HUM206: Introduction to Television - Recently Updated Pages

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rrodrigo — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:24:02 CDT

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Jungle Fury Narrative Structure

rrodrigo — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:27:56 CST

Narrative Structure for Episode 1 Part 1: Welcome to the Jungle

1. Multiple Protagonists:
Lilly, Casey, and Theo. The Newest Power Rangers.

2. Exposition:
The series begins at the Phai Zhug academy led by Master Mao. Phai Zhug is type of Kung Fu and "is the order of the claw" said by R.J. and others in the show. There are six finalists in which three earn the chance to protect the capture chest of the evil Dai Shi. The three finalists were originally Lilly, Theo, and Jarrod. After an incident with Casey a cub level student at the academy, Jarrod is removed from the choice to guard the concealment of Dai Shi.
Editor Note:
This is where I think I should stop before this becomes a summary instead of an exposition.

3. Motivation:
To help protect the world from a new evil force called Dai Shi. To find a new master and have some type of power to help battle the monsters thrown at them. To save the world, learn about life, and more Phai Zhug.

4. Narrative Problematic:
Who will be their new master? What will happen to Jarrod? Will Dai Shi take over the world? Can the Power Rangers win? Will Casey be able to morph and save Fran? Will we see Master Mao anymore?

5. Cause-effect chain:
The description of the chain in application to this episode: Six finalists at the Phai Zhug academy battle to be the ones to guard the concealed powers of Dai Shi. Three finalists are chosen. One acts too bad and gets the boot from the selection. A cub gets chosen instead, and they are told of what their mission will be. Said rejected student Jarrod gets upset and tries to claim the guardian position from the cub; hence, the student releases Dai Shi and runs away while the three students remaining try to fight Dai Shi. Dai Shi kills the Master, takes over Jarrod, and the academy while evil folks of his group come back again. Lilly, Casey the cub level student, and Theo ultimately find their new master R.J. after one tough battle and discovering the place they were meant to go to. They are given morphers and outfits and all plus they are introduced to their new training, living, and working place at Jungle Karma Pizza. They go into the second battle where Casey can not morph directly like the others, and now he has to save a lady named Fran from the monster while unmorphed and held back by the minor evils of the monster and Dai Shi.

6. Climax:
The climax in this episode is where they discover who their new Phai Zhug master is, and they have a chance to protect the world from Dai Shi's evil motives. A new beginning to a tragic loss of Master Mao and the release of the evil Dai Shi.

7. Resolution/ Non- Resolution:
This episode ends at a cliff hanger because this was a merged showing of both parts for Episode One as a premiere of the series. It ends with the problem of a new master being solved, having new powers, and a new path to victory and life in general. There is still evil out there and the unanswered question of what Casey can do to save Fran and actually morph into a Power Ranger.

YouTube Videos of Welcome to the Jungle: Part 1 and partially Part 2:

If you find any mistakes or want to leave a comment, you can do so by posting or leaving a message on my profile here by the name of IcePrincessLatina. :)

Announcements & Schedule

rrodrigo — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:17:46 CST

Announcements

I'll always put the most current announcement at the top of the page!

Fri. 12/19/08; 1:15 PM
Folks, final grades have been posted. Please go check your gradebook in WebCT. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me. If you are are interested, I'm teaching an online section of eng102 and a Tuesday night section of Women & Film.

Tues. 12/9/08; 8:46 AM
I've posted technology sites that will help with developing your final project. If you decide you do not want to fuddle with syncing audio with your presentation, you may submit your audio script (you'll have to match it with the slides). If you choose this option, they highest grade you will earn for the final project is a B+. If you need any help, please just ask for help!

Mon. 12/8/08; 6:13PM
Please do fill out the course evaluation survey. I should have built it into the course distribution; however, I forget. But guess what...that five point buffer is there...so course evaluation survey now fills it! LOL

Sat. 11/29/08 9:36pm--Updated Grading Policies
This updated grading policy accounts for the few quizzes that we are not taking and the complete dumping of chapter 13. All chapter 11 stuff is up as well as the directions for your MyShow project (including the draft of the final project). Email me with any questions or concerns.

Assignment Distribution

Textbook Chapter Project	150 points
Reading Quizzes (10 points x 10 quizzes—no quizzes for chapters 7, 8 or 13)	100 points
Weekly Discussions (25 points x 12 weeks—none for chapter 13)	300 points
My Show Project	400 points
Various “getting started” assignments the first couple of weeks	45 points
Extra five buffer points…(you all get it so we have easy grading system)--revised, now the Course Evaluation Survey	5 points
TOTAL	1000 points

Grading Scale
Grades are determined according to the following scale:
A (900-1000)
B (800-899)
C (700-799)
D (600-699)
F (599 or below)

Wrapping Up Semester
Time flys...especially when you are behind (I'm talking about myself here, LOL). So, a quick reminder of of the rest of the semester will play out:

11/22, midnight: Chapter 8 work and another MyShow deadline
11/24, 7:10-9:50pm, LA2N: work session--let's try to get caught up with everything!
12/1, 7:10-9:50pm, LA2N: use class time to work on Chapter 11 stuff and final MyShow project
12/6, midnight: Chapter 11 work and another MyShow deadline
12/8, 7:10-9:50pm, LA2N: use class time to work on Chapter 12 stuff and final MyShow project
12/13, midnight: Chapter 12 work and another MyShow deadline
12/14, 7:10-9:50pm, LA2N: present final MyShow project to class
WED. 12/17, midnight: if didn't present final MyShow in class on Monday, submit to instructor online

Chapter 8 work will be up by tomorrow. Final MyShow project prompts and final project assignment prompts will be posted/passed out 11/24.

Sat. 11/15/08; 9:57 AM
Don't worry about chapter 7 quiz (consider it free points). Do notice I posted up the 11/15 deadline for MyShow and you have discussion board work to do in the chapter 7 wiki page! :-)

Mon. 11/10/08; 3:42PM
I was hoping if I stayed home all day the whole sore throat thing would go away. I'd rather not get the few of you who would show up sick...so I'm not coming in to f2f class tonight.
Remember...this week, you need to work on chapter 7 stuff. Notes are up. Discussion board questions are up. I'll get quiz up either tonight or tomorrow. I'll also get the next phase in the MyShow assignment up as well. Everyone have a wonderful Veterans day!

Mon. 11/3/08; 7:22PM
Community College Week and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development are co-sponsoring a student essay contest. Students must write a 400-500 word essay on this topic:

Describe your most rewarding learning experience with a faculty, staff, or administrator at your college.

All entries must be submitted electronically by Dec. 1, 2008 at the website below. The winning student will earn a $1000 cash reward, with another $1000 going to the community college employee featured in the essay. More information can be found on the attached flier and at the following link:

http://www.nisod.org/student_essay.html

Mon. 11/3/08; 7:00PM
These are some of the cheapest ways to travel abroad! I teach an ENG217 Personal and Exploratory Writing class themed/focused on travel writing in the England study abroad. We have a blast!!!

MCC EDUCATION ABROAD INFORMATION SESSIONS TO YOUR STUDENTS!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
6-7:30 pm
Southern & Dobson Campus; Maricopa Room (Kirk Center)
and at Red Mountain Campus M213 (2nd floor of Mesquite Building)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
12-1:30 pm
Southern & Dobson Campus; Pima Room (Kirk Center)
and at Red Mountain Campus; M213 (2nd floor of Mesquite Building)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/services/international/studyabroad/

Mon. 11/3/08; 6:56PM
Whoo hoo, Chapter 3 stuff is up as well! Notes, quiz, discussion questions. So wrap Chapter 6, do chapter 3, make sure to get caught up on your MyShow postings. We'll move on to chapter 7 next week!

Mon. 11/3/08; 5:24PM
Chapter 6 quiz is up in WebCT! So do please take it (probably before your do your MyShow assignment this week...it will be a good refresher).

Fri. 10/31/08; 5:29AM (I'm on Eastern time, that's why I'm awake!)
Obviously I didn't get quiz 6 and chapter 3 materials up. Consider it an "easy" week. If you are behind in chapter work, get caught up. There is still a new "MyShow" assignment...so make sure to get caught up there as well. I will get chapter 6 quiz posted tomorrow (Saturday) and chapter 3 stuff up by Monday. We've just pushed chapter work out by one week (I may drop chapter 13 totally) and we are still on track for MyShow!

Sun. 10/26/08; 12:14PM
Sorry folks, I didn't get the chapter 6 quiz up in time. I'll get it up by tomorrow (Monday) night at the latests. I'll also get the chapter 3 materials and quiz up as well. Sorry about that...I'd cancel it, except, it's important materials for you all to pay attention to. Don't forget, no f2f meeting on Monday 10/27.

Mon. 10/20/08; 8:16PM
Reminder...I will be in Florida next week at a super-geeky educational technology conference. Therefore...we will have no face-to-face (f2f) class meeting next week. You'll have the normal chapter and MyShow work due!

Mon. 10/20/08; 3:00PM
To the best of my knowledge, all grading is up to date! Please check your email inboxes and the WebCT gradebook and make sure my records jive with what you think you've submitted. If something seems off, email me.

Wed. 10/15/08; 11:28 AM
Hey folks...just wanted to say that I got a massive last minute deadline dumped on me (and it's this friday). I was planning on playing grading catch-up this week...obviously that just got dumped. All my classes will be highest priority this weekend.
Sorry :-(

Sun. 10/5/08; 8:41 PM
I've graded week one work. If you did not get a Wetpaint email from me, you earned the full 45 points. If you didn't earn the whole 45 points, I emailed you with the listing of what you submitted and what you are missing.

Sat. 10/4/08; 8:01 PM
Extra Credit Opportunity...it's easy, vote and prove it! Be creative; for example, a colleague's students made videos of themselves at the polls, etc. If you are not registered, you need to be registered to vote by Monday (see more notes below).

NextMonday, October 6this the deadline to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in the November 4th General Election. Voter registration is now easier than ever for those with an Arizona driver's license or state-issued identification card. Register online in an instant by going to the Service Arizona Web site:https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/
For other voter registration options, call the County Elections Hotline: 602-506-1511 , or go to the County Elections voter registration Web site:

Voter Registration
http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/regform.aspx
Am I Registered to Vote?
https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/voterreglookup.aspx
Early Voting / Vote by Mail
https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/permanentevlist.aspx
Voter I.D. at the Polls - New Requirements
http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/voterinfo.aspx
General Elections Information Site
http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx

Thanks, and don't forget to encourage your family, friends, and coworkers to exercise their right to vote!

Fri. 10/3/08; 8:43 AM
Whew...quiz 2 is up in WebCT. Chapter 2 discussion posts are up and ready for you to participate. I'll get the rest of chapter 2 notes up tomorrow. I'll also be caught up on ALL grading tomorrow (so look for emails from me).

Tues. 9/23/08: 3:53 PM
To the best of my knowledge, I'm up to date on grading the discussion board postings and the quizzes. Check the gradebook in WebCT (where you take quizzes) and also check your email for more detailed discussion board gradesheets. Tomorrow night (9/24) I'll process the chapter projects I have in my inbox. As usual, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.

