Cry Baby

I absolutely love any movie Johnny Depp is in... that was until I watched Cry Baby again today. I own the movie and always thought that it was pretty ridiculous, but I thought that it was just the talent just messing up the lines...but IT'S NOT!!


Since class started at the beginning of the semester, Dr. King told us to start listening to the writing of commercials, tv shows, movies...anything that involves script writers. Well, I've done just that, everything that I watch I think about how the writers must have rewritten almost everything about a million times before it actually made its screen debut. Or how some jokes that they loved weren't accepted well by the audience. There's just so many things that go on in my mind as I watch anything on tv.


I also think that script writing is a very hard thing for others (those non-media comm. people) to grasp because they don't know what all goes through one's mind when writing a story or even a minute commercial. They just see it as entertainment and think that the words just come out perfectly and the real trick is production. Well, I dare them to take both a script writing class AND a production class. Media is hard to be in, it's very competitive as well as time consuming, but I think that we all know in the end...it's worth a job well done!


<3


TTFN (Ta Ta For Now!) ------ Glenda-----

News Writing-1 ...Glenda-0 :'(

I just can't get a handle on the news stories. I like watching the news, but I never really thought about the writers behind it and the structure needed for the hour. Whenever I write anything news related, I honestly write like it's an English paper and use too many verbs or phrases that aren't needed in the Media world.


I look at CNN.com or Foxnews.com and listen/watch all the story packages on there and I'm just in awe. How do they do it?! I mean I've read the chapter in the book and I comprehend it... I just can't get it! :( I feel like I'm failing in this part of the class because of my lack of COMMON knowledge of news structure. Right now I'm just feeling frustrated and ashamed of my writing because to me it's crap.


This blog is short, but I can't think about writing about anything else but my frustration of news writing and me.


-Glenda-

Sioux City, Iowa

I think that everyone in class noticed that both Alex and i haven't been in class this week...and honest to God we haven't been skipping! :) We've been in Sioux City, Iowa... Well, ok TECHNICALLY we're in South Dakota... but only on the tip! This past couple of days have been not only an exciting experience for good field production work, but a good writing practice as well!


Because of this trip, I've got to write packages, do voice overs, get interviews with coaches and players as well as edit my packages! Alex got to do radio updates and video updates. Although it's been frustrating and hard we've had a good run with getting a BUNCH of experience in just a couple of hours. The energy in our little hotel room that we're cramped in with all our computers and gear has helped me understand what I'm in for. I want to do this as a living, I like having a deadline...I like having this type of excitement in the air as I write about games or other stories that may come my way.


Well you guys...that's all I have for now. I'm TIRED AND HUNGRY so Alex and I are going to get some grub! :) Have a great weekend and I'll see everyone back in class on Tuesday!


Glenda

...::MIDTERMS::...and MY AWESOME GROUP MEMBERS!!!! :D

Ok so this semester I've only taken 2 Mid-terms (scriptwriting included) and I can honestly say that I'm very lucky! My freshman year was very difficult because I wasn't really sure what to do with the whole college thing as well as how to study for any of the exams/tests/quizzes or even how to do a presentation correctly! Man.. what a year can do to you! Since being diagnosed, I was suggested to go to a seminar that showed us how to PROPERLY study for all that and how to do well on presentations! :)


For scriptwriting, I found out that the best way, for me at least, is to find all the information that I accumulated in the book as well as my notes, and put them into a word document. After that I put the information into a powerpoint and study them on the computer. After alllllll that gets done, I then print out the slides (6 to a page) then study them on a hard copy and make notes on how to remember them on there! :) It's awesome!


Even though I don't know how I did on today's midterm, I can honestly say that I tried my hardest. I think that the only problem I had was that I can't really write fast as well as think of things to say in a script that fast in the morning...but I tried! :)


I would also like a chance to say that this week was very hard, but it was very good for me. I went through some troubles, not only in school but with family matters, and yet it came out on a good note! (well..so far!) I would like to say that our group project rocked in my eyes, not necessarily because of the production itself or anything like that, but becauseMY GROUP MEMBERS ROCKED!


Seriously, if you guys don't know Alicia or Russ, you really should! Russ may be quiet at times, but he's so creative and knows what he wants to do for the project! He showed me and Alicia this HUGE book that is just of storyboards that he just puts his ideas in! That's true talent in the making ladies and gentlemen! Now Alicia, in class she seems to just sit in the back and talk whenever she feels the need...but she's SO MUCH MORE! She has this eye for what she wants to do, how to do it as well as taking the time to do it! Seriously, I mean she spends most of her time in the edit room just doing stuff for the TV station as well for her family or something else that she's working on! She's very gifted and will go on to do great things! I'm truly blessed to know these people as well as to have worked with them on this great project! <3 you guys so so soooo much!


Well that's all I have to say for now, at least for the scriptwriting part...but I am going to keep posting prayer requests and blessings in this blog as well as through Spring Break! :) Stay safe guys..and HAVE FUN!


<3 Glenda






Prayer Requests


My Dad... he is scheduled to have gallbladder surg. next TUESDAY and he's really nervous and is making my mom a little on the edge.

