Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
Last Blog Post
Jacob Sanders
One thing I greatly enjoyed about Broadcasting this year was our project when we went to the music room and recored Mr. Yarborough and his class. My group and I worked very well together on the project and each put in a lot of work and it paid off very well. I liked being able to go out on our own and choose where we filmed at and what we filmed. I liked having many different options and the ability to be flexible and work around our schedule. I think that learning the 5 shot method was very helpful for this project because it gave us a good structure to start with and what we should look for. I think one thing that could have helped during that project was more instruction of how to use the tri-pod and how to properly shoot with the iPads.
I also enjoyed the project when we interviews our former self. I liked how you had to get creative with the interview and use broadcasting in a real world situation. I did think that filming the interview was somewhat difficult because we had to get the shot and timing perfectly right to flow well.
I thought that learning how to shoot videos and take pictures was very useful. We often find ourselves recording daily activities and now I can use some easy tips to make the aesthetics, background, and lighting in videos and pictures look better. The lessons on story were also very useful because they can be used in many future careers. I was always interested in television and news reporting and the tips of storytelling become very helpful in reporting.
One thing I would have liked to have seen more of was broadcasting in television. I think there are many lessons to be learned from television and the way it is presented. It is so prominent in our lives that it should be one of the biggest things we study.
Blog Post 8
Jacob Sanders
In the midst of the closure of all live sporting events, ESPN has been forced to adapt the way they entertain their viewers. Instead of airing the first and second round of the Masters on Thursday and Friday, they must show previous final rounds. ESPN is also putting out commercials for its viewers during these difficult times. Stephen A. Smith, Doris Burke and Alex Rodriguez all provide encouraging words for people. They also made an ad called “There’s No Place Like Sports”. The ad features uplifting moments in sports like a Zamboni driver filling in at the last minute to play goalie. Laura Gentile, the senior Vice President for marketing at ESPN said, “Sports is an escape-that’s what people are missing right now, because there is no escaping the news and this situation.” The network’s prime time viewers are down around half of what they were when live sports still took place. Gentile said “In this time, more than ever, you may very well have to spend off-channel to reach the fans you have to reach, because you don’t have those massive NBA audiences to market to.”
In this article, I realized how difficult of a time it is for ESPN to produce entertainment in a time when entertainment is much needed. Their producers are scrambling to find old games or live news coverage to air. I learned that it is important to always be prepared for every scenario and always have plans to fall back on.
This applies directly to me as a broadcast student because it shows how you never know what will come up in your job. It teaches a lesson that you must be willing to adapt to the situation at hand and improvise because many people rely on ESPN for entertainment. If a producer is unable to find content to air, he will most likely loss his job because ESPN is in great need of ways to entertain people during the coming month or two.
Blog Post 7
Jacob Sanders
In our Coronavirus PSA video, we were all exposed to the fact that many people do not like being on camera. We had five people who denied nicely being interviewed. While we understood that many people do not like being filmed, it was somewhat confusing because we were only doing a school project and we made it clear that it was for a class. It was surprising to all of us that so many people were so hesitant to be interviewed. We got a few interviews from students. Many of those responses were dry and useless as it was just a yes or no response. Most importantly, we were able to interview the nurse. She provided us great feedback about the coronavirus. The setup of our interviews went very smoothly and we were able to formulate strong questions to ask the people. Our editing process went very well because there was very little to edit besides adding different interview pieces together.
I learned how to write in a broadcast style. In this writing style, it is intended to be casual and conversational. I perceived it as trying to have a conversation with the reader and that you should use language you would use on a regular basis. I understand how to quote people and that contractions should be used to make the writing more conversational. I learned how to properly write number and percentages so a news anchor or radio DJ is not confused during a live broadcast.
My online school has gone fairly well so far. I enjoyed the assignment on podcasting
because it has become very popular but I hadn’t been exposed to them yet. I enjoyed listening to the sports podcasts because I love watching sports and it was interesting hearing what analysts had to say during such strange times. I would like to continue working with podcasts in class.