Tues. 9/23/08; 2:15 PM
Whew...I finally feel like I've got a grip on this course. First, the good news, we'll be dumping the Course Outcomes Project (insert canned applause here...this is classic comedy TV, right?). See the new grade scale below. Second, the calendar is now completely filled in; however, the My Show assignment is not finalized (but you do have the first deadline for it this weekend and you can follow the prompt as is). Third, I'm finally playing clean up grader, so look for stuff from me.

Assignment Distribution

Textbook Chapter Project	150 points
Reading Quizzes (10 points x 13 quizzes)	130 points
Weekly Discussions (25 points x 13 weeks)	325 points
My Show Project	400 points
Various “getting started” assignments the first couple of weeks	45 points
TOTAL	1050 points

Grading Scale
Grades are determined according to the following scale:

A (945-1050)
B (840-944)
C (735-839)
D (630-734)
F (629 or below)

Mon. 9/22/08; 8:36 PM
All of the chapter 10 stuff (including the quiz) is up! Chapter 10 stuff is due 9/27 and Chapter 2 stuff will be due 10/4.

Mon. 9/22/08; 7:51 AM
Folks...I either got a whopping case of food poisoning, or the stomach flu. Either way...no class for me tonight (really, if this is contagious, you don't want it!) ! I will, however, get everything up for you today in between some bouts of resting (I'll have abs of steal after this is through, LOL!)

Sat. 9/20/08; 1:29 PM
Yes...I have chapter 10 stuff...no, I haven't put it up yet. So guess what...you now get one more week (it just pushes the chapters out one week and we have enough weeks in the semester for that). So, I'll update calendar and upload chapter 10 stuff tomorrow, Sunday, morning. I'll get chapter 2 stuff early next week. Look for an individualized email from me either Sunday or Monday to make sure we "jive" on where you are in the class. Have a good weekend!!!

Mon. 9/15/08; 7:04 PM
Ok folks, I'm starting to grade. And some of you are not in a happy place. In the next day or so look out for both general announcements and personal emails from me. Allen, Bone, Gomez, Kelly, and Knappenberger... go fill out the info form.

Mon. 9/15/08; 5:26 PM
I've started a draft of the assignment prompt for the My Show assignment. Please go read what is there so you have an idea of what you'll be doing. The weekly assignments will start being due prior to me being completely finished with constructing the assignment prompt.

Mon. 9/15/08; 8:57 AM
Please note that I changed the chapter for this week to chapter 10 (Music Television). The fact that so many of you are behind in submitting (and meeting with me) your chapter work is why we are not doing chapter 2. I'll be excepting to get those completed chapter projects from you all this week.

Mon. 9/2/08; 8:46 PM
I know a few of you are worried about workload for this course...reminder, this is a college course and you won't just be watching TV shows. Basically here is a run down of the semester, for almost all the weeks you'll be responsible for:

reading a chapter,
taking a reading quiz,
watching something, and
discussing the reading and viewings.

Most weeks you'll also have a "bigger" project you are working on. Those basically are:

now through 9/13: Chapter Project (preparing the stuff so we can work through each week!)
9/13-10/11: Outcomes Project
10/11-rest of class: Your individual television show project (you'll have work to do each week and then a presentation for the end of the course)

Sun. 8/31/08; 5:44 PM
Here are your assignments for the Chapter Project:

Kelly-5
Klopper-4
Knappenberger-11
Lancaster-6
Lane-3
Maciejewski-12
Moore-7

Murbach-10
Myers-5
Stockton-10
Whitehead-4

Sat. 8/30/08; 1:27 PM
First, I've read what you all have in the various discussion boards...good stuff, keep up the great dialogue. I've also posted the homework in the Calendar up through 9/20. Tomorrow I'll assign out what chapters you are responsible for while doing the Chapter Project. I'll also get the Chapter 9 stuff up (wiki page, quiz, etc.) by the end of the weekend. Please, please, please feel free to email me with questions, concerns, etc.

Sat. 8/30/08; 9:06 AM
I'm happy to say it looks like almost everyone (only one missing) has started to engage with the course in some way, shape, or form! For the few of those who have not done so, please, please, please take the interest survey in WebCT. I'm going to start assigning the chapters and this is your only way to have some input into what chapter you are assigned (but I can't make any promises). Please also be sure to download, sign, and upload the syllabus contract and fill out the info form. As I said below, Chapter 1 Reading quiz is now up in WebCT and the discussion board rubric is attached to the bottom of the wiki's homepage.

Sat. 8/30/08; 7:54 AM
The discussion board rubric is now posted as an attachment at the bottom of the home page! As you can see from the rubric, to earn all 25 points each week you'll need to sincerely engage the discussions, making sure one of your initial replies is from a "viewing" discussion thread/prompt. You'll have to post two initial thread/prompt replies, and then reply to at least three more of your classmates in the discussion. To earn full credit, obviously you have to critically engage one another and at least run your response through spell check prior to posting!

Sat. 8/30/08; 7:09AM
I don't know about you all, but this week was killer for me! Whew...glad it is Saturday of a three day weekend. I finally got the quiz up! Please do not stress! I really don't expect everyone to be caught up until deadline 3. Realize with add/drop all week, we have people who didn't enroll in the class until yesterday. I'll be working on the class over the weekend. I'll get the Discussion Board rubric up ASAP. I'll also get deadline 3 work up ASAP as well. I'll then start flushing everything else in as quickly as I can. FYI...quiz for chapter 1 is up in WebCT.

Mon. 8/25/08; 10:52AM
As some of you see, I'm slowly filling stuff out. Please do notice that everything is not "up" yet. Again...give me until tonight for a final "getting started" point. In other words, please don't email with "I can't find..." until sometime after this evening.

Sat. 8/23/08; 6:48 AM
This course is a chimera, meaning it is a cross-listing between a face-to-face class that meets once a week on Monday nights (7:10-9:50pm) and a completely online course. Since the face-to-face class kicks off Monday night, and I have a few other classes I need to get rolling this semester as well, the online class will not officially kick-off until Monday night either. For those of you taking this course online, please consider coming Monday night (8/25) to class to join the beginning of class celebrations (not quite like the Olympics, but we'll have fun!).

I'm only getting "enough" stuff up for you all to:
1. join the course Wetpaint Wiki and update your profile page (don't forget to add a section in your profile about your "goal" for this course)
2. get logged into the course Learning Management System (LMS--it's WebCT/Blackboard at Mesa CC) and start a discussion about how you learn about new television shows.

Schedule

(Click on each deadline, and then click on the "more details" link and you will get a separate page that activates the links I've put into the listings.)

Jungle Fury Final Presentation Draft

IcePrincessLatina — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:51:52 CST

Jungle Fury Presentation Script.

Script:
Intro and History: Slide # 1&2 Hi, I am Lori Whitehead and the show I am presenting to you tonight is Power Rangers Jungle Fury. Slide 2 sound: Power Rangers Jungle Fury is the 16th series of the Power Rangers Legacy. For the U.S. series, there is always a Japanese counterpart that was made a year before the U.S. season.

Elements and Analysis- This is just my divider line.
Plot: Slide # 3 There is a Pai Zhuq Academy where students learn a type of Kung Fu. The evil spirit Dai Shi is protected by them and gets released that causes the Academy to fall with its masters. A boy named Jarrod is overtaken by Dai Shi and the three new guardians have to find a way to defeat Dai Shi and get a new master to learn Pai Zhuq. This might flow over to the next slides.
Characters: Slide # 4,5,6,&7 The characters are unique and help define the story of Power Rangers Jungle Fury. Each slide sound add-on. Here are the ranger characters. Here are more ranger characters who are Pai Zhuq masters at the beginning of the season. Here are the ranger's allies. Here are some of the many villains of the show.
Cast: Slide # 8 These are the actors and actresses and crew members who make this possible to begin with. Combined sound across the two slides.Crew: Slide # 9 There are many crew members in the show that make sure the filmings go really well and include the editors and people who make this show presentable to TV. Message about not having names included.
Narrative: Slide # 10&11 I have composed a narrative outline that shows what specific components are included in an episode of this series. This is the second part of the narrative outline.-slide 11
Episode Analysis: Slide # 12&13 The episode analysis helps explain some of the elements an episode has and how the story is made and the filming process. The second slide is coming up soon and you will want to see what this includes. The second slide gives you an extra insight into what an episode contains.
Episode Scene Analysis: Slide # 14&15 The episode scene analysis helps explain some of the elements of how an episode is made into reality and any filming processes. This is the second slide of the scene analysis. Hope you enjoy.
Fan Stuff: Slide # 16 Here is my fan page where I have included links and areas to explore to get more out of the Power Rangers Jungle Fury world as well as the other seasons of the Power Rangers and Super Sentai. This might flow over to the next slides.
Good Television: Slide # 17 Power Rangers is good television because of what it has to offer. It has action, suspense, drama, superheros, and many more to go around. The characters are great in their jobs too. This will flow over to both slides of 18 and 19.
Content and Target Audience: Slide # 18&19 Power Rangers Jungle Fury has a lot of violence in the show. It also has a message of being a good person, trust, confidence, and friendship. slide 19 sound The target audience is for those who like superheros, action, and good nature of people trying to save the world. This show is rated for people ages 7 and up.
My final thoughts: Slide # 20 Power Rangers is a great show with lots of action, some drama, and adventures. It has great technical aspects along with great acting and producing aspects of a superhero show.

This may not have the transition effects and sound, yet it does give a view of what I did.

Ice Princess Latina's Show: Power Rangers Jungle Fury

IcePrincessLatina — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:45:38 CST

Official Links of Power Rangers Jungle Fury:

1. Official Power Rangers Site
Disney Site for all U.S. seasons.
2.Official Power Rangers Jungle Fury Site Disney's Jetix TV site for Power Rangers Jungle Fury (Season 16 of the Power Rangers Show in the U.S.)

Unofficial/ Fan Site Links to Jungle Fury and other Power Ranger Sites:

1. Power Rangers Central Power Rangers Fan Site
2. Jungle Fury NET Power Rangers Jungle Fury Fan Site

Japanese Counterpart Super Sentai to U.S. Power Rangers Show Sites:

Links to come as found on web. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Power Rangers Central now has a link to a similar tribute site to these series.

Go Go Power Rangers. Go Go Power Rangers. 16th yr.

History of all Power Rangers Series and Jungle Fury season.

What is the history of this show?
The show itself is part of 16 years of Power Rangers teams in the U.S. starting in 1993 by Saban. He came up with and produced the first show: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers show based on the Japanese counterpart Super Sentai show of years in the making since 1975. The show was original and new to the U.S. where it went on for three seasons then moving on to Zeo, Turbo, Space, Lost Galaxy, Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, and Wild Force. In 2003, the show was bought from Disney and the Ninja Storm team came about. After Ninja Storm there was Dino Thunder, SPD- Space Patrol Delta, Mystic Force, Operation Overdrive, and Jungle Fury. These shows were all based on the previous year shows from the Japanese counterpart. The next series that is suppose to come is R.P.M. Power Rangers for 2009.

How/why did it come in to being?
Saban first created the shows of the Power Rangers to bring out a new type of action show for kids and families.
Jungle Fury came into being after the Japanese counterpart came to an end. The U.S. part came to life by Disney and the producer of the Ninja Storm team show, and it was created to continue on the ranger legacy for the U.S. series. The Power Rangers shows from Disney, including Jungle Fury were filmed in New Zealand.

