Visual Rewrite- Lobsterman

Posted on October 29, 2024 by lobsterman

Link to video- https://youtu.be/eSVPAheQNnI?si=JzyuZ0pAx2UhU3Pw

0:00- The first second of this video shows a POV perspective shot of two people holding hands on a hammock.  They are looking at the trees as the sun peeks through the leaves.

0:01- The next second remains in the POV perspective as we look over to the character’s partner.  This can be assumed from the fact they were holding hands, and when she turns to look into the camera, the focal length is shorter to make her seem closer to the character.

0:03- The next second is again in the first person perspective, this time showing him jogging behind some friends.  These quick cuts are used to rapidly show the different aspects of this person’s life.

0:04- The next glimpse into this person’s life shows him on the couch playing a football video game, it quickly pans over to show presumably the same friends from the jog.  They are seen having a great time and cheering for each other to display the characters good social life.  Going from a romantic moment with a lover to fun activities with close friends highlights that this character has a good support system in his life.

0:05- The next clip is very quick, but we see our character (still in first person) out at what appears to be a karaoke bar.  He is surrounded with three friends this time all with microphones.  Their mouths are open indicating they are all singing along and enjoying themselves. 

0:05-0:07- Between the fifth and seventh second of the video, there are two lightning fast clips of our character hitting a tennis ball and then casting a fishing pole.  I believe these super fast clips are here to further display our character’s life and all of his various hobbies.

0:07- The seventh second also houses two clips, but they are both at a pool bar.  Our character is lining up his pool cue as more friends of his surround the table.  The next clip is of one of the girls at his table but in a closer shot, she’s covering her mouth and squinting her eyes which could indicate our character made her laugh or that she is simply having a good time.  

0:08-0:10- The following clips are so lightning fast but similarly to all these opening clips they are here to paint a picture of this man’s life.  Between seconds eight and ten we see him, playing basketball, greeting someone at a party, emerging from a swimming pool, and giving cheers with his friends at a bar.  No one of these as individual clips has a whole lot to say, but when viewed in such rapid succession it’s like flipping through someone’s memories to better understand almost every single aspect of their life.  

0:10-0:12- Now we slow down from the rapid clips, and show our character finishing off his drink, setting it down, and grabbing his keys that were on the counter.  We pan up from the drink, keys in hand, to see a mirror.  This is the first time we have actually seen our character on screen.  He looks at himself with the keys in hand and doesn’t make any expressions, but from the drink he just finished and the other clips at parties and bars, we can assume that he probably isn’t in the best state of mind for driving.

0:13- Naturally, the very next thing our character does is open his car door.

0:14- The next shot is of our character looking into the rearview mirror, this time with a look in his eyes that indicates he doesn’t know if he should be driving or not.

0:15- 0:17- He is now on the road against his better judgment and the car in front of him takes a left turn prematurely.  Instead of seeing the collision we cut to black.

0:17-0:19- We are left on a black screen for two seconds to imply the fatal repercussions of this decision.

0:19-0:21- To reference the earlier scenes we see another series of clips, this time much more rapid.  First of which being that same car going in reverse, then a clip of our characters hand being held and lead somewhere by the woman he was with in the opening, then a clip of someone putting their hands in the ocean, followed by multiple still frames of red and yellow gradients, and more alternative clips to the ones we saw earlier, like the same basketball game just at a different point in time.  All of these rapid clips return us back to the bar to just after he has put his drink down. 

0:22- One last memory clip of the woman from earlier blowing a dandelion.

0:23- 0:30- Instead of grabbing his keys he grabbed his phone instead, he is on uber or a similar app that states that a driver will arrive to pick him up in 6 minutes.  The shot remains there for the rest of the ad as the character puts his phone away and on screen graphics tell us that “Buzzed driving is drunk driving.  Don’t drive buzzed.”  

Overview: Given the rapid sequence of these scenes I feel some more summarization would be beneficial.  This ad is very effective in it’s message, so many people die from drunk driving every year and every single one of those was a preventable death.  These people are not just statistics, they are like you and me and they made one mistake that turned out to be their last.  This ad shows a life that was being lived, one of love and adventure, and one that didn’t need to end that night.  It perfectly displayed just how easy it is to make the wrong choice.             

Posted in GRADED, Lobsterman, Portfolio Lobsterman, Visual Rewrite | 1 Comment

Visual Rewrite-phoenixxxx23

Posted on October 29, 2024 by phoenixxxx23

Howie and the Howl | Middle School Mental Health | Ad Council

00:00– We see two people sitting at a table comprised of two wooden surfaces joined together. The lines on the table draw our attention as they converge towards the center but break off due to the joining, symbolizing a potential connection that is disrupted. One figure is clearly a man, focused intently on some reports, indicating that he is engaged in work. He occupies a significant amount of space on the table, with glasses and a newspaper laid out beside him, suggesting that he is at home. He sits at the head of the table, which adds to his authoritative presence.

