Ritualistic Gathering

There are some shows that people will flock to. Some shows will bring people together in groups or even have entire parties dedicated to them.

The most common example of this is the famous "office parties." Making a show a cult classic helps to build the infamy of a show.

"The Office" has become more than a television show, but a social event. This is an incredible advantage for television companies.

The Video Game Awards

I am sitting here watching the Video Game Awards on Spike TV. It is amazing how spectacular this event is.

I wonder if the creators of pong ever imagined how huge the video game industry has become.

It is clear from this event that video games have progressed beyond a handful of nerds. Lots of companies and big name stars have discovered that there is a lot of money to be made in this market. The video game industry is becoming a very influential market all on it's own.

With big names like Jack Black, Jake Gyllenhaal, Snoop Dogg and more it's hard to ignore a powerhouse industry like this one.

Advertizing on Nick Jr.

I was recently browsing Nick Jr.'s website because I really wanted to see Blue's Clues because it's awesome.

Something that I found interesting is that there were ads on the video feed that were clearly for adults. This is brilliant.

When they advertise their website, they clarify that a parent should assist the child in using the site. This ad is clearly targeting mothers that are sitting with their kids at the computer.

Mormon cult....films

There are those handful of movies that the LDS world loves to watch. These movies include Princess Bride, Goonies, Napoleon Dynamite, Newsies and Footloose.

These films have somehow made it into the "Mormon Date Night Hall of Fame."

For the companies that have created these films that have become Mormon Legends, this means extended longevity in a very large niche.

This may not be a bad idea for major movie companies.

YO GABBA GABBA!

Children have something cool to look at now. Yo Gabba Gabba! is a terrific show for both kids and adults.

The show features many stars such as Tony Hawk, Jack Black and Elijah Wood. This is the smartest thing a children's show can do.

Adding these stars makes the viewing experience nice for both the adults and children. It seems that most children's programming have discovered this. It's not just as simple as "make the kids happy." You have to entice the parents in so that they will be encouraged to let their kids watch.

The Paparazzi Code of Ethics

The ironic part about the title of this blog post is that it's about as real as Santa Clause.

I apologize if I made any children cry.

As a photographer, I am strongly against pathetic urchins like the paparazzi.

This drive to get pictures of the people that we want to see makes them step over ethic bounds.

Here are is the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics:

Visual journalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work:

1. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
2. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
3. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one's own biases in the work.
4. Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.
5. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
6. Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
7. Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
8. Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
9. Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.

The Paparazzi probably break quite a few of these.

But this is what people want to see.

Jersey Snore

I have not watched this show entirely but Jersey Shore is where we should draw the line for reality television. I'm not sure why we put a "reality" label on shows like this.

Check out the clip:

Jersey Shore - MTV Shows

Does this accurately represent our generation? Do we want people looking at this thinking that this is what our youth is like? This is one of the saddest things I have seen on television.

We are better than this.

Swearing at night

I was watching television late a night and noticed something interesting. There was a lot of swearing.

They were getting away with words that I didn't think you could say on the television. It was news to me.

And it has even migrated to daytime television. I love Band of Brothers. A lot. There were a few words that I didn't know were allowed. For example, "s--t" was on there. I was a little shocked.

We're slipping.

Google Trends

Google trends is great.

This tool can be used to see what people are searching, where it is being searched and momentous articles that cause spikes in searching.

Imagine what this will do for various advertising or public relations firms.

This is a search of the "Cyrus Virus" herself. check out the results!

Google's Real-Time Search

This is pretty awesome.

Because Google is amazing at consuming everything on the planet, they are able to search for things on a live update.

For example, when I type in a hot topic like "Tiger Woods," I see tweets, articles, facebook updates and Yahoo! Answers streaming in. This is going to change how we receive information.

News is moving from daily to moment-ly.

Perez Hilton is no better than his Paris Counterpart

Perez Hilton is really annoying.

He has received many attacks, both verbal and physical, and is still trucking.

He deserves every second of it.

He is inconsiderate, uncaring and rude. Unfortunately, I feel that many may look at him as representing our generation. The rest of us human beings are going to have to be extra nice and curteous to make up for his transgressions.


Check out this video of a KTLA morning news anchor getting angry at him:

Saving Face-book

Facebook is a great way to connect with people. Now, more than ever, people are able to meet up with people that they haven't seen in years.

However, it is not a good place to update us on the status of your bed (See image to the right.)