My Friends and I...as we head to Washington D.C. for SB09


My Cousin, her husband, and their quads...this past week the babies have been sick (like hard core puking) and have had other problems... just pray for them as they continue to grow and pray for my cousin and her husband as they care for these 4 little ones...it's really hard for them especially when her husband is working M-F 7-3/5.

Walk a Mile for the homeless

This saturday was Walk a Mile or the homeless, an event that is through the Rescue Mission of Grant County. Since I work for WIWU-TV51, I work for the show "Crossroads" which has students go out into the community and find events that they could do packages on so they may show it on the show for people in the community to watch and enjoy. Mariam Gonzalez, a senior communication major, asked me and another student to go out with her on Saturday to shoot what was going on as well as getting interviews. It was there that we found many things to include not only in the visual story, but the script as well.

There were so many inspiring shots, and had so many people there to make an impact on the average Indiana Wesleyan college student who doesn't really care about Marion or Grant Co. The people there varied from little kids who were with their parent to people who really were homeless in the past...to Taylor students all the way from Upland. I can't speak for Mariam, but I honestly thought of a couple of good lines as we were shooting... but after I told her some of them, she told me that she'll be writing the script and texting me to come help her. I can honestly say that I'm super excited about working with her on it because not only will I get extra credit.. (haha)... as well as great experience!


<3 Glenda

It's Indiana Wesleyan University not IWU or WU... geesh! :)

OK, so this radio promo for IWU has been kind of making me think about what I was thinking when I was in high school and struggling on where to go to college.


When I was in high school, I got the opportunity to go to OWU (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) and see what their campus was like because they showed interest in recruiting me for volleyball. Now since I was a prof's kid and have seen the campus grow, I knew what a "good university" looked like and I knew what I wanted to study: Spanish and Media Comm (both of which OWU didn't provide...well at least at that time). When I saw the campus and the students there, I was actually kind of shocked because I was used to seeing the HUGE brick buildings and the newest technology on campus...where they were...well...they were a little behind the times!


So when I made the actual decision to come here to the WU, I knew that I was making the right choice by not playing volleyball and by focusing more on my studies. When Dr. King made the assignment to write the radio ad for Indiana Wesleyan, I couldn't help but remember all of the junk mail I got in the mail, through my school, even ANNOYING phone calls!...I wouldn't want to have an annoying radio ad come on just telling me that this school is for me, that this is the best school, that you cant compare us to other schools...


The fact is some schools are perfect for some people, some don't want to go to college, some may even want to go to another school after coming here. It just depends on the person. That's why for my script I wrote my testimony oh why I chose Indiana Wesleyan... it wasn't because both of my parents worked here, or the spiritual atmosphere was really amazing...it was my own personal choice that God just put on my heart.


I think for radio commercials you need to know your demographic really well...meaning you need to know what their thoughts are, their needs/wants as well as their plans for their futures. Though this can be pretty hard, I can't help but wonder if one of our radio commercials would make an influence on a future student's life... could THIS be?!?! Are we being... dare I say it.. "WORLD CHANGERS?!"

Ads, Promos and PSAs...OH MY!!!

Before this class I NEVER knew what went on in a writer's brain when they were planning their scripts out!


Even the simple little catch phrases or jingles that are on the radio and/or tv... there's so much work that the normal person doesn't even get to see or experience! All the planning in preparation for even just a short PSA takes SOOOOOO much work and takes SOOOOOOO much personal creativity and knowledge of communication. Reaching different demographics is very challenging to me, yet I find it very invigorating because I'm able to be in another person's shoes and try to think the way that they would.


Honestly, the hardest part for me is to make sure that my creative thoughts get written on paper the way I envisioned them to be. There are times that I have a really hard time putting my thoughts and personal emotions out of my brain and just start writing for the "client". For example when Dr. King asked us this week to write two sweepers and one thirty second promo for the radio station, I felt pretty uneasy about the whole assignment. I only listen to my iPod/iPhone/iTunes when I'm here on campus and when I'm actually listening to the radio it's usually an oldies station. That and I really don't get into the whole "christian" music scene. I never have and sure I have a select few bands that I like that are considered appropriate by the radio station...but still. Writing for the radio station that I never really listened to...let alone have been active with, was very difficult. But the research that I put into it was pretty thorough. I listened to about 5 straight hours of The Fortress on 94.3. HOLY COW!!! My rear hurt after my "research". :P But it helped me because I was able to actually experience what the "client" was trying to sell and what they wanted to bring out in their promo.


That's all I can think of for now! :)


TTFN!!!! <3 Glenda

I <3 Barbie Dolls

FIRST OFF: let me say that I'm sorry that I didn't post last week, I have no excuse except forgetfulness...which is a REAL burden! But hopefully you all can forgive me and let me explain what I think I'm going to be doing for this Thrusday's (1/29/09) assignment.


Assignment:


1. Choose a real product, research info about the company and tis products online.


2. Develop an original ad campaign for the product.


3. Prepare a copy platform for your product/campaign.


4. Develop a creative 30 second radio spot that first your platform strategy.


5. Bring latest electronic draft to next class




Now as you can guess, I'm not going to put all of my assignment on here... in fact I'm not putting any of my assignment in this blog at all! I am just going to explain my reasoning and strategy behind my product that I have chosen... BARBIE DOLLS!!!