The second figure, positioned not directly opposite but to the side at another table, maintains the maximum possible distance to avoid eye contact. This arrangement implies discomfort or tension between them. The personal belongings of this figure occupy little space, contrasting sharply with the clutter around the man. This detail hints that, while we might assume they are in a familiar home environment, the second person feels uncomfortable and is attempting to appear as inconspicuous as possible.The figure at the side is significantly smaller than the man, indicating that he is likely a child or teenager under the age of 13. This assumption is further supported by the animated design on the boy’s sweatshirt. Both the boy and the man are dark-skinned, suggesting a familial relationship, and it is reasonable to conclude that this is a father and son. The father wears a shirt layered with a knit cardigan, which conveys warmth and affection, adding depth to his character. On the table, we notice a typical breakfast spread. The boy eats cereals and drinks orange juice, while the father has sandwiches and strong coffee. This detail implies that the father is preparing for work, perhaps finishing paperwork, while the son is getting ready for school.

The setting is heavily influenced by color, with dark wood tones and shades of dark green creating an atmosphere of melancholy and anxiety. The lighting in this shot is minimal, with most of it directed towards the father, leaving the boy partially obscured—only half of his face is visible.

00:03: the father’s gaze shifts toward the child, revealing a look of worry. His expression is devoid of anger; instead, it conveys a deep sense of concern and sadness. This moment captures the emotional weight of their relationship, suggesting that the father is aware of the distance between them and feels a profound sense of responsibility for the child’s well-being.

00:04: the child props his head up with his hand, an action that conveys a sense of fatigue or disengagement. He picks at his cereal bowl, but his lack of actual eating suggests that he is lost in his thoughts. This moment captures his inner turmoil or distraction, highlighting his emotional state.

00:05-00:07: after the father’s concerned look and presumably some spoken words, the boy briefly says something before suddenly standing up and leaving without a moment’s hesitation. This impulsive action, coupled with his words, conveys a sense of urgency and perhaps a desire to escape the emotional weight of the moment.

00:08: all attention shifts to two bright spots: the orange juice and the glass beside the boy. The amount of juice in the glass and the absence of any prints or traces suggest that the boy hasn’t touched it. This visual detail serves as his rejection of the father’s attempts to connect and nurture him, emphasizing the emotional distance between them. It encapsulates the broader theme of longing and unreciprocated affection, highlighting how the boy, despite being surrounded by care, feels unable to embrace it.

00:10: the boy finds himself in another room, which, like the first, is dimly lit, as the light is off. In this space, we witness a singular action: he puts on headphones. This moment underscores his desire for isolation, as the headphones serve as a barrier between him and the outside world. The darkness of the room mirrors his emotional state, suggesting a retreat into his thoughts and a rejection of the environment he just left. By choosing to put on headphones, he actively distances himself from his surroundings, perhaps seeking solace in music.

00:13-00:15: the camera reveals the entire room, confirming that this is the boy’s bedroom. He is sitting on his bed, surrounded by his paintings hanging on the wall. Each artwork depicts a boy, yet none show his face, creating a sense of anonymity and distance. In one painting, the boy is depicted flying, while another illustrates a fantastical sky and dreamlike landscape. These images evoke themes of escapism, suggesting the boy’s deep desire to “fly away” from his reality. As he taps his knee in time with the music playing through his headphones, we see him lost in the rhythm, perhaps seeking comfort in the beat. The scene then shifts to a close-up of his face, drawing our attention to his eyes, where pain and loneliness are starkly visible.

00:16: we return to the room from the first frame, but it looks COMPLETELY different. A warm light fills the space, creating a much more comfortable and inviting atmosphere. The interior is now fully visible, and it’s apparent that it is dark outside, suggesting it is around 6 PM. This change in lighting and ambiance contributes to a sense of safety and belonging. In this moment, the boy sits resolutely at the table directly in front of his father, a significant shift from the earlier arrangement where he was positioned at a distance. As he abruptly removes his headphones, this action signifies a readiness to engage with his surroundings and, perhaps, with his father.

00:20: in response to the boy’s gesture, Dad slams his laptop shut. This abrupt action signals a shift in the father’s focus, indicating that he is now fully attentive to his son.

00:22: the father is now sitting next to his son, and with a slight smile, he says something to him while leaning closer, presumably placing his hand on the boy’s. This moment signifies a shift towards warmth and connection, contrasting sharply with the earlier tension. Additionally, their same clothing indicates that all these events have unfolded within the same day.

Overview:

The story unfolds with a father and son sitting at a table, where the father is preoccupied with work while the boy, feeling emotionally distant, sits off to the side. As the boy listens to music through his headphones, he becomes lost in his thoughts, reflecting his inner turmoil and loneliness, symbolized by his disengagement from the world around him.After decent amount of time, the boy enters a warmly lit room, ready to confront his feelings, and he sits directly across from his father. As he removes his headphones, the father responds by closing his laptop and turning his full attention to his son. Finally, in a touching scene, the father sits beside him with a light smile, placing his hand on the boy’s, signaling a breakthrough in their communication. This moment of connection emphasizes the importance of listening and voicing one’s problems, leading to a hopeful reconciliation that highlights the transformative power of understanding in their relationship.

