Production Schedule

I have a little bit of an unconventional production schedule in this blog post. I'll be trying to get everything done quickly because I have two other finals on Friday as well :-)

So, what needs to be done?

• I need to figure out exactly how I'm going to go about organizing my information. I have a pretty good idea since I have my outline but filling in the details is what's important. 

Location?

• Most to all of this work will be done in the lib, my finals week home.

Resources?

• All I'll be using this week is my laptop and my school-fried brain. I'm doing a standard college essay so I don't need to learn new conventions or a new program!!

The Schedule:

• Monday: I'm going to try and get a rough draft done today, and as many of the blog posts for next week completed as possible. 
• Tuesday: Hopefully the blog posts are done today and I can start working on perfecting the paper. 
• Wednesday: I want to be done with the paper today and open up my content to peer reviews, so I can change anything I'll need to change. 
• Thursday: STUDY.
• Friday: FINALS then SUBMIT!

Any changes?

• Like I said, I'm open to making changes if the peer reviewers can give me good tips, but I'm pretty good at writing papers that I'm happy with the first time around. 

Alright, let's get going.

Content Outline

It feels weird to be starting a project so late in the semester. I'm trying really hard to not mentally checkout, so here's a whole new round of blog posts.

Here's a link to my content outline for this course final.

It feels like just yesterday I was making my first blog posts !! Time flies, time flies.

Revised Post to Peer Reviewers

It's out of order and late, but finally finally FINALLY I have a link to my fine cut, and my final draft if I don't change a few things here and there.

Author response

•  I doubt I'll be getting any peer reviews, but even if I did I'm not sure I would want anyone to know anything. I feel confident in my project in the way that at its right now.

• I think my weaknesses are in the way my project flows. I'm not sure if it's the most logical or chronological way of setting things up. I have to go back and mention things I said at the beginning of the project, so I hope this isn't confusing. I also vary between fast transitions between pictures and slow transitions. I'm not sure if this is a strength or a weakness honestly.

• I feel like my form is really strong. I have music and pictures and the main conventions of a video essay; I don't foresee issues in this part of my project. Like I mentioned in my reflection, my project looks better than I imagined it could look, so I'm pleasantly surprised and happy.

At the beginning of the semester, I couldn't imagine actually tackling all the projects we were assigned; now were almost done.

Peer Review (13a) for Jianna

How many peer reviews can I do in one night? Four. I can do four.

I peer reviewed Jianna's fine cut video essay.

• I chose the redesign activity for Jianna's peer review. 

• I basically told Jianna that her passion really shone through in her project, and that she used the logical/emotional appeals well. I suggested that she include more pictures and outside sources, and lower the volume of her music a little so that we can hear her more clearly.

• I used the guidelines for Project 3, as well as the video essay examples to reference for conventions.

• Like I said, I really admire Jianna's passion for her topic, as well as how personally she took on the argument. She made it clear that it meant something to her, which is something I feel that my project may lack. I also really liked the way she recorded her own screen for a bit, which is an idea I think I'm going to have to steal. 

One more!!

Reflection on Local Revision

The last reflection. I could cry. Project 3 was a real struggle guys.

What went right?

• Once I got the hang of iMovie, I think I used it very well and more creatively than I thought I could. I'm actually surprised by how professional my video essay looks; I wasn't expecting it to look bad or anything but I feel like it actually looks really good. I was also happy that I only had to cut down on content, rather than add.

What were the challenges?

• TIME. MANAGEMENT. My video ended up being 15 minutes (I know) so it took FOREVER. I still wanted to give it the same amount of attention and detail throughout the whole thing, so I think the biggest challenge was staying consistent. I also had to change my first section pretty radically, but it was more so the cutting down of information like I already mentioned.

How will next week go?

• I can 100000% guarantee that I will be doing the blogs in a timely manner, and figuring out exactly what I'll be doing ahead of time. I can't have a repeat of project 3. I'm also going to be writing a standard essay, so I won't have to worry about learning new programs or conventions. This is going to save a lot of time. 

How am I feeling about the project?

• Surprisingly good. I feel free now that it's complete and I actually like how it looks. This is probably the most confident I've felt in the final product, so I'm feeling hopeful about a good grade. 

The final is next! Freshman flew right by.

Editorial Report 13a

My project is essentially complete, but I'm going to post the editorial reports for the sake of blog continuity.

Audience Questions

• I cut quite a bit from my script to make it shorter, but otherwise it's the same content. This streamlines the argument a bit.
• Now my content is in video form instead of just a script. I already recorded myself reading off the script but now I have pictures and clips to go along with it; it looks much better now that the eye has something to follow instead of just me talking. 

Here's some of script:

One of my most vivid childhood movies is of me ducking behind a couch when i was four crying my eyes out because my parents were watching one of the Chucky movies. That movie stayed on my mind for years after that, and I can still remember the specific scene I saw. When I was young, I was incredibly afraid of big dolls like Chucky, and they still make me a little uncomfortable to this day.

Many people share this experience with me. How many of us could still be experiencing side effects from our childhood fears today? I want to briefly discuss the effect these films have on children that causes so much concern in parents before I delve into why the MPAA is not the solution.

Like I said, the content in scary movies can vary greatly. There is no way to rank which one of these movies is the scariest or which ones are completely off limits to kids because it is dependent on the movie and everyone’s own individual fears.

The same study I mentioned before done at the University of Michigan identified the most common types of “phobia-producing stimuli” found in horror films; animals, as in predators and monsters, environmental, which ranges from earthquakes to nuclear warfare, blood and gore, situational (like heights and small spaces), and disturbing sounds/distorted images, (DeGroat). Any one given horror film could use several of these stimuli to frighten their viewers, so there are many opportunities for a child to create their own phobia based on just one movie.

This complicated genre may work for adults, but the big issue is how children are affected by them. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the minds of children work much differently than adult brains; they can’t differentiate between fiction and reality until they’re about 7 or 8. Even at that age, it’s very easy for a child to let their emotions get the best of them and override their knowledge of fact and fiction. Studies show that the younger a child is exposed to frightening stimuli, the more likely that negative effects will follow the into their adult lives.

Now here's a link to this bit of script in video format. I've tried a few different ways to upload it, and sometimes it opens and works and other times it doesn't. It might be necessary to download the video, sorryyy.

It feels AMAZING to be so close to being done!

Editorial Report 13b

Just another report. The end is near.

Audience Questions

• Again, the content is much shorter and more streamlined now. I think the main message is covered much better when there's less for the audience to have to focus on. 
• Again again, now it's a video. The audience can follow what I'm saying with the video, and now there's music which I think really helps to set the vibe. The new form makes it much more successful. 

Here's a bit of the script:

Let’s talk about the MPAA again.

