Media is constantly changing, in only 10 years we’ve gone from CD’s and DVD’s for media consumption, to digital streaming and downloading in order to get our media fix. This has had a massive impact on the whole industry. Many see this as the future, with physical media being slowly phased out in favour of a more convenient future filled with downloads and streaming, and while most companies are finding way ways to adapt, one industry that’s having difficulty adapting is the TV industry. According to statistics, Canadians spend about 27 hours a week watching conventional television, and this number also appears to be steadily decreasing. One of the reasons for this decline is that fact that Internet streaming services like Netflix and Hulu offer a much better value for watching TV. Why spend over $100 a months for 500 channels that you’ll end up never watching, when you can pay between $4 - $8 and watch whatever show you want, whenever you want. This has been particularly crippling to the large TV companies and stations, as these services have been losing a large part of there customer base to these streaming services. Many TV providers have tried to adapt by offering smaller packages with the most watched channels, and lowering the cost for individual channels, but neither of these changes have resulted in any meaningful gain in the amount of traditional TV watching. Another reason for this decline is because of being able to skip several minutes of advertising. Why spend 5 minutes watching 7-10 ads, when you can watch your show add free, or have to deal with a single, small ad instead. This has also been detrimental to TV providers and TV stations as a large amount of their revenue is from advertising. We are slowly approaching a future of nothing but digital services being the norm, as more and more of the world we live in becomes digital, products like conventional television that doesn't directly serve the customer will eventually fade away, and unless companies can adapt, they'll be left behind.
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I’ll be honest, I’ve been putting off writing an article about Indiana Jones for a while, mainly because I feel there’s nothing really more to say that’s already been said, but then again, there’s something about Raiders of the Lost Ark that makes it interesting, the time of release, the setting, the characters all have traits and characteristics that seem to look to the future. There are parts of the movie that seem to mimic those movies that would come after it, as if Indiana Jones was the father of some of these movie tropes. Raiders of the Lost Ark was, for the early 80’s filled with action. From sword fights, to shootouts, there was enough action to keep the audience entertained, at least for the next few years until John Wu’s gun’s blazing action films released in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The action isn’t “Typical-American-action-movie” over-the-top, but the movie allows for good action, even movie’s story progresses at a rather slow pace. The plotline itself is something that the movie excels at. Not only is the story captivating and exciting, it’s well paced and easy to follow. The movie allows for its story to be the thing that keeps people engaged, rather than using excssive action and multiple moments of “Shock Factor” in order to keep people hooked on the story. The power of the plot is that it plays on people’s nature to be curious. No-one knows what will happen if they open the Ark, we don’t know what power the object holds, we don’t know what’s inside the temple, but we want to find out, and that what makes this movie so good. The Indiana Jones movies has remained a staple of movie culture for years, it is by far a classic and the movies have attracted a loyal group of fans the world over. The Indiana Jones movie will continue to be a classic, because the amazing story, the well-paced action, and the curiosity that drives us, in which the movie appeals to. All of these things make for a movie that will truly be remembered as a classic.
Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear once said that you aren’t a true car enthusiast unless you’ve owned an Alfa Romeo, well, that might be true in Europe, but here in North America, the Italian car maker and its history of beautiful sports cars and exciting hatchbacks haven’t been driven on our shores in over 30 years. However, there’s has been some shifting going on in Italy, and now, Alfa has returned. Alfa Romeo will be selling cars in North America for the first time in over 30 years, their lineup will be simple to start out with, a sports sedan called the “Guilia” to rival cars like the BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class, and an SUV called the “Stelvio” named after the famous mountain pass near the Swiss/Italian border. Of course with this being such a big step for the company, they want to get it right, and in doing so have employed quite the aggressive marketing strategy, and this is what I’ll be taking a look at today. Marketing strategies are important to a company; if you can’t get your name out, you can’t sell your products to the customers that will want to buy them. Alfa Romeo know this, and on their return to America, they decided to take over one of the advertising world’s Holy Grail: the Super Bowl. What better way to mark your return than and get your name that to put your ads on the most watched event of the year, and Alfa dominated the ads, having more commercials than any company there. Alfa has also stepped up their game in terms of online advertising, with online ads appearing everywhere. The ads themselves focus in on those who would normally consider buying a 3-series or a C-class as their new luxury sedan, by marketing themselves as a more stylish and attractive option to the Germans. They want you to consider them over their completion because they have all the class and style you would normally associate with an Italian designed product. Alfa is also going to great length to integrate their vast motorsport history into their marketing. Most car enthusiasts know of Alfa’s motorsport history with cars such as the Tipo 33 and the 8c 2900, cars which known for their success on the racetrack, as well as their design as well. Alfa wishes to capture the essence of these cars to ensure people that buying one of these cars will allow to experience something (at least vaguely) similar to those classic racers. Alfa Romeo has also done a great job appealing to younger buyers also. Their first advertising for their new SUV the “Stelvio” featured a creative and exhilarating freestyle rap about the vehicle that incorporated many of today’s modern slang into it. You can watch it here. Many people are praising Alfa Romeo’s return, and the first reviews of the both the Guilia and the Stelvio seem to be positive. Many people are praising both cars’ high performance, or “Quadrafoglio” versions of the cars, that both come with Ferrari developed engines. Only time will tell if Alfa Romeo will be able to stay in North America, but the company has certainly cemented itself as a real contender against its German rivals.
