Audio Story

Kevin Smith is a big name among nerds a like and is just a visionary when it comes to making what he likes and not caring what others think. He does podcast that shows this and he does it very well. The story I am writing about is him on the new Netflix series “Daredevil.”

Smith tells us that he is not a binge watcher and that he is usually too busy on one of his projects to be able to watch shows non-stop. But then he said when he got to the new Netflix and Marvel television show it was like time stood still. He binge watched all 13 hour long episodes like one long movie. This is rather funny because I relate to this in the fact that I did the same exact thing.

Kevin Smith really puts his emotion, mainly humor to reach out to his fans. He continues on about how Netflix is really taking away the options of people. People can choose to sit inside all day and watch television instead of going out to do something. Kevin Smith says that the United States is the land of choice, which is very true because we have so many it is hard to choose what we really want.

Smith as a director knows what it takes to make a good film or television show so he said he admired how hard they worked on the show because it is good enough to make people stay in and use 13 hours of their life sitting around and watching television.

Smith is one person I really enjoy listening too on matters because he is humorous, but he tells it like it is. He really gives off the emotions to his fans about the topic in question and he doesn’t hold back. He does a great job connecting with his fans through internet radio which is impressive in itself.

His smodcast is fantastic, here is the story and site if your interested.

Multimedia story

Everyone knows how terrible ISIS is and how they are terrorists and the need to stop them is top priority. But surprisingly they have an advanced bureaucracy which includes many things that most probably didn’t know about. ISIS needs to be stopped and after watching this multimedia story it is easy to tell that it will be more even more difficult than it is already.

ISIS have ministry councils that run everything from health, education, and even transportation. Although they do have a sense of medieval justice they actually have a rather advanced bureaucracy. They have fully operational hospitals including maternity wards, and they even have a vaccination campaign. They also have a court system that monitors the strict laws they have set in place. For instance theft is punishable by chopping off ones hand.

This multimedia story has shown me a lot that I had no clue about. I am not a person that watches the news often so these things maybe news to some and others not, but the story came across as very informational. It was not a sad piece so it didn’t invoke any emotion, but it was made for information. Some stories try to get you to feel but CNN put this multimedia story out here so people could understand what is exactly going on with ISIS.

This story was really well done, which is not a surprise since it was done by CNN. But this story taught me so much more about ISIS and why they are even harder to bring down. Their level of justice is an extreme, but seeing that they some kind of system over there is a shock.

The multimedia story is here if you are interested.

Social Media Policy-CNN

All mainstream media or news organization have implemented some type of social media policy for their organization and employees to abide by. CNN is no different and they have social media policies that apply to all their employees in ways that might surprise some, and be completely normal to others.

CNN has many policies that don’t allow their employees to speak publically on matters they have covered or will cover. They can’t let their employees give their opinions on news because they don’t want their organization to look like they are taking a stand on one thing or another. Since they are a news outlet they can’t have opinions because news reporting has to fair and neutral.

They also tell their employees to not comment on posts or blogs unless it is about something they won’t cover or they use an anonymous name to try and keep their identity a secret. This policy really connects to the previous one that won’t allow them to state their opinion about a news story they have covered.

Employees are also able to start their own blog but they can’t write about stories they have or might cover for CNN. This policy also links with the others in the fact that they want to keep news opinions out of the picture because they are only there to report it.

Much of CNN policies are aimed toward their employees or company in general because they are first and for most a news organization. They can’t be seen airing their opinion publically because it can damage the reputation of a reputable news organization. These policies are rather rough but necessary to keep the journalistic integrity intact.

Video Story

Most know about the television show TMZ about a bunch of paparazzi annoying celebrities to try and get them to act stupid or get some kind of response out of them. In this video story it is about a TMZ employee trying to get a response out of well-known funny man, director and comic writer Kevin Smith. But Smith turns the tables on the paparazzi photographer and embarrasses him.

When the video starts it is showing this guy walking up to Kevin Smith to try and get question answered, but instead Smith tells him that the only way he will answer the paparazzi’s question is if they did it on stage during one of his podcast’s. They both then proceed to the stage and when the paparazzi finally gets on stage Smith just starts to, not make fun of him but get the audience to laugh at him in different ways.

The paparazzi asked Smith if he would want to engage in a Star Wars themed movie, which Smith then replies “I think they are already making that.” The paparazzi miss worded the question and instead of movie he said wedding. Smith then just goes in on him getting the crowd to laugh at him more and more.