The MPAA was created in 1922, and it regulated the content that could be displayed in movies for decades and began to grow more and more powerful as the American cinema grew in popularity in countries all over the world. (graph of where the MPAA has an important presence in the world) The MPAA had two jobs; to lobby in Washington for things like copyright issues, and regulate the movies.

The original regulations created by the MPAA were quite strict and kept practically all adult content out of movies. This changed in the 1960s when the director of the MPAA at the time, Jack Valenti, created the ratings system we have in place today as a replacement for the previous regulations. The emergence of the ratings system was revolutionary and benefited the directors greatly. The original system was made up of G, PG, R, and X ratings; the X rating would later be changed to NC-17. (picture of all the ratings and their audiences) This was a very effective system at first. Movies had a place and a specific audience, and now directors create the films they really envisioned.

It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the MPAA began to receive heavy criticism. Parents were distraught at the type of content that appeared in PG movies; most parents assumed that a PG rating meant that the film would be appropriate for children in every way and they wouldn’t need to check what their children were watching as long as it was PG. (a few clips of scenes from gory PG movies of the time)

Horror movies in particular received plenty of criticism for their PG ratings; one of the most popular PG horror movies of the 80’s was Jaws, which everyone knows is a violent film. (Jaws clip)

The last straw came from the combination of the horror movie, Gremlins(clip), and the action-thriller Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.(clip) Gremlins was a horror movie chock-full of violence and general nastiness. Indiana Jones shocked parents across the nation with the famous beating heart removal scene. Steven Spielberg directed the Indiana Jones movie and produced Gremlins, and ended up experiencing plenty of backlash from angry parents. From this conflict, the PG-13 rating was born; movies that would include some violence or adult content, but not enough to be a film targeted towards adults.

PG-13 was a goldmine for directors and producers. Movies with a PG-13 rating were open to a broader audience and brought in more revenue. Directors began to create their movies around the parameters of what could be rated PG-13; horror movies in particular suffered. But the worst was yet to come.

Now here's a link to the edited version as a video. If it doesn't load again you might have to download it... Sorry about that, I'm not sure why it only works sometimes.

LAST REPORT ! ! !

Reflection on Global Revisions

Just a quick reflection on what I thought about this global revision process.

What went right?

• Well, I think I've finally really solidified my argument. Now all that's left is too cut it down and get a little less frivolous, which I prefer over feeling like I was missing key points. Also my intro is pretty good, I think. If I can keep that level of quality and tone throughout the whole project, it would turn out to be pretty successful. 

What went wrong?

• It's been a struggle. Having to catch up this whole project has been tough. School in general has been really hard and busy lately, so time management was a huge issue. Also learning how to iMovie took forever, but I think I got the hang of it now.

How will next week go?

• Well this is it, so I think the rest of my project's process with go very well. I'm basically done, the only reason I didn't post the whole thing already is because I want to export it in it's full glory once I finesse the details. I'm not too worried.

How am I feeling project wise?

• Like I said, not too bad. I am actually feeling the most confident in my content this project than I have for the other ones. My only worry is just small technicalities with iMovie and the putting together of pictures and such. This is preferable to questioning if I'm even on the right track. 

This project is turning into the most dramatic affair.

Peer Review (13b) for Emily

Last one!!!

I peer reviewed Emily's QRG titled "The Problem with Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Intitiative."

• I chose the redesign activity, which focuses on form and genre conventions for Emily's review. 

• I reassured Emily that she definitely has most of the QRG conventions down, but she could mix it up and add a few. I recommended adding bulleted lists instead of the long quotes she has, or highlighting the really important quotes in another color or centering them. I thought this would make her form more interesting and break up the QRG a bit. 

• I incorporated the genre examples of QRGs that we have provided for us to give Emily feedback on form. 

• Again, I really admire the way Emily has set up her QRG. I also like the tone she chose for the essay. It's less personal than the other projects I reviewed, but she still comes off as conversational, yet knowledgeable. She also includes strong counter aguments, but not strong enough to veer from the main point she's trying to make. 

All done!

Peer Review (12b) for Benjamen

The peer reviews continue.

This time I peer reviewed Benjamen's fine cut QRG titled "New Year New... Test?"

• I chose to do the re-design activity for Benjamen's peer review. 

• I told him that his QRG would benefit from a few form changes, like getting rid of some indents and adding more color. I also suggested changing up the format a bit, not just centered texts and images for a few pages; something like shifting the text to the left. 

• I incorporated the genre examples we have available to us, to refer to for the conventions of a QRG that I could remind him of. 

• What I really admire about Benjamen's project was his tone. He shared a personal anecdote while still keeping the tone very informative, yet conversational. He mastered the type of tone that should be used by a QRG, while still incorporating plenty of the conventions. His content is also very well covered, so I admire how well he covered all the things he needed to cover. 

I'm getting tired but more peer reviews are coming. 

Peer Review (12a) for Marisa

Alright, so I know that it is technically not peer review time in the chronological order of my blogs, but in the interest of getting people some reviews I'm just going to do the rest.

This time I peer reviewed Marisa's fine cut.

• I chose the copy-editing activity for Marisa's peer review. I basically told her that her content was really good and had a logical flow and was easy to follow but that she should consider explaining her sources a bit more. I also reminded her of the conventions of a video essay, which would include more visuals (but she made it clear that she knows that).

• I incorporated what I know about the guidelines of the project to give her the review.

• I really admire the way Marisa presented her content, and the passion she has for it. She makes it clear that she cares and can relate personally to what she's talking about, and it makes for a very interesting video essay. 

More peer reviews are coming. 

Open Post to Peer Reviewers

Better late than never has been the motto of the week.

So at this point the kind of work I'm doing is geared towards a final draft, so in the interest of finishing up blog posts "on-time" I have a link to the complete audio that will go with my video essay.

Author Response

• So I'm aware that this is really really long. I'm not sure where exactly but I'm going to have to cut down some details somewhere. I also know that I haven't titled it, I'm waiting until it's complete to name it.
• Weaknesses:
• So I think the major weakness, and my biggest concern at this point, is the length. I haven't even included all the clips I'm going to have, so I need to cut down a lot. I also am starting to doubt the relevance of my first section on child psychology, I'm not sure if it veers from my argument too much.
• Strengths:
• I think my argument is really really strong. I make good, logical points throughout and I think it flows well. It makes a good impact and I think I've created the image of the MPAA that I wanted to convey. 

I'm almost done putting images and transitions to this audio, so a real fine cut is coming very soon!

Editorial Report 12b

Here's another editorial report. Yay for progress!

Audience questions

• The content changed because I added a little more history about the MPAA and I made the connection between the information and the main argument, which I think makes the purpose more clear. 
• The form changed significantly, since now its an audio clip rather than written. I haven't completely put together the pictures I'm going to have, but I wanted to show some progress in the interest of finishing up blogs.

