MassMedia: Visual Media: The Screenplay and Syd (U6-P1) Fa14

Previously, we covered the key components of a story and the key things to keep in mind to strengthen a story.

Now, let's move to more on plot structure.


When it comes to Hollywood films, one of the key experts on screenplays and plots 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.”

As for "dramatic structure," Field instructs his students to use the plot 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 it 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).


Watch the following trailer of Die Hard and look for the 3 acts.  Do you spot Plot Point 1 near the end of Act I?  What happens at the Christmas party?



Now, think about your favorite films.  Do you see this same plot structure?

Developing a full or even partial screenplay is beyond the scope of things here, but quickly coming up with a a film treatment is not.

A film or screenplay treatment is one page synopsis of a film yet to be produced.  It is typically written before the full script.  A trailer script is not a treatment.  A trailer usually leaves the end of the film (Act III) a mystery, but a treatment would not.

Could you write a treatment for the next big film written by you and perhaps starring you?  You could apply the above discussed plot structure and previously discussed concepts, like character identification, yes?


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.

MediaTech: Internet/New Media: Basic: The Jobs-Gates Rivalry (U6-P1) [VID] Fa14

"Are you a pirate?"  What's that mean?  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Any life lessons you learn from this movie?
Any career lessons you learn from this movie?


The Pirates of Silicon Valley tells the story of the Jobs-Gates rivalry from the early 1970s until the late 1990s.



The following video interview of Jobs' biographer picks up the Jobs-Gates story where Pirates left off.





For a humorous, but insightful look at the rivalry you might also want to check out the "Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates. Epic Rap Battle."



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.

InterculturalCom: Cultural Identity and The Debut (U6-P1) Fa14

The concepts of cultural identity and cultural identity development are illustrated well in the film, The Debut.

Besides helping us to understand cultural identity, the film also allows us to learn about some Filipino culture.

Here are some Filipino cultural literacy to learn from the film.

• Tagalog: a key language of the Philippines  
• Barkada: peer group
• Oo: yes
• Singkil: "the stick dance"

Collectivism/Individualism Through Dance 
See this video I posted on YouTube.  How does it relate to the film?


The above clip is from I'm Normal, You're Weird! Understanding Other Cultures. This was an excellent teaching resource.  I wish that it was released in some form on DVD.


The film also shows some Filipino values:

• Family/Group (Authority)
• Food
• Education/Success

Lastly the film gives a sense of the Filipino "Time Orientation," how time is used.



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.

GlobalMedia: Development Communication: Some Key Terms (U6-P1) Sp14

Define/explain the terms development, development communication and development journalism.


Development: "purposive changes undertaken in a society to achieve what may be regarded generally as a different ('improved') state of social and economic affairs"(Hernández-Ramos & Schramm, 1989).


Development projects typically focus on certain areas/issue of a society (e.g. agriculture, health, nutrition, family planning, women's empowerment, etc.)

• See United Nations Development Programme
• Check out especially info on NETAID concert
• See also United Nations: Economic and Social Development

Development communication: the use of communication technology and principles to aid in the development of a society.


Development journalism: a 'branch' of development communication in which news media are used.
Journalism: "the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media"(M-W Dictionary)



If you had lots of money (through a grant, etc.) and you wanted to do good in the world, what would you do?  If you wanted to help with some health issue in another country, what would you do?
If you wanted to help and you wanted to put your media knowledge and media skills to use, what would you do?




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.

MassMedia: Textual Analysis, Rhetorical Criticism, Commercials & Songs (U6-P1) [VID]

To answer research questions (RQs) researchers use research methods.

The four main research methods, at least in the social sciences, are experiments, surveys, ethnographies and textual analysis.

A researcher who does textual analysis is a researcher who studies a particular text or set of texts.  A text is a communication artifact. A text could be written, visual, electronic, etc.  Examples of a text are an email, a news broadcast, a film, a recorded conversation, an advertisement, a speech, an editorial cartoon or a song.

There are two main types of textual analysis.  One is more quantitative and the other is more qualitative research.

Content analysis is "a form of textual analysis used to identify, enumerate, and analyze occurrences of specific messages and message characteristics embedded in relevant texts" (Frey, et al.)

An example of content analysis would be a researcher who studies post 9/11 editorial cartoons to determine how the enemy is portrayed in the cartoons by caterogizing and counting up the occurrences of certain types of portrayals.

Rhetorical criticism, on the other hand, is more qualitative.

Rhetorical criticism: "research involving the description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of persuasive uses of communication" (Frey, et al)

Notice how rhetorical criticism focuses on persuasive texts, texts that potentially influence an audience.

There is a long history to rhetorical criticism from ancient times to modern times.

A person doing rhetorical criticism may study, for example, campaign speeches or advertisements to analyze how the text attempted to persuaded and how effective it was in persuading.

Take for example the commercial shown during the 2013 Superbowl. What are the ways in which the commercials attempt to persuade?  Is there anything they do visually?  What about their choice of words. Also, how effective are they?



So, campaign speeches and commercials persuasive texts and thus texts that could be analyzed using rhetorical criticism, but what about songs?  Some songs?  All songs?



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.

GlobalMedia: International Journalism: Rodman, North Korea & Theories of the Press (U6-P1)

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Rodman talking with Kim Jong-un.  Intercultural communication?  International communication?  Both?

