Doctor Who Special Commemorates 50 Years on Television

By: Rob Brown

BLUE BELL, PA--Saturday, November 23, 2013, was the day of the Doctor, when the British Broadcasting Corporation finally aired, after months of intense anticipation amongst the millions of Whovians, a 75-minute special episode that length-wise was “bigger on the inside” than a normal, 45-minute episode, referencing past characters and on-screen events and locations, all the while focusing on the ongoing storyline of the episode.

In the official trailer for the special, Matt Smith, the current actor to play the series’ main character, the Doctor, says, “I’ve had many faces, many lives. But there is one I’ve tried so hard to forget.”  The special will feature his incarnation of the character which will be joined by his predecessor, played by actor David Tennant, as well as a previously-unseen Doctor played by veteran actor John Hurt. Together, all three Doctors must solve the problem that is square and center to the special.

     For fifty years, the world’s longest-running science fiction television series, Doctor Who, has been shown around the world, inspiring two generations of children and adults who wish that they were travelling in time and space.

 The series itself follows the adventures of a mysterious alien traveler known only as “the Doctor,” whose home looks like a British Police Telephone Box from the 1950s – in reality a spaceship that is bigger on the inside – that can go anywhere in time and space. For as long as the show has been running, the Doctor has always been, and continues to be accompanied by supporting characters called “companions,” whose main purpose is to give viewers an insight into the Doctor’s adventures, interpreting and piecing together the problem or conflict that the character faces.  Together, he and they visit distant planets and time periods, fighting monsters, righting wrongs and defending the universe from anyone who tries to conquer it for evil purposes.  The Doctor also has the ability to change his appearance and personality when injured or dying of old age; in that sense, the main actor and the show itself has constantly “regenerated” over the years.  This “passing of the torch” from one actor to another has since resulted in the Doctor being played by eleven, soon to be twelve, different actors. 

Since the show first aired on November 23, 1963 (the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated), its “classic series,” as it is known, ran for 26 seasons before being cancelled in 1989.  After a one-night comeback in the form of a television movie in 1996, the show returned to episodic form in 2005, and has since enjoyed tremendous success with a new generation of viewers as well as fans of the classic series.  And that success will be sure to multiply even after the building anticipation that made 2013 a “fantastic” anniversary year for Doctor Who.

Movie Ratings: A Change in Standards or People?

By: Rob Brown

BLUE BELL, PA--A study conducted since the 1980s, which found that PG-13 rated movies today contain more violence than R-rated movies released when this study was first conducted, made headlines across every news outlet earlier this month.  As the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, if Thor: The Dark World, a superhero movie just recently released, “was released in the ‘80s, it might have earned an R rating.”

In comparing the Inquirer to the New York Times and USA Today, all three print publications came out with the same story, all giving the same findings and the effects they can have on moviegoers, but all told in slightly different ways. 

The New York Times’ reporting of the study is pretty much straightforward, except it doesn’t mention the intensifying violence in PG-13 movies over the last 30 years; these results, which found that violence in films has doubled since 1950, and gun violence in PG-13 movies has tripled since 1985, are not even hinted at in the article.  No movie examples are given, but they do bring up the study’s authors and the message they hope to send to the Motion Picture Association of America, demanding changes to its rating system. But where did the New York Times find this study?

The answer lies in USA Today and the Inquirer’s coverage – the online journal Pediatrics, which will feature the study in next month’s issue.  These two publications go further with specific sources and information, with notable and significant mentions that since the PG-13 rating was first introduced in 1984, violence dropped in movies rated PG and lower, while R rated movies were flatline.  That was, of course, until 2009, when the level of violence in PG movies shot up.

But in terms of overall coverage of this story by all three publications, the New York Times, USA Today and the Inquirer covered most, if not all, bases, from what the study revealed, to the implications of Hollywood’s implied motto that, in the words of Daniel Romer of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, “violence sells.”  These newspapers, in their continuing efforts to cover all sides of the story, reported on the need for change as said by the researchers behind the study.  Except for the New York Times, which fails to mention that violence in today’s PG-13 movies has not only increased over the last 30 years, but that it skyrocketed.

"Thor: The Dark World" Even Better Than the First

By: Danielle Ruch 

BLUE BELL, PA--Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, the sequel to 2011’s Thor was released in theaters on November 8th, 2013 and grossed over $85 million in its opening weekend.  Directed by Alan Taylor, this film picks up where The Avengers left off.  The main antagonist, Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) is being held prisoner in the dungeons of Asgard, as punishment for his crimes inflicted on Earth.  We find Loki’s brother, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) busy with establishing peace among the nine realms, which leaves little time for the woman he loves on Earth, Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. 