So here's the bit of rough script from my second section:

Let’s talk about the MPAA again. Like I mentioned before, the original MPAA was created in 1922 as a response to a few sex scandals that made the Puritan groups wary of the cinema. (some scenes from old movies of this time period)

It regulated the content that could be displayed in movies for decades and began to grow more and more powerful as the American cinema grew in popularity in countries all over the world. (graph of where the MPAA has an important presence in the world) The MPAA had two jobs; to lobby in Washington and regulate the movies.

The original regulations created by the MPAA were quite strict and kept practically all adult content out of movies. This changed in the 1960s after films in other countries became more bold and the American movie directors wanted more creative freedom. The director of the MPAA, Jack Valenti, created the ratings system we have in place today as a replacement for the previous regulations. Before the ratings system, movies were for everybody. The ratings system was revolutionary and benefited the directors greatly. The original system was made up of G, PG, R, and X ratings; the X rating would later be changed to NC-17. (picture of all the ratings and their audiences)

It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the MPAA began to receive heavy criticism. Parents were distraught at the type of content that appeared in PG movies; most parents assumed that a PG rating meant that the film would be appropriate for children in every way and they wouldn’t need to check what their children were watching as long as it was PG. (a few clips of scenes from gory PG movies of the time)

Horror movies in particular received plenty of criticism for their PG ratings; one of the most popular PG horror movies of the 80’s was Jaws, which everyone knows is a violent film. (Jaws clip)

The last straw came from the combination of the horror movie, Gremlins(clip), and the action-thriller Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.(clip) Steven Spielberg directed the Indiana Jones movie and produced Gremlins, and ended up experiencing plenty of backlash from angry parents. From this conflict, the PG-13 rating was born; movies that would include some violence or adult content, but not enough to be a film targeted towards adults.

The Pg-13 rating was a goldmine for directors and producers. Movies with a PG-13 rating were open to a broader audience and brought in more revenue. Directors began to create their movies around the parameters of what could be rated PG-13; horror movies in particular suffered. As I mentioned before, some of the major aspects of horror stem from what parents deem inappropriate and what leaves the most long-lasting impressions on children the most; violence and graphic gore. If directors of horror movies wanted to stay PG-13, they had to make their movies more and more kid friendly; doesn’t this seem a little counter-intuitive? Why should movies meant to scare mature adults be more kid friendly?

Here's a link my new edited version where I'm reading the script off.

Am I making this too lengthy?

Editorial Report 12a

Let's compare my work, so you can see some progress on what I've been doing (finally).

Audience questions

• The content did not change too much. You'd have to pay pretty close attention to hear the few details I changed here and there. I was pretty happy with my intro that way I wrote it the first time, so there wasn't much to change except make the thesis more specific, which I think will help the audience focus on the problem at hand and streamline my content.
• The form has done a complete 180. I've recorded myself actually reading the script and now it's in video format! There are pictures and clips and fading in and out, and all the good conventions that will make this a real video essay. The information is being communicated more effectively because it's finally in its intended form. 

In case you missed it, here's a piece of my script for the intro of my project:

"Clip from Scream "Do you like scary movies?"

Scary movies. Either you love them, or you hate them, but almost everyone can agree that it's one of the most unique and exciting genres in film.

Scary movies have been known to reflect the anxieties of our society and recreate our nightmares. (as clip from the exorcist of her head turning is playing)

The content in scary movies varies greatly, from zombies to vampires to gore to the post-apocalyptic. (include a few images to represent this such as various classic movie posters) The characters and the plots of the movies may differ but their goal is the same; to scare the audience. No other genre of film has such a common purpose across all it’s films.

Because of this, it’s not hard to imagine that the fears fabricated in these films can have a very real affect on the viewers. Horror films can affect people of any age group based on their sensitivities, but the group that often suffers the most is children. (a few pictures or clips of children in the movie theatre) We can all think back to something that we watched as a kid that we knew we shouldn’t have. Maybe we still remember how it affected us, maybe it didn’t affect us, but studies show that horror films tend to have a pretty gruesome affect. A study done by the University of Michigan on college students revealed that a fourth of the participants still experienced “fright effects” and “residual anxiety” caused by horror movies they watched in their childhood(DeGroat).

This is clearly a problem. How can these films, created to entertain its thrill-seeking audience with a few good scares, be negatively affecting children so drastically? A solution needed to be sought. (more shots of children scared)

That’s where the MPAA comes in. (MPAA logo comes up) The MPAA, or the Motion Picture Association of America, is the organization behind movie ratings and censorship. The organization was originally created in the 1920’s, as a part of the Puritan movement to develop a more “moral” world, along with the Prohibition(an old MPAA logo? If it exists). So the original purpose of the MPAA was to regulate the content in movies in general rather than create a strict ratings system in response to children, but they’re the sole party behind the ratings system and the guide for what parents allow their children to view. (a picture of the ratings screen that appears before trailers)

Ideally, the MPAA would be the solution and children wouldn’t be exposed to the violence and gruesomeness of the horror genre. The problem lies with how the MPAA goes about rating the movies. Critics call the ratings too subjective, unreliable, unfair, and damaging to the films. Directors want to stay in the PG-13 range for their films and reach a broader audience, censoring themselves, which critics believe “ruins” the movies.

So what is the MPAA really doing? Is it saving our children from the content that will hurt and haunt them, or oppressing the artistic freedom of one of the most unique genres of film?

Here's a link to the edited version of this script. 

Now it's in video format and I'm reading it off, so it definitely took on more of the form of the video essay that it was born to be. 

Peer Review for Gabby Dietrich

I peer reviewed Gabby's Open Post to Peer Reviewers.

What activity did I choose?

• I chose to peer review based on the content suggestion activity.

• I helped Gabby in my peer review by giving her a suggestion of including more of a thesis. Including a thesis or hinting at what her solution will be at the beginning of the essay will help the audience focus on details that will support this argument from the beginning of the essay and throughout it the whole thing. I reassured her that her citations and level of detail were good and that her argument flowed well and made sense. 

• I didn't necessarily include any tips from the students guide except for a general tip about introductions (where I told her to include a more defined thesis).

• I really admire the form of Gabby's project. She's incorporated plenty of the conventions of a video essay and includes many images and graphs. She's also edited her content very well. 

Great work across the board. I'm getting nervous about my future content. 

Peer Review for Avalon

I peer reviewed Avalon's Open Post to Peer Reviewers.

What activity did I choose?

• I peer reviewed based on the content suggestion activity. 

• I think I helped her by reassuring that she's on the right track. She's got a well-developed paper and has made good arguments and counter arguments. I suggested that she include more factual details like statistics to back up her argument so she has more citations, just as a credibility building sort of tip. 

