Sunday, October 26, 2008

My Washington Post Visit



Above is a slide show of my visit to the Washington Post. Click each picture for captions.
Friday evening, my graduate class ventured to the multimedia offices of Washington Post. It was a great learning experience and the facility was awesome. We met with Chet Rhodes, Assistant Managing Editor for News Video, who explained how the Washington Post will soon be known for its multimedia aspects rather than its newspaper component.


Chet Rhodes
We all know how people are becoming more focused in every aspect of there lives. There are hundreds of television channels but we only watch a select few. And there are thousands of radio station but we listen to less than five stations. And there are hundreds of thousands website but we always find ourselves visiting the same sites everyday. Rhodes emphasized this aspect of the new changing face of technology by answering Jeff Kraus, a VCU graduate student about the value of advertisements in today's world.




































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Rhodes also provided us with terms that are commonly used in the newsroom.

come in from the side = when consumers come to a website via another website such as through Google or New York Times.

top fold = the section of the first page of a newspaper that is seen in the newsstand.

hits = how many times people visit a website.

shot sheet = two to three word description of video that has been shot in the field.
art slot = where a picture is place on a website.

We also talked about different types of video:

Tier 1 - short, single shot that stands alone (interview/scene)

Tier 2 - A vignette ( 2 to 4 shots an interview)

Tier 3 - Longer narratives, documentary style.




Thursday, October 16, 2008

Barack's Multimedia World

As the days are dwindling down to the presidential election I wanted to explore how each candidate is reaching out to the technology savvy people. As we all know, multimedia is the way of the future. So my next two blogs will be dedicated to each presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain, the two biggest celebrities at this moment. I will only examine the Media pages of each candidate considering their entire websites are very detailed.

On Obama's home page for media, His whole media homepage consists of videos. I think this approach is a good strategy because it is visually and audibly stimulating. He has several icons that are linked to video. The design of his page is very creative but also can be cluttered and overwhelming to the viewer. On the right side of the page their is a toolbar that has several channel including "Meet Joe," "The Issues," "Ads" and more.

If you were to click on "Meet Michelle" below is the clip that would be shown.


Barack also reaches out to other citizens such as the hearing impaired and Hispanics who speak Spanish.

Obama even has an album entitled Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement which you can buy from his website under the media page.

Barack also has four photo slideshows designed by Flickr.

Also under the media, there is a mobile page. With mobile connection, you can receive updates about the campaign and information about upcoming events that support Obama. You can also have ringtones by Obama! What I also found interesting was that Obama has a Twitter account.

Below are some of the updates that Obama has added to his Twitter account.
Barack Obama
In Roanoke, VA at a "Change We Need" rally. Watch it live at http://my/BarackObama.com/Livestream from web

At Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. Watch the last presidential debate tonight live at 9pm Eastern. from web

Launching a tax calculator at http://taxcut.barackobama.com/. See how much of a tax cut you'll receive under my tax plan. from web

Just finished a major policy address in Toledo, OH. Read my full "Economic Rescue Plan for the Middle Class" at http://tinyurl.com/4nvlyl from web

In Toledo, OH. Unveiling an "Economic Rescue Plan for the Middle Class" Watch it live at http://my.barackobama.com/livestream from web

In West Philadelphia, PA. At a "Change We Need" rally. Watch it now at http://my.barackobama.com/Livestream from web

Watch Michelle Obama address the DNC Women's Leadership Forum from Chicago, IL.. Watch it now at http://my.barackobama.com/Livestream from web

Under the media page you can also download Obama paraphernalia, anything from buttons, posters, computer wallpapers and slogans.

Obama has really taken advantaged of all facets of technology to reach out to as many people as possible. So I give Obama an A- because I felt like he could have used more print stories on his website.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Celebrities in more ways than one

Ok. I was browsing the web looking for new ways for people to access their favorite celebrities. Through my search I visited CBS's website and simply click on the link "Celebrity" on the homepage. It took me to the Insider website, which I could find anything on any of the celebrities who are big in the news. I found this interesting because it was a one stop shop. Everything is on one page. I had access to text stories, photo galleries, videos and a brief biography all related to the celebrity. You can even answer a poll about the celebrity and contact the celebrity's fans. And the most interactive element about it is you get to leave a comment. In today's society, everyone has an opinion and wants to share it.

