Saturday, April 30, 2011

Presentations Week 3

        The product that I would endorse from this weeks presentations would have to be the Wonderbrella. Out of all the presentations, I thought this one would be the most useful and many people would definitely want to purchase one.
       First, I loved the name and thought that it was unique and would stand out to people. I also loved how simple the billboard was, as well as the advertisement on the matches. I would definitely want to purchase a Wonderbrella if one existed. I loved how it is customizable and will dry off with just one shake. I always hate walking to class if it is raining, and then closing my soaking wet umbrella which drips all over me. I think this is a product that can become a huge hit with teenage girls, and you will see them everywhere. I also loved the website and the whole idea of it in general.
       The flashlight idea on the umbrella and the handle that keeps your hands warm is also a really good idea. This umbrella is not only fashionable, but very clever and useful as well. I think it would mainly market towards women, so maybe eventually a men's line can also be created, where the umbrellas are all solid manlier colors. Also, she talked about how eventually rainboots may be extended onto the company, which is a great idea as well. I would definitely endorse this product because I could see it becoming a huge sensation that millions of teenage girls will invest in, including me!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Experiential #2


           Recently, I attended one of the Cinematheque screenings where I watched the film entitled The Laramie Project. The film tells the story of the aftermath and feelings of the community of Laramie, Wyoming, after a man named Matthew Shepard was murdered. Matthew left a bar with two other men who ended up beating him and leaving him tied to a fence by himself outside for hours. When he was found and brought to the hospital, he was in a coma, and later ended up passing away. The reasons for his death sparked a huge outrage not only in his small town of Laramie, but across the globe as well. Matthew’s attempted murderers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, did not have any other reason to give about why they had beat him other than the fact that Matthew was gay.
            One thing that sparked my attention from this film was the amount of people who bonded together in the town of Laramie and their reactions to Matthew’s death. They did not want people to think that because the killers were also from Laramie that all people who lived there are homophobic. Many of the other gay people that were interviewed in the movie discussed how some of them perceive it to be hard to live in a state like Wyoming, where homosexuality is kept more undercover and is talked about less. In a sense, Matthew’s death caused Laramie to become more open to homosexuality because the community bonded together over such the horrible tragedy that happened to him. People realized that even though their sexual orientation may be different, gay people are still human and deserve the same treatment as others.
            This film was very different than other films with the way it was produced and the different elements that were used because it was documentary styled. Even though the people were actors and actresses, they made the plot of the movie seem very real and like they were not reenacting the actual events that occurred. The music that played was also very reflective on the tone and mood of the movie, and many times it was slow and sad, expressing the emotion of sadness to the audience. 

Rio Experiential

          I recently saw the film Rio and was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. I did not expect it to be appealing to me because it is an animated movie with a target audience of mainly children, but it actually had me laughing at parts and enjoying it. There were many production elements that were used to make the film what it is and made it so enjoyable.
         One of the main things that I noticed as soon as the movie began were the visual elements. The film started off showing all of the birds in the jungle of Brazil and all of the surrounding land. The colors were extremely vibrant, and each bird was a different bright color such as red, blue, or yellow. The trees were bright greens and all of this immediately grabbed my attention. Just seeing the colors made me alert and focused on the movie, and intrigued to watch it and see what would happen next. The colors instilled a sense of happiness in the viewers, and the overall mood the movie gave me during those colorful scenes was upbeat. Near the end of the film, the parade also contained vibrant colors and loud music that set the tone of the movie. The colors were not always so bright, however, because there were some scenes in the movie that showed a different kind of mood. When the birds Blu and Jewel get captured, the colors are very dull and dark. This sets the tone of the movie, giving a sad and scared vibe. The colors that were used were very important in how the audience would comprehend the mood of the film.
         Another element that added to the film was the music that played as well. The opening scene of the movie also contained music as well as the different colors. All of this combined gave a tropical feel that made me wish I was there or at a beach! I loved how bright and cheery the majority of the movie seemed because of the different colors and sounds that were combined. The music used was also traditional Brazilian music for some parts which related to the setting of the film, making it very interesting to see and hear some of the Brazilian culture.
         Along with the music, I thought the actors and actresses that were picked to voice the characters were well chosen. Jesse Eisenberg was the voice of Blu, and I thought that was perfect. When Blu first meets Jewel, he is very awkward and does not know what to do or say to her. I thought Jesse Eisenberg's voice was a good fit for that because it fit the character traits that Blu had of awkward, especially around females. Anne Hathaway was also a good choice for Jewel because she made Jewel seem very self assured and confident.
         Another production element of the film was the animation that was used. Even though it was not actually real, when the scenes of Brazil were shown, it was so perfectly done that it almost looked real. The scenes with the parasailers flying right by when Blu is trying to learn to fly were also great. It made it seem like you, the viewer, were right there along with them. The angles used in this scene were also very well done because you got a view from the same height as the birds and also when they were actually flying.
         Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. The ending left me feeling happy and there were multiple times where I laughed and went 'aww' at how cute Blu and Jewel were together! The movie would definitely not be the same either without the amazing colors that were used, the music, the actors and actresses who voiced the characters, and the animation and camera angles. Everything worked together perfectly to make Rio a memorable movie that I would definitely recommend to people of all ages.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Presentations week 2

