week 9 The changing of films

As a big fun of films, I watch films almost every week. I enjoy different kinds of films(not horror films),   in my point view, films are changing with the time, Asian films are Hollywoodized and Hollywood films are Asianized. 

The flowers of war( I discussed it last week), directed by Zhang Yimou and acted by Christian Charles Philip Bale, this is an Chinese film, telling a Chinese story, but acted by an American, produced by an American(David Linde), music by Joshua Bell, visual effect by Joss Williams,who's an English man. (The Flowers of War,2013) This is the expression of  Hollywoodized. 

(Image from<http://cul.shangdu.com/wallpaper/2010/20120104/311_524305.shtml>)

 Another expression of Hollywoodized Asian films, when I was young, I watch film acted by Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chow Yun fat,  these are my favorite actors when I was a child, I thought they only belong be China at that time, but now they are no longer only belong to Chinese audiences, but also the world. More and more actors and actresses go to Hollywood to fight for another world, if an actress can act in a Hollywood film, she's much more famous in China as well.  Hollywood is like a modal to Chinese people, a Hollywood film is much expensive than the same kind of Chinese film in the cinema.  The reason is goes without saying. 

（Image from<http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2013/06/jackie-chan.html>)

Opposite to Hollywoodized Chinese film, some Hollywood films are Asianized . A recently on show film called Man of Tai Chi is the first film that directed by Keanu Charles Reeves. The film is about Tai Chi, which is a kind of traditional Chinese Konfu. Acting by Karen Mok,Simon Yam and Chen Hu,three Chinese actors.( Clarence Tsui,2013) Kong fu is always a popular theme in Hollywood films. Jay Chow and  Christoph Waltz's film 'The Green Hornet' is another example of Asianized Hollywood film, however, it's still in Hollywood style. 

The forbidden Kingdom is directed by Rob Minkoff, acted by Jet Li, Jackie Chen and Michael A. Angarano. 'only this time the kid in question isn’t obsessed with old books, but with Kung Fu movies.' said Josh Tyler. (2008) I watched when I was in high school, if i didn't do the research, I could know it was directed by Rob Minkoff and it's a Hollywood film. It's so Chinese!

No matter Asian film are Hollywoodized or Hollywood films are Asinazed, the audience will only like the good film. 

Linrong Li

Reference List
The Flowers of War 2013, IMDB, retrieved 22 September 2013, <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1410063/ >

Tsui C 2013, 'Man of Tai Chi: film review', The Hollywood reporter, retrieved 22 September 2013, <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/man-tai-chi-film-review-584062>

Thyler J 2008, ' The Forbidden Kingdom', CINEMA BLEND, retrieved 22 September 2013, <http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/The-Forbidden-Kingdom-3089.html>

WEEK 8 Zhang Yimou--a global celebrity

When I was a young girl, I watched a film called' The Road Home', it tells a story about a young man came to countryside as a support education teacher(father), and his love story with a young girl(mother). The film is narrated by first person, and I still remember the sweet smile on the girl's face every time she meet the boy, and that was the first time I watch a film acted by Ziyi Zhang. Because of this film, I know Zhang Yimou, the best director in China in my mind. As I know, 'The Road Home' won the silver bear of 50th Berlin International Film Festival in 2000.

                   （Image from <http://zixun.hunantv.com/hntv/20080810/32041.html>
Zhang Yimou, as a global celebrity, he directed many fanatic films for not only Chinese audiences but also the audiences of the world to enjoy in his films. The least films the directed by him are, 'The Love of the Hawthorn Tree' and ' The Flowers of War' which is acted by Christian Charles Philip Bale. 

As my point of view, Zhang Yimou is not only a good director in films but also made great achievement in 2008 and because of this, he grand the person if the year of TIME in 2008. ' This year he captured this prevalent theme of harmony and peace, which is the spirit of the Olympic Games. In one evening of visual and emotional splendor, he educated, enlightened and entertained us all. In doing so, Zhang secured himself a place in world history.'(Steven Spielberg, 2008) As a Chinese, when I was watching the opening ceremony of 2008 Olympic Games, I'm really proud of it. He shown the 5,000 years history of China and made all the people get into a river of history. 

Zhang Yimou is a person who lives with his dream, he always wants to make the best for his audiences, he is no longer a celebrity of China but also a director of the world.