What is the history and/or impact of this show globally?
Power Rangers has now become a global sucess. It has always created a growing fan base since the 90s. The Japanese Super Sentai series and other series like those are a big enough sucess to keep on going. This show does have an impact of teaching some good values for kids. The show Jungle Fury has gotten millions of viewers though the exact number is hard to tell.

Content concerns of the Power Rangers Jungle Fury series.

Is the show considered violent, why or why not?
This show can be considered violent.
Does the show include a lot of sexually charged material?
This show does not have any sexually charged material. It goes true for the previous seasons of Power Rangers.

Other regulations and drug use?
There are no specific evidence of drug use in these shows. It goes true as I know of for the previous seasons of Power Rangers.

Is the show rated?
This show is rated TV-Y7 and so mainly for kids that are 7 and older. That would likely be the ratings for the show across the world too.

Reviews and its content related to show's content.

Find and link out to some reviews about the show.
Review 1
commonsensemedia
Review 2
TV.com

Do those reviews mention issues about the shows "questionable" content?
The reviews from both sites do have mentionings of violence and the message it sends to kids. Some of the short reviews and comment like feedback tells about how the show was good or bad. The other reviews/comments just say wether or not they had like the show.

How do those reviews get you thinking about the show in different ways?
These reviews just only expand my knowledge of what is going in the Power Rangers world and how the series Jungle Fury is affecting its viewers.

Hope this explains the questions provided.

If this page needs any changes, then please let me know so I can make these pages the best they can be.

Pknapp54's Show-Supernatural, Season 4

pknapp54 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:44:39 CST

Narrative Structure of an Episode of Supernatural: Season 4

Episode 401: Lazarus Rising

Protagonists (Single/Multiple): In this episode, there is seemingly only a single protagonist, going directly against the norm of the show. Dean is the only character for the first 20 minutes of the episode, only briefly encountering other characters. Later on, he reunites with his brother Sam, and then the show falls back to its normal format of the two brothers acting as protagonists.

Exposition: This particular episode, being the season premiere, starts up where the last season left off. Quick recap: Dean, after making a deal with a demon to resurrect his brother, came to the final day of his one year to live before his soul was taken by the demon. After trying lots of different ways to get out of the deal, Dean dies, and is seen in the final moments of season 3 being chained to a seemingly endless void, obviously implied to be Hell. At the beginning of season 4, Dean awakens trapped inside of a coffin, three months after his death. After digging his way out of the grave, Dean looks around and realizes that the entire area has been blown apart, the epicenter of the blast being . . . his grave. Dean comments later on this as some "Real bad mojo."

Motivation: In this episode, Dean's motivation is to find his brother, and to find out the reason why he of all people should escape from Hell. One clue to this dilemma is a hand-print burned into Dean's shoulder, which he believes to be the hand-print of a demon, that 'rode' him out of Hell.

Narrative Enigma: The questions raised in this episode are; Why was Dean released from Hell? Who released him? What plans does the being that released Dean from Hell have for him?

Cause-Effect Chain: Dean eventually finds his brother and their 'Uncle' Bobby. Together they try to find the name of the creature that released Dean from Hell, with help from a local psychic. In a gruesome turn of events, during the seance, the psychic sees the being that released Dean, and subsequently, her eyes are burned from her skull. From this experience, they only glean the name of the creature, "Castiel". Dean and Bobby sneak off in the dead of night, in order to keep Sam safe, and summon the supposed demon into a barn prepared with many supernatural safeguards. The creature is summoned, and a man appears in the barn doorway. He walks right through the traps that Dean and Bobby have set, and the two hunters start shooting the man, to no avail. Bobby is thrown into a wall, and is knocked unconscious.

Climax: Dean and Castiel are alone in the barn, and it looks that the demon is about to kill both Dean and Bobby, when he stops, and begins to talk to Dean, explaining that he is an angel, rather than a demon. Incredulous of angels' existence, Dean asks why he, of all people, was released from Hell. Castiel explains in the climactic moment of the episode, "God has work for you."

Resolution (or lack thereof): This is actually the end of the episode, and the work described is left an ambigiuous claim made by the so-called angel. The creature has been identified, but in true narrative style for the show, one answer brings a hundred questions.

External Links

The Official Supernatural Website (complete with season 4 episodes for streaming content)

Official Supernatural Website

Unofficial Supernatural Website (blogs, games, forums and more)

Supernatural

Reasons for Watching

I first started watching the show because I was interested in a new show, and the first season had gone on sale for like fifteen dollars at work. Not wanting to pass up a great deal, I scooped it up and took it home. After that, I was really interested in it, and ended up watching the second and third seasons soon after, and now I'm watching Season 4 as it airs every Thursday night at 8 p.m. on CW 6.

My favorite place to watch an enjoy the show is at home, in the company of my brother, Craig. He also really likes the show, and is into the story as much, if not more, than me. I think to some extent, we really bond watching the show, because of the narrative of two brothers overcoming amazing circumstances. I don’t really look to any extra sites or anything extra-curricular in relation to the show, with the exception of the occasional wikipedia venture, to see if the creatures are being kept to their traditional roots.

Context of the Show

Well, I'd have to say that this show is about as testosterone filled an hour as one can only dream of. Of course there are the commercials that advertise some more effeminate shows, such as 90210 or One Tree Hill, but all in all, most the commercials that are seen during the run of an episode of Supernatural are geared towards men. Lots of shaving, trucks, beer, and movies are seen in the five minute interludes between scenes. Even the slot for the evening is pretty masculine, being preceded by the newest version of the Superman tale, Smallville. The show itself is somewhat a show for the quintessential southern male, with Metallica seeping through the most serious moments, and witty humor that mirrors the dark feel of the show, not to mention the obscene amount of guns that the series showcases. To sum things up, if you aren't into the occasional zombie movie or really big explosion, or if you still sleep with a nightlight listening to Raffi, you may want to consider a show other than Supernatural. If you live, eat, and breathe metal, enjoy the occasional dismembered vampire, or just like the sound of a classic 1967 Chevy Impala, then this is the hour long reality that you need to be a part of.

Mise-en-Scene

To describe the Mise-en-Scene of an episode of Supernatural, I'm going to use the same episode as described above, "Lazarus Rising".

Lighting: The lighting throughout the episode has a very filtered feel to it, with many of the daytime scenes being very warm and grainy, while the night scenes are accurately dark, with enough light to see the characters. The best use of lighting in the episode was the scene with Castiel in the barn. The simulated lightning has an amazing effect, paired with the artificial shadows, creating a spectacular moment.

Location: The location used for Dean's reawakening was very striking, because of the isolation that he felt as soon as he gained his senses. Also, The barn was an excellent location choice as well.

Props: The props that probably were best utilized in this episode were the many glass objects that would break at the sound of Castiel's "real voice". The shaking and exploding glass were definitely a strong tool to create a feeling of fear and terror.

Video / Cinematography

Let's talk Cameras. The beginning scene from season 4 of Supernatural, "Lazarus Rising", is Dean inside of a coffin. Rather than just implying that Dean is in a coffin, the camera actually accompanies him inside the coffin itself, adding lots of dramatic tension. When Dean does make his way out, the camera cuts to a close up of him, as he slowly realizes his surroundings, and the camera zooms out to a high-angle extreme long shot showing the area around Dean's grave, and showing that it is a completely cursed land. After this, the camera cuts to black, leaving extreme tension moving into the commercial.

Editing

Editing is a very important part of a television show, because were a show to have a gratuitous amount of cuts and camera changes, or if it were a single continuous shot, the effect of the scene and overall program would be greatly diminished. The scene I'm going to describe to you is a simple scene from season 3 of supernatural (not the right season, I know, but a great scene none the less) in which Dean does a pretty spectacular stunt. The scene begins with two goons talking about killing Sam, which is exaggerated by close up shots alternating between the two goons, finally culminating in a shot high angle shot behind their backs, with the lead goon holding a gun to Sam's head. Dean then walks in with a gun of his own pointed at the goons, shown in a single 3/4 medium shot of Dean. The goons then turn to face him, and Dean places his gun down on the table, in a close up, looks at the goons, and in another close up picks up a pen. Dean then tosses the pen, and with a panning shot, the pen lodges itself in the gun barrel. One of the goons attacks Dean who moves out of the way, with the goon hitting the wall and knocking himself out. Dean then picks up a T.V. remote (another close up) and throws it at the leader's head, knocking him out. Then Dean exclaims the priceless one-liner, "I'm Batman!"

Sound

The sound of a television show is very important, creating the feel of many unspoken emotions, building dramatic tension, and helping move along the story. To give an excellent example, the sound of episode number 6 in season 4 of Supernatural, "Yellow Fever", there are a couple places where sound adds some important content. Firstly, the episode, based around a paranoia style mental sickness that Dean is infected by, has a large place for Hell Hounds, which are supernatural representations of Dean's fear of going back to Hell. The Hell Hounds are not actually shown, rather, they are heard, growling and shrieking and barking every time that Dean believes that one is near; very frightening. Next, Dean is given a rather strange sound effect of hearing things with a slight echo when he is really badly affected by the Demon Sickness, giving the viewer an ominous feel to everything that Dean witnesses and interacts with during this time. Finally, while not entirely a story progressive element, or a terribly important scene, but in one scene of this episode, Dean is afraid to leave the car, for fear of someone killing him, and when Sam returns to the car, 'Eye of the Tiger' is playing on the car radio, and Dean is dancing inside the car. Very trivial, very funny.

A Little Bit of History

Supernatural, like many shows on television right now, is a fairly new show. First shot in 2005, Supernatural is currently in its fourth season aired, and is still making personal records in terms of ratings. The show's pilot episode was filmed in California, but the show has since then been shot primarily in Vancouver, then edited down on the west coast. The show has seen its ratings go on a roller coaster, this season in specific, with record highs and lows, but the show has since then evened out to a steadily strong rating of adults 18-49. Interestingly enough, many of the main plot elements, such as the lore behind many of the creatures and spirits that the brothers face in the show have actual literature and truth (in context) about them. Many of the stories and plot elements are kept to a high standard as far as keeping details right. One example is the different uses of pentacles as signs of protection, or the use of salt and iron against spirits, not shotguns and poorly scripted quips. Finally, this show has been called the best show to come out of the U.S. in this genre since Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and the X-Files. A pretty prestigious claim, but so far, I'd like to think they've lived up to it.

Content

Supernatural, in its name alone, is a somewhat taboo show in many ways. One facet of the content that may steer viewers away is that of the actual storyline. Many people of traditional religious beliefs find stories of ghosts, demons, and things of that nature to be a very inappropriate type of content. There is, of course, the usual sex, drugs, and alcohol that is referred to in the show, with the brothers going to a bar and getting drunk, and many 'compromising' situations with women and demons looking like women. All in all, this show does not really have anything all that different from the other shows on prime time slots right now. The biggest difference, like the name implies, is the supernatural plot.