*Addition thoughts: As the commercial comes to an end, it becomes clear that the pivotal moment was the boy listening to music through his headphones. The symbolism of the headphones encapsulates the barriers that can exist in relationships, while the transition to direct engagement between the father and son emphasizes the importance of breaking down those barriers. The name of the organization, “Sound It Out Together,” perfectly aligns with this message. It underscores the idea that fostering healthy relationships, especially between parents and children, involves active listening and open dialogue.

Posted in GRADED, Phoenixxxx, Portfolio Phoenixxxx, Visual Rewrite | 1 Comment

Definition Rewrite—Burnbook04

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Burnbook04

Comparative Religion

Comparative Religion, which leads me to ask, should there be division in religion and how do they all correlate? Instead of spending all day explaining why all religions should be one, I will focus on the Christian and Islamic faiths. Most people would assume that they are both completely different, which could be true, but I am going to show all their similarities and how they are almost, if not the same. Christians read the Bible while Muslims read the Quran. Both are books made to guide and give knowledge and wisdom.

At the core of both the Quran and the Bible lies the principle of monotheism, the belief in a single, all-powerful God. The Quran opens with the declaration of God’s oneness (Tawhid), emphasizing that there is no deity but Allah. Similarly, the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, asserts the oneness of God, as encapsulated in the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This foundational belief fosters a sense of unity among believers and sets the stage for ethical living and accountability. With all that being said, the Quaran and Bible correlate more than we’d believe. Muslims believe that Jesus ( Yehweh ) isn’t the messiah, they claim he is only a prophet spreading the gospel, a vessel for the Lord.

While Christians stand firm in believing that Jesus is the messiah. Now if we compare how Muslims and Christians carry themselves we will also see some similarities. modesty is something both religions take very seriously. Muslim women wear hijabs and long gowns to cover their bodies. Christian women also wear long gowns or garments that will conceal their figure. Christians don’t wear hijabs but participate in vailing which is covering their heads similar to how a hijab does.

Another similarity is fasting, both religions have a time to fast and give their full attention to God. Muslims have Ramadan while Christians fast during Lent or if led by God. Both modesty and fasting are traditions that have been going on for years. With all this being said I think it’s safe to say that there are more similarities in both religions and the division of religion shouldn’t be. The Bible the the Quaran can go hand and hand as well as the Christian and Islamic faith all together.

References

“The Noble Quran – the Holy Book of Muslims.” QuranOnline.net, quranonline.net/.

‌“Matthew 1 | NIV Bible | YouVersion.” YouVersion | the Bible App | Bible.com, 2015, http://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.1.NIV?parallel=116. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.

‌

Posted in Burnbook, Definition Rewrite, Portfolio Burnbook | 1 Comment

Assignment—username

Posted on October 29, 2024 by davidbdale

Brilliant text. Now Revised.

Posted in davidbdale, Definition Rewrite | Leave a comment

Visual Rewrite—KFury

Posted on October 29, 2024 by KFury205

Video: “The Narrator”

0:00: We see a young man siting on his bed scrolling on what looks like a phone. Perhaps playing a game or browsing social media. His room is very blue colored with only a few dashed of other colors spread throughout, maybe still showing his baby blue innocence and having the dashes of other colors representing some outside sources influencing him in someway.

0:01: Then a sharply dressed man in a suit walks in the Kids room. Either for a business meeting or what have you, he has a odd shading to himself as if he doesn’t belong in the same space as the young man almost. While the young man very much fits in the space, the man in the suit is in his own world somehow.

0:02 – 0:05: The man in the suit begins to speak to the young man in a very formal and almost instructive way on the temptations of young people now a days, saying such temptation as Electronic cigarette and skateboarding to name a few.Also to add we get a better look at the man in the suit’s his odd shading, which is that of what seems to be a old timey television style from I’d say the 70’s or 80’s with a somewhat static look. As if he crawled out of those very TV’s like the girl from the ring.So saying “temptations of young people now a days” would definitely feel a little ironic thinking about.

0:06 – 0:07:We move back towards the young man listening to the man in the suit with a very confused and perplexed look on his face.The phone is still in hand but his eyes are more focused on the man and the odd information he is providing to the him.

0:08 – 0:10:We return to the man in the suit talking about how much nicotine a vape pod contains saying it can be as much as a pack a cigarettes.

0:11 – 0:14:Now we have a more close up shot with the man in the suit as he talks on how vaping can get the young man into a life long addiction and cause lung damage, he shows this with a plastic replica of a human lung he shows the boy.

