This is a blog about my teaching, research and service with some occasional personal comments thrown in. These are my notes on a variety of topics. If you want to follow my blog posts on a specific topic, then see the Table of Contents in the right-hand column. While I try to work in the realm of facts, logic and moral absolutes, if there are any opinions expressed here, they are my own. -WilliamHartPhD
NOTE: If for some reason your browser does not show the above news stories, then see the stories on Dr. Hart's Storify account at http://storify.com/WilliamHartPhD#stories. You may also want to consider updating your browser (Explorer or Chrome).
NOTE: If for some reason your browser does not show the above news stories, then see the stories on Dr. Hart's Storify account at http://storify.com/WilliamHartPhD#stories. You may also want to consider updating your browser (Explorer or Chrome).
In adaptation studies, adaptation is the process of a story changing as it moves from one form to another. Example: Harry Potter books to Harry Potter films. It could also be from a video game to a film, from a play to a film, etc.
One of the key concepts in adaptation studies is infidelity. Infidelity is a measure of how different an adaptation is from the original source. How different is the film from the novel, for example?
For those writers who adapt stories from novel to film, they face a challenge. How to get the story from a 300 page novel to a 90 page/minute script? Scenes have to be excluded, characters have to combined, etc.
Which is better? The book or the movie? Is that a fair question to ask? There seems to be bias to always choosing the book.
Very often when adaptation scholars look at infidelity their attention is put on what is left out, but not why it is left out? James Patterson's novel Kiss the Girls was adapted into a 1997 film. While the novel addressed issues of race and included an interracial romance, the film adaptation did not. Why? For answers to this, see Hart, W. B., (2012). The case of the missing interracial romance.
Previously, we covered the key components of a story and key things to keep in mind to strengthen a story.
In an earlier post we covered: "Plot – story should start with exposition, then conflict, escalating conflict, leading to final climax and then to resolution."
Now, let's look closer at plot, especially in film.
When it comes to Hollywood films, one of the key experts on how to tell a story and how to construct a plot is Syd Field.
Field defines a screenplay as “a story told with pictures, in dialogue and description, and placed within the context of dramatic structure."
Field promotes his version of a the three act structure as shown below.
Setup (Act I): Let the audience know who the main character is and what the story is about. Identify the need of the main character. Confrontation (Act II): The main character needs something and there will be people/things that stop him/her. Resolution (Act III): How does the story end? What happens to the main character? Need met or not? Plot Point: “an incident, or event, that hooks into the story and spins it around into another direction” (Field).
What the following trailer of Die Hard and look for the acts. Do you spot Plot Point 1 at the end of Act I? What happens at the Christmas party?
Now, think about your favorite films. Do you see this same structure?
Developing a full or even partial screenplay is beyond the scope of things here, but it is now possible given the what we've covered, to develop a film treatment.
A film or screenplay treatment is a one page synopsis of a film yet to be produced. It is typically written before the full script.
Could you write a treatment for the next big film written by you? Recall previous discussion on story, especially the coverage of character identification.
People who work in media are, for the most part, storytellers. Whether we are writing a print news story, a novel, a children's book, a non-fiction book, a commercial, a song, a comedy skit, etc., we are telling stories in some form or another. We are storytellers.
What are the common components of a story?
Writer of story
Characters in story - hero, villain, etc.
Setting(s) - where the story happens
Plot - what happens in the story
Conflict - internal or external
Dialogue - what the characters say
Exposition - information about character, setting, etc.
Premise - what is it about
A moral or theme - the lesson of the story
Does a novel have all of these components? A children's book? A print news story? You may not call it "plot" in a print news story, but it is there. What about a song or a commercial?
Do you see the story components in this trailer of the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are?
"One time I tried to take a picture of my favorite television show and the photo only showed about a quarter of the picture on the screen. Why did that happen?" Read the rest on this web page. See the interactive graphics as well.
Black and White TV Screens
"We keep talking about these little dots. What are they made of, anyway?" Read the rest on this web page. See the interactive graphics as well.
