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The Truth

I was never going to stay

those were words said yesterday

as you packed your bags and walked away

leaving me stunned

Was it not you who said live and be loved

But now you act if I`m a stranger¸

I wish I listened to the warning signs that screamed danger

at least than I wouldn’t be left with all this anger

Did you leave because your web of lies could no longer desguise who you really are

Or was it because those eyes that left me mesmorized could no longer do the trick

see all those lines you have memorized that you use on different girls at different times is what brought you to your demise

all I ever asked you for was the truth

but you were so caught up in your youth that when i got my proof there was nothing you could do

so you left

packed your bags and walked right out that door

At least you will never hurt me anymore

who am I kidding i can`t stop thinking about the past

were we moving to fast

is that why we didn`t last

Or was it because even though I can forgive I will never forget

always anticipating the bad you haven’t done yet

trying to live my life without regret

Even though I regret you

expecially all those I love you too’s now that I know they were never true

so i’m glad you left

at least now I know the truth

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The Final Chapter

He sat there stirring his coffee. He hadn’t slept at all last night and it really showed. For the past couple of nights, he had been sleeping on the sofa. Lately, we started letting our problems push us further apart. Instead of having that awkward conversation, we preferred letting the silence create a distance that now words could never cover all that needed to be said.

We sat in silence at the kitchen table.

His face was sullen with dark circles under his eyes. My eyes were red and puffy, my face splattered with red blotches. I don’t remember what time I went to bed last night. My last recollection of consciousness was crying in our bed.

Alone.

The clink of his spoon hitting the inside of the cup and the humming of the fridge was the only sound to be heard in the room. I couldn’t stop staring at him, wishing him to speak, to say anything. He wouldn’t even look at me, he just stared intently into his cup of coffee.

In our five years of marriage, our relationship had never been this strained. How could it be that two people who were supposed to love each other, sit in the same room and can’t find a single thing to say to each other.

I loved him.

I mean I think I still love him, but what was once a clear black and white picture slowly became blurred at the edges with streaks of red.

I never knew where he was when he came home late. Most of the times he was drunk. He used to lie to me. Tell me his phone was dead so he couldn’t reach me. His friends suddenly started having a lot of emergencies that required him. Work was getting a lot of big projects that needed him to stay late. Sometimes not even come home at all. Now, he didn’t care what I thought he was doing. He no longer felt like he owed me an answer and I no longer required him to give me one.

I looked at him and realized I didn’t know this person anymore. I had seen this person every day for the past five years but in the last two, he might as well have been a stranger.

I didn’t think he was cheating on me, but I do think someone in the last four months was making him second guess our relationship.

Is it over? Is this how the story of Lauren and Chris ends. The fairytale I bought when we got married was on the verge of a refund and I didn’t I know how I felt.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Chris finished his coffee and was taking his cup to the sink. He went upstairs and I could hear him moving about in our bedroom. Ten minutes later, he came downstairs with a suitcase in his hand. He looked at me for the first time that morning.

“I can’t do this anymore Lauren, I’m sorry,” his voice was raspy like there was something stuck in his throat.

Even though I knew this moment was coming and knew deep down it was probably for the best, I stared at him almost willing him to change his mind.

He turned away from me, grabbed his coat and a hat and was out the door.

I remained at the kitchen table with my hands in head.

The wedding chapter was over.

This was a short story that I wrote. On my first short story, I received feedback that adding detail would have made the story better, so that was the focus of this story. I worked on adding detail and imagery so that you can really see the scene I was trying to create.

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January 5th, 2018

At one time I use to see my life in his eyes

my value in his hands

my smile on his lips

There was one time I held my worth in his words

so whatever he said, I was

Wherever he touched me became the most important part of me

It’s no wonder my heart never knew what true love was

Even though it was his

He never touched it, he never even acknowledged it

So to shield my heart my brain created a fantasy

But at some point that fantasy became my reality

I craved his attention, his touch

one word and i’d jump

he’d use me and I’d let him

and I convinced myself that’s what love is

Isn’t it?

This was a poem I wrote as part of my write a new piece of content everyday of 2018.