0:15: We’re back to the young man who unsurprisingly still has the same confused look on his face about this random sudden lecture in his room.

0:16 – 0:18:As we’re back to the man in the suit as focus.We see him pull out a foldable sign from the top of the frame and educates the boy to “think twice, before making a poor decision”.

0:19 – 0:23:Then we are shifted in to a more meta engagement with white text being put on screen stating that “The health Film guy isn’t the best person to talk to your kid about vaping”. Almost stating how we must debunk our older ways of confronting poor addictions that could threaten kids lives and well beings.

0:24: We are then put into a close with the young man as his eyes shift towards another figure enter his room, as we here a female voice asking if he has a few minutes.

0:25: We then see the other figure being the young mans mother wanting to talk to him few minutes as she sits down next to him. Most likely about the very same subject of addiction but this time with a more familiar and loving voice to listen.One that won’t seem so instructive and demanding, but one that truly understands the complicated mess it can be to be young and adventurous and just so full of life.

0:26 – 0:30:The rest is ad provide with the young man and his mother talking in the background of a website link title “TalkAboutVaping.org”. As well as in the bottom of the link there is the partnership of the American Lung Association and the ad council this PSA’s production was made from.

Summary: The video opens with a young man in a blue-toned room, Either playing or scrolling on his phone. He’s interrupted by a sharply dressed man in a suit, who talks to him about modern temptations like vaping. The suited man has an odd, vintage TV-like appearance, creating a stark contrast with the young man’s environment. As he lectures about the dangers of vaping comparing its nicotine content to cigarettes and demonstrating with a plastic lung the young man appears confused. The man then encourages him to “think twice” before making poor choices. The video takes a meta turn, stating that the “Health Film guy” may not be the best choice for discussing vaping with your kids, highlighting the need for more relatable approaches. It concludes with the young man’s mother entering, suggesting a more understanding and personal conversation about addiction, contrasting the formal lecture he just experienced.

Posted in KFury, Portfolio KFury, Visual Rewrite | 2 Comments

Definition Rewrite—Bagel&Coffee

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Bagel&Coffee

All Text is Suggestion
(that no options appear to align center even though highlighted)

You may find yourself reading this paper and have the urge to reward yourself with something. A well-deserved drink of something perhaps. This however is just a suggestion. There are many things that are suggestions, and unless you have been living under a rock you have probably been bombarded by them every day.

The field of advertising is a fertile ecosystem for suggestion. Manny a company salivates over the ways to increase their profit though sales by utilizing academic research on the power of suggestion. This makes it a great starting point to explain suggestion.

Suggestion in adverting can range from subtle to overt in presentation. A grocery store may have a large picture of a delicious thanksgiving dinner on a long table surrounded by a happy family. What about this picture is so noteworthy I beg you to ask, so I may point out, this image most likely shows a well-cooked turkey in the center of the table, and the giant picture itself that you are looking at is most likely next to a large pile of turkeys that the grocery store is selling. The image is at least suggesting two things. Firstly, it is overtly suggesting that you need a turkey to celebrate thanksgiving; oh what a coincidence, the grocery store is selling turkeys! Secondly, it is subtly suggesting that this family, with a turkey on their table, is happy, therefore your family could be happy for thanksgiving too if you had a turkey on your table.

Suggestion can sometimes be what you cannot see. The best horror movies, in my opinion embody this. The ones where you do not see the monster, but where it is heavily suggested that there is a monster there. Your mind takes over and starts to conjure up all sorts of spooky fantasies of what the monster could be.

Suggestions that occur within the mind can also come from words or phrases. Vannesa Van Edwards illustrates this in her book Captivate when she presents the reader the phrase “fresh warm delicious cinnamon bun with a white frosted glaze melting down the sides.” She points out that often when she says that sentence to people they start to salivate. Even though there is no sweet cinnamon pastry with warm dripping frosting in front of you, your mind actives and starts to imagine it.

Even more weird is that the human mind is physically unable to perform the negative of this. For example, if I say, “Do not think of a pink elephant!” You will inevitably think of a pink elephant.

Furthermore, since all communication is mostly nonverbal, suggestion can also be nonverbal. Think about how people nonverbally communicate on a date to suggest doing romantic things.

Although there is a wide verity of ways suggestive language can be used, for my uses, I would like to focus suggestion used in language.

The next I will be clarifying is how taste and a term I have coined, “Phantom Flavors”.

People who haven’t studied taste are usually surprised by how it works. Your tongue can gather information on your food by sending signals to the brain that inform you if you are eating something sweet, sour, bitter, tart, or savory. As a side note a common misconception is that spice is part of this group, scientifically speaking spice is actually just pain. Now the interesting part is that your tongue can not tell you if you are eating a blueberry or strawberry. It is your nose, that can tell you if you are eating a blueberry or a strawberry. We can see this in patients that have disorder and can not smell but can taste having this very issue. When you go to a wine tasting and you see people sniffing their wine, contrary to popular belief it is not weird. Perhaps you have found it pleasurable outside of a restaurant to smell food being cooked

While flavors are the sensation that you taste when you eat or drink; it is information about your food via hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Phantom flavors on the other hand are flavors people say they taste, but are flavors that are non-existent, are unlikely to exist, or seemingly random. I have encountered situations where people have told me they taste flavors of cherry or pear in something that should not have any such flavors.