• I incorporated the Student's Guide tips for building author credibility by suggesting adding more statistics as a logical appeal. 

• I really admire how well Avalon has developed her argument, and the way that she built up her argument very well but wasn't afraid to develop a good counter-argument, which is something that my argument lacks at the moment. 

Everyone's work is looking good!

Reflection on Production

This post is about some reflections on the past week or so of production.

What went right?

• I am really starting to see the argument and exactly how I'm going to tackle it much better now then last week. I also find it pretty easy to visualize what it is that I'm going to put on screen along with the script, so I'm not worried about running out of ideas. 

What were the challenges?

• Although I have plenty of research and a good idea of how to form my argument, putting everything together in an order that makes sense has been fairly challenging. I also have just now started getting acquainted to IMovie, and I can totally see it being really time consuming to really put together.

How will next week go? 

• Well this week is technically the final week, so in terms of the progress work, I am a little worried. I'm running out of time and I really see IMovie being a super pain. Anxiety is the name of the game. 

How am I feeling about the project?

• Not great but I haven't felt incredibly confident about any of the projects at this point in production so far. I believe in my ability to get it together in moments of intense pressure so I am banking on that to help me through this ordeal.

Almost done!

Production Report 11b

Hello, here's some more production.

Audience Questions

• Again, this is just a little bit of script that will go with my video essay, so the conventions and form aren't present yet. I included what I plan to put up on the screen (pictures and clips) so I'm planning to include the conventions in the final product.
• This bit of rough material was more challenging than the first because I had to do much more research. The research itself isn't necessarily hard, just time consuming. I'm honestly really starting to get interested in the topic, so it's not boring at least.

Here's the original section 2 body paragraph from my content outline:

2nd body section: In this section I’m going to introduce the MPAA and the role they’ve played in the past, and what they do as an organization now.

• Evidence #1: How the MPAA ratings system works; who is behind the decisions, and what are the decisions based on.
• This is important because the MPAA needs to be defined, and a very important point is that the board is made up of a select group of parents.
• This proves that the MPAA is biased to some degree and does not cater to the desires of the movie producers or viewers.
• Evidence #2: There are several examples of the MPAA rating films “incorrectly” and with bias/inconsistently.
• This is important because it’s going to set the tone for what movie lovers and producers generally  think of the MPAA- as incompetent and unreliable.

Here's the new bit of script; I'm not exactly sure where I'll be integrating this part of the script within section 2 but it includes some historical background and the root of the problem with the MPAA and horror:

Let’s talk about the MPAA again. Like I mentioned before, the original MPAA was created in 1922 as a response to a few sex scandals that made the Puritan groups wary of the cinema. (some scenes from old movies of this time period)

It regulated the content that could be displayed in movies for decades and began to grow more and more powerful as the American cinema grew in popularity in countries all over the world. (graph of where the MPAA has an important presence in the world) The MPAA had two jobs; to lobby in Washington and regulate the movies.

The original regulations created by the MPAA were quite strict and kept practically all adult content out of movies. This changed in the 1960s after films in other countries became more bold and the American movie directors wanted more creative freedom. The director of the MPAA, Jack Valenti, created the ratings system we have in place today as a replacement for the previous regulations. Before the ratings system, movies were for everybody. The ratings system was revolutionary and benefited the directors greatly. The original system was made up of G, PG, R, and X ratings; the X rating would later be changed to NC-17. (picture of all the ratings and their audiences)

It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the MPAA began to receive heavy criticism. Parents were distraught at the type of content that appeared in PG movies; most parents assumed that a PG rating meant that the film would be appropriate for children in every way and they wouldn’t need to check what their children were watching as long as it was PG. (a few clips of scenes from gory PG movies of the time)

Horror movies in particular received plenty of criticism for their PG ratings; one of the most popular PG horror movies of the 80’s was Jaws, which everyone knows is a violent film. (Jaws clip)

The last straw came from the combination of the horror movie, Gremlins(clip), and the action-thriller Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.(clip) Steven Spielberg directed the Indiana Jones movie and produced Gremlins, and ended up experiencing plenty of backlash from angry parents. From this conflict, the PG-13 rating was born; movies that would include some violence or adult content, but not enough to be a film targeted towards adults.

The Pg-13 rating was a goldmine for directors and producers. Movies with a PG-13 rating were open to a broader audience and brought in more revenue. Directors began to create their movies around the parameters of what could be rated PG-13; horror movies in particular suffered. As I mentioned before, some of the major aspects of horror stem from what parents deem inappropriate and what leaves the most long-lasting impressions on children the most; violence and graphic gore. If directors of horror movies wanted to stay PG-13, they had to make their movies more and more kid friendly; doesn’t this seem a little counter-intuitive? Why should movies meant to scare mature adults be more kid friendly?

I felt like including some history would be necessary to fully explain the argument, but am I including too much? In comparison to how much there is I feel like I'm keeping it pretty brief, but it's hard to tell.

Production Report 11a

Here's a little rough content from the Intro section of my content outline, where I introduce the beginnings of my argument.

Audience questions

• I decided to just post the script I will be voicing over for the intro, so the form does not really apply. I've included what I'm planning on putting on the screen as videos and pictures to go along with my voice, and possibly some on screen text. I chose to keep my tone simple and dramatic, so as to allow the pictures and clips to be the focus and really reel the audience in from the start. 
• The production of this material wasn't too difficult, since it's not too detailed of an intro. I wanted to introduce the topic in a simple and visual way before I got into too many details, so most of the content I wrote from memory of my research. 

Here's the original little bit from my content outline: 

Opening Section:

• I would open with a very, very brief horror intro, and by that I mean probably just show the movie posters of a few popular films, or maybe just a few clips to get the audience’s attention.
• I would also want to introduce the MPAA, and if I can take a negative spin on it from the beginning
• I would need to summarize a few points, sort of like a thesis; what horror is defined as, how children view these films and are affected, then introduce the MPAA ratings as a possible solution.

Script for the intro section:

*Clip from Scream “Do you like scary movies?”

Scary movies. Either you love them, or you hate them, but almost everyone can agree that it’s one of the most unique and exciting genres in film.

Scary movies have been known to reflect the anxieties of our society and recreate our nightmares. (as clip from the exorcist of her head turning is playing)

The content in scary movies varies greatly, from zombies to vampires to gore to the post-apocalyptic. (include a few images to represent this such as various classic movie posters) The characters and the plots of the movies may differ but their goal is the same; to scare the audience. No other genre of film has such a common purpose across all it’s films.

