For this video I wanted to learn more about the sheep at Furman’s solar farm. I had trouble thinking of an idea that connected with digital media literacy, but since we were allotted some leeway in our creativity with this video, more topics became acceptable. If I was to connect a digital media literacy trait it would probably be collaboration, which is pretty basic. Furman is collaborating with a member of the community however to promote environmentally friendly lawn care for the solar farm and a place for his sheep to graze.
Sometimes I cannot achieve the effects I want with my tripod and it was becoming increasingly frustrating and kind of stressful. People will call my b-roll shaky for sure, but many people seemed to have similar problems that I encountered. I finally bought my own tripod so I would not have to rent every time I film, which helped greatly with interviews. I did not realize how long editing a video by myself would take. Also, it was difficult to get footage of the sheep because tours of the farm are typically only done for groups of people. However, Laura provided me with a video and some pictures that helped pull everything together. I went to a different farm just to get extra sheep footage actually. If I were to guess I would say I spent a total of 12-15 hours of just editing for two days. Luckily, this was my only project and therefore had plenty of time to dedicate to making a quality project.
I know how to properly film an interview, I think so at least, and now my editing skills in Adobe Premier Pro have increased after completing this project. If I could learn more tips and tricks for filming in the future with other equipment or maybe a better tripod I believe I could reduce my shakiness when filming and that would make a huge difference.
After a long battle to stay the most-subscribed to YouTuber, Pewdiepie, also known as Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, temporarily lost to the Indian media channel called T-Series. In response, he finally released a song titled “Congratulations,” another diss-track on T-Series to sarcastically congratulate them on surpassing his subscriber count and listing numerous ethical issues with the corporation. Some of these issues include collusion with the mafia (which is apparently a joke for legal reasons), pirating music, and failing to use their profits to help with the poverty in their country.
Like starting your business by selling pirated songs Oops! Didn’t think we’d see? It’s right there on Wikipedia Get used to your past being held against you by the media (Uh oh) I’m sure right now there’s nothing that you’re doing that’s illegal, yeah I’m certain that you haven’t had collusions with the mafia For legal reasons, that’s a joke
Reportedly, Pewdiepie received a letter from T-Series demanding him to cease and desist because his previous diss-track, titled B**** Lasagna, included slander and defamation against their company. However, Pewdiepie noticed that the letter revealed T-Series had a poor understanding of the term “Defamation.” He goes on to list multiple insults, some of which are purposely offensive, as examples that would still not be considered defamation.
It is important to understand the terms slander and defamation when a company or individual is posting information online. A lack of understanding on T-Series part compared to an individual YouTuber who immediately recognized the blunder, makes the corporation appear uneducated.
Slander: oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an untruth about another, which untruth will harm the reputation of the person defamed.
Defamation: the act of making untrue statements about another which damages his/her reputation.
Based on these legal definitions, Pewdiepie makes a few blatantly untrue statements to exemplify that while they are untrue, there is not evidence or proof that they have damaged anyone’s reputation. Clearly, Pewdiepie ignored the cease and desist letter from T-Series after releasing “Congratulations” and referencing the letter itself. Felix’s defense is most likely that as an individual, he has little to no ability to tear down the reputation or status of India’s largest music label & movie studio.
T-Series Page
The song goes on to emphasize pressing issues in India such as poverty, the caste system, and mentions the #MeToo movement as threatening their bottom line, implying harassment of some kind has been occurring within their company. While many of the lyrics in the track serve a humorous purpose, there are other serious overtones and implications about large corporations taking over a platform that was once dominated by creative individuals posting original content.
The theme of larger companies and channels censoring smaller creators has been spreading like wildfire across the platform. This phenomenon has mostly been due to people receiving copy strikes from large music and TV companies, for using songs and clips from shows, as well as large channels copy-striking smaller channels in order to remove videos criticizing them or their content.
However, the immense size of Pewdiepie’s channel makes it difficult to sensor or control without millions of outraged people noticing what is really happening behind the scenes. In this case, it could be said that Pewdiepie is representative of an individual fighting for their right to create and T-Series the corporate giant attempting to silence the individual for the benefit of their company.
If it went unnoticed at the beginning, I said that T-Series had only temporarily passed Pewdiepie’s channel at the time “Congratulations” was released. His channel currently sits at 93,715,519 subscribers compared to T-Series at 93,358,293 subscribers, much to the surprise of everyone who has been following this competition for months and thought it was finally over.
