COM 117/4: Multimedia Storytelling

When I saw that Mike Tirico was on the Newhouse guest speaker list my first thought was, “Finally someone I know is coming to Newhouse.” Not that I didn’t enjoy other speakers, but Tirico, being a prominent sportscaster on ESPN and ABC, was at the top of my list.

Like almost every other guest speaker, Tirico spoke about the growing importance of social media, and how it has and will affect the professions we will be entering in four years.  He specifically referenced Twitter, and mentioned that companies that used to frown on social media, are now encouraging their employees to actively update their accounts.  He did note that this is just the early stages of social media, and its future growth may be unimaginable to us at this point in time.

What impressed me the most, was his openness to give advice.  Although he is at the top of the sports broadcasting world, he has remained humble and uses his experiences to help others better their chances at success.  Although I am an Advertising major, I appreciated seeing someone who has earned success through hard work and determination.  No matter the field, these traits are essential for success.  Lastly, he emphasized that part of success comes from truly loving whatever profession you choose.  If you love your job, putting in long hours will be well worth it, and will come easy.

Back at the beginning of the month, I went with a group of friends from my sorority to the Newhouse Fashion Show. We got there a bit late so the only spots really available were on the 5th floor, looking down on the stairs of Newhouse 1 which had been turned into a runway. This location ended up working to our benefit, as we could see everything that went on behind the scenes that most people didn’t get to see, such as the models being rushed from one outfit to another and designer scuffling in and out of dressing rooms. With all that came the chance to see a couple girls from our house that were participating in the event, both as models and designers.

The show overall was pretty well put together. During some of my shifts at Schine, I would help setup spaces for Fashion’s Conscience to meet and rehearse, so it was cool seeing their efforts and work pay off. The outfits were interesting too. Some looked like outfits people had fashioned out of theft store finds (which I’ll be the first to admit is a very useful skill), another section had more traditional ethnic looking attire, and another was almost entirely pink. This one was probably my favorite, both from an entertainment standpoint and the message. I loved that there were women walking in the show, proudly wearing the girliest color on Earth. The best though, was the guy wearing a tiny women’s pink Philadelphia Eagles jersey. Made my day.

On April 27th, 2011, I got the chance to sit in on professor Evan Smith’s Script Development class. It was a collection of grad students, juniors and seniors, and today was an extra interesting day because they were going to be Skyping with Michael Weber, aka, the Newhouse graduate and co writer for (500) Days of Summer. As of right now, he is very successful and is in high demand as one of the most desired young writers in Hollywood. But this did not come easily.

As Michael Weber discussed his times here at SU, one thing was for sure: he was not exactly the most motivated or studious student. Eventually, after realizing his niche was in writing, he began to write everyday. After interning during one summer with Tribeca Productions, he took on a series of jobs (including being Robert De Niro’s personal assistant) that left him with very little time to write. He was even asked to work for Saturday Night Live, but not as a writer, and he was told flat out that if he took the job, there would be no opportunities for him to advance as a writer on the show. A few dream jobs for anyone, except Michael, because he knew he wanted to write. So he turned these jobs down, stuck to his true passion, and wrote every single day. A routine that he continues to follow to this day.

Eventually, after teaming up with fellow writer Scott Neustadter, the two collaborated and wrote many scripts, but none were picked up.  After pitching a few ideas to movie execs, one random pitch was picked up. About the same time, several of their other scripts were bought, and Michael Weber’s life was never the same. His big break had come and continues to thrive today (even as we Skyped, he had to leave a few times to answer calls to pitch ideas and to talk money with potential clients).

From this class and talking with Michael, some things became very clear to me. One of which is that this business takes an incredible amount of self-motivation and determination, which I already realized but it became more real hearing it from someone who had been sitting in the SU classroom only a few years before. I also realized that becoming a writer demands an incredible amount of passion for writing (obviously). When Michael talked about the other so called “dream jobs” such as SNL, I can honestly say that I may have been just fine working there. And not just fine, but extremely happy.  This could be because my passion for script writing/writing in general isn’t in full bloom yet, but it could also be because I’m not sure that I see myself as a writer for the rest of my life. It’s not the drive that’s missing, it’s the lack of  extreme passion for one single aspect of the entertainment business.