I mean, it is any celebrity from Holly Madison, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Halle Berry, Lindsay Lohan who has recently been in the news. The celebrities are also ranked by their importance for that week. I am really impressed that all the news was in one spot. Below is a quite from the website:
"Consider each of the celebrity pages below your one-stop shop for the news, gossip, photos, videos, history, sightings and scandals of that person. If you wanted any more info on a celeb than we have here, they'd best serve you a restraining order."

So let's visit on celebrity's page - Angelina Jolie - ranked number one for this week.

TEXT STORY

Angelina Jolie And Kids Get Cheetos In New Orleans

Now that Angelina Jolie is in the USA the kids and her probably couldn’t wait to go to their favorite Cheetos store in New Orleans. I guess the twins are too young yet to eat Cheetos. This looks so familiar from the last time they were there! They still look really cute though. They even needed two bodyguards to help them get around.

P.S. Thanks to AmyGrindhouse for pointing me toward the new picture program. These are here because of her. Let’s see if you can top my acceptance speech??

PHOTOS

VIDEO

via The Insider

Recent User Comments
These were just examples of what you might find on any celebrity's page. I encourage anyone to go to this page if you are seeking news, gossip or anything about a celebrity.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

REGISTER, REGISTER!!! VOTE, VOTE!!!

**** Quick Reminder***** Monday, October 6, 2008 is the last day to register to vote in Virginia. You can complete the application on-line, by mail or in person at your local registrar office.

I wanted to take time out and focus on the political race and how celebrities are supporting their pick for President.

Below is a video produced by Voter Video Network. It is a slide show of candidates that are supporting Barack Obama this year.


The Daily Standard has an article listing the celebrities supporters for John McCain.

All over Virginia, celebrities are getting out there to support Obama. Just today at church, actor Blair Underwood spoke to the congregation at St. Paul's Baptist church encouraging people to get registered and get out and VOTE!

And about a month ago, actor Marlon Wayans, actresses Tatyana Ali and Jurnee Smollett came to the Hyperlink Cafe in Richmond to encourage people to vote also.



Celebrities are really getting involved and their celebrity statuses are motivating people to get out and vote. I think this is great because voters are seeing how serious everyone is taking this election.

I thought it was interesting to also see how some celebrities may not be putting out there who they are voting for, but want people to just get out there and vote. I thought that the commercial produced by Leonardo DiCaprio encouraging people not to vote was a great way to get people to actually vote. The commercial is below.


So I think celebrities are perfoming their community duties and leading the way to help America become a better society.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Celebrity Sports

In many aspects, professional athletes are thought of as celebrities. To many children they are even their heroes. One little boy might grow up his hold life wanting to be like Mike. So I searched the NBA's website to see what kind of multimedia I could include that focuses on professional athletes.

The NBA has a special feature on its website that allows fans or anybody to put together clips of various moments that happened in the NBA. You can put together any clips from Buzzer beaters to 3-point shots to slam dunks. They call this tool that allows you to do this 'The Mixer.'

There are other cool features that you can do such as adding special effects like slow motion, cropping clips, adding transitions between clips, adding music, titles and the ability to share the clips you put together.

Below i put together a set of my own clips just try it out.

To the clip above I arranged which order I wanted the clips to appear in. I also chose the music and the effects, such as black and white and fast motion, to go with the clips.
I think 'The Mixer' allows people to become videographers. This is a great tool for aspiring journalists to use. It's free and available to anyone who has access to the Internet. Also if someone wanted to be a sports journalist, these mixer clips could be added to a resume.

As technology is allowing everyone to do things themselves. This is just another example of how the Internet is allowing people to do what they want, when they want and how they want.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Celebrity Bloggers

Blogging is starting to become an outlet where many people are turning towards to get their news. Some blogs are by official journalists while others blogs are updated by people who have a thought and want public broadcasted voice so blogging is a way to communicate that thought.

I would be remiss to include information about celebrity bloggers. So this blog will be dedicated to those individuals who are celebrities but are also regular people who want their voices to be heard.

Some celebrities blog because of an upcoming movie or television show. This is a way for them to connect with their audience.

Other celebrities blog about their passions whether it is politics or food.

Below are link to some celebrity blogs.

