TA Style check: The Art Spirit

The Art Spirit, a book of compiled teachings by renowned artist Robert Henri, works better as a compilation of thoughts and advices. The words were written honestly and without intent to write anything significant. It is merely a collection of sincere advice, honest correspondence, truthful reflection and critique, and pure intentions. At times, it seems like Henri struggles to accurately explain his feelings. Perhaps that is why the same core feelings and thoughts are expressed over and over throughout the entire book. You can definitely tell that he really thinks and feels the way he has written it, and yet it goes deeper than that. Personally, I take a more practical approach towards art and generally adhere to a more practical definition thereof, but it would be ignorant of me to deny the fact that there truly are philosophies at work in art, and that art is not so much a state of doing as it is a state of thinking. As Henri proposes, an artist must concentrate. An artist must use his brain. An artist must learn to see. These are all practical things, in addition to the many practical advices he offers, but his main point is that an artist must feel. He must feel what his subject is. He must feel a certain way about it. He must depict the way he feels in his work. He must constantly and always feel like an artist. If a student learns the business of drawing, he has learned to draw, but nothing else, just as an actor can learn to recite lines, but not truly act. It is something more to be an artist. Being an artist is a state of mind, and according to Henri, that state is relative to each artist. Each should be unique, sincere, and open to ideas, feelings, and concepts. A true student of art must already be an artist. Everything else will follow. This autor is able to use style to be very persuasive and convince us the readers of the irronious idea that "if you have it , you have it, if you dont, you dont". I would say that it is very effective.

TA Tone, Style application for Health Paper.

For this up coming paper on Health care I am trying to --hone-- My Tone--, and slick my style, for this up coming paper. Here is an exurp that I habe been working on. The purpose of this segment of my paper is to target the basic econimic realities that most all educated people understand. The tone is a bit more formal and the apeal is to economic logic. How do I do? thanks

Currently the United States spends $2 trillion on health care. The fraction of gross domestic product spent on health services has increased over many years, totaling now one-seventh of gross domestic product. Health care spending has risen because, on the supply side, quality of care has increased and often higher quality is associated with higher prices. But demand for health care services has also increased because of improved quality of health services and longevity. People live longer and thus demand more health care to maintain a high quality of life. Further, technological advances have given people more options for highquality care. Treatment for ailments in the health care sector has a large discretionary component.
Some people opt to be treated for mild depression, decreased mobility, cosmetic concerns, etc., others do not. As the quality of life-improvement services increases, more people take advantage of these new options, as expected when quality of services rises faster than its price. This sum of circumstances can explain much of the increase in health care spending. At the same time, it would be interesting to know what would happen to demand if more patients were paying out of pocket. To spend more on medical services and less on food or housing is an individual’s choice, and from an economic perspective this is no problem if choices are not distorted, as for example through public subsidies. As we get richer as a nation, we may decide to devote more and more resources to health care, because our basic needs for food and housing are fulfilled, to further improve our quality of life.

RA Movie: I am Legand with Will Smith

Now that blue ray has finally won out over HD DVD, and the Home HD experience is upon us. I did it........ I purchased my first SD (standard Definition) DVD. Am I behind the times or what?

I must admit that I don’t watch much TV, if at all in a week, but Do love movies, And I am a frequent patron to the red boxes around Provo. This week I came to the realization that I once you add all of my late fees to the mix. I am paying almost as much as if I had just bought the DVD. So when My brother and sister were in town this past week and their suggested movie " I am Legend" was not a Red Box or Hollywood video, I went out and bought it. And I don’t regret it. If you have not seen it, stop here and go and see it, if you have please read the remainder of this post for my Rhetorical analysis of the movie.

I am going to analyze how effective the makers of this movie were able to persuade, or pull you into the movie's reality.

First the Plot: In New York a doctor comes up with a cure for cancer and it has cured 10006 of its 10006 test subjects, however as you learn through flashbacks there are dire consequences, you turn into a zombie like creature. Through their flash backs you learn that the disease became airborne, and also passed from infected to uninfected. The government sealed off NY Island by exploding the bridges. The disease killed 98% of its hosts and the rest are zombies, except will smith and his dog who he has protected from the disease.

All of the above information was given through flash backs as the present of th Movie, Will Smith is alone in Long Island, hunts from his mustang, the deer that run the streets. and Will Smith in his basement is trying to come up with a way to transfer his immunity to the infected.