I think (and hope) that in time, I will be able to hone in on one specific area that I can see myself doing. I had thought that it would be writing, but I can see myself in other areas as well. I guess only time will tell and I’m glad I had the opportunity to hear Michael’s story because it really got me thinking about making sure that I find my true passion so that I don’t end up unhappy or regretful. I also realized that one day I may be given opportunities that sound great but are just not right for me, and in the end, finding happiness within a career is 100% in my hands as long as I have a true passion for what I’m doing; no matter what it is.

P.S. If you haven’t seen (500) Days of Summer, I definitely suggest watching it. :)

One of the main reasons why I decide to come to Syracuse University was its great history of developing some of the world’s best sports broadcasters.  That being said, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to listen to Mike Tirico speak.  I came in knowing a lot about Tirico and his journey to where he is now as a prominent broadcaster on ESPN and ABC.  The thing I appreciated about Tirico was his eagerness to help students and be a source of advice for them as he was persistent in setting a lot of time for questions and answers.

It was fascinating how Mr. Tirico stressed the importance of social media.  I am so used to hearing professors constantly mention the importance of facebook and twitter, but this was the first time I have ever heard or seen a celebrity or prominent figure really focus in on social media convey to its importance to students.  In the presentation there was even a board with Tirico’s twitter name on it, encouraging students to be active with their social media even while he was talking.  While Tirico admitted to not being a Twitter user himself, he was adamant in saying that social media is going to be an unavoidable aspect to our career in a communications business.

As a Broadcast Journalism major, I am fully aware of the amount of work I’m expected to ultimately put into my job when it consists of so many parts: preparation, production, and post production.  However, the reason for wanting to pursue such a tedious profession is for its benefits.  It was great to hear Mr. Tirico reassure this.  While he did stress the amount of preparation and time it takes for him to feel prepared for just one broadcast, it was even better to hear him say he truly loves putting the work in, going to work every day, and wouldn’t trade his profession for any in the world.

I attended a presentation by Maude Barlow about the current and future state of water supply around the world.  I came expecting to hear the basic facts we’ve all been hearing for a while, that we need to monitor our water consumption and find inventive ways of reusing water.  However, I left with an entirely new perspective.  The first thing Mrs. Barlow brought up was how water consumption is affecting global warming.  As we have seen by recent extreme weather conditions in Syracuse and around the world, there is definitely something going on in the environment.  Anything that can reduce this risk definitely is worth listening to.  Barlow argues that our misuse of water is directly related to the changing in the hydrological cycle and shifting our water tables, which is something that contributes to global warming.

The scariest part of the water dilemma, is having no idea what the future may hold.  When 80% of rivers are currently severely damages because of the misuse of water, it’s hard to imagine us changing or limiting our consumption patterns.  If anything, consumption of water may just continue to increase.  If this pattern continues, excess water will soon become a luxury rather than a common good.  If this is the case, I fear down the line water may become similar to oil.  If it becomes a good that is stored and transported solely for personal profit, then more and more people will suffer.  I think a solution to this would be to limit the transportation of water to make people become more aware of the importance of fresh water and to force them to take some action.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the water dilemma is a major topic in the 2016 presidential election.

The magazine department sponsored a panel discussion on ipad and iphone applications. They brought in Eric Gillan, director at Hearst Digital; David Griffin, visual editor at the Washington Post; and Jennifer Brook, designer for the New York Times iphone and ipad applications.

The discussion was really interesting. They talked about what makes good and bad applications. I really loved the analogies they used to describe a bad application. Eric Gillan said a bad app is the equivalent of an overstuffed turkey. The apps that try to everything, but end up doing nothing well.

It was really interesting to hear the difference between print, touch, and the web. The reason touch has been so popular is because it is similar to paper. Sliding your finger across a screen simulates turning a page of a magazine. This makes it easy for young children and older adults to use the system, while the computer uses unnatural controls for navigation of the content.