TMZ employees are known for their annoyingness and being a**holes so it was nice to see someone like Kevin Smith give them a taste of their own medicine. The visuals in this story were perfect because it gives a different sense of the story being told. Usually you get to see others reactions on screen, but being able to see the humiliation come at the person with the camera is a bit different and was done well. The guy was overall a good sport, but the story relayed a different message than what the general population is used too and we got to see someone who is annoying get a little of his own medicine.

You can watch the video here.

Audio Slideshow

The World Cup is one of the biggest celebrations around the world. Futbol or soccer is the most popular sport on the planet and this audio slideshow proves just that. This slideshow does not have anyone speaking, but the pictures really tell the whole story.

World Cup 2014 was huge and everyone was paying attention to who would win. Many predictions were made and only few came true. The audio slideshow played the theme music to the 2014 World Cup while showing pictures of different fans dressed in their favorite teams color and jerseys. Some painted their face and some didn’t.

The thing about this story though is not about what is said, it is about what lies in the pictures. This audio slidshow is more than just the sport of Futbol or the fans. This sport brings people together just like the Olympics. It is a way for all fans to share the same interest and passion as one another. It is about the love each person has for their own nation and people that really brings this piece of journalism together.

I may not have been to a World Cup match before, but it is one of my dreams and if I was lucky enough to go I would wear the colors of my nation. I represent them proud just like all the other fans in the photos do. Many think that events like this are about the competition, and in a way they are right but it is about unity and the passion for each of our nations. That is what this audio slideshow is about and it delivered it perfectly.

Without Media Project

Many in today’s society are obsessed with technology and social media in particular. Social media is used to help people connect with one another from anywhere on the planet, so it is easy to see why so many are obsessed with this tool. Being able to contact any of your friend, family, and not to mention get any news update at the palm of your hand is rather nifty. But this project of going 12 hours without social media and video games, and having to use only traditional media was surprisingly easy.

Some of my hobbies do not include technology or social media. It was hard to not respond to friends through text because that is the way I usually contact others, but phone calls were a nice change of pace.

One of my biggest hobbies is to read comic books. This was actually a really good time for me to get caught up on some much needed comic time. While in school I am bogged down with homework and classes that I don’t get much time to read comics. At least not as much as I would like to. I actually plan on writing comic books when I graduate with a friend of mine.

So this time without social media has helped me write some more stories for what I hope to do in the future. Preparing for the future is important and these twelve hours helped me do that. Being able to come up with ideas is time consuming and putting this time aside let me do that.

I was also able to get homework done for my classes, that didn’t involve the internet, as well. These twelve hours were able to let me get some homework done that I would have otherwise pushed off another day to do something more enjoyable.

This project is to show us how social media, and in my opinion technology as well, has shaped my life. I have noticed that these things have really had a big impact on my life. I get all my news from the internet and social media. When bored I do tend to go online and read articles about the things that interest me and even videos that keep me entertained for a while.

I use Twitter and Facebook much more than I thought I did before. My life has been shaped in a different way through social media without me noticing it a whole lot until it was put to the test. These sites keep people in general entertained and busy when they have nothing better to do.

These sites do though allow people to connect over a long distance which is a great way for human interaction. When people can’t connect it gives a person a sense of loss, so what social media has done is let people who otherwise couldn’t contact one another do so. Social media has shaped human society as we know it and there really is no turning back.

Marvel Isn’t Planning Ahead Nearly as Much as People Think – Word cloud – WordItOut

This Data Visualization is a word cloud from the website worditout.com. I decided to choose an article about Marvel and their cinematic universe and how they don’t have everything planned out like most fans think they do. Marvel has movies lined up and scheduled release dates up until 2019, which is interesting because if they don’t have everything planned out then how do they have movies scheduled so far in advance?
Well the biggest reason Kevin Feige, Executive Producer in the Marvel cinematic universe, is that they want each film to be individual. They want to work individually on each film to make them the best they can be. He goes on to tell us that they don’t look at the films and think, “how can we get this film to relate to this film?” Feige explains that each film connects with one another by the actions the films take. They kind of happen organically, with a little bit of creative ingenuity.
My word cloud has many words like Marvel, Movie, and Feige because this article is about the Marvel cinematic universe. It is taking a look at how the producers connect all of the films and bring them together in other films such as the “Avengers.”