Thor: The Dark World was one of the better Marvel films and was even better than its predecessor.  The cinematography was superior to the first, and the animation looked a lot less cheesy, as the audience actually got a better glimpse into the world of Asgard, and all its amenities.  The plot was also a bit more interesting that the first Thor film.  The cliché of the destruction of the universe may be overdone, but for this film, it works. The characters also have a lot more depth, and the relationships are more complicated, as one of the more notable performances comes from Tom Hiddleston, who delivers just the right amount of insanity that Loki requires.

There aren’t many major differences between this film and other Super Hero movies, but for fans who can’t get enough of the Marvel universe, this film will not disappoint.  Sprinkled with just the right amount of humor, romance, action and suspense, Thor: The Dark World continues along the path of massive success from the world of Marvel’s comics.

Montco's Preparations for Public Relations

By: Danielle Ruch 

BLUE BELL, PA--Montgomery County Community College is preparing to expand its academic opportunities, starting with establishing Specialty Certificates, one in particular being Public Relations.  One of many new Specialty Certificates, Public Relations is defined as the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public.  The aim of public relations by a company is to persuade the public, investors, partners, and employees to maintain a certain view about its leadership, and products.  The new program at Montco includes new classes such as SPC 125: Introduction to Public Relations, and SPC 225: Writing for Public Relations Campaigns. These classes are designed so that students learn the basic concepts necessary to understand what public relations is and how it is practiced in a variety of settings.  The Public Relations Specialty Certificate has a tuition fee of $3,297.00 and may be completed with just six classes over a period of a year or less.  These certificates were designed to give students an advantage professionally, and help them advance in their careers.  Students at Montgomery County Community College seem enthusiastic about this new program developing on campus and how it may benefit them professionally, and allow them to obtain a more specific degree.  For more information, contact Tom Donlan or visit mc3.edu.

The Legacy Steve Jobs Left Behind

By: Daniele Ruch 

BLUE BELL, PA--Steve Jobs helped design and develop modern devices that are still used all over the world today. He was an Entrepreneur, and the Chairman, Co-founder, and CEO of Apple Inc. Jobs met Steve Wozniak while in high school, and the two connected immediately.  When he was 21 years old, Jobs, along with his friend Wozniak started Apple Computers in the Jobs’ family garage.  Jobs and Wozniak created computers that were smaller and cheaper for the everyday customer.  In 1980, The Apple Computer became a publicly traded company, with a market value of $1.2 billion on the first day.  However, with the release of newer products, consumers grew disappointed, and as IBM became Apple’s newest competition.  In 1985, Jobs was kicked out as Apple’s CEO by his closest friends, and founded a new software company called NeXT, Inc.  Jobs then purchased an animation company from George Lucas, which later became Pixar Animation Studios.  Jobs invested $50 million into the company, and Pixar’s films have since acquired over $4 billion.  Apple eventually purchased NeXT Inc., for $429 million in 1997, the same year Jobs returned as the CEO for Apple.  Since that time, Apple has introduced revolutionary products such as the MacBook, iPod and iPhone, all of which helped shape modern technology.  On October 5th, 2011, Jobs passed away at the age of 56 after battling Pancreatic Cancer for almost a decade.  Despite this loss, Steve Jobs’ spirit still lives on through all of his contributions to modern technology as Apple still remains one of the world’s most powerful companies with a net worth of $185 billion.  

Montco Loves To Binge Watch

By: Danielle Ruch 

BLUE BELL, PA--Students at Montgomery County Community College love catching up on their favorite shows by binge watching.  Of the students asked at Montco, all stated that they have binge-watched a series at least once in their lives.  For some students, binging is second nature.  Second year Montco student Matt Hawkins stated, “I love binge watching.  It’s actually kind of unhealthy because I will literally just spend hours in front of my computer watching shows, and I end up getting nothing done all day, but I continue to do it.”  Binge watching is watching television shows for long periods of time, usually hours at a time.  This is a phenomenon and has become popular with the rise of online media services such as Hulu and Netflix, because these websites make full seasons of popular TV shows available online.  Some of the most popular series Montco Students watch include Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Modern Family, and Game of Thrones. 

Netflix was founded in 1997 and grossed over 2 billion dollars in 2012, while Hulu-founded 10 years later- only grossed 100 million.  According to the Piksel Binge Viewing Survey, 62% of people prefer a combination of binge watching and catching up a few days later, 17% regularly binge, 16% watch an episode or two every few days, and 6% never binge watch.  These percentages however, don’t prove true on Montco’s campus.  Third year Montco Student, Steve Levine said, “I binge watch shows all the time.  I’ll waste my entire weekend just catching up on a series.  It’s so addicting and you don’t even realize how much time is going by while binge watching.”  This seems to be the “norm” at Montco, wasting many a weekend just by watching TV shows.  I think it’s a lot more common nowadays because our generation is so immersed in technology and we love keeping up with whatever’s current.”

