Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Free Post: Prepositions Vidcast
Monday, September 23, 2013
Library Post #3: Second Big Think Article
http://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/trust-is-a-drug
This article, currently on the homepage of Big Think, spoke great volumes to me as an individual. My own upbringing has led me to value loyalty and trustworthiness above many other traits, which made this article appeal to me on a personal level, based simply on the title. In general, I do not associate trust, which I value, with drugs, which I could not value less. However, this article hardly relates to the use of illicit substances. Rather, it discusses the neurological reasons for trust and the reasons why trust is so important to people. The article cites the secretion of oxytocin by the brain when someone believes they are being trusted, which supposedly heightens the desire to extend trust back to that person, leading to a bond of mutual trust. However, I'm not sure whether this is true in all cases. Some people, as many of us have learned the hard way, are not worthy of trust. This, in turn, brings about the question of why such individuals fail to reciprocate trust. Perhaps their brains fail to secrete oxytocin in such a scenario? Or is it that they do not feel they are being trusted? Or is it for some other reason altogether? This article fails to answer this question, which draws away, in small part, from its credibility. Another issue I have with this article is the fact that it does not specifically mention the neuroscientists who made these discoveries. Where do they work? What was their funding? Is this an ongoing project? We don't know.
Although I have some doubts about the scientific credibility of this article, the first paragraph, which details the virtue of trust itself, which brings me back to my own upbringing. Being able to count on others in the modern world, or at any point in history, for that matter, is invaluable; invaluable, that is, so long as those others always follow through with what they agree to do. The article does mention that "The virtue of trust lies in giving it away," and goes on to elaborate the fact that by giving trust away, you are putting the person you are trusting in a position of power, counting on them to do the right thing. And when they fail you, such an offense is not one to be forgotten, or forgiven so easily.
This article, currently on the homepage of Big Think, spoke great volumes to me as an individual. My own upbringing has led me to value loyalty and trustworthiness above many other traits, which made this article appeal to me on a personal level, based simply on the title. In general, I do not associate trust, which I value, with drugs, which I could not value less. However, this article hardly relates to the use of illicit substances. Rather, it discusses the neurological reasons for trust and the reasons why trust is so important to people. The article cites the secretion of oxytocin by the brain when someone believes they are being trusted, which supposedly heightens the desire to extend trust back to that person, leading to a bond of mutual trust. However, I'm not sure whether this is true in all cases. Some people, as many of us have learned the hard way, are not worthy of trust. This, in turn, brings about the question of why such individuals fail to reciprocate trust. Perhaps their brains fail to secrete oxytocin in such a scenario? Or is it that they do not feel they are being trusted? Or is it for some other reason altogether? This article fails to answer this question, which draws away, in small part, from its credibility. Another issue I have with this article is the fact that it does not specifically mention the neuroscientists who made these discoveries. Where do they work? What was their funding? Is this an ongoing project? We don't know.
Although I have some doubts about the scientific credibility of this article, the first paragraph, which details the virtue of trust itself, which brings me back to my own upbringing. Being able to count on others in the modern world, or at any point in history, for that matter, is invaluable; invaluable, that is, so long as those others always follow through with what they agree to do. The article does mention that "The virtue of trust lies in giving it away," and goes on to elaborate the fact that by giving trust away, you are putting the person you are trusting in a position of power, counting on them to do the right thing. And when they fail you, such an offense is not one to be forgotten, or forgiven so easily.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Library Post #2: Big Think Article
On the home page of the new page, Big Think, I found a link to an article that particularly peaked my interest: http://bigthink.com/specific-gravity/let-there-be-dark. Part of the reason is that light pollution, sometimes referred to as "the end of night," happens to be one of my favorite subjects. The impact that light pollution has on the natural world, and to a limited extent, society, is something I've become rather well-versed in. Not only does it have a major impact on the circadian rhythms of wild animals and the migratory patterns of birds, bats and whales, but it has a big impact on the way we live today. As we all found out in Hurricane Sandy, even a day or two without artificial light will cause your biological clock to revert to its natural state. Heck, if we were living in a world without artificial light, I'd be fast asleep right about now. This is something that we don't really consider right now, and it has really warped our opinion of darkness. This past spring, I went to Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, which are about as "dark" as a night can get in the eastern US. By dark, I mean that there was no light pollution - with the moonlight and starlight in the mountain nights, I could see as clearly as though it were sunset. This really brought home the point of how much a century of light bulbs has altered our part of the world's environment. It begs the question of how well we'd be able to see at night without the lights of New York to block out the stars and absorb the moon's glow.
