My First Ad for Final Project

Here is my Internet Ad. I have taken a screenshot of my ad, which was created on photoshop, because I was unable to upload it as a photoshop project. I made the SD Card, which holds all of the information and put my products name, ATD on it. I then made a slogan; This Is The Future. The bottom line, Who Am I? is going to be a link that will bring the facebook uses to the website for my project. I chose to use facebook (the internet) as one of my mediums because my target audience, which is college students and business people are more likely to be using social networking sites, like facebook during the day. I chose a simple approach for the ad on facebook because much of the ads are simple and grasp the audiences attention. I didn't choose a lot of words nor graphics because I wanted to audience (who are facebook users) to click on the link to learn more about the product. By giving little information, I lure potential customers in by sparking their curiosity. This is just one example of an advertisement that I will be creating for my product; ATD Connect.

Photo Credit to: Google Images

Film Critique 1 -Monsoon Wedding

The film Monsoon Wedding shows an accurate depiction of the planning and execution of a Punjabi wedding. Through this movie, the audience witnesses the difficulty of maintaining old traditions in a changing modern society. The main characters in Monsoon Wedding encounter difficulties in maintaining their own identities and societal expectations in a changing Indian culture, which is very true of the struggle they still go through today. Two of the main themes presented in the film are gender and identity, in the divide between the old ways and the new ways.

            In Punjabi culture, which is a society ruled by patriarchy, women have little say in their own lives, as in the case of the film’s main character, Aditi. She could not carry out a relationship with her ex-boyfriend whom she was really in love with, because her parents chose for her to marry Hermant, a businessman from India who recently relocated to Texas. Aditi was expected to move to the United States after getting married, as it is custom in India to leave your parents and separate from your family immediately after your wedding day. Her father, a middle class man, was expected to provide his daughter with a lavish wedding because it is Indian tradition for a father to do so. The movie chronicles Aditi’s struggle with finding her own identity in a society that frowns upon feminism and open expression.

Aditi’s younger brother, a free spirit, was encouraged to assume the traditional roles that a conventional Indian man should have.His personality and freedom scare Aditi’s father, who insists that his son go to boarding school to “learn how to be a proper Indian man.” These characters chronicle the challenges of expression and identity in a culture that relies heavily on respecting old traditions. The strict Punjabi traditions have become a difficult reality for many Indian people who struggle in a changing society.

            One character who exemplified the struggle between tradition and identity was Aditi’s father. When he discovered that an uncle had molested his niece, whom he raised, Aditi’s father asked the uncle to leave the wedding. Doing so would break family ties, which is a very important aspect of Indian life. However, didn’t matter to him because his love and loyalty he had for his niece was far greater than any family tie or tradition. That single event really caught the true spirit of Punjabi, which relies on an emotional approach to life in a tight knit community.

            Perhaps one of the elements that in my belief made the film so successfully executed is that the director was a female of the middle class who grew up in Delhi, India. Because of this, Mira Nair was able to capture the true essence of Indian culture. The specific settings of the film were very authentic of India. In fact, many scenes were actually filmed in Nair’s house, and several of her family members were a part of the cast. Tiny, chaotic and humorous scenes compose the entire movie, which centers on a family Wedding and strong stories of love in between. She grouped people in terms of age, gender, nationality, class and economic status.

            Nair used an eclectic blend of color and movement that accompanied traditional Punjabi celebrations and the serious issues tackled within the film.The low budget film was shot on a digital camera, and many of the scenes seem more realistic because of this. The movements of the handheld camera make the audience feel as though they are a part of the Wedding celebrations. There is a rush of tangerine color from the ever-appearing marigold flower, which plays a role as an important symbol in the film. This flower is organic to Indian celebrations. The costumes worn by the characters in the movie were authentic to Indian wear. The vibrant patterns, embellishments and unique pieces of jewelry represented the traditional ensembles worn in the Punjabi community. The director plays with color, light, movement and texture in the film, increasing the feeling of realism presented.