Majority of Montco Students Listen To Advertisements to Get Their Music

By: Danielle Ruch

BLUE BELL, PA--Seventy-five percent of students at Montgomery County Community College prefer free music streaming services and do not mind listening to commercials.  According to a survey of 12 students at Montgomery County College, 25% don’t mind paying a subscription fee to avoid advertisements interfering with their music-listening experiences.

There are three basic business models when it comes to obtaining music online.  First there is paying for music, then there is stealing it, and finally there is “borrowing” it.  The first model is found in programs such as iTunes.  The second can be from stealing audio from the internet.  The third comes from programs like Spotify, where one streams the music, and listens to commercials every now and then.  Music streaming services were founded in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the first of many being Napster.  These services grew rapidly, as with their connection to social media, and virtually replaced the need for physical CD copies of music.  The program Spotify was developed in 2006 and was launched in October of 2008.  Spotify allows users to gather playlists of the favorite music, but they cannot take those playlists on the go with them, without paying a fee.  Music Streaming Services such as Spotify and Pandora allow users to listen to their favorite artists whenever they want.  However, there is a catch: users can listen to their favorite songs as much as they want for free, with occasional advertisements.  If users wish to listen to music without the interruption, they can choose to pay a subscription fee, and listen without commercials.  Second year Montco student Alyson Wernly says, “I love Spotify.  I get to listen to all different types of artists, and listen to every album they’ve ever made.  I really don’t mind having to listen to commercials because on Spotify, they aren’t so frequent that it takes away from my music listening experience.” This system seems to be the business model that is winning at Montco.  Other students agreed and the majority does not mind listening to a few commercials while using these programs.  

Digital Media as Opposed to Film

By: Derek Bartlett

BLUE BELL, PA--Digital and film photography have been through a lot of debate over the years. Media in the twenty-first century has been dominated by digital film, getting good results from digital cameras. Although, there are still users who prefer old-fashioned film and photo methods. Christopher Nolan shooting his Dark Knight Rises movie is a good example. Movie studios today are forcing Hollywood to abandon thirty-five-millimeter film, though some people are choosing digital supposedly because it is easier to work with.

When asked, students at Mont co responded to whether or not they prefer digital or thirty-five millimeter film. Two-thirds of them said they preferred digital, saying that it’s “cheaper”, “widely used and accepted”, has “more detail” and “better production quality.” Some of the best-known digital movies they gave examples of were Avatar, Iron Man, Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean.

The other students preferred film “for the aesthetic” and because it’s “old school”, with some good examples like Jaws and The Lord of the Rings.  But digital media is apparently the most popular in media today, because it’s easier to edit and has sharper picture than film. So someday, based on the surveys and current media changes, there may be no actual film left.  But there have been some really iconic movies made with it over the years, so even then people will probably still remember what film is.

Format Wars: Digital's Dominance

By: Derek Bartlett 

BLUE BELL, PA--Music videos on YouTube are as popular as radio, or maybe even more. Today, nearly two-thirds of American teenagers use YouTube for listening to music, while a lot of adults mostly listen to radio and CDs. It was also found that at one time only thirty-six percent of teens bought music on a CD as opposed to fifty-one percent of them using digital downloads.
 
In the early 1900s, about fifty percent of America’s homes had radios where they could listen to music and shows. Eventually radio shows were adapted to television in the 60s, making some people worry that, radios and movies would “become irrelevant and unnecessary” for audiences, as said in Media and Culture by Richard Campbell. Today, however, radio has been adapted for TV as well, with music videos and shows where audiences can view them.

The first ‘music video’ was made in 1895 at Thomas Edison’s studio. Edison used a device called a Kinetophone, which showed moving pictures and was fitted with a phonograph (a device used for recording and reproduction of sound recordings). In the early twentieth century, this got people’s attention, and these videos were made with painted pictures and projected from glass slides.

Today music videos are digital, and starting in 1981 they’ve aired on television networks like CMT and MTV. A lot of music has gotten people’s attention through television media or video websites like YouTube, especially for those who like to watch videos more than simply listening. A lot of videos that MTV used to play make up YouTube’s most-watched category.

Based on today’s progress it’s hard to tell just what the next mode of listening to music will be. Maybe someday people who own glass iPhones will use them for it.

Evolution of Printed Communication in the United States

By: Derek Bartlett 

BLUE BELL, PA--Printing has escalated in the United States, going back to the 1700s with Benjamin Franklin. Originally an apprentice to his brother in a printing office, he opened his own in Philadelphia and submitted a newspaper called The Philadelphia Gazette. Using the power of the press, he used it as a way of bringing news to readers.

