A New Standard for Book Adaptations

Last Thursday I went to the premiere of Hunger Games. I have yet to read the books, but I plan on reading them soon. My friends and I left the theatre with smiles on our faces. We all enjoyed the film, though there were some flaws, and the movie did leave some things out that resulted in a film slightly short of fantastic. All in all though, I thought the film was well-made. Watching the Hunger Games got me thinking about how it seems that adaptations of graphic novels and books have a new standard of expectation. Legions of pre-made fans from best selling books have called for movies that truly stay faithful to the print version, and that will inspire the same level of devotion.

Film and television adaptations have become a huge presence in the industry. With the fan bases and harsh critics of the original work, film and TV makers really need to bring it all to the table as the pressure to live up to the hype increases. TV series' like Game of Thrones and Walking Dead are some great examples. The two shows have amassed a pretty large audience, while both critics and fans of the novels seem to enjoy those shows. These shows have definitely set the bar for future shows with the impressive acting and writing. However, the results of adaptations aren't always as spectacular as these two. John Carter exemplifies one of the most recent examples of other possible outcomes of such an adaptation. The film based off of a book, almost a century old, and didn't do so hot in the box-office. In fact, Disney even came out and said that they expect to lose money on the film. I'm guessing one of the reasons this adaptation didn't do so well is because there was virtually no built in fan base. The book was just too old. I didn't see the movie myself and critics didn't exactly love it. Yet, when it comes to Hunger Games I felt like the film fell in the middle in terms of reception from the audience and the quality. It didn't exactly get to the level of the last Harry Potter movie, but it still did well. Still, in terms of first iterations of the series, Hunger Games did better than Twilight both in terms of quality and financially. 

It seems that adaptations have a lot of potential to be moneymakers, but also the potential to let the fans of the novels down. It's a big risk, but recently it seems to have paid off for most. I'm really excited about the fact that adaptations need to be awesome in order to be able to build a successful franchise. I want more series' that just feel epic. Hopefully the general quality of recent TV series' and films will stay constant. If not, the creators will pay for it with bad reviews and low revenue. What do you guys think of recent films and TV series based off of novels? Did you think they did a good job of complementing the original work? 

Could Life Exist Without E-Mailing?!

So for our online assignment this week, we were instructed to find an article that has yet to be digitized. Personally, I thought it was going to be impossible to find something since it seems like every text can be found online. However, I found an article titled "E-Mail Ascendant on Campus"that was written in 1994. Considering the article was written in 1994, this article focuses on the beginning of the E-Mailing system and how it has become a popular trend on college campuses. 8 years later, it is amazing to think how  E-Mailing has become the norm for college campuses. When applying here at UW-Madison, one of the first procedures is to create an E-Mail account. University E-Mail accounts have become so crucial for students. It has become the prime way of communicating with professors and more importantly a way to reach out to other students on campus. If I do not catch up on reading my E-Mails, I could miss out on important information for classes or even miss an E-Mail from a professor saying that class has been canceled (rare but always the best feeling when receiving them).

 Every single student in this university is searchable; if you need to send a fellow student notes or get together for a project but do not have their phone numbers, all you have to do is simply type in their name and their email pops up. As we compare old media with new media, it seems that  E-Mailing has become the most efficient and instant form of communication between students and professors. If students aren't E-Mailing their professors questions, what other alternative method are they using to reach their professors?! Sure they might come during the professor's  office hours and ask in person the question. But if a student goes to meet with a professor and the professor is not there, the next measure would be to either E-Mail the professor letting them know you tried making the office hours or waiting until the class meets next. My question for you all to think about is, how would our university function without an E-Mailing system?!  Do you think society could go back to a E-Mail free world?

Where do you get your news?

Today when I received one of my many text alerts of breaking news to my iPhone, I got to thinking about how other people receive their news. With so many outlets that are readily available, people can get their news from newspapers, television, online websites, social media and even handheld devices like the tablet or a smart phone.

