I think that the media definitely maintains images of steroetypes without necessarially meaning to. For example there is BET, the Black Entertainment channel. I understand the intention behind having a station designated towards one racial group, but it does create a form of segregation, because it is one channel meant for one race alone. Networks in Japanese are different, because that is aimed at people who speak the language. BET is aimed at black people. Sometimes, when white people watch BET and talk about what they see, they are called "acting black". This furthers feelings of stereotypes - the black person you see on BET is viewed as the typical black. Also, women in the media are always depicted as busty, beautiful, scantally dressed and having perfect highlights in their hair. This is anything but the typical woman, but the media creates a stereotype that many women feel they must try to live up to. This in turn makes men believe that they deserve these perfect steroetypes from TV, which makes them feel superior to other "imperfect" REAL women.
The media has a great effect on people but only if they listen. This is evident now especially with the 9/11 Comissoin and the details that is uncovering and the impact it is having on people. A whole lot of truth is coming out about that day and what went wrong, and there have also been some serious lies and hypocracies exposed. Condi Rice herself said that they had no idea New York would be targeted by Osama Bin Laden. But then the PDB came out and it specifically said New York landmarks could be targeted by bin Laden's next attack. I have paid attention to this, and it has made me trust Bush even less than I did before. It frightens me and I am definitely going to vote for Kerry.
So all of this information comes out. And people seem to not be paying much attention. A poll on CNN showed that more than 70% of voters said Clark's testimony would not affect their opinion of Bush and their vote in the election. Perhaps this is because no one is watching the testimony live, seeing what I see. Or perhaps they are only seeing the clips replayed at night by the news stations. Big company corporations that like it when the president is happy.
Another way the media affects society is with movies like "The Passion of the Christ". People see the movie, and get something different out of it. Unfortunately, middle Americans who already believed in Jesus and viewed the movie are taking it as the the truth. The 100% undeniable truth. This creates a problem, because movies should NEVER be viewed as the truth. They never show the whole truth - people always exercise their artistic lisense. Also, because the movie was put out by such a name as Mel Gibson, people were more excited about it. Also, the controversy it sparked about anti-semitism made people very interested in seeing it. Also, people took the reviews they read to be the truth, and assumed it's anti-semetic and therefore Gibson was too.
In order to create a successful movie, the media can't interfere. For example "The Last Temptation of Christ". This movie is very much like "The Passion" in the sense that it was a director experssing their vision of the story of Christ. Except someone in a review said that Jesus has sex. This sparked so much controversy with hardcore Christian fanatics such as Jerry Falwell that they organized protests and picketts. The movie only lasted a few weeks in theaters and then died. "The Passion" though, which received good press from Falwell, is still going strong. So media does effect people. A lot.
For me, one of the single most important parts of films is the sound effects. Because of my dad's profesion, I get to see the difference between a film with complete sound mixing and a film with just straight diagenic/location sound. Not only is there a huge difference, but the location sound is just boring. Simple dialogue with maybe a few hits and bird chirps. That's all you get. But after you spend a good amount of time with a scene, you can add a lot. Voiceovers and other non-diagenic sounds make a world of difference. A good film has to have a good sound job. If it doesn't, it may be the most impressively visual film EVER, but if it sounds like crap, then it's really not going to work for me.
Then again, if done right, some silent films can be amazing. But the only way they can work without sound, is if there is a lot of style put into the picture. Constant cuts and shifts of the scene are a must; without the changing angles and shots you'd get pretty bored. Pans, tracking shots and zooms are helpful things as well, because they can add dimension to the film. Also, with a pan in the right place, you almost feel like you're actually in the film. Also, the right kinds of dissolves or cuts between scenes are extremely important. You can't go from an extremely dramatic scene to a happy bright one, without a dissolve. You just can't make that an automatic cut.
Movies require depth. That normally starts in the script, which has to have a beginning, middle and end. If it doesn't, the movie will suck.
The media is a huge aspect of my life. It provides the entire income for my dad’s side of my immediate family – my dad is a sound editor/mixer and my stepmom is a producer/post production supervisor. So the whole world of the movie industry is very present in my house. It’s cool, in a way, because it gives me an insider’s view into that world. Through them I have learned how the whole cycle works, namely who gets hired, how studios decide which movies to make, who hires who, why certain jobs are shelved and so on. I’m going to major in film in college next year, so this connection is going to come in handy.
The media is the entertainment industry. This consists of film, music, television and more. It’s more than just the finished product; how, why and when these works are created are just as important as what they turn out to be. Some people have problems with today’s media because they feel it degrades women or is made up of rich corporate freaks. And while I may agree with them that women are often portrayed in a way I disapprove of, I think it’s important to look at the audience. Studios, companies and artists create, support and sign projects that they think will make them money. If the audience did not watch these things that they find offensive then their production would be much more likely to cease than if people only complain about it.
The media is powerful. It influences many people’s views of the world. Studios back patriotic films in troubled times because that is what people wish to see. That is why there were many war films released after September 11. The studios knew that the public wanted to see America come out on top again, so they backed films that would make them feel more confident. If a rap star sings about the thrills of going out drinking, fans may be influenced to believe that they should go out too. Even if they are underage. The media is very powerful in the way it can influence the people and their views.