MC Hammer - MC Hammer has been blogging since 2006 and his blog includes clips from him in the prime of his musical career. It also includes clips from Obama, the presidential candidate he is supporting and video clips of his own family. He even has a Twitter account. I thought that that was very interesting.

Rosie O'Donnell - Since 2004, Rosie has maintained a blog about anything from love, movies, family and the news.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen - They blog about the different events they attend and other fashion related issues.

I think it is a good idea for celebrities to write. It is a great way for them to stay in contact with their fans and find what their fans expect from them if their blog allows comments. Blogs are also a great way for celebrities that are not that active in their careers anymore to stay in contact with their devout fans. So celebrity bloggers, blog on.
Click here for a list of other celebrity bloggers.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Shows - Just Not For TV

Have you seen this show which airs for under 7 minutes, talks about the latest fashions and uses some of your favorite celebrities as host? Well, you definitely did not see it on TV. These shows air on Myspacetv. Myspace is no longer an outlet to stay in contact with your friends and meet new people. Now you can watch "television" without using the TV. The series is called The Fit. A different celebrity host is used each show as cameras follow them around to stores and tell you what the latest fashions are. Some of the celebrity hosts include Perez Hilton, Solange, Fergie and the Kardashians.

One clip is shown below with Solange (R&B singer) as the host.

MySpace Presents: The Fit with Solange




The other cool thing about Myspacetv is that you can leave comments, see how people have watched the same clip as you, rate the video and there are no commercials to interrupt what you are watching. There is one ad at the beginning and the end of the show.



The video is well put together with great graphics and editing techniques. So what is this saying for the future of television. Maybe there will be no need for the TV. Everything is going online. You can even watch shows, whole seasons in fact, right from the comfort of your own computer. You don't have to watch your favorite show on the network's time frame. In this generation, we want what we want when we want it. And it is coming to that period when that is what is going to happen.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Celebrities Broadcast Themselves On-line

There are just some celebrities that I can't stay away from. Ok, Sean "Diddy" Combs has his own website. His website is a multimedia world all on its own. You can listen to songs that his various groups including himself have made. You can also watch his videos, see pictures. write to him and more. But Diddy has taken it to a different level. He is no longer waiting to make announcements about whatever venue his company will be doing next. He is taking the initiative to do it himself with his own computer and computer video camera. He made a video blog also known as a vlog. On his website you can watch these blogs. Below is his 5 minute clip about a new show that will premier in the fall which he posted to his website.



This can be viewed in two different ways.

1. He is simply saving his money. He is producing this himself and then posting it to his own website.

2. Maybe this will be an eye opener for other celebrities to follow up and produce their own content (blogs) on their own time without using their own money.

What Diddy has done can be done by anyone. Another celebrity who has done the same this is Bow Wow and Game (two rappers). They announced that they would compete in a Madden video game on XBOX 360. They both made video clips about the up coming game. They both put $100,000 on the line and the winner would donate that money to a charity. This was not broadcasted on television but all done on-line.The recorded everything themselves and then posted it on-line.



So let's recap.
Its easy, cheap and allows these celebrities to reach out to a new audience - the on-line audience.

Friday, September 5, 2008

News at the Moment

Track and Field sprinter Marion Jones is out of prison tonight. She completed most of her six-month sentence. Jones admitted to using a steroid for a 10-month period before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Jones is on probation. She returned the five medals she won and her world breaking times are out the books.

Drivers will dig deeper in the change jar as tolls on the Powhite Parkway will increase starting Monday. The main toll plazas are now 70 cents, a 20 cent increase. And E-Z pass drivers can take a few minutes off their commute as northbound E-Z pass lanes are now open. Drivers can cruise through at 40 miles per hour.

Virginia Commonwealth University students are looking for many ways to fit it and find their niche as the school year begins. Some are turning to fraternities and sororities. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life hosted its first Greek barbeque two weeks ago. Students enjoyed the nice weather and food and got a chance to mingle with their potential Greek brothers and sisters.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Obama: The Celebrity?

