When your a 30 year TV news veteran, you think your writing don't stink. Boy, was I wrong. The lessons learned during this summer session will stay with me for a long time. Hopefully, not only will my writing improve, but so will all my communication skills. So as I reflect, I look ahead, and look forward to future endeavors.
THE VOICE
This has been the hardest piece of the puzzle for me to figure out. What exactly is an on line persona ? How do you achieve consistency with who you are throughout all the social media platforms ? And, for me, given my experience, expectations have already been formed by those who know me. I think that is why I chose to write about sports so much. There was a comfort level in meeting people's expectations about me. I also think that part of that comfort level came from my knowledge and passion for the subject as well.
I think that once I started to gain a little confidence and switched subjects concentrating on my capstone, I realized that my knowledge and passion extended outside the sports world. The subject of Jewish humor has opened me up to explore other sides of my personality. It began with my blog about growing up Jewish in Queens and the impact comedians had on me. As the semester progressed, and I admit it took awhile, I began to get more and more comfortable questioning the genesis of Jewish humor. I think my midterm proposal and my power point presentation best represented the transformation my voice is beginning to take.
Is the search for my on line persona complete ? Hardly. But, the groundwork has been laid and it is now up to me to continue the process beyond graduate school.
ON LINE PRESENCE
If I looked at it honestly, I'm still not sure what my on line presence will be or should be. I do know that I plan to continue striving to figure it out. The idea of blogging as part of my capstone project is one I will continue to explore. My initial thought is to use the blog form as a way to transition my documentary from subject to subject. I also want it to serve as a journal of my research and experiences. My plan would be to post my blogs on my Face Book, Twitter and Linked-In profiles to start a discussion on what I am writing about. The feedback and experience gained in this course should give me the confidence and motivation to get this going.
LESSONS LEARNED
The most important lesson I learned was to think outside of the box. I think that thought process started taking shape after the devil's advocate module. Questioning one's belief and then writing a coherent argument on that thesis has really allowed me to think from a different point of view.
It has made my writing more abstract and more creative.
But, it all still comes back to what my old News Editor used to say to me when I was writing news. Always look for ways to improve your writing. Simplify what you write and always re-write. Those words were re-enforced during the course of this summer and I thank Professor Kalm for taking the time to work with me.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Social Media
Social media is the new kid on the block. Its potential unlimited, its usage still unknown. I have been amazed to see its power unleashed when it comes to re-connecting with someone from the past. I have been to reunions with former work colleagues and look forward to my high school Face book reunion in September. It is great at bringing people together but how is as a P.R. and marketing tool?
I have been invited to join a lot of groups on Face book. I have been reluctant to join them all for fear of privacy and security issues. Recently, I was invited to join the group for the TV show "Lost". I was amazed at the number of fans in the group, over 5 million and the conversation stream is endless. As this assignment to critique a social media campaign from our niche came up, I decided to look at another popular TV show, one that fell into my niche, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" with Larry David.
On Face book, there are over 500-thousand friends on the site. On Twitter, tens of thousands more on the show site and on sites for each of the individual actors and actresses on the program.
The HBO website allows you to watch any one of the 70 episodes from the first 7 seasons. There are forums where fans of the show can have discussion with other fans about particular episodes, discuss your favorite guest star, decide who you want to see on an upcoming show, or just get the latest news releases about the show and its stars. You can even join the Face book page from there.
I think you really need to be a die hard fan of a show to get the most out of these social media channels. With the way characters and episode plots are dissected I don't think a casual fan would understand or appreciate it. The big plus for me is a place to be able to view episodes of the show on demand. I give the web site very high marks for its offering.
If there is to be a weak link in the social media chain, I think its with Twitter. Yes, millions of people want to know what 140 character pearls of wisdom comes from the mouths of celebrities, but, it just doesn't seem to employ a big enough payoff for time and energy spent on it. I have been using Twitter as part of our class assignments but I do not follow anyone on a regular basis and do not use it as a running commentary on the events of my day. Maybe its a generational thing, but I enjoy Face book much more than Twitter.
Again Face book, as it pertains to Curb Your Enthusiasm allows for individual reflection and critique of each episode. It allows you to post small video samples that can be viewed in a short amount of time. Like the web site, it allows for discussion amongst fans and allows for divergent points of view.
Overall, I would say that the use of social media for popular TV shows or movies serves its purpose as a PR and marketing tool. It is a way to get in front of the most pairs of eyes in the shortest amount of time. It brings about name recognition and if your on Face book and 15 or 20 of your friends are fans of a certain show, it may force you to ask about it and give it a try for yourself.
I have been invited to join a lot of groups on Face book. I have been reluctant to join them all for fear of privacy and security issues. Recently, I was invited to join the group for the TV show "Lost". I was amazed at the number of fans in the group, over 5 million and the conversation stream is endless. As this assignment to critique a social media campaign from our niche came up, I decided to look at another popular TV show, one that fell into my niche, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" with Larry David.