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This is a picture I took of St James Cathedral. I love how blue the sky is. I feel like it contrast with the building and helps to bring our the dirt and the age of the building. Took it on my Samsung S7.

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This was one of my first ever videos I made for Youtube. It was the first time that I used an editing software so you can see the jumpiness of where I made cuts. 

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This is a simple website that I designed for a group project. It was my first time making something like this. I always really liked the minimalistic look. it just makes things look very clean and professional. 

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Shot on a DSLR. First time experimenting with long exposure. Influenced by Stephen Sheffield’s image in his black and white portfolio.

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A Media Channel Analysis on Movie Theaters

Why are movie theaters delivering communications?

Movie theaters have been around since the early 1900’s. The goal was originally to create a higher clientele of attendees just like live performance theater. At the time the only thing being shown was silent films with subtitles and since education wasn’t as important for the average commoner a lot of the poor couldn’t and wouldn’t go see films. That all changed when sound was introduced and took away the need to read in order to understand the movie. It thus became a business providing entertainment for everyone.

What is the communication trying to achieve?

By creating a business based on providing entertainment, movie theaters need to create brand loyalty with movie goers. Especially in today's society where there is so much competition for the consumer dollar, theaters need to continue to prove and reinvent themselves in order to keep up. No longer can they rely solely on the films to bring in an audience. People need to enjoy the entire atmosphere and walk away with a great experience in order to keep coming back.

Who are theaters talking to?

Movie theaters are trying to communicate with anyone with disposable income. With a wide variety of films, arcade and in theater games, and food, they are attempting to make the theater a one stop shop for any and everybody in order to maximize profit.

What is the main idea movie theaters are trying to communicate?

The main idea movie theaters are communicating is that they can create an experience like no other by providing a chance for people to escape. They do this by creating an experience that plays off of almost all of our senses. When you walk through the door you are immediately hit by the smell of popcorn. When you look around, there are posters and trailers playing not only what is currently showing in theaters but also what is coming soon so you can start planning what to watch next. Most theaters now show films in a 2k or 4k quality while also having surround sound in order for us to be completely immersed in what we are watching. After all that, they hope that people still find it a service worth paying for.

How do we know movie theaters are effective?

How effective a movie theater is doing is a bit hard to tell because there hasn’t been much research on it. One might assume that when a big box office film comes out that the movie theaters would also be benefitting. They are since they get a percentage of sales but it wasn't their communication that drove consumers to their establishment. It’s hard to prove that people are going to a specific theater because of the theater and not because of the content they are displaying. Being in an industry that can be impacted not only by the economy but by people’s opinions makes it very easy for there to be highs and lows. Staying consistent not only during the good years, but through things like a recession can be seen as being effective. In the Chart shown below, you can see that since the decline of attendance in the 60’s, the average weekly attendance has remained the same. Now is that due to theaters communication or people just really liking films?

How are movie theaters different than other channels?

Movie theaters are stationary. The channels we currently use in our daily lives have been able to adapt so that we can take them almost everywhere we go. Theaters however remain one of the few channels that we are still required to go to and follow their schedule. Going to the movies requires planning in order to see what you want. Especially if it’s the opening weekend of a talked about movie, you have to be there early to either get good seats or before it sells out.

What technology is unique about movie theaters?

With the advancement of technology things that were once synonymous with movie theaters we can now create at home. For example technology like surround sound, bigger screens, digital projectors and the use of the 3D effects are all things that we can now purchase to create a theater experience in the comfort of our own homes. Brands of movie theaters have come up with different technology but there hasn't been an advancement of technology for theaters as a whole in a long time.

Cineplex Entertainment

The brand I chose for this assignment is Cineplex. Cineplex has quickly become Canada’s largest and most recognizable brand when it comes to movies because it continues to reinvent itself.

What is the brand strength?

Cineplex’s greatest strength is its diversification.

With the creation of Scene and scene points they were able to reward the consumer for previous purchases of movie tickets. After earning 1,000 points, customers are able to watch a movie for free. The program has now evolved as they have partnered with Scotiabank so consumers can earn points outside of the theater by doing everyday shopping.

Cineplex has made itself different from others theaters by creating vip in theater dining, adult only theaters where they serve alcohol and the streaming of live shows and events.