Certain things in this world are truly timeless, from old video games to classic movies, there are just somethings that will never get old. I had the recent pleasure to watch a classic movie that has, even to this day, remained relevant and can still be experienced even today, and enjoyed in a modern and engaging way. The movie I’m referring to is the 1961 romance film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. The film follows the story of a wayward author and a delusional, yet surprisingly philosophical, women. The two form a bond together, and as one thing leads to another as usual in romance films, the two eventually find love. What makes this movie so special, and why I believe it has held up for so long, and still remains applicable when compared to today’s movie’s is how simple everything is. This may sound odd, but I find the story has a form of simplicity that allows for the characters to be so relatable, as well as making the story unforgettable. The notice of this simplicity is with the setting and the design of the characters. The apartment in which our female protagonist, Holly Golightly, lives in is simple, with a few pieces of well-designed furniture, solid colour walls, and overall looks quite clean. There is almost nothing in the apartment, except for maybe to rotary phone that dates the apartment. Same goes for the fashion that the characters; Paul dresses in a simple suit and tie, while Holly’s dresses are usually solid colours and pencil skirts that would still look modern by today’s standards. I’ve said that this movie could easily be remade today, and all a director would have to do is to replace the cars in the city scenes with modern ones and the movie would probably still be a hit. However, it’s not by setting or fashion alone that makes the movie so timeless, the key is in the storytelling. What makes Breakfast at Tiffany’s such a timeless piece is how relatable the characters are. Most romance movies are so intent on setting up some magical fairy-tell romance that it makes the story seem petty and predictable. You know the two are going to be in love by the end of the movie because the director is intent on making sure these two are so obviously in love, but are so oblivious to it that most of the time you feel like whacking them over the head and just yelling at them for being so idiotically oblivious. Not in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. There are points in this movie where Paul seems, for lack of a better word, friend-zoned, or sections where you honestly think that everything is not going to work out, hell, the first kissing scene isn’t until the very end of the film. This movie finds a way to keep you engaged in the romance aspect of this film, without ever being obnoxious about it. In many ways Breakfast at Tiffany’s feels more like a drama in its events or even, and I know this is an odd and probably shocking comparison, a slice-of-life series. You never feel burdened by the storytelling, and in most cases, is probably how some actual people fell in love. In conclusion, Breakfast at Tiffany’s has held up all this year because it was able to craft an excellent romance film, without using any of the cheesy and cliché romance fil tropes; instead it focuses on keeping the characters simple and relatable, which are, in my mind, the key to making something truly timeless.
