Presentation Day 4/29

The last day of presentations were, again, very good.  I thought the WonderBrella would be of most use to me.  I don’t even carry or use umbrellas anymore, because they constantly flip up on me when it is windy and because I don’t like carrying around a wet umbrella after I am inside.  The WonderBrella is the perfect solution.  I also like the feature of the heated handle.  Usually when it’s raining, it is cold outside.  The heated handle helps your hands warm up without having to constantly try to pull the sleeves of your jacket over them.  Another thing I loved about the WonderBrella is how you could upload a photo onto the computer and send it through the website and that could be your umbrella print!  The website was made very nice and looked pretty realistic.  I would definitely use the WonderBrella and after that product has successfully launched and WonderRainboots start marketing, I would invest in them, too!

Presentation Day 4/22

Once again, I believe all of the presentations were great!  The one product that was presented to us that I believe would be of most use for me was Quick Clean.  Since I am a college student, I think that Quick Clean would be awesome.  I always have tide to go in my pocketbook and I am constantly using it.  I also always use Febreeze on my clothes.  Quick Clean is a combination of these two things; a cleaner and stain fighter, and a spray that makes clothes smell fresh and clean.  She presented her information very well and I liked the demonstration that she did with the shirt.  Her billboard was, even though very plain and simple, very to the point.  I also thought it was a great idea to have three different sizes- a travel size, regular size, and family size.  That way you could take it with you wherever you go.  Quick Clean is marketed at an affordable price and it is something that I would definitely use so I won’t have to waste time and energy doing laundry!

FINAL PAPER/ADVERTISEMENTS

Elizabeth Dworak

April 22, 2011

Idea Development

Professor Betty Sánchez

HEAL RINGS

            Everyday, society is introduced to many different products and services.  From Snuggies to cars that can parallel park themselves, humans are surrounded by it all.  However, there is one product that the world has been waiting for and has just recently been marketed – HEAL RINGS.  Decrease the time and effort to heal your new piercing with medically endorsed HEAL RINGS.  Our special formula consists of Tea Tree Oil: an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca Alternifolia, a plant native to Australia, Benzalkonium Chloride: first aid antiseptic, and Lidocaine HCL: pain relieving spray.  This formula, which is coated outside of the earring, is automatically released into the skin after being pierced.  HEAL RINGS are available for all kinds of piercings and are safe and effective for all ages.  The dose of medicinal ingredient is determined by the age and weight of patient.

            HEAL RINGS are located at any piercing venue in the tri-state area, as well as doctors’ offices.  Information on HEAL RINGS is available at website www.healrings.com or when calling 1-800-HEA-LRNG.  Forgetting to clean a piercing is very common, as well as infections.  With HEAL RINGS, healing and cleaning starts as soon as the piercing penetrates the skin.  Piercing solutions are a lot of money and they promise that the piercing will heal faster and safer and many people end up with no positive or effective results.  HEAL RINGS ensure guaranteed results; they are doctor recommended and mother approved.

            The price of HEAL RINGS depends on the piercing getting done.  Any piercing done in the ear is $10 per piercing (lobe, cartilage, tragus, etc.) plus the cost of the jewelry.  Nose piercings, belly button piercings, and eyebrow piercings are $15 per piercing plus the cost of the jewelry.  Any lip piercings and tongue piercings are $20 per piercing plus the cost of the jewelry.  Any other piercing is considered a “special” piercing and the cost of “special” piercings will be $25 per piercing plus the cost of the jewelry.

            One of the first, and most significant, things that was done when considering how to market HEAL RINGS was to find the target audience.  “Nothing is more important in building an effective media plan than properly defining the target audience” (Jugenheimer, Kelly 59).  Defining a target audience is sometimes more difficult than one can imagine.  Although the advertisement of a product is promoted for all to see, the advertisement should essentially reach out to the target audience.  HEAL RINGS has two target audiences- young adults from the ages of about 18-24 and mothers of young children.

Piercings are very popular among young adults, both male and female, aged 18-24 for many reasons.  First of all, many young adults think that piercings look cool and it is a way for them to express themselves.  Also, unlike tattoos, piercings are reversible so people know that if it is just not working for them, they can take the piercing out.  Getting piercings is also a way for young adults to, for the most part innocently, rebel against their parents, which most young adults do when they get to that age.  18 is the legal age for someone to get a piercing without their parents’ consent, so many people feel a sense of freedom at that age and do decide to get a piercing.  HEAL RINGS will attract young adults 18-24 because they will not only help the piercing heal properly, but it will heal much faster which is important to this age group, especially if it is their first piercing.