Well this is an election year and I thought why not add some politics to my blog. On several occasions, Barack Obama has been alluded to as a celebrity in this presidential race. So I want to focus on that aspect of Obama. As a celebrity Obama has reached new heights in this presidential race. One of the most intriguing and new ways that he reaches out to the American people is through technology. When he decided to announce his vice president running mate he wanted people to know via text message. Now this is new and unique. It use to be that news like this would occur during a news conference or as breaking news via television. Hillary Clinton announced that she would run for president via on-line (the Internet). But Obama has taken everything to a new level. Just about everyone has a cell phone, young and old. This was great way to get everyone involved. Obama has crossed every line of media that is available to help his campaign. Just last week, I received some literature at my front door about his campaign. Of course he uses television advertisement and appears on television shows. He also uses the Internet with his own website and other sites, emails, etc. But the text message is a new media that is sweeping the country.

Television ad approved by Obama


Obama has also used text messaging in other ways. On way was to ask for donations for the Red Cross.

If you watch any show on television show, viewers can now engage themselves via cell phones and text messaging. You can have different backgrounds on your phone, ring tones, video clips or even full episodes. CBS does a great job with trying to get everyone involved via text messaging. With CBS you can receive alerts, full episodes, ring tones and graphic for almost any show that they air. Cell phones are the new way of staying involved. Some people feel lost and disconnected from the world of they do not have their cell phones. So it was a very smart decision for Obama to utilize the cell phone as a media device. So my question is what will be the next medium?

Friday, August 1, 2008

Celebrities in more ways than one

Celebreality shows are trying to hook people in as many ways as possible. Let's explore a few websites with multimedia elements that makes sure that viewers are going to the websites and watching the shows.

I Want to Work for Diddy - a new show where Sean "Diddy" Combs is looking for his next assistant. In a competition with elimination style format for the show, contestants compete for this once in a lifetime experience.




On the homepage, viewers can either view videos, view photos with captions and blog. The videos include clips, sneak peaks and full episodes. The photos are snap shots from different events that Diddy has attended and pictures that were not shown in the episode. Also this website allows viewers to watch music videos that feature Diddy. A really cool element. Basically on this website you can find information about the show and almost anything about Diddy.

Another show Dancing with the Stars is a show that features celebrities in a ballroom dancing competition. Each week a couple (one celebrity and one professional dancer) is eliminated from the show.


On this homepage viewers can read articles about the show, the celebrities, the dances and the musics. Just with the web stories alone there is much reporting. Viewers can also blog live and play a fantasy game online. Viewers can watch clips and videos online and vote about who they think should stay or go.




Run's House is show about his family and what they do in their lives. On this show's website viewers can see photos, read biographies on each family member, watch videos of the show plus extra clips not even from the show which can only be seen on the website which they call Web Exclusives. This website is packed with multimedia elements. For the photo flipbook, viewers can post comments.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Celebrity Multimedia Works

Many shows are now directing its viewers to visit their websites for extra footage, behind the scenes sneak peaks, and the chances to comment about what they saw on that show for that particular evening. Television shows want to get people hooked to that particular show in as many ways as possible.

I listen to 1065thebeat.com at work everyday. On its broadcast the DJ's are constantly referring people to go to the website if they want to read more about a particular story or see pictures of a certain celebrity in the news. Each DJ for the station has their own website where you can specifically go to view the information that are talking about. The Internet is a very important tool, especially for radio stations because they lose out on the visible factor. The audience can only hear the DJ and not see what they are referring to. So radio stations definitely use multimedia journalism in reporting as much information as possible to its listeners. Below is a clip of House calls.

As if celebreality shows are not bombarding our television sets already, they now want us to go to their websites to get extra footage. One show, one if my favorites even goes as far as providing a 3 hour period on Cinemax to watch extra footage. Big Brother is a show where house guests are locked in a house and must compete for food and survival. Cameras are recording their every moves. The show airs on three nights out of the week. In addition they broadcast this show called Big Brother After Dark where you can watch what the house guests are doing everyday for 3 hours straight. Then Big Brother has a talk show that airs on the Internet 3 days out of the week. Viewers can also blog about the shows or anything Big Brother related.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Big Brother has definitely utilized many facets of multimedia reporting so viewers will always be in touch with what is going on.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Celebreality shows and their children

Some celebrities are very careful to make sure that their children are not in the public eye. They want their personal lives to remain as personal as possible. Some celebrities refrain from going out in public places where there will be large crowds that may recognize them. Others cover the identity of the child as much as possible with blankets and scarfs. Celebrities even goes as far as not taking their children out of the house and let nannies or babysitters watch their infants. Photographers have been dying to capture a photo of Halle Berry's new baby and still have not gotten a decent photo of the baby's face and Halle's child was born over five months ago.