Bright and Dark
"Now I have two more questions! First, how does the electron beam move around to different parts of the screen? And second, how do you get gray pictures out of light and dark phosphors?" Read the rest on this web page. See the interactive graphics as well.
Before talking about how radio works, it is first helpful to understand the electromagnetic spectrum. What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
Now, how does radio fit into this? What does it have to do with the spectrum? The following video provides a good overview.
Now some detail from decades ago. While the specific tech shown is from decades ago, the basic principles still apply today. Spot the steps in signal processing?
For a quick summary on how radio works, see this quick vid.
What is linguistic discrimination? "HUD Fair Housing Public Service Announcement"
"Linguistic Discrimination in School: African American English" Note: The audio is a little out of sync on this YouTube video, but the content is informative.
This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to the idea of cultural literacy and the role it plays in intercultural communication.
What does this have to do with intercultural communication? Your task: You are in China and have to teach An American Culture/English Language class. What would you do?
An idiom is "a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from the meanings of the constituent words, as for example ( It was raining ) cats and dogs" or "kick the bucket or hang one's head." (Dictionary.com). See additional information, plus examples here.
“A traditional way of saying something. Often an idiom, such as 'under the weather,' does not seem to make sense if taken literally. Someone unfamiliar with English idioms would probably not understand that to be 'under the weather' is to be sick.” (American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy)
Why would you want to be careful about using idioms in intercultural situations? Any connections between idioms and emblems?
Example of a Chinese idiom: "Dui niu tan ching" It literally means “Playing music for a cow.”
See image here.
If a wife told her husband that talking to him is like "dui niu tan ching," what is she really saying? Does this translate into any American idioms?
If you are in an intercultural situation where idioms are used how can you figure out the meaning? Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below. Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.
This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to issues of language differences in intercultural situations. The video is set in the far future and far off into space, but does this situation seem familiar to you in any way? During the video answer the following questions:
Would you face the same experience? Have you?
Can you figure out the language?
What advice would you offer when interacting with people and you both don’t speak the others’ language (in short, lessons learned?)?
The “Picard Principle” of Intercultural Communication: In the clip Picard says “Communication is a matter of patience [and] imagination.” What does that phrase mean? Is it true?
So, one of the benefits of digital photography is that it is so easy to edit a photograph. However, you could also say one of the problems with digital photography is that it is so easy to edit a photograph. How can this be both a benefit and a problem? The advances in photographic technologies leads to some ethical issues in photography that need to be addressed. Digital photo manipulation: "the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception (in contrast to mere enhancement or correction), through analog or digital means." (Wikipedia) Ethics: "(1) the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. (2) a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction... (3) the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group." (Merriam-Webster) What are your ethical standards when it comes to digital manipulation? When is it O.K. to manipulate a photograph and when is it not? Would it be acceptable in the area of art, but not in journalism? Why?
Digital manipulation of photos can come up in the realm of politics as in the Fox News clip below. The third photo shown (with the poodle) is clearly "photoshopped," but so are the previous two photos of the two men (yellowed teeth, etc.).
Browse through the many examples of photo manipulation found on Photo Tampering Throughout History. This site has over 120 examples of photo manipulations from the late 1800s to today. Browse through some of them. As you check out some of the examples on the site, see if you can fine tune your ethical standards about photo manipulation. When is it O.K.? When is it not?
So, advances in technology have brought us the digital camera. But, just because it is new tech, does that mean digital photography is better than film photography?
Compared to traditional film photography, what are the benefits of digital photography? In the video below, two benefits are offered.* To that list we can add: (3) digital photography allows for a smaller storage space and (4) digital photography allows for easy editing.
Note the key photography terms defined in the video? Watch for the missspelling in the clip?
So, it can be argued that digital is better. But, how to take a digital photograph? What is the process? What are the steps in the process?
Technical Steps to Taking a Photograph (camera set-up, etc.)