Beyond my own personal grief about the loss of moonlight, the article brings a whole new section of this topic to light, if you'll pardon the pun. This is the idea - nay, the knowledge - that our new nocturnal lifestyle, and the sleep disorders that it directly, leads to major diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Few people I know - a figure that, until now, included myself - have really ever considered that not getting enough sleep could contribute to diseases such as Alzheimer's or various cancers. Most kids my age connect not getting enough rest to fatigue and a miserable school day, not a hospital ward and chemotherapy. The shocking reality is that it may very well come to that if this trend escalates in the future. And if kids aren't getting enough sleep in there high school years, what will become of them when they're adults, working full-time jobs?
One thing's for sure - I'm going to bed early tonight.
Beyond my own personal grief about the loss of moonlight, the article brings a whole new section of this topic to light, if you'll pardon the pun. This is the idea - nay, the knowledge - that our new nocturnal lifestyle, and the sleep disorders that it directly, leads to major diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Few people I know - a figure that, until now, included myself - have really ever considered that not getting enough sleep could contribute to diseases such as Alzheimer's or various cancers. Most kids my age connect not getting enough rest to fatigue and a miserable school day, not a hospital ward and chemotherapy. The shocking reality is that it may very well come to that if this trend escalates in the future. And if kids aren't getting enough sleep in there high school years, what will become of them when they're adults, working full-time jobs?
One thing's for sure - I'm going to bed early tonight.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Free Post #2: Soundtracks
In class today, when we were discussing the most important element of an advertisement, my response was that an appropriate soundtrack can make or break any attempts that you make. I strongly believe that having an appropriate soundtrack is of vital importance to the message of any work of film, be it a full-length, big budget Hollywood feature or a small-time local commercial; or in any work of theater. When I got home today, I encountered this video on the internet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKNDml12Big
If you saw this in a movie theater today, you would think it would be for an epic summer blockbuster, not Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which is arguably one of the funniest movies of our time, fondly remembered for the memorable bridge scene and the unforgettably hilarious Holy Hand Grenade, among other jokes. But all of the clips and dialogue in this piece come from the actual film itself, with no editing on them. Granted, the maker of this clip conveniently chose to put in only quotes that could be interpreted as epic, with the right soundtrack. The soundtrack is everything in this video; the only thing that makes it seem epic. Try playing this video, muted, with the real theme to Monty Python and the Holy Grail (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHDycUXzNs0) in the background. Still epic? Arguably, but certainly not in the same way - it loses the suspenseful quality, shall we say, and gives the video a whole new meaning, as to being more about adventure and less about action, at least in my opinion. Countless examples of this exist throughout film and television. For example, after all these years, Darth Vader's theme, "The Imperial March," (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8) has become synonymous with the menacing figure widely renowned as one of the greatest villains of film history. The theme song from Jaws is another such icon, which made people afraid to go in the water for years (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb8t3Lt8iJw). But imagine replacing Vader's theme with another iconic George Lucas character's (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bTpp8PQSog), and suddenly the Evil Empire become the heroes of the Star Wars trilogy. And substitute the iconic shark's theme with this song during Jaws, and the horror-thriller becomes a comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg. Granted, these examples are extremely exaggerated, but the point remains the same. For a less exaggerated one, imagine swapping the iconic theme song from Ghostbusters (I don't really have to post a link for this one, do I?) with this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZoNRbSEvX8. Definitely doesn't sound like the light, happy-ending comedy that it is with Ray Parker Junior's song, does it?
Musical theater is a great example of the importance of soundtracks as well. One of my favorite shows of all time is South Pacific. If you don't know the plot...well, I would like to say some mean things about you if you don't, but I digress. In addition to an unprecedentedly powerful storyline, the musical is remembered for such classics as "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime." My personal favorite from this classic is the song "This Nearly Was Mine," in which the male protagonist expresses his regrets at losing the girl of his dreams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drv-NgfLtNw). But imagine this scenario - what would happen if that rotten Justin Beiber song "Baby" replaced this masterpiece? It makes me sick just thinking about it, and South Pacific wouldn't be anybody's favorite musical. But deep down - and you'll have to dig right down to the basics - they say the same thing, only in very different ways, and I think we can all agree that Rodgers and Hammerstein weren't the ones who got it wrong.
