Amin W14: Final Thoughts

Hello everyone,

 I cannot believe the year and this assignment has come to a conclusion. It was a fun course overall and I have learned a lot this term. In relation to my final product I am happy I'm DONE. In addition I'm happy with how it turned out. I didn't go over the time limit by that much. Before the actual recording of the podcast I thought I would have been short on time but when one really breaks it's down and records the actual piece, one would understand the pacing and language changes everything.

With the actual recording of my product It could have been a bit better in my opinion. My voice was a bit monotone because I was so focused on making sure I was pronouncing my words correct. In terms of pacing I felt I did okay for a first time experience with audacity and producing podcasts. If I could go back I would try and focus on each line a bit more so that I could deliver the piece with more flare and character. Other than that I wouldn't have changed much. At first thought I didn't have enough information to complete the podcast but while recording and seeing the time restriction I realized I had more than enough information for my project.

One piece of advice I would offer to students starting this course is to start EVERY component of this class early. It's better to have a grip of what you want your topic to be from early on because this gives alot more time for research. Another piece of advice would be be careful about what information you obtain and sources of media you use before hand because of copyright constraints. If you know copyright rules and constraints from early on such as using only 10% of a source than it would save you a lot of time in the long run. I was put in a position where I had to improvise and change my product slightly towards the end of the project because of copyright issues. Other than that you should do well. It's a fun and very interactive course which really brings out one's creative side.

Amin W14: Listen Now! "The Myth of the Perfect-Man"

Hello everyone,

My podcast episode will explore the ideas and perception of gender, social relationships and body image within advertising by using the popular 2010 Old Spice campaign entitled “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”. Diving into ideologies directly related to our society which is founded on consumerism, the implications it has on us as viewers are never ending. Only when we understand the techniques used within the advertising campaign will we be able to understand what we're being sold and as a result learn how to avoid and not succumb to the evils of forced consumerism which is taking a toll on the general public.

Enjoy.

Amin W14: Software

Hello to all,
After little deliberation I have decided to stick with a recording software/program that I am quite familiar with and that software is none other than Audacity. This is the first software that came to mind when thinking about programs to use because I had used Audacity in high school for a project very similar to the one we are doing now. It's been a WHILE since that time so I still decided to brush up my skills regarding this program a bit and what other way then to watch tutorial videos on YouTube.

Since I am familiar with this program I simply typed in YouTube's search bar "Audacity Tips and Tricks" and the first video on the Page was entitled "8 time saving tips and tricks for Audacity" by Daniel Lewis. The video which goes really in depth (about 40 minutes long) gave me some important pointers I could use when using this program. Things that will decrease the frustration factor when dealing with long and complex tasks such as these.

Some tips included:

Backwards Editing-Keep a log of what you need to edit, so that you don't have to listen from the beginning
-Along with this if you were to edit backwards(start the last part you needed to edit) it only changes the flow of everything after that point (which shouldn't be much because it's at the end). For me this was important because I get frustrated easily and I like things to run as smooth as possible.

Selection Jumps-Automatically goes to the point of interest in the podcast (This makes editing much easier for me and less frustrating)

Keyboard Shortcuts- Crtl-Scroll wheel- zooms in and out of project (based on where mouse cursor is)
Ctrl+B- creates labels for remembering important pieces of information (such as labeling what places need editing work etc.)
J-Jumps to begining of audio track
K-Jumps to end of audio track
On Menus look to see if their are keyboard shortcuts under each heading!

Chains- Allow presets for settings that one may use for their tracks (For example pitch, speed, effects etc.) This is very helpful when one uses repetitive sounds/settings on their tracks and overall it saves a whole lot of time.

These are the few tips I look forward to using that would make this project much more easy and durable. Years after initially using the program, by watching tutorials on YouTube and testing out the software myself I'm starting to feel a bit more comfortable and confident with using Audacity.
I have tried recording a few pieces of audio and it sounds okay. The thing is I only used the microphone that is installed in my laptop so that could be the very reason. I will be receiving an actual mic tomorrow and I have no doubt it will sound much more clearer and better. Hopefully it will display a piece of sound worthy enough for a final draft.