Final

Hey everyone, it's been fun, but we're at the end of the class. If you'd like to view my presentation, it'll be here, otherwise, thanks for a great class!

http://app.sliderocket.com/app/FullPlayer.aspx?id=3770edc3-400a-4651-9cd4-9ecc6b7a0520

Final Project

rrodrigo — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:34:33 CST

Draft: (please ignore the links and the (SLIDE) parts, those are just placeholders so I know whereabouts to put things for the presentation)

http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/fReQ-LvCqgPmpvVYzR_YWw50860/GW400H593
For my show's project I chose to do J.J. Abram's new show Fringe, airing on Fox. Those who don't recognize the name would still likely recognize some of the other shows he's done, Alias and Lost.
I chose to do my project on Fringe because I expected it to be of the same quality of Abram's previous work. Namely, I expected there to be an interesting premise and things going on under the surface.

Fringe relies pretty heavily on it's characters to sell the show, and draw the audience in to what is otherwise often a pretty unbelievable narrative. http://blog.wired.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/30/fringegroup660.jpg

The lead character is http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/jCayJEEWR7BBQ3QFYJsUCQ44125/GW280H223
Special Agent Olivia Dunham. In order to understand the betrayal by someone who loved her, she goes down the rabbit-hole to try and tackle the mystery of the "Pattern," a series of unexplained and seemingly unexplainable events.

Helping her out is http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/T9Gm2g84-W9t13cvNWI71g33097/GW279H223 Peter Bishop. A certified genius, Peter is an MIT drop-out who seems to have lost his way in life. For all of his intelligence, Peter's poor choices resulted in gambling problems and an inability to stay in one place for very long. Confronted by Agent Dunham, Peter is coerced to sign his father out of a mental institution in order to try and solve a mystery. One mystery turns into many and what was supposed to be a quick job turns into a career.

Peter's father, Walter Bishop, http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/LOpFmjfOC0u_ooYSsy3Jkw36964/GW279H223 is the walking definition of a mad scientist. Once employed by the U.S. government to conduct all manner of experiments in fields ranging from genetic engineering to quantum physics, Walter went crazy and was institutionalized. After a series of mysterious events transpires that bears a resemblence to the experiments Walter had conducted 17 years ago, Agent Dunham gets him released under the supervision of his legal guardian- his son, Peter.

These people are supposedly being supervised by http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/MeZAtm4c4Ofiz2EUq-AKXA41901/GW277H220 Homeland Security Agent Phillip Broyles, though he rarely seems to know what is going on and shows even less of an ability to control the actions of the people under his employ. He seems to know more about "The Pattern" than the other characters, but doesn't divulge much.

A character who seems to be in the middle of "The Pattern" is (SLIDEnina) Nina Sharp, an employee of Massive Dynamics, a shady mega-company that seems to have its fingers in every aspect of modern society.

One of the first things that caught my eye about Fringe was the show's effects, the little touches that shows effort went into presentation. For instance, during many exposition shows, there is floating text stating the location. (SLIDE) Instead of just typed up text like you might remember from X-Files, the floating text in Fringe actually interacts with the environment. You can see here that the text casts a shadow on the ground, and generally the camera will actually move through the text, showing it's sides and reflections of the environment.

Much of the show takes place in the basement of Harvard university, where a makeshift lab is set up for Walter to do his experiments.(SLIDE) Why Harvard would be so tolerant of this is never asked or answered, but presumably Homeland Security can make even prestigious colleges do whatever they want them to.

Amongst the various other things you might expect to find in a laboratory is something that certainly doesn't belong. (SLIDEcow) Gene, the cow. Introduced in one episode where its genetics would prove useful to solve a case, Gene was kept around and is occasionally seen being milked by Walter.

One thing that is immediately apparent to the viewer is how visibly dark the show is. (SLIDE3) Even most of the shots outside where it's not particularly cloudy or overcast still are very dark and muted. This seems like an intentional editing choice to preserve the mysterious feel of the show. At times, this choice winds up making things seem a little absurd, such as many of the (SLIDElight) scenes in the lab, where sensitive experiments are taking place under little more illumination than one might get from a table lamp.

The show makes plenty of use depth of focus when appropriate. (SLIDE5) In this scene we have the focus on a dead person while Peter is in the background waiting to try and read thoughts from the dead guy's brain. A moment later the camera shifts focus and we see Peter getting a brief break from the painful process (SLIDE 6). Fringe also makes use of the rarely-used "point of view" shot, only with a twist. In this shot (SLIDE pov) we see Agent Dunham witnessing a memory through her boyfriend John's eyes. In a similar vein of shots that don't have an easy classification, (SLIDE2pov2 Agent Dunham begins to witness John's memories that have her in it, only she is witnessing them from outside both of their perspectives.

As one would expect from a show about things on the edge of science, a lot of the things seen are CGI, such as (SLIDE parasite) a parasite that is constricting around an agent's heart, or the skin of an agent as it begins to turn translucent (SLIDEskin).

Part of the assignment was to "sell" people on this show, and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to adequately do that. I really wish I'd picked a show that I'd seen before, one that had a year or two under its belt. The best thing I can say about the show are its visual characteristics, a lot of the special affects are enough make you cringe (SLIDEfacemelt). I can't tell if it's the actors or the script itself, but I just haven't really "felt" the show so far this year. If you can turn your brain off and ignore the ridiculous pseudo-science and enjoy the eye-candy, you might like Fringe. But seeing as how it's on (SLIDEfox) Fox, where good and interesting shows go to die, odds are it won't make it past season 1 anyway.

Final PowerPoint

kelkelly9 — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:16:36 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

murbacha's Show-It's Always Sunny In Phillidelphia, Season 4.

murbacha — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:18:16 CST

9/27/08 Selection Time- I have chosen "It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia" season 4. This show is a very amusing comedy with one of my favorite actors of all time Danny Devito. Because my schedule is so busy and with our newborn the availability of this show is flexible as the episodes are available online on FX's website. I tend to watch at night which is the calmest part of my day.

10/11/08 Viewing/Consuming Update: Narrative Structure

The show is a series with multiple protagonists which contains five main characters:

Danny DeVito, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson.

Multiple protagonists- Each show focuses on on or two characters and builds a storyline around them. In "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis", it is discovered that Charlie is utilizing gas to fuel generators to provide electricity for the Pub. Nelson and Mac lecture Charlie about how high the gas prices are. They come up with an idea to buy gas now and resell later for profit. Meanwhile a second storyline is developing where Frank and Dee discuss their disagreement with Dee's mother leaving all her money with her stepfather and none for she and Frank. The two storyline cross when Franks van is stolen by Neson, Charlie and Mac. They ust the van to transport trashcans filled with gas in order to resell and recoup their money after their failed attempt to take business away from a gas station who gave them heartache for fueling trashcans instead of a vehicle.

Exposition- There is a focus on one or two characters in each show. What's familiar in the show for example, is that the character's personal history is consistently shared with the audience in each episode to identify the characters. For instance, Glen Howerton, who plays Dennis, is an aspiring model and identifies himself as being charming and handsome. In one episode he attempts to seduce a banker by unbuttoning his shirt and woozing her. In another episode he auditions to be a "beefcake" and displayed on the Pub's billboard which promotes his identity. In the "Solving the Gas Crisis" episode, two storylines run side by side, one with two of the cast members and the other with three.

Motivation- "Mac's Banging the Waitress" episode is about Mac sleeping with a waitress who is Charlie's love interest. Meanwhile, Dennis is upset when Charlie refers to Mac as his best friend and asks for his help to find out who is sleeping with the waitress. Dennis knows that Mac is the one sleeping with the waitress but doesn't tell Charlie and instead plots to setup a situation where Charlie can discover it for himself and realize that Dennis is his best friend not Mac.

Narrative problematic- In "The Worst Bar in Philedelphia" the cast kidnaps a columnist who write a foul article on Paddy's Pub. Next, Dee and Dennis attempt to set-up the columnist's apartment as if he went on vacation.They realize that they are in the neighbor's apartment instead when an Indian guy appears before them. They end up having to kidnap the neighbor to cover up. Then the neighbor further complicates things when he pleads to be released so that he can care for his diabetic cat. Charlie then decides to bring the cat to his owner, unfortunately, it was the wrong cat.

Cause-effect chain- In "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis" the episode begins with Charlie pouring gas into a generator and gets lectured about the high prices of gas and that it's even more expensive than regular electricity. Moments later Mac comes up with what seems to be a great idea to solve the gas crisis and then the show is interupted and begins as usual with the streets of Philedelphia as the background and the names of the cast and production crew.

Climax- At the end of "The Worst Bar in Philedelphia" episode, the group decides they will return the columnist, his neighbor and the cat and will bribe them so they keep quiet about being kidnapped . Dennis holds his breath as the other group members eye his new Digital TV, Blueray player and surround sound. The entertainment equipment that was purchased to counter the negative comments made in the article regarding the Pub as being ghetto. At the very end the group reads the newest aricle written by this same columnist and he tells the story of how each of them deserve to rot in the hell that is the bar, thus giving Dennis, Charlie, Dee and Mack another reason to go visit this influental writer.

Genre: Comedy

Actors:

Charlie Day

Glenn Howerton

Rob McElhenney

Kaitlin Olson

Danny Devito

10/18/08: Embracing Your Show....

How/Where/When?????

I watch the show in the lying down position on the couch and at the computer, but as far as comfort goes I prefer my couch instead of my desk chair. In addition my television screen in my front room is also much larger than my monitor at my desk. I watch the show every Thursday night by myself or with my wife, and if I miss an episode I go to the fxnetworks.com/sunny home page. Like I said if I miss one I usally get the chance to get to my desk and watch and the episode I've missed. Taking care of my children really hasn't affected my viewing habits, because 3 of my children are in school during the day and my baby and 4 year old still take naps so I can catch up if needed.

10/25/08: Contextual Analysis:

Other shows on FX:
Sons of Anarchy
Testees
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
30 Days
Damages
Dirt
King of the Hill
Spin City
That 70'S Show
The Practice
The Riches
The Shield
and a variety of movies are also screened on this network. Many advertisements are ran on the internet and television, such as the new Axe deodorant commercial and other shows or movies that will be premiering on the network. The commercials are mostly network based as far as hyping the networks ability to have great programming schedules. For instance they provide not only serial programming but movies made for tv as well.