But others find it appropriate to place their children into the direct range of the paparazzi camera lens and broadcasting television cameras. Some even go as far as creating a reality television show about their children and their parenting habits. Kimora Lee Simmons is a great example. She has two daughters Ming Lee (age 8) and Aoki Lee (age 5). Her show Life in the Fab Lane aired in August of 2007 when her daughters were only seven and four. Below is a clip showing Ming Lee making preparations for her birthday party.


Shows that incorporate their children has really grown within the last five years considering celebrities have been having children and in many cases their first child. For producers they feel that having a show which showcases the children will boost the celebrities careers. There has even been shows especially designed around celebrities when they or their spouse is pregnant to capture parenting before the child is even born. The child enters the world with cameras and television crews directly in their faces. Scott Baio is 46 & Pregnant is one of those shows when the pregnancy was recorded and the birth also. I think Scott Baio agreed to participate because he was (and still is) a recovering celebrity and he had recently finished a season with Vh1 entitled Scott Baio is 46 & Single so a show about his pregnancy was a great follow-up.

But is this too much?

I wonder what the motive is behind these celebrities wanting to publicize their parenting. But there are also people with miraculous stories about the hardships of parenting. The Jon & Kate Plus 8 is a show about a couple with 8 young children. Through this show viewers witness how hard it is for a couple to handle 8 children. But still the children's lives are videotaped without the child's consent.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

My feelings count 2!!!!!!!

We all watch some form of reality TV. But why do we watch it? Is it funny? Does it make the celebrities feel more like a person to us? Is it just pure entertainment? After we watch it does it make us feel good or bad about our lives? Do we feel sorry for them? Do we wish we were them? In this blog, I just want to know how you feel. Below are some random shows I picked and clips from that show. Below I commented on how I felt about the shows when I first saw them and after I saw a few episodes.

BIG BROTHER - CBS - 3 days out of the week - prime time - 10 seasons

Before: The previews really sold me with this show. I have been watching faithfully for 10 straight seasons. I thought the show would be fun and full of drama. I like the idea of the contestants competing in competitions.

Below is a clip of Big Brother and shows the backstabbing and deceit that show incorporates in each episode.

Watch CBS Videos Online

After: I enjoyed watching the scandal and the lies and deceit. The drama was definitely there and every show was different. The competitions were exciting. I could watch each episode until the last minute to figure out who was going home next. This show is basically about how people strategize to win the money in the end. They will backstab and cheat and lie which really makes the show interesting.



RUN'S HOUSE - MTV - new shows countless reruns

Before: I was not interested in this show because mainly I was not a fan of Run DMC. I don't know any of their music and did not relate to them because of the time difference of when their music came out and the type of music I listen to now.
Below is a clip of Run's House.


After: This family is truly entertaining. After watching this show I must say I do feel closer to this family. Almost to point I feel like I can relate to them. They have many of the family values that I possess. When I watch them it is for complete entertainment. They are funny and remind me of my own family.

THE WAY IT IS - KEISHA COLE - BET - off-air

Before: Before I watched this show I thought to myself that it may be extremely ghetto.
Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is.
After: It was extremely ghetto. I despised this only after watching one episode. Because of that show I vowed not to watch another black reality TV produced by BET and I haven't. I truly do not understand why BET would air such a show.


So what is the secret formula that gets so many of us hooked?

DRAMA + LAUGHTER + REALITY = SUCCESS!!!!!!

Why?
Drama is conflict. People like to see problems and how the particular person on TV is going to handle it.

Laughter is soothing to the soul. After a long day of work, people want to relax and laugh and forget about their problems.

Reality is what makes the viewer feel like they are part of the show. If a show has reality, then the viewer relates more to the characters and feels like they know the celebrity better.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Trying to Make A Comeback

Now let's discuss another reason why some celebrities feel they need to broadcast their lives to the world. One reason could be that a celebrity has been out of the television industry and wants to come back. They may need the money, want to reclaim their fame or prove that they are not a one hit wonder. VH1 is really advocate about trying to restore a celebrity's fame. Some shows that they have produced have been:



  • Rock of Love (Bret Michaels)

  • Flavor of Love (Flavor Flav)

  • Breaking Bonaduce (Danny Bonaduce)