What I'm trying to say...don't underestimate the impact that music can have. A soundtrack can make a good film better, a bad film mediocre, or just plain capture the audience's attention. The soundtracks we have when we create videos should definitely be something to consider when we have a more definite game plan. Food for thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKNDml12Big
If you saw this in a movie theater today, you would think it would be for an epic summer blockbuster, not Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which is arguably one of the funniest movies of our time, fondly remembered for the memorable bridge scene and the unforgettably hilarious Holy Hand Grenade, among other jokes. But all of the clips and dialogue in this piece come from the actual film itself, with no editing on them. Granted, the maker of this clip conveniently chose to put in only quotes that could be interpreted as epic, with the right soundtrack. The soundtrack is everything in this video; the only thing that makes it seem epic. Try playing this video, muted, with the real theme to Monty Python and the Holy Grail (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHDycUXzNs0) in the background. Still epic? Arguably, but certainly not in the same way - it loses the suspenseful quality, shall we say, and gives the video a whole new meaning, as to being more about adventure and less about action, at least in my opinion. Countless examples of this exist throughout film and television. For example, after all these years, Darth Vader's theme, "The Imperial March," (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8) has become synonymous with the menacing figure widely renowned as one of the greatest villains of film history. The theme song from Jaws is another such icon, which made people afraid to go in the water for years (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb8t3Lt8iJw). But imagine replacing Vader's theme with another iconic George Lucas character's (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bTpp8PQSog), and suddenly the Evil Empire become the heroes of the Star Wars trilogy. And substitute the iconic shark's theme with this song during Jaws, and the horror-thriller becomes a comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg. Granted, these examples are extremely exaggerated, but the point remains the same. For a less exaggerated one, imagine swapping the iconic theme song from Ghostbusters (I don't really have to post a link for this one, do I?) with this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZoNRbSEvX8. Definitely doesn't sound like the light, happy-ending comedy that it is with Ray Parker Junior's song, does it?
Musical theater is a great example of the importance of soundtracks as well. One of my favorite shows of all time is South Pacific. If you don't know the plot...well, I would like to say some mean things about you if you don't, but I digress. In addition to an unprecedentedly powerful storyline, the musical is remembered for such classics as "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime." My personal favorite from this classic is the song "This Nearly Was Mine," in which the male protagonist expresses his regrets at losing the girl of his dreams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drv-NgfLtNw). But imagine this scenario - what would happen if that rotten Justin Beiber song "Baby" replaced this masterpiece? It makes me sick just thinking about it, and South Pacific wouldn't be anybody's favorite musical. But deep down - and you'll have to dig right down to the basics - they say the same thing, only in very different ways, and I think we can all agree that Rodgers and Hammerstein weren't the ones who got it wrong.
What I'm trying to say...don't underestimate the impact that music can have. A soundtrack can make a good film better, a bad film mediocre, or just plain capture the audience's attention. The soundtracks we have when we create videos should definitely be something to consider when we have a more definite game plan. Food for thought.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Marketing Groundwork Assignment
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Google-Visual-Assets-Guidelines-Part-1/9028077
Here we have the first site given. This explains the importance of shape, color, plane and text in creating a logo that shows what the product being marketed is. It gives specific examples of the ways that Google specifically uses all four of these things. I'm not quite sure whether or not this particular aspect will have a big effect on our marketing program, but we will need a "logo" for STAC to present to the public. And, since Google is one of the most widely used search engines worldwide, they must be doing something right, and if they are, that's something for us to steal...maybe we could use the fonts mentioned in the article, and take tips from them on the plane in which they feature their various logos (head-on, without any three-dimensionality to them).
http://www.brandingserved.com/
This site has a wealth of marketing strategies from many examples, seemingly from around the world. Undoubtedly there are things that we could use from this site, like the tricks that global companies, less notable than Google, have made successful marketing programs. There are seemingly limitless examples shown on this site, farther down than you can scroll (in a reasonable amount of time). Some of the more notable are the following:
http://www.brandingserved.com/gallery/MEIA-PRAIA-Empreendimentos-Imobiliarios/8478039
This is actually a logo for a company in Brazil (I'm not sure what it is precisely, one of the drawbacks of being unable to speak Portuguese). Personally, I like the color scheme, with the dark oranges and reds and the blue-grays of the backgrounds, but that's just me.
http://www.brandingserved.com/gallery/Allsuits-(Branding)/7434631
For this one, I appreciate the color scheme, but I also like the use of both the color and the shapes as well. I'm not saying we have to use shapes in our "logo" - in fact, I can think of a few reasons not to, the foremost being that it may distract the audience - but whether or not shapes would help us out in creating a logo is something I think that we should consider.
