By: Bernetta Hardy, 4L

New media is synonymous with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networks. Public interest in television sitcoms, printed publications, and other forms of traditional media are quickly dwindling while social networks are experiencing an explosion of growth. Last year, Michigan’s Ann Arbor News closed its doors, and the chain that owns the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times declared bankruptcy. At the same time, Twitter membership quickly expanded, peaking at 13 percent in March 2009. The popularity of social media is greatly influenced by celebrity participation in social networks.

Celebrities use social networks to connect with their fans and market their projects. On Facebook, Lady Gaga posted tour dates and promotional photographs of her multi-platinum debut album THE FAME. During the Oscars, Ashton Kutcher sent tweets to his fans about partying with Sean Combs and posted pictures of himself and his wife, Demi Moore, enjoying the post-Oscar festivities. Kutcher and Lady Gaga represent the many celebrities who choose to reveal their personal images and private thoughts on popular social networks.

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter have demonstratively benefited from their celebrity members. When Kutcher challenged CNN to a Twitter popularity contest, he simultaneously obtained 1 million followers and catapulted the struggling internet service to the forefront of social media. The impact of Kutcher and other celebrities on social media has not been overlooked by the popular social networks. In Business Week, Biz Stone, the creative director of Twitter, attributed the success of the site to Kutcher, Shaquille O’Neal, and several other public figures. In fact, celebrities are so instrumental to the success of Facebook, the largest social network with more than 300 million users, that the network has a formalized support program for celebrities and other public figures. In fact, Facebook created, ”vanity URLs,” personalized web addresses, solely for its celebrity users.

Celebrity users attract millions of people because they provide an opportunity for their fans to obtain an intimate glimpse into their personal lives. Social networks permit celebrities to interact with their fans directly, without publicists, cameras, or other factors that usually stand between celebrities and their fans. Courtney Love Twitter fans learned what she really thought about the Guitar Hero video game featuring her late husband, Kurt Cobain, when she encouraged a British journalist to rape the creator of the popular video game. In addition, fans of former porn star Jenna Jameson learned of her double ectopic surgery when she provided a detailed explanation of her surgery on Facebook. True fans of Love, Jameson, and other celebrities who utilize social networks feel a personal connection to their favorite celebrities that is impossible within traditional media.

However, although intimacy may be goal of many fans who flock to their favorite celebrities on social networks, this goal may be frustrated by “ghost Twitterers.” Ghost Twitterers are writers that some celebrities hire to update their fans on various social networks. These outside writers are utilized because some celebrities believe that their busy schedules prevent their personal participation in social networks. For example, in a recent New York Times interview, Kanye West admitted he hired two handlers to update his blog because he was unable to keep his fans abreast of his numerous projects. Even politicians like Ron Paul and Pres. Barack Obama hired staffers whose primary responsibilities include creating and maintaining Twitter and Facebook accounts. As Twitter, Facebook and other social media become integrated within celebrity marketing strategies, more celebrities will turn to “ghost Twitterers” to speak on their behalf. As the “ghost Twitterers” industry expands, the true test of these popular social networks will not be whether the new social media can maintain its popularity against traditional media; but, whether the millions of fans who participate in these social networks will continue to maintain their membership when the intimacy they believed the social networks provided, is proven to be false.

By: Timothy Sutton, 1L

When James Cameron’s latest blockbuster “Avatar” was released, the world of entertainment wondered how the new 3D technology used in the film would reshape the world of film and television? Consumer Electronic Show, or CES, 2010 saw a number of 3D televisions released by Samsung, LG, and Panasonic. The new Real 3D technology used in “Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Clash of the Titans,” reduces the amount of eye-sore and headache that has plagued the 3D film industry since the ’50s. That’s right, the ‘50s! 3D technology is far from cutting edge; in fact some technology writers from cnet.com and the mashable.com feel that 3D is a fleeting gimmick soon to fizzle out before the year’s end.