            In addition to the success of the visuals in the film, the sound was also wonderfully executed. This film is really dominated by the different vivacious sounds. The audio consists of love songs, traditional Indian music, folk and jazz and compliments the visuals perfectly. The sound really makes the movie, in my opinion. One of the most moving and effective scenes of the movie is when all of the women in the family sat around for traditional Wedding preparations and began to sing an Indian hymn. The heavy beats of the drum soon followed, and everyone was on their feet dancing along. It really made me want to get up and dance with them! The soundtrack for this film is very influential on the overall success of Monsoon Wedding.           

Monsoon Wedding really captured the true essence of Punjabi culture and the joining of two families. The fact that it is an independent film only increased the realism presented. The acting and filming of the film is very similar to what really goes on in a Punjabi wedding.

The character’s struggles to find their identities in a changing culture is a big part of what is going on in India right now. The old school traditions and harsh gender roles, where women are treated as less equal than men, are now challenged by a modern and changing world. There were no crazy effects or props that made the acting outlandish or unrealistic. In my opinion, the low budget factor influenced the success of the movie because it exemplified the sacredness of Indian culture, and the importance of following past traditions. The characters in Monsoon Wedding confront the challenges of maintaining traditions in a changing world.

Comparison of Two News Articles

Below are the two different mediums that I found for a specific news article; An 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake in New Zealand on .

   I like to think of myself as a very informed individual; I love to keep myself up to date on current events. Normally while browsing on the web, I log on to 7online.com and see what's going on in the news. Today, the top story was a big earthquake that hit New Zealand and killed at least 65 people so far. I clicked on the article and read the entire story. As I was reading the article, I didn't really realize the full extent of this natural disaster. Because I was reading the article in my own voice, it didn't seem as severe as when I watched the news. Within the internet article, there was an interview with an eye-witness. When I was reading the article, I visualized what the witness looked like and what the affected area looked like. However, I couldn't really picture exactly how New Zealand looked. The only visuals I received were the ones that I had created in my head. However, when I watched the news on TV two hours later, I noticed that my perceptions and visuals of the event were far different than what actually existed.
   The reporter had a very somber tone when discussing the large, destructive earthquake in New Zealand. She really seemed quite concerned as she was reporting about the incident. She then sent us to New Zealand (virtually of course) with another reporter. There, I received the true images of the event. The reporter was literally in the center of the disaster site. He showed us just how much damage was done to the area, but perhaps the most heartbreaking site was when he showed all of the suffering, all of the victims. These poor people were so badly hurt, and through the lenses of the camera appealed emotionally to me. I saw the pain that they were experiencing while searching for family members trapped under the rubble. The videos captured through the news report made me feel like I was there with them, that I too was suffering. Perhaps it was the way the clip was presented, or maybe it was the increased severity I noticed that actually existed in New Zealand, but whatever the case I was none the less moved by the clip.
   For me, the more effective news article was the one that I saw on the television. The fact that I had pictures, audio and video clips of the area, along with the interviews conducted really appealed to me emotionally, and grabbed my attention more than the Internet article. The article on the Internet left much to the imagination. Yes, the words moved me a little, but I had to visualize what it may be like in New Zealand. I didn't get that emotional appeal, nor was I able to put myself in their position. Contrary to the article on the Internet, the news clip on the television was the more effective medium for me to get my information, especially in the news. To be able to actually see things going on, as opposed to just reading them works better for me.

Internet Article Credit to : www.7online.com (http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=7971898) Access Date-2/22/2011
Television Story Credit to: CBS Evening News at 12pm. (Channel 2) 2/22/2011

My Final Project Idea

The idea that I chose for my final product is the ATD Connect. This device records a lecture, meeting or just casual conversation and stores it on a microchip. This chip can then be removed from the device and inserted into a computer. There, the ATD Connect will convert the recordings into a Word Document, allowing you to visually see the conversation. My target audience is going to be college students and business men and women, because this device is ideal for lectures and seminars and meetings. The four different mediums in which I will display the ATD Connect is in newspapers, the internet, magazines and print ads (trays in the airport, brochures) I chose these different types of media because I believe that they pertain the most to college students and businesspeople, who use this media to get their information.