One time in particular illustrates this the best, when I presented two different bottles of wine and a small sample of each to the customer. I described the bottle with abstract art on the label as having a pear undertone, and the bottle with the flowers I described as having a floral aroma. There is no deceit from me, I made sure to introduce the bottles and place them apart and I placed each sample of each in front of their receptive bottle. The customer tried each, and then looked at me after trying a sample from the flora bottle, and her eyes widened, and she said, “Oh I really taste the pear in this!”. I do not know if my face betrayed my surprise and disbelief at her statement, but I can only speculate how she confused my words and furthermore how she thought she was tasting pear undertones from the flora label.

In the upshot, the results speak for themselves. She clearly thought I said the floral label had pear undertones and tasted pear. Customer is always right, right?

In my next section of my thesis, I would like to investigate further if there are other examples of this, and to perhaps prove that under the influence of suggestion, you can be fooled into believing something by simply telling you it is true. I would also like address parallel issues such as flavor association confusion, and other possible explanations. And lastly it would be interesting as well if I could find a way to set up shop on campus and lie to students about what they are consuming.

References

Posted in Bagel&Coffee, Definition Rewrite | 1 Comment

Visual Rewrite – imaginary.persona

Posted on October 28, 2024 by imaginary.persona

The Freedom to Live in Safety

0:00

In the first frame we see the words “American Dream” written across the middle of the image. The background is of a diner and the sky behind the diner is darkening as if the sun is setting. The outside of the walls of the diner are red glossed bricks with a continuous diamond pattern across the top. Three people are walking into the frame, two adults and a child. The child is wearing a red and white striped shirt, one of the adults is wearing a dark blue button up shirt and the other is wearing what looks like a light blue button up shirt but it may be white. In the diner we see a few people sitting inside. It is brighter inside than it is outside.

0:00 – 0:03

We see the three people who are outside the diner walk across the screen and as they walk near the words, the letters disappear.

0:03 – 0:06

The camera angle changes and we are now looking at an entrance of the diner. The words “steak sandwich” are printed on the door in blue. The door is being opened by one of the three people we saw outside previously. The kid walks in first then the person in the dark blue shirt walks someway through the door.

0:06 – 0:09

The person in the dark blue button up shirt walks halfway through the door before the scene changes. we now look at the back of the boys head who’s now sitting down scooting further into the diner booth. The person who was in the light blue or white button up shirt is a woman with brown hair at the length a little past her shoulder. She is moving into the booth as well and is facing the camera but looking down. In the background we see two people sitting in another booth. One person almost directly behind the person int the (I’m saying white) white shirt and the other is in front of the kid wearing a bleu checkered shirt and a cowboy hat. The person in the dark blue button up shirt has glasses and is taking a seat in the booth next to the kid. It is unclear if the kid is theirs or not. The couple of adults look a little older (couple as in couple of people not the two people dating- that is also unclear).

0:09 – 0:12

The person in the dark blue shirt fully sits down and is comfortable in her seat as she is no longer shifting. Everyone is comfortable int shier seat as they are no longer shifting in their booth seat. The person in the white shirt looks at the young boy and moves her head to the side towards the boy then moves it to the other side and opens her mouth halfway as if she is going to say something.

0:12 – 0:15

Then she looks back towards the boy and closes her mouth. The lady in the dark blue shirt looks slightly to her right at the boy. Then the scene changes and we see the outside of the diner again and the three people we saw in the previous scene are now sitting at a table inside the diner. Outside the diner we see a person in all black leaning against a post.

0:15 – 0:18

The scene stays the same except for the lights that pass by from the passing cars. The reflect on the side of the diner.

0:18 – 0:21

The screen goes black and the words in white, reading “American Reality” is on the black background.

0:21 – 1:24

Then the words “LGBTQ+ people are nearly 4 times more likely to be victims of violent crime,” fade onto the screen, also in white text.

0:24 – 0:30

The rest of the video shows the same words as said above and then two square shaped boxes pop up. The one on the right is smaller than the one on the left. The one on the left has words in the box saying “love has no labels.” The other smaller box says “ad council”.

Overview:

Three people are arriving at a diner. Two woman and a younger boy. We can assume that the two older woman are a couple and the kid is their grandkid or child, that part is unsure. They walk in and sit down in the diner then we return back outside. Then the screen pans to black and we learn that, “LGBTQ+ people are nearly 4 times more likely to be victims of violent crime.” This video is a bit confusing… I don’t understand if the two adult females are a couple or not, but if so I guess that kind of plays into the message of the video at the end.