Imagine the PGA Masters in 3D. When Tiger Woods makes his 2010 debut in 3D this year in Augusta, will you be wearing your polarized glasses? Industry experts bet you won’t. Realistic expectations are that it will be 10 to 20 years before the 3D revolution hits your living room. Just imagine a Superbowl party, grilling, drinking, and cooking out with friends. The game is about to start so everyone goes to put on their red/cyan 3D glasses. It is not only super uncool but highly unlikely that you would travel with these glasses or have dozens of extra pairs lying around the house to accommodate guests.

For the cool $3,000 average for a Real 3D television set, consumers will most likely not add this to their Black Friday door-buster must haves. Glasses-free 3D technology does exist, but the cost of units with the necessary glass filters that work 3D magic run between $9,000 and $20,000 for a 42-inch unit.

So why the continued trend to release and even re-release films in 3D? Money. Because it is so inconvenient to purchase 3D technology and all the funky glasses that go with it, filmmakers bank on your interest in seeing Sam Worthington lop off Medusa’s snake head in 3D, driving up theater ticket sales. There is a real war going on between studios and theaters over the amount of theaters allotted to show 3D movies. Paramount, among other studios, require that theaters buy both the 2D and 3D version of all of the movies they distribute. So it seems, whether you like it or not, 3D is here to stay.

By Eric Bonholtzer, 3L

Despite the popularity and advancements in film and television technology, one particular aspect of the entertainment industry has lagged behind the cutting edge: casting. It was not so long ago that the typical submission process for agents consisted of a standard routine. Most agents were in the office pouring through hardcopy breakdowns that were delivered to their doorsteps in the morning. For those not in the industry, a breakdown is just that: an itemized breakdown of the roles that casting directors are looking to fill. In times not so long past, it would be a race to see who could stuff envelopes fastest with headshots of those who fit the description. The agents would then send the manila-colored parcels to the casting directors by messenger. In the age of internet savvy and instant messaging this practice might seem barbaric, or a relic from the days of the pony express, but the fact remains that this was the system in place until just a few short years ago.

The advent of the internet really did not change much in the casting world for longer than one would think. Thankfully, though, Tinseltown eventually conformed to the technological age. The main reason the advent of widespread internet access did not change things rapidly was because of the monopoly that agents used to possess. For many years the only way an actor could be submitted for a role was though an agent. The reason for this was because only agents had access to the breakdowns. This meant that unless an actor somehow came across a way to get a subscription to the services, and interestingly a small number did, a thespian was strictly out of luck. This made matters even more difficult for novice actors as, even if they were lucky enough to get representation, an agent might only want to send his or her top breadwinners for choice roles. This combination of hardships made it exceedingly difficult for new faces to get into the industry.

While advances in technology have helped widen access to the casting world, they have by no means made it substantially easier to break onto the scene. The way the submission process is set up now is multifaceted. Some agents still do submit via the traditional breakdown services; however, the vast majority use casting websites. This makes it much easier for both the agent and the casting director. Indeed, two of the most prominent sites, Actors Access and L.A.Casting, are mainstays for the standard 2010 submission procedure. The breakdowns are now sent electronically, and agents have a portfolio of their clients’ pictures. These portfolios consist of different looks and descriptions of any special abilities, accents, and training the actors possess. Depending on what the role calls for, the agent clicks the appropriate photo, adds a note if necessary, and submits their client for consideration.

While this advance in technology has made matters easier for the agent, it has also had another effect: allowing unrepresented actors a chance to submit. For a fee, both Actors Access and L.A. Casting will allow any actor to create a profile so they can upload their photos and resume and start submitting, just like agents. Neither site requires membership in the Screen Actors Guild to participate, and that is a huge advantage for new actors. Typically, unless a person had an incredibly unique look, an agent would not glance at them twice unless they were a member of SAG. The reason for this is because the majority of television and film production is under SAG contract and provides work for SAG actors only.