11/05/08: Mise-en-scene
Title: Sweet Dee Has A Heart Attack, Season 4: Ep 10 Brief Summary: At 7: PM on a Monday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Pub Bar, Dee has a heart attack. The crew is with Dee in the hospital as the Doctor questions Dee about health insurance. Dee is under the impression that she and her brother are insured under their father, Frank’s health plan. Frank informs them that they haven’t been covered since Dee was nine. Each of the characters handle this incident in their own way. Dee and her brother Dennis decide that they need to improve their health by going to the gym, taking supplements and using collagen. Mac and Charlie decide that they need health insurance in case something happens so they search for employment with health benefits. Frank is the x-factor in this episode and serves as extra entertainment that is totally unrelated to the topic. He is prescribed several anti-anxiety medications and ends up in an institution after he is found wandering the streets and disoriented from abusing his meds in an attempt to expedite his recovery. Sets: The show usually begins with the typical “bar” setting then goes into the intro of driving through Philadelphia passing by familiar buildings and landmarks during the day and night. This episode contains scenes in several different settings: bar, hospital room, streets of Philly, mailroom, institution, gym, and Frank and Charlie’s apartment. The bar setting contains a bar with stools with an array of alcohol, a dartboard, green-hanging ceiling fixtures, lots of pictures and neon lights in the background. In the hospital room you can see at least two beds with green bedding that matched the drapes along with instruments hanging from the walls, laminated cabinets, soap dispenser and a sink. In the streets of Philly scene, the screen shot reveals Frank walking around disoriented from his anti-anxiety mix of meds in the middle of the morning rat race. The mailroom set displayed scattered piles of mail on long tables coming out of several chutes and distributed into various bins and mail boxes. With the institution set, there are white, metal beds and white furniture along with tile half way down the walls. At the gym, where Dennis and Dee spend their time in this episode, you can see weight benches, treadmills, stationary bikes, lots of mirrors and several other types of equipment along with one TV and one poster. In frank and Charlie’s apartment, Charlie, Mac and Frank sit on an ugly, striped sofa with dull-looking pictures in the background and a coffee table with an ashtray, beer and newspapers on it. Costumes: In the gym scenes, Dennis and Dee started out with jeans and t-shirts and ended up with conventional “workout” attire, bike shorts and stretchy-workout shirts. When Charlie and Mac were skimming the newspaper for a job with benefits, they wore t-shirts and jeans and Charlie wore an unbuttoned green shirt over his. Both had at least a few weeks worth of beard. During an interview for the job and the rest of the episode they both wore buttoned up dress shirts while Charlie wore a green vest over his. The rest of them remained the same. Frank wore a revealing hospital gown throughout the whole episode. Lighting: High Key lighting was used for most of the scenes. However, the scenes that contained Mac and Charlie as with the ”mailroom” scenes and the scene in Frank and Charlie’s apartment contained some fill lighting with no backlighting which was apparent as the pictures on the walls were not easily visible. One of the “gym” scenes where Dennis attempts to change the music but is obstructed by one of the trainers, contains mostly key light as you see deeper shadows on some parts of the face. Aside from the trainer’s verbal reaction to Dennis, the deeper shadows imply impending aggression or anger.

11/8/08: Video/Cinematography:
Mac and Charlie Die Part I
Mac and Charlie tell a judge they were threatened by his dad. Unfortunately, parole was granted and now they are afraid for their lives so they decide to fake their own deaths. Mac and Charlie get into Dee’s car and at the last minute Charlie gets out. A telephoto lens is used during this scene to capture both the car and Charlie so that the audience can see that Mac is still in the car. Just before Mac revs the engine and hits the accelerator driving the car into a wall, the camera lens turns into a wide-angle focal length to emphasize depth for the appearance of a longer distance traveled by the car. Charlie then over emphasizes his run to make it look like he’s scared and he’s running further than he actually is. The only visual carnage of the wreck is the trunk popping up and a close-up view of the front end, impact damage.

11/15/08: Editing:
So, to further examine the scene from above, the camera establishes the space in the scene by shooting far enough to view the car and buildings at a high angle. The camera then skips to a medium-close-up of Mac and Charlie in Dee’s car discussing how they are going to ram the car into the wall. The camera toggles between two angles one of a front-view and a second of the driver’s side-view to emphasize Charlie, abandoning ship or opening the car door. The camera then establishes a 180 degrees arc by panning to Charlie as he exit’s the car and runs around the back side of it. Once again the camera re-establishes the space by shooting from behind Charlie’s back with a view of the car and the wall then alternating to medium close-ups of Charlie giving a thumbs up and then to Mac revving the engine. Finally, the camera focuses and follows Charlie, who screams in disbelief and runs towards the wreckage. Just before Charlie reaches Mac the shot dissolves and re-continues just as Charlie reaches Mac’s side.
11/22/08: Sound:
Most of the sounds from season 4 are synched post-production, this was not true for earlier seasons. The sound is recorded and synched in the scenes. The Production Sound Mixer selects and operates the microphones, and recording equipment used on the set. The sound mixer, also directs the boom operator and combines the sound of multiple microphones used to capture the dialog and effects on the set, recording sound ambiance and room tone for all scenes, and other track that will aid the sound mixer with corresponding the different sound takes in a scene for even sound transitions.
The music used on the show is mostly classical and easy listening, to contrast with the show's chaotic nature. Some episodes include songs from the "Orange Marsupials".
The show's theme song is a piece of production music called "Temptation Sensation" by Heinz Kiessling. All other music on the show is also public domain. The show used public domain music, originally, because of it’s low budget but has since become This was originally because of the show's extremely low budget but has since become it‘s.

12/6/08: Dig Deeper: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney shot the pilot called “It’s Always Sunny on TV” on a digital camcorder. After the pilot viewing, the FX Network executives ran the first season in 2005. They claim it cost $85 to make because of the video tapes. The show was renewed for a second season. Danny DeVito joined the cast in the second season, playing the father of Dennis (Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson). Fox Broadcasting, the parent network of FX, began playing the edited first season episodes in 2006. In early 2006, Bravo broadcast the first season in the UK and Ireland and the second season on Virgin 1 in late 2007. The show was also on Showcase in Israel and Canada and on channel 6 in Ireland . The show starred in Australia in 2007 on the Seven Network. In the Arab world, the first season show began on Showtime with Arabia’s Paramount Comedy Channel in November of 2006. In July of 2008, FX order 39 additional episodes, which according to IGN, meant that the show should run until season 6. All of the five cast members were secured for the run.

dal2021265's show-Fringe

dal2021265 — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 04:35:03 CST

As to why I'm choosing Fringe..well, it's J.J.Abrams, how can you go wrong? Aside from that, it seems to be filling the niche that the X-Files left wide open. Hopefully it'll be as good as X-Files was at it's peak while not being as bad as X-Files was in its valley. Judging by the first couple of episodes, they're using a lot of interesting visual effects, such as the "floating text" that goes with each establishing shot. Having the camera go through the letters and see them casting shadows and reflections is a lot more interesting than just typing some text up on the bottom of the screen to say where they are. Of course the content seems pretty good so far too, not sure if I'm crazy about the actors though.

Official Site Fan Site

Main Characters:

Special Agent Olivia Dunham

The main protagonist of the show, Agent Dunham is shown a side of the world she had previously been unaware of. In order to understand the betrayal by someone who loved her, she goes down the rabbit-hole to try and tackle the mystery of the "Pattern," a series of unexplained and seemingly unexplainable events. Who or what are behind these mysterious and fantastic events, and how is the man she loved involved?

Peter Bishop

A certified genius, Peter is an MIT drop-out who seems to have lost his way in life. For all of his intelligence, Peter's poor choices resulted in gambling problems and an inability to stay in one place for very long. Confronted by Agent Dunham, Peter is coerced to sign his father out of a mental institution in order to try and solve a mystery. One mystery turns into many and what was supposed to be a quick job turns into a career.

Dr. Walter Bishop

The walking definition of a mad scientist. Once employed by the U.S. government to conduct all manner of experiments in fields ranging from genetic engineering to quantum physics, Walter went crazy and was institutionalized. After a series of mysterious events transpires that bears a resemblence to the experiments Walter had conducted 17 years ago, Agent Dunham gets him released under the supervision of his legal guardian- his son, Peter.

Homeland Security Agent Phillip Broyles

Agent Broyles heads up the U.S. government's investigation into a series of mysterious events known only as "The Pattern." After being impressed with Agent Dunham's resourcefullnes, he recruits her and she in turn brings Peter and Dr. Walter Bishop on board to investigate cases related to "The Pattern."

(10/11/08) Narrative Structure: Pilot Episode

Multiple protaganists: Initially, Olivia Dunham is the only protaganist, but that does not last long. As the events in the episode unfold, she teams up with Dr. Walter Bishop and his son Peter, all of them taking orders (in a fashion) from Homeland Security Agent Phillip Broyles.

Exposition: The story starts off not with any of the main characters, but with an airplane in mid-flight, full of passengers. The plane is flying through an electrical storm ,and we are shown several of the passengers in various states of anxiety. One character in particular seems to be especially upset, and takes out a needle, quickly injecting himself. Within moments, his skin appears to melt off of his face, and his bones appear to become liquified. Within moments, all of the passengers and crew of the plane find themselves in a similar predicament.

Motivation: The motivation for the protagonists in this episode is to solve the mystery of what made the passengers of Flight 627 melt, fearing an act of terrorism.

Narrative Enigma: As the initial mystery of Flight 627 is solved, an underlying question is revealed: What is "The Pattern?" Who is responsible for these seemingly unrelated but remarkable events that seem to be science of such an advanced stage as to appear magical?

Climax: After finding a cure for the condition that her fellow FBI Agent and romantic partner John Scott has been infected with in the course of their investigation, Agent Dunham discovers that John is in fact a mole. After a high-speed chase, John crashed and dies in her arms, leaving her wondering who he was really working for.

Resolution: There is a complete lack of any kind of resolution in this episode. Even at the end we see that as had been mentioned briefly earlier in the show, even death isn't necessarily a permanent condition.

(10/18/08)
Embracing My Show:
I almost exclusively use Hulu to watch Fringe, for many reasons. I can choose when and where to watch it, so long as I have an internet connection I'm good to go. The commercials are really unobtrusive, generally 4 or 5 commercials per episode, 15 or 30 seconds long each. Far, far less of an interruption than traditional broadcast television, and doesn't take longer than it would to fast-forward through the commercials with a tivo. This was my first time seeking out extra resources for a show, and I found out that the creator's thought behind the show is pretty interesting. I had initially thought that it was just an X-Files rip-off, and in some respects it certainly still seems that way. But in checking out different fan sites (notably http://www.fringetelevision.com/) and reading interviews with J.J. Abrams, it seems like he's trying to something a little more deep. While "The Pattern" seems a lot like the conspiracy in X-Files to cover up alien involvement in our world, the real dilemma here is of a Frankenstein nature: how will we interact with science that we don't fully understand? It's not hard to see how quickly things have advanced in the last 20 years, but now with things like genetic engineering, cloning, nanotechnology and the like, things might not stay in the realm of science fiction as long as they used to.

This past week for the episode "Power Hungry" I decided to watch it as it was broadcast instead of waiting for it to hit Hulu. Aside from the worse picture quality (I don't have cable), the only real difference I noticed was how long commercials feel now that I'm used to the tiny ones on Hulu. It was also kind of annoying not being able to rewind the show when I missed something, or have to wait for a commercial to go get something to drink.

I've discussed the show with people on my geek forum (Ars Technica) as I do with several shows I watch (Heroes and BSG are the big ones), but so far they don't seem particularly impressed, and I can't say I blame them. The acting really feels kind of forced sometimes, and the characters just don't have the depth I've come to expect from Abrams. The show seems to be quite comfortable staying securely on the fiction side of science-fiction, which I think is probably necessary to try and keep it interesting, but I think it would be nice if they included more parallels to things that actually exist or have happened. The homing pigeon thing was pretty neat in "Power Hungry," real-world things like that would help to bridge the gap between the science and science-fiction a bit, I think.