The press’ efficiency was added into with continuous rolls of paper, and using iron instead of wood to build them. Printing quickly became central for expression, for both religion and politics.

With the production of works like magazines and pamphlets, political leaders used the printing press to distribute information and maintain social order. The press made it possible for these things along with books, newspapers and other reading materials to be published in great numbers for the public to read, and to promote literacy. Readers who followed these political figures came to rely less on them for guidance, and the printing press nourished individualism.

Also credited to Benjamin Franklin was America’s first circulating library. He founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731, where people could borrow books to read even if they couldn’t afford to buy them.

When multiple copies of books written by individual authors, newspapers and magazines are read by the public, people can then share many of the same knowledge, like opinions of others and information about the world that they may not have known before reading. Newspapers cover a lot of news, and reporters can get their facts straight for them.

Over the years, the printing press has evolved massively. In 1967, computers were being used and started printed digitally. Today, newspapers are printed so fast that there are over a thousand four-hundred and fifty-six of them daily in the United States alone. And, made electronically, they still serve the same purpose of keeping people informed of important events and politics.

Other works like novels and new articles are put online as well as paper. These days there are plenty of readers who read books by getting eBooks for their iPads, serving the same purpose but electronically.  

Readers today probably wonder what will happen next, what the next invention will be for printing and reading.

Montgomery County Community College Students Scared Through Horror Game Immersion

By: Aaron Berstein

BLUE BELL, PA--Last week, eight out of twenty Montgomery County Community College (Montco) students are scared of horror survival games. Immersion puts them into the character’s shoes and throws them into a story of constant uneasiness that game designers do to purposely scare the player. “A player fully immersed in a survival horror game is not safe on their own sofa; they are engrossed in the environment. The sights and sounds in an immersive game trigger actual reactions from the player” says Mark Black, a Game Design student at Montco. 

     The only way to immerse the player into the game is by using the story, music and environment. For example, Slender has the right atmosphere to make the player feel uneasy at all times. A misty forested region, a long armed, suited man without a face chases you and ultimately murders you. “I had to close the game my first time I had a jump scare” says Myles, a Computer Science major at Montco. Another example can be found in Amnesia: The Dark Descent, where the character is constantly running from monsters and trying to solve a large mystery hidden in his past that he forced himself to forget. “Amnesia was tense. The ‘water monster’ was heart pounding. I’m not sure if it was ‘scary’ because of the invisible monster or because it was hard… or both…” says Matt Murray, a Communications student at Montco.

     Immersion can be as simple as giving paranoia to the player or having scary things jump out and start chasing them. Outlast had a great example of this throughout, with disfigured mentally instable people chasing you, simply to kill you because you’re an outsider. “Dark scene, big mutant creatures started running at me at ungodly speeds. I stopped playing right then” says Jeremy Rossi, an Engineering major at Montco.

Indie Video Games Carry “Made in Pennsylvania” label

By: Aaron Berstein 

BLUE BELL,PA--This past weekend, CipherPrime Studios had their grand re-opening after remodeling their studio. Because of this occasion, a bunch of independent game designers were invited to show their recent creations and were able to share how they developed their ideas into full blown games and how things are done in small companies like these.

Zenas Bellace is one of the programmers over at QuadraTronGames. The game he was displaying is called “Monsters!” It’s available on desura.com for all computer platforms for $4.99. “I wanted to make a game with a simple idea, a cool concept, and make an easy to learn game of it”. The game was originally inspired by the arcade game “Robotron: 2084” where the player has two joysticks, one that controls the player’s movement and the other determines the direction of firing his weapon, where the goal is to rescue the last surviving human family while destroying an infinite amount of waves of robots.

Also, an award winning indie developer, Greg Lobanov of Dumbandfat.com and his game called “Coin Crypt” were being displayed, along with his award winning game “Perfection”. Both games are available on PC and Mac on Steam Early Access for $5 and “Coin Crypt” is still in its development stage. “My friend wondered what a game would be like to have jelly beans be currency and the items and the weapons. I took that idea and changed it to coins, making it ‘Coin Crypt’.”

Ender’s Game: The Cinematic Experience of the Year

By: Aaron Berstein

BLUE BELL, PA--Ender’s Game is a sci-fi fantasy based around the best-selling novel by Orson Scott Card about a young boy named Ender who is the Third of his family and is sent to a space academy to hopefully become the next commander of the International Fleet and save the world from a possible alien invasion. A few notable actors in this movie adaptation are Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff, and Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham. If you haven’t read the 1985 novel by now, the bottom line of this review is: go read the book! A lot of the issues viewers are having with this movie adaptation are that it will not be wholly accurate. As much as we would all love to see the space station and battles in high definition and major special effects, just like we imagined them in our heads, the movie had to be summarized to just the right amount in order to obtain those images.