Ping-pong diplomacy? Chinese 'ping-pong diplomacy' player dies

What type of press system does North Korea have?  What is the North Korean media like?

Things changing in N. Korea? Live From North Korea, An Instagram Feed



In the late 1950s Siebert, Peterson and Schramm (Wilbur) identified four types of press systems that existed in countries up until the 1950s.

They published their findings in their book titled Four Theories of the Press: The Authoritarian, Libertarian, Social Responsibility and Soviet Communist Concepts of What the Press Should Be and Do (Illini Books)

In the book they highlight the relationship between the form of government that a nation has and the press that operates within it.

The four theories:

1. Authoritarian
1. Purpose of the Press: To serve and promote the government/rulers
2. Ownership of Press: private or public
3. Notes/Examples: England/Western European countries 19th century and before; Afghanistan under the Taliban
2. Soviet-Communist
1. Purpose of the Press: To serve and promote the government or the Communist party
2. Ownership of Press: public
3. Notes/Examples: Soviet Union and other communist countries
3. Libertarian
1. Purpose of the Press: To inform (i.e., present the facts) and monitor the government
2. Ownership of Press: Mostly private
3. Notes/Examples: England
4. Social Responsibility
1. Purpose: To monitor the government.  While another purpose is to inform (i.e., present the facts to) the citizens, this press system goes beyond just presenting the facts to promoting understanding and discussion/debate related to those facts.  
2. Ownership of Press: Private
3. Notes/Examples: U.S., Canada

What would it be like being a journalism student or a journalist working in these different press systems?

Do you think that these four theories still adequately describe the types of press systems that operate in the countries of today?  Does, for example, the introduction on social media, require modifications to the four theories?

The work of Siebert, Peterson and Schramm has received criticism and updating.  If you are interested, see for example the following books.

Last Rights: Revisting Four Theories of the Press (History of Communication)

Normative Theories of the Media: Journalism in Democratic Societies (History of Communication)

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.

MediaTech: Cell Phones and the Consequences of Technologies Cell Phone Popcorn (U5-P1) [VID] fa12

If I say popcorn and cell phones, what pops into your mind?

Seen the videos on the Internet that show people using cell phones to pop popcorn?

Are there health concerns?  Is this a serious consequence of us adopting cell phones?

Be sure to stop the video at 3 minutes in and do a little thinking.



More to explore, if you are interested.

• How Dangerous Is Cell Phone Radiation? (Skeptoid)

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.

GlobalMedia: International Advertising & PR (U6-P1)

Advertising and public relations are playing an increasing role in international communication.  They've certainly gone global.

Let's start with some basic dictionary definitions.

Advertising: “The activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media” (The American Heritage Dictionary).

Public Relations (P.R.): “The methods and activities employed to establish and promote a favorable relationship with the public” (The American Heritage Dictionary).

The basic dictionary definitions need a little modifying.

• Add to the advertising definition the key purpose of advertising: to persuade people to purchase.  "Attraction public attention" is a good first step, but not the ultimate goal.
• Add to the P.R. definition the idea of establishing, promoting and maintaining a relationship.  Secondly, add an "s" to the end of public.  What are the key publics that a company needs to have a good relationship with?  Externally: the government/law makers, other companies, customers, the media, etc. Internally: investors, employees, etc.

If you are curious, checkout some more online definitions of advertising and public relations.


With some basics out of the way, let's go global with advertising and P.R.


In his book, Global Communication: Theories, Stakeholders, and Trends, Thomas McPhail offers three key reasons why there has been a growth in international advertising and P.R.  Why has advertising and public relations gone global?

"1. Corporations themselves are going increasingly global and taking their advertising agencies with them.  This includes communication corporations as well as other sectors such as transportation, food, beverages, natural resources, credit cards, etc.
2. As multimedia outlets -- from privatized radio and television networks in Europe to new media and print outlets in Latin America -- expand, they require successful advertising campaigns in order to generate the revenues and attract new customers necessary to succeed as viable commercial enterprises.
3. The growth of satellite-delivered broadcasting channels, along with a rapid expansion of cable systems and networks, have in turn generated demand for increased use of advertising agencies in order to develop a sufficient customer base for either the new services themselves, or the problems they advertise."

Note that the first reason focuses on general companies, the second reason focuses on media companies that provide content and the third reason focuses on the media hardware companies.


In their book, Global Journalism: Topical Issues and Media Systems (4th Edition), de Beer and Merrill offer their own explanation for the expansion of international advertising and public relations.

Why the expansion?

• Financial businesses, etc.
• Economically connected
• In short, business is global
• Issues management & crisis management
• Crises spread quickly on the ‘Net nowadays.
• Some crises, like environmental and financial crises, easily cross borders.
• In short, many issues/crises are global

In short, P.R. and advertising have to go global.





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.

MediaTech: Cell Phones and the Consequences of Technologies (U5-P1) [VID] - Cell Phone Popcorn

If I say popcorn and cell phones, what pops into your mind?

Seen the videos on the Internet that show people using cell phones to pop popcorn?

Are there health concerns?  Is this a serious consequence of us adopting cell phones?

Be sure to stop the video at 3 minutes in and do a little thinking.



More to explore, if you are interested.

• How Dangerous Is Cell Phone Radiation? (Skeptoid)

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.