http://www.palantir.com/engineering-culture/
This part of this site is interesting in that it directly introduces the reader to the people that are involved in this company, and gives you an insight as to who you are helping and how so. This may be something to consider for commercials - interviews with individual STACies talking about the experience and how receiving donations would make the experience so much better. These three ideas of theirs are interesting as well, as are the quotes that go along with them. Now, these ideas (the best idea wins, nothing is permanent, and keep focused on the mission) may not necessarily be things to use to try to get people to give us money; however, what I think should be done in a commercial would be to have one of the fundamental ideas of STAC come across the screen, directly followed by a quote from a well-known individual, historical or contemporary, that can be directly connected to the idea.
http://www.palantir.com/life-at-palantir/
This part of the site is full of the beneficial things that the people do in this company, and images that convince the reader of the verity of the statements. Perhaps we could include photographs of us at work and having fun at the same time. Having said this, I think that somebody, preferably one of the photography students, should take some pictures at the talent show this Friday, to provide an insight to our audience as to what we actually do, and earn their sympathies in this way.
http://www.palantir.com/what-we-believe/
The use of images in this site is particularly powerful, as is the text over them. The reader's eye automatically jumps to these images, not the written message at the top of the screen. Perhaps, in a commercial, we could do something along these lines, with text over photographs or photographs of the artwork that STACies have done in the past (or in the present, should the perfect opportunity present itself). We would have to select images with the right lighting and color, so as to not completely interfere with the message sent by the text, but this is something to consider.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/11-tips-for-crowdfunding-how-to-raise-money-from-strangers/
This site gives out a lot of great tips on how to earn the sympathies of the crowd and get them to give you what you want. The tips on target audience, showing where the money goes, and giving credit are particularly insightful. Knowing the target audience is important for us; our target audience will determine our sales pitch, formatting, choice of music and color scheme entirely. Do we aim for STAC alumni, or Herricks students, or both, or some other group entirely? We need to determine that before we proceed. Showing where the money goes would likely use pictures and videos of previous workshops and trips from years past, which undoubtedly are around. And we could potentially, after the first few donations, add in a special thanks session at the end of a commercial or two to acknowledge those individuals who sent us money, whoever they may be.
http://www.johntunger.com/
It's too bad that this site doesn't have any videos, because this guy looks like he has some great ideas. He's offering a product that's a little out of the ordinary (certainly more so than STAC), but making a very convincing case for it using a simple layout consisting of photographs of the product and a slide show. I'm not the most technologically apt, but if we could make our images in our commercials flow like this, it might be effective, but then again, it might not. Don't quote me on anything pertaining to this particular link - it could potentially go either way. Maybe there's a reason this guy didn't make any videos.
http://www.indiegogo.com/
This site has a lot of great ideas. However, there's one problem I have with it; not many of the videos on the site have any music at all. I feel as though an appropriate soundtrack is vitally important to any sort of film, which is among the reasons why this particular video on the site stood out to me as above and beyond the others:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-last-light
This video stood out to me for being somewhat STACish in the premise (at least in terms of acting and filmmaking). Also, it's one of the only videos I found on this site that actually uses a soundtrack, and it is obviously above most of the rest of the videos. It has a powerful premise as well, with the story that is being produced thanks to these donations. Maybe, if anybody has any definite ideas of what they want to do this year, they could explain it out in detail, and with a bit of effective music in the background, we could make something pretty powerful.
http://www.kickstarter.com/
It's too bad that the requirements for setting up a kickstarter page are a bit high for us high school students to achieve, because a site like this could potentially help us out a lot. This page shows a great deal of information right off the bat, giving links to a multitude of videos, both in the metro New York area and across the country. Clicking on any video will show you how widespread, and in some cases, effective, this site is. However, these two videos stood out to me more than any of the others.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jackcheng/these-days-a-novel
Some of you are probably assuming that I just put this down because it was the first video on the homepage. Well, I can assure you that that isn't the reason. Part of the reason was the topic, which has a bit of appeal to me, as I believe that technology plays too much of a role in society, and this subject is explored in this book. Another part of the reason is that the guy who made this video was very thorough, explaining everything about why he wanted the money and what he would be doing with it in detail. Perhaps this level of detail should not be something for us to ignore when the time comes to start marketing. Thirdly, this guy's campaign was obviously a success, which means there should be stuff for us to steal from him. He has an effective soundtrack and a good setup, explaining what he wants to achieve and then appealing to the audience for help to make it what he believes it could truly be. It obviously worked for him; why not for us?
