Sunday, April 27, 2008

Guest Speaker: Matt Kury

The guest speaker of the day was Mat Kury a Media Promotion Manager. He works as an Anchor in Communication (Advertiser).

He has a BA in Mass Communication and he says that he loves Broadcast TV and Media.

One of the main topics we discussed was on how an agency works and the most important elements that make it powerful and important in this competitive business.

He spoke on how big investments are necessary in the agencies and he stressed on the importance of an existence between Awareness + Comprehension + Sale to make a successful advertising company.

He also explanted to us the impact that the Internet and TV has in his job because it helps with his clients selling plan and creating what their clients want. One of the most important aspects on his job is the creativity and to know and understand what the consumer is looking for so in that way he can present those thought to his clients.

In conclusion he spoke about the value of acquiring experience especially as an intern because we as Mass Communication Major are going to be able to have a better idea of what we like or prefer better to focus on our carriers. We have to be aware of the new stuff like technology, or news, because media is constantly evolving and changing.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Guest Speaker: Cameron Satterfield

Our guest speaker this Monday was Mr. Cameron Satterfield who is a Public Information Officer in the Health Department (St. Louis). He is mostly in charge of the press releases in the media; the person giving the information.

Some of the topics that we discussed in class were about his beginnings in media (focusing on radio and television). After having a background in TV news, he decided to work as a Public Information Officer.

Mr. Satterfield explained to us some of the main function in his job, writing news releases, and most of the time he says that his job is focuses on “disorder preparedness” which gets people prepared through difficult situation.

The right information at the right time plays a major role in his job, giving the example of Hurricane Katrina saying the “timely accurate information in media avoid a bigger disaster” because without the right information the media would just speculate. It is very valuable to be sure that people are informed. T he Internet (online information) plays a major role in the importance of adjusting the way delivery of information and how it reaches people by being proactive.

The evolution and the technology nowadays was also one of the topics that we talked about in class, the development of technology throughout history and the impact that it has in our societies especially in mass media; It is very important for us to be prepared and adapt to all the changes that technology will bring in the future. He says that we should know and have an idea about everything that is going on.

He says one of the principle skills that we have to have is writing because it expresses the importance of the words, and also reading local media and the stories that can impact the department.

To conclude with our discussion we spoke about the importance of internship especially for us the students because it gives you some idea of the media, work experience and you get to know people.

I think this Mr. Satterfield it gives us a better idea of the different carriers in media and some important advices to succeed.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

What & Whay - Advertising


Name of the Product: Pepsi

You Tube Embed video


Year that was made: 2004


Agency that helped produces the ad: BBDO


I found the information on famous ads on internet.



Q&A:


During what program on television did this ad run? I think in the prime time. (In Panama, it was shown between the most viewed movies or shows.

I like this ad because it’s very interesting especially because of the stars that are part of this famous commercial. Superstar pop artists like Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles, Pink and Enrique Iglesias (Latin pop star) star in this commercial.

The idea of this ad grabs everybody’s attention because it has many entertaining things going on during the entire commercial. For example, the Colosseum in ancient Rome is the setting where Pink, Beyoncé and Britney are female gladiators who defeat the emperor - played by Enrique Iglesias.

I think it makes it effective because it shows the product, Pepsi, surrounded by very important people in the entertainment and also the entire situation definitely grabs your attention.

In this commercial, they have a combination of humor showing the reaction of the stars and also it entertains you by watching this entire situation. The song updates Queen's ''We Will Rock You'' sung by Britney, Beyoncé and Pink is the musical anthem for its ''Dare for More'' campaign.

The elements of puffery that we can find in this ad is the power that Pepsi gives humans to accomplish great and somewhat impossible things.

This ad is also selling a little bit of everything like the idea of focusing on the beauty of the girls, perfect bodies and good times.

I think the placement was really effective because it was seen by the entire family. Most of the times it focuses on teenager’s attention because they are more involved in the entertainment world. Pepsi is famed for hiring pop stars to help promote its drinks.