Posted in imaginary.persona, Portfolio imaginary.persona, Visual Rewrite | 3 Comments

Visual Rewrite – ChefRat

Posted on October 28, 2024 by ChefRat

Ending Hunger

0:00

The video opens in complete darkness, but our focus is drawn to a faint light in the top left corner. As the light increases in size, we can tell a door is opening – a refrigerator door. This interior shot of the fridge allows us to many personal descriptions of the home. But first a boy, who can’t be older than 13 is peering inside. With the fridge being well-stocked with things like a bottle of milk, apple juice, a burger wrapped in fast food packaging, it seems casually organized. The household seems seems to have an abundant amount of food, to convey to the audience that this scene has a comfortable lifestyle for this boy. With the clean freshly painted kitchen behind the boy to reinforce this motion. Food certainly doesn’t seem like a scarcity for child.

00:01 – 0:02

With the door nearly fully open now, the boy has wandering eyes on his face, as he searches intently for something else, concentrated as he puts his hands on the marinara sauce and milk to push them to side. As he’s looking, there’s a man behind him, likely his father who is watching with a similar facial expression as his (likely) son. All of this food being pushed aside when its so readily available is telling us that it’s actually a secondary part of the video of ending hunger – a part of the background, an obstacle for the boy to look for his actual search.

00:02 – 00:03

As the video continues, the camera suddenly pans downward, and in our direct face is the object of the boys search, a homemade baking soda volcano. With it nearly taking up the whole shelf of the fridge. The fathers seems prideful in his son, despite the fully stocked fridge, the boy reached past all of the food to reach the volcano that seemed to have a “place of honor” in there. Only reinforcing the idea that food is a background element of this scene, than a necessity that they have to scavenge for.

00:04 – 00:05

Just as the boy grabs both ends of the volcano, to remove it from the fridge, the scene suddenly shifts. We see a blue ribbon labeled “1st Place” on a cabinet then the fathers hand reaches out to take it place it on the volcano, giving his son a pat on the shoulder and acknowledgement with a head nod. This is a clear indication of pride from the father to his son.

00:06 – 00:09

As we just finish seeing the father acknowledgement of the son we see a third person in the background, most likely the mother. Showcasing this boys full family and comfiness of lifestyle. The door closes on us, while we were still in the interior shot. Now inside that same darkness we mentioned earlier, we find ourselves inside another interior shot but from inside a double door pantry this time.

00:10 – 00:13

A young woman takes a step in the walk in pantry, her eyes wandering just like the boy earlier. Instead this seems like an average older home, but with at least 4 people behind her. This is clearly a festive get-together in their kitchen with the balloons and ribbons. After looking past all of the cereal and cans of food, her gaze comes to a close after turning on the light, to find what seems to be a blue square object. Her smile widens as she reaches past all of the food, to retrieve it.

00:13-00:16

We realize that blue square shaped object was actually her Cap for her graduation gown. The young woman takes a selfie with what can only be assumed to be her grandmother and sibling, the camera taking a few steps back showing more of their celebration and family and drinks being passed. The fully stocked space of food being overlooked once again to speak on the privilege of focusing on a milestone or accomplishment where having a celebration takes precedence over securing a daily meal shows how food empowers people to achieve more in their lives.

00:16 – 00:18

Focus of the scene shifts again, this time from the interior of a commercial-grade refrigerator with many grocery bags inside. A young man wearing an orange shirt labeled with “Volunteer” opens the door, with a wide grin on his face as he removes a bag to give to one of his many colleagues behind him. I can only assume this is a community center or food bank. This is a clear contrast to the other scenes, where food was the background detail in a life full of leisure and celebration, is now instead the main showcase of happiness. Both holders of the grocery bag being volunteers shows the appreciation of what others may take for granted.

00:18 – 00:23

The camera cuts to the community center of volunteers handing over bags of groceries over the counter to many recipients. Faces lighting up with clear gratitude, with a bag of essentials. The shift from a clearly well-off food-secure family to individuals in need is striking. It’s clear that while some may be privileged to overlook the search of daily food, others are reliant on community support. Both are seen in a positive light, but the smiles given here from the recipient to the volunteers suggests that the audience have a responsibility. Viewers who are able to relate to their oversight of daily food intake are encouraged to takes steps toward ending hunger. (A URL is posted with a white background for the next 6 seconds.)

Afterstudy With Sound – 00:00 – 00:04
Immediately the video starts with a high pitch sound that feels welcoming. It lasts until the boy gets his hands on the volcano. Comparing this to the visual rhetoric from 00:00 to 00:04, it makes it much more clear there’s no sense of concern for this boy and his father, while without sound, the visual rhetoric may mislead the audience with questioning of if there is something to be concerned about.