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1465054380/help-bring-you-and-me-to-europe?ref=home_popular
This video is another popular one. The premise is clearly rather STACish, and it also has a great depth of video clips; the amount of effort that the people put into this video is quite apparent. What makes this one stand out on this site is that, more than any others, the people involved (the marketers) seem very sincere about what they wish to accomplish and establish more of a connection with the audience through politeness and reasoning. These techniques are, in their case, quite effective, and should not be overlooked when we are marketing.
http://www.gofundme.com/
This site immediately provides the reader with various opportunities to search for stories created for different categories, as diverse as you can imagine. They seem to be a successful site, with a link about their different success stories (which is in no way helpful for us). However, some of the arts-related links could very well provide us with a template to base our marketing scheme on. What's interesting about this site is that there aren't any videos attached to it; it's simply pictures and updates, in addition to all of the links present, some of which involve projects similar, in one way or another, to STAC.
http://www.gofundme.com/Creative-Arts-Music-Film/
What's interesting about this site is that it is unique in that it does not utilize videos to get its point across. This is a double-edged sword, if you ask me. On the plus side, it is most likely simpler, and so more readily accessible to the technologically challenged (such as myself), and there's less for you to get wrong, like a soundtrack or backgrounds and transitions. On the other hand, there's a certain amount of emotion and humanity that you can convey through a video that words on a screen can't compete with. I'm not quite sure this is the site to go to to find the perfect examples of what we want to be making when we're marketing.
I apologize for this exceptionally lengthy post; I don't intend to make a habit of doing things this long (that are undoubtedly arduous to read). This one is probably more than two and a half times the length of what will probably be normal for me.
Here we have the first site given. This explains the importance of shape, color, plane and text in creating a logo that shows what the product being marketed is. It gives specific examples of the ways that Google specifically uses all four of these things. I'm not quite sure whether or not this particular aspect will have a big effect on our marketing program, but we will need a "logo" for STAC to present to the public. And, since Google is one of the most widely used search engines worldwide, they must be doing something right, and if they are, that's something for us to steal...maybe we could use the fonts mentioned in the article, and take tips from them on the plane in which they feature their various logos (head-on, without any three-dimensionality to them).
http://www.brandingserved.com/
This site has a wealth of marketing strategies from many examples, seemingly from around the world. Undoubtedly there are things that we could use from this site, like the tricks that global companies, less notable than Google, have made successful marketing programs. There are seemingly limitless examples shown on this site, farther down than you can scroll (in a reasonable amount of time). Some of the more notable are the following:
http://www.brandingserved.com/gallery/MEIA-PRAIA-Empreendimentos-Imobiliarios/8478039
This is actually a logo for a company in Brazil (I'm not sure what it is precisely, one of the drawbacks of being unable to speak Portuguese). Personally, I like the color scheme, with the dark oranges and reds and the blue-grays of the backgrounds, but that's just me.
http://www.brandingserved.com/gallery/Allsuits-(Branding)/7434631
For this one, I appreciate the color scheme, but I also like the use of both the color and the shapes as well. I'm not saying we have to use shapes in our "logo" - in fact, I can think of a few reasons not to, the foremost being that it may distract the audience - but whether or not shapes would help us out in creating a logo is something I think that we should consider.
http://www.palantir.com/engineering-culture/
This part of this site is interesting in that it directly introduces the reader to the people that are involved in this company, and gives you an insight as to who you are helping and how so. This may be something to consider for commercials - interviews with individual STACies talking about the experience and how receiving donations would make the experience so much better. These three ideas of theirs are interesting as well, as are the quotes that go along with them. Now, these ideas (the best idea wins, nothing is permanent, and keep focused on the mission) may not necessarily be things to use to try to get people to give us money; however, what I think should be done in a commercial would be to have one of the fundamental ideas of STAC come across the screen, directly followed by a quote from a well-known individual, historical or contemporary, that can be directly connected to the idea.
http://www.palantir.com/life-at-palantir/
This part of the site is full of the beneficial things that the people do in this company, and images that convince the reader of the verity of the statements. Perhaps we could include photographs of us at work and having fun at the same time. Having said this, I think that somebody, preferably one of the photography students, should take some pictures at the talent show this Friday, to provide an insight to our audience as to what we actually do, and earn their sympathies in this way.
