Our final unit! Teens and media

Happy Monday! Sorry I am not there with you today. I am at a conference.

To start off our final unit, please spend some time answering this survey today.

• Teens in media survey

YouTube - In-Class Essay

Here are the directions to your writing for today

YouTubers - Last Day

Happy Thursday!
Today we will continue our look at YouTube and independent creators of content.

We'll use this site to check out the categories they named for YouTube videos:

• http://mediakix.com/2016/02/most-popular-youtube-videos/#gs.uZB=RJg

You'll choose one more video channel to check out, based on what we see today.

That means you will have a total of three YouTubers you will write about tomorrow:

1. The one you wrote about last Thursday (in a Google Doc - check the 4/20 blog post)
2. One you select from the list of VidCon presenters (someone with a type / style of channel different from your first choice)
3. One you find today, based on the categories we see.

You'll have half of class today to watch videos from those channels. For tomorrow's essay, you will need to:

1. Use some of the technical terminology we first looked at last week on these sites:
1. Media Studies glossary (NZ)
2. Media Studies 101
3. New York Film Academy Glossary
2. Describe the basics for your channel - type of content, number of viewers, role of "host"
3. Compare / contrast the ways in which these channels present content and appeal to viewers
1. Who is the intended audience?
2. Is there continuity from one video to the next? Is it easy for new viewers to just jump in?
3. How do they use different technical / video / film techniques to add to this appeal?
4. Conclusions about YouTube based on the videos we've watched together and the ones you selected.

You'll have the whole period to work tomorrow. Bring headphones / earbuds!

YouTubers - Continued

Yesterday you looked through the list of presenters at VidCon, and then recorded some basic information about them into a Google Form.

• VidCon presenters
• Google Form

Today we'll start with another 15 minutes to add in a few more entries, using the same list as yesterday.

Then, we'll look at the results! The goal is for you to select a video channel to follow - one that has several different qualities than the channel you personally selected last week.

• Here is a link to a spreadsheet of the results

On Thursday you will have time to watch several videos from that channel, and to add an entry to the document you started last Friday.

YouTubers and VidCon

Happy Monday!
Each summer for the past 8 years, VidCon has been the main gathering of creators and fans of YouTube content. Here is a link to last year's speakers / presenters:

• Vid Con featured creators

You will look at as many as you can during class today, by looking at the three rows starting with the person I name here:

• Brant- Dan Howell
• Audrey-Rhett & Link
• Arthur-AJ Rafael
• Shana- Ash Hardell
• Ben- Cenk Uygur
• Sami- Davey Wavey
• Allison- Family Fun Pack
• Kyle- Jackie Aina
• Maya- Joe Penna

Use this link to keep track of what you find:

• YouTubers google form

You Tubers - Let the analysis begin!

Today you will start the process of analyzing the YouTuber of your choice. You'll select one or two videos from their channel to write about today.

You'll use these different glossaries as a starting point:

• Glossary of Standard Media Studies Terminology (New Zealand)
• Media Studies 101
• New York Film Academy Glossary

Choose 10 terms - Describe the ways in which your chosen YouTuber uses those techniques / qualities. Then, write a short overview describing what your chosen channel generally does / is about. Are there certain themes / shots / ideas present in each video on the channel? Do certain characters reappear? Do the different videos link together link a television show, or is each one independent?

Save your responses in a Google Doc - we'll build onto it next week.

Here is a link to the people who presented at VidCon last year - you'll use that to choose a new channel to follow next week!

YouTube Mania!

Today we'll start a unit on YouTube - looking at the most popular independent creators of video content and trying to figure out what makes it work.  Here are a few lists of channels for us to check out together as we get rolling:

• Thrillist - Most Popular YouTubers
• Business Insider - Most Popular YouTubers
• List25.com - most popular and successful YouTubers
• SocialBlade - Most popular YouTubers
• VidStatsX - most subscribed channels
• PewDiePie
• Smosh
• NigaHiga
• Dude Perfect
• Jenna Marbles
• Markiplier
• Fail Army

Reality Television - In Class Writing

Here is a link to the essay for today

Here is an additional article that might be helpful for today:

• How Reality TV Works

Reality Shows - Individual Project

Here is the handout for our Reality TV project.

