The intended audience is the student body of a public land grant university.
The intended message might seem obvious; the text on the page. But is that the only message this video is sending?
What about the emotion elicited while viewing?
How do you feel about the motion - pause - motion rhythm?
What about the choice of words on each sign?
Does the scenery and set up tell you anything?
Now watch it again with these questions in mind.
So, what do you think?
Please let me know. Tomorrow I will post what this video says to me and reflect upon your answers.
Thanks!
Riegal I presume? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've always gotten a kick out of his sense of humor. As for emotion? Hmmm, is "smirk" an emotion...that is what was elicited in me along with a chuckle. The stop and go motion was a little disconcerting for some reason (I have no idea why given that there was no creepy music background). I guess I'm more of a wander by at an even pace kind of person. Scenery and set up indicates that it is indeed back to school week. A nice twist on "blessing of the backpacks". But for some reason I'm only thinking 'zombie apocalypse" Bwahahaha!!!
THANK YOU! And how did you know it was him? LOL
DeleteIf you think of anything else in the next few days please write more!
I think some music added might be nice! Mostly I'm wondering whether kids these days would even have a clue what a "burma shave" ad even is?
ReplyDeleteDr. Hess, I proposed that question on the original post. Riegel has replied and I've asked for him to respond here as well. If he doesn't post it here I will share his reply at a later time. I'd really like to get some more responses and then do a write up some time next week.
DeleteI liked the video and appreciated not being assaulted by sound for once. My deeper reaction, however, is that the video is emblematic of how we have to market ourselves, our church and our services in this entertainment-driven, me-first culture. Folks need a hook; they needed to be wooed, marketed, persuaded and sometimes even bribed to come to church. What ever happened to going to worship as a response to God's love, with no expectation that there's something in it for me (or you)? This is not a critique of the video but a commentary on the regrettable state of society.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your insight!! And you are right. It is a state of society that we must confront through a theological lens. And, as you said as well, we need to look at how our ecclesiological models have developed and need to respond. I appreciate you giving me something to think about!
DeleteBy the way, are you at LTSG?
Ok, so the intended message is very obviously geared toward a student body. I found myself wondering about what the reaction might be of someone walking by who WASN'T a student. They're not a scholar, so by inference, they must be dull. (And btw, what about campus staff who walks by? Would any member of the campus community except the students feel like this service was open to them? What about outside the campus community? My thought is that they wouldn't feel welcome, which makes me wonder about the location of this sign. Is it on-campus? Is the location trafficked by non-students frequently? If so, then couldn't this be experienced as a little exclusive?)
ReplyDeleteI also spent more than a few moments pondering the irony of being told to be a not-dull scholar by a rhyme that, let's face it, could have been written by a really boring eight-year-old.
How do you feel about the motion - pause - motion rhythm?
As for the motion-pause-motion, I really didn't like it. It reminded me of the Blair Witch Project. I found myself tensing up and wishing the jiggly camera motion would stop between signs.
The signs were designed for live viewing, and I think it's an effective design. FILMING what's intended to be a live experience? In my opinion, they could have done a better job suiting the message to the media.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I really appreciate it. You've posed a lot of questions that I really want to work through in a follow up blog post.
Deleteblessings!
I've come (more than) a little late to this conversation.
ReplyDeleteMusic? Being a novice at this, I hadn't figured out how to add music at this point. If I had, there would be the classic banjo music used on Hee Haw (which did "Burma Shave" sketches).
Rough motion? No equipment for a smooth shoot, and time was a factor. If it's going to be bumpy, might as well be obviously bumpy rather than make it look like you simply failed to make it smooth. Pausing was done so people could read the sign.
Location? On campus: a high density student route that happens to be right next to the Chapel where the service was to take place.
Non-students? Interesting. The event's other ads make it plain that faculty and staff are welcome. It is a "campus" ministry, not a "student" ministry. We attempt to serve the entire academic community. I can see, now (thanks to the one response), that it might not be perceived in that way. Along the same line, I personally don't think of "scholarship" as limited to the academic community, but I can see, now, that my more egalitarian application of scholarship might not be shared. How do I fix that? Or is the medium unsuited for such a nuanced conversation?
Medium? Yes, the signs are meant for live viewing. Filming and posting on fb was more about sharing with our alumni, supporters, and the congregations and parishioners of the synod, than about using the video as an actual outreach tool to those who do not know us already. We also intended it as a reminder to our regular and peripheral participants.