Black Mask, Yellow Peril: Anti-Asianism in Netflix’s Otherwise Brilliant Daredevil

The Nerds of Color

by Takeo Rivera

So let’s get one thing out of the way: it’s probably safe to say that Marvel and Netflix’s Daredevil is the finest piece of television ever made in the superhero genre. With its stellar cast and consistently tight writing and direction, the show can easily go toe-to-toe with any other major serialized TV drama in this golden age of Mad Mens and Breaking Bads, elevating superherodom to an unequivocal status of high art in much the way Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica elevated the space opera. And, as a cherry on top, Daredevil happens one of the most progressive shows of the genre; in particular, Matt Murdock battles not some alien Super-Wario intent on blowing up the planet with an ancient glowing Rubik’s cube, but a scion of urban “redevelopment” — read gentrification — in Wilson Fisk, and spends an unhealthy time fighting white collar…

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“Batman vs. Superman” Teaser Trailer

“Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” just came out with a teaser trailer and I must say it is a real teaser. When I first saw it i was hoping for a little more, but they are acting like a pretty girl. They just tease the suits of Batman and Superman with no action sequences. It is sad because I was really hoping for something more, but I guess we are all going to have to wait till later this year to see a real trailer. In the mean time if you haven’t seen the teaser trailer watch it below.

“Daredevil” Perfectly Portrayed

Netflix’s new superhero series, “Marvel’s Daredevil,” is dark, violent and unlike anything Marvel has done in a long time. Marvel is known for its lighthearted films and its first spinoff show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and its unfortunately less successful show, “Agent Carter.” This new show is completely different from what Marvel has done previously, which is exactly what they needed.

  Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is a gloomy character with an even darker past, which is part of the reason he is pushed toward his Daredevil, vigilante persona. “Daredevil” captures this perfectly, while still throwing in some of the lighthearted humor, mainly from Matt’s best friend and business partner, Foggy (Elden Henson), which is Marvel’s forte.

  This show is filled with many references from both the comics and the cinematic universe that take place on the big screen. For instance, when Clair (Rosario Dawson) finds Matt for the first time, in his iconic black mask, in the trash beaten half to death, she proceeds to call him Mike because he does not give her his name. Fans of the Daredevil comics know that, at one point, Matt Murdock had an alter-ego named Mike.

  Another call out to comic references is the fact that Matt trains at Foggwell’s Gym. This is the gym that he and his father train at in the comics.

 “Marvel’s Daredevil” also has many small references to its comic book counterpart. It is always refreshing to see the little things get the attention because it shows that the producers and directors paid attention to detail.

  Along with the many references, “Daredevil” shows that it is still a part of a bigger universe by referencing the “Avengers” and a few other superheroes as well.

  The first episode clearly does this by giving a nod to “Avengers”  when Matt says, “Well yeah, the world watched New York get destroyed,” which happened during the Chitauri invasion. Another example from the first episode occurs when a corrupt financial adviser says, “Heroes and their consequences are why we have our current opportunities.”

  They then make several references to the heroes themselves as well as acknowledging the likes of Captain America and Thor.

 Another aspect of this show that I commend Marvel for, besides the references to the films and comics, is the casting. This show is spot on for every single character. In fact, there is not one character that could use development, especially with Charlie Cox as Daredevil himself.

  The casting of Matt Murdock is on par with the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Cox portrays the Scarlett Swashbuckler perfectly and out performs Ben Affleck’s portrayal in the 2003 film “Daredevil.”

 Speaking of the terrible film “Daredevil,” it is nice to see that Marvel actually took its time to pay attention to detail. The film is so bad that it would be impossible for the show to be worse, so at least it had that going for it when Marvel decided to turn the man without fear into a Netflix exclusive show.

  Another part of this show that is admirable is the fact that it is not action driven. Yes, the action in the show is really good, well choreographed and visually stunning, but it is the dialogue and Cox’s portrayal of Matt Murdock that really sets this show apart from some of the other superhero shows out now.

 For example, characters such as Foggy, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Ben Urich (Vondie Curtis-Hall) make the show.

  Some of the other shows that are similar have a couple of casting issues or some have less than satisfactory acting. But “Daredevil” gives the fans a real Daredevil comic book experience. This show is similar to DC comic’s “Arrow,” but both shows do enough to stay different and fresh.

  The best part of this entire show goes back to comic book references, but it’s not just the references. This show really shows the iconic history of Matt Murdock and Daredevil: from his accident as a child that made him blind, to his first black suit and mask that he wears when he first starts out as a vigilante.

  So much comic book history has been added to this show, which is really refreshing. Some shows, such as “Arrow,” not to pick on this show, don’t stay true to some of the Green Arrow’s history.

  “Daredevil” pretty much brings the comic book to life. When a show can stay true to the history that it is based on and doesn’t veer too far away from its origins, the show will be successful.

 Overall, “Daredevil” is a phenomenal show. All 13 episodes are now available on Netflix.