(10/25/08)
Contextual Analysis:
As noted, I tend to watch the show on Hulu, so there's really nothing else that comes on before or after it. The commercials, however, vary quite a bit. I don't know if the commercials are targetted or if the same ones appear for everyone, but I get a lot of advertisements for videogames (Dead Space has been a big one lately), but also the same types of commercials you'd see on a network: car commercials being the most obvious example. An interesting feature of Hulu is the ability to "rate" the commercials that are shown to you. It's only binary, voting that you like it or didn't like it, but it does suggest the direction online advertising will take for television shows..what's better than showing users things they're interested in buying, after all.

(11/01/08)
Mise-en-Scene:

"In Which We Meet Mr. Jones"

Summary: FBI Agent Mitchell gets a parasite attached to his heart. Encoded in the organisms DNA is a signature leading the FBI to an organization that they suspect is responsible, and may be related to "The Pattern." The only problem is that the only lead they have is a man by the name of David Jones who is locked in a German prison. Dunham travels to Germany, and due to having a high-up connection in the right place who just happens to be in love with her, manages to get an audience with Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones will only agree to help save Agent Mitchell's life if Dunham can get an associate of his stateside (Mr. Smith) to answer a question; the only problem is, Mr. Smith has been fatally shot in the head. As the show has stressed before, death is only a temporary setback, and Walter hooks Peter's brain up to the dead guy to get the question answered, thus saving Mitchell's life. Of course, the cloud for that silver lining is revealed to the audience (but not the characters) that "The Pattern" extends farther an previously suspected, and Mitchell himself is another mole in the FBI.

Mise-en-Scene:

Like most of the episodes of Fringe, there are quite a few sets, though most of them are fleeting. In this episode there were several that were featured for only a minute or two (shipping yard, Lucas' house, Smith's house, German airport), and the one where most action takes place in most episodes, the lab. There is nothing particularly remarkable about the lighting in this episode. The shipping yard at night is about as you'd expect, as is the German airport and outside Smith's house, which are featured in daylight hours. The lab continues to be unrealistically under-lit at night, giving it more of a warehouse feel than that of a laboratory, though during the day there is plenty of light coming in from the windows. The prison cell where Dunham meets with Jones is the least lit of all, with just enough light present to show their faces while whatever background there may be is lost to shadow.

The costumes are about as they have been for the entire show, the FBI agents wearing professional attire such as suits and ties, while Walter is either donning a labcoat or some type of sweater-vest. Peter tends to dress in a normal button down shirt and jeans or slacks. The only real departure from this is when they're in the hospital, and Walter, Peter, and Dunham wear surgical scrubs over their clothes.

The blocking for this episode is similar to the other episodes of the series, which is similar to that of most drama/suspense shows. The only thing notable here is whenever Peter and Walter are in frame together. Even though Peter's role is to assist his father, who supposedly knows what he is doing, Peter is almost always the one shown in a more dominant fashion. His actions are purposeful and controlled, which I suspect is to highlight how he is the one responsible for keeping his father's madness focused towards the crisis du jour.

(11/8/08)
Video/Cinematography:

In this scene we see an establishing shot focused on the door of a plane, with Agent Dunham and other FBI agents in hazmat suits preparing to enter. The entire scene is framed in a medium shot with the exception of the final scene, which is a close-up of Agent Dunham, with a reflection of the carnage slightly visibile in her protective mask. This close-up serves to make us sympathize with Dunham who is so close to such a gruesome scene. It seems the scene is shot with a deep focus, to allow the viewer to get an overall feel for the sheer scope of the destruction without focusing on any particular element.

11/15/08
Editing:

There is a brief establishing shot of a police car coming to a screeching halt, followed by Agent Dunham chasing a suspect. This is filmed with multiple cameras, one of which appears to be a steadicam for the tight shots, as it emphasizes the jarring nature of the pursuit. Several other cameras maintain a distance and are set up to capture different angles of action, such as when Dunham jumps off the roof we can see her jump, and then it cuts to a lower view where we see her gliding ungraciously through the air. The 180° system is adhered to but because of the fact that the action takes place over many locations it is a little difficult to get a sense of any particular axis of action. There is a brief shot-counter shot as Dunham is chasing the suspect through the building.

11/22/08:
Sound:

The sound in this clip undergoes a few subtle but significant shifts. In the beginning, we are immediately presented with somewhat ominous music, that continues almost unabated throughout the entire scene. The dialogue between the characters takes place over radio and in-person. As the machine they are using is turned on, the background music is momentarily muted so that the audience can get a feel for the machine's operation: a steady thumping, almost like a helicopter's blades cutting through the air. This sound then joins the music as a constant background noise, though at times it is barely perceptible over the music and dialogue. The sound of the machine does help to preserve continuity as 3 of the characters go from one room to another, we still have a feeling for their relative position to the others. As events unfold, the music begins to become louder, drowning out the machine; this serves to build up suspense for what is about to happen. As the machine cuts off and its sound goes away, the music remains at a fevered pace for a moment until there is a gunshot; then, there is only silence for a brief moment. The music picks right back up though, at a faster pace, closing the scene.

12/06/08:
Dig Deeper

Fringe was a highly anticipated show because of the history of it's creator, J.J. Abrams. Known for such popular shows as Lost and Alias, Abrams is known for having deep, sometimes confusing plots with many threads underneath the surface. Before the show came out though, Abrams was assuring his fans that it wouldn't be as "impenetrable" as his other shows. Abrams obviously wanted to make a show that was more accessible to people who might not be willing to catch every single episode. While many people on the various forums were excited to see a new Abrams show, there is definitely a group (myself included) who thinks that by taking pains to make the show "accessible" to the masses, it has lost the spark that has made Abrams' other shows so fun. Still, it's only halfway through its first season and we have barely even scratched the surface of the mysterious "Pattern" so it's quite possible that Abrams will manage to turn things around.

12/13/08:
Sex, Drugs & Other Regulations

Fringe does have a rating of TV-14 for Graphic Violence, Language, and the ever-ambiguous "Adult Situations." There isn't any sexual content to speak of, with the exception of the pilot episode that started off showing Agent Dunham and Agent Scott in bed together. There is the glimmer of attraction between Agent Dunham and Peter, but it's obviously not focused upon in the stories and there really doesn't seem to be very much chemistry between them anyway, though maybe that's the actors' fault more than the script. There is the typical violence one would expect from shows featuring cops, people getting shot at, car chases, punches, etc, though there isn't a focus on the blood and gore (not from the fighting, at least.)

Reviews:
A pretty in-depth review of the Pilot episode, along with a general summary of what the show is supposed to be. The author of the review (David Speakman) points out how un-scientific a lot of the parts of the show are, and prefers to label it "science fantasy," which I would largely agree with. However, Mr. Speakman considers the cast to be one of the big selling points of the show, and I don't know how I feel about that. I can't tell if it's the way the characters are written or the actors themselves, but something about nearly all of them just rubs me the wrong way.

A surprisingly balanced review from the Parents TV council reminded me that there was another instance of sexually charged material, an episode where a murderer is with a prostitute who then immediately becomes pregnant and carries to term a baby within a matter of minutes. The review points out how gruesome and graphic a lot of the content is, and suggests that the material isn't suitable for people under 18. I think that's probably fair for the kind of people who tend to trust the word of PTV, but I think it's a little unrealistic for the majority of the population. Most kids have played things as or more gruesome in their videogames by the time they are 14, but again, those aren't the kinds of people this review is aimed at or written for.

Jungle Fury Questions and Answers 2

IcePrincessLatina — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:33:23 CST

What else is screened on the channel/network that your show runs on?
Earlier seasons of Power Rangers, Disney shows and Films, Other family friendly films, Pinky and the Brain cartoon, and Jetix Japenese types of cartoons. News?
No news is shown on the Toon Disney/Jetix channel.
Sports?
No Sports Shows are shown on the channel I watch.
Other Shows?
Animation, Disney shows, Disney Films, Japanese/American kids anime cartoons, and other seasons of Power Rangers. No reality or talk shows are shown on Toon Disney/Jetix.
What advertisements are run before, during, and after your show?
Kids Toys, Money Making schemes, Direct TV, Cereal Commercials, and Other Toon Disney and Jetix Show advertisemnets.
How does identifying and analyzing these contextual elements get you to reflect on the meaning/themes of your show in a different manner?
The types of shows being screened and the values and ideas of Disney. That is how it made me realize that the show could have had different themes and meanings if it was shown and produced by someone else. It does not change my reflection on the meaning/themes of the show, yet it does make me think of other themes/meanings it could have.

If anything seems unclear or so, please contact me, and I will gladly update this page. Thank You.

Jungle Fury Episode Scene Analysis

IcePrincessLatina — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:31:15 CST

Episode 16: Friends Don't Fade Away

Video/Cinematography

Focus:
The scene I am choosing to start out with is past the Medium shot of the JKP upper front building. It is filmed to show where the living area is on the outside. R.J. is packing his things because he can't control his animal spirit. Fran comes upstairs to see what is going on. The focus goes to Fran and then to R.J. as they talk and the focus is on who is talking at the moment. After that, the focus goes onto R.J. and the Fran is focused upon as the last part of the scene.
Why: To determine a focus point of a character and to establish what the director wants us to see.

Framing:
The types of framing used in this episode is close-ups, medium shots, and long shots.
Why: To help get the maximum amount of information and to provide clues to what is going to or is happening at the moment.

Special effects: The blueish glow from the box he has, and the battle scene flashback. The battle scene flashback has the yellow glowball of Dai Shi's attack which he is jumping down towards R.J. and the glow hits R.J. Then R.J. emits a purple glow that forms a wolf figure.

Episode Analysis Part 2

Editing:
The editing in this scene is somewhat simplistic with fade ins and fade outs. Sorry about the previous mix-up. The pace is in between slow and fast jump cut style. There is a smooth flow of the scenes in a storyline mode. The action cuts are not too choppy, and they don't use a lot of jump cut styles. Hope this explains the editing part. Let me know if there is anything I can add or change.

Episode Analysis Part 3

Sound: The sound in this scene ranges from loud to quiet. The sound effects are loud yet give a sense of the action going on. The talking and other motions are quiet and there is not much background music to contribute to the scene. There is only the pitch and the tone of the characters to really give a sense of what the sound contributes to the scene's motives. Let me know if I need to add or change things and hope this explains the sounds of this clip.

Video

Scene starts at 5:00 mins. and goes to 6:18 mins. Video by pbbguru.

Final Presentation

eclipse1 — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:16:58 CST

DRAFT:
I watched the first two episodes and I can't wait to watch more. There's something about it that kept me hooked for the whole show Inspired by the work of a real-life interventionist, The Cleaner has a unique concept. It’s a very realistic show and it to me seems helpful and encouraging to people who are addicts of any kind to seek help from people who have the courage to help.
The show does a good job of getting right into the action. We’re given just enough background to understand what’s going on and then we’re off and running. This means there wasn’t much time spent introducing William’s team. For the time beginning, we’ve just been given a hint of the history they sharer. I didn’t mind that too much since I prefer stories that don’t throw too much background at me right away. However, Parents need to know that, due to the drug/addiction-focused subject matter, this show isn't age appropriate for tweens or younger teens. Main characters smoke cigarettes and drink but that almost seems beside the point considering that plenty of others snort and shoot heroin, rob their parents to fund their crystal meth addictions, and worse.
For the most part, sexual content stays at the innuendo level, although the sexual tension between certain characters is palpable enough. Some swearing along the lines of "ass" and "damn," and some physical scuffles and gun use.