On Face book, there are over 500-thousand friends on the site. On Twitter, tens of thousands more on the show site and on sites for each of the individual actors and actresses on the program.
The HBO website allows you to watch any one of the 70 episodes from the first 7 seasons. There are forums where fans of the show can have discussion with other fans about particular episodes, discuss your favorite guest star, decide who you want to see on an upcoming show, or just get the latest news releases about the show and its stars. You can even join the Face book page from there.
I think you really need to be a die hard fan of a show to get the most out of these social media channels. With the way characters and episode plots are dissected I don't think a casual fan would understand or appreciate it. The big plus for me is a place to be able to view episodes of the show on demand. I give the web site very high marks for its offering.
If there is to be a weak link in the social media chain, I think its with Twitter. Yes, millions of people want to know what 140 character pearls of wisdom comes from the mouths of celebrities, but, it just doesn't seem to employ a big enough payoff for time and energy spent on it. I have been using Twitter as part of our class assignments but I do not follow anyone on a regular basis and do not use it as a running commentary on the events of my day. Maybe its a generational thing, but I enjoy Face book much more than Twitter.
Again Face book, as it pertains to Curb Your Enthusiasm allows for individual reflection and critique of each episode. It allows you to post small video samples that can be viewed in a short amount of time. Like the web site, it allows for discussion amongst fans and allows for divergent points of view.
Overall, I would say that the use of social media for popular TV shows or movies serves its purpose as a PR and marketing tool. It is a way to get in front of the most pairs of eyes in the shortest amount of time. It brings about name recognition and if your on Face book and 15 or 20 of your friends are fans of a certain show, it may force you to ask about it and give it a try for yourself.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Icm506 movie pitch2
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Icm506 movie pitch2
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Power Point Pitch
We have all seen documentaries on Jewish comedians but none of them ask the question, What Makes Being Jewish so funny? Is it the stereotype of being cheap ? The pain of living with one's mother-in-law ? Or is it a defense mechanism for the more serious problem of antisemitism? These are some of the issues explored in the new documentary due out next May, "Oy Vey, Why Being Jewish is so funny."
The film is the brainchild of Jeffrey Schneider, a five-time Emmy award winner who has been involved in television production for more than 30 years. His passion for the subject matter is a direct by-product of his Jewish upbringing and exposure to comedy from all media. He has dedicated this project to his comic heroes men who always managed to tickle your funny bone..
The career of Milton Berle, Uncle Miltie to millions, spanned 8 decades. He started in film, played in vaudeville and then became a superstar on radio and television. In 1948, the Texaco Star Theater became the first huge television hit and Berle forever became known as Mister Television......
Groucho Marx made 13 feature films with his Marx Brothers. But, Groucho became a TV icon as the host of the radio and TV game show, "You Bet Your Life". His wide lens glasses, thick eyebrows and dark mustache as well as his trademark cigar and quick quips made for many laugh out loud moments....
If story-telling gave you a case of the giggles, then there was no one funnier than Buddy Hackett, who used to talk out of the side of his mouth and tell his story funnier than anyone I had ever seen.....
Mel Brooks was just insane. He was a writer for Your Show of Shows ,the creator of Get Smart, The 2000 Year Old Man brought the old Jewish man character to life. But, his genius was as a director using his Jewish roots for classic comedy's like The Producers, Blazing Saddles and History of the World Part one.....
If Brooks was insane, Woody Allen was cerebral. He wrote with Brooks on Your Show of Shows and later went on to do bits for Candid Camera. But, Allen's portrayal of Jewish life was as the nebbishy misfit who was always a bit too neurotic to fit in. His early films like, Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Play It Again Sam were filled with sight gags that resonated in every Jewish home...
These men paved the way for other comedians like Robert Klein who helped push the envelope of being Jewish into the rebellious times of the late 60's and early 70's. He would become the pioneer of cable TV as the first standup comedian featured on HBO.......
And weird Al Yankovic, whose Jewish parodies took music to a place that Allan Sherman only touched upon in the early 60's. Yankovic's music in a lot of ways blazed the trail for satire along with Saturday Night Live that has evolved into The Daily Show of today...
And all of these entertainers made it easier for Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David to incorporate their brand of Jewish humor into America's living rooms. Jerry and Larry's neuroses just like Woody's, Kramer's slap stick approach just like Groucho and even Mel Brooks spent a season as part of Larry David's crazy world....
To try to answer the funny and serious questions posed by the documentary, we will sitdown with Jews of all age groups in a series of vignettes. The common thread will be a running blog provided by the creator.
One of the vignettes will focus on the elderly. We will visit a group of seniors to see what they thought was funny. Have them tell a joke or remember a visit to the Catskill Mountains. But, to many of them, reflect upon why Jews are so gifted at making people laugh. Was it their lot in life? Successful but persecuted ?