Spring Break - reality shows

Links to work for today:

• Spring break - editing exercise - part 1
• Part 2

Articles about reality TV

• Reality TV - Ethical Issues
• Reality TV Is Not Reality
• Breaking Up With The Bachelor
• Reality Show Secrets Revealed

Out in the Streets - in-class writing

Today we'll conclude our look at issues of gangs, violence, and the police, among other concerns, in the streets of American cities. Our non-fiction films focused on Chicago, while The Wire took us to the streets of Baltimore.

To wrap up the unit, you'll write this essay in class today:

• "Out in the Streets" essay description

The Wire in real life

Here is a link to the Google form to collect your examples. You will have time to work in class on Thursday, but should start tonight to make sure you have several videos to use. On Friday we will choose a few to watch and discuss together.

• Google form: Violence, Gangs, and Police in Chicago

Here are some links to local TV news outlets to help  you complete this work:

• http://www.nbcchicago.com/
• http://abc7chicago.com/
• http://chicago.cbslocal.com/
• http://wgntv.com/

The Wire

Here are a few articles for you to read about The Wire:

• http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2008/05/wire-season-1-episode-1-target-newbies.html
• http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2008/06/wire-season-1-episode-2-detail-newbies.html
• http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2008/06/wire-season-1-episode-3-buys-newbies.html
• https://justtv.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/the-wire-in-the-context-of-american-television/
• from Salon.com
• Jason Mittell, Middlebury College

Now that we've watched three episodes of The Wire I'd like to hear more about your thoughts and interpretations of the show. For today, please read one (or more) of the articles above - the first three each focus on a different episode, the others are about the show overall. Then, write your analysis of the show in a new Google Doc and submit it to turnitin.com. Consider these questions:

• What is this show about?
• Who are the main characters? (name them as best as you can - feel free to use internet resources as needed) What do these characters represent?
• What is the setting of the show, and why is it significant?
• What is the importance of the structure of the show (combining different stories, etc.)?
• Which parts of the show are most challenging / informative / entertaining / thought-provoking, and why?
• Do you agree / disagree with any of the points raised in the article you read? Which ones? Why?
• What is your sense of the show overall?

Twilight Zone - In-class essay

Greetings! Here is the link for today's assignment. You may want to check out my comments on yesterday's writing in turnitin.com - hopefully the feedback is helpful!

Twilight Zone - third episode

Today we will watch one more episode of The Twilight Zone together. Afterwards, you'll write a short response to it using this prompt. You'll upload your work to turnitin.com when you are done.

• Twilight Zone reponse

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"

• William Shatner as Bob Wilson
• Christine White as Julia Wilson
• Ed Kemmer as Flight Engineer
• Asa Maynor as Stewardess
• Nick Cravat as Gremlin

• Creator of The Twilight Zone - Rod Serling
• This episode directed by Richard Donner

The Twilight Zone

We'll continue our look at the ways in which television and media reflect issues in society by turning our attention to a science fiction show from the late 1950's / early 1960's: The Twilight Zone
Here are two articles with good overviews of the show:

• Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone: Representations of the Cold War
• The Five Themes of the Twilight Zone

Signing up for turnitin.com

Go to turnitin.com

Class code: 14674847
Password: television

Best sitcoms

Here are some links to links of the best sitcoms of all time - feel free to Google around to find more!

• 20 best tv sitcoms
• Best sitcoms of all time
• Top ten best sitcoms of all time

We will use this sitcom analysis handout to guide our conversations this week and to set up your work on the project.

Here is a link to the sitcom essay and project.

Comedies!

During the first week of class we watched episodes of three different comedy series.

• I Love Lucy
• "Job Switching"
• "Ricky Has Labor Pains"
• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• "That's My Boy??"
• Seinfeld
• "The Yada Yada"
• "The Bizarro Jerry"

This week we'll watch a few more together, and then you will select a show to explore, write, and present about.

Today we'll read these articles

• Sitcoms
• "How Sitcoms Work"

Welcome to Media Studies!

Greetings!

Can you please take a few minutes to complete this survey, so I can get to know you and personalize this class?