Every decade has its own unique set of cultural influences and effects on society. From the popular music of the time, to the scientific advances that paved the way for future endeavors, each decade has left its mark on toady’s life, none of which are perhaps as easily recognizable of the previous decade. This post will explore the cultural aspects of the previous decade, how society, and its influences have shaped the world as we know it today, and how the legacies of the 2000’s have led to the world we have today. The Media is what shapes a society and its culture, and in the early 2000’s, media was growing at a rapid pace. With the internet on the rise, information was growing at a rapid pace. Even though it was still in its infancy, the internet allowed for a rapid sharing of information as well as broadened communication horizons. The internet also allowed for something never seen before: The rise of eSports. As multiplayer video games such as Counter-Strike, Quake, Halo, and the original DOTA were on the rise, early tournaments began to pop up, and gaming conventions such as Dreamhack allowed for numerous spectators to watch their favourite teams battle it out. The internet also allowed for information to be easily shared to the world, revolutionizing research and communication. It meant that students no longer had to resort to long library sessions and searching through endless amounts of books for information, they could now spend an hour or so online in order to do the research needed. The music and film industries also began to take advantage of the internet and its growing popularity. Early streaming services such as Napster and later SoundCloud allowed for an easier platform for music distribution, as well as giving rise to a number of smaller artists, allowing them to reach a larger audience than before, and video streaming sites such as YouTube allowed for a large spreading of amateur videos, as well as providing an outlet for larger companies to advertise on. The music of the decade allowed for the rise of many one-hit wonders in popular music, as well as a gradual shift of these genres. In the early days of the decade, the popular music was centralized around pop-punk and pop-rock genres, with artists such as Sum 41 and The All-American Rejects making a name for themselves through their energetic style and lyrics that resonated with most teens of the time. However, the popular genre eventually began shifting to songs with a more electronic influence, with artists such as Katy Perry beginning to dominate the charts, but the full scope of electronic music wouldn’t be recognized, at least by the mainstream media, until well into the following decade. Movies also saw major advancements during the 2000’s, mainly in the swift progression and adoption of CGI effects, as well as fully computer animated movies, as pioneered by Pixar and Disney. These, along with much newer approaches in storytelling, helped shaped many of today’s stories and cultural views. The mindset going into the 2000’s was hopeful and full of idealism. People believed they were moving into the future, as they were entering a new millennium, and with it, a new era of prosperity and wealth, and although that may have been true for the early parts of the decade, by the end, people’s ideas were brought down to reality, but in the harder times near the end of the decade, emerged something else. A sense of resilience that would last into the next decade, a mindset of perseverance and determination which would give way to some of the most important advancements of the present day both in science and culture.
The following is an informative article about Duncan "Thorin" Shields, written for my media studies class. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/Thooorin
Duncan “Thorin” Shields is a Scottish eSports analyst and self-labeled “eSports Historian” known for his down to earth analysts and sarcastic personality. He is one of the premier analysts for eSports and is knowledgeable in several of the top eSports games, primarily Counter-Strike, DOTA 2, and League of Legends. Atop of his eSports casting, he also runs two YouTube channels: “Thorin”s Thoughts”, where he discusses pertinent topics involving various eSports (Roster changes, reflections on notable and historic games, criticisms of teams and players, etc.), and “Thorin’s Side”, a personal channel where he discusses non-eSports related topics in the same format as “Thorin’s Thoughts”. These topics vary greatly, from philosophy to general product reviews. Thorin presents his topics in a factual and well thought out manner, he always strives to present the most clear, and realistic viewpoint when looking at a topic, both eSports or otherwise. He will always try to look at both sides of a story, as well as try to build up as much context around an event or situation as possible (Good example being his re-visiting of the infamous Fnatic vs. LDLC boost during Dreamhack Winter 2014). However, his personal bias is clearly noticeable when analyzing a topic, and he is often known in the eSports industry for his witty and sarcastic attitude. Because of said attitude, he is often criticized for being unprofessional or taking his criticisms and banter too far. He is often known for being brash and outspoken, as well as often saying things that can be taken as quite offensive. He has built up a large following, and often appears as an analyst for most large eSports events, mainly large Counter-Strike Tournaments. Notable tournaments include ESL One Cologne (2016), ELeague Major (2017), MLG Columbus (2016), Dreamhack Winter (2013/14), and ESL One New York (2016). Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! This is the place where I'll not only be sharing my inner thoughts and musings. I'll be writing articles about various topics such as eSports, cars, politics, and other topics, as well as writing reviews for things like movies and music albums. This place will also be a dumping grounds for a lot of school projects and assignments. Articles of this nature will be marked so if you don't want to read what I'm currently writing about for school, it will be easy to find and ignore. Other than that, welcome, and enjoy!
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About Me:Welcome to my blog! Here you'll find various articles about all sorts of topics. Politics, Music, Video Games, eSports, and many other topics I feel the need to write about. Archives
February 2018
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