Mothers of young children are also a target audience for HEAL RINGS.  Many parents (usually the mother) decide to get their baby’s (mostly daughters’) ears pierced when they are very young.  According to Robert Steele, an MD board certified pediatrician at Saint John’s Regional Health Center, “There are many reasons parents decide to have their daughter's ears pierced.  There are cultural reasons, family traditions, personal preference, or sometimes it is simply used to identify the baby as a girl” (iVillage).  HEAL RINGS will reach out to mothers with young babies on many different levels.  If a mother is deciding whether or not to get their baby’s ears pierced, HEAL RINGS is a sure way to convince them that the piercing will heal quickly and effectively.  Nothing will convince a caring parent more when they are convinced that their baby will be well taken care of and they will experience no pain.

Like previously stated, there are many piercing solutions marketed that promise results.  However, their results are not always guaranteed and some people still end up with harmful infections.  Although there is no product out there that has medicinal ointment coated outside of the earring to help heal faster and safer, competition still exists.  The only competition HEAL RINGS has is traditional piercing solution.  H2Ocean piercing aftercare spray ($15), Blue Wave saline cleansing solution piercing aftercare ($6), and Studex piercing care solution ($5) are the three main piercing solutions that HEAL RINGS have competition with.  Although different people have their own views on whether or not to trust or use these products, those who do decide to use these piercing solutions should think of all of the advantages HEAL RINGS can offer compared to these traditional piercing solutions.  HEAL RINGS is a onetime use product and consumers would not have to worry about cleaning the piercing three times daily, which most piercing solutions advise one to do.  HEAL RINGS is also just a flat payment, and one does not have to constantly keep buying piercing solutions over and over again, trying to find out which one works.  HEAL RINGS is an affordable and guaranteed solution that will blow away all of the other piercing solutions out there!

After figuring out the target audience, it is then ready to advertise.  Advertising and creating buzz is the most effective way to gain customers.  “Building buzz is the art of creating awareness and spreading positive word of mouth about the value [one] provides to clients and customers” (D’Vari 21).  Three main advertisements for HEAL RINGS will now be discussed- a newspaper advertisement, a brochure advertisement, and a diner placemat advertisement.

There are many reasons why HEAL RINGS are being advertised in newspapers; newspapers reach people quickly, target  your audience depending where you place the ad, have great credibility, are relied upon, and results are shown with newspapers!  According to the Newspaper Association of America, “We cannot lose track of the notion that, in a world of thousands of messages a day, advertising in newspapers is one sure thing when it comes to producing results” (NAA.org).  For the newspaper advertisement, it is necessary for HEAL RINGS to advertise to the mother of babies’ target audience.  Not many young adults aged 18-24 read the newspaper and if they happen to cross by the ad, then that is just a bonus.

First, HEAL RINGS will just be advertised in The Star Ledger, a New Jersey local newspaper.  Prices drop at an increasing rate when advertising locally as opposed to nationally.  Since HEAL RINGS is a new product and the successfulness of this product is uncertain, it is smart to first advertise locally and then, if necessary, advertise nationally.  HEAL RINGS will be advertised in The Star-Ledger, which is based in Newark.  HEAL RINGS will be advertised in the service/marketplace of The Star Ledger and will be a quarter of the page (black and white).  The advertising cost of The Star Ledger, both print and online, is $150 for 7 days online and up to five photos, and 7 days in print with one photo ($9.99 each additional photo per day) and six lines of text ($4.99 each additional line per day).  All together, it would cost 150+[10(4.99)(7)]+9.99(7) = 150+349.30+69.93 = $569.23 for one week.  For one month (four weeks) advertising HEAL RINGS in The Star Ledger would cost $2,276.92.

HEAL RINGS will also be advertised as a brochure located in doctors’ offices.  This would aim towards both of HEAL RINGS’ target audiences.  The design of the brochure would already be designed so hiring a graphic designer would not be necessary.  www.brochuresprintingonline.com is the place that HEAL RINGS brochures would be printed out of.  The specifications of the brochure would by 8.5x11 in. with a trifold folding.  100 lb. Matte paper would be used and the brochure would be printed on both sides of the paper.  5,000 copies of the brochure would be made and they would be done within 5 days.  With all of the specifications listed, it would cost $527.04 for the brochures to be printed.  Although color and pictures do not matter, there would be three colored pictures in the middle-center of the brochure and some color, but not much, throughout the brochure.

