Blog Post Nine, Once Upon a Time

https://www.ted.com/talks/joe_sabia_the_technology_of_storytelling

     TED talks are a very interesting way for speakers to convey revolutionary ideas and speeches. In the Technology of Storytelling, Joe Sabia explains the evolution of storytelling and how new technologies changed it over thousands of years. He speaks to an enlightened and interested audience. The people at TED talks are usually well educated and eager to hear the speaker. Sabia begins by introducing Lothar Meggendorfer, the creator of the first pop up book. This is an excellent lead into his presentation, and throughout the video, he tells us how storytelling was revolutionized and has become more interesting and interactive as more technology was created. He explains that the stories often remained consistent and the messages behind them were generally the same, but the human race has progressed from "depicting hunting on cave walls to depicting Shakespeare on Facebook walls" (Sabia). His presentation was very interactive and drew the viewer in because he gave the whole talk using his iPad as the background. He referenced funny pictures, provided real examples, and maintained the audience's attention. He spoke relatively fast and kept his presentation concise, yet full of information on the subject. He did a great job of including the audience, and there was never a dull moment. I picked this talk because of the intriguing title. I actually thought it was going to explain the methods behind telling a good story and was surprised when Sabia instead talked about the actual technology used to portray stories. I can really relate to this talk because I have used a great deal of technology when reading or listening to stories. I love books on tape because they make car rides shorter, and I can work out while listening to them. When I was smaller, I loved picture books because they kept my attention and allowed me to see what was going on in the story. Sabia's presentation was very interesting and included a wealth of information of the progression of the methodology behind storytelling.

Blog Post #8- Baby

2. Film noir literally means “black film.” As you are watching the film, keep track of all the elements in the picture that seem dark or depressing. Think about the characters, the setting, and the storyline.

           Double-Indemnity was a very melancholy film. The whole story centers around a wife who wants to murder her abusive husband, and a once-innocent salesman who lets himself get caught up in the whole affair. The settings are generally dark and much of the movie takes place at night in dimly lit apartments or city streets. All of the characters add to the darkness of the film. Walter Neff is a successful salesman with a dark side. He saw a married woman and began flirting with her. The innocent flirting led to a more serious involvement, and he eventually helped her plan her husband's murder, so she could collect his life insurance policy. Phyllis Dietrichson is an evil women who manipulates Walter and uses him to compose a plan to murder her husband and get her a 100,000$. Mr. Dietrichson is an alcoholic who treats his wife very badly. Each one of the main characters add to the darkness of the film. Nearly all of the elements in Double-Indemnity add to the noir classification of the film by bringing up dark and depressing ingredients.