     The most obvious thing is that a lot of plot and character development was cut from the movie. With only two hours to show the entirety of the novel, of course there will be less development and lead up to the events and more of just showing the events, but Ender’s Game was more about the reason behind the actions than the actions themselves. In short, Ender’s Game was stuck between assuming viewers have seen the novel and introducing new viewers to what it’s all about. “I personally find the author to be an asshole; I refuse to hand him my money” says disgruntled Sean Ross, communications student at Montgomery County Community College. If you enjoy sci-fi fantasy with a large amount of big budget special effects and space battles of epic proportions with next to no story development, then this is the movie for you. If you already read the novel, don’t expect to see everything from it in the movie. You will be sorely disappointed.

Valve’s “Greenlight” Program Explodes Indie Game Industry

By: Aaron Berstein

BLUE BELL, PA--Valve, one of the biggest computer game publishers and developers in the business, has recently started a program that goes along with their Early Access and Workshop. Valve’s Greenlight program takes developing games or finished games and puts them on their worldwide Steam community catalog. This has had a huge effect on the independent game design industry by taking their games and publishing them on a worldwide scale for next to nothing in return.

     “Steam’s for games and software as well” says Matt Murray, an interested communications student at Montgomery County Community College. How Greenlight works is a developer submits his or her game or non-game software to Greenlight, then the community on Steam votes on what they would like to see completed, and gives advice and support to the developer. This feedback is one of the most important things a developer can receive during development as it gives them an insight into what the community, their customers, would like to see from them. This allows them to change the game to the community’s preference, which will result in increased sales and general enjoyment. A lot of big titles have started as Greenlighted titles such as Rogue Legacy or, coincidentally, Game Dev Tycoon, and the reason they get big is because Steam manages itself with their own advertising, which means that a brand new game will be shown to several hundred thousand people at once increasing their possibility of sales.

     As a Game Design student, I believe that Valve’s Greenlight program is extremely helpful to new game designers and independent companies. If you can afford the charity donation of $100 that Valve asks for in order to make sure you’re serious about your submissions, then Valve will allow you to publish your games with them, for only about 10% of the profit you make. This gives the developers, like me, an advantage that before was not available to them.

60% of Montco students steal music

By: Aaron Berstein

BLUE BELL, PA--After collecting results from an anonymous survey of a group of 20 students last week, it was found that 12 out of 20 or 60 percent of students obtain music illegally. Out of these 12 students, five knowingly steal music, while the other seven do it without thinking it to be a crime. An anonymous student was quoted to say that “I’m using YouTube and MP3 creators right now, and streaming music online from Soundcloud!” He knows that he is taking music without compensating anyone for it, but he only uses it for personal entertainment, not for monetary gain. Another anonymous student said, “I’ve downloaded music off of YouTube and other sites and made them into CDs for my friends to listen to. I didn’t think that something so seemingly harmless was actually illegal.”

For Montco Students, ‘Rifftrax’ shatters the gender barrier in movies

By: Matt Murray

BLUE BELL, PA-50% of male students surveyed reluctantly admitted that they watched at least one of the Twilight films—the most popular reason being along the lines of being coerced into watching it with their girlfriends. Most of the remaining male students interviewed weren’t jumping at the chance to watch a film in the Twilight series either, but an exception did pop up for a few of them.

“I’ll definitely watch [Twilight] with the Rifftrax!” said another 15% of male students. They were referring to the riffing commentaries available to download on Rifftrax.com. A movie riffing is essentially a commentary made independently from the movie with jokes, made up lines, and puns that are all meant to add a humorous new layer to the film. A Rifftrax commentary usually comes in the form of an .mp3 file, but it can also be streamed via an internet browser or even a smart phone; the tracks are then played—or synced—with a movie. Rifftrax produces a wide variety of humorous commentary voiced by Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett. The trio is best known from their 90’s television show that riffed old movies, Mystery Science Theater 3000—which is essentially Rifftrax’s spiritual predecessor.

“I loved watching the Harry Potter ones,” said Montco student Saranya Muhunthan. ”I remember watching the first one with some friends—we were dying!” Muhunthan recalled that watching Harry Potter with the Rifftrax was almost an entirely new experience. The commentary seemed to add a whole new level of fun to the movie, but it didn’t take away from the story. She and 80% of the other females surveyed were intrigued by the idea of using something like Rifftrax to make sharing movies like Twilight or Harry Potter with their boyfriends.

Many male students interviewed also expressed interest in sharing predominantly male-biased movies like Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Star Wars with their girlfriends. Despite Examiner.com’s 2009 article that reported 80% of Twilight: New Moon’s audience was female, 100% of male students interviewed said that with a Rifftrax commentary that they were more likely to watch Twilight or other films they previously didn’t care to watch. Rifftrax seems to level the playing field and open doors in demographics that were previously closed.  