The third way HEAL RINGS will be advertised is by diner placemats.  I have contacted a local diner in Edison, New Jersey that I often go to that have placemats full of advertisements.  It is a 24/7 diner and their rate for a 2 in. by 3 in. rectangular space is $95 a month, averaging at about $23 per week ($3.30 a day, $0.14 an hour).  When you think of it that way, if HEAL RINGS gained even just one customer per day on a regular ear piercing, HEAL RINGS would profit $9.86.  However, there will be a coupon on the ad for $3 off if you bring the ad.  Coupons are a great way to lure new customers in and it gives them an incentive to look into HEAL RINGS.

Anyone and everyone comes to diners on a daily basis, whether it is old friends catching up, a couple grabbing a quick bite before a movie, an elderly couple coming in after church, a family of four for their Saturday dinner- the list is endless.  Placing an ad on placemats can reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people per week.  After ordering food, it takes on average about fifteen minutes for the food to come.  Society today is always multi-tasking and it is often hard to sit down and have a fifteen minute conversation without doing something else, whether it be playing with a phone, watching the flat screen TV on the wall, or hopefully, reading the diner placemats.  According to Placemats Plus Service, “The potential client doesn't have to do anything to learn that your business exists.  In fact, you may trigger a need that the client didn't know he/she had before seeing your ad” (Placemats Plus Service).  The website will also be on the ad, and with the amount of people, especially young adults (which is one of HEAL RINGS’ main target audiences), who have smart phones, it is very easy for them to go to the HEAL RINGS website to check it out (WEBSITE WILL BE CREATED ON WIX, which is a website that allows you to create your own website absolutely free).  Advertising on diner placemats is such an easy and inexpensive way to show off HEAL RINGS, and I believe the profit that HEAL RINGS makes will definitely outweigh the cost to advertise, even with the coupon on the ad.

I believe that these three very different ways of advertising HEAL RINGS will go very far; they will reach many potential customers.  A newspaper ad, a brochure, and a diner placemat ad reach a broad range of people, as well as HEAL RINGS’ target audiences.  The colors of the logo are red and blue.  The color red is used to draw attention.  Red is where the eye looks first and it is sometimes used to create energy and cause excitement.  Blue is a color that is often described as being calm and peaceful.  It is one of the most popular colors and it is also known as giving off a sense of wisdom and loyalty.  The combination of these two colors were put into the medical logo to give the audience a sense of both peacefulness and excitement.

With these advertisements, HEAL RINGS will have their name out there in no time.  Although HEAL RINGS may benefit from having their ads on billboards and magazine ads in People and Cosmopolitan, as a starting product, money is limited.  It is smart to first get the product on the market and start advertising at a reasonable rate and then go from there to much larger advertising when financial issues are settled and money is readily available for advertising.  Promoting a new product is not as easy as it sounds, but with the right mind set, small ideas can go far!

BUDGET FOR THE THREE ADVERTISEMENTS

Newspaper Ad (per month) $2,276.92

Brochure (5,000) $527.04

Diner Placemat Ad (per month) $95.00

Works Cited

D'Vari, Marisa. Building Buzz: How to Reach and Impress Your Target Audience. Franklin

Lakes, NJ: Career, 2005

Kelley, Larry D., and Donald W. Jugenheimer. Advertising Media Planning: a Brand

            Management Approach. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2008.

"Place Classified Ads in New Jersey Local Classifieds & Newspaper Ads - NJ.com." New Jersey

 Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NJ.com. 2011. 15 Apr. 2011.

 <http://www.nj.com/placead/>.

"Placemats Plus Service, Inc. Placemat Advertising." Placemats Plus Service, Inc. 2011. 19 Apr.

 2011. <http://americanplacemats.com/PlacematAdvertising.php>.

Steele, Robert W. "Piercing Baby's Ears: Is It Safe? - IVillage." IVillage.com: Health, Beauty,

Pregnancy, Entertainment, Women's Community and More - IVillage. 2011. 14 Apr.

2011.<http://www.ivillage.com/piercing-babys-ears-it-safe/6-n-136659>.

"Ten Reasons to Advertise in a Newspaper." NAA.ORG Homepage - Newspaper Association of

America: Advancing Newspaper Media for the 21st Century. 2011. 14 Apr. 2011.

<http://www.naa.org/>.