The history of the show is apparent as you view what its premise is. So let me introduce The Cleaner staring William Banks, a former drug addict who reformed after a heart-to-heart with God and now spends his time helping other users turn their lives around. The Cast of the show are merely described but as you watch and understand each character it will become apparent in their roles. His team of so-called "cleaners" includes Akani Cuesta (Grace Park), a curvy beauty he once slept with; Arnie Swenton (Esteban Powell), a Mohawk-sporting hipster with a penchant for complaining; and Darnell McDowell (Kevin Michael Richardson), a good-natured car salesman who owes William a debt of gratitude. Waiting at home are William's wife (Amy Price-Francis), who's seen her husband at his best -- and worst -- and two kids (Brett Delbuono and Liliana Mumy), who wish they saw their dad more.

The show intensity comes from the editing of each scene this is strongly the use of certain Cut. Sudden change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another. On television cuts occur on average about every 7 or 8 seconds. There is always a reason for a cut, and you should ask yourself what the reason is. Less abrupt transitions are achieved with the fade, dissolve, and wipe.

Motivated cut. Cut made just at the point where what has occurred makes the viewer immediately want to see something which is not currently visible (causing us, for instance, to accept compression of time). A typical feature is the shot/reverse shot technique (cuts coinciding with changes of speaker). Editing and camera work appear to be determined by the action.Split screen, The division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time.
this is some of the editing that I visually picked up on and that I started looking for the switch over cuts and use of camera angle intensified the action sequences use in the in many of the episodes. Lighting was not the editing that really had the eye catching effect on the scene or characters. it was the great use of camera movement and sound used through out the episodes the choice of music was choose perfectly for the intense and somber moments.noise effects were enhanced when needed. such music as

1) Clean by Depeche Mode - The Cleaner TV Promos
2) Mad World by Gary Jules - To Catch A Fed Episode
3) Is There a Ghost by Band of Horses - Chaos Theory Episode
4) Walk You Home by Karmina - House of Pain Episode
5) Waiting for My Real Life to Begin by Colin Hay - The Cleaner Season Premier
6) Said and Done by Meiko - Meet The Joneses Episode
7) Follow That Sound by Sharon Little - Chaos Theory Episode
Chemical Courage by Jack Savoretti - Here Comes the Boom Episode
9) Where You Don’t Belong by One-Eyes Mule - Here Comes the Boom Episode
10) Hi-Lo and Inbetween by Neil Halstead - House of Pain Episode
11) Just Behind a Brickwall by Tobias Froberg - Rag Dolls Episode
12) Surround Me by Ben Taylor - Lie With Me Episode
13) Metal Heart - Cat Power - Lie With Me Episode

Cleaner" marked A&E's first scripted series in more than six years when it debuted in July. In its first season, the series averaged a total of 4.2 million total viewers combined over its three week

How/why is it "good" television?

“The Cleaner" Is a show will hook you, pull you through the ups and downs infiltrating each and every emotion within you".
What might be true for me and hopefully for others view the show is that of the stories narrative & dialog, whereas, other folks (like you) felt this film was pulling at your visual sensitivity and not so much narrative. This is where I felt majority of the film was pulling me to. But not to say that the camera work the camera angle and editing used was not of superb film production.The editing cuts from one scene to another kept the intensity levels going. One other thing that I over looked was the sound mixing and the 6 to 1 surround sound you herd all sounds occurring nothing really was drowned out; clear and understandable as a viewer. Another reason that I found it interesting because I relate to some of the issues in the show my family and friends have displayed the same seriousness's as they portray for the viewers. this brings me to a great point that it will open your eyes to see that world even if its scripted and on a bases of a true story it maybe full of fluff but it's the meaning that had me hooked. Putting it as How/why does it fit the target audience?

Audiences tend to reject as unrealistic television portrayals that they can compare to their own experience.
How/why is it good in terms of its "formal" elements (format...audio, visual, editing, etc.)?

Audio is great they mix in the sense that all noises are not distracting to the dialog being spoke all in all that spent countless time editing the sound and it shows clear and inviting along with music during the intro and some scenes.

Visual camera angles and use of great editing in cuts and other screen teasers like the split screen for example is genus.

Love that the web had not only the hype but it offered help site for interventionist or rehab clinics with the push of a couple of buttons you could have a path way to help.
Elements of emotion ran strong for me due to the same cases that I grew up watching abuse of all sorts that i was involed with or visually caught me.

How/why is it a good narrative?

Themes and meanings of each episode talk on addiction of all measures. What the hidden dangers and intervention there are out there.

My goal: to make everyone in the class want to watch the season of the show on which you are presenting.

OUTLINE OF SLIDES

Grey's Anatomy Sex/drugs Content

kelkelly9 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:06:04 CST

Grey's Anatomy rarely has any content in relation to drug use. I can't recall an episode that reflects on drug abuse or addiction. As far as sexual content, the show can be considered provacative. There are many sex scenes throughout each season. The characters are constantly changing partners and having trouble in their love lives. One episode in particular I can think of is the prom episode where they have a prom in the hospital for the chief's niece. There is a scene in that episode between Derek and Meredith that I would consider for a mature audience.

My Show Project

rrodrigo — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:46:20 CST

HUM206
My Show Project
Assignment Prompt
400 points

Description
This is your chance to demonstrate that you’ve learned a lot in this class by applying most of what you’ve learned to your analysis of one television show. Throughout the semester you are going to live, breath, and dream your show! Not only are you required to watch the show, I want you engaging in online activities, subscribing to text message feeds, participating in online chats or discussion boards…basically, everything! You'll then analyze the show in a variety of ways throughout the semester. At the end, you'll provide a presentation to the class about your show!

Get Started!
Pick a show and start watching…now!

Deadlines (10 deadlines x 20 points each = 200 points)

9/27/08: Selection Time—email the instructor with the name of the show you’ll be focusing on (include what season). Unless you have a very good argument, you should be selecting a show that is screening this fall. Briefly describe why you are selecting this show. Feel free to bounce ideas with the instructor. The instructor will make a wiki page for you and your show. You will be posting all of your work on that wiki page (or on subsequent wiki pages if you decide you want more than one page).--This prompt is final, SR!
10/11/08: Narrative and Wiki page Structure. This portion of the project asks for two things. First, map the narrative structure of one episode of your show (look at chapter 2 of the textbook for the categories to map narrative structure, i.e., identify main characters, narrative enigma, etc.). Second, start setting up your MyShow wiki page. Include a picture or two. Create links to the official, and if you find them unofficial, web sites. You'll be adding to this as you go; however, get started now!--This prompt is final, SR!
Note: Please note that once you start "borrowing" pictures from other websites you need to start citing your sources. Wetpaint is very good about asking for alternate text for the image. Be sure to include a brief description of what the picture is and where you found it (trying making the image an actual link to the page you found it).
10/18/08: Embracing Your Show—After you’ve been living and breathing this show for a while, it’s time to reflect on your experiences. How/where/when are you watching/consuming the show? How do your viewing habits affect your understanding of the show? How have your extra-“curricular” activities (other stuff that is not just watching the show) impacting your understanding of the show? Who do you watch the show with? Who do you talk to about the show? Here is where you can have some fun with the wiki. Take pictures of where/what you watch the show and/or who you watch/talk about the show with. Link to discussion boards and other internet areas you are following. Now that you've analyzed your typical viewing habits of the show. Try watching it in another modality (iTunes, streaming on the web, etc.). How does this change your understanding/perspective on the show? Talk to someone new about the show? Does that person get you thinking about it in a different way?--This prompt is final, SR!
10/25/08: Contextual Analysis: What else is screened on the channel/network that your show runs on? News? Sports? Other Shows? What screens directly before your show? Directly after? Same time other days of the week? What advertisements are run before, during, and after your show? How does identifying and analyzing these contextual elements get you to reflect on the meaning/themes of your show in a different manner?--This prompt is final, SR!
11/1/08: Mise-en-Scene: Conduct an analysis of the mise-en-scene of one specific episode of your show. Be sure to include some summative details of the show (title, brief summary, key themes, etc.). In your analysis be sure to discuss different aspects of the sets, customs, and lighting.--This prompt is final, SR!
11/8/08: Video/Cinematography: Conduct an analysis of the video/cinematography (chapter 6) of one specific scene, of one specific episode, of your show. What would really help is if that scene is posted at one of the websites listed below that you can either link out to and/or embed in your wiki page. I will expect you to address focus, framing, and any special effects. You'll not only want to analyze what you are seeing in the scene, but discuss how/why it is shot in that manner (ie, it is a close-up because..., or the camera shifts focus because...). --This prompt is final, SR!
11/15/08: Editing: as in the work on video/cinematography, conduct an analysis of the editing of one specific scene, of one specific episode, of your show. --The prompt is final, SR!
11/22/08: Sound: at this point you know it...this is just proof of learning the basic TV analysis stuff...so conduct an analysis of the sound of one specific scene, of one specific episode of your show. Preferably something you can link out to and/or embed on your wiki page. --This prompt is final, SR!
12/6/08: Dig Deeper: What is the history of this show? How/why did it come in to being? What is the history and/or impact of this show globally? Basically do some research on the history of the show as well as its reception.--This prompt is final, SR!
Draft of Final Presentation (20 points).
12/13/08: Sex, Drugs & Other Regulations: Is the show considered violent, why or why not? Does the show include a lot of sexually charged material? Is the show rated? Find and link out to some reviews about the show. Do those reviews mention issues about the shows "questionable" content? How do those reviews get you thinking about the show in different ways?--This prompt is final, SR!
Peer review of two classmates' drafts of final presentation (20 points each).

12/17/08: Final Presentation—5 minute PowerPoint video with synced audio file (or come present the 5 minute PowerPoint during class on 12/15/08). See detailed content and formatting requirement below.

Final Presentation

(200 points total, 60 of which is for draft and peer reviews)
Content: For this project you will be making a sales pitch about your show. How/why is it "good" television? How/why does it fit the target audience? How/why is it good in terms of its "formal" elements (format...audio, visual, editing, etc.)? How/why is it a good narrative? Etc. Basically you'll want to "sell" the show to your fellow classmates who are now TV connoisseurs. Your goal: to make everyone in the class want to watch the season of the show on which you are presenting. Use all of the content of your various MyShow homework assignments to build into the your presentation. You shouldn't have to start from scratch; instead, this presentation should be a culminating "report" of your work during the whole MyShow assignment sequence.

Format: A five minute Power Point presentation of 20 slides, which must automatically forward after 15 seconds (so four slides per minute). You must either sync an audio file with the presentation or come and present it live to the class on 12/15/08 (7:10-9:50pm). You will need to carefully design and choreograph your presentation.