Although the larger majority of Montco students seem to be unaware of Rifftrax, all of the students surveyed seem to think it would be an interesting way of watching films that would otherwise only appeal to single sexes, and beyond that it adds a whole new element to films that they’ve already come to know and love.

Montco Students Give Up On Cable

By Matt Murray  

BLUE BELL, PA--Only 8% of students surveyed at Montgomery County Community College said that they still prefer to watch conventional cable on their televisions. Five years ago, 40% of students were watching cable TV and catching their favorite shows as they aired. It seems that students want to pick when and where they watch their favorite shows; they’re no longer locked in to time slots and days of the week. They get what they want when they want.   

     Services like On-Demand, Tivo, and DVRs have allowed viewers to gain control over their cable subscription and watch shows when it’s convenient for them. More recently, internet streaming exploded onto the scene with services like Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Instant Video. 68% of students surveyed at Montco preferred to use services like these to watch TV.  

     The other 24% of students surveyed also like to watch TV, but they don’t necessarily prefer live cable or internet streaming. These students still prefer to illegally download the shows they want to watch. Most of the shows that are being illegally downloaded are shows from premium channels like Dexter and Homeland on Showtime and HBO’s Game of Thrones; these shows are not available on any of the popular internet streaming services.  

     Student Mark Black says, “Keeping six gigs of one show on my hard drive just to watch a series through once is a lot less convenient than streaming on the TV, computer, or tablet.” Many of the students pirating shows already subscribe to services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. If the premium channel shows were easily available on internet streaming services they’d be less likely to pirate these shows purely out of convenience. It’s convenience that Montco students are seeking, and the convenience of the viewer seems to be the future of television.

Inherent Vice

By: Tom Sherkness

BLUE BELL, PA--Academy Award nominated writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has an all-star cast for his upcoming filmInherent Vice. The film adaptation of the novel written by Thomas Pynchon includes actors Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Benecio Del Toro, and returning lead actor Joaquin Phoenix. Anderson is known for getting extraordinary performances from his actors in his films - There Will Be Blood with Daniel Day-Lewis and in his last film The Master with Joaquin Phoenix. The film is centered upon the drug-fueled detective Doc Sportello in late 1969 into 1970 when the Manson family was prevalent in the media during which an ex-girlfriend hires Sportello to investigate the disappearance of her lover. According to Vulture, Anderson has been working with the novelist and the film has the blessing of Pynchon himself. The Internet Movie Database lists Inherent Viceas in post-production and set to release 2014.

The Heart of Mac vs PC

By: Tom Sherkness

BLUE BELL, PA--Apple's 2nd Tier Mac Mini starts at $799. In the PC realm, you could build a similar, customized mini-form tower (including the cost of Windows 8) for $100 less that will have fully upgradeable components for a lifetime, literally. Mac Mini hardware you choose is what you're stuck with except for hard drive and memory upgrades, which Apple doesn't want you to do yourself by restricting access to the inner parts.

The starting price point of a 15” Macbook Pro with Retina display is $1999. A near identical PC laptop with a better processor and a high end gaming capabilities cost $1444, or about $600 less (the MBP has no dedicated gaming capabilities). Although the laptop's resolution doesn't match the MBP, it still runs at 1080p native, or a step above the 720p high definition standard.

When comparing the more mobile 13” Macbook Air to the Windows equivalent, it is almost the same case. The 13” standard Macbook Air starts at $1099, while an Asus Zenbook with equivalent hardware and a higher resolution screen costs $799.

While there are minor feature tradeoffs, for near identical hardware but different software and design, it is necessary to evaluate that the Mac vs PC debate is really an operating system and design debate because the identical hardware running a Windows desktop or laptop always costs less. At identical pricepoints, the PC will always have more powerful hardware. Also remember that even though you can install Windows on a Mac via bootcamp, you can also install OSX on a PC by a process called Hackintosh.

The question you have to ask yourself is, what do you need to do on your computer, and which operating system suits your needs and style?

Are Montco Students Spending too Much Time on Social Networking/Media?

By: Carli Meehan

BLUE BELL, PA--A study done on “DNews” says that the average time spent on social networks is about 13.5 hours a day. Leaving 10.5 hours for sleep and other activities during the day. So is this going into addictive territory, “Dnews” quoted in their video “people are addictive to the positive social interaction on the internet”. What about students at Montgomery County Community College; what are their personal opinions about Social Networking and Media.  Surveying a group of six Montco students 83% said they spend between 2-3 hours weekly on “SN”.  67% also said 2-3 hours academics outside of school weekly.