"Trifold Brochures | Brochures Printing Online." Brochures Printing Online | Color Brochure

Printing Services. 2011. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.brochuresprintingonline.com/print/Trifold-Brochures.html>.

Welcome to The Star-Ledger - Real EZ Ads. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

<http://realezads.starledger.com/>.

Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://carliseadvertising.com/>. (picture of diner placemat)

                                                                          

                                                                  NEWSPAPER AD

         

              BROCHURE:       right inside flap    back/middle      front cover

                                                       

  inside left flap         inside middle         inside right flap

2 in. by 3 in. DINER PLACEMAT AD

DINER PLACEMAT AD proof

Rio!

Rio

I saw Rio on Sunday, however, I attempted to see it twice before but both shows were sold out!  It was definitely worth the wait because Rio was a fantastic movie!  Animated movies are one of my favorites and Rio was just exceptional.  I must admit that even though I went into the movie theater with a pencil and pad wanting to take notes and strictly concentrating on the production components of the movie, my intentions did not go exactly as planned.  The movie was so fun and interesting that it was difficult to keep my mind off of the storyline.

            The movie Rio took place in the magical city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.  Blu, a macaw who has been treated as a pet his whole life in Minnesota discovers that he is the only male left of his kind.  He is forced to connect with Jewel, a female macaw who lives in a rainforest in Rio, to repopulate their kind.  The animated movie is a comedy filled with adventure.  The soundtrack, lighting, colors, audio, and camera angles were a main component of the film and without those production elements, the film would not be as successful as it is.

            The colors throughout the whole movie were so bright and vibrant that it kept the viewers’ attention very well.  The intensity of the colors used on the birds and the city of Rio showed the audience how fun the movie is.  It was appealing to me, the little kids sitting next to me, and the older couple in front of me, who seemed to enjoy the movie very much.  Blues, reds, yellows, and greens were colors that were constantly used during the movie, which symbolize many different emotions, including love, peace, cheerfulness, optimism and stimulate many senses, including a faster heartbeat and a fondness of nature.  Colors do many things to the eye and the colors used in Rio were definitely attention getting.

            In the very beginning of the movie, a little bird appears and he takes you through a little part of the rainforest.  At first, the camera is in front of the bird and as he is flying and zooming through the rainforest, the camera is going backwards so that the bird is coming towards the viewers, which is much more pleasing when seen in 3-D than to have the camera following the bird.  The bird flies throughout the rainforest, waking up and getting the attention of all of the other birds that live there, while a fun song starts to sound.  The first song of the movie grabs the viewers attention, because it seems as if the birds are singing it and the beginning of the movie is fast paced, as well as the song, to get a look at all of the different species of birds.  All of the soundtrack that was used in this movie was very upbeat and made you want to get up and dance, just as the birds were doing!

Colorful parrots are seen dancing simultaneously, while the view of the camera is facing completely down on them, which show all of the parrots’ features and the different patterns that the parrots are making with their feathers.  The parrots then fly up towards the camera so that they are the only thing in view, which also makes it fun to watch in 3-D because it seems as if the parrots are coming right towards you.  When the camera first shows Blu in a tree hollow, the camera is not close to the tree, but slowly moves in towards Blu.  The camera is then so close that viewers cannot tell that the camera is even in a tree hollow.  The camera is just on Blu as his little tail feather starts to dance along with the music even though he is still asleep.  The camera angle is first in front of him but then switches to the back of him to show Blu and the rest of the birds from the viewpoint of being inside of the tree hollow.

            Like previously stated, it was not easy to take notes, or even mentally note, all of the production elements that were being used.  However, there was one part of the movie that caught my eye, production-wise.  Blu and Jewel meet Rafael and he promises them to bring them to Luiz to get the chain that is attached to them off.  After finding out that Blu cannot fly, Jewel and Rafael pressure him into trying.  They go to a cliff where humans are hang gliding off of.  Jewel gets a running start and Blu is dragged behind her but suddenly he becomes very frightened and comes to a halt, which results in Blu and Jewel falling straight down.  The camera is following them close behind; however, the two macaws then get picked up by a bright yellow hang glider.  As the hang glider is drifting through the air, the camera is showing a wide shot of the beautiful city of Rio; this shot is done many times throughout the movie for the viewers to get a sense of how beautiful and entertaining Rio seems to be.  This shot is also done during carnival to give the viewers a good sense of what carnival is all about and all of the people that go to see it.