My Adventures with the Z-Nobs

Photo Credit to: Google Images

            Every person has a different story to tell; some stories more interesting than others. Have you ever encountered a smell or seen something that brings you back to a certain time? For me, I believe I have a story that is pretty hard to duplicate. Let me take you back to a time I will never forget…

            It all started one brisk mid-September evening. The old windows that surrounded my aged house were cracked ever so slightly, to allow for a gentle breeze to brush upon me, like a feather gliding across skin as I slept. I headed up the stairwell, brushed my teeth and jumped into my bed. As I lay my head upon my fluffy pillow and drifted into sleep, I heard an extremely peculiar sound. No, it wasn’t the screeching of the wood floors, nor was it the creaking and moaning from the outdoors. This particular noise was one I had never encountered before in my life. It sounded like an abrupt fire alarm mixed with some bizarre type of futuristic sirens. I quickly jumped out of my bed. My heart was racing a million miles a second. This noise scared me so much that it had felt like I swallowed a frog down my throat. I slowly drifted to the far side of my bedroom and towards the window to take a glance outside. As I brushed the silky curtain to the side to peek, I saw an image I would never forget.

            My eyes jumped as I veered out onto the lawn of my front yard. I saw a grey spaceship spiraling down the sky like the leaves of a tree through the autumn sky. The neon colors that lit up the spaceship seemed to have echoed through my neighborhood, like the headlights on a car. I darted down my front steps and headed toward my parent’s bedroom door. I shook my dad and he woke up both my mother and sister. After convincing them that this was not just a crazy dream, they came downstairs with me to check out the scene. The spaceship landed, and out walked these purple creatures. They looked like a sea of little smurfs, ready to take over the neighborhood. These creatures were so cute and friendly looking, that without hesitation, we walked closer to them. After exchanging greetings with these creatures, which are actually called Z-Nobs, claim to be from the planet Zoe, a small orbiting sphere way out in the solar system. They were sent here to be of help to us with advancing the technology on our planet. The Z-Nobs insisted that we go on a tour of their spaceship. Inside, was a whole other world.

            The Z-Nobs home was totally amazing. It was like nothing we had ever seen before. The long hallways were filled with bright, flashing lights and the highlighter colored walls were the perfect touch for this space vehicle. On board, these creatures had an aquarium, kitchen, movie theater and bowling alley just to name a few amenities. Their squeaky little voices greeted us with kind words, and were eager to help out in any which way they could. They invited us to stay in their spaceship for a gourmet meal- Planet Zoe style. My father, who was quite hesitant to the idea, finally agreed to let us eat with our new Martian friends.

            Our meal was finally prepared, and Mom, Dad, Megan and I gathered around the space table to enjoy a Martian cooked meal with our friends from another planet. Our special “midnight snack” consisted of zesty lemon barbeque chicken prepared over a bed of steaming crispy asparagus, accompanied by fresh hot bread and delicious garnishing for a special touch-cooked specially for us by Chef Bob. We exchanged light conversations at the table that mainly consisted of the differences between our planets. Before we knew it, three hours had passed and my family was about to pass out from exhaustion, my dad did the head nod that told us it was time to depart. The Z-Nobs promised to stay for a few days, so we said our goodnights and headed back into the house. While we slept, the Z-Nobs hooked up all of our neighbors Internet connections, and tweaked all of the technology in the neighborhood so it was totally up to par with the advances made by these Martians. They worked non-stop all night, because Z-Nobs never sleep.