Usually, I try to not drink any type of carbonated drink so I didn’t buy it, but I think my family did because they love to drink soda.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

What & Why Post - Television


Show Title: American’s Next Top Model
Network: CBS
Is this cable or broadcast channel? Broadcast
Is this show in syndication? Yes
Production Company/Movie Studio Involved in Production: 10 by 10 Entertainment
Production Company/Movie Studio Parent Company: Pottle Productions, Ty Ty Baby Productions
Year the Television show began and ended: May 20, 2003- present
Producer (s): Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Anthony Dominici, Kevin Mock, Justin Lacob
Director (s): J. Rupert Thomson (2007-2008), Kevin Mock (2007) Guido Verweven (2005) Claudia Frank (2006-2007)
Writers: Tyra Banks (2003-2007), Kenya Barris (2003-2007), Ken Mok (2003-2007) Steve Danielson (2005-2006)
Stars: Tyra Banks and Judges - J. Alexander (5 - present), Nigel Barker (2 - present), Paulina Porizkova (10 - present), Twiggy (5 – 9), Janice Dickinson (1 - 4), Kimora Lee Simmons (1), Nolé Marin (3 - 4), Eric Nicholson (2), Beau Quillian (1).

Q&A
America’s Next Top Model is a reality show based on the transformations that a number of girls have to go through to became a potential model and compete for the title of America’s Next Top Model. This television program was created by Tyra Banks, former and world-known supermodel and current talk show host. Banks is the executive producer of the show and also is a judge in the competition and elimination of the future models. The girls compete for a modeling contract with a top agency among others prizes. Some of these prizes for the winner include: a fashion spread in Seventeen Magazine, a 100,000 dollar contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics and the great chance to be managed by Elite Model Management. This show is based on finding and determining the capacity of the chosen girl to start her career in the modeling industry by experiencing the pros and cons of the fashion business.
I was introduced to this show when I was in Panama and the cable channel was showing the first season in 2004. I think I start watching it because I love fashion and I always had been in touch with this industry especially because it entertains me and it defines my personal taste.
I think what I like the most about the show is the different ideas involving the photos, catwalks and trips to different countries, because you get to learn so many new things about the fashion world not only in the United States but all around the globe. America’s Next Top Model has many original and artistic ideas during every season. I think I would recommend this show to the people that enjoy fashion as much as I do, and want to learn more about this industry.


Thursday, March 6, 2008

Remembering Radio’s Golden Age

Info:
First name of the person you interviewed: Oscar
His age: 80 years old
I found him because he is the grandfather of a friend.

Content:
Since the beginnings, radio has changed our modes of communication and entertainment dramatically. Having the chance to interview somebody who has experienced the Golden Age of the Radio is a great opportunity because now I have a clearer idea about this special time in the communication field.
When we started the interview, Mr. Werbiski told me that he started listening to the radio for the first time when he was about 6 or 7 years old. He says that in his family they never sat together to enjoy the radio because his parents had very busy lives, much more than today (now there’s much more luxury time).
He thinks the radio is 100% different from the Golden Age; back in those years the radio stations were just AM (no FM), there was a lot more news information, there used to be much more static, and there wasn’t as many stations.
One of the moments in radio history that he will always remember was the Yankees & Dodgers baseball game in the World series; he says it was really exciting to hear the plays as they happened.
He thinks that the new generation should learn to appreciate and respect more the history and the great memories of that time in history, because he defines it as “clean with no cursing”; they used to understand the music that they were listening to, and also they relied more on the radio for news and important information because they had no television.
I also asked him some other questions that I thought would be interesting to know. I asked what kind of music played on the radio and he said he used to listen to much more country – western music than today. I also asked about the way that life changed when the mode of media changed from the radio to the television. He said that the television became part of their lives and that by having the television you had the chance to see images so it became very popular.
My last question made to him was if he still values the use of the radio in his life and Mr. Werbiski told me that he still values it on the road because it provides assistance (in high-ways that are closed or detours) and it also provides entertainment (like music).
I think that I definitely learned many things during this interview, especially to appreciate and get to know more about the history of our societies because it influences the present and the future. I learned that time changes therefore influencing our life and customs, just as listening to the radio was part of so many memorable and priceless moments of people’s lives.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