Afterstudy With Sound – 00:04 – 00:10

As the music becomes more somber, a woman narrator speaks about how the impact of a meal directly effects more than just feeding our bodies. All while the father is congratulating his son. Of course without sound, we can assume that the fathers wide grin, along the fridge full of food represents how they don’t have any worry’s of scarcity. It portrays a similar image as the videos visual shows how the surplus of food was just a background drop, supporting the “arbitrary” ribbon, in comparison to food.

Afterstudy with sound 00:10 – 00:16

When we transitioned to the home with the double pantry doors, continuing the same somber music, she says “Because when people are fed, futures are nourished.” In my visual rhetoric analysis, I make multiple comments during these parts of the video about how the food is a background drop, while it is true, the narrators dialogue pointing out that nourishment is a direct cause for success, is something that may have been harder to pick up. It doesn’t really alter the videos message in my opinion, but it is a very helpful guide to the conclusion they’re about to reach.

Afterstudy with sound 00:16: – 00:24

Narration continues with same tone of music. “Everyone deserves to live a full life, and with your help, together we can end hunger.” Where it leads to a URL of where us, the audience can help. All of this occurred during the food bank part of the visual rhetoric. My takeaway from the addition of sound is that the videos message didn’t inherently alter, it was just a supporting guide, but doees enhance the message. Honestly I am surprised by how much the filmmakers were able to guide us to same conclusion without the need of sound effects or the narration, but of course it is a positive thing for it to not need sound, as it can deliver the same message in a wider group of people.

Posted in ChefRat, Portfolio ChefRat, Visual Rewrite | 4 Comments

Definition Rewrite – PRblog24

Posted on October 28, 2024 by PRblog24

Expressive Writing: Prescription-Free Anxiety Relief

Individuals use many different coping mechanisms to address their stress and anxiety, some being more helpful than others. Recently, the mental health field has been introduced to a new form of stress relief: expressive writing. Expressive writing can be seen and used in many different ways, depending on the intended results. Similar to other widely known forms of therapy, expressive writing helps reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety without prescribed medication. While occasionally seen as a less formal stress relief method, compared to medical prescriptions with therapy, many studies share the positive benefits of expressive writing. The article “Expressive Writing and its Role and Reducing Anxiety in College Students” it is explaining expressive writing helps individuals address, and process, unresolved trauma, stress, and tension.

In simpler terms, expressive writing can be seen as a therapeutic practice, as it is used as a technique the individual can do on their own to relieve stress. Expressive writing encourages self-awareness and the regulation of your emotions. According to a study on college students, those who participated in the practice of expressive writing over a semester reported significant reductions in their stress levels compared to those who did not engage in the practice. College students, especially ones who are early on, are likely to face stressors due to a new environment, new transitions, and newfound anxieties and fears.

Expressive writing is widely compared to and considered a mindfulness practice for mental health. Mindfulness practices focus on processing thoughts independently, without judgment. This is similar to expressive writing as the individual reflects on their emotions and experiences on their own. The article “Mindfulness and Expressive Writing in College Students” found college students who engaged in expressive writing experience, had greater psychological benefits, compared to those who did not. This study shows that expressive writing can serve as an accessible tool for college students to address their mental health concerns.

A study published by the University of Valencia, “Mindfulness and diary writing for students stress management“, showed that students who kept a journal for 14 weeks as a part of the mindfulness course reported decreased levels of stress and anxiety. This course allowed the students to process their feelings and expressed the importance of expressive writing each day to prevent stress and anxiety.

There are many research studies that show the benefits of expressive writing. However, there are critics who may argue that it is hard to prove how effective it may be due to the number of variables involved. For example, if participants in a study decide to be involved, it may be assumed that these students already practice self-reflection and have an opinion made before the study. In the study conducted by Parker, 2021 the students who participated were psychology students, which may cause some to argue that they already were aware of the benefits due to their background in psychology. However, for many expressive writing works, and if found valuable with positive results, it should be a continued practice.

Expressive writing is a valuable tool and resource for college students who are looking for a mindful practice to reduce their overall stress and anxiety. Regardless of critics who find bias in the selection of each study, the overall evidence suggests that expressive writing has many impactful results that improve mental well-being. Incorporating expressive writing into your everyday routine overall provides an outlet to cope with challenges with stress and anxiety.

References 

Dirhan, D., & Sarcona, A. (2023, November 21). Students’ self-perceptions of mindfulness after learning mindfulness techniques in a professional skills course. 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’21). https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/171742 

Mohamed, N. (2021, May 30)  Effects of self-expressive writing as a therapeutic method to relieve stress among university students. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08893675.2023.2174678?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Poon, A. (2013) Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation on Expressive Writing.  State University of New York at Albany ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,  2013. https://www.proquest.com/openview/fbc4ed6038dbf17d4b90a7f38017e06b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750

Posted in Definition Rewrite, Portfolio PRBlog, PRblog24 | 3 Comments

Definition Argument – SkibidySigma

Posted on October 26, 2024 by SkibidySigma

Bots of Deception: How AI Fuels Fake News

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized information production and dissemination, introducing unparalleled efficiencies in communication. However, it has also opened avenues through which sophisticated misinformation—such as AI-generated misinformation—can pose serious risks to information integrity and erode public confidence in media and institutions. The ease with which AI-generated content can be produced has made distinguishing what is genuine from the fabricated difficult, potentially impacting public opinion and decision-making. Understanding exactly what comprises AI-generated misinformation is the first step in addressing the challenges associated with it. This essay defines what AI-generated misinformation is, its characteristics, and finally addresses what these mean for current detection technologies.