Sometimes, people have an extra amount of self-disclosure on Facebook. This makes interpersonal communication very...odd.

Pre-Packaged Music

I hate pop music.

The biggest reason is that, honestly, it all sounds the same. For example, this mash-up of two Nickelback songs shows how unoriginal this band really is.



It must be very difficult for "artists" to come up with original material these days.

On the other hand, perhaps this just shows the level of taste in our culture. Here is another video showing songs that are very commonly liked. They are sung to the tune of the same four chords.

New name, Same quality

The former "Sci-Fi" channel is trying to shed its nerdy image by creating a new name. The "Syfy"channel may be TRYING to get rid of this, a name change is not going to do it. This image will remain with their poorly produced movies and shows that depict people fighting really bad CG dragons and world only a dungeon master could come up with in a game with his friends.

They just need to try a little harder.

Question of Love

I'm pretty sure the television industry has no idea what the word "Love" means. Their definition would be "winning a reality competition in order to be with someone until the next season starts."

Why people even turn to that smut for entertainment is beyond me. And television networks have the audacity to refer to their programs as "reality."

Furthermore, if we have these ridiculous shows, such as "For the Love of Ray-J" or "Rock of Love," it could warp our concept of what "love" really is. Of course no one is going to think of love as a contest that you can win on television. However, people may think of love as extremely superficial and trite.

Thanks again, television.

Auto-Tune

The world of music is changing.

Recently, an audio editing software called "Auto-tune" has swept the music industry. The program is capable of taking any voice and turn it into singing.

What does this mean for the music industry? With music becoming easier to create, will it become as DYI as the video world has with YouTube?

Here is an example of auto-tune used on a famous viral video:

The "Game Changer"

Not long ago, a photographer from AP photo came to BYU-Idaho. Ted Warren, the photographer, spoke about his career as a photographer and where the business is heading.

It's the internet and video. This is, of course, coupled with good still photography.

He uses the Canon 5d Mark ii. He refered to it as the "Game Changer" camera. This meaning that a photographer could show up to his photo shoot with just ONE camera.

This camera shoots full HD video along with taking still photos. Imagine the change this camera can make/is making on the photography world.

I want one.

Check out a sample of the video:

The Eye of the Tiger

There is a whole lot of fuss over Tiger Woods and the recent events in his life. Within the past week or so, he's been involved in a car accident and accused of cheating on his wife.

My question is: WHO CARES!?

Major news outlets are covering these happenings as though it's hard news. Well, it isn't. This could happen a month from now and it still wouldn't effect our economy or position in Afghanistan.

It's only news because nothing else is news worthy right now. Oh, except for the war we're fighting and the condition of health care in this country.

Rehash-o-vision

We've seen a lot of resurfacing of shows that we thought were dead. Many of these shows include Scrubs and The Jay Leno Show. These shows were popular in their time, but is it becoming "cookie-cutter" television?

It seems that television networks are just bringing shows back in new packaging and handing too us as though we've never seen it.

Funny thing is, we're going for it.

The Night Elf Mohawk

The popular Mass Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft has started a new ad campaign. In it, we find Mr. T claiming that he is making the game "look good." The WoW spokesman's represented character, The "night elf mohawk," is giving out "mohawk grenades" in the game. These grenades turn yours and your friend's avatars into "night elf mohawks." Along with this magical enticement, the ad is coupled with an offering of a free trial.


This is clearly an enticement to hook more people. In my opinion, this is just like drug dealers giving out drugs to get people hooked. Quite frankly, it's smart. Well played, Blizzard Entertainment. Well played.

PSA on texting while driving

A police department in south-east Wales produced a Public Service Announcement that graphically shows the consequences of texting while driving. The PSA, produced by the Gwent, Wales police department, shows a group of girls smashing into a car head on due to the drivers distractions while texting.

This is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed. According to Vlingo, a cell phone application provider, 62 percent of teens admit to reading incoming text messages while driving. This harsh PSA could be in response to this epidemic.

Check out the video and judge for yourself.

Verizon Vs. AT&T

Verizon's recent attack on AT&T got me thinking, "Why the attack?"

With Verizon's take-over of Alltel, there was very little competition for the mobile powerhouse. However, there only competition is AT&T and their corner on the iPhone market. By showing the coverage of their competitor, they are attempting to downplay the iPhone.