The fight for subscribers will likely continue to fluctuate back and forth between the two channels but for now it seems that the hype over this competition has come to a close. In a behind-the-scenes video by Boyinaband, he mentions that Pewdiepie will be posting a longer video explaining the details of the cease and desist letter he was sent by T-Series last year. This situation has produced a huge amount of content and controversy. Through the use of humor, “Congratulations” has illuminated some of the unaddressed issues on YouTube like corporations taking over the platform.
For this project, we decided to do interview people from multiple sororities and fraternities, specifically the philanthropy chairs. We asked them about how they use Venmo and how it impacts the amount of money raised for their charity fundraising events. Rheingold’s principle of collaboration most closely coincided with our project because while these events are rooted in Greek life, they bring people from the entire Furman community together to support different causes. Venmo provides a quick and easy way for everyone to pitch in without the hassle of cash.
Trying to level out the sound on this video for every single clip took many grueling hours but in the end was worth it. Some audio was incredibly loud and unbalanced. With all the interviews we did, each interview tried to have a consistent background and distance from the camera, but this was also challenging. Organization was crucial in executing this video, we had to decide what videos to use with which audio and the order of the information. In addition to interviews we included statistics and context to further back our argument.
After working on this, I feel like I know the formula for making an effective promotional video or even a commercial for a product. Through the use of story boarding, I know how to visualize a concept and then go out and make it happen. In the future I believe I would love to make more videos for fun and for other causes. I did not realize how rewarding this process was until the end when I saw the final product and felt like we had accomplished something that I could be proud of. Of course there are a few things that could be improved with experience, like balancing sound and lighting, but overall I know I now have the skills to create a quality video. I look forward to sharpening my skills further with my individual video.
For this project I made the argument that mobile apps have drawn potential consumer’s attention, in addition to their physical locations, and influenced their choices based on technological conveniences. Rheingold’s principle of attention applies to this project. There are signs and symbols everywhere that we see everyday that try to grab our attention, fast food places especially. People use their phones all day and eat every day, so when they see an application on their phone for one of their favorite fast food places, they are more likely to order from that place than others. In a way, applications act like ads that are constantly visible and we do not even recognize it. Apps are also even more convenient when people can order online and simply pick up their food without the wait.
During this project I really got into Adobe photo-shop and learned that YouTube videos are my best friend in achieving the desired effects that I wanted. Photo-shop is not nearly as difficult or complicated as I used to think now that I have had some more practice on this project. In fact, I am proud of the effects I added to a few choice images. They remind me of the type of picture I would see in a real advertisement. The addition of text on this project made it a bit easier for me to drive my point home and hopefully make my story clearer than with just images.
In the future, I will be able to more confidently use photo-shop and would feel comfortable including it as a skill on my resume. Photo-shop is typically a crucial skill for people working in communications or advertising to have so I am grateful that I was able to learn how to use it. I have further developed my storytelling skills with images after my less successful project before. I tested a few people by showing them the images in order and they were all able to understand the argument I was making this time compared to last time. This assignment has definitely improved my skills as a visual storyteller.
This card is worth $17,995 due to its ability and scarcity
In today’s digital landscape it is rare to see anyone with media on paper rather than on their phone, tablet, or computer. Media convergence appears inescapable but in the smallest corners of entertainment, Magic The Gathering remains on 2.5 by 3.5-inch cards that can sell for less than 50 cents or more than one thousand dollars.
What is it?
So what is Magic the Gathering? Well as mentioned previously it is a card game, but at the same time so much more. If you have ever heard someone play before it sounds like they are speaking another language. It is not as complicated as it sounds I promise, in fact, here’s a 5 minute video that can probably explain it in more detail. The basics start with two types of cards, spells, and lands. Lands produce mana which in turn you can use to play the spells. Spells also have a few different categories including creatures, artifacts, sorcery, enchantments, and instants.
An example of a sorcery card that uses black mana
There are five colors of mana that can be produced from lands, white, black, green, red, and blue. Each color has its own special and unique abilities that can appeal to different types of personalities. Blue relies heavily on sorcery, instants, and is viewed as the most scholarly of the five. Green specializes in producing mana, creatures, and being in touch with nature. Black deals with the revival of creatures, sorcery that revolves around destruction, and death overall. On the other hand, white uses protection sorcery and holy creatures like angels. Finally, red is aggressive and fast-paced.
