Censorship on TV

Programming is what attracts audiences to television but advertising is the primary means of revenue generation for most networks and stations.  In a situation when 1) specific broadcast programming is attacked for containing too much “skin and sin” by traditional family values groups, 2) advertisers are inundated with thousands of email, letters and telephone calls [...]

Documentary Film Distribution

The media landscape has certainly changed in the last few years. A dramatic example of this is the way non-fiction films are distributed. Ten years ago there were only a few places where independent producers might sell their documentaries. Today there are many more outlets. What are these new opportunities? Describe at least [...]

Screenplay Structure

8.  Screenwriter William Goldman, a two-time Academy Award winner, has long preached that “screenplays are structure.” What is he talking about? 
A) If he’s referring to a particular story-telling model, describe that in detail.
B) If there are multiple models, what are the most influential ones and how do they differ?
C) And how has [...]

The Allegory of the cave by Plato

We are but shadows and dust floating in interconnectivity, divided by individual conciousness, and confused by the social order.
 
[Socrates:]  And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: –Behold! human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching [...]

Cable TV vs Telephone Companies

The questions
5. In the coming years Cable TV will face very real competition from the telephone companies for customers. Give the competitive advantages of each industry and the efforts both have made in Congress and at the FCC to deal with perceived inequities in the competitive landscape.
Comprehensive Examination Question #5
Andrea P. Fuller
I. Cable Industry
A. Competitive [...]

Children, Obesity, and the Media

Questions
#7

I.                   Obesity
a.       What contributes to childhood obesity
                                                              i.      Media influence on eating habits
1.      Product Placement
2.      Commercials (Preoperational Stage- not being able to tell the difference between a commercial and the program; don’t understand the advertiser’s intent)
3.      Endorsements (e.g. Spongebob cereal)
                                                            ii.      Eating between meals, convenience meals
                                                          iii.      Sedentary lifestyle (being lazy)
                                                          iv.      Genetics
                                                            v.      Parenting [...]

Political Virtue

This argument comes from the conflicting claims to authority in the city.
 
The politician’s job is to create the regime that will best promote the good life within the city.
 
In order to do this he must give the authority of the city to the ruler or rulers that would best promote virtue within the citizens.
 
However all [...]

Tell Me what you think

This is an experiment…
1. Review the theoretical underpinnings of persuasive messages in relation to specific audiences, taking into account at least three of the following constructs: agenda setting, diffusion of innovation, central and peripheral processing, cognitive dissonance, source credibility, reasoned action, two-step flow, selectivity, expectancy-value and fear appeals.  As a writer/producer, which basic model would [...]

Proof of God’s existence

I’m not personally convinced but it is an interesting argument.
Courtesy of St. Thomas Aquinas:
I answer that it can be proved in five ways that God exists.
The first and plainest is the method that proceeds from the point of view of motion. It is certain and in accord with experience, that things on earth undergo change. [...]

“The Fog of War” five lessons from Robert Macnamra

Five Lessons
note: These comments are for WWII inclusive

 
 
 
“Belief and seeing are both often wrong.”
            Agree. They are always wrong; the real difference comes from perspective.
 
“Proportionality should be a guideline in war”
            Disagree. In order to win, it may be necessary to destroy the enemy’s moral and this may not be possible to do with a [...]