Media Meditation #4: The Hype of the Cow and the Cream

(photo cred: blogs.citypages.com)

On Family Weekend, my parents, sister, and I took a trip up to Waterbury to see a tour of the Ben and Jerry's Factory. While on the tour, we viewed a short film of the history of Ben, Jerry, and their adventures leading to today's multi-million dollar company. I learned interesting facts about both the company and how it came about, including things about the original owners which I never would have known without going to the factory.

Throughout the seven minute long film, the repetition of the cows throughout the film popped up randomly everywhere in order for the viewer to better understand the incorporation of the cow in the company. The cow is a symbol known world wide, helping to make a connection between the ice cream company and its mascot. Another consistant aspect of the film was the multiple uses of humor which were randomly thrown at you in order to be entertained, but at the same time learning something too.

The productional techniques varied from bright colors in the film that were catchy to the eye, fun, and interesting to look at. This balanced out with the pacing of the film, which consisted of slow motion frames to let the viewer tune in and have ease in paying attention. I believe they did to the show because of the large amounts of young children which tend the tour, they want the entire audience to be able to pay attention, and enjoy the show as well.

the above video is an example of B&J's humor, portrayed in a TV ad (youtube.com)

From watching this short film, I learned about the economic shift which has recently occurred within the company, Ben and Jerry both sold the rights of the company to a larger corporation in order to produce bigger quantities of ice cream and spread the company world-wide. With the help of this new corporation, the company has been able to expand and therefore benefited tremendously.

We ended our tour with the viewing of some of the factory workers favorite Ben & Jerry's commercials, and we got to taste a new flavor, Milk and Cookies! Peace, Love, and Ice cream! Here's another commercial:

(youtube.com)

Media Meditation #3: Supporting Burlington Music Scene

Two weeks ago, I finally got the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands from Vermont! I have been anticipating seeing the local band, Twiddle, for a couple years now, and my dreams finally came true on Friday October 15th when I got to see them live at Higher Ground Ballroom.

Twiddle performing in the summer of '08 (youtube.com)

The quartet of Vermont-natives and UVM graduates have been together since 2005. Their local fame brings them to their 3rd performance at one of the most well-known venues in Vermont. Their truly devoted fans come to show them support. Considering this, the group dynamic is so strong because of the connection the band has with their fans. They goof off on stage and throw in a little humor to entertain their fans that much more.

Twiddle jamming out at Higher Ground in December of 2009 (photo cred: flickr.com)

You can't specify one genre of music that Twiddle plays. They have a unique style where they're gathered different aspects of jazz, funk, blues, and rock. Twiddle has converged the styles of classic music, and by doing so has put a fun, modern twist on the jams that they play.

As the show progresses, the timing which the band uses corresponding to the productional techniques, specifically the lighting, makes for the perfect balance. It keeps the audience connected and intrigued, overall having the performance that more entertaining.

Just as anticipated, an amazing performance! I even got to chat with Micky, the lead vocalist and guitarist a little in between sets. There will be more shows in my near future and I can't wait!

MEDIA REFLECTIONS: We're Half Way There

(majastevanovich.files.wordpress.com)

1. I've learned how the history of radio has converged into new media and helped shape production, news, and even the internet. I've learned that the creation of e-mail was for military use. I've learned the importance of blogging, Facebook, and Twitter for not only recreational use, but or companies and businesses to use for work.

2. I've learned how I can pull out the most important themes and facts in a chapter of a text book from the practice of reading a chapter weekly from our textbook. I've learned to sound more concise and sophisticated with my choice of words and ideas I share as a writer and blogger. As a tinker, this class has given me the opportunity to expand my interests to more media related texts.

3. If I were to take this class over again, I would become more engaged in the reading assignments, because at times I tend to slack off. The information in the text is actually extremely interesting, so if I were to have read it more in depth I would have learned a lot more.

4. If I were to take this class over again, I would like you to have more interaction with the student and media. Although we made a radio spot it would be more engaging to do another interactive exercise, rather than learning about them, it would be fun to have another hands on activity or project to work with.

5. Power tools have helped me in getting a better understanding of how new age media is evolving, and how the government and corporations are involved and more importantly how it is effecting our culture today.

Our course blog is useful to look onto while not in the classroom to refresh what we've learned about already. It's nice to have the assignment always posted. The best part about it is being able to read what other students have found in the book to get a better understanding of the important themes and concepts the reading has give to students.

The in class quizzes have helped me memorize the power tools to a high extent. The quizzes have also given me more ways to applying the power tools to events, issues, and media going on in the world today.

The films we have watched in class have given me a great understanding of how media is evolving in our culture. It has given me an understanding of the importance of the media in society, and a new outlook on what it does to effect the community, and nation as a whole.

While reading the books, I have learned about history in our country and the progress media has gone through, which I would have never learned if I did not take this class before. I've learned multiple interesting facts that I would have never read about if I didn't take this class, even facts about some of my favorite bands!

Camp Champ Radio Spot: Busy Beavers On the Air!

Announcer: Are you suffering from long lectures, boring classes, and professors that don’t know your name? You must be suffering from Unscholarly Violent Mental Syndrome, or UVM Syndrome, a cruel and inhumane condition. Listen to what this UVM inflicted student has to say:UVM Student: It sucks.Announcer: That’s right! It sucks! Your solution? Come to Champlain College! Champlain offers a chance to study abroad, a wide variety of courses, and zero exposure to UVM syndrome. Just listen to what this Champlain student has to say:Champlain Student: It’s awesome! Before and after every class we witness the beautiful view over Lake Champlain. The campus is small and personal, just like all our classes, and there are so many different activities! Go red team dodgeball! GO BEAVERS!!UVM Student: How can I feel real again?Announcer: Come to Champlain. It’s Champlain, or suffer from UVM syndrome for the rest of your life. It’s a no brainer.