Hughson, S., Week 2

Welcome Back!

Week 2's highlights were the Side by Side documentary and the Public Relations conference in Corning which I will talk about in this weeks post!

On Tuesday we watched the documentary, Side by Side by Christopher Kenneally, which I found extremely interesting because it researched the transition from an age of solely film camera production to a period of mostly digital production. As someone who is interested in the digital production industry and creating advertisements through footage, I found it very informative how directors reacted to the change from film to digital and how they discussed both positives and negatives to each type of camera. Do I believe the film industry is dying, yes in a way, but I really love film made movies and old time movies that were created by film. I am amazed at the work that can be done and the lengthy process it takes to create these movies but its amazing how well done they can come out. The whole atmosphere and hard work that comes from the film movie industry/process I hope stays and carries onto the digital industry as it takes over.

On Friday we were able to take our first field trip as a class which was very exciting. We traveled to Corning, NY where we were able to participate and listen to the amazing speakers that presented at the PRXNE 2017 Conference, the Public Relations Society of America the Northeast district held at the Radisson hotel. This conference was a great experience for us as class to see what the public relations career is all about as well as be informed on many different business topics from the presenters, it was like seeing what we have learned in class used in real life situations. There were two speakers that I found the most informative and interesting. The first one was Ross Levi, who is the founder of the I (heart) NY organization which I did not realize how big and important him and that company is to the state of New York. His entire presentation reminded me of our City of Elmira project for term 2 Market Planning and even made me wish we could redo the project! The second of my favorite speakers was Tom Ball the filmmaker who was invited to present on his personal experience of Public Relations and using digital media to get your messages across which I thought was one of the best presentations of the day! I learned a lot at this conference and was thankful we were given the opportunity to participate!

Tom Ball Presentation 

Thanks for following our class's term three experiential learning experiences!  -Sarah Hughson

Cocca, S., Week 2

This week we were asked to reflect on the documentary "Side by Side" (2012), which is a movie that looks at the shift in the film industry toward digital production methods. The documentary was narrated by Keanu Reeves (not important but I thought it was cool). It featured a lot of famous actors, directors, and producers and asked their opinion of how the industry is changing and where it is going.

Sourced from: prxne-2017-pr-means-business-64.jpeg

We also attended a Public Relations conference in Corning, NY. This event was enlightening on the PR industry and what PR professionals do. I attended two breakout sessions that covered very different subjects. The first breakout session addressed ways in which PR professionals can coach their clients then they are speaking to the media. The speaker said it is important that the client know that the interview can easily shift away from the original subject into something else and that they should be prepared not to be flustered by this. The speaker suggested practicing before hand with worst-case-scenario questions and it should be filmed so the client can overcome any anxiety. The other session I attended was focused on creating content and what is the best way to do so. She discussed that audiences are less likely to focus on long videos anymore and that the best messages are kept to a minute or less. She also mentioned that production value is more important; viewers won't stay engaged if the production is poor or low quality.

Sourced from: http://www.jackalshockey.com/hufnagel/ 

This week we also had the honor of hearing from Mr. Matt Hufnagel from Hufnagel Productions. Mr. Hufnagel came to our class to discuss the event entertainment industry. Mr. Hufnagel has been in the entertainment industry in many functions; he's worked as a manager for sports teams, for venues, and most recently he has worked as a promoter. He spoke to us about the money that goes into these types of entertainment and how most event spaces loose money, especially those owned by governments (state, municipal). The most important thing he wanted us to take from his presentation was for us to learn to follow the money; who benefits the most? No one does anything for free.

Huntley, M., Week 2

Hello Everyone, Welcome Back!


This week we learned about movies. Movies are a product, and just like any other product, movies need to be marketed. Marketing of a movie can focus on its genre, the actors in it, and now it can even be based on how that movie is shot. In the documentary Side By Side, Keanu Reeves interviews film gurus on the differences in film movies and digital movies. 

These differences may not be apparent to the untrained eye, however the directors and actors that were interviewed throughout the
documentary had distinct opinions on the mediums. It was amazing to see some of Hollywood's most important cinematographers talk about their work, and also to discover how some of my favorite movies were made. For example, I had no clue that the Hunger Games series used film, I just assumed that due to the graphics that the movies would have had to be made with a digital camera. Though many great movies have been made on film throughout history, film is a dying medium. It costs much less and is more efficient to use digital technology in this day and age. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what one can do with a digital camera, however the film camera is at the peak of its development. 

