Reflection of online class

   Most typical classes in college, at least at Loyola, are entirely cancelled when there is a snow day. Everything in Baltimore is put on hold, and students are held up in their dorms, unable to continue with their classes' syllabus'. In Doc Chris' class however, that was not the case for this past snow day. We were able to continue on with our planned schedule, without stress, simply through Facebook!
   It was so easy and comfortable to hold a class on Facebook because I am so familiar with the website. I commend Doc Chris for the ingenious idea to hold class live and online. My favorite part of the experience was the online "chat" that was instant communication amongst my classmates. We were able to quickly speak to each other in a fast-paced conversation and get our work done quickly. Doc Chris did a great job in explaining instructions of what we had to do and he was very clear and precise. I had very few questions and when I did, they were quickly answered within minutes. The class, as well as asking questions, was able to give feedback to each other which is a great way, in my opinion, to communicate.
   I was a little late to the chat unfortunately, but I thought it was so great how everything was posted already and easy to locate. I was able to navigate through the Facebook "wall" and "chat" to see exactly what I missed and all my questions were answered instantly! I had the luxury of sitting on my bed in my dorm room and participating in class discussion! Days later, I would still be able to see what was discussed on this particular snow day which is a great thing.
   I am really enjoying this class so far because of the enthusiasm Doc Chris has for his students. He is attentive and always available which is a very rare quality in college professors. He is easy to talk to and his original ideas with technology are very entertaining! I love having class on Facebook and it's great not being behind in a class because of extenuating circumstances. ! :)
  

Flintstone Winston Cigarette Commercial

 The Flintstones 

Winston Cigarette Commercial from the 1960s

I can see how this advertisement was very popular in the 1960s. The Flintstones were very popular at the time and attracted a lot of attention. Many viewers of the television show would have been enticed to watch the commercial and follow how the characters behaved. Even though the characters themselves were popular, the advertisers of this commercial used humor to make the cigarettes even more welcoming. In the beginning of the commercial, Fred and Barney are witty when they try to get away from their wives and they are funny when they try to hide from them. Their personalities and conversation bring out the cigarette in a positive light that makes it look very attractive. The music in the background is jolly and inviting as well.

Overall, the commercial gave a positive energy that reflects on how great the cigarettes are. It makes sense that so many people bought the product during this time period because of the tactics used to advertise; especially when correlating it with The Flintstones.

Sight
The commercial is made of cartoons in black and white. At first a woman is pushing a machine that looks like a lawnmower across a lawn. A man with dark hair has his back to her and he is leaning over a stone wall. He looking at a light-haired man who is also looking back at him. They both look at the woman as she pushes the lawnmower away and they look back at each other. Another woman is shown and she is hitting a piece of clothing that is hanging from a line. The men look at her and begin to start a conversation

The scene shifts and the two men are laying down on grass leaning against a rock. They look relaxed and happy. The light-haired man pulls out a rectangular box. He opens it and takes out small light-colored cylinders from it. Both the men look excited and then a white cloud appears which seems to come from both of their mouths. The women with the machine walks by again and the men look at her. They continue to go about putting the small cylinders in their mouths and the two women are shown staring at them. They look mad and frustrated. The two men continue to engage with each other and the women come over and hand them objects that look like brooms.

A mailbox with the word "The Flintstones" is shown with a house in the background. The same box with the word "Winston" on it is shown and hands are reaching towards it to take out the small white cylinders. A woman and man are shown putting the cylinders into their mouths. They both look happy and content.


Sound
The first sound that can be heard is a loud ticking noise followed by a banging noise. While these noises occur simultaneously, two men are heard to be in conversation. They talk about how hard two people are working. The ticking and banging noise goes away and music begins to play. One of the men says he wants to take a "Winston" break and the music becomes uplifting and positive. The two men begin to talk about "Winston Cigarettes" and the ticking noise is heard again. The men continue to talk and jolly music plays while a narrator talks in the background about "Winston Cigarettes."


Motion
A woman walks by with a slow, even pace while pushing an object. Another women is using all her energy to hit an object. Two men appeared to be relaxed and still. There is little motion except when they move their hands to their mouths. The first woman walks by again with the same pace. The commercial in general is slow and relaxed with not much movement except for the people putting their hands toward their mouths.

Class Reflection 1/20/11

   Today I learned that when dealing with "sight, sound and media" one must address anything from the basics. When looking at something I have learned to specifically report what I see. This includes colors, shapes and letters described in the most basic forms. In my group I learned about sites on the internet of how certain things aren't always exactly what they seem to be. A dog looked like an alien on an image website and a young boy was singing with a deep voice that an old man would have.
  I believe that I have learned a lot today regarding the basics of "sight, sound and knowledge." I know how to analyze an object or piece of media specifically using my basic senses. I'm very eager to learn more and so far, what we have discussed in class and what we have learned was very interesting. From what I have heard from Doc Chris, I am eager to continue learning and I like the way he runs his class. I think it will be very enjoyable and I can't wait to get started.

1/20/10

Today my group looked at videos on YouTube. An interesting video we found was a music video to the song "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. The boy singing the song had a very deep voice and this was surprising because the boy was very young looking. Typically a boy of his age wouldn't have a voice so loud and so deep but the boy in the video did. For someone so young, the voice volume and depth was very surprising to listen to. The combination of his voice and appearance was very funny because it was ironic. What also was ironic was the way he was dancing. He was dancing to the song rather than to match his age. He performed which much sincerity which was impressive but humorous because of the irony the video included.