  • Celebracadabra (various celebrities i.e. Kid from Kid -n- Play, C. Thomas Howell)

  • Celebrity Fit Club (various celebrities i.e. Da Brat, Screech, Angie Stone)

  • Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (various celebrities i.e. Brigiette Nielsen, Seth Binzer)

  • Hogan Knows Best (Hulk Hogan)

  • My Fair Brady ( Chrodtopher Knight from The Brady Bunch)

  • Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant

  • The Salt-N-Pepa Show

  • The Surreal Life (various celebrities i.e. MC Hammer, Verne Troyer, Vanilla Ice, Emmanuel Lewis)

Let's look at Flavor Flav a little closer. Flavor Flav was a rapper with the group Public Enemy starting in 1984. One of his biggest hit single was "Fight the Power." His last hit and potentially the end of his career was in the early 1990's. His reality TV show debut was in 2004 with The Surreal Life on VH1. A spin-off show then started to broadcast his love relationship with Brigitte Nielsen called Strange Love in 2005. In 2006 he stared in his own show to find the perfect his perfect love, Flavor of Love. Was he successful?

YES!! Flavor of Love had three seasons. And from that show, I Love New York and Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School debuted. He has blown up more now then probably of his whole career in the 80's and 90's. If I had to rate his comeback, I would give it an A.

Check out this video showcasing the best of Flavor of Love.


Friday, June 27, 2008

Why do We Watch These Shows

If you are anything like me you can't wait until prime time (8 o'clock) when all the reality television shows hit the air. I look forward to certain nights only because I know that a certain show is coming on. But why do these shows get us so hype. Why do we constantly sit in front of the TV and watch these shows. There are literally hundreds of channels but what is the secret formula to celebrity reality TV shows?

According to TV.com the top 5 reality television shows today are:
1: So You Think You Can Dance
2. Farmer Wants a Wife
3. Hell's Kitchen
4. Black Gold
5. America's Next Top Model

These shows are popular for various reasons. They each provide drama. Drama entertains people. These shows are suspenseful. At the end of each episode you want to tune in next week to find out what happens and gets sent home. They have great characters. On every show there is someone you love and someone you hate. The casting directors do a great job and provide a variety of characters on each show.

These shows have proved successful. So You Think You Can Dance has been through four seasons, Hell's Kitchen four and America's Next Top Model 10. These shows come back season after season because you want to see what spend they are going to have next season. I know I watch these shows because they are highly entertaining.

The funny thing about it...they know we want more. With the show Big Brother, you can watch the show 24 hours on the Internet and watch Big Brother After Dark on Showtime everyday from 12-3 AM.

So what is next. One of the reality TV shows to air next is Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game show. I can only imagine what is next.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Too Many Hats

It is possible to be involved in too many things. Some celebrities fall into this catergory. Now celebrities want to be actors, singers, rappers, entrpreneurs, fashion moguls, television personalities, authors and list goes on and on. Now celebrities want to own have their own television shows. Some celebrities have been successful and others have not. For Flavor Flav if one show doesn't succeed, then try, try again.

Let's talk about these brave and maybe even greedy celebrities that have dove into these celebreality TV shows. Both of these celebrities really have not been in significant trouble in which they wanted to pursue a TV show to get them out of hot water. Their shows are really to boost their careers and their bank accounts.

1. Kimora Lee Simmons - business woman, model, mother, fashion mogul (cosmetics, makeup, fragances, jewelery, cell phones), actress
Kimora Life in the Fab Lane is a look into Kimora's life as she carries on the everyday activities in her career. She is the typical Diva and everything has to be her way.



2. Sean "Diddy" Combs - rapper, actor, CEO, producer, humanitarian, designer, entertainer
Diddy has gone through 4 seasons of Making the Band . WHY? Because his bank account can afford it and it is highly entertaining.



Both of these clips from their shows really showcase who they are. I don't think either one of these hurt Kimora or Diddy's career. It really helps them and allows people to see who they really are.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Celebrities Become Documentaries - Introduction


As a "normal" citizen, most of us prefer a lifestyle that is private. We want to be able to come and go as we please without our private lives becoming public.


But this is not the case for other people, especially celebrities. In the past fews years there has been a sweeping number of reality television shows broadcasted. Some involve normal citizens who want to make some quick cash through gameshows like The Bachelor or Deal or No Deal. Some choose to have their livestyles taped in a more personal way but still are in it for the cash like Survivor, Real World or Big Brother. The application processes for these shows are long and very personal. Its almost like signing your lives away to a television network.