But, they are also branching off into different avenues. As of 2015, they own 50% equity in Cineplex Starburst which is the distributor of arcade games to not only Xscape, the gaming area in all Cineplex’s, but theme parks like Canada’s Wonderland and Disney World.

It has even created its own upscale version of Dave and Buster’s called The Rec Room.

What is the brand’s weakness?

Just because people are loyal to a brand doesn’t mean they are in love with the it. Cineplex realized that people thought of them like they do walmart according to Peter Furnish, the VP of marketing for Cineplex  and thus Lily and the Snowman was created.

It is a short film about a young girl named Lily who builds a snowman that tells her stories through the shadows of his hand. As spring approaches she stores him away in a freezer until the next winter so he can continue to tell her stories. As she gets older she loses interest and no longer has time for him. It isn’t until later in life when she sees a shadow of a snowglobe with a snowman inside does she go back for her friend and he is storytelling for her and her daughter. The video ends with the tagline ‘Make time for what you love’. The brand went with an emotional pull as a lot of commercials are these days because they tend to be more memorable.

What is the brand’s opportunities?

By creating all of the different lanes, Cineplex has allowed themselves to no longer be as worried or helpless about how the newer technology will impact their main market.

What is the brand’s threats?

The biggest threat to Cineplex used to be people pirating movies allowing people to just watch it online for free. However over the last decade, their threat has become streaming services. With all the technological advances that have occurred in our lifetime, we as a society have become lazy. Cineplex has to now think of ways to deter people from solely using services like Netflix/on demand at home and still find enjoyment in coming to the theaters

This is a piece I wrote about the effectiveness of movies theaters as a media channel.  I also used the brand Cineplex as my example and did a S.W.O.T analysis to further evaluate the effectiveness.

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This is a short video that I made with my theme being videos in or under water set to the song Running by Naughty Boy ft Beyonce. I used Sony Vegas Pro to edit the videos together and got all my clips from Youtube.

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Why the Baby Boomers are Defined by the Television

The purpose of this paper is to define the baby boomers with the television. This paper will begin with a definition of baby boomers. It will then explore the television and analyze the effect it had on the generation. Following this, the paper will use the movie Hairspray as an example of how the baby boomers used technology. Finally, this paper will suggest that the television defines the baby boomers.

To begin, this paper must discuss the baby boomers in order to understand why they are defined by the television. Baby boomers are people born in the years of 1946 to 1964(Poley, 2017).They were given this name because of the increase of couples having babies after World War II. In fact, that time period saw the highest number of people born to date with an estimated 76 million during the aforementioned years(Rocher, 1991, ep.1). In terms of infrastructure, the government was ill prepared for the boost in population. During that time, there was little to no affordable housing for young couples trying to start their lives. This is the start of suburban living as land developers began buying land outside major cities and making them affordable. ‘Suburbia’ quickly became the want of many but was unattainable for a few(Rocher, 1991, ep.1). This is due to the fact that most land developers refused to sell homes to African-Americans. Here in lies the next problem this generation attempted to tackle. Although slavery was abolished in the 1800’s, racism was still very much alive. During that period, we saw the start of the American Civil Rights Movement in which African-Americans were peacefully protesting the segregation and discrimination they faced. Baby boomers were also protesting the inequality for women and the US involvement in Vietnam. As a result, baby boomers were labeled nonconformists. The boomers also experienced the start of the Cold War in which the USA’s belief in capitalism began to clash with the Soviet Union’s belief in communism. The biggest issue that arose out of the Cold War was the threat of nuclear war as the Soviet Union began trying to create a hydrogen bomb. The fear of communism reached an all-time high when neighbors would have each other arrested under suspicion of being a communist. That led to the entire country being taught through the education system and government made ads on how to survive a nuclear attack. Folk music became the rage amongst the youth as the music would creatively describe what was occurring around then. It would often be critical and challenging of the way Traditionalists were living and running the country. The economy was also in its prime. Almost half of what was bought and sold in the United States was made in the United States which put more than half of the families in the middle class. Thus, the baby boomers can be summed up as a generation who did not just wait for change but actively tried to make their lives better. They used music as a method to explain what they were experiencing, and shared a collective fear for their lives and their future.