In recent surveys conducted by the Pew Project for Excellence, 34% of people who participated said that they had read news online within the past 24 hours while 41% said they get the majority of their news online. This is 10% more than those who said they receive their news from a newspaper. The 18-29 year old demographic reported that 65% of them get their main source of news coverage online. This means that online news is the second most popular way to receive news, with TV still taking first place. This means that the amount of people who read news from a newspaper is becoming smaller and smaller. If readers are focusing more energy on online reading, this means that advertisers are now shifting to online advertising. From 2009 to 2010 the advertising sector grew 13.9%, which is the first time online advertising trumped newspaper advertising.

Is the shift from using old media news gathering techniques to new media news gathering techniques positive or negative? I think that there are pros and cons to each. Obviously receiving news online or via text message makes life a lot easier. I can get the news headlines right to my phone without lifting a finger, but does this make us loose a sense of imagined community? It used to be that the news was either on the radio or TV at a certain time and everyone sat around to hear what was going on in the world. The paper used to be delivered once a week and people sat down to read what was happening. There are still techniques of old media circling today, but what will happen if the old way of receiving news is completely diminished?

This brings me to give you a preview of what I will explore next week. With the new media becoming so dominant in the way we receive news, there are more opportunities for people to report on news. Who are the journalists of the new media society? Is it just newscasters who are hired at certain news stations or can an everyday citizen be a journalist? Check back next week!  

"Log In" Education Style

Hey all!  So this week in class we started talking a lot about what higher education is all about.  I found this video and thought it was pretty engaging so I though I'd share it with you all!  The difference between brick and mortar universities (like Madison) and online universities like the one portrayed in the video is a good example of what we are trying to get at in this blog.  This difference is demonstrating old ways versus new ways within education.

I love the education I am getting right now.  I love this university and the beat of the city, but I do agree with many of the concerns that students and adults like have about higher education today.  I am paying my own way through school, so will be one of those young adults that are in huge debt by the time they graduate college.  Also, I work and am in two student orgs apart from my everyday school schedule, so I'm not one to take 18 credits a semester.  I know that everyone is different and that everyone's lives are busy, so this is keeping us from graduating in 4 years, unlike how common that was years back.  Because graduation isn't as fast as a process anymore, that adds on more tuition and housing costs.  This is just one concern that is circling around about higher education right now, and it just so happens to hit home in my personal situation.

As far as online education goes, I don't know how I would successful I personally would be.  I think it depends on what you want out of your time spent going to a higher education school, what kind of learner you are, and where you are in life.  Going to college as a young person like myself, I want more of an experience than just learning the specific things I need to start my career.  I want to learn about culture, experience new things, and find myself in a city I've never lived in before.  If I was only concerned about learning specific skills needed to start my career, I would have chosen a different route, maybe even online.  This is my personal view on the difference between online and traditional education and how I think it effects people.  All in all, I think online education is a good idea if that is what fits your needs.  I think it's awesome that a person has the option of what kind of education to get, so that they are able to chose something that will fit their wants and needs.

How do you all feel about online versus traditional education?  Please comment, I'd love to know!

Trusting the Kony Campaign

The Kony Campaign has become a huge movement as many young adults and teens have become interested in helping the Invisible Children. The filmmaking used to create this YouTube video and new style of promoting the campaign deserves much of the credit for the attention it has received. I fully support the campaign's goal of stopping a militant group that has been terrorizing others. However, it's still important to question the goals and actions of the Kony Campaign, and not follow blindly. There is a lot of controversy over the use of donations by the campaign. There are tons of varying statistics online about how much money is actually going towards the Ugandan people, and how much is going towards filmmaking and staff salaries. Some reports say that the amount of money going towards the Ugandan people isn't enough.


The Kony Campaign is a great example of how media can be such a powerful tool. The video captured the American public instantly, and it's very likely that many people did little or no research before donating. The location of Kony's militant group, The LRA, is an example of how research into the subject creates more questions. The LRA have not been in Uganda since 2006. If the LRA are not currently in Uganda, will Ugandan forces be able to move through other countries to arrest Kony? Of course we all hope that they will be able to, but it's important for us to know if they actually can. If they can't then the donations could be put to better use by going directly to the Ugandans that are struggling, instead of the U.S. advisors and Uganda military force.

It's our duty to research the campaign and Uganda to see how we can be most helpful to those in need. Does this mean giving money to the Kony Campaign? Does this mean giving money directly to the people of Uganda? There might be other better ways to help the situation in Uganda, but stopping Kony might be the best. I can't say I know the answer, but it's important for all of us to try and find out.