AT&T attempted to sue Verizon on the basis that the ads are misleading. They stated:

"In essence, we believe the ads mislead consumers into believing that AT&T doesn't offer ANY wireless service in the vast majority of the country. In fact, AT&T's wireless network blankets the US, reaching approximately 296M people. Additionally, our 3G service is available in over 9,600 cities and towns. Verizon's misleading advertising tactics appear to be a response to AT&T's strong leadership in smartphones. We have twice the number of smartphone customers... and we've beaten them two quarters in a row on net post-paid subscribers. We also had lower churn -- a sign that customers are quite happy with the service they receive."

Though AT&T might be raising a stink, Verizon's ENTIRE network is 3G whereas AT&T's coverage is not. Hmmm....

Video Game Advertising

Something that I've noticed is how video game companies have been advertising their games lately. Mostly, they are boasting the incredible graphics that these games and gaming systems can produce. They seem to be doing this with extremely smooth transitions so that the line between reality and the game is blurry. Check out this commercial for the new Forza Motorsport 3.

The Blindside

I recently saw the movie The Blindside. I feel that this movie is one of the most unique films that has come out in a while. It isn't unique based on the content itself, but because of its success.

According to the the Internet Movie Database, the movie made 40.1 million dollars in its opening weekend.

How did this seemingly "cheesy" movie do so well?

Jeff Vice of Deseret News said, "Yes, this feel-good sports/biographical drama is predictable and by-the-numbers. Yet for the most part, this cinematic "comfort food" goes down pretty well."

I feel that people WANT to see wholesome entertainment. This was probably a breath of fresh air in a world full of violence, sex and negativity, which could be the reason for it's success.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I recently went to see a movie at the movie theater. Luckily, I was attending a movie that WASN'T New Moon. There were lines that were longer than some of the roller coasters at Busch Gardens. New Moon made over $140 Million in its opening weekend making it the third highest opening weekend. How this "saga" grew beyond weird, gothic women is beyond me.

Something that I have noticed is that people have forgotten what a vampire really is. A vampire is demonic. Does anyone remember that? They hate crosses, holy water....anyone else seeing a trend?

So we see twitter posts like this:
"Watched 'Twilight',the 1st in the sagas...WOW,wot a brilliant film.Can't wait to watch 'New Moon',Edward Cullin can bite me anytime!"

Come on, guys. Really? REALLY!?

Beginnings

I am a photographer.

I have no problem saying that. I say it without reservation. Being a photographer is everything to me. I learned on film, and I can trace my photographic knowledge to that.

Recently, I have had a lot of people ask what they should do to get into photography. I tell them something that they aren't exactly expecting.

I tell them to buy a film camera.
Many people are shocked by this. "Film? Why Film? I already own a digital camera." There are many reasons why I tell people to learn on this seemingly archaic medium.

Digital photography can thank film for what it has.
Most of the camera settings on a digital camera exist because it was a concept on a film camera. For example, ISO settings come from the concept of different film speeds that someone would use. I used to use a lot of 400 speed film, which is ISO 400. There are some differences, but understanding film will give you a general sense of ALL cameras.

Film hurts, and that's how we learn.
There are few consequences in Digital photography. With film, you only get a hand full of shots that you don't get to see until you taken the time and money to have them developed. The disappointment of a botched roll of film is part of the learning experience. With digital photography, that feeling of defeat is alleviated by an "erase" button.

I own a Canon 40d. With that, I have an 8GB compact flash card. I am capable of taking 626 RAW images. Compare that to the 36 images you get in a canister of film. A film camera teaches you to take your time because of it's lack of an LCD and massive compact flash cards. You learn how to make a real exposure as opposed to a simple "trial and error image."

Sure, you can turn of the LCD screen and limit yourself to 36 shots with a digital camera. But that's not the point.

When you rely on the camera to take the pictures, you become the tool.
Learning on a film camera will keep you from becoming an "equipment photographer."

Allow me to explain. An "equipment photographer" is someone who depends solely on the camera. That person is not a photographer at all. Rather, they are just "picture takers" with expensive equipment.

Buy a cheap film camera. Get one from you father or grandfather. Learn how to take quality images without too many automatic settings. The camera should only be an extension of your talent, not the talent itself.

Remember, your camera is a tool.

I don't hate digital photography. I own a digital camera. However, if you ask me what steps you should take to become a good photographer, I will tell you what you don't want to hear.

Try film.