Because of this, it’s not hard to imagine that the fears fabricated in these films can have a very real affect on the viewers. Horror films can affect people of any age group based on their sensitivities, but the group that often suffers the most is children. (a few pictures or clips of children in the movie theatre) We can all think back to something that we watched as a kid that we knew we shouldn’t have. Maybe we still remember how it affected us, maybe it didn’t affect us, but studies show that horror films tend to have a pretty gruesome affect. A study done by the University of Michigan on college students revealed that a fourth of the participants still experienced “fright effects” and “residual anxiety” caused by horror movies they watched in their childhood(DeGroat).

This is clearly a problem. How can these films, created to entertain its thrill-seeking audience with a few good scares, be negatively affecting children so drastically? A solution needed to be sought. (more shots of children scared)

That’s where the MPAA comes in. (MPAA logo comes up) The MPAA, or the Motion Picture Association of America, is the organization behind movie ratings and censorship. The organization was originally created in the 1920’s, as a part of the Puritan movement to develop a more “moral” world, along with the Prohibition(an old MPAA logo? If it exists). So the original purpose of the MPAA was to regulate the content in movies in general rather than create a strict ratings system in response to children, but they’re the sole party behind the ratings system and the guide for what parents allow their children to view. (a picture of the ratings screen that appears before trailers)

Ideally, the MPAA would be the solution and children wouldn’t be exposed to the violence and gruesomeness of the horror genre. The problem lies with how the MPAA goes about rating the movies. Critics call the ratings too subjective, unreliable, unfair, and damaging to the films. Directors want to stay in the PG-13 range for their films and reach a broader audience, censoring themselves, which critics believe “ruins” the movies.

So what is the MPAA really doing? Is it saving our children from the content that will hurt and haunt them, or oppressing the artistic freedom of one of the most unique genres of film?

I kept my intro short and basic to keep the audience's attention, but should I include more detail?

Peer Review for Kathryn Russell

I peer reviewed Kathryn's "Production Report 8b" based off the content suggestion activity.

For the peer review activity:

• I assured Kathryn that she was meeting the project 3 criteria, that she included plenty of detail and that her sources were well cited.
• I don't feel like I helped Kathryn too much because she honestly had what she had to have down for the content suggestion activity. If anything, I helped reassure her that she's on the right track with her work so far.
• Again, there wasn't necessarily a structure to Kathryn's post because she published a bit of her script, so I only used the Project 3 guidelines as far as course materials. 

I really admire Kathryn for the "voice" she used throughout her script, as well as her level of detail. She used a casual but still informative type of voice that really makes it seem that she knows what she's talking about. She's very detailed in her explanations, even though they're brief, and she cited plenty of her sources very well. 

The people I've peer reviewed have done well so far! I'm getting nervous.

Peer Review for Nicki Escalante

I peer reviewed Nicki's "Rhetorical Situation."

What activity did I choose?

I chose the first brainstorming activity, since that's the one meant for the rhetorical analysis post.

• I basically told her that I thought she chose a topic that was very fitting to Project 3, since it's a very specific instance that is a part of a larger argument. This choice will facilitate finding details and sources.
• Her rhetorical analysis is lacking some detail, but she has some good ideas on the type of purpose and audience she could choose.
• I also reminded her that it's important to keep in mind where the project could be found in the "real world," and that that could really guide her in finding relevant sources.
• I think this feedback will be helpful because choosing the topic is one of the most stressful parts (in my opinion) so some reassurance is definitely nice. Also reminding her of the context will probably help her if she's not already keeping it in mind, since I find it easy to forget and lose my direction.

As far as course materials, the Student's Guide wasn't very helpful since Nicki's post doesn't have a specific structure (in terms of intro, body paragraphs, etc) so the only "course material" I used in my review is the project guide for project 3-specifically when I reminded her of where the final product may appear.

What I admire about Nicki's work so far is, like I said, her topic choice. I think it's a really smart choice to choose something so specific like a bill, and I think she'll be really glad that she chose the topic once she starts to do more research, whereas my project lacks this specificity.

I'm getting worried that my topic might be too general or far-reaching. How are you guys feeling?

Reflection on Pre-Production

I really thought that I could not be more behind or more overwhelmed than I was for Project 2, but just like I was wrong about how long it would take two try and cram two weeks worth of blogs into two days, I was very, very wrong.

Did anything go right?

• Honestly, not really. I let myself get really behind and really, really stressed, which only made it worse. But in the end, I think my topic is pretty interesting and I learned much more about than I thought I would. I'm also really glad I was able to keep the horror movie aspect, because I think it will make for a really interesting video essay, but I was also able to incorporate another party (the MPAA) to give the argument more substance.

What were all the challenges?

• Picking a topic and settling was probably my biggest challenge. I let myself get really psyched out about choosing something perfect which put me behind in the first place. Finally bringing in all my research and putting all the pieces together into one cohesive argument was also a bit daunting. Most of my challenges came from non-English forces. The pre-production week fell on the week where I also somehow had huge papers and tests in every single one of my other classes. This was the catalyst to my "behind-ness," also known as my downfall and the event that took years of my life.

How will next week go?

• Considering that I have to fit all of the first production week's work into about a day or two is scary and just sounds really unappealing, but I'm going to make it happen and I'm going to do it well. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I fully intend to be caught up for this week's deadline and have all of next week to perfect my project.

How am I feeling about the project overall?

• Not good, but that has a lot to do with how behind I am. I feel good about the nature of my argument and I think it's unique and interesting content to make a video out of, but it still needs some major organization. My biggest concern is-no surprise- the amount of time I'll have to make a good argument and edit and all the things that need to go into a video essay, but I'm going to make it happen.

Almost to week two! If you see a 12 year old crying in the Starbucks line, don't worry it's just me.

Production Schedule

As the whole world probably already knows, I am behind in the blog work this project. Because of that, my production schedule is going to be a bit crammed in, which isn't ideal but I am 100% behind being completely up to date and on task for next week. A successful project will be turned in on time and I'm going to work like my life depends on it.

What needs to be done?

• I need to finish up the blogs from last week, and start the rough draft of my video essay. I'll need to gather as many sources as I can. fill the holes in my argument, master IMovie, and start putting things together. 

Location?

• This work will be split across time spent in my room, and late nights at the library.

Possible changes after completion?

• I'm open to all sorts of changes to my project after I have a rough cut, whether it be small editorial things or a part of the argument itself. I wouldn't change my whole entire topic of course, but if an opportunity to improve the project significantly came up, I would probably take the opportunity.

So here's my crammed, overwhelming production schedule for Project 3:

Wednesday, 4/13: Complete all of the blog work for the first production week. This includes Production reports, where I'll have to post bits of what I have (which is nothing yet) but I'm going to try and put together a rough cut of the intro for one post, and a rough cut of the first section for the second post.