When asked if they felt ‘SN” effect their schoolwork Justine Carr responded, “No, because he only uses medias to post a few comments through out the day and it doesn’t interfere with schoolwork”. Another student Byron Drayton who was one of the students who uses social networking 5-10hours throughout the week  said, “it does affect his schoolwork because it takes away the free time he would have to possibly study ”.  When asked if he felt he was addicted he said, “I don’t feel addicted because I can log off whenever I want” but then asked if he could give up all Social Medias for a whole week he said “NO”. In Justin Carr’s’ case whether he could give it up for a week he quoted “Sure, but I would need other social supplements because I would get bored”.   

Recently in the DMS-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder) they have published a section on Internet Addiction, they are still researching the symptoms but the list so far is (1. Excessive use 2. With drawl: anger, tension, depression when away from the computer or social networks, 3. Tolerance and the needing of more, 4. Negative repercussion: including arguments, lying and social isolation). Researchers found it have the same effect on your brain as gambling.

A one on one interview with a Montco student Melissa Perozze and being asked if she felt students are addicted to social media at Montco? She quoted “Yes, you can’t go anywhere without seeing phones glued to their faces even when having a conversation with someone right in front of you. In class rooms it’s also a problem because you see students checking their phone every five minutes for Facebook or Twitter updates while a lecture is going on.” Then asked if she felt Social Medias affect her schoolwork? “Of course, especially at home because you need your computer to do homework and its so easy to check Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook and then you end up staying on those sites for hours instead of actually doing your work.

How Montco Views Films of Today

By: Carli Meehan

BLUE BELL, PA--Since the 1920’s movie theatres have been releasing full-length films. The question is how many students at Montco still go to the movies in 2013. Especially now that we have computers that allow us to stream, download and rent movies right from your home, why even bother going to the movies? With major Blockbusters like “Enders Game”, “Thor: The Dark World” and the sequel to the Hunger Games “Catching Fire” coming out in November. What students at Montco are running out to see big Blockbusters films? When interviewing four anonymous Montco students they were asked if they still run out to the movie theatres to see big budget films? 75% said No and for the Yes, it would have to be a sequel or a favorite director that made the film to spark an interest for the film. After looking at the increase of movie prices going from $7.93 just two years ago to $11 or more depending on if the movie is 3-D, can this be a factor in whether or not these students go to the movies. This time 75% said yes. The one student who answered No quoted “No, because it’s accepted that it’s an expensive thing to do”. When asked about streaming movies or illegally downloading 100% of the student said they have done it because they didn’t want to spend the money for movie ticket on a film that they weren’t that interested in seeing on the big screen. An considering that one in every four house hold streams Netflix and 100% of the Montco students that were questioned have Netflix why even bother going to the movie when they are available a few months later on Netflix for free. Then when asked if these students would go to the movie theatre in the next two months, only 50% said they would make the trip and spend the money going to the movies.

What Is CAPG?

By: Carli Meehan

BLUE BELL, PA--If you’re a Communications Major at Montgomery County Community College then you have heard of CAPG; but what about the students at Montco who have never heard of CAPG. Thanks to Jerry and Robert Brown we are here to shed some light on CAPG club. CAPG stands for “Communicating Arts Production Group”; which helps and teaches students about television, filmmaking and production. How can students get involved? Jerry suggest to show up to any of the CAPG meeting held at the TV Studio in the Advanced Technology Center every Wednesday at 12:15. To get involved students also join the Five Day Film Festival competition or “The Buzz” which is a weekly new cast. CAPG can also make a big impact in employment because students create a portfolio and use them to get into the field. How can bring in the club help students with their major. Students get to be hands on with project by jumping right in and creating small projects for new casting, filmmaking and producing. Take Robert Brown for example he started out at CAPG learning how to write for the news. Then when the Buzz started to go down hill Robert stepped in took charge and became Co-producer of The Buzz.  In the resent semester he has become Producer of The Buzz. From that experience he quoted “I have learned to take charge when no one wants to, and striving to make the show better then the way it was”. This club is a great way to get your foot in the door and learn different techniques that will help you get a career in the entertainment field. “The Buzz” helps student write new stories, work cameras and being a director.  When asked if all communication major should be forced to participate in CAPG for a grade Robert responded “No”, because not every student has that extra time to devote to the club. But students in Communications are required to view the CAPG screening at the end of every semester to show your support and watch all of the COM students work throughout the year.

Advertisement's Responsibility Public Relations or Coordinators

By: Michael Ingram

BLUE BELL, PA--Morgan Betz, a Digital Audio professor and coordinator at the Montgomery County Community College, feels his program is not getting the advertisement or publicity that it deserves.  “The program is being completely overhauled and will need better advertising than what is currently being done,” stated Betz as he passionately spoke about the program.