        The product that I would endorse from this weeks presentations is the Quick Clean which was presented by Larissa. I thought that not only was she very well prepared for her presentation, but she was also an effective and persuasive speaker that made you actually want to buy her product. She kept most people including me, entertained and focused on what she was saying because she was enthusiastic.
       The three campaigns that she used were a billboard, a magazine ad, and a commercial. I thought it was great how she had an actual poster with what the billboard would look like on it. The magazine was also effective and I loved how she put it inside an actual magazine to show what it would look like. Lastly, she created a commercial, which was my favorite. It was filmed in a Ramapo dorm room and the angles and close ups she used really focused on the product itself, the Quick Clean.
       What was even more interesting was the fact that she actually brought in a bottle of "Quick Clean" and a shirt that she sprayed with the product in the beginning of her presentation. At the end, when she was finished, she demonstrated how the product had worked and how it was now clean and smelled fresh. This made her presentation really interesting because of her use of props and actually having a visual of the product and what it is capable of doing.
      I think this product would do very well because it is something that everyone could use. It is quick, simple and easy and especially useful for busy college students who may not have time to do all of their laundry. It could be marketed to a large audience, including younger kids who do not even know how to do laundry, and parents can use it as well. Many people will find this product handy and want to use it because of how quickly it can work. I would definitely sponsor this product because the Quick Clean is something I would definitely use for myself.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Billboard


Picture credit:http://image1.masterfile.com/getImage/NjAwLTAyMjAwNzAwbi4wMDAwMDAwMA=AJptEP/600-02200700n.jpg