Blu gets in flying position while on the hang glider, but the wind takes him and Jewel and they fly off of the glider.  The camera angle is looking up at Blu so when he falls, it seems as if he is literally falling into the camera.  The camera angle is then shown right from Blu’s perspective, so when he falls into another hang glider, creating a hole, it is a fun effect to be there in 3-D.  Blu and Jewel then start to fall again and the camera angles change so that the camera is pointing straight down so as they are falling, it seems as if the audience is falling, too.  The camera angles are constantly switching during the whole movie and each different view gives different perspectives.

The movie Rio was so exciting and fun to watch and I am very glad that I saw it.  All of the elements of the movie came together very nicely to make it a great film.  Idea Development is the first class that I have taken where the actual production of film came up, so I must admit that I do not fully understand all of the components that go into a film, however, I think that that is something that takes years to learn.  Since learning about the basics of production, I have thought about some movies that have a great storyline, but did not turn out to be a hit movie because of the way that it was produced; it makes me understand that a great storyline is only half successful, and the other half of success comes from the production part. 

Presentation Day 4/15

The presentations that were done on Friday were all very well done!  Everyone’s presenting skills were very well, even though they were nervous.  There were a few products that were presented in an awesome way but the one that really stood out to me was Megan’s “Chocolate Covered Strawberries Fields” ice cream.  Megan was so enthusiastic about her presentation that it made me want to try the ice cream!  Strawberries are my favorite fruit and I love chocolate so mixing them together was a great idea.  Knowing that each strawberry is individually dipped in chocolate and then mixed in with vanilla ice cream sounded wonderful and something that I have never had before.  Her billboard was done very simply but very nicely; it would definitely catch my eye when I was driving.  Her magazine ad was also done very well; it was a fun ad and I thought it was a great idea that she was going to advertise it in The Food Network magazine.  Megan’s presentation was fun and done very well and her enthusiastic attitude made me want to go out and try Chocolate Covered Strawberry Fields ice cream!

Ad Brochure

inside left             inside middle          inside right

                                        
                                       

right inside flap       back middle             front



Wall-E

The first time that I saw Wall-E was in class on Friday.  I enjoyed the movie; however, I found it a little hard to stay fully focused because there was not much dialogue from the main characters.  Although the movie lacked dialogue, the characters’ emotions had a very clear intent.  In the beginning, Wall-E never said that he was scared when Eve first landed on Earth, however, viewers could sense his emotion by the way that he was shaking and hiding.  Eve’s emotions came out mostly in her eyes.  The audience could tell that she was happy when her eyes were extremely big.  And when she became angry, hey eyes became slanted and squinted.

Another thing that I noticed about the movie Wall-E was its lighting.  In the beginning, the lighting was very dark.  As the movie continued, the lighting became brighter and the robots inside of the spaceship and the humans were expressed in very bright colors.  I believe that the darkness in the beginning of the movie is showing Wall-E’s loneliness and desire for love.  As the movie continues and Wall-E becomes closer to Eve, the scenes become brighter.  This may not have been the producers’ intentions to have the lighting done this way, however I believe it works well with the plot of the story.

The audio in this film was also done very well.  Everything in this movie had some type of audio to it.  Whether Wall-E was picking something up, putting it down, moving across the dirt, throwing garbage, popping bubble wrap, etc, there was audio to it.  I believe that the movie’s main concentration was audio, which is why not having dialogue in the movie was not a main concern.

I’ve never watched a movie with intentions on focusing on the way that the movie was produced rather than the story itself, and it was a little difficult.  The producers’ intentions on doing something may be different than what the audience believes the producers did something for.  It also makes me think; producers spend hours on audio and everything else that goes into a movie, when for the most part, the audience watching the movies takes it all in, however does not recognize exactly how or why something was done.  After this assignment and having a friend who is very passionate about film making, I believe that I will no longer be watching movies just for the pleasure of it, but for figuring out how and why some things were done in the process of making the film.