But does this availability mean that anyone can become the next big star? Not necessarily. The reason for this is because even in the electronic casting world, a good majority of roles are still sent to agents first, and some are sent to agents exclusively. Sometimes the roles will be released to L.A. Casting and Actors Access subscribers if the casting directors do not find what they are looking for, but agents often get the first crack. Another hurdle is that, like a job posting on Craigslist, it often comes down to opportunity and drive. An actor must be diligent in scouring the casting notices to see if there is anything that fits his or her description, and sometimes the window of submission is quite limited. That said, the technological advances in casting have revolutionized the industry, and while they have not exactly leveled the playing field, at least they provide new actors a chance to compete as long as they have persistence. That is the beauty of technology;it makes things different while still keeping things the same. After all, it is an old actor’s axiom to say that only persistence pays off.

By Tamara Harris

By now you have probably heard the buzz that is Pandora.  The newest addition to automated music recommendation and internet radio stations that have been popping up on the internet these last few years.  Pandora (created in January 2000 by the Music Genome Project headed by Will Glaser, Jon Kraft, and Tim Westergren), had an ultimate goal of ì[capturing] the  essence of music at the fundamental levelî using nearly 400 attributes to describe songs and complex mathematical algorithm to organize them.  Users of this service enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service then responds by playing selections that are similar to the song chosen by the user.  Each song that is entered is represented by a list of attributes containing approximately 150 ìgenesî.  Each gene corresponds to a characteristic of music.  Rock and pop songs are said to have approximately 150 genes, while rap songs have approximately 300 and jazz, 450.  Classical music generally have between 300 to 500 genes.
Pandora, and other automated music recommendation and internet radio stations have given rise to many complex legal issues in the field of copyright laws.  Because of this, web based radio stations generally pay double the amount in royalties to music companies than say satellite radio (traditional AM and FM radios air music for free).  Additionally, because Pandora and other stations like it would have to register songs in every country because of copyright laws, users outside of the United States are unable to use this service for it would be far to time consuming and costly to register each song in every country.  In July 2008 Pandora launched a mobile version of its services for the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPod Touch application.  Other carriers offer phones that enable use of Pandora as well (i.e. some BlackBerry Platforms).  Use of Pandora was free when it was first launched, now users may enjoy forty hours of free music play a month, and then once the forty hours have been used, the user must then pay .99 cents to continue to listen to music for the rest of that month.  Users may not repeat a song, and oneís ability to skip a song is limited to seven times per hour per station.
They actually do a good job of playing songs I like. If you do not like a song, you can give it thumbs down and they will never play it on your station again. Being a person who basically stopped buying music in 2001, and have been basically stuck in my grungy, 80s new wave, pop, boy band, oldies, classic rock, alternative, old school hip hop, new school rap phase for a while, Pandora has opened a new world of appreciation for music for me that I seemed to have lost in high school.  Pandora has renewed my lust for finding new music. Life is good again.  Everyone should try it out. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

By: Caroline Gotschall

As I am watching the news on various cable channels and see more and more “sensationalized” stories being presented, I cannot help but wonder how much of this is really news and how much of it is just entertainment. With the many, many channels all wanting the public to watch their channel so they can get the best ratings, it seems they have lost track of what they really started out being when our grandparents were our age.

Our grandparents had NBC, ABC, and CBS. That was it. What they got in that half-hour broadcast was the important news of the day. They trusted the broadcasters. Just look at the accolades that were recently delivered at the funeral of Walter Cronkite. Would there be similar words for any of today’s broadcast anchors at their funerals? Probably not.

Today’s news broadcasts are more entertainment than news. We hear more about the Octomom than some of the health care debate. We will have more stories dedicated to how Michael Jackson died than the number of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Which stories have more real impact on our lives? I guess it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we are being entertained as we watch the news.