What worked:
In the city shots when will smith was out and about, the city was supposed to look as if it has stayed still for 3 years, there are weeds growing up through the cracks in all of the streets, and all of the cars that were once jam packed trying to get out of the city are still in the streets. Everything had a dusty look to it. Some of the buildings had plastic wrapped around them with the Bio hazard symbols on it. I first though that the plastic was to keep the infection out, but when i thought more about it, it was to keep the infection from getting out of the building. All of these Computer effects were effective in pulling me into the movie because if the way they created a logical, landscape for the situation, they also used emotion through specific examples of families that were infected, to generate fear of the disease and to reinforce its reality.

Some things that did not work:
Despite the strong pull for logic in the NY Cityscape, during the movie, I realized that there were some significant flaws that detracted me from completely believing their reality and that was the city was in far to good of shape. There were no sighs of looting, damage, fire, bones, broken glass or anything that would indicate that there had been a massive disturbance of the city. AKA every one is running for or defending their lives. not to mention the fact that there are millions of zombies that come out at night and look for food..... and they are not very calm or peaceful creatures.

If the movie makers would have addressed these issues in their logical argument for the films reality they would have pulled more viewers into the movie. As it currently sits I would give the movie a 8 out of 10 for its effectiveness, to pull in the viewers.

TA Practice using style in my ending paragraph

When talking with James Christensen the world renowned illustrator and motivational speaker, he said “…we teach art not make or recruit more artists, but to spark and fan creativity. We teach art to help our students to think outside the box and to avoid creating students who can only plug and chug”. Like Albert Einstein said “imagination is greater than knowledge” and by creating more time for the arts in our school systems Math, Sciences, and English scores will increase and we will maintain our edge on outside markets because we have taught our students the vital skill of how to be creative.

Any Sugestions??? Thanks

RA Nikon Camera AD analysis

I went through some ad's and found one that stood out to me. Based on the magazine it was found in, ESPN the Magazine, the audience is primarily men who seek a little adventure and fun through sports and hobbies and being outdoors. It is aiming at an older audience; most young men don't have the money for an SLR digital camera. The picture being shown is of a child; indicating that the camera can be used to capture the sporting events of a child. A woman is holding the picture out towards us...it is a huge and clear printout of the child, indicating that you can capture a moment in clear detail and print it out at even a large size without sacrificing quality. The headline of the ad stresses that more of your pictures will be good; that before she had to delete 9 out of 10 pictures, but then she got the Nikon D40. It's basically saying that this camera is so good that it will do the rest; no substantial talent needed.

The ethos for the ad is that it is in a major publication and is from a well known company. Nikon is recognized as being a leader in the industry, along with Canon...It doesn't try to seek credibility in a study or statistic that proves it's the best camera on the market. Mainly because it's a entry level camera, and they want people to see it and think "if I want a cheaper alternative to taking great photos, then the Nikon D40 is the one for me." Another ethos aspect is that it invites you to log onto a website and see the sample photos taken by 200 amateurs who were given the camera for free; this backs up their claim that anybody can take a good photo, even you. The Logos is played on a little less; if you get this camera, you will take better photos. Each photo you take will be better, so you'll capture that special moment. The pathos of this ad is the woman holding the picture. She is smiling and is in bright yellow clothing; she stands out from the crowd, just like you will do if you have this camera. The picture features a happy, smiling child...Appealing to the emotions of anybody with a child who has ever taken a picture of their child or wished they had better photos of their child. It's a common and simple emotional appeal. I think it's effective for the target audience; they don't need to see data showing the megapixels and comparing the Nikon and Canon; they just want an affordable camera to take better photos. There's a large market for it and they don't care about technical features; this ad makes an appeal to logic because it has high credibility and has the right amount of emotion to connect with the audience.

RA Self Exteme Fund.Great example of ethos, RA of Movie

I chose to analyze a commercial for Dove’s “Self-Esteem Fund.” (http://youtube.com/watch?v=u86OH9mTG2Y&mode=related&search=) which supports education programs that promote confidence, self-worth, and health body image in young people. It is part of Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty,” in which the company aims to redefine female beauty in a society saturated by unrealistic images of youth and perfection.

For more details on the Self-Esteem Fund, visit http://campaignforrealbeauty.com/dsef/temp2.asp?id=4196

What is the main argument of this ad? This ad argues that the Dove Self-Esteem Fund can help teach girls with insecurities to love and accept themselves. Who is the intended audience for this ad?

This ad primarily targets a female audience, particularly younger girls and their mothers.
What are the Appeals of the Ad?