Thursday, 4/14: It seems a bit backwards considering I already made some rough cuts, but I'm going to create a detailed frame by frame plan of how my video essay (think story board) and gather as many visual sources as I can, fill the holes in my argument.

Friday 4/15: Start putting together the video essay in IMovie. I'm sure this will be plenty time consuming and I'll have a lot to edit and piece together. This would be a good day to make the editorial report.

Saturday 4/16: Continue putting things together all day. Create my opening, body paragraphs, and closing section. Fill in with the correct transitions.

Sunday 4/17: Finish up any loose ends for my rough draft. Finish up the blogs and do my peer reviews.

Then the next week will be all the final editing and making sure that my project meets all the requirements!

Content Outline

Finally, I can feel the stress leaving my body as I complete every blog post.

Anyway, here's a link to my content outline.

I'm still having a hard time figuring out how in depth I need to cover the points of view involved in my argument, and whether or not having a specific person as the voice behind those different perspectives is completely necessary.

Research Report

This was helpful, yet somehow more confusing.

Source 1: Can Watching Horror Films Be Harmful to Our Children?

• Author: Dr. Lawrence Ross
• Website: TideWater Parent
• Why is the author reliable?
• The first reason is found on the same page I hyperlinked above; right next to his name he has mentioned he has a PhD in clinical psychology
• Here's a link to Dr. Ross' website where he mentions his clinical expertise, experience, location, and how to contact him. 
• Who's the target audience?
• Right from the get go the title of the website, "TideWater Parent" makes it pretty clear that the intended audience is parents. 
• Dr. Ross mentions parents and their possible concerns several times in the article, and at the end he even lists a few tips for them. 
• What's the purpose?
• Dr. Ross is trying to inform parents of the negative affects horror movies can have on kids, and one of the ways he tries to drive his point is contrasting the blood and gore kids may see in these movies with the positive things they believe in, like Santa and the Easter Bunny. 
• He makes it a point to emphasize the lasting effects horror movies can have on children by citing a study done on college students. The study focuses on the damage these students felt scary movies had done to them in their past, and a few expressed that they still felt those effects into their adult lives. Basically the purpose is to scare. 
• I think it's really interesting that he mentions that although horror movies can be psychologically damaging to a person of practically any age group depending on their sensitivities, it's particularly jarring for kids because of the way their minds work (different perspectives on reality)
• He makes a clear distinction between the psychology behind scary movies, as opposed to the physiology. We may be able to tell ourselves that it's just a movie, but our body will react in its natural way.

Source 2: Don't Expect Any Major Changes to the MPAA Ratings System in 2014

• Author: Tierney Sneed
• Website: US News
• Why is the author reliable?
• According to her LinkedIn profile, Tierney attended both University of Florida and GeorgeTown.
• She also has plenty of experience in journalism, from CBS to VH1.
• Who's the target audience?
• I think a large portion of this source's audience is parents as well because the article refers to what the "parents" are thinking as a collective group, and what they do or do not know. 
• I think another portion of the audience is people who enjoy movies. The ratings system can change the content that we find in our favorite films, which the article makes a point of emphasizing several times. 
• What's the purpose?
• The purpose is to inform the reader of a few issues that are present in the MPAA ratings system and how that affects the movies and the viewers.
• I think the purpose is also to incite anger in both parents and movie lovers alike. The MPAA has caused controversy with both of these groups, and I think the article is asking for these groups to search for change.
• A really important details about this source is that it differentiates between the reasons that movies are normally rated R for, and what people think they should be rated R for. 
• This article points out how biased the board tends to be to certain material, like sexual promiscuity and violence (common aspects of horror)

Source 3: The Psychology of Scary Movies

• Author: the only cited author is "FilmakerIQ"
• Website: Filmaker IQ
• Why is the author reliable?
• There is no specific author anywhere on the article, unfortunately. I still think this is a reliable article because of the domain, because it is a website that teaches film courses (the subject of the article)
• Even if the author is unknown, every source is hyperlinked. Many doctors and psychologists are cited throughout the article.
• Who's the target audience?
• Film students make up a large portion of the intended audience because of where the article is posted, as well as the content. The article mentions cinematic aspects of what makes horror movies so attractive to audiences, like tension, relevance, and unrealism.
• Another audience other than the primary one (film makers) would be those interested in psychology. The article explains a few theories behind what tracts people to horror movies, like the psychoanalytic theory, which would require a little background knowledge on psychology (or at least a mild interest) to understand, and even mention.
• What's the purpose?
• The purpose is to inform the readers/viewers on the definition of horror, and a few theories on what attracts people to it in the first place. 
• The purpose is also to appreciate horror movies as artistic and unique pieces of media, unlike the other sources. This is made evident especially with the last subheading "Horror as a vehicle for Growth."
• One of the most important pieces of information this article gives is a sort of loose timeline of theories on horror. The importance behind this is that it makes it clear that this is an aspect of an argument that's been around for a long time.
• Another key point this article/video makes is the 4 categories of horror watching recorded in teenagers. This could be really helpful to factor in when I mention raising ratings as bad solution!!

Source 4: NeuroCinema

• Author: Peter Katz
• Website: Youtube
• Why is the author reliable?
• Peter Katz is a film producer with plenty of film experience, dating back to the 1970's.
• Katz wouldn't normally be a reliable source on neuroscience, but the fact that you can see him talking to neuroscientists and observing the MRI makes him pretty credible in this case. 
• Who's the target audience?
• The target audience is definitely lovers of horror interested in psychology, or maybe just Katz's work. This is made obvious because he doesn't ever state that the brain activity appearing in the MRI is damaging.
• Katz is definitely trying to reach to some fans in this video because of how he tries to emphasize how scared the experiment's participant is of his own movie, so he's basically trying to see his own film.
• What's the purpose?
• Like I mentioned above, one motive behind the video is Katz's own personal agenda (pushing his film as really scary and worth watching).
• The purpose is also to be educational and show on the MRIs that fear is observable and measurable in the brain.
• The most valuable aspect of this video to my project is the videos of the MRI scans. Even though these are scans of a grown woman watching a horror movie, I have a feeling they'll be valuable to a video essay. 
• An interesting point that remains subtle throughout the article is that this is an example of a director consciously trying to manipulate his audience into being as fearful as possible. This may seem like an obvious point, but it's easy to make it seem like the director's are being suppressed from creating their art when it comes to receiving a rating on their films, as opposed to a strategic choice to create as much of a shock factor as possible and get away with a lower rating than they may deserve.