If you are looking for videos that explain the technical basics of digital photography, I'd recommend Brian Ratty's video series (Digital Photography - The Camera (Tutorial DVD)). The videos are now a little dated, but still cover the basics well.
*Note that the video is a little dated. He says, for example, that film photography is still the standard. That is no longer the case.
Let's shift our focus, excuse the pun, from art to tech.
Let's move our discussion from photographic criticism and composition to some basics of the photographic technology.
Let's start with, how does a digital camera work? What are the steps in the process?
Along with this, what are the parts of the camera relevant to a discussion of how it works?
Let's take a look at the process again, in a slightly different way.
Description: "Discover the extraordinary in just about everything ordinary. Join best-selling author Steven Johnson for a 6-part series that explores the power and the legacy of great ideas. Hear the stories behind the remarkable ideas that made modern life possible, the unsung heroes who brought them about and the unexpected and bizarre consequences each of these innovations triggered HOW WE GOT TO NOW WITH STEVEN JOHNSON premieres Wednesdays, October 15, 9-11 p.m. and October 22-November 12, 10-11 p.m. ET."
NOTE: If for some reason your browser does not show the above news stories, then see the stories on Dr. Hart's Storify account at http://storify.com/WilliamHartPhD#stories. You may also want to consider updating your browser (Explorer or Chrome).
NOTE: If for some reason your browser does not show the above news stories, then see the stories on Dr. Hart's Storify account at http://storify.com/WilliamHartPhD#stories. You may also want to consider updating your browser (Explorer or Chrome).
And now we move to some coverage of broadcast journalism. Here we'll focus on the idea of fake news.
You know news, but do you know fake news? Watch the following clip from a local TV news cast. When watching the above clip from a news broadcast what are your reasonable assumptions? That the people interviewed are local people? That this is a local story? That the reporter did the interviews and wrote the story? That this is real news? Now, check out this next video which was written and produced by independent video company and funded Quest Diagnostics, a company that runs lab testing centers around the U.S. where allergy testing is done.
What did you notice? What if you started both video clips at about the same time? Try it. Start the bottom clip, wait a few seconds and start the top clip. Notice any difference? The second clip you saw is an example of what is called a video news release (some background). "Video news releases or VNRs (also referred to as fake TV news) are segments designed to be indistinguishable from independently-produced news reports that are distributed and promoted to television newsrooms. TV stations incorporate VNRs into their newscasts, rarely alerting viewers to the source of the footage. While government-funded VNRs have been most controversial, most VNRs are paid for by corporations; non-governmental organizations also put out VNRs" (SourceWatch). Check out the following video.
If you are interested, see another video comparing a local news cast with a VNR on YouTube or check out even more examples of VNRs and local news stories from PRWatch.
In the clip above, Pakman, mentions the FCC's sponsorship identification rules. Here is one rule/law. "... the Communications Act of 1934, ... requires broadcasters to disclose to their listeners or viewers if matter has been aired in exchange for money, services or other valuable consideration. The announcement must be aired when the subject matter is broadcast. The Commission has adopted a rule, ... which sets forth the broadcasters' responsibilities to make this sponsorship identification" (FCC). How does this apply in the VNR situation?
So, corporations put out VNRs and they sometimes show up as news. Now, to what extent are VNRs used in politics or as political propaganda?
Now let's turn our attention to those who provide the visuals for print news stories, photojournalists.
In the "Photojournalism Tutorial" video below pay close attention to (1) the definition of photojournalism, (2) the three key rules of journalism/photojournalism, (3) the rules of the field and (4) the tips for being a good photojournalist.
"Photojournalism Tutorial"
Besides composing a good photograph, photographers may also be involved in another type of composition. Photographers, especially photojournalist, may also compose captions for their photographs. Let's learn how to write a news photo caption.
If that is true for news photographs, then the caption (the verbal description) for the photograph, is like the lead to the thousand word story.