Works Cited
Lewis, J. Daniel. (2013, Jan 22). 8 time-saving tips & tricks for Audacity. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gej3LVNKO0E

Amin W14: Search Strategies

Hello,
For the podcast assignment I have used both Google Scholar and Library Databases (mostly JSTOR) and I like both of these forms of obtaining information. However I preferred using JSTOR accessible from the York U library homepage because I had the ability to search for specific articles and these articles were always free. A lot of the articles I had found on Google scholar were somewhat relevant and the really good ones had copyright issues so every piece of information I wanted to obtain, they had forced me to pay a hefty price to which as a college student on a tight budget i gracefully declined. I felt more comfortable with JSTOR anyways, I have used it plenty of times prior and I have found some useful information that I used on my draft transcript.

The best way to obtain information is to always compare sources and texts one comes across. This form of content analysis helps the reader distinguish what is true and relate able to the the topic at hand. Articles found on Google Scholar that were really interesting (only gave a summary) I had also found on JSTOR so just by that example alone I have used Google Scholar per say to find information valuable on JSTOR.

Key differences again go along with the availability of certain articles in terms of a financial aspect. Other than that I had found most of the articles on Google Scholar are a lot more recent  and in JSTOR the texts are a bit older (for the topic I was doing; Advertising). JSTOR allows advanced searches down to the text featured within an article and I found that quite helpful when looking for information.

Finally after using both forms of research I would still use both of these sources. Simply because they both produce valuable information. For issues or topics that don't need to be updated much such as history I would use JSTOR and things which change constantly such as technology I would probably use Google Scholar. However I would use both these sources for upcoming research assignments.

Amin W14: Digging Deeper

Hello,
Having a topic based purely on advertising and techniques used within advertising (Under the Influence) I have started researching for information using various marketing databases.I was having a little trouble finding more information  on my topic but the lecture that had just passed, had taught me a lot about researching for proper scholarly/popular resources I will be able to use for my final product. At the moment I have:

Scholarly Sources:

Elliot, Richard, and Christine Elliot. "Idealized Images of the Male Body in Advertising: A Reader-response Exploration." ComAbstracts. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1 Mar. 2005. Web.

 Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California, 2003. Print.    

Cooper, Marjorie J. "Are We Sending Mixed Messages? How Philosophical Naturalism Erodes Ethical Instruction." Journal Business of Ethics 75.2 (2007): n. pag. JSTOR. Web.

I am looking for scholarly articles on topics of general marketing(to begin with), the social relationships directly related to advertising as well as the idea of body image(in my case the image of the male in question) and how that ideology affects society as a whole. I have found a few sources pertaining to this but I however still have to look for a lot more information that will allow me to complete this assignment in the given time limit.

Popular Sources:

Old Spice: Questions. Dir. Tom Kuntz. Perf. Isaiah Mustafa. YouTube. Old Spice, 29 June 2010. Web.

Craig, Alyse. "Old Spice versus Axe: Exploring the Role of Commercials in Viewers’ Lives." Psychology Department. Hanover College, n.d. Web.

The popular sources I have found are articles talking about the the commercial and some of the techniques used within the advert and how it may relate to how we see society in modern day. I would like to search for more popular sources that have some of this information for two reasons: 1)I need a lot more information 2) I want to see other people's opinions and take on this advert(not just people who are deemed scholarly). I want a broad range of ideas displayed within my podcast. 

I am still finding myself searching for more information and find it challenging to land fully on a research question. Throughout this little break I hope to acquire a lot more knowledge that would allow me to complete this assignment with ease. 

Amin W14: Pitching

Some pieces of advice I have found this week that may help me in the pitching assignment include:

1) Instigator Blog
The webpage Instigator Blog gave me some insightful advice in which I believe will help me succeed in delivering a professional yet interesting pitch. The two things I have learned about pitching ideas from this webpage are 1) Don't be Gimmicky and 2) Don't save the best for last. The first point is really important because if the gimmicks such as props can be a hit or miss in terms of winning over your audience. If the prop is essential to your idea and helps the audience understand the product being advertised a bit more than it is great. However if props are used wrong then it can slow down your presentation, you will become stuck which will cause nervousness and it all goes down hill from there. The second point is important because one should engage their audience from the jump. If information is left towards the end, the audience will lose patience. If you start with something interesting the audience will be at the edge of their seats waiting to see your next move.