http://www.palantir.com/what-we-believe/
The use of images in this site is particularly powerful, as is the text over them. The reader's eye automatically jumps to these images, not the written message at the top of the screen. Perhaps, in a commercial, we could do something along these lines, with text over photographs or photographs of the artwork that STACies have done in the past (or in the present, should the perfect opportunity present itself). We would have to select images with the right lighting and color, so as to not completely interfere with the message sent by the text, but this is something to consider.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/11-tips-for-crowdfunding-how-to-raise-money-from-strangers/
This site gives out a lot of great tips on how to earn the sympathies of the crowd and get them to give you what you want. The tips on target audience, showing where the money goes, and giving credit are particularly insightful. Knowing the target audience is important for us; our target audience will determine our sales pitch, formatting, choice of music and color scheme entirely. Do we aim for STAC alumni, or Herricks students, or both, or some other group entirely? We need to determine that before we proceed. Showing where the money goes would likely use pictures and videos of previous workshops and trips from years past, which undoubtedly are around. And we could potentially, after the first few donations, add in a special thanks session at the end of a commercial or two to acknowledge those individuals who sent us money, whoever they may be.
http://www.johntunger.com/
It's too bad that this site doesn't have any videos, because this guy looks like he has some great ideas. He's offering a product that's a little out of the ordinary (certainly more so than STAC), but making a very convincing case for it using a simple layout consisting of photographs of the product and a slide show. I'm not the most technologically apt, but if we could make our images in our commercials flow like this, it might be effective, but then again, it might not. Don't quote me on anything pertaining to this particular link - it could potentially go either way. Maybe there's a reason this guy didn't make any videos.
http://www.indiegogo.com/
This site has a lot of great ideas. However, there's one problem I have with it; not many of the videos on the site have any music at all. I feel as though an appropriate soundtrack is vitally important to any sort of film, which is among the reasons why this particular video on the site stood out to me as above and beyond the others:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-last-light
This video stood out to me for being somewhat STACish in the premise (at least in terms of acting and filmmaking). Also, it's one of the only videos I found on this site that actually uses a soundtrack, and it is obviously above most of the rest of the videos. It has a powerful premise as well, with the story that is being produced thanks to these donations. Maybe, if anybody has any definite ideas of what they want to do this year, they could explain it out in detail, and with a bit of effective music in the background, we could make something pretty powerful.
http://www.kickstarter.com/
It's too bad that the requirements for setting up a kickstarter page are a bit high for us high school students to achieve, because a site like this could potentially help us out a lot. This page shows a great deal of information right off the bat, giving links to a multitude of videos, both in the metro New York area and across the country. Clicking on any video will show you how widespread, and in some cases, effective, this site is. However, these two videos stood out to me more than any of the others.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jackcheng/these-days-a-novel
Some of you are probably assuming that I just put this down because it was the first video on the homepage. Well, I can assure you that that isn't the reason. Part of the reason was the topic, which has a bit of appeal to me, as I believe that technology plays too much of a role in society, and this subject is explored in this book. Another part of the reason is that the guy who made this video was very thorough, explaining everything about why he wanted the money and what he would be doing with it in detail. Perhaps this level of detail should not be something for us to ignore when the time comes to start marketing. Thirdly, this guy's campaign was obviously a success, which means there should be stuff for us to steal from him. He has an effective soundtrack and a good setup, explaining what he wants to achieve and then appealing to the audience for help to make it what he believes it could truly be. It obviously worked for him; why not for us?
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1465054380/help-bring-you-and-me-to-europe?ref=home_popular
This video is another popular one. The premise is clearly rather STACish, and it also has a great depth of video clips; the amount of effort that the people put into this video is quite apparent. What makes this one stand out on this site is that, more than any others, the people involved (the marketers) seem very sincere about what they wish to accomplish and establish more of a connection with the audience through politeness and reasoning. These techniques are, in their case, quite effective, and should not be overlooked when we are marketing.
http://www.gofundme.com/
This site immediately provides the reader with various opportunities to search for stories created for different categories, as diverse as you can imagine. They seem to be a successful site, with a link about their different success stories (which is in no way helpful for us). However, some of the arts-related links could very well provide us with a template to base our marketing scheme on. What's interesting about this site is that there aren't any videos attached to it; it's simply pictures and updates, in addition to all of the links present, some of which involve projects similar, in one way or another, to STAC.
http://www.gofundme.com/Creative-Arts-Music-Film/
What's interesting about this site is that it is unique in that it does not utilize videos to get its point across. This is a double-edged sword, if you ask me. On the plus side, it is most likely simpler, and so more readily accessible to the technologically challenged (such as myself), and there's less for you to get wrong, like a soundtrack or backgrounds and transitions. On the other hand, there's a certain amount of emotion and humanity that you can convey through a video that words on a screen can't compete with. I'm not quite sure this is the site to go to to find the perfect examples of what we want to be making when we're marketing.