Newspaper Advertisement

www.mychildhealth.net/.../baby-ear-piercing.jpg

CEP EXPONENT

Elizabeth Dworak       

Idea Development / Professor Betty Sanchez

Course Enrichment Component Thurs. @ 7:45 pm The Persuaders (2003, Barak Goodman/Rachel Dretzin, USA, 90 minutes, documentary)

“The Persuaders” Response

                The Persuaders, directed by Douglass Rushkoff, is a documentary film on the advertising and marketing industry.  The film’s main concept is to show how marketers are constantly trying to find more and more ways to find their way into consumers’ minds.  The beginning of the film was very interesting to me.  As the film walks you through New York City to take a look at how advertisements are anywhere and everywhere; you cannot help but think that all advertisements are bait- just waiting for you to latch on.  When walking through New York City, you see advertisements on skyscrapers, on billboards, on taxis and buses, on the street, everywhere.  It’s almost sickening to realize how many advertisements you see and hear every day.  It was also interesting to hear humans being metaphorically compared to a pinball; no matter where we go, we are constantly bumping into something new.  Advertising is forced on every single person.  It has been said that even toddlers are exposed to a ridiculously large number of advertisements per day.  However, Naomi Klein, author of “No Logo,” states that “Consumers are like roaches. You spray them and spray them, and after a while, it doesn't work anymore. We develop immunities.”  Because advertisements bombard people every day of their lives, they learn to tune it out, which is not a good thing for the advertising and marketing industry.  Because some people no longer physically notice every ad, advertisers sought out to get their attention through emotion.  Advertisers want consumers to feel as if they belong; as if they are part of something big.  For instance, when talking about a Saturn commercial, Douglas Atkin says, “They created a great meaning system for Saturn in those fantastic commercials. Their meaning system was based on old-time values of community. It was a kind of icon that America yearned for but couldn't find anymore.”

            When you see a commercial or even just a simple ad, it is hard to believe just how much time, effort, and money goes into the making of the ad.  Once the target market is selected, the ad has to be both physically and mentally pleasing.  One study was done concerning white bread.  A man was asked exactly what he feels when he is eating white bread, for example- accepting, trusting, lonely?  Every advertisement needs to have some kind of positive emotion as well as an appealing ad. 

In “The Persuaders,” a Cheerios commercial is shown with a grandma and a baby.  The grandma is telling the baby how far she came to see her family for Christmas.  She goes on to use the cheerios to draw out a map for the baby, even though she knows that he does not understand.  She then tells the baby that no matter how far away she lives, she will always be with him on Christmas.  The storyline is gentle and heartwarming and captures the attention of the viewer.

            The last part of the film is concerning politics.  The film briefly explains how politics are related to advertising campaigns.  Society who is disappointed with their President is a very similar situation as consumers who are disappointed with their product.  This happens very often and it is because politics influence their audience to get elected into office by manipulating their image and advertisers do this with their products; they make a product out to be “slightly” different than what the product really is.

            The advertising and marketing industry is a tough business.  With a lot of things (products, services, etc.), it is a hit or miss.  However, if it is a miss, it is the advertiser’s job to do all that they can to make it a hit.  And a lot of times, knowing something little- for example, knowing that a product makes the audience feel “safe” or “comfortable”- can make a huge difference.   The name of this film, “The Persuaders,” has a very powerful meaning to advertising in general.  Who are “the persuaders” referring to?  Are they referring to the marketing industry itself that persuades and convinces consumers, like us, to be interested and buy their products?  Or are we “the persuaders,” persuading ourselves that we need the new mascara that lengthens our eyelashes and we must buy the Hershey’s chocolate bar because it supposedly gets rid of headaches?  We, as humans, are just as bad as the advertisers out there, sometimes we are even worse.

One News Story - 2 Different Medias

The news story that I chose was "Ann Pettway arrested in Carlina White's kidnapping."

I first researched the ABC news cast on you tube for Ann Pettway getting arrested and then researched the ABC news on the internet for the same story.  The central ideas in both of the medias were very similar.  Ann Pettway did turn herself in on January 23, 2011, just days after the kidnapping story hit the headlines.  The two medias also told the audience that Ann Pettway did express remorse to investigators during interviews.  Also, it was stated that Pettway was ordered without bail and if convicted, she could face 20 years to life in prison.

Although the main ideas were the same, the two medias conveyed the story a little differently.  Having someone tell you the story and reading it on your own are very different.  When the news reporters told the story, you could sense their tone and see the expression on their faces.  This helps to almost know how they want you to react.  Reading the news story, I felt that they weren't giving me enough information.  I seeked tones of voices, pictures, and emotion, which I did not get while reading the story.  The internet article seemed demanding and very straight-forward, which is not something that I expect when learning about an emotional experience.