AI-generated misinformation describes information that is false or misleading and is produced by an artificial intelligence system without direct human intervention. This includes fake text, image manipulation, synthetic audio, and deepfake video. What differentiates this misinformation from more orthodox kinds is the use of advanced AI algorithms, including deep learning models, to generate content that is hyper-realistic and believable. Williamson and Prybutok (2023) note that with the development of large language models and GANs, AI systems have advanced to the point where they can generate content indistinguishable from that generated by humans. This raises significant concerns about the potential for the wide dissemination of false information.

Perhaps one of the most astounding aspects of AI-generated misinformation is how impressively realistic it is. For instance, GANs in deepfakes create visual realities of people seemingly saying or doing things they have never done. These can then be used to impersonate public figures, disseminate false narratives, or incite social unrest. 

The scalability of AI technologies allows for rapid generation of large quantities, hence amplifying the impact. Heidari et al. (2023) say that the ease of generating such content with AI makes it easier for malicious actors attempting to influence public opinion, manipulate elections, or commit fraud. This does not reduce the seriousness of the psychological impact on audiences who struggle to separate truth from fabrication. Advances in machine learning essentially go hand in hand with the increase of AI-generated misinformation. Deep learning models, such as convolutional neural networks and recurrent neural networks, enable AI systems to learn patterns from very large datasets and generate new content based on those patterns. GANs involve two neural networks: a generator and a discriminator. Both work in pattern with each other, each trying to outdo the other until highly realistic content is generated. All the while, the generator creates synthetic data, while the discriminator assesses its feasibilityᅳa process of constant improvement. Williamson and Prybutok (2023) add that such mechanisms allow AI to generate content capable of imitating human behavior, speech patterns, and even visual appearances with uncanny accuracy.

Current detection technologies face an uphill climb in identifying AI-generated misinformation. Most traditional methods of detection rely on identifying known anomalies or inconsistencies within the content. However, this becomes less obvious with more sophisticated AI-generated content. Heidari et al. (2023) point out that deepfake detection techniques should develop as fast as generative models. The authors further discuss several deep learning-based detection methodologies using biological signals in videos, such as heartbeat or pulse, or analyzing subtle facial movements. Despite such efforts, the constant improvement of generative models makes it a cat-and-mouse game between creators of misinformation and developers of detection tools. Williamson and Prybutok (2023) claim that without standardized protocols and computational resources for higher-tier detection, current technologies are further impaired.

This erosion of trust in digital content has broad implications, leading to increased skepticism about authentic sources of information and undercutting public discourse. Additionally, individuals whose likenesses are used in deepfakes may suffer reputational damage, raising concerns about privacy rights violations. Heidari et al. (2023) identify a host of societal consequences where misinformation leads to changes in the outcome of elections, incites violence, and spreads harmful health advice. The ethical balancing act now lies in harnessing technological innovation with the responsibility to prevent harmful challenges that must be surmounted through collaboration among technologists, policymakers, and ethicists.

Heidari et al. (2023) indicate that interdisciplinary approaches, including computer science, psychology, and legal studies, are necessary to create effective solutions. These include investing in research for better detection algorithms, educating the public about misinformation, and putting in place regulatory frameworks that will hold malicious content creators responsible for their actions. Williamson and Prybutok (2023) emphasize the need for transparency in AI development and the integration of ethics from the beginning of technological advancement. It is only by realizing the limitations of contemporary systems and undertaking pragmatic work to transcend them that society can decrease the related risks of AI-generated misinformation.

In conclusionl, AI-generated misinformation signifies a serious and evolving threat to the integrity of information and societal trust. This essay defined the term and provided an in-depth analysis of its characteristics, technological mechanisms, and implications, serving to clarify the challenges it poses. Current detection technologies cannot keep pace with the sophistication and scalability of AI-generated content; hence, there is an urgent need to stimulate more advanced methods and ethical guidelines. With the continuous development of AI, different corporations must collaborate in developing various strategies to counter misinformation. Understanding the seriousness of this issue is the first step to keeping information trustworthy in this digital age.

Sources

Heidari, A., Navimipour, N. J., Dag, H., & Unal, M. (2023). Deep learning-based deepfake detection techniques: A systematic review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery.

Williamson, S. M., & Prybutok, V. (2023). The era of artificial intelligence deception: Unraveling the complexities of false realities and emerging threats of misinformation.

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