And we will switch from old to young and see if the Jewish youth aspires to follow in the footsteps of their roots. Is what is funny to them the same or different from the older generation. Do they have the same connection to Jewish humor ?
Next we'll meet a man who has turned the connection of God and humor into a new career. The stand-up Rabbi. A rabbi whose congregants meet in a comedy club and find humor in the scholarly observations of the man on the bimah.
And a man who walked the opposite path, starting out in vaudeville and ending up the corporate ladder. How much was his sense of humor a part of his rise in the board room ? From stand-up to CEO......
We'll ask the young comics of today how they incorporate their ethnicity into their acts and why they think that works, as we go backstage to one of the most famous comedy clubs in New York and meet the next generation of humorists......
Plus, since the documentary won't open until May 2011, there leaves time for a few planned and unplanned surprises. Hey, you shouldn't know from what may happen.
So there you have it, the planning is done and the shoots are in the works. Editing will soon follow and after some touching up and after effects, the unveiling of "Oy Vey, What Makes Being Jewish so Funny", will be ready about the time they play Pomp and Circumstance.
The film is the brainchild of Jeffrey Schneider, a five-time Emmy award winner who has been involved in television production for more than 30 years. His passion for the subject matter is a direct by-product of his Jewish upbringing and exposure to comedy from all media. He has dedicated this project to his comic heroes men who always managed to tickle your funny bone..
The career of Milton Berle, Uncle Miltie to millions, spanned 8 decades. He started in film, played in vaudeville and then became a superstar on radio and television. In 1948, the Texaco Star Theater became the first huge television hit and Berle forever became known as Mister Television......
Groucho Marx made 13 feature films with his Marx Brothers. But, Groucho became a TV icon as the host of the radio and TV game show, "You Bet Your Life". His wide lens glasses, thick eyebrows and dark mustache as well as his trademark cigar and quick quips made for many laugh out loud moments....
If story-telling gave you a case of the giggles, then there was no one funnier than Buddy Hackett, who used to talk out of the side of his mouth and tell his story funnier than anyone I had ever seen.....
Mel Brooks was just insane. He was a writer for Your Show of Shows ,the creator of Get Smart, The 2000 Year Old Man brought the old Jewish man character to life. But, his genius was as a director using his Jewish roots for classic comedy's like The Producers, Blazing Saddles and History of the World Part one.....
If Brooks was insane, Woody Allen was cerebral. He wrote with Brooks on Your Show of Shows and later went on to do bits for Candid Camera. But, Allen's portrayal of Jewish life was as the nebbishy misfit who was always a bit too neurotic to fit in. His early films like, Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Play It Again Sam were filled with sight gags that resonated in every Jewish home...
These men paved the way for other comedians like Robert Klein who helped push the envelope of being Jewish into the rebellious times of the late 60's and early 70's. He would become the pioneer of cable TV as the first standup comedian featured on HBO.......
And weird Al Yankovic, whose Jewish parodies took music to a place that Allan Sherman only touched upon in the early 60's. Yankovic's music in a lot of ways blazed the trail for satire along with Saturday Night Live that has evolved into The Daily Show of today...
And all of these entertainers made it easier for Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David to incorporate their brand of Jewish humor into America's living rooms. Jerry and Larry's neuroses just like Woody's, Kramer's slap stick approach just like Groucho and even Mel Brooks spent a season as part of Larry David's crazy world....
To try to answer the funny and serious questions posed by the documentary, we will sitdown with Jews of all age groups in a series of vignettes. The common thread will be a running blog provided by the creator.
One of the vignettes will focus on the elderly. We will visit a group of seniors to see what they thought was funny. Have them tell a joke or remember a visit to the Catskill Mountains. But, to many of them, reflect upon why Jews are so gifted at making people laugh. Was it their lot in life? Successful but persecuted ?
And we will switch from old to young and see if the Jewish youth aspires to follow in the footsteps of their roots. Is what is funny to them the same or different from the older generation. Do they have the same connection to Jewish humor ?
Next we'll meet a man who has turned the connection of God and humor into a new career. The stand-up Rabbi. A rabbi whose congregants meet in a comedy club and find humor in the scholarly observations of the man on the bimah.
And a man who walked the opposite path, starting out in vaudeville and ending up the corporate ladder. How much was his sense of humor a part of his rise in the board room ? From stand-up to CEO......
We'll ask the young comics of today how they incorporate their ethnicity into their acts and why they think that works, as we go backstage to one of the most famous comedy clubs in New York and meet the next generation of humorists......
Plus, since the documentary won't open until May 2011, there leaves time for a few planned and unplanned surprises. Hey, you shouldn't know from what may happen.
So there you have it, the planning is done and the shoots are in the works. Editing will soon follow and after some touching up and after effects, the unveiling of "Oy Vey, What Makes Being Jewish so Funny", will be ready about the time they play Pomp and Circumstance.
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