In the internet article, ABC states that "on January 4, 2011, White was reunited with her biological parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson."  This sentence gives me no sentimental feeling towards the subject.  While watching the news cast, I sensed the emotions that the news reporters felt towards the kidnapping, hence, it made me feel that way, also.  On the ABC news cast, pictures of Carlina White and her biological family were shown and interviewed.  Seeing and hearing her and her family made the news cast much more sentimental and personal than just reading about it; it gave the story much more meaning.  Mugshots of Ann Pettway were also shown on the news cast.  The camera angles of Ann Pettway were extremely close and unattractive; I think they did this to show the unattractiveness and disgust of her on the inside because of the things that she did.

Although many people think that a story is a story, they do no realize that the "meat" that goes into the story is what really makes it.  Of course, it is much easier to get the point across on television, where you can see reporters' reactions, interviews, pictures, etc., however, many news articles on the internet are extremely broad and almost boring.  This story, like many others, shows that even though the story is the same, the way that it is presented through different medias make a huge difference in the reactions of the audience.

Final Project

For my final project, I have decided to market HEALRINGS, which is a medicinal coating that is put around earrings to help the piercing heal faster and safer.  I have two target audiences for this product.  The first is young young adults aged 18-24.  The second is mothers of very young children, especially infants.  The medicinal coating can be put on any piercings (examples: ear, bellybutton, nose, etc.).

Four different medias that will be used:
1. Newspaper
2. Magazine
3. Radio Commercial
4. Website

War of the Worlds

“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, Grandma!” Tyler and Becky were pleading with excitement.  I looked at them with fear in my eyes and nervousness in my voice.  “Next time,” I said abruptly, hoping to change the subject.  “We’re never going to find out,” Becky murmured to Tyler.  “Alright, Alright kids.  But just remember that this is not real so don’t go telling your mother that I told you two a scary ghost story right before I put you to sleep.  I enjoy babysitting my favorite grandkids and don’t wanna lose my job!”  I said to them with a smile on my face.  “We know!  Tell us, please!”  They both said in unison.  “Sit down,” I told them, “and leave the questions for the end.”

“October 30, 1938 is when it happened.  It was a Sunday.  I was just 16 years old and I was eating dinner with my momma, poppa, and Great Uncle Bert.  On Sundays, momma always let us listen to the radio when we were eating our meals; it was our treat for being so good during the week.  Well on this particular day, the news alerts released something different than we were used to hearing.  We were told that ferocious Martians were coming and taking over the earth.  We all froze, forks in hand, and listened quietly for a little longer until poppa jumped up and changed the radio dial.  Momma and Poppa glared at each other and me and Bert saw the terrified look in their eyes.  But they didn’t wanna let on that they were scared ‘cause then they’d thought it’d scare us even more. Well it did!  My hands were trembling so much that I couldn’t even finish my dinner.  No one spoke for the rest of the meal.  Awkward, thick silence surrounded us.  After dinner I helped momma clear the table and she must’ve been nervous ‘cause she dropped a plate on the floor when she was bringin’ it to the sink.  I looked at her and she looked at me and I broke the silence; I couldn’t help myself! ‘What are we gonna do?!’ I bawled.  Momma started crying and Bert, only being 7 at the time, was too scared to even get up from the table.  I saw poppa in the corner of my eye start packin’ some clothes and food into bags.  ‘Cut that out,’ momma said to pa, ‘no ones goin’ anywhere.’ ‘We need to get out! You know what will-‘ but ma cuts him short, ‘Where we gon’ hide? You can’t hide from Earth,’ momma says.  Poppa looked at her and knew she was right.  All of a sudden, a sense of panic filled the air.  We heard the neighbors get into their car and speed away.  But they knew just as well as we did that there was no escapin’ the alien invasion that was heading for us.  Poppa grabbed his coat and headed for the door.  Ma begged him not to leave us alone but he said he needed to run to the store to stock up on the essentials- food, water, medicine, etc.  He said there was no tellin’ how long we were gonna be trapped in the house for.  Momma’s eyes filled up with tears again but knew she had to be strong for me and Bert.  While pa was at the store, momma gathered up food and clothes and put everything in the back room.  We didn’t have a basement or attic to hide in, so ma figured the back room, which had only one little window, was the best place to be.  I tried to calm Bert but it was hard to convince him that everything was going to be okay when he saw the terror in my eyes and heard the fear in my voice.  ‘What do ya think they look like?’ He asked me, not sounding alarmed in the least.  I looked at him like he was crazy for even picturing them.  ‘I think they’re short and olive green,’ he said.  ‘They probably have at least three eyes and some sort of antennae on the tops of their heads.  Their legs are probably so skinny that you can see their bones through their rough skin.’  Momma over heard Bret talkin’ and gave him a slap on his hand.  ‘Stop that nonsense right now,’ she says, ‘it don’t matter what they look like or what their names are.’  But Bret’s question really got my mind wandering.  Were they green? Or were they brown? Or purple?  I think they were tall with longs arms and legs that reach out really far.  I think they had some kind of Martian language that were just sounds that we humans would never understand.  My mind wouldn’t stop and I started to scare myself.  About two hours went by and momma was still running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off and pa was still at the store.  Finally, even though Bert was so young, I think he finally understood what was going on.  He comes up to me crying.  I didn’t even know what to say.  Ma sees him and runs over to us and puts her arms around us.  We were all sobbing now.  Just as momma was about to speak, poppa comes in laughing.  I’ve never been more confused in my life.  ‘Laughing?’ I thought, ‘at a time like this?’  Poppa comes over to us and hugs the three of us tight, still chuckling.  That is when he explained to us that what we had heard was all a misunderstanding.  The broadcast on the radio was nothing more than a portion of Orson Welle’s variation of the well-known book, War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.  I couldn’t believe how frantic we got over something so silly.  We all burst out into a fit of laughter.  I remember that day as if it had happened yesterday; for those couple of hours, I was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life.  And when you two get a bit older, just remember that everything you hear in the media is not always what it really is.”

