 1: Video Analysis: Terrance Consaul

Thesis:
The argument which this commercial is trying to present is that “The Ipad air is a powerful tool for the empowerment of people around the world, to unite them and enable them to contribute to world culture.”

Triune Brain:
The Emotional brain is moved by the music and the imagery of people from different backgrounds taking part in various kinds of art and sport, living their dreams and their passions. The Reptilian brain is pleased by the imagery of exploration and peace, which promise it survival. The Rational brain is attracted by the artistic ideal and the matter of intellectual stimulation from the poetry in the background.

3 Shifts/Trends:
The video itself provides an example of the Epistemological shift in its use primarily of images, with writing generally being left out, as well as the fact that not many words seem to show up on the various Ipads in the video either. There is also a Personal shift going on, with the people in the commercial being shown as using the Ipad to not only assist in their work, but also record it and share it, such as in the case of the Kabuki dancer performing their dance for the camera. Finally, there is also a Technological shift being highlighted, with old and venerated art forms like Kabuki and Indian dance being recorded on modern technology for the presumed purpose of distribution.

5 Facts:
This commercial seems to elevate the value of the Ipad to that of a cultural artifact, or a valuable art resource like paint or canvas or marble. It shows itself as a tool to help people contribute to world culture, as opposed to merely contributing to their own local culture, and thus also insinuates that you can be remembered forever for the addition of “your verse.” It shows the Ipad as primarily a tool of peace and love, ignoring that it is merely a computer for organization and is just as likely to be used for directing military supplies or terrorist activities as anything else, and uses Walt Whitman as a sort of post-mortem testimonial to the cultural value of a modern tool which allows people to take part in today's global, personalized culture.

3 Principles:
This commercial goes through several different principles. It gives the Value Message that if you are a human being, you will be passionate about art and culture, even if you don't take part in it directly, and the best way to participate in this is to own an Ipad, because as the ad quotes, “...these are what we stay alive for.” The commercial also was probably shooting for Individual Meaning, with a very poetic style and an even more poetic quote from the poet Walt Whitman. Finally, the ad makes excellent use of Pacing, with many lines being timed to the changing of scenes in the background, with one sequence standing out in particular as the narrator lists some of the things people live for.

5 Persuasive Techniques:
The commercial makes use of numerous persuasive techniques, as follows. Firstly, it makes use of Timing to increase the impact of its words, such as one sequence where the narrator talks about what we live for, listing poetry, beauty, romance and love, accompanied by two men talking about a drawing, a man taking a photo of a waterfall, a man standing by a projector with a woman in foreground, and the same woman now dancing in front of the projector and posing with projected art. The commercial then uses Repetition as well, with the words poetry, art and beauty being constantly repeated and brought up by the narrator, while Plain Folks are used in the images to give the impression of the Ipad being something for everyone from every walk of life, as shown by its use by people from Japan (Kabuki, Sumo), India (Indian dancing), and even a white couple hiking in Tibet. This also shows it as something of a Bandwagon, with numerous people from all different walks of life all using the Ipad for a variety of reasons and being shown as quite proficient with it, getting invariably excellent photos and results. Finally, the commercial uses this peaceful diversity to imply unity and a Global Village, adding an unspoken element of Group Dynamics.

3 Course Themes:
The ad does its best to try and catch the attention of viewers with inspiring music and a clear, bold sounding narrator, and its striking visuals of mountains, waterfalls and festivals. This is done both through television where the ad likely first aired, and the internet on sites like Youtube, where the ad can be looked up and found again, as well as inspire people to search for the product it advertises. The ad uses the concept of the new Global Village as its basis to show a new, interconnected world of artists and passionate adventurers living their lives in conjunction with one another through the power of media and modern technology.

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