Final Paper


Kristen Garafano
Idea Development
Professor Sanchez
April 22, 2011

The Clever Closet

            Do you ever wonder how much time you waste getting ready in the morning for school or work? How many times have you looked up the weather or glanced out the window to see what kind of day it is, only to actually walk outside and realize a warmer sweater would have been a better idea? The Clever Closet is the product that will redefine your usual morning routines and completely change the way you get ready for your day. No longer will you have to spend precious time rummaging through your closet or your dresser drawers for the perfect shirt. No longer will you have to guess what the weather will be like outside. Clever Closet figures all of this out for you with just the press of a few buttons.
            The actual product that you receive when you purchase Clever Closet is essentially a touch screen computer that you install into your closet. Each piece of clothing you own needs to be scanned into the system. You then have a few different options as to what you can do and what type of outfit you want to wear. You can either press "style," which will come up with a list of different types of styles that are generated from your clothes. You can also choose "color," which will choose an outfit based on a certain color or pattern from your own clothing that you want to wear. Lastly, you can choose "random," and the system will randomly choose different pieces from your wardrobe and create an outfit. If you want, you can also manually go in and see every shirt, sweater, pair of pants, or shoes that have been scanned into the closet and choose which ones you want to wear. Clever Closet will automatically take the weather into consideration when you use it to pick out an outfit.
            This product is mainly targeted towards women, especially those who are aged thirteen years and older. This product will also intrigue men who are into fashion. The campaigns are mainly targeted towards women, however, because women tend to care more about their appearance and the type of fashion they wear. Teenagers in middle school, high school, or college will even enjoy the Clever Closet because it is a fast solution to choosing an outfit to wear, which will lessen the amount of time it takes to get ready in the morning. The three different campaigns that this product will be shown in are a magazine advertisement, a newspaper advertisement, and a billboard. Each campaign will include information about the product, the slogan, and where to purchase it.
            The magazine advertisement for the Clever Closet will be shown in magazines dedicated to fashion. A few examples of magazines that this advertisement will be shown in are Seventeen, Vogue and Teen Vogue, Glamour, Elle, and more. The reason for this is because all of these magazines have audiences of women and teenagers, which is the type of people we want to attract to purchase the Clever Closet. Approximately one million people subscribe to the magazines Teen Vogue and Seventeen, so many people around the world will see our advertisement. Because so many people subscribe to these magazines, the cost to advertise the Clever Closet in the magazine will cost over a thousand dollars. The advertisement will take up one full page, and be seen in the magazines year round. Different advertisements will be used from time to time, especially with the change of seasons to show different fashions.
            The second campaign I will be using to advertise this product is through a billboard. The billboard will be put up in average to wealthier areas where people will be able to afford the Clever Closet and also have a large wardrobe that they will find necessary to purchase this product. A billboard will also be strategically placed near a mall or shopping center such as the Garden State Plaza where shoppers will be more persuaded to get a better closet to store their new clothes that they bought in. Another location for the billboard would be near a high school or college, such as Route 17 near Ramapo College, where teenage girls will see it and realize how it could change their daily morning routine. The type of people that will be driving on the highway and see the billboard are men, women, and teenagers. The billboard will be shown every day of the week, especially near the high school, and especially during the early morning hours from 6-8:30 AM when teenagers are going to school. Also, it will be shown from 3:30-7:30 PM, when teenagers are leaving school. On the weekends, the billboard near the mall will be shown all day, where shoppers will pass it by and see it. The billboard that I will be using will cost about $1000 a month in the areas that are more heavily populated. The billboard will be 12 feet by 24 feet and be easily seen by anyone who is driving by it.
            The third campaign that I am doing for this product is a newspaper advertisement. The newspaper that this product will be seen in is The Record or The New York Times. The advertisement will be placed in the entertainment section of the newspaper, which women and younger teenagers will be more likely to read. The duration of time that the ad will be displayed in these newspapers is going to be year round, just like the magazines. The advertisements will be seasonal and the descriptions of the product will change as time goes on. The amount of issues that the advertisement will be in is about four times a week. Lastly, the cost for the advertisement to be shown in The Record will be about $1,000 because it is a local newspaper. However, for The New York Times, advertising is much more expensive and can even go up to about $50,000 or more depending on the size of the ad and if it is in color or black and white.
            The Clever Closet is a product that will change the way people are used to getting ready in the morning and picking out what they want to wear for the day. It will cut the time to prepare in half and make their daily routines faster and easier. Women, teenage girls, and even men will enjoy this product and the way it will change their lives. Through these three campaigns –a magazine advertisement, a billboard, and a newspaper advertisement, the audience will get a sense of what the product is and want to purchase it.