In a news article, the first few sentences of the story is the lead. The lead tells the reader the who, what, when, where, why and how of the story. Packed into the lead is quick overview of the whole news story.*
So, as Kobre' points out in his book, Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach, a caption should tell the reader/viewer the who, what, when, where, why and how of the photograph. The caption serves the same purpose as a lead in a written news story. [If your interest is specifically in photojournalism, I'd strongly recommend Kobre's book.]
The 5 W's and the H of a news story (or in this case, a news photograph):
Who - who is the news event about, who is in the photo?
What - what happened in the news event, what is happening in the photo?
When - when did the news event happen, when was the photo taken?
Where - where did the news event happen, where was the photo taken?
Why (1) - why did the news event happen, what happened that lead to the photograph, what happened before?
Why (2) - what is the significance of the news event, why is it important to us, what is going to happen after this event?
How - how did the event happen?
So, a lead in a written news story should answer the who, what, when, where and how of the new event and sometimes it'll address the why and how.
Now, if acaption of a news photograph is like the lead of a news story, then what does a caption include.
The Associated Press recommends a caption should contain two concise sentences. The first sentence of the caption should include the who, what, when and where. The second sentence should provide the background information on the how and the why, especially the significance of the news event.
Tip: Start the first sentence with the most important thing to your audience. If who is important, then start with who. For example, if a celebrity is the who, then you'll probably want to start your sentence with that person's name. If the where is important, then start your first sentence with where. For example, if a disease is breaking out is a certain area, then the location or where, is probably more important.
Check out AP's Top Photos of the Week page for current examples of news photographs and their captions. Hover the mouse over the photos to see the captions. Do the AP photographers and photo editors practice what the AP style guidelines recommend?
Can you write a caption for a new photo? Find some photos you know something about, perhaps from the AP link above or this link, and see if you can write a caption for the photo. Practice. practice, practice.
* We're especially talking about hard news stories here.
Journalism is a broad field. One type of journalism is print journalism and at the heart of the print journalism is the news story. How are they written? What are the basic building blocks of a news story?
Building Blocks of Print News Story (Hard News Story)
Headline (required)
What is the story about? The topic?
Usually written by editor.
Secondary headlines
Byline
Authors name
Lead (required)
Entices reader
Contain the 5 W’s & H
AKA Summary Lead
Backup for the Lead (required)
Lead should be supported with facts, quotes, etc. that substantiate the lead.
Lead Quote (optional, but helps)
The first quote that backs up the lead.
Helps to use strongest quote available.
Impact (almost always, in some form)
How does this affect readers?
Sometimes earlier in story.
Also as a separate paragraph later.
Background (needed in most)
Additional background info may be needed.
Elaboration (required, if space allows)
Multiple sources. Other points of view.
Ending (required)
Further elaboration.
Statement or quote that summarizes, but does not repeat previous info.
Future action.
A story should also include attribution.
Where did you get the information?
Who told you the facts?
"According to ..."
A story may also be accompanied by visuals.
Photographs, Pull Quotes, etc.
See if you spot some of the building blocks in the following story.
You may also want to check a local paper or a national paper to see if you spot the basic building blocks in their news stories.
“I never knew a Negro to even suggest a new idea. Much less try to patent one. And I have dealt with them all my life. P.S. I have asked other lawyers around me for data of Negro inventions. And they take it as a joke.”
Com Technologist: Granville Woods
1884: Inventor of improved telephone transmitter
1885: Inventor of telegraphony
1887: Inventor of induction telegraph
35+ other patents
Why not mentioned in history books along side Edison, Bell, etc.?
Granville Woods: His story
Sometimes called the “Black Edison”
Born in 1856 in Australia or Ohio
Went to work at young age
Mainly self-educated / read anything he could find on electricity.
Worked as fireman and then engineer on railroad.
Telephone invented in 1870s by Bell
Early 1880s, Telephone Transmitter
Woods: “My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for the transmission of articulate speech and other sounds through the medium of electricity.”
1885: Inventor of telegraphony
A combination telephone and telegraph.
What need does this meet?
