Homework

1. There was one thing that needed to be done- and this was given a long time ago, was the response to SEXY INC. 
2. Each of you will also have to make an appointment with me to go over the next stage of your Integrated Project.  These meetings will be after school and a sign-up sheet will be available as of Dec1- meetings will be 10minutes long, after school and mandatory for your grade.  The idea is that this quick meeting will be done in order to help guide you to the next stage of what you are doing.
   

Last Week Review (week end Nov 27th)

It seems like a long time since I've posted- wait a minute, it has been a long time!  Well the LES is behind us, we took a look at New media/social media, this included viral marketing and flashmobs.  New ways that marketers and advertisers have been looking to find ways to reach audiences in hip, cool ways.  Some of these really are cool, others are a bit creepy when you really think about it... Furthermore, we have been working further with the LES to review Photoshop, transferring the work done on paper to the computer and playing with it digitally.  What I have seen has been very good and very encouraging.  As you're working with this, you guys should be seeing if and how this program could apply to your own integrated projects!- especially those of you who are doing a POSTER CAMPAIGN!



Coming Up:  We will be looking at film/video and Flash- making a quick movie and a little Flash game.  Again those people that are working on projects that might need either of these two programs/techniques should look to apply these to their projects.

Last Week Review (end Oct 30th)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YOU ALL!


We've been working through the LES and will be finishing it up (spending half a class on getting it done).  The marking of the Integrated project is going well.

Coming up: We are going to looking further at Design/advertising techniques and start working through some excersises that will give us a hands-on look at different expressions of mediums.

Homework

Last week we were working to get the first phase of your integrated project handed in.  Every regular student had to go through this process and we had a great success among a number of classes- ours being one of them!

We also finished the analysis of the advertisement and looking at the first of the advertising techniques. 

Coming up:  Your LES, which is a two day testing period, starts on Tuesday and ends Wednesday.  This LES will test how competent you are in the various materials that we have learned this term- especially the vocabulary, Branding, Spin, and Advertising techniques, as well as looking how the brain makes decisions and designs solutions- this is where marketers and advertisers want to be- knowing how you think is the first step to successfully creating a need and providing a solution/product.

Homework Post

Hey- there are two things due for Homework for you students; this is due by Sunday 26th:

1. You have to do your "logo Tag" two more times, tagging two new people from class.  Please title this entry as "Logo Tag 2"
2. Having seen the video documentary, Sexy Inc., you need to respond on your blog to the following questions:  1) Was there a point where you felt you were overwhelmed and felt like your "image" wasn't enough.  2) Is the line blurred between what is "Sexy" and the image that you have (or are building) of yourself.  3) Whose role is it to set "limits"?  4)  What advise would you give to a 4 year old about start her "social life", by going to school next year?

          Please title this blog entry "Video Doc response"

Last Week Review (end Oct 16)

It seems that I hardly saw you last week...!  We did however continue to look at advertising techniques and apply them to your own ads that you brought in.  This is getting you ready for your LES that will be coming up soon- I will be pushing it back a week so that all classes will be sure to be at the same point and also be sure that you all have your Power Point Presentations in.

Coming up:  This week we will devote to getting the power points and integrated project forms in (due on the 22nd of October).  We will also look a little further into advertising techniques and their effect on the public.

Your LES will now start the week of October 26th-30th (I lose you on the 29th because of Career Fair)

The Best List October

Best link of the Week:
"This is crazy!  Awesome video!  Cool Lego stop motion!" 

Best Picture(s) of the Week:

Stephanie Papandrea











Best Cool Site Award:
Found by Ammand A:  Pepsi Logo and Obama

Best media=education idea:
How we think!  The process that we follow!  And the process advertisers know very well.

Homework

Finish as best you can filling out the Integrated Project form- this way you can ask questions about those parts that you are having problems with... (no question is too silly!)

Last Week Review (end Oct 9)

This week we finished up the movie "Thank You for Smoking" and so wrapped up our look at the world of SPIN and LOBBYISTs. This was to illustrate that there are forces (people and organizations) that work very hard to get their message with their Point Of View into our everyday life, our homes and minds. They do this by going beyond the obvious advertisements; they do it using government policy, the entertainment industry, and spin the facts how they see fit.

Then we turned our attention back to traditional 2D print ads. These are the simpilist examples of design and media techniques. We looked at only one technique at this point and that is the Rule of Thirds, the gaze and major lines, gender and power relationships, distances and scale, colors, and star power and endorsement.

We also looked at the Integrated Project Form to be handed in with your Power Point Presentation on October 22nd.