I apologize for this exceptionally lengthy post; I don't intend to make a habit of doing things this long (that are undoubtedly arduous to read). This one is probably more than two and a half times the length of what will probably be normal for me.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Library Post #1 (I'm not overly imaginative when it comes to naming things)
While watching the news this evening, as I do on occasion, I came across a story pertaining to the wildfires in California. And as the current events fanatic that I am, I naturally had to look it up. And, lo and behold, I found this article. If any of you want to read said article for yourselves, or just look at the charts, here's the link. If not, I probably won't be overly offended.
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/wildfires-expected-double-2050-west-warms-8C11122981?ocid=msnhp&pos=1
For those of you who don't want to click on the link, I'll sum this article up; essentially, due to a combination of climate change and manmade pollution, researchers have hypothesized that the severity of wildfires in the western US will double within the next four decades. This article is notable for a number of reasons; first off, researchers from Harvard and Yale, and their findings, are used in this article, which is always a good sign when it comes to credibility. The subject itself isn't just interesting, it could have a major role in determining the way the other half lives (the half west of the Rockies, that is). Part of the matter is that wildfires pose a serious threat to anybody living out west, and cities like Fresno and Reno are already in their path. Should such fires double in severity in the next few decades, essentially the entire west coast would be at risk. I find this an interesting prospect, because my family has a history of bad blood with California...but enough of my personal grievances with the west. What's important is that this could put millions of people at risk, a number which probably includes the families of some of the individuals reading this. This article is also notable in that it discusses the negative effects of smoke, which isn't really something people here in the east, or at least I, had ever really considered. But the idea that pollution would increase smoke production, which could in the long term lead to a significant increase in respiratory illness and pollution from the smoke itself throughout the western US, is supported by the aforementioned professors and, if true, could have a serious impact on major cities such as San Francisco and Portland. This is real, this is happening, and if you've been contemplating a move to San Fran in the distant (or not-too-distant, perhaps) future, you may wish to reconsider. Food for thought.
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/wildfires-expected-double-2050-west-warms-8C11122981?ocid=msnhp&pos=1
For those of you who don't want to click on the link, I'll sum this article up; essentially, due to a combination of climate change and manmade pollution, researchers have hypothesized that the severity of wildfires in the western US will double within the next four decades. This article is notable for a number of reasons; first off, researchers from Harvard and Yale, and their findings, are used in this article, which is always a good sign when it comes to credibility. The subject itself isn't just interesting, it could have a major role in determining the way the other half lives (the half west of the Rockies, that is). Part of the matter is that wildfires pose a serious threat to anybody living out west, and cities like Fresno and Reno are already in their path. Should such fires double in severity in the next few decades, essentially the entire west coast would be at risk. I find this an interesting prospect, because my family has a history of bad blood with California...but enough of my personal grievances with the west. What's important is that this could put millions of people at risk, a number which probably includes the families of some of the individuals reading this. This article is also notable in that it discusses the negative effects of smoke, which isn't really something people here in the east, or at least I, had ever really considered. But the idea that pollution would increase smoke production, which could in the long term lead to a significant increase in respiratory illness and pollution from the smoke itself throughout the western US, is supported by the aforementioned professors and, if true, could have a serious impact on major cities such as San Francisco and Portland. This is real, this is happening, and if you've been contemplating a move to San Fran in the distant (or not-too-distant, perhaps) future, you may wish to reconsider. Food for thought.
Monday, September 9, 2013
The Importance of Memorization
Whenever I'm in some sort of performance, somebody always congratulates me at the end. This somebody could be one of my parents, just trying to be supportive (never very encouraging). Or it could be some random audience member, coming up to me and giving me a blow-by-blow of why they enjoyed my performance. To which I always reply, "Thanks!" even when what I'm thinking is, "I have no idea who you are! This is kind of creepy!" I suppose I'm not totally comfortable with any sort of fame, even the highly limited kind that dissolves within twenty minutes after the end of the last show. This never fails to surprise me, the reason being that, when you get down to basics, I'm not really an exceptionally talented actor. I'm good, I hope, if not above-average, but I've never really seen myself as something really special. However, I do believe that I understand the basics of what gives my performances strength.
Those of you who have been in a theatrical program with me know that I have a bit of a gift for memorization. More often than not, I have my lines memorized within a week of the announcing of the parts. As some of you no doubt know, I'll have most of the show memorized by opening night. I can't tell you why, but I can tell you that this has always been the case with me, since an early age, and quite a few of my fellow STACies would be willing to back this up. I promise I'm getting to my point.
