From “Story” to “Message”

Written Assignment

Drawing on your skills from Unit One, craft a 2-¶ sequence for an ad you’re interested in, as follows:

1. ¶ summarizing the ad’s content
2. ¶ summarizing the ad’s appeal or sales pitch

The drama of this sequence will be enhanced if the first ¶ ends with attention focused on a detail that suddenly makes sense in light of the ad’s sales pitch—or, alternatively, a detail that seems out of keeping with the ad’s pitch.

Turn these ¶s in via the comment section, below. Include a link to the ad at the end.

Discussion Assignment

Watch the following short video on how corporate logos function. What’s an example of a corporate logo that you think is powerful—ideally NOT one already discussed in this video? Add it below, as a “reply” to your first HW post. If someone else has already added your logo, find another logo to post that makes an interesting point of comparison to yours.

Abstract Claims & Concrete Details

Our goal this unit is to figure out how educational videos work—and how and where they fail to work. As a first step to that deeper understanding, for HW today you will write two paragraphs, each of which identifies a one key quality in a video.

Three videos to watch:

• Vi Hart, Hexaflexagons
• Nerdwriter, Inside Out: Emotional Theory Comes Alive
• Idea Channel, 3 Fallacies For Election Season!

Please watch all three, so you can provide smart feedback for other students when we meet for class. After watching all three, pick ONE to write on and watch it a second time. Make two lists: one of abstract qualities (frenetic, intellectual, etc.) and one of concrete details (focus on the speaker’s face, jazz music in background, etc.). Pick out two qualities from the first list and make them each the focus of a ¶ filled with details from the second list.

Paragraph structure:

• One Sentence: After briefly identifying which video you’re writing about, open the ¶ with a claim identifying one of its key qualities. Don’t be too self-critical: you can (and should) experiment with re-naming this quality after you finish the next step.
• Three to four sentences: Flesh out the claim by pointing to specific concrete details that substantiate the video’s “frenetic pacing” or whatever claim you’re working on.

Turn your paragraphs in by pasting them into the comment box below. (If you don’t see a comment box, bring your laptop to class.) Leave TWO returns between your ¶s to make the formatting look nice.

Introductions

Course Structure

• 4 Units, with gradual increase in essay length and complexity. No midterm or final exam, but there may be a group project w a focus on visual persuasion.
• HW and essays: assigned and (usually) turned in via this course website.

Core Dogma

Vivid description makes readers experience evidence for themselves.

In-Class Exercise

Discuss two YouTube educational videos

• Vi Hart Hexaflexagons
• Nerdwriter Inside Out: Emotional Theory Comes Alive