2) CNBC-Shark Tank
This webpage run by CNBC and the people who produce the show Shark Tank (all about business and proper pitches) gave some great advice that I can apply to my pitch. However one piece of advice which stands out is to Act Naturally. Out of all the information this seems the most applicable to pitching in my opinion. Although it may pass off as common knowledge I have seen many times when a presenter is not genuine in their character and it will hurt the reception that the audience gives off. I am more attached to somebody and their idea if they are presenting in such a way that I know that they are not pretending to be something they are not. Acting natural gives off a sense of trust within the audience and that is, I believe an important trait when trying to convince somebody of a great idea with a limited amount of time.

3) Business News Daily
Taken from a webpage that is all about business I have learned a few tips on how to successfully conduct the "Elevator Pitch". Although my pitch is due to be four minutes maximum the idea still applies that the pitch needs to be short and sweet. The piece of advice I found interesting was simply for the pitch to Have Value. This means that besides mentioning what your product is you have to explain in a short amount of time (earlier the better) you must explain what value your idea/product has towards the audience/consumer. What's so special about your idea? Why does your idea surpass the ideas and products of others? The more value your product has to the audience the better chance it has to get picked up by the people you are pitching to.

Works Cited

Mielach, David. "7 Tips for a Great Elevator Pitch." BusinessNewsDaily.com. N.p., 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

"Ten Tips for Making the Perfect Pitch." CNBC.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

Yoskovitz, Ben. "15 Quick Pitch Tips for Kick Ass Presentations." Instigator Blog. N.p., 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. 

Amin W14: Topic Selection

Hello,

After some deliberation, I have decided and chosen to try and emulate "Under The Influence" a podcast conducted by Terry O'Reilly on CBC's radio station. I was drawn into this podcast simply because of the context the podcast speaks upon. Advertising is a very important part of the world that we live in today. Living in an age where everything is driven by the dollar and consuming it is important to know how and why these advertisements affect the way we see certain products on the market. More importantly do these advertisements and products being sold affect the way we live as a society.

After viewing multiple episodes I have noticed that O’Reilly’s tone of speech is more serious and informative rather than playful and friendly. He normally starts his podcast episodes with a sound clip of whatever he may be talking about during the episode. I love this approach because right off the bat it grabs the viewers’ attention because they may or not have heard the sound clip before. He also plays more sound clips before every new topic he speaks upon the show which I think is a creative way of letting the listener know that the gears are changing within the program.

The advertising campaign that I will be focusing on in my remake of this podcast is the Old Spice “The Man Your Man Can Smell Like” or also known as “Smell like a man, man”. I feel that there is a lot to say about the advertising campaign, some questions that may arise include, What does the advertisement campaign say about our culture? This question in itself I feel will be sufficient in terms of information and timing within the assignment.

Looking at Spark for advice on research and topic selection was not helpful for me. Rather I chose something I was interested in; relationships between advertisers and society. I was watching Football and thought about what ads may appear on television during the Super Bowl and this campaign came to mind because it was quite successful in conveying a message and earned a lot of money as a result.

Amin W14: Introductions

Hello, my name is Amin and I am a second year student at York University majoring in Communication Studies as well as Professional Writing. I am most excited and hopeful to learn about how to effectively research topics without drifting away from the main topic at hand. In other words, I want to learn how to find more information relative to the issue being discussed using less time. As a COMN/PRWR major I am interested in Journalism and/or Public Relations. Moreover I am a massive sports fan as well as a Hip-Hop/music fan and I wish to incorporate those few passions within future endeavors.

 I have no experience nor have I heard of RefWorks or Zotero but I look forward to researching and educating myself on these two programs over the course of the semester. My hobbies are a base of most my research experience other than writing school papers. I am a frequent visitor on VICE, a news based webpage (as well as other items such as music, films etc.). More specifically a lot of the documentaries I view on this site intrigue me so much so, that I end up researching the events looking to find further information on the topic being discussed within these short films. I do not have much experience creating podcasts other than a few I did back in high school but I listen to a lot of podcasts such as Tim and Sid on Sportsnet 360 so I do not feel intimidated but eager to make my own podcast in the near future.

A few concepts I am considering for the final podcast are “Stuff you missed in History Class”, “Under the Influence”, “Freakonomics” and “On the Media”. I am considering these because each of them I find quite interesting. However out of all of these, the history topic will be interesting for me because I feel that it will allow me to fully further my researching skills because for a topic like that you need the most information possible. It’s purely based on facts and an assignment like that will not only help my skills but it will be interesting to learn new things that I haven’t come across prior.