One of the most ingenious uses of social media is its capability to reach specific audiences. Each network has its unique niche; Facebook has developed from a tool for college students to a tool used to keep families and long-lost friends together, Linkedin plays a huge role in professional networking, Twitter keeps followers updated in real-time, blogs provide a more personal outlet and most people still do not know how to use Google+.
Social media must be used to maintain the values of the organization. With Facebook, organizations can reach out to their customers and interact with them in order to develop a stronger community. Twitter allows organizations to have real-time conversations with their followers, as well as monitor what people are saying about them. These two are the giants of social media now, and organizations that are not using them are missing out on huge parts of their audience.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
K-E-Dollar Sign-HA
I am constantly astounded by the way social media is used to achieve political ends. Recently, the #FreeKesha campaign has been taking over my various timelines and dashboards. Pop star Kesha Rose Sebert filed lawsuits against her music producer Dr. Luke in 2014, claiming he had emotionally and sexually abused her. Dr. Luke fired back, claiming Kesha was making false allegations against him to get out of her contract. Since then, legal tensions have been extremely high as both parties work to achieve their ends without losing public favor. Recently, Sony ruled that Kesha would not be released from her contract.
The backlash for this decision has been unprecedented. Countless fans have taken to their social media, using the hashtag #FreeKesha to bring awareness to the situation and show their support for her release from the label. There has even been a GoFundMe campaign started with the intention of raising money for Kesha to buy her way out of her contract, though many are skeptical whether or not that is a plausible solution. Several celebrities have also taken to social media to show their support.
I find it fascinating that social media plays such a huge role in every public decision nowadays. In this digital age, nothing is truly private. In fact, many companies use this to their advantage, spinning a story a particular way in order to shape public perception (which is pretty much PR 101). In cases like this, the question of police brutality and other recent cases of racism, it is impossible to hide from the public eye. Awareness is skyrocketing and everyone has an opinion, whether it is grounded in fact or not.
As someone who feels very strongly for women's rights and the voice of survivors, I am extremely upset with the ruling. I do not think anyone should be forced to work with someone, especially if there is even a question of past or existing abuse. It is a danger to public opinion and, more importantly, the client. Sony's image will surely suffer from this entire situation- rightfully so. The time to respond effectively has already passed. From now on, Sony will be forced to pick up the pieces and try to regain the trust of their audiences. I will be looking forward to more news on the subject and hopefully a compromise for Kesha.
Until next time!
Kathryn
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| Female artists are rallying on Twitter in support of Kesha |
I find it fascinating that social media plays such a huge role in every public decision nowadays. In this digital age, nothing is truly private. In fact, many companies use this to their advantage, spinning a story a particular way in order to shape public perception (which is pretty much PR 101). In cases like this, the question of police brutality and other recent cases of racism, it is impossible to hide from the public eye. Awareness is skyrocketing and everyone has an opinion, whether it is grounded in fact or not.
As someone who feels very strongly for women's rights and the voice of survivors, I am extremely upset with the ruling. I do not think anyone should be forced to work with someone, especially if there is even a question of past or existing abuse. It is a danger to public opinion and, more importantly, the client. Sony's image will surely suffer from this entire situation- rightfully so. The time to respond effectively has already passed. From now on, Sony will be forced to pick up the pieces and try to regain the trust of their audiences. I will be looking forward to more news on the subject and hopefully a compromise for Kesha.
Until next time!
Kathryn
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Shedding Some Light
I fell in love with lighting when I saw the touring production of the musical Once (lighting design by Natasha Katz) in . There was a moment where the two main characters were standing on an elevated platform above the rest of the set, in complete darkness, silhouetted from behind with a deep blue wash. The idea was that they were standing on top of a hill at night time, looking down on the town below them. There was no set to speak of, no music; just the two actors standing in the light. It was so subtle yet so powerful- I swear everyone in the audience was holding their breath.
Lighting is one of the most important factors in theatrical storytelling. First of all it lets the audience see what is happening on stage. It also gives context for time, place and season, as well as set the mood. In Once, the set was extremely minimalistic, which allowed for the lighting to establish the setting. In dance shows, most of the lighting comes from the side, highlighting and complementing the dancers' bodies. Lighting can also add color to a set.
As Master Electrician for Picnic, I was in charge of maintaining the lighting designer's artistic vision, programming the board, updating paperwork, fixing lights throughout the run and operating the board during shows. The lighting designer for the show, senior Liz Roth, was eager to teach me all of the tricks of the trade she had learned throughout her years at school. I learned a lot about the different types of fixtures used in the show and how to operate them. I also learned some really cool techniques for designing by observing Liz's work, such as dividing the stage like a grid and designating lights by segment.
My favorite part of Liz's design was what she called her "Hal Lights." Every time the character Hal came on stage, the intensity or color of this particular group of lights (group 120 in the programming) would change. She used 36° Source 4 LED fixtures with Apollo 3549 gobos, or templates. This created a tree-like breakup of light on the stage, adding texture to other lights being used. It was supposed to symbolize the way that Hal caused tensions to rise between the other characters.
Ever since seeing Once, one of the first things I notice in any show is the lighting. Though I love performing, I have had an incredible experience working on this show and am extremely excited to begin to delve further into another aspect of theatre that interests me. This is yet another tribute to ONU's incredible theatre program; I can almost guarantee that I get more hands on experience with equipment than any engineering or pharmacy major!
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| Incredible lighting from Carnegie Mellon University's production of Spring Awakening Lighting design by Dan Efros |
As Master Electrician for Picnic, I was in charge of maintaining the lighting designer's artistic vision, programming the board, updating paperwork, fixing lights throughout the run and operating the board during shows. The lighting designer for the show, senior Liz Roth, was eager to teach me all of the tricks of the trade she had learned throughout her years at school. I learned a lot about the different types of fixtures used in the show and how to operate them. I also learned some really cool techniques for designing by observing Liz's work, such as dividing the stage like a grid and designating lights by segment.
My favorite part of Liz's design was what she called her "Hal Lights." Every time the character Hal came on stage, the intensity or color of this particular group of lights (group 120 in the programming) would change. She used 36° Source 4 LED fixtures with Apollo 3549 gobos, or templates. This created a tree-like breakup of light on the stage, adding texture to other lights being used. It was supposed to symbolize the way that Hal caused tensions to rise between the other characters.
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| Scenic design by Kenneth M. Ellis; Lighting design by Liz Roth Though this particular cue is not used in the show, it is an intensified version of Liz's "Hal Lights" |
Until next time!
Kathryn
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