Source 5: Scary movies can have lasting effects on children and teens, study says

• Author: Bernie DeGroat
• Website: University of Michigan News
• Why is the author reliable?
• The author, DeGroat, is not so much reliable as he is present. He is a part of the University of Michigan News team and has a bachelor's in journalism, but the real credibility comes from the fact that the study was conducted on University of Michigan students.
• Because he's there on campus, he cites personal interviews he can get with participants and the people behind the study.
• Who's the target audience?
• Although this article was published in University of Michigan news, not many students pay attention to their own university's news (from personal experience) so I would say one of the primary audiences would be parents , since it has an emphasis on the college students' experiences as children.
• Another important audience would be people with an interest in psychology because the article takes time to point out several statistics on fear and the types of fear that are the most prevalent across this age group (that started as fears from scary movies)
• What's the purpose?
• The purpose is to inform the reader of the effects past horror movies have had on adults to this day, and basically cause concern.
• I think the purpose is also to show off the University of Michigan and its psychology department, since the article makes it a point to say that the research will be published in a journal.
• This is going to fit into my project as an age group link. Yeah some parents might be over exaggerating- are these movies really hurting their kids that much? These college students are proof of the long lasting effects and that these parents aren't just crazy. 
• The study classified five types of area of fear that these college students identified with from their childhood-movie fears; animals, blood/injury, environmental, situational, and disturbing sounds/images. This will be important because these are hugeeeeee aspects of scary movies (basically what they're completely made up of) and what seems to affect them the most; also what the ratings system seems to ignore. 

Source 6: This film is questionably rated: 15 egregious MPAA screw-ups

• Author(s): Sam Adams, Marcus Gilmer, Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Nathan Rabin, Vadim Rizov, Tasha Robinson, Scott Tobias
• Website: A.V. Club
• Why are the authors reliable?
• Every one of the authors has made several posts on the website on different movies of all sorts of genres, so they clearly have extensive movie knowledge. Here's a link to all the posts just Sam Adams has published. 
• These authors are movie lovers writing about what they love-movies. It's an opinionated article so their well versed opinion on movies they know a lot about makes them pretty reliable opinionated people.
• Who's the target audience?
• The website is called AV Club and the article is completely made up of movies, so its safe to say that the primary audience is movie lovers. 
• A few of the movies aren't necessarily mainstream, and the title itself does not define what the MPAA even is, so you do need to have some movie knowledge to follow the article.
• What's the purpose?
• The purpose seems to be to make the MPAA ratings system look terrible, which is clear just from the title and its use of the word "egregious." 
• The article makes it clear that the authors stand with the producers of the movies and a more "free" ratings world, because, again, the article just roasts the MPAA.
• This source is going to fit into my project because of the several examples of movies that are widely regarded as having incorrect ratings. The movies date back to the 1960's so there's plenty to choose from.
• Another important aspect is the inconsistency in the ratings and the type of content. Some are R for the same things that others are rated NC17 or PG13. This is going to be an important reason for why changing the ratings scale for horror movies in general isn't going to work to stop children from being affected by these movies; its just too subjective.

Source 7: *Sigh* MPAA Takes Aim at Horror and R-rated Cinema

• Author: MrDisgusting or or Brad Miska
• Website: BloodyDisgusting
• Why is the author reliable?
• He has many many many posts on this horror movie forum, so I think he must really know a lot about them.
• According to his Twitter, he is actually a co-founder of the website and a producer of a few horror films, including the VHS movies! (cool weird movies)
• Who's the target audience?
• Horror fans. He starts the article with "Us horror fans.."
• The fact that the post is on a horror movie forum is also pretty indicative of its intended audience.
• What's the purpose?
• The purpose is to condemn the MPAA for restricting the artistic freedom of horror film producers and directors.
• The purpose is also to rile up lovers of horror and get them angry at the MPAA. Not sure what this will do but he ends the article with "Now, TALK Below," so he's definitely trying to start some conversation on the topic.
• This will serve as an example of a lover of horror/producer expressing their anger at the MPAA; another reason why raising ratings will not be an effective solution.
• The points he makes about censorship will also be very useful as a direct quote.

Source 8: MPAA Rating System (the video has lots of cursing and weird, kind of funny(but more crude) little animations so just a warning)

• Author: Revinthehead
• Website: Youtube
• Why is the author reliable?
• Unfortunately, there isn't much information on RevintheHead, and this video is the only video he has posted. I can't say much for his reliability since he is most likely just posting the video and had nothing to do with its creation. I trust the source because I know that the way they've described the ratings system is how the MPAA has self described it.
• Who's the target audience?
• I'm also a little hesitant to say for this. My first instinct is parents because of the content; they are generally the most interested in ratings. But the crude humor makes it seem like it would be more geared towards younger people.
• I'm going to go out on a whim and say that the audience is whoever the MPAA/MPAA supporter could try to convince to watch it, and the ploy is to try to win the viewer over with dumb humor.
• What's the purpose?
• To inform the viewer of the MPAA's rating system.
• I think the purpose is also to convince the viewer that the ratings system makes sense and is effective, since the video becomes more crude as it continues.
• This video will be helpful to my project primarily because of the graphics, which I am definitely going to steal.
• It is also my only pro-MPAA source so far.

Source 9: Why the MPAA Sucks- Dear Hollywood

• Author: CinemaSins Jeremy
• Website: Youtube
• Why is the author reliable?
• Jeremy is a published author and a daily well known movie critic with a decent twitter following.
• He's also got his own movie-criticing website, which I find pretty credibility building.
• Who's the target audience?
• Since his following is built on movie critiquing, his audience is movie lovers/critics.
• Movie lovers/critics seem to also hate the MPAA, so he knows the topic will be well received with his audience.
• What's the purpose?
• Inform his viewers on his opinion of how the MPAA is a corrupt organization and is virtually ineffective.
• He is trying to incite some controversy in his followers and is really making an attempt to reach the MPAA (as he states in the description).
• His insight will be helpful since he is a lover of movies, and the fact that it's a voice over I can use is also great.
• He is the first of all my sources to point out that kids will see the movies they want to see anyway which is the most obvious point to me, and one I plan to use in my own argument.

Source 10: WTF Happened to PG-13?

• Author: GoodBadFlicks
• Website: Youtube
• Why is the author reliable?
• GoodBadFlicks is another movie/game critiquing entity with its own website and twitter following.
• The creator of GoodBadFlicks is Cecil Trachenburg, a writer and producer of a short series, Mr. Mendo's Hack Attack
• Who's the target audience?
• Based on GoodBadFlick's following, the audience is most likely movie lovers, specifically of the horror/thriller type.
• The video makes many movie references and mentions directors and specific people, o you have to have some movie knowledge. 
• What's the purpose?
• To complain about the misuse of the PG-13 rating and how ineffective it is. 
• The purpose is also to get people angry(like most of my sources) about the MPAA, and just spread the word on its general unreliability. 
• The most important point that I learned from this source is that STEVEN SPIELBERG IS THE REASON FOR PG13. This was a huge thing I didn't know.
• He gives many many examples of movies that were edited to fit the PG13 rating.