If we want to know about Michael Jackson or the Octomom, let’s watch “Entertainment Tonight” or “Access Hollywood.” Let the news channels concentrate on the hard news. Each has its place in the cable information age. We, as a society, should be getting smarter with the increased access we have to information through the information super-highway.

We are the leaders of tomorrow. We need to use our leadership skills to influence the news media to get out of the entertainment business and back into the news business. A better-educated and informed public would focus their energy on the important events in society and not be dragged into the abyss of mindlessness where many stories on today’s broadcasts seem to direct us.

Wake up NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and CNN! Think about the roots of broadcast journalism. Do something positive. You need to keep Cronkite from rolling over in his grave.

The celebrity “Swag Bag” has been a staple of Hollywood award shows since the 1970’s, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences decided to thank their presenters with small trinkets for appearing at the Oscars.
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Our Experts Tell Us Which Movies We Will Enjoy And Who Best to Enjoy Them With

“He’s Just Not That Into You”
This much anticipated star-studded date movie is very appropriate for Valentine’s Day, but is also a great flick for all those single ladies on the big day. Justin Long’s character tells it like it is, which is very refreshing. It’s nice to have a movie that isn’t completely lovey-dovey, and where everything isn’t perfect all the time. If he isn’t calling you, he’s not interested; it’s that easy. The movie offers insight into every facet of modern relationships and leaves you with a good feeling.  Read the full story

When your partner says, “I thought we were going out for a steak dinner?” it does not mean Carl’s Jr.  It could, however, mean impressing your date by taking him or her to the new Fleming’s Steakhouse at L.A. Read the full story

I’m an hour into my first law school exam and the only thing preventing sheer panic is the song loop running round and round in my head.  Yeah, this is definitely my current favorite song all right… but is it a mantra keeping me focused, or an annoying distraction keeping me from concentrating on the task at hand?  And what a task! Read the full story

It will come as a shock to very few that the United States has been planning for quite some time to stop broadcasting  analog television signals. With analog out of the way, all televisions in the United States will soon be digital. Radio and TV commercials featuring celebrities have made it clear that the change is inevitable, though the switch date has changed.

Say goodbye to analog TV. Photo Credit: Beige Alert via Flickr

Originally scheduled to occur on Feb. 17, the national transition to digital broadcast television  has been pushed back to June 12 in accordance with the DTV Delay Act  recently signed by President Obama. This new date has been set to accommodate the millions of Americans who still need to upgrade their older television sets with adapters or purchase newer televisions. Nearly 17.7 percent of American households have only analog television sets. The government funding set up to assist people in adapting their televisions for the DTV switch ran out in early January, with 3.7 million homes remaining on a waitlist to receive coupons.

While the delay benefits some viewers, many television stations are afraid the revised transition date could created most costs for them. Transmitting programming in both digital and analog until June 12 will place a significant burden on the budgets of broadcasters. Additionally, many stations worry their analog transmitters are getting old and may not last until June, and can’t afford to replace them.
Because of the burden the new date places on broadcasters, the government is allowing stations to apply to the Federal Communications Commission for a waiver to turn off their analog transmitters earlier.

In a letter, Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps noted that 143 stations have already requested and have been granted the authority to turn off their analog signals.

Various countries including Finland and Sweden have already made the DTV switch, but most made the switch on a much slower schedule, switching over small areas one at a time. This allowed countries to handle localized problems before moving to the next area and to learn from those problems. The United States will not have that opportunity as it plans to conduct the analog television switch to digital television across the entire nation at once. Other countries have yet to make the DTV switch, but many have plans to eliminate analog television in the near future.

Both analog and digital television use naturally occurring broadcast spectrum to transmit programming.  But digital signals are condensed and take up less spectrum than analog. The freed-up spectrum from the pending transition has already been auctioned off to private companies, raising more than $19 billion for the government.

Although the DTV switch has been placed on pause in some places, the transition, and the commercials, will continue to usher in a new era of broadcasting.

Written by Kelley Baskins, 3L