Blog Post 6
Jacob Sanders
MSNBC show host Chris Matthews announced his retirement on Monday, March 2nd. Matthews hosted “Hardball”, a weeknight show where he discusses current politics and interviews relevant politicians. The news was fairly shocking to all because he opened the show by announcing his retirement. Matthews stated that “The younger generations are ready to take the reigns.” MSNBC President Phil Griffin stated two days earlier that I was time for Matthew’s retirement. His retirement was such a shock because the following day was Super Tuesday. In his speech, he apologized for inappropriate comments about women. Just a couple weeks earlier, Matthews compared Bernie Sanders’s caucus victory in Nevada to the fall of France to the Nazis. Writer Laura Bassett published an essay in GQ stating that Matthews had made rude comments to her and other women who were guests on his show. NBC has cracked down on sexual harassment in the workplace. Similarly in 2017, Matt Lauer was disbanded for sexual harassment charges. Matthews originally planned to retire after the 2020 election but president Griffin had different ideas. Matthews was often aggressive and antsy on the show. He would often cut his guests off.
This article has implications on broadcasting because it shows how sexist or inappropriate are not tolerate. Matthew’s career was coming to a close and he was planning on retiring after the next election. After his Nazi references and inappropriate comments, NBC wouldn’t tolerate his remarks any longer. This proves how you must have a filter and learn to be moderate no matter where your work.
I found this interesting because it shows why people can being dismissed from their jobs. It teaches a valuable lesson to someone learning about the broadcasting industry. I am still curious about ways to convey a message while still being modest. It is imperative to find a limit before its too late.
Blog Post 5
Jacob Sanders
One thing I learned in class this week was that there are many opportunities in a simple classroom environment to get good shots. It surprised me that people naturally playing the guitar or drums can make a good shot when you develop a story from it. Many people seemed nervous or uneasy when I was recording but it became more natural as I stayed longer. I learned to not be a distraction to the class and let them do what the always do. Most importantly, I learned the five shot method to shooting a video. This method helps provide a variety of angles and prospectives. Instead of getting the same shots and angles, this method expands your creativity and range of shots. I also learned how to work a tripod correctly and how to use a microphone properly. I learned how important the use of a tripod is to get still and quality shots. A shaky shot distracts the audience from the story but with a tripod it can be preventable.
This week, our group worked well in collaborating to get good shots. We discussed what type of shots we were looking for and how we should properly carry them out. When we were in Mr Yarborough’s guitar class, we worked together and gave each other advice and tips to get better and higher quality shots. Our group needs to develop our interviewing skills better so the sound bytes in our video can be better. We also need to improve on our own voice-overs so we can narrate the story more clearly.
My group is still interested in how to properly use iMovie. While getting shots and interviews are important, the editing process is equally important because the editor determines what gets presented to the audience. I am interested in learning what type of shots work best for certain types of stories and videos.
Blog Post 4
Jacob Sanders
The online streaming giant Netflix has 167 million subscribers with around 61 million in the United States. Netflix’s subscriber growth has decreased from 5.3 million to 2.6 million in the past seven years. While subscriber growth in the U.S. has leveled out, international growth is expected to double. Analyst Michael Nathanson predicts by 2024 that Netflix will have around 240 million international subscribers. Netflix is gaining much international support because they have little competition. In April, Comcast will launch a streaming service called Peacock that will lack an international streaming service. Nathanson expects Netflix to zone in on two areas: US clones and “Local Language Giants” like Japan and South Korea. In Southeast Asian countries like India, Nathanson said that Netflix would need to lower mobile broadband costs. He said “The real gam changer for Netflix, in our opinion, is the mobile opportunity.” In European and Asian markets, the potential to gain subscribers is massive based off the use of Instagram and Facebook.
From this article, I learned that Netflix, similar to other large companies, are heavily reliant on international support. After Netflix had a massive gain of subscribers in the Untied States, they had to turn to international viewers. I found it very interesting how Netflix tries to engage more international subscribers through mobile streaming.