DONE.

Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3

Better late than never!

Author

• I'm a hardcore lover of horror movies and I've always been very interested in studying psychology. I'm actually considering changing my major to something more psychology centered right now.

• As of right now, I'm a nursing major with a minor in psychology. But like I mentioned above, I am seriously considering switching to a different major because I've enjoyed every psychology course I've taken in both high school and college. 

• I've actually done some research on how horror films have affected the public's perception on women, although nothing extremely extensive. I think this is helpful though because I know that the topic of how these types of movies affect people is hot topic that people definitely care about. 

• I'm kind of at an academic cross roads at the moment. I'm officially a nursing minor, but I have essentially been on the physiology track this whole time because these paths have some overlap in the beginning. I've been doing some soul searching in the ways of changing my major to something more psych centered, so let's see how this decision turns out. 

• Lately, I follow the election pretty closely as many people do (feel the bern). I'm also pretty passionate about animal rights and the negative affect that massive farming to produce meat has on the environment. I considered picking something in this area as my topic, but most of these types of arguments are HUGE and not something I really wanted to tackle. I also super support medical marijuana, as someone who has personally seen the incredibly positive affects that it has on seriously ill people. 

• I always tell myself that the older I get, the easier it will be to answer the hobbies/skills/how do you spend your time type questions. I don't think I'm the type of person to know myself very well. A few hobbies of mine; I love love love music. I don't know if this counts as a hobby but I spend plenty of time on it. I'm a professional Netflix watcher, and have worked in a clinic at the front desk forever. I love to dance and have danced all my life (until college :( ). 

• I come from a little Costa Rican family, the first to move out of Costa Rica to the US. I feel like I've always been told to work really hard but love what I do, so I think that's always been the motto for me. We were never rich, especially when we first moved here, so I think responsibility has been key in my life as well. I took care of my brother a lot growing up while my mom worked and I've always loved kids, so I think this predisposes me to be interested in child psychology. 

• My mom and dad are both 100% Costa Rican so the culture I grew up in was a little different, but I was also raised here in the US so I'm also very acclimated to American culture. The biggest differences I see that still apply to me are that my mom is still pretty strict with me. American culture is very "set your kids free" when they turn 18, but that's definitely not the case with my mom and family. 

• My access to cultural power is slim to none. I'm a young, hispanic girl in her first year college, which isn't the most respected position to be in. I am a pretty argumentative person (which I've always chalked up to being a Gemini) but it's possible this could also be because arguing is one of the only ways I can be taken more seriously. Hopefully these skills will help me out in the project. 

Audience

• I am a little split on who I'm thinking the intended audience will be. I've narrowed it down to two possibilities; concerned parents of children, or lovers of horror. I figure I can make it an argument that these movies are too violent and are hurting our children, or that the negative affects that these movies may have on kids could be affecting their own kids and maybe themselves as well. The second one is a little iffy, but I could imagine it becoming a question of "is their love for horror hurting their current or future children? What about themselves?" I'm going to let my research dictate the way I decide. If I go with the parents, I can imagine this video essay showing up on parenting or psych websites. If I go with the horror lovers, I can see it coming up on horror movie forums, as well as psych websites. 

• I believe that parents usually agree with this issue, so they're predisposed to agree with me. On the other hand, I don't think that the horror movie lovers would necessarily agree with me, which might make for a more interesting argument. 

• Like I said, parents would be all for this argument. They would agree with the topic, that these movies are too violent and bad for kids, and their concern would most likely grow. Horror movie lovers could vary. They could either agree with what I have to say and maybe develop some uneasiness about their love for horror, or they would completely disagree and maybe even be angered.

• Parents; I can imagine arguing with plenty with plenty of research and statistics. Tons and tons of research has been done on the topic, so it would be easy to cite plenty of instances to scare them. Horror movie buffs; statistics and research will be handy, but I could also include clips of scary movies and make it more interactive. Say I find a study that claims adults are more inclined to act violently after a scary movie, then I play a clip and pose a question to the audience, it could be more eye opening and possibly more of a shocking experience to this type of audience. 

• I can think of many parents who are against their children watching violent media, which includes scary movies. It wouldn't be hard to convince this audience. As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that if I choose the parents I'm going to have to make some sort of spin on it to really make it an argument. I can also think of several people who love scary movies enough that it would be hard to convince them that it could be bad for them, and in that case I will use statistics, like I mentioned before. I'm a firm believer that facts are the best way to convince people.

Purpose/Message

• Parents; the purpose of my argument would be to solidify the belief that these violent horror movies are detrimental to their child's development, and basically get them all riled up in any way I can. Horror movie lovers; the purpose of my argument would be to get then to stop and think about the movies they love so much. Could they be changing or hurting their psyche? Should they choose to continue to watch them or maybe take a second to re evaluate?

• The main point that needs to be accomplished in my argument is a SOLUTION. There are a few proposed solutions, but nothing concrete.

• An important point that needs to be kept in mind that parenting is subjective, and children are all different. Raising ratings and trying to come up with an objective scale will not prove to be successful.

• Kids are important, yes. I love kids. But adults and movie lovers must be kept in consideration as well. They are the ones who but movie tickets and keep Hollywood and films afloat; their perspective has to be included.

• The MPAA (ratings system people) I haven't heard much of a perspective on, except to claim that their scale makes sense and is up to par, so more research needs to be done there; perhaps with specific statements.

Context

• I'm going to be doing a video essay. My audience will expect a voice over, music, plenty of pictures, clips, and maybe some moving graphics. 

• I've never made a video essay before, so this is all new. I'm a little worried because figuring out how to make a podcast was pretty hard, but I have edited footage in IMovie before (my freshman year of high school) so I am depending on my memory of that to help me out a lot. 

• Like I said, I'm not extremely confident in this genre. I have a feeling that this might make for some mediocre cuts and some cheesiness, but I'm going to try very hard for it to not be. I'm arming myself with Youtube tutorials and really hoping for the best. 

• I think that the most effective conventions of this genre are pictures/video and music. Music is essential in setting the tone, and its a visual project so you absolutely need pictures and videos. Videos can easily get boring if this conventions aren't present to spice things up and keep the viewer's attention. 

• As far as historical events having to do with government and this topic, the only I can think of are the rating scales that these movies undergo; by that I mean the criteria that makes a movie PG13 or R. This isn't even necessarily a huge aspect of the argument, since the focus is the horror movie genre as a whole, but it might be helpful to keep in mind. 

• Media outlets covering the topic include; US News, CNN, CBS, and NBC.

• 1st major counter argument: i am working on this i will be back.

How is everyone doing on there blogwork?