Summer Jams!!!!

Hey guys! How've you been liking this weather? It's incredible right?! Personally, the carefree spirit of this summertime atmosphere has been making it crazy difficult for me to get any work done, so today I'm going to write about something that I'm been loving lately.

When I think of summertime, I usually think of spending time with my friends, relaxing, goofing around, and just generally not having a care in the world. But another thing I think of is the soundtrack to these summer activities. Music is very powerful for me when it comes to bringing back memories. Some songs just sound like summer to me, for instance, Weezer's "Island in the Sun" and "Summer Girls" by LFO. Back in the day I would've just flipped on the radio for my summer soundtrack, but since I don't have a car here in Madison and don't know anyone who still owns a portable radio, I've gotten a little creative.

Today, I'm going to share with you my latest internet obsession. Its name is 8tracks.com, and it is a "handcrafted internet radio" website. It's similar to Pandora in some ways, but in my opinion, it's a much better way to find great music. You can still search for your favorite songs and artists and listen to similar stuff, but 8tracks takes a different approach to finding new, awesome music while listening to old favorites. As the company states on its "About" page:

"8tracks believes handcrafted music programming trumps algorithms. Think radio in the 1970s, mixtapes in the 1980s, and DJ culture of the 1990s through today. DJs share their talent in taste making, providing exposure for artists. Listeners get a unique blend of word-of-mouth sharing and radio programming — long the trusted means for music discovery — on a global scale."

What this means is that you get the best of both worlds, soon-to-be hits and underground gems alike. It's easy to find an incredible playlist for almost any situation, and they have an iPhone app that lets you take it on the go. Oh, and did I mention the best part? No audio ads to interrupt your music. Awesome.

I have been obsessed with 8tracks for a while now, listening to it while I get ready in the morning, while studying, while working out, and before/during my friends and my weekend shenanigans. ;) And with this awesome weather, tons of incoming summer playlists have been cropping up, setting the perfect mood for an awesome time.

Well, that's all I can really say on the subject, the rest you'll have to find out on your own. :) I hope you guys check out 8tracks and end up loving it as much as me! And if you find any extra awesome playlists be sure to let me know in the comments.

~Morgen~

Some of my favorite summer 8tracks playlists:

Songs To Be Young To

summertime, and the living is easy

Incoming Summer 2012

Hollister Playlist 2012

Beach Bod Swag

it's fucking nice out.

BYOD

Local schools embrace new technology

by Rachel Davis Daily Mountain Eagle

8 hrs ago | 312 views | 0  | 1  |  | 

Students at Maddox enjoy the new freedom of using their own mobile electronic devices in class. Photo special to the Eagle

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http://www.mountaineagle.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Local+schools+embrace+new+technology%20&id=17833996

This is another article I found when I started looking into the contradictions between new technology and education.  Last week I wrote about college and how professors have begun to ban all media devices from their classroom.  This week I want to switch it up and and show you all the huge difference between what is happening between high schools and colleges.

The above article is about how this high school has begun to allow students, and encourage them to bring all of their technological devices to school with them, also called BYOD or Bring Your Own Device.  Instead of trying to fight the new wave of technology and learning, they are tyring to incorporate this into their curriculum.  I think this is the best way to handle the new obsession with technology.  This high school has figured it out when it comes to connecting with their students and allowing them to connect with them right back.  They have also realized that this new implication has its struggles and problems just like any other new policy might, and are dealing with them to make the new policy better and work for everyone. 

My favorite part of this article is when it discusses how the teachers were pleasantly surprised by the maturity and responsibility of the students and how they have handled the new policy.  Giving the students credit for their maturity is a huge step in the right direction in working on the policy to bring it to its potential.  Also, the credit they're giving to the students is also creating a better relationship between teachers and students as well, creating a better education environment for all.

I found this article to be really amazing.  I think it's awesome that this high school has figured out a way to incorporate new technology into their education plan, instead of banning students from using their electronics, like many college classrooms have converted to.  You can't fight the music, and you can't fight the ever changing technological society either.  I hope that education will continue to connect with new technology and that students and professors alike will grow with it.