            The very next day, I woke up to the sounds of the Z-Nobs banging and drilling. I was so eager and excited to get to know these creatures better, that I put on my slippers and ran outside to see them. A Martian, Martina, who was also 19 years old, first greeted me. She and I sat down to get to know one another more. We began to discuss our lives, and I had a million and one question that I wanted to ask her. After talking for a while, I discovered that Z-Nobs fly to all of the Planets to help them out. They eat food just like us, communicate like us, and pretty much do everything that human beings do. The only difference is that they don’t sleep, and they are all different colors. All of the Z-Nobs look the same. Your color is your own identity, and each Z-Nob is born with a specific coloring. Each color also has a meaning. For example, the blue meant you were a calm, cool and collective Martian, and the red meant that you were a fiercely, saucy Martian. The conversations we had really intrigued me, and I found these creatures to be so interesting and different.

            The rest of the neighborhood was so welcoming and excited to get to know these little creatures. The soccer moms baked fresh cookies, and the fathers opened their homes to the Martians from Planet Zoe. The tiny Martians played with the children of the neighborhood. A week had come and gone, and sadly it was time for our new Martian friends to leave Planet Earth and head off to Saturn for their next mission. We thanked them for all of their help, and hugged them goodbye. As I hugged my new Martian friend, Martina goodbye, I felt a small salty tear rolling down the side of my face. I couldn’t help but feel sad to let these little creatures go because my family and I had become so attached to them the past seven days. As I, along with the rest of the neighborhood waved them goodbye, the Z-Nob’s spaceship took off in flight.

            So that’s that. Can you believe it? Martians in my town? No, this isn’t some twisted dream, or a contorted joke. This is real life. I became best friends with little Martian creatures, and it was the best experience I had in my entire life. This is definitely an experience I will never forget, for as long as I live. I only hope that everyone can experience and adventure with little Martian creatures from a different planet, like I did with the Z-Nobs. 

Which side am I?

   Throughout my life, I have come in contact with an eclectic mix of people who each have something organic about them that makes them truly unique. Since I was a young girl, I have always felt like being left handed was an inconvenience rather than it being something that made me different from others. In school, teachers would always have to adjust my seat in the classroom so I wouldn't bang elbows with someone right handed. At home, I was the only person in my family who was left handed, and I got ridiculed by my sister for it. As I grew older however, I began to appreciate being left handed. I read a book my junior year by Daniel Pink, called "A Whole New Mind" and it had such a profound effect on me. In the book, Pink talks about how many left handed people use the right side of their brain. The right side has been thought of as the more "creative" side, and that there is more of a need for right brained thinkers in  the world we live in. This book and the ideas Pink presented made me think about how I can use my right brained abilities in a future career. Now I don't see my right-brainedness as being a disadvantage, but rather an asset.
   It came as no surprise for me to learn that I answered nearly all of the questions in the Brain Test as being Right-Brained. I am intuitive, as I often times come up with spontaneous ideas, and have a lot of various thoughts flowing through my head at any given time. It is hard for me to follow a set of rules, a sequence or a pattern because it is challenging for my mind to think in that particular way. When reading a passage, I often times keen in on specific details, like what the person is wearing, instead of focusing mainly on the main ideas the author is trying to convey through his or her writing. The best way that I learn is through a series of visual images, and specifically through demonstrations-I am a "symbolic learner." For example, on a test, in order to memorize specific words or information, I relate it to people or events I have come in contact with throughout my life. I learned that my yearning for adventure and my spontaneous attitude can also be attributed to the dominance of my right brain. I am also free with my feelings and can express myself through words, another characteristic of being mainly right brain dominant. I only answer one question as being left brain dominant, and was not surprised by this discovery.
   Some of the most creative people are right brain dominant. The random ideas that circulate through my head ultimately make me more creative as a person. This test only solidified my knowledge of being right brain dominant, and I think that I need to embrace the knowledge and creativity I have and use it in my everyday life, and eventually in a future career. It is important for me to focus on the areas where I am am dominant, and work on the areas where I struggle. My abstract ideas are perfect for a Communication Arts major. I have learned that there is a connection between being left handed and right brain dominant, and being right handed and left brain dominant and the characteristics of being right brained totally describe the person I am. 

My Story!