The Appeal
Users have the ability to customize their decks to match their personality and style which continues to attract new players to a seemingly outdated form of media. Additionally, the cards themselves hold their own special appeal. Each card is a unique, well-crafted, art piece that is adorned with a quote at the bottom called flavor text that adds to the lore of the game. People like to have the satisfaction of physically possessing these pieces.
Magic’s Online Platform
While there are places to play Magic the Gathering online, like MTG Arena, people often prefer to own the actual cards and build their own decks because it makes it easier to play with friends. Many players start out as kids who played so many video games inside that when they played Magic the Gathering, parents would approve because it got their kids to go out and socialize in-person. A lot of the experience of playing Magic comes from competing with others and seeing whose deck will prevail.
The game is also easily accessible to new players, decks can be created or bought already put together at a price of $30.00 give or take. New pre-built decks are releasing soon for 2019 if you happen to be interested. Upon my first introduction to Magic, my friends who played often had multiple decks and helped me learn using one of theirs before buying into the game myself. Learning how to play is usually the first introduction into the Magic community and allows for future participation in the game.
How it Brings People Together
The spirit to compete brings people together in person and not just online. Similar to a sporting event, the game is always more lively when played in person instead of on a computer. On a device, it is harder to communicate with your opponent or opponents, which takes out the bonding and banter that comes with meeting in person. Players will often guide new members and provide tips and tricks that would not otherwise be found in online competition.
A card from the steam-punk India themed card set
Like other forms of media, Magic is continuously evolving to hold players’ interest. Each year a new sets of cards are released with unique themes and new abilities to excite players. In recent years some of the themes have been Egyptian gods, ancient dinosaurs, steam-punk India, and many more. Magic has even gone to greater lengths than other forms of media in its inclusiveness of strong female characters including a transgender character called Alesha, Who Smiles at Death.
Magic the Gathering has been able to and still is, competing with digital media such as video games because it has managed to evolve while retaining its current cardboard platform. It is a game that does not exclude by age, gender, or race and places conscious efforts on its inclusiveness. Magic has created a format that encourages people to come together to compete and strategize, as well as make friends, in a predominantly digital age.
For our podcast, we narrowed down our topic to focus on how wearable devices have changed the way people exercise. We believed Rheingold’s principle of attention, “the fundamental building block for how individuals think, how humans create tools and teach each other to use them, how groups socialize, and how people transform civilizations,” demonstrated our idea the most accurately.
We argue that these wearable devices are tools people have created and taught others to use. For example, people socialize using apple watches and fit bits through competitions to see who can get more steps, go the farthest, or burn the most calories. The inventors of these wearable devices have changed how our civilization exercises by making it easy to set quantifiable goals, remind us to be active in our daily lives, and measure how far we run.
I realized quickly that interviewing people, while fun and interesting, has several challenges. Some people were more comfortable interviewing than others and some people like to go on tangents and steer away from the original question. To combat this, we tried to make the people we interviewed feel more comfortable by initiating casual conversation beforehand. Also, we would ask additional questions to get more specific answers and guide people back in the right direction. Everyone in the group filled a specific role on this project and we would meet frequently to put our thoughts together which worked much more effectively than on our last project when everyone was not on the same page.
After this experience, I feel better prepared to conduct interviews and how to ask questions that will yield the most useful information. I am conducting another interview with someone for my advocacy class and this has taught me some basics in editing audio, removing and minimizing background noises, and what information to include in the final product. These skills will help me in the near future with interviews with or without video. However, I would like to learn more about video techniques in general to see what I could accomplish with both audio and visuals.
We chose to use “Act” out of Renee Hobb’s five components of media literacy to argue that packing effectively and in advance for a trip can save people from the stress of traveling. A variety of photos were taken and strung together to provide visual references and steps that people should take before leaving home. The act of spreading these tips using images over media can help people in the Furman community to remember what they need to do before they head out for spring break.
Through this project, I learned that collaborating with others is helpful but can also be more complicated. For example, three heads are better than one because we were able to produce more ideas and complete more work. However, getting together to combine our ideas and choosing which styles should go into the final product can create difficult decisions and compromise becomes important.
Trying to get a specific argument across using only images is more complicated than I thought. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what happens when I don’t need 1000? I need a picture that delivers a clear, concise message. Images become very literal and universal symbols are useful in their simplicity when conveying a specific message rather than an artsy photo. I additionally learned how to use Google Slides which will probably help me in the future.