Coming up: We will continue looking at the advertising and design techniques. Also we will be turning our attention to the Integrated Project Form and Power Point presentation.

Distances in Advertising

Whether it is a television ad, one in a magazine or a billboard on the side of a bus, marketers and advetisers try to get their product to you.  One of the basic concepts is how close the product is to you.  The closer the product the "friendlier" it is.  There are three types of distances:

Homework

Logo Tag

Due: Wednesday Oct 7th, 2009

1. first make a new post- it must be titled Logo Tag. 
2. find a logo (any logo) and post it- be sure to reference the URL  by telling me the site's name and linking to it (remember no www!).
3. Once you have yours in "play" please make another new post- you will need to go to another classmate's site and "tag" their picture; copy their picture to your site and reference your classmate's site.
4. you are done.

This is to see if you understand and can grab pictures and link- this is the concept of hyperlinking!  Good Luck!

Last Week Review (end Oct 2)

Looking at my agenda it's blank.  That can mean one of two things- eithr we did nothing or we did so much that I didn't have time to record it...  (we won't even think of the third option- my procastative nature...) but looking back at the week this is what we did:

1. Looked at old cigarette commercials which make great examples of branding.  If you want the "fun" to continue just do a Youtube search for cigarette commercials. 
2. By looking at these commercials we saw the use of "distances" used by advertisers to make a product "friendlier"- these distances are: 1) Social, 2) Personal, and 3) Intimate.
3. We also looked at the definitions of Lobbyist and Spin- techniques used by advertisers, companies/corporations and politicians to convince people of their point of view.  To support this we watched the satirical movie "Thank You for Smoking"

Coming up:  We'll be looking a bit more closely at the integrated project and Power Point presentations- getting you ready for your Oct 22 project due date.  We will also continue to look at branding/logos and advertising- consentrating on the Visual image in the advertisement.  Later to look at Companies and their presence on the internet and how they advertise.

Logo Tag

this is my logo picture

This is for Jobs With Justice

This is coming from Megan- she's the first to have posted from her class!

Homework

Homework: There is no official homework- but you should take this time to review, get yourself up to date, and think about your integrated project.

Last Week Review (end Sept 25)

This week there were a lot of NOTES!  Specifically they were about BRANDING and TARGET AUDIENCE.  These are techniques used by marketing departments,

Brand Loyalty

Last Week Review (end Sept 17th)

his last week we looked further into the process of how we make decisions. This process (Identify, Analysis, Design, Implement, and Evaluate)is something that we do sometimes in split seconds and other times it takes us weeks and months to do.  This is the outline you will follow for your Integrated Project.  We looked at how advertisers attach themselves to this process and create either a NEED (Got Milk?) or a SOLUTION (Sham-Wow) by using HOOK STATEMENTS. 

Designing a good hook statement is not the easiest thing to do; the hook statement should hint at the product while targeting the audience (TARGET AUDIENCE).

We also looked at what makes a good Power Point Presentation- the amount of information, the pictures and their arrangement on the slide is key.  Be sure when you are arranging those things that you take into account their size, color and form (these are basic elements of design).

Coming up: we are going to look at the concept of target audience, logos and branding

Homework:

1. Response to Class Questions/Ideas #1 with a picture to illustrate your thoughts
2. Integrated project idea (sadly very few people have done this... not so good...)

Homework

Respond to one of the ideas/questions from this blog's post of Sept 14th.  It should be a paragraph long with an image that illustrates what you are writing about.

You should have posted your Integrated Project idea- I'll try to leave a comment on it for you...

Class Questions/Ideas #1

As I've been reading the blogs I'm getting and seeing ideas that are worth repeating.  Read through some of this and feel free to add to the conversation (through comments).  This way we'll start top get an idea what media and media messages really are- and what the integrated project can be.  So here are those thoughts:

1. it [Media] captures the imagination of random people and brings you into a world that is controlled by the media.
   
2. Are there "people" that would like to manipulate you (other people) and why would they want to?
3.  How long does it take to change something?  How long does it take to change a system?
4.  When considering if media is "true" or not: Nathaniel said: When there is enough proof and approval with facts.  I ask: What would any of you consider enough proof?  Who passes approval?
5. Milisa said: You trust the infomation when it sounds resonable and fair and accurate and provides evough detail about what is going on so then you can pass it on because you know the information is true.  How true- the idea of detail is great- when something has detail one tends to trust it more no?  (she's got some great photos too!)
   

Getting Blogs up

There are still some poeple that are not getting their blogs up- could they fix their blog or could someone else who is reading this help them out...

Jenna B: you have posted nothing... is there a problem?  You ned to become a follower of your own blog.

