Крепкий орешек в стихах

Один из профильных предметов, который я беру во время своего второго американского семестра в университете штата Миссури в Сент-Луисе, посвящён критике масс медиа. Во время занятий преподавательница находит интересные примеры по различным темам, в частности, одна из последних лекций касалась защите прав интеллектуальной собственности в онлайн-СМИ.

Согласно условиям использования популярного американского видеохостинга "YouTube" пользовательские видео, которые нарушают права интеллектуальной собственности (copyright infringement), удаляются после проверки жалобы от владельца таковых прав. Так как программное обеспечение для автоматического поиска коммерческих видеофрагментов на данный момент только разрабатывается, крупные компании стали нанимать людей, чтобы те следили за появлением видеороликов как на "YouTube" так и на других подобных сервисах. Например, в прошлом году одна из ведущих американских телекомпаний "Эн-Би-Си" (NBC) наняла трёх сотрудников для обнаружения видеороликов в социальных сетях. Не знаю, сколько людей работают на другую популярную американскую телекомпанию, "Fox", но они явно реагируют быстрее. Попробуйте выложить в свой профиль что-то из показываемого каналом мультсериала "Симпсоны" (The Simpsons) на YouTube или найти на "YouTube" отрывки из сериала "Баффи-истребительница вампиров" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), права на который перешли компании. То-то же.

Первоначально печальная участь удаления ожидала и группу GuyzNite, которые сочинили песню (не без крепких словец) о сюжете любимого многими боевика "Крепкий орешек" (Die Hard) с Брюсом Уиллисом и Джоном Макклейном. Естественно, прав на использование кадров из оригинального фильма они не подумали получить. Но перед выходом четвертой части франшизы компания-производитель FOX (о которой я планирую писать вторую работу по курсу) решила, что подобное использование может повысить популярность релиза (tolerate use), и разрешила музыкантам выложить клип...

Internet and Politics: Time to Shift?

Today's lecture in Mass Media Criticism class made a point that Internet has become more influential in political campaigning than before. The upcoming elections in the USA are typical examples. All major candidates - Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain have their websites encourage people to sign up for information (with Democrats, first of all you will see the page that wants you to become a supporter), donate money or become a volunteer. They also provide background information and policies of candidates for American presidency. But is this information unbiased? Some websites may help in checking information from mailing lists and public speeches or track donations by states, cities, and candidates.

The candidates even have MySpace profiles. Interesting enough, Barack Obama has fewer friends than Hillary does. McCain has a very simple page. Ron Paul was not found at all.

Many videos that appeared on YouTube were not endorsed by politicians (who have their own YouTube debates page). For example, Hillary Clinton singing national anthem of USA can now be viewed by anybody.

Yeah, Hillary is not a singer at all. Without video social networking sites, it would be forgotten, but not now.

Thank you for Smoking on Charlie Rose Show

I found out that the filmmaker of Thank You for Smoking that I am writing a paper about for my Mass Media Criticism class after having bought a used DVD was the guest of the Charlie Rose Show on PBS.

Since they discuss the film I am going to use in my future paper, it might be helpful. The same show is on DVD as well, in a better quality, but without any subtitles.

Thank you for still Smoking

Today I continue to explore media industry (though it's not high time to write the paper) by examining closely the purchased Thank you For Smoking DVD. I have found a couple of podcasts and some articles, but still have not enough time to see the entire movie at once. First, I have to read Wikipedia and figure out features of Fox Searchlight, the producing company (of course, the part of Rupert Murdock's News Corporation)

I will probably not buy the novel, especially due to the fact that it was written 12 years before the movie was shot.

I have taken some some goodies from MySpace film profile (the studios seem to like it, I found recently explored Crank there and even the soundtrack of the film under review) and some cards with examples of spin.

Crank is ready

At last I handed in my long-discussed paper on Crank. I have managed to watch it two times (the second with the commentary by filmmakers) and find all the information about it. It was nice to see the movie once again, not mentioning the fact of doing homework in such a way.

By the way, Fatboy Slim's song Right Here Right Now can be heard only in the trailer, never occurring in the movie. When I listen to this old song, I remember my Freshmen Debut rehearsals, since it was the song our department had a dance to (not with me, of course).

Thank you for Smoking (i. e. film)

Today I have received the eBay package (which was in fact a flat rate USPS envelope, announcement of which was waiting for me in the mail box Wednesday evening) with a used Thank you for Smoking Region 1 DVD.

At first, I wanted to write my paper on media stereotypes in Mass Media Criticism class on this film (after I came to the conclusion that the already purchased An Inconvenient Truth DVD and book were not suitable for this purpose), but the fear of delay in receiving the disk from the auction made me buy a used Crank DVD from the University Bookstore as once I watched Crank once in Ukraine dubbed into Russian. Now I am going to watch (and re-watch with different commentaries) Thank you for Smoking for the second paper, which will be devoted to media conglomeration and policies.

Having no time to see the movie itself, I watched only animated menu with transitions in form of cigarette smoke. I have remembered the story that happened to me when I and my groupmates in Ukraine were sitting in the cafe (traditionally named Karaoke, though it possessed only a humble player). My friend was smoking, making me see the others through the steady wall of nicotine, which didn't bother me at all (as I had no allergy to it, fortunately). Seeing that, one of my groupmates told him that her new boyfriend would never let her do so, and she would have to smoke behind him very carefully.

I found the menu and its music (found on the movie website as well) very boring and not at all enjoyable, as my friend's boyfriend would probably do. There are lots of extras listed, including a promising making-of featurette and an interview with the director.

The film is based on the novel of the same title. Should I buy it as well? However, I may find it in the university library or request a copy, since it is not a new item.

More of An Inconvenient Truth

Today I have received the awaited book from eBay, but I have already changed my mind and decided to buy another movie for the paper on mass media criticism, Crank.

In March 2007, Al Gore talked about the ecological issue to Fredrik Skavlan on NRK1's talk show "First & Last".

Crank and Video Games

Recently I went to the University Bookstore and bought a used DVD with a fun action film Crank that I once watched dubbed into Russian, to write a paper about media stereotypes (after changing my mind to do it on An Inconvenient Truth or Thank You for Smoking).

The film is more like a video game. I even found a spoof trailer on YouTube that incorporates Grand Theft Auto shots into it.

Today I understood that I knew what my professor in Mass Media Criticism class meant. I just knew the game by its abbreviation GTA, and therefore said that I had not been aware of Grand Theft Auto's existence... I wonder if I can mention it in the paper. Furthermore, the titles in the movie are in the form of Nintendo vintage games.

The disc has a commentary feature called Crank'd Out Mode, in which extra footage and the staff and crew remarks appear in the little window in the corner of the screen telling behind-the-scenes secrets.