As we learned in the book Blockbusters by Anita Elberse, production companies use the "blockbuster" strategy when planning the movies that they will produce for the year. This strategy focuses on four high budget movies that will appeal to all types of consumers, which I believe will be a lot more successful with the use of digital technology. Digital technology will allow for more high-action, high technology movies, which will appeal to a greater number of consumers. I do believe that film will allow for a new marketing strategy to come about in the future. Producers and theaters will be able to appeal to film watchers by promoting that their movie is a film movie, which will be a rarity, which will therefore allow film to be a new marketing strategy.

As a class we also got the great experience of attending the Public Relations x Northeast conference. We got to attend multiple sessions led by influential members in different areas of public relations throughout the northeast.

 I attended lectures on Modern Media Training Insights, a Virtual Reality demonstration, Visual Imagery in PR for Global & Multicultural Audiences, and Creating an Inclusive Workplace by Handing Microaggressions. My favorite speech that I attended was on how visual imagery and symbols can affect how a product is received in the market. This conference allowed for learning from many different influential positions throughout the PR world, and provided me with a wealth of knowledge. I believe that everything I learned from this conference will better me in the future.

My favorite experience of the week was the experiential learning trip to the New York Wine and Culinary Center. This company is a not-for-profit center that focuses on educating people on the products that New York State has to offer, and it also educates visitors on cooking and baking. 

The center uses a majority of wines and ingredients from New York throughout the center, from their learning kitchen to their restaurant, however there are some ingredients that are not available in New York. One of the most interesting aspects of the center to me was the restaurant. The restaurant boasts food prepared from New York ingredients, and wants its customers to know exactly where their food is coming from. They have a large board hanging that changes daily, which has all of the ingredients used in the meals that night on it, and where the ingredient came from that night.

I loved the experience that we got at the center, for everyone that spoke with our group was so passionate about that they do at the center. They were all experienced individuals who educate others on their passions, and what our state has to offer. Their marketers have to have a specific plan to draw people to the center for events, which can be difficult for them, however they are doing a fantastic job. We got to have lunch in the learning classroom, where the chef showed us how they make pasta using ingredients found in New York. 

This trip was a great learning experience, and we also got a great lunch of salad, and pasta with chicken, with everything sourced from our state! I highly suggest that anyone visiting the Finger Lakes region visit this center, even if is just to walk around! 

Photo Credits: Film Reel Photo

Chivers, K., Week 2

Welcome Back!

Throughout this week of experiential learning, I learned how different entertainment, media, and sports organizations operate and market their venues and experiences. My personal two favorites of the week were the Public Relations Society of American Conference and the New York Wine and Culinary Institute. Here's an in depth look at my experiences at these two locations:




PRXNE Conference

On Friday, April 28, I attended the Public Relation Society of America's Northeast Chapter conference in Corning, New York. At first I was a bit nervous to attend such a conference and be surrounded by such experienced professionals in the business field. However, throughout the conferenced I felt more and more welcomed. There were multiple lectures per hour, and every one interested me. However, I chose the lectures that I felt would most apply to myself and my current position as a college student. I learned a variety of things from how to approach media, tips to having successful interviews, global images and ideas and how to advertise to a global market, and learned about the well-known "I Love NY" marketing campaign. That was the most interesting to me because it was intriguing to hear how such a strong IMC program was actually implemented and how different marketing ideas and mediums were used to catch the attention of the phrase "I Love NY", and the different assets and locations of New York State. I enjoyed being at the conference and getting a feel of true networking, although I felt as though I did not network much myself. If there is one thing I took away from this conference, it would be the importance of beginning and maintaining relationships with colleagues and how networking can help me in my future career.


New York Wine and Culinary Institute

   

The New York Wine and Culinary Institute is a Not For Profit organization that presents and displays wine, beer, and culinary products from all over New York State. The beauty of the building and its location itself is enough to sell the idea and restaurant bistro located on the second level, which has beautiful views of Lake Canandaigua. The educational aspect of the organization is to teach people the basics of cooking and how to use fresh, local products properly. The institute also offers cooking classes, wine tasting, and private events. At this experience, I learned about the importance of using local products and how that is important to the farms and agriculture of every state and country. The institute uses this passion for New York State products to create a clear, consistent IMC message when marketing their operations to local wineries and customers. I was also able to fully experience their success through the delicious lunch their chefs prepared for the class, which contained homemade pasta, fresh asparagus, juicy chicken, and roots which were located in local woods. It was truly an experience like no other and it sparked my interest to think about if there are any institutions like so in my home state of Illinois.




Thanks for reading about a small glimpse of my experiences this week with this course, and I look forward to the next week of activities and experiential learning!