12/6/08: Draft (20 points)--to get full credit for the draft you must have a complete draft of the five minute script for the oral part of the presentation. Post it to your MyShow wiki page (either as an attachment or at the bottom of the page).
12/13/08: Peer Review of Two Classmates' Drafts (20 points each)--go to two of your classmates' wiki pages and read their scripts for their MyShow final presentation. Here are the questions you should "answer" about each draft (see below). Post your peer review as a discussion board posting at the bottom of the page. Once you've finished both peer reviews, email the instructor and tell her who you peer reviewed (provide links to the page). The questions:

Do you have any unanswered questions after you finished reading the draft? What are they?
What did you like about the draft? How/why did you like it? How might the author build on that section?
What sections are confusing to you? How/why? Ask your classmates questions that would help you to make sense of the section.
Where would you like to know more? Ask questions!
Does the person actually engage in a "full" analysis of the show and how/why it is good (including analysis of the formal elements: narrative structure, cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sounds, etc.)? Where/how do you want to know more about this type of analysis in their report?

12/15/08: If you want to present your presentation live, you'll need to attend the class on 12/15/08 (7:10-9:50pm).
12/17/08 (midnight): The last day to submit the file of your complete presentation.

Technical Support

PowerPoint like presentation programs that are Free:

Ways to Record Audio and get audio file

Audacity (on computer)
Utterli (w/mobile phone)
Gabcast (w/mobile phone)

Mashing Up audio and presentation

Banshee350's Show-Family Guy

Banshee350 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:37:56 CST

Family Guy

Both these photos were found on yahoo images.

Family Guy Official Page

The reason I chose Family Guy is because of the variety and spontaneous episodes this show has. It keeps me laughing and I never knows what next or who their going to make fun of. There is never a dull moment, and the shows never leave you hanging wondering whats next.

Hulu's Family Guy Page - Here you will find Family guys newest full episodes for free.

Main Characters

Peter Griffin - Dad - Lois Griffin - Mom - Stewie Griffin - Baby - Chris Griffin - Son - Meg Griffin - Daughter - Brian Griffin - Dog

I watch the show just about everywhere due to all my friends love it and we all own every season. I'll laugh at anything and everything about this show because there is never a dull moment. My viewing habits depend on where I'm watching the show and if there is food or distractions around. School and work are the biggest set backs to watching this show.

Very funny clip from family guy, off of Youtube.

Family guy is broadcast on Fox 10, at 9/8c on Sunday's. Family guy is usually run with other cartoon shows such as The Simpson's, American Dad, and King of the Hill. Also earlier before these shows are broadcast they have the evening news, Around six.

Another awesome find is from the website www.hulu.com. Where you can find all of your favorite shows and watch full episodes if you had happened to of missed them the night before with minimal commercial interruption. Family guy's page on Hulu has every season seven episode recorded and also 500+ clips from other Family Guy shows all for free use.

The title of the episode in which I'm describing the mise-en-scene is called "The man with two Brian's" and in this scene Peter, Joe, Quagmire, Brian, and Cleveland are copying Jackass and do different dumb things And in one scene in particular Quagmire puts honey on his privates and lets bee's swarm on him. Its taking place in front of Peter's house while being filmed by Brian. A few close up are taking of quagmire and the scene is shown as if we were looking through the camera Brian is holding. When Quagmire has had enough he carefully walks back to the hive to get the bees back in, as the camera follow him you see peter tackle Quagmire into the other hives causing the bees to get mad and sting him. This is a locating set selection, out in daylight with plenty of "light".

Video/Cinematography - Family guy is more than just an animated show, there are different "shots" or drawn to believe its real. Such as the clip from when peter and friends recreate Jackass. It is shown as if it were being taped through a home camera, where the hands of the person taping are not going to be steady and very un professional. Constantly, zooming in and out and focusing in on what peter is about to do and extreme close ups. Another scene in the same clip is shows a crane shot on the the Griffins house and then falls into a close up of peter and Brian talking on the porch.

Sound and Editing - Everyone should know by now when they hear the intro music what is about to be on the TV. Its catchy and something you can sing along to. Also with surround sound while watching Family Guy, where ever the character who is talking is at the sound is where they are. It is never a constant loud in your face sound. For example, peter is in the bathroom and Lois is on the other side of the door and the sound is if peter were really talking through a door and care is taken to make it as real as possible. Editing involves getting the voices to go along with the animation, also with how smooth the animation is. Such as family guy is more smooth rolling than the show South park.

12: TV Commercial

rrodrigo — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:07:34 CST

12. The Television Commercial Chapter 12: The Television Commercial

Butler, Jeremy G. "The Television Commercial." In Television: Critical Methods and Applications, 363-412. 3rd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2007.

Chapter Outline/Notes

Intro: Commercials are there to make money!
Commercials are there to make money, and the best way is the Television. Hugh corporations would not invest so much money if they didn’t think it would make them more in return.

U.S. TV’s Economic Structure
Brief description of the fast changing world of commercials due to the economic models and the impact of, Broadcast TV, Theatrical film, Cable, Satellite and Computer based technologies.

Production companies, Wholesalers, retailers, advertisers, and consumers are the biggest players in the changing economic models of ad-supported television.
Internet also plays a role due to the vast “pop-ups” and side ads on sites such as “You tube”, where Television is at your demand.

Synergy Within Transnational Corporations
Networks or TNCs allow use of the same ads on various channels for a price. More cover on different channels.

“From the industry perspective, a diversity of holdings encourages a certain synergy among them.” (p. 366)
“Synergy is undercut by longerstanding contracts that predate mergers.” (p. 367)

Television ratings Selling Broadcast time to corporations. Which affects our “the viewer”, time.

Rely on sponsors to make money, by selling broadcast time.
More commercial time shown with big events such as the superbowl because of how many people watch it.
The most popular networks are going to have more commercials.

The Polysemy of Commodities

Ads present a discourse modern life and culture based on buying and selling. (pg. 373)
Decoding is a large part of commercials, viewers are given an image to remember.
Fundamental meanings such as “buy this product and use it in your vehicle and your car will go really fast”.
Luxury, leisure and conspicuous Consumption.
Folk, culture and Tradition.
Novelty and Progress.
Sexuality and Romance.
Alleviation or Pain, Fear / Anxiety and Guilt.
Utopia and Escape from Dystopia.

The Persuasive Style of Commercials

Using anything to make the viewer really want to buy the produst because of what was used in the commercial and how it was presented, or have the viewer wondering what the commercial was really for.

Editing

Speed, length and show are the biggest parts of the commercial. For the amount of time bought, average time being 30 seconds, The point needs to be put forward for the viewer enough to interest the viewer in the product.

Sound

There are many different types of ways to persuade viewers to buy the product. Speaking directly to the viewer, using loud noises so they remember the the commercial and the product.

Graphics and Animation

Using creative images or fictional figures to grab the attention of viewers.
Helps you remember what was being advertised.

Terms/Concepts to Know:

Commercial
Synergy
Transnational Corporations (TNCs)
Ratings
Demographic group
Designated market areas
Sweeps
Unique selling proposition (USP)
Brand Parity
Mise-en-scene

Related Course Outcomes

Describe the functions and artistic responsibilities of each of the major members of a television crew. (1. Television Crew) – To Get the produst across to make people want to by the product.
Describe historic television programming breakthroughs, including their impact both at the time and later. (6. Programming Breakthroughs) – Computer graphics, to make a product more appeling.
Describe the use of live drama, vaudeville, radio, and movies as sources of material in early television advertising. (10. TV Advertising History) – Famous actors, people well know used to promote a product.
Describe both the benefits and negative impact of television ads on viewers. (11. TV Ads) – Negative could be waste of time in their eyes, positive could be a informal messege or product they saw.
Identify and describe issues which television advertising is likely to encounter in the future. (12. TV Ads & the Future) – TIVO you can pause and fastforward through commercials.
Describe programming strategies for success in commercial television and non-commercial programming. (13. Programming Strategies) – Making the commercial so its easily remembered, and what it was for.
Describe the evolution and social impact of the use of sex on television. (17. TV & Sex) – used a lot in commercials because sex is something that attracts viewers.

TV Commercials to Watch and Discuss

Grey's Anatomy Final

kelkelly9 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:44:17 CST

Grey’s Anatomy Grey’s Anatomy packs emotion, drama and real life situations into a series that provokes emotions of every kind. Each episode had a variety of story lines that catch the viewer’s interest, whether it is dealing with work issue or romantic problems. There is something to spark interest for everyone in this series. In the following paragraphs I will go into detail about techniques the show uses to achieve such a diverse audience. A primary component in making the show what it is, is the casting. The producers and casting directors chose actors that can portray a variety of emotions in a stressful atmosphere. For each character, the actors bring them to life with each passing episode. As you go on watching the show it is easy to fall in love with the characters and really feel and relate to whatever it is they are going through. The narrative structure of each episode always has multiple protagonists. The show is not based on one main character, but many that each contributes to the content of the show as a whole. There is always an exposition at the beginning of every episode to catch the viewer up on what events went on in the week’s previous episode. I find this very helpful when viewing in case I missed and episode or need to be brought up to speed on what is going on. Throughout each episode there is always a main narrative problematic. Most often this focuses on a tragic accident that overwhelms the hospital or a characters issue that they are having. The climax of an episode usually happens at the very end of the episode and in some cases it rolls over to the next week’s episode to keep the viewer in suspense. This is one of my favorite aspects of the show and is what keeps me on the edge of my seat week after week in anticipation of the next episode. Grey’s Anatomy has a prime time television spot. Being shown on ABC really makes the show easily accessible to watch, even if you don’t have cable. Being shown on Thursday nights, I think it is in the perfect time slot. With the week coming to a close, it is really nice to look forward to the show airing on this night. The lighting is usually always three- point lighting. When a doctor is standing by a patient’s bed, is when I notice this lighting the most. You can always see the doctor’s face and expressions very clearly. When there is a scene where there is a surgery, the patient is lit up by this type of lighting as well. I can especially see the lighting from above. The focus that is used most in the show is deep focus. This helps to establish each characters emotion clearly. Sometimes a soft focus is used, but usually only in scenes where characters are in the background and a deep focus is on one center character in a given scene. The music used throughout the show is brilliant. Each episode has a song to it that fits with the mood of that episode. More often than not the songs that are played in the show are passionate and moving. In certain episodes I think the song played actually makes the episode what it is. I think this especially in the episode where Denny passes. They are playing the song “Chasing Cars” and it captures the feeling and emotion of the scene so well, it can even bring some to tears.

All of these elements combined make for one powerful show. The content is something I think everyone

can relate to in one way or another. One episode got me hooked on the show. Its gripping nature is sure to bring

about faithful viewers. Grey's Anatomy brings about feelings that are real to life and it is quite enjoyable to watch

characters grow through life lessons while still being human.

History of Greys Anatomy

kelkelly9 — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:15:29 CST

The show first aired on March 27th, 2005. The title of the show is inspired by the classic medical book Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy it is more widly known as). ABC changed the title of the show to Complications but shortly after returned to the original name. The show was created by Shonda Rhimes.

Greys Anatomy- Editing

kelkelly9 — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:40:48 CST

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghET6VTzmr8&feature=related

The above clip is from season one, episode one. The interns are being toured around the hospital for the very first time. The establishing shot in this is Meredith driving to the hospital on her first day, late for work. They they go to her walking in late. There is a re establishing shot when the camera goes to show everyone in the room. There are shot counter shots when the camera pulls back to show a greater space of the scene. You can see in this scene that the camera is rotating around the room at some points and at other times the camera shows each character close up.