The thing about having one's lines memorized is that it liberates you from the limiting shackle that is the script. Once an actor ditches the script, they're free to interact with others on the stage, add the emotion that is stolen by looking down half the time, and giving their character life. Once you don't have to occupy your mind with the progression of lines on the page, you can go above and beyond what becomes your norm. Given enough time, and how much is enough varies by what you have to memorize, you can imbue an unprecedented amount of life and emotion into your character, no matter how big or small. This goes beyond theater; any individual in a profession which requires public speaking, in any form, be it in law or politics or teaching in a university or, of course, acting, should consider memorizing their material as far in advance as possible or to the greatest extent in what time they have, which, to be fair, is likely inadequate for a two-hour lecture or a forty-minute speech. But to be frank, when I watched Secretary of State Kerry's recent speech on the necessity of action in Syria, I'd have found it much more compelling if he'd looked out at the audience more and down at his papers less.
Now, I know that not everybody has an unnatural skill to memorize things like lines, sayings, and the most trivial bits of information imaginable from times gone by (I'm not making that up; I can quote my preschool teacher, and yet I have trouble remembering such inconsequential details such as the difference between left and right and my age). But everyone who's considering trying out for a play, or auditioning for a role, should try to memorize what they need to ahead of time. It may seem like a pain, but it'll improve the final product. Trust me on this.
Those of you who have been in a theatrical program with me know that I have a bit of a gift for memorization. More often than not, I have my lines memorized within a week of the announcing of the parts. As some of you no doubt know, I'll have most of the show memorized by opening night. I can't tell you why, but I can tell you that this has always been the case with me, since an early age, and quite a few of my fellow STACies would be willing to back this up. I promise I'm getting to my point.
The thing about having one's lines memorized is that it liberates you from the limiting shackle that is the script. Once an actor ditches the script, they're free to interact with others on the stage, add the emotion that is stolen by looking down half the time, and giving their character life. Once you don't have to occupy your mind with the progression of lines on the page, you can go above and beyond what becomes your norm. Given enough time, and how much is enough varies by what you have to memorize, you can imbue an unprecedented amount of life and emotion into your character, no matter how big or small. This goes beyond theater; any individual in a profession which requires public speaking, in any form, be it in law or politics or teaching in a university or, of course, acting, should consider memorizing their material as far in advance as possible or to the greatest extent in what time they have, which, to be fair, is likely inadequate for a two-hour lecture or a forty-minute speech. But to be frank, when I watched Secretary of State Kerry's recent speech on the necessity of action in Syria, I'd have found it much more compelling if he'd looked out at the audience more and down at his papers less.
Now, I know that not everybody has an unnatural skill to memorize things like lines, sayings, and the most trivial bits of information imaginable from times gone by (I'm not making that up; I can quote my preschool teacher, and yet I have trouble remembering such inconsequential details such as the difference between left and right and my age). But everyone who's considering trying out for a play, or auditioning for a role, should try to memorize what they need to ahead of time. It may seem like a pain, but it'll improve the final product. Trust me on this.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Them Heavy People: My Verse
Now they come to me when I'm feeling down
I welcome them with open arms.
And in the good times, and in the bad times,
I know I'll have them by my side.
I welcome them with open arms.
And in the good times, and in the bad times,
I know I'll have them by my side.
My Artist Bio
As an actor, Brian has been involved in many theater programs, both dramatic and musical, since elementary school. Although not one to be picky about the parts he is cast in, he prefers antagonistic roles due to the fact that such characters typically have a great deal more depth and complexity than the likeable, charming, and often amusing protagonists; antagonists make the actor who portrays them question their choices and their reasoning, decide what choices they would make in the antagonist's situation, and by doing so, discover a great deal about themselves. Rather than take a formalized acting class, which he has yet to do, Brian's learning strategy when it comes to theater is to pick up tips from directors or his fellow actors to improve his performances and add depth to his roles. Such constructive criticism has shaped many of his roles and performances. The characterization of Brian's roles is shaped by several major influences, including iconic or exceptionally powerful characters from throughout film history, such as James Stewart's unforgettable portrayal of George Bailey as a good man down on his luck in It's a Wonderful Life and (as unprofessional as it may sound) Andy Serkis' portrayal of the creature Gollum in Peter Jackson's interpretation of The Lord of the Rings as a misunderstood, tortured individual constantly locked in a losing battle with his dark side. Brian also takes features from real figures, be they individuals he knows or historical figures such as past US presidents or fanatical dictators, and techniques used in previous portrayals of the roles he holds in theater, and uses a compilation of all these traits to shape his roles to his view of perfection.
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