1887 induction telegraph
Woods: “for the purpose of averting accidents by keeping each train informed of the whereabouts of the one immediately ahead of following it, in communicating with the stations from moving trains…”
See transduction in this process?
Granville Woods: His story
Tried to market his inventions himself.
Sold/Gave up rights to many of his patents to corporations like: American Bell Telephone Company, General Electric and Westinghouse.
Died 1910 in virtual poverty.
See connections to Winston's model?
Similar story to other communication inventors?
Think of a news event being covered live by a news crew. How does the story get from the location of the event to you watching it on TV or maybe on your mobile device?
What are the steps in signal processing?
Step 1: Signal Generation
Audio Signal Generation; Video Signal Generation
Step 2: Amplification and Processing
Audio Amplification and Processing Video Amplification and Processing
Step 3: Signal Transmission
Audio Transmission; Video Transmission; Satellite Transmission
Step 4: Signal Reception
Radio Receivers; TV Receivers
Step 5: Storage and Retrieval
Audio Storage; Video Storage
Step 1: Signal Generation
"Audio signals are generated mechanically, by using microphones and turntables; electro-magnetically, by using tape recorders; and digitally, by using laser optics. Television signal generation involves the electronic line-by-line scanning of an image. An electron beam scans each element of a picture, and the image is then retraced in the TV receiver."
Step 2: Amplification and Processing
"Audio and video signals are amplified and mixed by using audio consoles and video switchers. Today’s digital technology enables sophisticated signal processing and a variety of special effects."
Step 3: Signal Transmission
"Radio waves occupy a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. AM radio channels are classified into clear, regional, and local channels. FM stations are classified according to power and antenna height. The wide bandwidth of an FM channel allows for stereo broadcasting and other nonbroadcast services. There are two types of digital radio: satellite-based and in-band, on-channel."
Step 4: Signal Reception
"Radio receivers pull in AM, FM, and other signals, in monaural or stereo. New digital multiband receivers are becoming more prevalent. In TV, large and small-screen receivers have attained record sales in recent years, abetted by new digital capabilities and "smart" remote control devices."
Technology cluster? Relationship to adoption?
Step 5: Storage and Retrieval
"New technology is reshaping audio and video storage and retrieval. Phonograph records, compact discs, and videotapes are being supplemented and may ultimately be replaced by digital storage media, such as recordable CDs, digital versatile disks (DVDs), and high-capacity disk drives on computers. A comparatively new phenomenon, audio and video streaming, permits radio and TV stations to send their complex signals onto the Internet."
"Broadcasting, cable, and new media make use of facsimile technology, reproducing sound and sight in other forms. The better the correspondence between the facsimile and the original, the higher the fidelity."
Transduction is the process of "changing energy from one form to another; it is at the heart of audio and video technology. Transduction can be analog—the transformed energy resembles the original—or digital—the original is transformed into a series of numbers." Examples of transduction include energy going from physical energy to electrical, from light to electrical and from electrical to electromagnetic (radio waves).
At what point or points in signal processing does transduction occur for traditional (over-the-air) radio?
As you watch this clip, how many nonverbal communication behaviors can you spot?
How many nonverbal communication behaviors did you spot? What did the behaviors communicate to you? Of the types of nonverbal communication functions, which where illustrated here? Emblems? Others?
Are the nonverbal communication behaviors in the clip more universal or more culturally specific?
What is the secret of Mr. Bean being popular around the world?
The clip below is from "The Gods Must be Crazy." If you get the chance, I'd encourage you to watch the full film for a variety of intercultural reasons (nonverbals, racial depictions, colonialism, etc.)
This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to nonverbal communication in the intercultural communication context.
Some forms of NVC are universal (i.e., understood around the world). Some forms of NVC have different meanings in different cultures.
How do the videos illustrate these ideas? What about the head shake?
Nonverbal communication: “Nonlinguistic (involving neither written nor spoken language) behavior that creates meaning for someone”(BBR).
Nonverbal communication can serve several functions
Emblems - can be used to replace words, direct verbal translation (e.g., the "O.K." gesture).
