Media Meditation #2

2010 Machete Commercial from Ride Snowboards from Ride Snowboards on Vimeo.

When looking in to finding other snowboard videos and commercials it is kind of hard. This is a new concept that snowboard companies have been getting in to. The one that i had found was Ride Snowboards Machete Commercial. This is to introduce their new board design that is a step above the rest. To better understand this I'll give a quick break down of this new trend. The old snowboarder were cambered, which means it is bent like an A. Then all the new snowboards coming out are either flat or bent in the opposite direction so its more like a U. So now every company is trying to find the best mix of these things.
The First tool i used to look at this piece of media was the Brain. The first part of the brain that it hits is the Limbic. It hits you up with this heavy playing music that goes through out the whole clip. I feel as though the music makes you think eager and get engaged with the clip. I feel as though it effects the Neocortex. There is the text that comes up at the end of the clip and it talks about all the awards that it has won and also shows the symbols of the award. The next tool i used was the Shifts. They used similar personal shifts that the Rome Video. This video was posted on their youtube account, they also used their twitter account to get the word out, and also made it easy for people to share it like i am doing. Then the last shift is Economic Shift. Ride has recently signed up with 2 other companies in the industry, which made me think is this why they have just started to produce commercials?
The next tool i covered was the principles. They did a great job of reality construction, they were able to portray snowboarding in a proper light. Unlike many snowboard commercials they kept it simple and let the snowboarding do the talking. The next thing which can tie in to the Reality was the Production tech. The person who made this commercial was definitely some one who is familiar with snowboard videos. Which is something that every commerical should have that has snowboarding or skateboarding in it. Their value message also tied in with their production tech in showing that their snowboard make you ride better. Then the last tool i looked at was persuasive techniques. They used both their own symbols and they used the logos of the magazines that tested their boards out. They used testimonials by have all of a big mix of their riders riding the board and doing very well. Then lastly who could forget the warm fuzzies. Who can forget about all of the fun you have snowboarding.

Media Meditation #1

Will It Break:

I thought it would be interesting to look at something different than we might see in class. The first one is a series of commercials that Rome Snowboards has been doing this season. It is a skit that shows how their products are better than most house hold items. They do this in Rome style by destroying the other things with their product, in this one they use the Libertine boot.
It was very weird to look at these commercials with our 4 tool set instead of looking at them for just pure enjoyment.
The first tool i used was the Brain. I noticed that they used Halloween type music which applies to your limbic brain. This will unlock all those memories of going around and getting free candy and possible some misbehaving, Not that any one does that. The next thing i looked at was the shifts.The first shift i noticed was the Technological. This is a trend that all snowboard companies are going through. It isn't till recently they have been using heavy internet. They would use print media and sales reps to get the word out. This leads in to another shift, personal. Rome Snowboards is making head way over the rest of the compines in the area. When this video came out they tweeted this on their account, the posted it on their site then soon was posted on their own youtube account. Then after that people like me could comment or post this on their blog.
The next tool i looked at was the Principles. The first one i looked at was the "Reality" Construction. Since i worked there and i know everyone, they want you to think they are running around and doing this but the first place is someones house and then the next place is the office it self. Pretty Tricky. Then the next one is the Emotional Transfer. They posted this around Halloween so they are looking to get people think about it,so they use the music and the pumpkins to get it on your mind. They also make you think of the day before Halloween to do those "things". Then the last one they touch on is value message is that Rome is just like everyone else and they have fun on the holidays. Then they also used a few persuasive techniques. The used testimonials and saying that EIKI and LNP use the boots. They use Humor through out this whole thing by destroying things and doing "tests". Then they use symbols through the whole thing as well by having the Rome star.

Media Meditations

When i first starting this class i would have never thought of snowboarding in the eyes as every other type of company out there. Then i started to look at the commercials and all the magazines and started to see that they us all of the same tools everyone else does. I'm going to try to use this space to shed light on to some of the industries top guys and see what they are doing.

People Speaking Against

Blog/ Web Sites:
Of Peace and Politics
Irish Times
London Times
Amnesty International

Project Censored 2010 Oral Presentaion Part 3

In my research it seems as though this is a true story. When i look at news papers like the New York Times. They would have articles like Ethan Bronner's "Outcry Erupts Over Reports That Israel Used Phosphorus Arms on Gazans". IN this Article they would talk about how white phosphorous "could" be used in the bombings in Gaza. They also use the word Likely when they are talking about the accusations of war crimes. The one thing they do not talk about is how they are military weapons they are suing and that we are supporting them.
This is the same thing you see for most news outlets in America like the Christian Science Monitor. It is not until you get to News Channels that are outside of America. Places like Times London, The Observer, The Independent, and the Irish Times that you see coverage of these things but are also limited as well. You can see some blogs and web sites, The New American Foundation, here and there talking about how we spend Billions supporting Israel and the Israeli Military is on in the same of the American Military.

Project Censored 2010 Oral Presentaion Part 2

Graphic Content

Project Censored 2010 Oral Presentaion Part 1

"Facts"
1. Human Rights Wacth's report "Rain of Fire: Israel's Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza"
In this report they talk about how they had found spent shells in heavily populated areas, which is illegal to do.
2.They Said that in the 3 week attack starting December 27th 2008 US tax dollars paid for Fighter Planes, Helicopters and a wide array of munitions that were used during these attacks
3. Researchers in Gaza found several weapon fragments after an attack that had a US company, Raytheon, markings on it.
4.The US under Bush had signed a ten-year agreement to provided $30 billion in military aid to Israel.
5.The US is giving Israel $3 billion dollars annually and do not over see what they are spending the money on.
6.It stated that US supports Israel militarily. In a recent assault on Gaza the had used US military planes, helicopters and bombs.
7.Us delayed passage of a UN resolution calling for a cease-fire during the assault on Gaza