With this new experience, I am ready to go out into the world and find images that best represent the message I am trying to communicate. I am interested to see if my own “weird” style will emerge more so while working on my own and if that will impact how well I can express my ideas. I think images have the potential to become more effective in presenting an idea if they are edited in a certain way. We did not majorly edit our photos, but I am curious to see what I could do to emphasize the meaning in an image through editing. h
Sponsors are an excellent way for YouTubers to make extra income and not rely solely on views for revenue. That being said, it’s all too easy for a YouTuber to take the money and run without looking into what they are actually marketing to their viewers. Gabbie Hanna creates a variety of content including beauty routines, gym results, and fashion. Her videos and vlogs have attracted a significantly sized audience of younger girls that look up to her. After Gabbie Hanna accepted a sponsor from Kenza cosmetics and giving their make-up brushes glowing reviews, it’s no wonder fans flocked to the site for goodies approved by their trusted content creator.
How it All Started
Brushes advertised by Kenza
The trouble first began once subscribers were not receiving the supposedly fantastic brushes that they paid $9.99 for in shipping costs. The company claimed shipping would take two to three weeks and after this time had passed, fans started to see Kenza for what it was. Too good to be true. The company released a statement claiming the brushes would actually take two to three MONTHS, not weeks, to arrive due to how many orders they had to fill.
Fans felt like they had been lied to, rightfully so, and went after Gabbie asking if this company was legitimate. Others accused her of supporting a scam. In response, Gabbie posted a video about all the other sponsors she declined because she believed they were scams and would never promote something like that to her fans. All is well and good until she continued her rant, bashing her own subscribers for thinking the Kenza brushes were also a scam.
YouTube videos covering Gabbie’s scandal
Gabbie learned quickly after that apologizing for any inconvenience should not include placing the blame on her audience. She was flustered when unable to adequately answer the legitimate concerns her viewers had and responded by claiming they should, “manage their expectations.” Even though the website advertises that these “free” brushes have an $80 value. If Gabbie had done more research into Kenza Cosmetics and reviewed them critically this all could have been avoided. After receiving massive backlash from her fanbase, Gabbie deleted the video. Other channels on the platform quickly picked up the scandal and criticized Gabbie for refusing to take responsibility and making excuses for the company she had failed to research. This is why it is essential in the era of the internet to be critical of information being advertised online for both creators and viewers.
The Truth
a disappointed fan tweeting at Gabbie
Kenza Cosmetics is actually a dropship company, not a wholesale company like Gabbie claimed. The difference is significant, to say the least. Dropship companies do not keep their advertised products in stock, but transfer orders and shipment details to either another retailer or a wholesaler, who then send out products to awaiting customers. Wholesalers buy large quantities of goods from vendors or producers, store the products, and then resells them to retailers. This is why fans ended up waiting (some are still waiting) for months instead of weeks. This vital piece of information could have helped Gabbie if she had done a quick Google search of these definitions.
Kenza states on their website that the reason for the brushes pricing is that they are clearing out inventory. It is impossible for Kenza to “clear out” their inventory because they don’t keep any inventory. Gabbie claimed she would be doing her due diligence but failed to do so and inform her fans of her supposed findings.
The Aftermath
Since Gabbie Hanna dropped the ball on calling out her own sponsor, as did others who were sponsored by Kenza such as Tana Mongeau, other channels took the stage to protect viewers from falling victim. Here are a few of those channels:
After news of Kenza Cosmetics spread, many YouTubers who had critically reviewed Kenza or stated a negative opinion on the company were sent emails asking them to remove their content or be sued. Many refused while some complied. Enough material remained to remind everyone of what type of business Kenza Cosmetics is and why people should consider buying their make-up brushes elsewhere.
This incident exemplifies how imperative it is to critically review a company or source before trusting it, especially if planning to collaborate with that entity to sell a product to trusting fans. Viewers also learned the hard lesson of not merely purchasing a product because one of their favorite YouTubers sponsor it.
Gabbie Hanna made a mistake by not doing more research into Kenza before deciding to be a sponsor for them. However, it is vital to acknowledge that she did review many other potential sponsors and refused their offers because she found fault in the company or product. In a couple of her videos, she even warns fans to stay away from specific companies where she had personal experiences with scams.
YouTubers have a responsibility to their fans to understand what it is they are promoting to their audience. What they choose to promote reflects on them as a creator and as a person. The viewers who are exposed to these sponsorships have the responsibility to look beneath the surface of what is presented to them as well.
In My Opinion 