Television was invented in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth. It worked by scanning images with a beam of electrons. In the early stages of broadcast, the quality was terrible and because of World War II, the development was slowed down in order to focus on creating technology to help in the war. However, 1947 saw the beginning of commercial television. In that same year, only 0.5% of the population owned the device but by 1962 over 90% of homes in America contained a television as it became a staple. The television allowed people to escape their reality as well as get informed about what was happening not only in their country but around the world. In fact, many believe that the television was what won Kennedy the election as the first ever political debate was broadcasted around the country. Kennedy appeared calm and collected while his opponent Richard Nixon was seen sweating and stumbling. Print was still the go to for news in the early 1960’s but that all changed after the assassination of Kennedy as people wanted a faster means of being updated on the situation. Television also helped with desegregating the country as white American’s were now able to see the violence and harm that African American’s experienced at the hands of cops and fellow citizens.

The movie Hairspray captures the essence of the early 1960’s. The film is about a young teen by the name of Tracy Turnblad who was Every day, she and her friend would run home just to watch the show in order to learn the new dances. As a spot suddenly opens up on the show, Tracy is accepted and thrust into the spotlight quickly becoming a fan favourite. With Tracy’s new-found platform she uses it for good as she helps organize a march when The Corny Collins Show gets rid of Negro Day. The whole march was televised making her and many in attendance a fugitive as Tracy accidentally assaults a police officer. This is very representative of the time period. Although many of the protests were peaceful, the Traditionalist who were often times covering them would mislabel boomers as disrupters all because they would not adhere to the ways of the ones who came before them.

All in all, the television created a way for the American people to truly see their fellow Americans for the first time. Many only knew what was happening in their surroundings and even then, they only knew what was happening to people of their own race. The television is as Marshall McLuhan described, a hot media as it did not require conscious participation of the viewer. Thus, the television allowed this generation to escape the not so perfect world they once thought they lived in. Finally, the movie Hairspray really encompasses the role television played in the lives of this generation and perfectly describes why the baby boomers are defined by this technology.

This is an essay I wrote for my Exploring Digital Media course. I explain why I thought the baby boomers were defined by the television and used the movie Hairspray to further prove my point.

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Radio script for The album Gang Signs and Prayers

Intro

Michael Ebeneazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo, Jr better known as Stormzy is a hugely popular UK grime artists. He has just released his first album Gang Signs and Prayers. Tonight, we have Chante Watson here to introduce a small part of the UK grime scene to Toronto.

What is Grime?

Before I get into Stormzy let me talk about the style of music known as grime. It started in the early 2000’s being a mix of UK garage with influences of dancehall, reggae and hip hop. The flow is fast that if you aren’t paying attention you can miss a lot. The beats are usually around 135 to 140 bpm and the rapper can at times sound like he is of beat but that's just part of the style.

The song that started it all- Shut Up (plays in and out of script)

Stormzy aka Wicked skengman has been well known in the UK for years. He started getting worldwide recognition after his single ‘Shut Up’ was released in 2015. The video was recorded in a park surrounded by his friends and posted to Youtube. The song quickly became an anthem for the youth of London and is the cause of a lot of mosh pits. It originally charted at #59 on the Uk charts but by the end of the year it managed to climb all the way to their #8 spot. This is the song that first introduced me to not only Stormzy but grime itself as it was so different to the music we hear in North America.

Who is Stormzy? (intrumental of Cold plays while reading)

Stormzy is a 24 year old who has acquired a huge amount of success. When he is not making music, he is working on his budding acting career and is a brand ambassador for Adidas. To think he started out in a ghetto of South London to now owning a mansion in Chelsea is incredible. His original neighborhood has been the inspiration for many of his lyrics. He also credits his Ghanaian heritage and his God fearing mother as being huge inspiration for the style and sound of his music.

The song Bad Boys feat Ghetts and Jhus is about the life all three men grew up living. The song is an updated version of Ghetts song Bad Boy which was released in 2015. In the original song, Ghetts makes reference to the lifestyle he was living back when he was in the hood. Now, in Stormzy’s version, they make reference to that same old lifestyle but try to dispel anyone who is apart of because it is trendy.