Illustrators - accompany and clarify spoken word (e.g., pointing when telling somebody directions).
Affect displays - movement of face, etc. which show emotion (e.g. a smile).
Regulators - movements which encourage or discourage further communication … “traffic cops” of conversation (e.g., a student raises their hand in classroom and prof. stops and allows them to speak).
Adaptors - movements to satisfy physical or psychological discomfort (e.g., scratching an itch).
Besides the examples given above, can you think of other examples? Think of some nonverbal behaviors and see if you can fit them into the above function categories.
Which functions are more universal (i.e., be understand regardless of culture)? Which are more culturaly relative (i.e., would not be understood across cultures)?
Examples of Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures.
The study of Intercultural Nonverbal Communication can be traced back to David Efron (1941).
Efron studied the nonverbal communication behaviors of eastern Jews and southern Italians in New York City.
Speaking of photojournalists and their composition of captions...
Who is a photojournalist and what do they do?
The following videos provide a good overview of photojournalism from rules and tips to what it is like to be a photojournalist.
First, let's get a feel for what it is like to be a photojournalist.
"A Day in the Life of a Photojournalist"
"Insight into Photojournalism - David Dare Parker" - Freelance Photojournalist - The International Angle
In the "Photojournalism Tutorial" video below pay close attention to (1) the definition of photojournalism, (2) the three key rules of journalism/photojournalism, (3) the rules of the field and (4) the tips for being a good photojournalist.
Besides composing a good photograph, photographers may also be involved in another type of composition. Photographers, especially photojournalist, may also compose captions for their photographs.
If that is true for news photographs, then the caption (the verbal description) for the photograph, is like the lead to the thousand word story.
In a news article, the first few sentences of the story is the lead. The lead tells the reader the who, what, when, where, why and how of the story. Packed into the lead is quick overview of the whole news story.*
So, as Kobre' points out in his book, Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach, a caption should tell the reader/viewer the who, what, when, where, why and how of the photograph. The caption serves the same purpose as a lead in a written news story. [If your interest is specifically in photojournalism, I'd strongly recommend Kobre's book.]
The 5 W's and the H of a news story (or in this case, a news photograph):
Who - who is the news event about, who is in the photo?
What - what happened in the news event, what is happening in the photo?
When - when did the news event happen, when was the photo taken?
Where - where did the news event happen, where was the photo taken?
Why (1) - why did the news event happen, what happened that lead to the photograph, what happened before?
Why (2) - what is the significance of the news event, why is it important to us, what is going to happen after this event?
How - how did the event happen?
So, a lead in a written news story should answer the who, what, when, where and how of the new event and sometimes it'll address the why and how.
Now, if acaption of a news photograph is like the lead of a news story, then what does a caption include.
The Associated Press recommends a caption should contain two concise sentences. The first sentence of the caption should include the who, what, when and where. The second sentence should provide the background information on the how and the why, especially the significance of the news event.
Tip: Start the first sentence with the most important thing to your audience. If who is important, then start with who. For example, if a celebrity is the who, then you'll probably want to start your sentence with that person's name. If the where is important, then start your first sentence with where. For example, if a disease is breaking out is a certain area, then the location or where, is probably more important.
Check out AP's Top Photos of the Week page for current examples of news photographs and their captions. Hover the mouse over the photos to see the captions. Do the AP photographers and photo editors practice what the AP style guidelines recommend?
Can you write a caption for a new photo? Find some photos you know something about, perhaps from the AP link above or this link, and see if you can write a caption for the photo. Practice. practice, practice.
* We're especially talking about hard news stories here.
Previously, we covered the key components of a story and key things to keep in mind to strengthen a story.
What are the common components of a story?
.
). The videos are now a little dated, but still cover the basics well. 
, a caption should tell the reader/viewer the who, what, when, where, why and how of the photograph. The caption serves the same purpose as a lead in a written news story. [If your interest is specifically in photojournalism, I'd strongly recommend Kobre's book.]