Works Cited
"Billboard Advertising Costs - How Much Do Billboards Cost? - Billboard Pricing - Entrepreneurial Resources - Tips for Entrepreneurs - Gaebler Ventures - Chicago, Illinois." Entrepreneur Resources - Resources for Entrepreneurs - Gaebler Ventures - Business Incubator - Holding Company - Venture Capital (Chicago, Illinois). Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://www.gaebler.com/Billboard-Advertising-Costs.htm>.
"How Much Do Newspaper Ads Cost? - Newspaper Advertising - Resources for Entrepreneurs - Gaebler Ventures - Chicago, Illinois." Entrepreneur Resources - Resources for Entrepreneurs - Gaebler Ventures - Business Incubator - Holding Company - Venture Capital (Chicago, Illinois). Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://www.gaebler.com/Newspaper-Advertising-Costs.htm>.
"How to Advertise on Billboards | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/how_4453989_advertise-billboards.html>.
"How to Advertise in Magazines | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/how_2156153_advertise-magazines.html>.
"Magazine Advertising Rates!" Nationwide Newspapers Advertising. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nationwideadvertising.com/newmagadrat.html>.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Newspaper Advertisement



Picture credit:http://www.birkey.com/product-illustration/closet-maid-organization-product/

Wall-E

The movie Wall-E is unique because of the ways that dialogue is both used and not used throughout the film. The main character, Wall-E is a robot who does not actually speak full sentences. Eve, the robot he meets and falls in love with, also uses one word sentences as well as gestures, facial expressions, and other noises. It is interesting to see the two robots communicate, because they do not use dialogue but are still able to get what they want to say across to one another. Even though he rarely says anything, the audience can still comprehend what emotions Wall-E is feeling. I found this interesting how a film with close to no dialogue between the two main characters could be so captivating and keep the attention of the audience. The only dialogue comes from the humans that live up in space, which also contributes to us understanding the plot.

Another aspect of the movie that also helps the audience understand what is occurring is the use of music. When Wall-E and Eve are together romantic music was played to show their feelings for each other and to show their relationship together. Also, when Wall-E is running after Eve to find her, the music is fast-paced and thrilling, making the scene suspenseful and also showing just how much Wall-E cares about Eve and wants to find her.
Not only does the music aid in how viewers can understand the story line, but other visuals elements of the film such as lighting and setting help as well. We can tell what time of day it is by how dark it is and the location of Wall-E. When he first sees Eve, we know it is night time because of the lighting and visual elements. When Wall-E follows Eve back up to space, everything is much brighter and clearer. The colors are visually appealing and bright and keep the audience focused and interested.
For an animated movie that does not use dialogue, Wall-E was a very good film. Usually, when you think of a movie, you automatically assume that there is going to be dialogue involved. It almost seems necessary, and like the movie would be boring and confusing without it. However, Wall-E totally went against that and even though there was not a lot of speech, the movie was great. I had never seen it before watching it in class and it was not what I expected to be at all. The filmmakers were able to create a film that appeals to all ages and genders, and one that is easy to understand and connect with, even without the use of dialogue.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Media Formats

Media #1- http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/02/23/dnt.inappropriate.stick.figures.kdvr

Media #2- http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/02/22/2011-02-22_11yearold_boy_arrested_in_colorado_over_violent_stickfigure_drawing_made_in_scho.html?r=news


The two media formats I found were a video and a news article about an 11 year old boy who was arrested for his stick figure drawings. The two media formats are very similar, but the news article goes into more details about some of the things that were mentioned in the video. The NY Daily news article even includes some quotes that were said by some of the people in the video. In the video, more is actually told about the sequence of events that occurred. In the article, more background information is given about the boy, his family, and his therapist. We are told the boy's name is Tim in the video, but when reading the article you find out that that is just a made up name because his family did not want to reveal that information. Both stories review what happened- an 11 year old boy from Colorado who has ADD was told by his therapist to draw pictures whenever he felt upset or agitated. He was doing this in school when his teachers saw him drawing a picture of him as a stick figure shooting his teachers, who were also drawn as stick figures. The words "teachers must die" were written on the paper, which caused him to be sent to the principals office. Both the article and the video tell that nothing happened at the principal's office, but later, when he got home, police showed up at his home and took him away in handcuffs. In the video, the mother, who is not shown, describes in detail how horrifying it was to see her son taken away in handcuffs. Watching the video gives you a very different feel from just reading the article, because you can actually hear their voices and the emotion they are channeling through it. The mother seems angry, upset, and shocked when talking about her 11 year old son being arrested. Even though there are quotes said by her in the article, you do not get the same effect from the video. Because of this, I think that the video was more effective in a few ways. Not only do you get the facts from the broadcaster who is speaking, you also get the facts from witnesses, family members, and other people close to the subject. The actual police report, drawing, and letters from the school are even shown in the video, which makes it more interesting and highlights the important facts for the audience. The overall video was more interesting to watch because as you hear the story being told to you, you see what is happening as well. In terms of content, the news article containing text and picture was very similar to the video and audio format of these two types of media.