When looking at this commercial by Dove and their self-esteem fund, one can say it’s obvious how they are using todays doxa to reach out. Doxa is the beliefs, opinion, prejudice, etc. that exists within a society. A doxa also contains values. Some values are about beauty and by being beautiful also meaning to be accepted. Young girls of today don’t feel good about themselves because of the demands about outer apperance. Dove says in the commercial: “let’s change their minds”, “because every girl deserves to feel good about herself.” In a way, Dove is trying to change our doxa by asserting that being beautiful does not necessarily entail blonde hair with a size 2 waistline.

The commercial is also kairos because the issue of body image is a very prominent topic today. Dove is taking advantage of the public’s increasing awareness of how the standard of beauty in popular culture is a completely artificial construct. Today, we are very conscious of the dangers of low-self esteem, including depression and eating disorders. Also, this particular ad features girls of many different racial backgrounds, reflecting the current demand for political correctness.

To reach out with the message about the self-esteem fund Dove are using young girls with worries and disgust for their own apperance. This is called evidentia and can be explained as evidence. One can say that Dove is using these girls as evidence. So that we can see with our own eyes their worries and that Dove cares.

Showing us these girls and letting us know how they feel about themselves is a use of pathos. They want to make us feel for them, and even remind us of how we feel about ourselves. For young girls with the same lack of self-confidence, as the ones in the commercial, it’s a certain way to be reached. They can identify themselves with these girls. The aesthetics of the commercial further contribute to the commercial’s pathos appeal. First, the background music is sung by a choir of young girls; their angelic voices complement the images of cute, wide-eyed children. The juxtaposition of such lovable images with words like “hates her freckles” creates quite a heartbreaking scenario. Also, the girls are looking straight out of the screen, directly at the viewer. The camera also zooms in on most of their faces. This makes the person watching the commercial feel more of an emotional connection. In addition, Dove chose a white background for certain frames of the commercial, as well as a soft, warm light quality, reflecting hope for the future.

The commercial uses logos to put forth its main argument. It claims that if the self esteem fund reaches young girls with insecurities and self-esteem issues, then those girls will change their minds and learn to accept themselves. Dove thereby offers a solution to help girls “see how beautiful she really is.”

The commercial gives Dove a strong corporate ethos, because Dove is trying to portray itself as an ethical company that takes responsibility for the image it projects to impressionable young girls.

Is this ad culturally specific?
To fully appreciate the commercial, one would have to be aware of its cultural context. In other words, this ad strongly alludes to the perceptions of beauty in American popular culture: young, skinny, blonde, and perfect. But it is universal as well, because insecurity about body image is not a culturally confined phenomenon. The commercial also reflects a society that considers girls’ self-image and self-worth important. Furthermore, the background music for the commercial is a choral rendition of “True Colors,” a song by the 1980’s American singer Cyndi Lauper.

Is Dove convincing?
I think they have a good and strong ethos for their audience mostly because of their use of pathos. But I must also give Dove credit for using kairos in a cultural context with this campaign. Today, as an adult, I’m asking myself questions like: Well, I like the idea of the real-beauty campaign and making girls feel better about themselves, but do they really care or is this only a marketing strategy with a skilled use of rhetoric? I guess a little bit of both. But still, they have made a good effort to be convincing. Dove has it right that young girls’ self esteem needs to be nurtured, but how exactly is a “Self-Esteem Fund” going to accomplish that? Tthe commercial raises doubts about Dove’s motives. Dove might be taking advantage of the growing backlash against skinny models and surgically altered movie stars to boost its company, but they deserve credit for choosing such a timely campaign. In terms of pathos, I would say the commercial did well, but its logic is unclear. I believe that the ad was most successful in contributing to Dove’s corporate ethos.

FW Fun at Surplus sales.

Ever since I was young I have loved to atted garage sales. Not so much for all of the dusty records or ugly coutches, but for electronics. And Now I am here at BYU I really enjoy going to BYU Surplus sales, where they have just that. Immagine a garage sale that had nothing but shelfs of Video Switchers, routing switchers, video monitors and beta cam SP decks and recorders. It is an absolute blast.

You dont sound convenced, well then let me explain a bitmore. Your surplus experence starts about 2 hours before the doors ever open, standing in line, to get in. I find my self making small talk with my line neighbors, asking them wht they are looking for and generaly they will say that they are looking for a laptop or some kind of projector. Then they will ask you what you are looking for and If you are like me you will say something vauge because the last thing that someone like you or I wants is someone who is going after the same kind of equipment as we are.

We are at these sales for 2 reasons and 2 reasons alone. Resason #1 The thrill of the hunt, and reason #2 the money. I mean Ever since I have come to BYU almost 3 years ago I have been able to pay for my room and board just by selling Used Equipment on ebay. It is great I reccomend that you come with me this thursday and Experence BYU Surplus sales.