I look over to see Tyler and Becky yawning.  “Good story, Grandma,” Tyler says in between yawns.  Not even a minute later, both of them are sleeping like babies.  I never thought that something so frightening to me would be such a good bedtime story for my grandkids.

Left Vs. Right

                Before I took the dominance test, I decided to read the information on both the left and right sides of the brain first to see if I could guess which side of the brain I use the most.  After comparing both sides, I was sure that I use the left side of my brain (the analytical side) much more than I use the right side of my brain (the artistic side).  Although I am an artsy person, the “organized, neat, step-by-step” me sometimes takes over me.  I constantly make lists and get a great sense of satisfaction when I can cross something off of my list.  I am always making sure that I have my license and debit card in my wallet and my wallet has to be in a very specific part of my pocket book.  The magazines on my desk have to be aligned straight with the end of my desk.  I’ll admit that I do not make my bed and once in a while I will throw my dirty clothes on the floor, but more often than not I am extremely organized and get upset when some things look messy or out of place.  These are just a few things in my daily life that I took into consideration when deciding which side of the brain I use the most.

                After taking the dominance test, the results showed that I answered 10 questions right to a right-brained person and 8 questions to a left-brained person.  Before taking the test, I guessed that I would answer at least 14 questions right to a left-brained person.  I was very surprised at those results.  Certain hands-on projects are easier for me however I do need some type of step-by-step lecture to go along with it.  However, illustrating my notes is something that I do and that is no doubt a right-brained task.  I am going to have to be more aware of what I do day by day to see exactly when and where my right-brained tendencies seem to kick in.

                Once I read about the right side of the brain and learned that I use that side of my brain a bit more than the left side, I was a little offended because of the things that were said about the right side.  For instance, it is very rare that I hand in late assignments and the mention of spelling does not make me “cringe.”  However, that is just me personally.  Nevertheless, I am not at all upset that I use the right side of my brain just as much as the left side.  When I started senior year of High School, I became “too” organized and on task with things.  For example, as soon as I got an assignment, I would be finished with it as soon as possible.  If it was due in one month, I would need to start it the day that it was assigned.  Although that is not necessarily a bad thing, it got in the way with other things and other school work.  I even thought that I had a bit of OCD in me.  I didn’t like being so on top of things all of the time, so for the past year, I have been trying to be a bit more lenient with myself and my tasks.  I learned that I do not need to plan my whole life ahead of time and it is okay to be a bit random at times.

                I am glad that according to the Hemispheric Dominance test, I basically use the left side of my brain just as often as the right side.  It proves to me that I am both analytical and artistic- I think about the consequences of the things that I do (or don’t do) however I’m creative and original when I do things.

Photo Essay

3 themes for final project

1) To create a simple "blank" sneaker that has detachable linings so the color, texture and overall feel of the shoe can be changed depending on one's outfit or mood.

2) To create an earring that has medicinal ointment coated on the earring itself to help heal faster and safer.

3) To create a fingerprint sensing device so that instead of struggling to find your keys or not having enough hands to open the front door, the device will recognize your fingerprint when you scan it and the door will automatically unlock when your print is approved/recognized.

Test

This is a test.