Finalized Idea

My finalized idea is a closet that chooses your outfit for you. When you put new clothes into the closet, it automatically scans them into its system. You can set it to pick out certain colors or styles if you prefer something specific, and it will find something that will keep you comfortable in the weather outside as well. The target audience for this product will be girls and women, ranging from around 13 years old and up, because teenage girls and older women typically spend more time on their appearance and what they want to wear. The four different types of media that I will use to show this product are a magazine advertisement, a newspaper advertisement, a TV commercial and a billboard.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

War Of The Worlds Reaction

My family and I sat around the only radio we owned in our house and turned up the volume. A man spoke through the speakers, informing everyone about a strange meteor-like object that had fallen from the sky. No one knew exactly what it was, but the reporter did not seem worried and his voice remained calm. We all figured it was just a meteor that had just happened to land in our small town in New Jersey. This was the biggest news we had heard in weeks; things like this never happened in our boring little town.

My dad was about to turn the radio off when suddenly the reporter's voice began to tremble. He said that the object was moving, and something or someone was inside of it, trying to come out. He sounded nervous, and you could hear the screams of frightened people who were standing nearby in the background. My little brother started to cry, wanting to know what was happening. He thought the world was ending, and we were all going to die. My parents tried to calm him down, and I tried not to panic either, but it all just sounded so real. And the scariest part was that it was happening not too far away from our home.

The broadcast cut out, and music began to play. We didn't know what was going on, or if the reporter had gotten hurt or worse. My parents locked all of the doors and closed all of the blinds just to be safe. We sat huddled together on the floor in our living room waiting for the man's voice to return.

Finally, it did. He sounded even more scared than before, and you could still hear people crying out in the background. He told us that people were dead; the creature inside came out and began killing innocent bystanders. My parents looked at each other in fear and my brother continued to cry. I was extremely worried. These things were on the loose, had the ability to kill people, and no one knew who they were and where they came from. Who knows what their intelligence was like or what kind of destruction they were capable of?

My parents decided the best thing to do would be to evacuate our home and just drive somewhere far away where we would be safe. We quickly packed up a few necessary belongings into our suitcases and loaded them into the trunk of our car. My dad, who remained fully composed throughout this entire time, sat behind the steering wheel and began to drive the four of us to my mom’s sister’s house about an hour away. We figured we would be safe there and that these “aliens” wouldn’t be able to travel that far.

Little did we know that by the time we got there the aliens would have already found their way over there...


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Left vs. Right Brain

While I was reading the information about left and right brains, I started to realize that a lot of the traits associated with left brained people pertained to me. I tend to process things from part to whole when it comes to my homework and my learning style in school. Although I do not make schedules or lists of tasks I need to complete everyday, I do like to stay organized and even if I don't write down a list, I think of it in my head. I've also always been a pretty good speller so that trait of left brained thinkers definitely fits me. When it comes to studying for tests, whether it be something like vocabulary or math formulas, I am able to memorize the words with no problem. I thought that when I would take the quiz, I would be split up with some left brained traits and some right brained as well, but I actually responded as a left brained person to every single question. This was a little surprising to me but after looking at all of the characteristics again I realized it does describe me pretty accurately.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Three Ideas

1. Something that automatically melts snow and cleans off your car

2. A closet that chooses your outfit for you

3. A device that makes your bed with the press of a button