Reference 

DP/30 2012, ' DP/30: Flowers of War, director Zhang Yimou, actor Christian Bale', YouTube, retirieved 15 September 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD_ovaIRwiI >

Spielberg S 2008, ' Zhang Yimou', TIME, retrieved 25 September 2013, < http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1861543_1865103_1865107,00.html >

week 7 Connectivity in social media

'Not only focus on this remediation, but also on the distinguishing, specific characteristics or principles of computer games as a form of digital media: multimediality, virtuality, interactivity, and connectivity'. said Joost Raessens. (2005,p374)  Most of the social media(programs, games,cell phones) have these characteristics, but among them, I think connectivity is the most extensive and typical characteristic which is useful as well.

Nowadays, people use social media at most of their times. They use them at work, during study, before sleep, even in the toilet（every time I go to the toilet, I take my mobile phone with me, my boyfriend say I'm afraid to get lost at home). That is why, programs update so fast, mobile phones change very year.  Also, social media seems like a necessary part in our lives now. For example, this semester, I study ACN203, we work in groups, and the best way we communicate with each other is to create a Facebook group and share information there.  Another simple example, how does your mother ask you for dinner if you are not at home. Therefore, the connectivity social media is obvious, most of people are connecting with social media. 

(image from <http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-man-mobile-phone-sitting-toilet-image29685147 >

The connectivity of social media is not only useful for students but also in professional areas. '  Social networks, blogs, and other forms of communication online also create new challenges to the patient-physician relationship.' (AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,2013) That is to say, the use of social media is extensive in most of the areas in the society. The connectivity of social media is shown in different areas as well. 

‘ The likes of Twitter, Flickr and Facebook enable you to interact with others in your network, but the most interesting aspect of Social Media is the cascading effect of connecting with others X degrees from your personal network.’ (Jim M Goldstein 2013)People can get information from your blog, Facebook or other social media network. Then the information is not only can be seen by one or two people, it can be more than you can imagine. People pass the information, after that, the information is not the thing that only you know ( maybe you get it from some one else). People can connect with each other not only by talking to each other, they may be connected by other people they already known. 

Linrong Li

Reference

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,2013,' Opinion 9.124 - Professionalism in the Use of Social Media', retrieved 7 September 2013, <http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion9124.page>

Goldstein J M 2013, ' The Power of Social Media: Connectivity -4 Metrics of Social Media Impact', JMG GALLERRIES, retrieved 7 September 2013, <http://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog/2009/08/13/the-power-of-social-media-connectivity/ >

Raessens J 2005, 'COMPUTER GAMES AS PARTICIPATORY MEDIA CULTURE', P374

Week 6--Community and Culture in the Blogosphere

Blog is more like an electronic diary to me, I never use it as a tool for a community or to spread any kind of culture I think. So when I saw this topic, I find it interesting and I really want to think about it. I usually blog as a tool to show my emotion or something interesting, something important and something I like. However, I can't deny that, blog is also can be used to spread culture(words, images, videos...) for the communities. 

As Merlyna Lim said,' Dean’s Blog for America showed how a blog could be used for building social networks of political support'.(Lim, M., 2012) That is to say, blog  can not only use to share your emotion with other people, but also can be used to change the current situation of the whole society. I can't say that political parties and groups are communities, but they do work as big communities. And now, they use blog to share the information of the parties, tell the blog users they can keep pace with the time. 

With culture, I think blog is also a good way to spread it. 'According to the The Nielsen Company, as of 16 February 2011, there were over 156 million public blogs in existence'.(Answers,2013) As there are so many people are using blog, it is not hard to imagine how fast and how many that the information will be extended.  So no matter what communities they are, they can use blogs as a medium  to share the information to the bolt users, then the users may share to others who don't use the blogs. This is like a circle, you don't know how big is it, but information is spread much more faster in this way. 

When I use the blog, I don't  consider myself is pass something to other people, I believe I'm doing what I want to do, however, I can't decide who will read about what I write and tell to someone else. May be I have helped or will help some communities to share the information. 

Linrong Li

Reference 

Answers 2013,'How many bloggers are there worldwide?', retrieved 02 September 2013, <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_bloggers_are_there_worldwide >

Lim, M., 2012 ‘Life is Local in the Imagined Global Community: Islam and Politics in the Indonesian Blogosphere’, Journal of Media and Religion, vol. 11, pp 127-140.