This week the topic that peeked my interest was when were discussing short films being distributed through the Internet as a means for unknown directors to display what they can do in a short amount of time on fixed and often tight budgets.  The film Panic Attack in particular fascinated me when it was revealed to us that it was shot for like under $600, which to me is incredible since I just finished shooting a 45 min film that cost almost $2000, yet the difference in look is still very obvious.  But I digress my overall point is that short features have come a long way from what they were ten years ago.  With the right promotion and exposure a talented and resourceful director can receive international attention simply by posting his work in the right places on the Internet.

In 2004 I had the pleasure of interviewing Joseph Merideth, who at the time was a professor of animation at Columbia College, about his Oscar nominated animated short Stubble Trouble.  When his short was nominated for an Oscar in 2002 he was even shocked at the exposure he got.  “At the time I had only ever done one commercial for Coca-Cola, so when I herd I was just speechless, but I honestly didn’t expect to win.”  Sadly he really didn’t win, he lost to the Pixar short Mike’s New Car.  Truth be told I thought his was better but Disney and other film Dreamworks still dominate the market when it comes to animated shorts so in this media environment it goes to show that talent comes second to money.  In any case I will let you all decide how good Stubble Trouble is so even if you don’t comment on my post at least check out the link.

http://www.calabashanimation.com/dlink.php?preview=7

Personal Reflection Week 1

This week in COMM 200 we discussed the value of books and other paper forms of media like newspaper and magazines and whether of not they had a future in the world of mass media.  We were able to briefly discuss and write down our opinions about e-readers and tablets and what benefits they bring to the table over books but I felt like we never really got to the heart of the matter.  While creating a blog I was actually able to find an older blog I had written for another class in my first year of college at DePaul, which also had to do with books and something I discussed in class called their irreplaceable value.  Although the statement I made in class was that in case the Internet collapsed or something similar occurred where all Internet content was lost books would provide a good backup for those lost records, and in the article I wrote, which I have linked below, I ascribe a much more aesthetic value to books which I failed to mention in class.  By looking back on this article that I wrote I feel as if I have relearned a very important lesson, that media is essentially what we make of it.  Many people may not view books in the same way that I do and may in fact prefer tablets over books but the important thing is that people actually read in order to ingest new information and expand their imagination, and knowledge.  I absolutely loved the clip we watched from Ted Talks where JD Rangaswami discussed Information as Food because what he said was very accurate.  The more diverse and balanced our diet is the healthier our bodies will be which can be related to our consumption of information.  A mind that only consumes FOX news or MSNBC is not getting a diverse balanced diet and therefore how can that person comprehend someone else’s positions or defend its own without having all the facts.

http://emi912.wordpress.com/what-are-books-for/