Betz feels that word of mouth and Web videos are the best form of advertisements, and he is not alone on this subject matter.  Lynn Rothman, head of the Public Relations department for communication at Montco also feels that Web advertisement is most effective for advertising.  Yet, she feels that it’s the program coordinator’s job to advertise program.  After being informed that advertisement for his program was his responsibility, Betz said, “I’ll do it, but I doubt their going to like how I do it,” as he chuckled.

“There are only four people for all of marketing at this college.  How can four people market over 100 programs when they have other things to do?” stated Rothman.  She then went on to say “It’s my job to advertise the college as a whole; it’s the coordinators job to use the tools given to advertise their programs.”  She also led on that there aren’t enough funds to properly advertise an individual program which is why the burden falls heavily on the program coordinator for advertisement.  

When asked who is responsible for advertisement of the program Betz simply stated “Public Relations.”  “Ethan Mintz, a former student at Montco and owner of Marsten House Recording, was interviewed on public TV as a form of advertisement for the program,” stated Betz.  Unaware of what was being done he then went on to say “I knew nothing about it until I saw it on TV one day.”   Professor Betz knows the program doesn’t have a set budget, but, he doesn’t feel that the schools budget prevents them from properly advertising the program.  Rothman did admit to having to do a better job at communicating with Betz in order to advertise successfully; however, she doesn’t claim responsibility for why the program is not being advertised properly.  As for Betz, advertising doesn’t fall into his job criteria as it’s the responsibly of the people who are paid to advertise everything the school has to offer.  

“Gravity” Pulls in Success

BLUE BELL, PA--Warner Bros. Picture nail biting, 3D space thriller, “Gravity,” swooped into theaters on October 4, 2013 and gave critics and movie goers a new 3D visual of outer space and put them at the edge of their seats. "I think it's the best space photography ever done, I think it's the best space film ever done, and it's the movie I've been hungry to see for an awful long time" states super movie director James Cameron. Alfonso Cuarón, writer and director of “Gravity,” brings A- list actor and Actress, George Clooney, wise, calm, veteran astronaut on his last space mission, who guides Sandra Bullock, a newly experienced mission specialist who has gone through unexpected tragedy in her life back on earth. The two survive a supposedly ordinary deep spacewalk destruction of a satellite that destroys their space shuttle leaving them completely stranded in space and looking for a thrilling journey back to earth. “Gravity “gained 80% of the entire movie goer purchases were chose to experience the movie in 3D; Cuarón displayed astonishing visual effects of outer space and planet earth utilizing 3D as a huge advantage to market to its audience.

Notorious film reviewer and critics, Rotten Tomatoes gave “Gravity” a positive 97% out of 100 and “Certified Fresh” rating. “Gravity is as jaw-droppingly spectacular as you've heard, magnificent from a technical perspective but also a marvel of controlled acting and precise tone,” thrived top critic, Christy Lemire. The story of the film was enhanced by the CGI, sound FX, and 3D technology to bring the audience into what it felt like to be fighting for life in the midst of the heart pounding outer space atmosphere and was critically acclaimed by doing so. The Hollywood blockbusters grabs hold of the audience’s feelings, and doesn’t let it go, bringing a new 3D feel to the generation of ticket holders.

Video Games Hurt Montco’s Healthy Lifestyle

By: Jordan Ly

BLUE BELL, PA--Students who heavily play sports or first person shooting video games, such as Madden and Call of Duty, have their health and lifestyle affected in a negative way. “I can’t stop playing Call of Duty, even in high school I couldn’t, not that I want to stop because I find it a lot more fun than doing schoolwork, it does make me procrastinate so much more, but it’s also enjoyable to play with your friends” said Nick Machion of Montco. “The only bad thing about it is that I don’t sleep much when they release the new Call of Duty every year.” The impact of these video games, especially the first person shooting games, like Call of Duty has been an ongoing problem around the country for years. Instead of prepping for schoolwork or being active physically on their bodies, students have decided to spend a great deal of time gaming that even affects their sleep pattern.

“Researchers say the participants who exercised reported that their sleep quality improved, raising their diagnosis from poor to good sleeper,” states WebMD.com. Though video games can be a stress reliever for strong gamers, it can also easily bring stress and negatively affect a person psychologically and socially. “If it wasn’t for Madden, I wouldn’t have the knowledge of the basics of football, I might not even be on the football team I am on today, video games are too fun and I don’t intend on stopping, but since I don’t have much time during the week it cuts into my gym time” says Chris Guardino, who attends Montco and plays for a Philadelphia semi pro football team. Sports video games can also help mentally and relate to being physically active by teaching you the basics of the sport, but still impacts the health lifestyle of students in a bad way. Though video game genres are different and they affect gamers’ health differently, they still bring them into the same place, which is picking a controller and sitting in front of a television set rather than go to the gym.