Netflix’s ratings and growth heavily impacts the broadcasting world because it is the largest streaming service in the world. If Netflix begins to decline, people will begin to look elsewhere for streaming and entertainment. Netflix has a high influence on what movies are popular and popular newly released movies. If Netflix increases its international subscribers, people in the United States can be more affected by international influence.
I am very interested to follow Netflix’s ratings and international subscribers. I am still curious to learn about how Netflix gets subscribers in lesser-developed countries and countries with hostility. I would also like to know what Netflix will continue to do to gain more streamers from the United States.
https://www.multichannel.com/blog/netflixs-mobile-opportunity
Super Bowl Commercials
My top five 2020 Super Bowl ads are: Google, Hyundai, Jeep, Cheetos and Amazon. All of theses ads either connected with me through humor or through deeper emotions. Google’s ad did not feature celebrities or jokes. An elderly begins looking through pictures and memories of him and his wife using the Google Assistant feature. The pictures that he pulls up and the things he tells the Assistant to remind him of, could tear anyone up. While the ad is very emotional and heartwarming, it also shows all of the ways the Google Assistant can be of help around your house. They do a great job of combining a touching story of an elderly man with their product. Google’s commercial was my personal favorite from the Super Bowl. My second favorite commercial was Hyundai. Hyundai brought together there famous Bostonians: actors Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch and baseball legend David Ortiz. They centered the ad around the new Hyundai Sonata’s ability to “smart park”. However, the Bostonians pronounced it as “smaht pahk”. I thought that the joke was a great way to connect the new car’s features especially through the use of famous celebrities. My third favorite commercial was Jeep. The 2020 Super Bowl fell on Groundhog’s Day. Jeep took the opportunity to show off their new Jeep Gladiator. Legendary actor Bill Murray took Punxsutawney Phil on a few adventures in his Jeep. He showed off the versatility of it as he did something different every day. My fourth favorite commercial was Cheetos. Cheetos had a guy eating Cheetos but he can’t help people in simple tasks because he has cheese on his fingers. Every time he can’t touch something MC Hammer’s famous line “You can’t touch this” plays. It was an amusing but straightforward way of promoting Cheetos. My fifth favorite commercial was Amazon. Amazon has Ellen use Alexa for a simple task of turning down the thermostat. Ellen then asks “What do you think people did before Alexa”? The ad then shows several clips of people, with names similar to Alexa, completing tasks that the smart speaker can do instantly. The ad does a good job of showing the viewer everything Alexa can do while also providing humor to make it funny.
My bottom five Super Bowl ads are: Secret, Avocados from Mexico, Kia, Genesis and Yellow Tail. The worst super bowl ad was Secret. Secret has a football game come down to a final field goal. The kicker makes it and when two players take off their helmets, the crowd realizes they are women. The crowd is initially shocked but begins to cheer. The ad is trying to promote equality between men and women, which is a perfectly good issue. I think that the way they promoted deodorant was very awkward. The ad was extremely off topic and there was no connection. At the beginning of the ad there was no clear conclusion no what the commercial was promoting. The second worst commercial was Avocados from Mexico. The commercial has someone promote items to accompany your avocados with. The avocados seem like background items to the fake items that the “food network” was promoting. The third worst commercial was Kia. The car company has standout rookie running back Josh Jacobs talking to his much younger self. He tells his younger self to believe in himself because it will be difficult growing up homeless. While I am extremely happy for Josh Jacobs’s success and his ability to overcome adversity, I think that Kia did not promote their car as much as they should. If the commercial was to inspire young kids to pursue their dreams even if they are not as fortunate as others, then it would have been a perfect commercial. A thirty second ad in the Super Bowl costs millions of dollars and Kia could have promoted their car more while still sticking with Jacobs’s story. The fourth worst Super Bowl ad is Genesis. Genesis has John Legend and Chrissy Teigen arrive at a party. The party is supposed to be a going-away party for “old luxury”. Teigen pokes fun at multiple people at the party and she expects Legend to make a grand entrance. Legend shows up late in a new Genesis car. After Legend and Teigen exchange banter, the two drive off in their new car. The commercial felt extremely awkward because you had no idea what it was about or why they were at this party. The introduction of Genesis’s new car was awkward. Teigen seemed to take up too much of the spotlight and she became annoying which took away the object of trying to sell the car. The fifth worst commercial was Yellow Tail. The ad was very uneventful and forgettable because I did not know what Yellow Tail was before the ad. After the ad, I still was unclear about what it was. Yellowtail should try to inform people about what they make instead of just showing a couple clips of being having a good time.
