Throwing laptops...

I am a little late on my normal blogging (two weeks in fact) but I wanted to wait until after homecoming (or at least I am telling myself that is the reason why I didn’t do this on Friday). On Saturday, WMCR alums from the 70’s thru today stopped by to visit and celebrate 50 years of WMCR. I will share some recorded reminisces later this semester in a special 50th anniversary radio program.
One student, who was in one of my first Speech classes on campus, shared a story he loves to tell and it brings up a good point. The student, we’ll call him Ian (since that is his name), tells the story of the first radio meeting when I took over WMCR. The semester before some students had broken a laptop. I decide to make a point by talking about treating equipment well and throwing the laptop onto the floor. The laptop shattered and as he puts it a board from the computer went flying at him. This was one of his first classes with me. But it got me thinking, in media we make choices all the time go big or go subtle (some may say the later rarely happens).
In the Multi-media production course this semester, students are working on a 60 second video announcement. This very decision is at the core of what they must do to frame the piece. Do you make a point with subtly or do you go over the top? Over the years students have had interesting results from both angles, from simple showing different shots of a swimmer about ready to dive into the water to show tension and excitement for swimming to a drop of water chasing after someone who was being wasteful. Both approaches can work it all depends upon the audience and the subject matter. For example, last weekend I posted a picture on Facebook of a sign in front of a cemetery headstone business. The sign read, “End of Summer sale… Buy now for Fall.” This was weird to me. Do you really buy headstones on sale or pre-buy for fall? Subtlety is an art, which I am not known for. But it brings up an important lesson for students, you have to know the audience you are trying to reach and craft a message that will meet their expectations. I expect to want many things at the end of summer from a sale, but not a headstone. Nor would I be buying one to stock up for fall.
So is it a little subtle persuasion or am I throwing a laptop at you to say, watch the latest edition of MC-TV at the bottom of this blog and become a fan on facebook.
WMCR MCTV