When I found our assignment was to find an actual product and create an original ad campaign for it...my first reaction was, "Seriously? Where am I going to find ANYTHING that can spark my imagination to MAKE a campaign?" So.. I sat in the Mac lab for oh.. I'd say 2 minutes after Dr. King told us our assignment...and I recieved "my vision".


As a kid, I grew up with seriously 100 Barbie dolls... I even had a HUGE tub that my parents bought at Wal-Mart that barely held all of them. So why NOT do my campaign on Barbie dolls? I mean the real reason I started my Barbie-mania was because my grandma gave me her old Barbie doll.





I think that for my campaign, I will try to show/emphasize that Barbie dolls are
NOT a thing of the past, but a toy that most young girls like to play with. Even though some may argue that Barbie dolls promote anorexia or "the perfect image" a woman is to uphold, I think that Barbie dolls, like Hot Wheels for boys, create imagination and spark creativity.


With this assignment I hope to bring emotion and a type of love to the table that will impact my listeners to understand the meaning of family and of imagination. I plan to do so by having a two or more voice ad, one voice being a young girl and the other being her grandmother. I strongly believe in family and connectivity within the generations and I think that with this piece I can try to fill in the gap between generations.

The Power Of Writing

For the most part, we've all watched Anchorman, a movie made about a San Diegan anchorman who is stuck in the 60's way of thinking. There is one scene that honestly can make me laugh, even on the darkest of days. It is where Ron Burgendy's female opponent, Veronica Corningstone, happens to rewrite the script on the telepromter to humiliate Ron ON AIR!


In our book, chapter 2 has everything that we need to know about scriptwriting. How to communicate effectively, making sure everything is accurate, keeping the point of view in mind as we're writing the script for a commercial, and using proper language as well as punctuation. I NEVER knew how much detail was behind scriptwriting. Whenever I watch TV, go to a movie or even turn on the radio.. I just assumed that the talent is the person who comes up with everything that is coming out of their mouths...and now I know... that it is the writer's talent shining through the speakers mouths!


In class on Tuesday, Dr. King gave us a challenge: To listen to the way people talk at McConn or in our dorms...and I did just that. Yesterday morning before our scriptwriting class, Alex "Barbie" Canfield and I went to McConn to get a coffee and an impromptu cookie. It was there that I counted the "um's", "like's", and "you know's" in various conversations around us. In one case, there were two girls that were working behind counter that were obviously talking about their problems that happened the night before. From the 2-3 minutes that I was standing there I heard 10 "um's", 15 "likes" and 3 "you know's". WOW! :) I never really noticed how much our generation uses these words in just a simple conversation.


I also have also been thinking about how I used to work at McDonalds (yes, I worked at McDonalds...the worst 3 years of my life), and I remembered how my bosses always reminded us to use "suggestive selling". That means whenever the customer has finished their ordering we would politely ask "Would you like to try our special today? We're selling 2 apple pies for a dollar today!". In radio and even in television, I've found out that for commercials.. you kind of need to use the "suggestive selling" approach as well as the use of colorful animation through visual and/or audible effects. For commercials, the radio industry uses sound effects to make the listener imagine what's going on... like a door creaking or a door slamming. On TV we're able to see the object itself and see how it looks, it's size, and the reaction that other people have had using the product.


Well kid's... that's what I've thought about most all week! TTFN...Ta Ta For Now!!! <3 Glenda

Opinion script...tell me whatcha think! :)

GLENDA My father suffers from severe pain…no, he doesn’t have cancer or a rare type of medical illness… my father is a victim of persecution…and not because of his faith, but his trouble communicating to people through “our” language. You see my dad’s from Peru…and YES he’s LEGAL! But something happened when he got in the immigration line at the airport, he wasn’t seen as a child of God anymore… he was seen as an immigrant…a minority. I don’t remember when I realized that my mom was white and my dad was dark. But I do remember sitting on a stool in the dish room of a Marriott hotel watching my dad wash dishes along with the other Latinos and wondering why those nice guys weren’t out on the main floor ringing up orders. Whose rule was it that you HAVE to speak English in America? I understand that English is the primary language here, but why do we have to force other people to lose a part their culture? God made us different and yet he made us in his image… so why do we judge? What happened to equality? What happened to the land of the free? We’re all immigrants, and we all have had some family member in the past or present who’ve struggled. I think the White Stripes couldn’t have put it better when singing, “White Americans, what? Nothing better to do? Why don’t you kick yourself out? You’re an immigrant too.”

Know Your Past...

So many people that are my age DO NOT know where they've come from. It really irks me when I read about American citizens saying rude and disrespectful things about other races and/or religions. Let me share something with everyone... WE ALL CAME FROM ADAM AND EVE! WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD! Don't try to act like you're better than everybody else...because God is the true, and only form of purity that we should accept. So when people say that the immigrants that are in the United States should go back to their own country... I can't help but laugh. If they did.. shoot.. you'd be coming too!