Jacob Sanders Introduction Paragraph
Hello, my name is Jacob Sanders and I am a junior. I am in my third season as a varsity swimmer at Saint X and I recently joined Cardinal Aquatics, a local club swim team. I also enjoy playing golf and going out with friends when I have some free time. I grew up watching sports and learning every small nuance about different sports. I became interested in broadcasting from hearing the different announcers discuss and analyze the game. My dad and I would listen to local radio stations that would talk about the news and sports. I always thought it would be a fun job to host a radio show or a TV show where I could talk about the things I love.
Blog Post 2
Jacob Sanders
Broadcasting
Mr. Mitchell
24 January 2020
This week in class I learned how to properly create and develop a story with an interesting character that has a desire. I learned that the character has to be relatable and his desire also has to be relatable for the audience to connect to them. I also learned that complexity is also important to form a good character. The main character must have something different or unique about them so they aren’t too dull. The location can also say a lot about the character or their desire. The location can put you into the character’s position and experience their emotions and struggles.
Throughout the week, our group worked on our first video production. On Tuesday we struggled to start our story because we couldn’t find a story that people could truly connect to. We tried a couple different plots with different people in our group but our main character’s desire was somewhat unrelateable. Once we found a strong character with a strong desire, the remaining parts of our story fell into place very easily. Our character’s desire was very strong and we realized that it would be very relatable to our audience. We struggled finding a good place to record our story because the setting in the story takes place in Wyoming. We found a way to improvise and record shots outside around some greenery. One thing that went well was finding a place to interview our character and the way we interviewed our character. We found a quiet room in the school building to let our character tell his story and the emotions that he felt throughout the story. We were very proud of the way we planned out and produced our video.
One thing my group wants to learn about is how to record a strong video. The visuals that are presented from the video show a lot about the quality of the work. We want to learn more about how to make our videos look visually more appealing so the audience is even more interested in the story.
Jacob Sanders Blog #1
On February ninth, millions will tune in to watch the Oscars. AMC and Regal Cinemas annually screen the Oscar nominations so fans have the opportunity to see the movies either before or after the awards. AMC and Regal both announced that they will not show Netflix’s nominated films. Netflix received a record high of twenty-four nominations for the Academy Awards. “The Irishman” is nominated for best picture, director and cinematography. “Joker” received eleven nominations . Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are both nominated for their lead roles in “Marriage Story”; it is also nominated for best picture.
AMC and Regal boycotted Netflix’s movies because they never had a set theatrical release date and Netflix’s movies were never licensed to be shown in their theaters. Netflix doesn’t release movies to the theaters because they would lose people who signed up primarily for that film. “The Irishman” was shown in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Netflix made it available for streaming four weeks after the release in theaters. AMC and Regal prefer ninety days when the movie is exclusively in theaters so their sales can increase. “The Irishman” had the longest time in theaters, but theaters still expect a longer time on the big screen. In spite of AMC and Regal’s boycott, Netflix has about one thousand screens showing “Marriage Story” and around two thousand screens showing “The Irishman”. Each movie met the minimum requirement for a movie to be nominated for best picture: show in theaters for a week.
This news is relevant in broadcasting because it shows the dispute between two companies in the film industry: AMC, Regal and Netflix. Netflix’s viewers have continued to increase which could lead to a decline in theater revenue. The feud between Netflix and movie theaters seems like there is little resolve coming soon.
Jacob Sanders 