Message behind the album (Blinded by your grace plays in the background)  

This album brings you into the life of a young boy becoming a man in the hood. Naming the album ‘Gang Signs and Prayers’ you get the feel of the contradictions Stormzy was living. In his teenage years, he was involved in a gang yet still going to church every Sunday with his mother. Stormzy himself describes it as the battle of two demons within. Listening to the album, one might think that the gospel tracks he has shouldn't go with the hard core gangster vibes of his other tracks. Somehow, the polar opposites of the music allows you to be in his mind and experience the battle sonically.

Extro

‘Gang Signs and Prayers’ is the title of Stormzy’s debut album, Chante Watson is our music columnist. You can listen to her every Wednesday on ‘Did You hear’ That Podcast.

This is a radio script that I wrote for the album Gang Signs and Prayer by Stormzy. It was the first radio script I had ever written and it was for my Intro to Communications course.

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Tick

Tick

The clock on the wall in Dr. Larkin’s waiting room said it was 5:25 pm.

As my mom and I sat there waiting for Dr. Larkin to finish with his previous appointments, I began to wonder how I got here. Not physically, but mentally. How did I end up in a psychiatrist’s office once a week trying to work through my depression and anxiety issues? As I sat there thinking, a picture of me at four years old dressed in overalls and Filas sneakers popped into my head. I was standing in front of a Ferris wheel at Centre Island with the biggest smile on my face.

The picture was taken by my mom on her old camera. I used to love that thing. My favourite memories with my mom would be going to Walmart on Saturday mornings so we could develop the film. I couldn’t wait for the day I could get a camera of my very own. It was something we always bonded over.

Tick

So, why did we stop taking pictures? Those pictures show me at a time when I was happy. Genuinely happy. It’s sad to think without these pictures I wouldn’t remember what that emotion looked like on me. Back then, there was no talk of depression. There was no refilling of prescriptions. There was no crying in bed because I could no longer control the thoughts that would tell me my life didn’t matter.  It’s almost like when I stopped being happy, the pictures stopped too.

Tick

Thinking back, I wonder if my mom was happy? Did she stop taking pictures when she stopped being happy too? Those questions crashed over me like a bucket of cold water. It was something I had never thought about or questioned because I just assumed she was happy. Wasn’t she?

Tick

The clock on the wall was suddenly extremely loud in the quiet space of the waiting room.

Tick

My mom used to be the family photographer. We have many albums that perfectly show her life through the years. My grandpa used to tell me that if my mom didn’t take pictures of everything, it would disappear. Was taking pictures my mom’s way of keeping happy moments forever.  If so, what does that say about her life now because she hasn’t touched her camera in 12 years.

Tick

Did she stop enjoying life when she had me? That thought made me spin in my chair to look at her. I mean really look at her. I wasn’t trying to be self-centered or anything it was just that the number of pictures drastically dropped after I was born. In fact, at one point the only time my mom would bring out her camera was for my birthday parties and even that stopped after my seventh birthday.  

Tick

How had this become my mom’s life?

Tick

In 1999, my mother graduated from Centennial College after studying business management. I was four years old when she got her diploma and we were both smiling big in all the pictures. I assume like any graduate you assume that this is the start of your new life. This is when one’s life is supposed to change. Except, for my mom it didn’t. After graduating, all my mom could get was temp and contract jobs. That was fine for a while until the offers started to dry up. Finally, when I was 7 they stopped all together. My mom stopped going out. There was no more vacations or trips to Centre Island. We could no longer afford it. There were a lot of bounced checks and moves especially in and out of family homes.

Tick

I come to see Dr. Larkin every week to try and work through my thoughts.

Maybe my mom should be too.

Tick

Thinking like this it’s easy to see why she stopped taking pictures. Having pictures to show that nothing has changed in your life and you never accomplished the goals you dreamed of is a depressing thought.

Tick

“Chante?”,

I look up to see Ms. Hawkins, Dr. Larkin’s receptionist, standing beside me.

“Dr. Larkin is ready to see you now.”

This is a short story I had written for my Intro to Communications class. I was inspired after having a conversation with one of my classmates on whether or not we thought our parents were happy with their lives.