Editorial Report

Here is a revision of an excerpt from Project 2.

Original:

Romantic comedies aren’t written to appeal to Southern baptists, just as war dramas aren’t written for toddlers. A massive amount of statistics are in play here; films that are meant to appeal to Broadway socialites (i.e 2014’s Birdman) are written to specifically accommodate the regions of New York and Los Angeles, and as such are produced on a lower budget than, say, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which appeals to a massive market of all ages, a movie that will play in most countries. As such, the script must be formulated accordingly in order to prevent backlash that may lead to less members of a particular audience seeing said film.

Revised:

 According to a 2015 study by the Motion Picture Association of America, diversity is the main factor in the writer-audience relationship. While urban, caucasian populations tend to flock towards movies of any genre, particular races tend to stick to movies that are suited for them, whether they be historical dramas or starring a relatable actor in that racial category. Aside from demographic differences, a conflict of interest also arises when considering what audience will be interested in which genre. For example, films that are meant to appeal to Broadway socialites (i.e 2014’s Birdman) are written to specifically accommodate the regions of New York and Los Angeles, and as such are produced on a lower budget than, say, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which appeals to a massive market of all ages, a movie that will play in most countries.

I changed the beginning of the paragraph to link to an expansive MPAA report on movie audiences based on demographic. This more effectively portrays the content than the simple analogy I previously used. This also changed the form slightly, as I  went form a more creating, dialogue-driven voice to a factual, informative one.

Interview w/Bradley Schauer

https://youtu.be/Mywk9BHClNY

My Discipline

I've had a passion for storytelling for some time now, which has led me to pursue Film and Television as my college major.

Students in my field learn the history and aesthetics of motion pictures from the small to the big screen. We learn of production, distribution, exhibition, cinematography, and narrative, and discover how they fit together to make a coherent product. As students further into their college career, they learn the hands-on aspects of filmmaking, and many gain the opportunity to create their own films.

Degrees in this major cover a wide array of occupations, even with the increasing exclusivity of major film studios. Many film majors go on to work in the production aspects of film, helping to finance and support the movies their studio is working on. Others will handle the technical side, with the help of engineering degrees, and become equipment operators. Those of us with high standards may push to become involved in the filmmaking process, whether that be screenwriting, directing, or editing.

I saw a unique vision in what I could potentially bring to the film medium, which is what drew me to this major. A good number of my inspirations are still major players in film today. Disney, if you've heard of it, never seems to fail at striking gold with the family-friendly movies they produce each year. Some of the most up-and-coming directors of recent years include the storytelling genius Christopher Nolan, and the wizard behind the camera Alejandro Iñárritu. Actors such as Tom Hardy and Oscar Isaac seem to be taking over the industry with their widespread blockbuster roles.

My Interviewees On Social Media

Here is what I found on my interviewees after research/stalking.

Dr. Bradley Shauer can be found on Twitter and Facebook. His accounts are not professional or informative, but rather share his love/criticisms for movies, and I learned of some of his favorite films. This personality fits with the mildly sarcastic tone of his editorials on Antenna, in which he gives slightly cynical yet constructive criticism on certain topics.

Michael Mulcahy has a Facebook profile, but it contains almost no information, and not a single post.

My Interviewees As Professional Writers

Here is a quick rundown of the professional status of my interviewees' writing processes.

Dr. Bradley Schauer
Works: Contributed to journals, The Velvet Light Trap, The New Review of Film and Television Studies, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video. Contributor to Antenna: Responses to Media and Culture. Created original book, The Pulp Paradox: Science Fiction and the Exploitation Tradition in Hollywood, 1950-1986 (University of Wisconsin, 2010).

Schauer's work on Antenna consists of editorial posts on issues and happenings in the realm of popular media that he is actively interested in. His format is that of an internet editorial article, and is formatted similar to a quick reference guide, making use of appropriate graphics and text blocking. His articles offer constructive criticism of recent dealings in comic books, movies, and television, and all are done without fear of copyrighting or sponsorship issues.
This contrasts with his book, The Pulp Paradox, which is in a standard non-fiction book format. It is his original property and not part of a parent website, making the text completely original. It was completed in 2010 and outlines the history of science fiction during the genre's renaissance.

Michael Mulcahy
Works: Documentary, Correction. Short film, dramatic fiction, Peter Berg.

Mulcahy has worked on several short films. While I could not find any links to them, they have been in co-production with various faculty and students from the U of A. His documentary, Correction, focuses on the staff of Arizona prisons and how they deal with their jobs. His style of filming coincides with the documentary style and contains many familiar techniques. The purpose of the documentary is to highlight the often-overlooked efforts of prison guards.

My Interview Subjects

Here is a quick briefing of the subjects I'll be interviewing.

Dr. Bradley Schauer

Dr. Bradley J Schauer, Assistant Professor, School of Theatre, Film and Television, University of Arizona. Worked as professor since 2010.
Interview scheduled for March 7th, 2016 at 1:50 in Marshall 230.

Staff page



Interview questions:
-Can you describe your profession?
-In what situations do you find yourself requiring to create an informative text?
-What genres do you typically utilize in your writings?
-Can you describe your writing process?
-How does research factor into your process?
-What are your primary objectives when making a text (things to look out for)?
-You are obviously well-kempt in the subject of film history. How effectively do you feel your format conveys this information?
-Why do you prefer the Powerpoint structure over other options?
-Do you encounter any frustrations in your writing process? How do you remedy them?
-Are you satisfied with the results of your writing process?

Michael Mulcahy

Michael Mulcahy, Associate Professor, School of Theatre, Film and Television, University of Arizona. B.F.A. in General Fine Arts, University of Arizona; M.F.A. in Film and Media Arts, Temple University. Worked as professor since 1999.
Interview scheduled for March 9th, 2016 at 9:00 in Marshall 227.

Staff page




Interview questions:
-Can you describe your profession?
-In what situations do you find yourself requiring to create an informative text?
-What genres do you typically utilize in your writings?
-Can you describe your writing process?
-How does research factor into your process?
-What are your primary objectives when making a text (things to look out for)?
-You are obviously well-kempt in the aesthetics of film and media. How effectively do you feel your format conveys this information?
-You tend to employ a mixture of text-based lectures and example footage. Why do you prefer this method above other options?
-Do you encounter any frustrations in your writing process? How do you remedy them?
-Are you satisfied with the results of your writing process?