Who is xx_liisaa_xx  you need to let me know

Miriam are you having problems posting pictures...?

Stefano do you have two sites?  could you check that and clean it up if you can... which one do I kick off?

Vanessa T- do you need help or are you just not posting...?

Emmerson- you need to become a follower of your own blog or make a blog- I can't see you!

Homework reminder

Everyone needs to get their general idea for the integrated project posted on their blog-

things to remember: 
do something that you like
do something that you are good at
It has to eventually connect with an organization, class work and tell a media message (I know that this sounds hard but it really isn't)

Last Week Review

Last week we worked on looking to see how the mind builds information. The steps we follow: Identify (the need), Analysis, Design, Implement and Evaluate are key to understanding how minds work and better yet how Advetisers and other interests manipulate our interests.

Coming up: We are now looking more closely as to how we can manipulate the verbal language of a media message to add to its impact.

Homework:  You should have posted an image that shows stereotypes and write why you think this.

Last Week Review

Last week we worked on getting our blogs up and running (some of you still have to get them posted!). Then we started look at the nature of what media means to each of us personally- this was done with the questionnaire!

The work that is required for the week:
answering the last questions of the Questionnaire and Post a Media Picture.

Last 5 questions of questionnaire:

meta>

What is Media?

2. What is your favourite form of media?

3. What medium do you use the most?

4. Where does media make itself visible in your life?

5. What is the impact of media on our society?

Media Syllabus 2009-2010

Term 1: What is the impact of Media Messages?

Media Awareness: This term will be spent looking at what media is, how it effects us in our daily lives, and how it shapes society. Through the practices of numerous exercises, films and readings we will learn the media language to the point where we can manipulate it and make it our own.

Movies: “Fear and Favor in the Newsroom”; Michael Moore’s TV Nation; Ted Talks

Readings: Marshall McLuhan, Adbusters, Noam Chompsky

Concepts: Audience, Medium/Message, Artist/creation/viewer relationship

End of Term Expectation:

1. Understanding and awareness of media’s influences

2. Power Point Presentation

i. your media message,
ii. the cause you plan to support and
iii. why you chose that cause

Term 2: How is the media message made?

Research and Design (R&D): This 2^nd term will be looking at ways to deliver media messages and what medium is the best to do it with.

Movies: Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”; Michael Moore’s TV Nation; Ted Talks

Readings: Naomi Klein, Adbusters, (computer programs)

Concepts: Archetypes/stereotypes, Point of View (POV), message/communication, logo, branding

End of Term Expectation:

1. List of three Designs (possibilities)

2. Have chosen one design and justified your decision

3. Gathered all the required material and/or permissions for a successful completion of your Integrated Project.

Term 3: How is the media message delivered?

Creation: The 3^rd term is dedicated to the production of the integrated project. We will continue to look media issues focusing on delivery and responsibility.

Movies: “The Truman Show”; Michael Moore’s TV Nation; Ted Talks

Readings: Adbusters, Noam Chompsky, (computer programs)

Concepts: Artist/creation/creator relationship, medium, rule of 3rds

End of Term Expectation:

1. a successful completion of your Integrated Project.

2. a record of the steps taken to complete your project.

Term 4: What makes a media message successful?

Creation: The 4^th term concentrates on finishing and presenting your Integrated Project. The final steps will evaluate and reflecting on your project’s success.

Movies: “The Killing Fields”; Michael Moore’s TV Nation; Ted Talks

Readings: Adbusters, Noam Chompsky, (computer programs)

Concepts: markets, audience, Artist/creation/creator relationship, responsibility, critical thinking

End of Term Expectation:

1. Reflection on the processes taken to create your Integrated Project (written essay).

Welcome!

This year we are going to look at media to become aware and socially conscious. Looking at websites, watching movies and TV, talking on cell phones is not enough! Don't let the technology put you to sleep! We need to take control and start sending our own messages- our own product out! The best way we can do that is if we understand the media that we are using (or being used by)!


The materials that you will need for this are as follows:

• USB memory stick (1 gig minimum)
• a notebook with lined and/or blank (whatever you are most comfortable with)
• pens, pencils, markers, colour pencils- anything that can make marks
• have internet access!
• glue stick

This course has not only your media awareness component but is also where you will create/produce the integrated project! This is a self-motivated, self disciplined, independently created work. You have the whole year to do it- will it be enough?!?

Oh- and did I mention that we're going to have fun?

First assignment (week of: September 1-4):

1. find at least one media image
2. create your own blog and become a "follower" of this one (that way I can link back to yours and see it)
3. Post your first response (by Monday, Sept 7th)