Below is a video from Big Brother 7 All Stars Season. These people could not get enough of the public spotlight so they wanted to participate in the show again.


Recently a spree of personal celebrity reality television shows have become popular like Kimora Life in the Fab Lane. It's like celebrities want to add another title to their resumes - Documentarian. One would think that celebrities would want to stay away from the cameras as much as possible. But some celebrities want extra exposure for whatever reasons they think will benefit them.


Some celebrities use their name and image to host competition shows like Sean "Diddy" Combs with his hit show Making the Band or Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew. This way their name is still in streets but their personally lives are not neccessarily broadcasted.


Here are some reasons I think celebrities would want to broadcast their lives so the whole world would like or may not like to see.

1. Public relations - Celebrities need to keep their names in the news so celebreality shows are a great move.
2. Money, money, money - If the show is a success, the profits are great and can potentially lead to more seasons.
3. Negative turned into a positive - Celebrities may fing themselves in trouble and why not show the world the type of person you really are than make a show about yourself.
4. Out of submission - Some celebrities are trying to make a come back and they will pitch a show about their journey as they are trying to get back into the business.
5. Full plate - Some celebrities want to be known for as many things as possible so a television show would be a great asset.

I've have become hooked on these celebreality (that's what I am calling these productions) shows myself. They are entertaining and great way to occupy my television time so I'm not worrying about my own personal problems but can observe others.

Ultimately, do you think this shows are helping or hindering the celebrities?

Graduate Work

Much preparation proves successful for grads

Students at Midlothian High School have been preparing to end one chapter while starting a new one at their graduation commencement.

Christopher Shelton hangs out with friends backstage at the Siegel Center as he awaits his graduation. As Shelton looks back over many years of hard work, he realizes he is spending the last minutes of being a senior at Midlothian High School.

Shelton is nervous, but excited at the same time.

“Since the first day of my senior year I have been looking forward to this day,” said Shelton. “I made sure I did all my work, kept studying, kept good grades and always held on hope.” He will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall majoring in computer engineering.

Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties high school graduations are held at Virginia Commonwealth University’s
Stuart C. Siegel Center. VCU hosts 26 graduations at its 190,000 square foot facility.

Many behind the scenes preparations help make this day for Shelton and the other 341 seniors at Midlothian High School a day they will never forget. Parking passes are issued, roads are blocked, security is in place and chairs are organized.

There are close interactions between senior class faculty sponsors and officials at VCU. Nate Doughty, associate director of the Siegel Center and Athletic Facilities, said it is great public relations.

“This is a great way for VCU to give back to the community,” said Doughty. “We fit the need and it’s a win-win for everyone.”

Eileen Sunseri, senior class sponsor at Midlothian High School, is already planning for the 2009 commencement ceremony. Preparations for an event that involves students, families, faculty and the community is a year round affair.

Sunseri describes the graduation process as “controlled chaos.”

“We get started in October when the students are measured for their caps and gowns,” said Sunseri. “Most planning really starts in March. VCU sends us the date, time and schedules. In mid-May there is a walk through where we receive maps, parking passes and information to give to the parents.”

Doughty said the biggest headache is parking.
Traffic on VCU’s campus is congested and heavy during these times. There are between 300 to 500 graduates for each ceremony. On average, there are three graduations a day during this 11-day period yielding more than 1300 vehicles for each graduation.

VCU Enforcement and Safety Coordinator Lou Ann Jones has overseen this process for the past four years. Each year changes are made to make sure the entire graduation process is a success.

Between 100 to 150 people work during graduations.

“The secret is teamwork,” said Jones. “The school systems, Siegel Center staff, deck staff, enforcement staff and the VCU Police Department work closely to assure that everything run smoothly.”

During graduation regular traffic is not stopped. Jones said that so far they have done a great job with accommodating everyone.

“Our goal for these graduations is to make them as safe and happy as possible for all involved,” said Jones.

Shelton could not be more happier as he hugs his friends and takes pictures to capture last memories. He reunites with his parents.

His mother Debra Shelton said that the entire process leading up to graduation has been a smooth one.

“I thought the graduation was wonderful and well organized,” said Debra. “I was impressed.”