What &Why – Music/Recordings


Artist: Alex Ubago
Album Name: Que pides tu? (What do you ask for?)
Popular Songs Included: A Gritos de Esperanza - Sabes? - Ahora Que No Estas - Vuelves A Pensar - Sin Miedo a Nada (con Amaia Montero) - Por esta ciudad – No te rindas
Record Label: Warner Music Latina
Year It Was Released: April 1, 2003
Genre: Spanish Pop-Rock


Q&A

Alex Ubago is a pop/rock Spanish singer who came alive and made up one of 2003's best Latin popular music releases.

The first time that I heard his music was when my brother bought his CD and also on TV because he became a great hit all over Europe and Latin America.

The songs in all of his CD’s are very personal and have amazing lyrics that can reach human emotions. He also wrote every single song of this CD becoming one of the best and most preferred singer-songwriters in Spain and Latin America.

My taste in music I think is very diverse especially because of the different cultural influences that I have had during my life; basically, I appreciate hearing very different musical styles, but still I have my own parameters about what I like. Some of the genres that I frequently hear are: Pop, Rock, Reggaeton, Salsa, Bachata, Ballenato and Flamenco. I also love traditional/pop Greek music (Sarbel) and Pop artists such as David Bustamante, Alejandro Sanz, Reik, Luis Miguel, and Ricardo Arjona. My favorite Reggaeton artist is Daddy Yankee; my favorite bachata artist is Aventura. Salsa is a genre I love to dance all the time and I usually listen to artists like Jerry Rivera and Juan Luis Guerra. Ballenato is also a great genre to dance to especially when listening to Fonseca. I also enjoy listening to American music (JoJo, Fergie, Beyonce, Rihanna, One Republic, Lifehouse, 3 Doors Down, etc).

Usually, I hear my music using a CD or MP3 player.

I regularly get my music from iTunes because it’s convenient and easy.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

What & Why Post – Movies


Movie Title: PAN’S LABYRINTH (El Laberinto del Fauno)
Movie Studio: PicturehouseOther Movies Made by that Studio: A Dog Year (2007) – Amusement (2008) – As You Like It (2006) – El Cantante (2007) – The Fox & The Child (2008)
Producer (s): Javier Mateos Morillo, Luis Maria Reyes, Belen Atienza
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Maribel Verdu, Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi Lopez, Adriadna Gil, Alex Angulo, Roger Cosamajor, Sebastian Haro, Mina Lira, Federico Luppi, Ivan Massague, Chema Ruiz, Manolo Solo, Milo Taboada.



Q&A

Pan’s Labyrinth is a very interesting and imaginative epic, represented as a very unique fairy tale set in Spain of the 1940’s during the postwar repression of Franco’s Spain.
The fairy tale centers on Ofelia, a 10-year-old girl with a lot of imagination and many dreams. The plot begins when Ofelia moves to Navarra with her delicate pregnant mother to meet her stepfather, Capitan Vidal, a very cruel military leader, who controls the area of rebels. She becomes very lonely in that place of suffering and cruelty, so she creates her “own world” with great fantasy and innocence. Until one night, her fantasy world becomes a reality as she is led to an underground labyrinth ruled by a pan, who believes that Ofelia is a princess. She must complete three tasks, all of which are very terrifying. The labyrinth has many magical creatures who lead her through this story. This place becomes a refuge for Ofelia to escape from the terrifying reality in which she leaves.

I saw this movie on DVD and I became interested in watching it because of all the amazing reviews that it received all around the world.

I think this movie has many aspects that I like especially the very thoughtful representation between good and evil; this battle of good and evil is represented through the eyes of this young girl.

I definitely would recommend this movie especially because it has a stellar production with a great realism in a mystical place that makes us believe in the fantasies and see the cruelty of society.