In the coming months the interface of ipad applications will mature, and give users an even more unique experience than print.

Maura Johnston, founder of music blog Idolator, came to Syracuse University on April 1^st. Since a young age Johnston wanted to work for the Village Voice, which she started as the music editor on April 4^th.

Johnston talked about how the first impression a website makes, stays with the site forever, even if the site changes what gave that initial impression. There is a site that I don’t entirely trust for news, because they have published rumors that turned up false in the past. This is a great example that first impressions really dictate what you think about the website.  I only trust that site after I see the same information elsewhere.

It was amazing to hear her speak and give advice for aspiring journalists. As a writer who wants to review games for a living, she gave really good advice on how to go about reviewing something. Johnston said to write down your initial reaction then break it down into reasons why you like or don’t like what you reviewed. That way your review is honest, and intellectual because you give concrete reasons why you like or don’t like it.

My flaw is interviewing and Johnston gave really simple, but helpful tips. She deals with artist, so they have certain answers prepared for certain questions, so she opens them up, by getting into deeper stories about their life in a way deviating from music. It is great advice.

As far as getting your work noticed, she reiterated the importance of having a blog about a topic your passionate about. Also she said it is important to link to people to help your blog noticed. Your blog about a particular topic establishes you as an expert, which is important for breaking into that particular genre of writing.

I loved the advice she gave. It was priceless, and I plan to implement all of her advice.

On April 5th, I attended a presentation with Joanne Zaiac, the president of the New York branch of Digitas, an integrated advertising agency. This presentation, which was in the Herg Auditorium within Newhouse 3, was part of the Newhouse Advertising Speakers Series, and easily one of the more engaging storytelling events that I’ve attended on campus. Being a presentation directly correlated to my advertising major, I found everything Ms. Zaiac shared with us to be interesting, and it didn’t hurt that she reflected Digitas’ interactive nature by sharing various clips from the agency’s portfolio for us to look at and watch.

Ms. Zaiac’s presentation was particularly engaging due to her explanation of rising incorporation rates of social media into advertising. She emphasized effective advertising campaigns, especially those by means of social media as well as other methods of interactive advertising. She showed the ways in which Digitas involves itself in creating active brands, or brands that allow for engagement and consumer participation, rather than relying solely upon traditional advertising campaigns. Whether by means of the Internet, video, or events for consumers, she explained the importance of getting a brand involved on the social media landscape.

Ms. Zaiac’s presentation shed some light on the future of advertising. It was beneficial to me, especially as an advertising student, to hear about the projected path of the industry, rather than only about its history. It’s an exciting time for advertising, and Ms. Zaiac really managed to convey that.

On April 11, 2011 I attended Zipped magazine’s event with Kelly Cutrone. Many of us can only associate her with shows like The Hills or The City, but Kelly is more than the ultimate public relations practitioner in the fashion industry. I was pleasantly surprised how genuine Kelly was when speaking to a room filled with enthusiastic girls. She was not there to talk only fashion, but to provide us with a sense of knowledge about maturing into successful women. Before success can be obtained, one must know whom he or she is. She stressed one can only discover his or her identity by knowing what he or she does not like. For example, she started out in the nursing profession and discovered it was not the right fit. Public relations was the perfect fit for her witty, blunt and aggressive personality. She started by getting a thrift store a three page spread in Vogue. Vogue also helped her venture into show biz. She admitted that her appearance on The Hills and The City was due to the guidance of Anna Wintour. Why would Anna Wintour decide to do reality TV with her “baby” magazine Teen Vogue? With social media on the verge, reality TV was an outlet for exposure. Reality TV was a way to increase brand awareness. It also brought light to the profession of public relations.

Personally, I had never heard of public relations before watching the show. Even though the show sometimes provided a misrepresentation of the profession by focusing more on drama, I was able to understand the type of committee needed to work within the industry. Kelly clarified this committee as she talked about personal experiences to relentlessly make it.