Week Three: The Perfect Chair

The Perfect Chair

            I thought that this was an interesting pitch, but it needs to be modified to target a specific demographic. He mentioned that this chair would be intended for people who play video games, so I think that the product should be going in that direction. Instead of having microwaves and random oddities, it could house chargers for different video game controllers, a case for various video games, and other essentials that a gamer might find that they need. There could still be some of the suggestions that Max made, like the desk part so they could keep their laptop near them while playing the games. However, I don’t feel that a microwave would be optimal as it is very dangerous to be plugging in appliances that give off radiation.

            I also believe that the advertisement angle needs to be shifted. It would be silly to say that this chair makes it so you “never have to get up again” because it would receive a lot of backlash from society for advocating obesity and laziness. However, customization of the chair is a great idea for people who like the styles but can’t get them in the colors of their own choosing. It is also a good idea to give people the option of what they want to have on their chair; I just think that the dangerous appliances aspect needs to be gotten rid of. This product could be sold in furniture magazines, online, in Targets and Walmarts and basically anywhere that furniture is sold, which is everywhere, especially when it comes to computer chairs. The price range should shift depending on what the customer chooses to add to their chair, but should not exceed over $400. Overall, I think that this is a great product, but just needs to be tweaked before being advertised to the public.

Cinematheque Experiential

The Birds

The 1963 movie The Birds is about a town in California, Bodega Bay, that is suddenly and mysteriously plagued by widespread and very violent avian attacks over the course of a few days. Alfred Hitchcock, the director and producer, is famous for his suspense-filled movies, which focus on the slow crawl to the solving of the mystery, counting on the imagination to provide far more terror than the movie itself ever could. His movies, unlike the modern horror blockbusters, do not rely on gore and cheap theatrics to move the plot along. Instead, they take common people and place them in uncommon situations, equally using both character development and outside plot devices as the catalysts to push the plot along.

The protagonist of the movie is a woman named Melanie Daniels who is interested in a man named Mitch Brenner, and after a chance encounter she goes to his house in an attempt to learn more about him. The antagonists of the movie are actually the birds, although the abstract antagonist could be the struggle to find out what is making the birds go insane and attack the people of the town.

The movie is set up in the typical three-act format. Act one opens with the exposition – Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brenner meet in a pet shop in Melanie’s hometown, where they talk and realize that they had met before, with Mitch noting that he did not like her all that much upon their first interaction. Melanie, unused to being disliked, is intrigued by Mitch. The rising action is when Melanie acts on her impulse to find Mitch and follow him to his hometown, Bodega Bay, to learn more about him. The first plot point occurs when she arrives in Bodega Bay and is pecked on the head by a seagull. Conflict arises when Melanie is not the only one being attacked by various birds. In fact, soon after Melanie arrives, birds begin to attack innocent people and wreak havoc on the town – one attack leads to part of the town in ruins after a massive fire break out. The rising action continues when it is discovered that Mitch’s ex-girlfriend Annie is dead as a result of an avian attack. Melanie, Mitch, and his family board themselves up in their house to hide out from the birds, but the climax occurs when the birds manage to get inside of the house regardless of attempts to bar them out. They corner Melanie in the attic and brutally attack her. The falling action begins when Mitch saves her from these birds and treats most of her wounds, but determines that she still needs to be taken to the hospital. Mitch carries Melanie out to the car slowly, as the birds watch silently and ominously. Despite this feeling, the resolution and denouement occur when Mitch and Melanie drive away in his car while the birds continue to simply watch them leave.

This film progresses with the events in chronological order, which is beneficial for this film as it would have been even more confusing than it already was. The draw of this movie is that the reason for the avian attacks is never explained, although there are a few explanations. One could be that the birds were after Melanie, as the attacks did not start until she came into the town. Another could be that the birds were after Melanie’s two birds that she brought to the town as a gift for Mitch. For all the audience knows, the bird attacks could have been triggered by something random, and have nothing to do with Melanie and her appearance in Bodega Bay at all. Melanie, Mitch, and the other characters in this movie are not really developed, as the majority of the plot is moved along by the bird attacks and the mass hysteria of the town. As such, the characters do not really influence the plot, but rather the plot influences the decisions that the characters must make, which invites character development at some points.

The Birds, though it does not aim to reveal its secrets, is still one of my favorite movies, and is great despite its cliffhanger ending.

Week 2: Celebrity Look-Alike Website

I do not remember the name of the girl who proposed the idea, nor can I recall the specific brand name, but there was a girl who pitched an idea for a website that gave the viewer tips and tricks to look like specific celebrities. If the viewer subscribed to the website, they would receive high-end hair care products and make-up at very cheap prices. I believe that this is a fantastic idea. People are constantly buying fashion magazines to get cheap alternatives that resemble their favorite celebrity. We live in a society that idolizes actors and actresses, musicians, dancers - this product enforces this already firmly held belief and makes money off of it, which is the smartest way to generate revenue. Overall, I think that this is a great start, but the pitch needs to be modified.

I have seen many websites that give tips and tricks on how to look like certain celebrities, and you don't have to pay money to do so, like this girl proposed. She briefly mentioned opening up a store after the website took off, but I think it should be the other way around. I propose that the main idea be the store, tentatively called "Celebrity Styles" or "Celebrity Cuts" where one goes to get a hair cut or new hair style. The stylists could be former personal stylists for the celebrities, and they would be able to give tips and tricks in person, or actually style your hair similarly to the celebrity of your choice. They would make sure that the style is compatible with your hair type, and they would photoshop the hair style on a picture of you and make sure you like the general look before going ahead with the style. It would be like a personal stylist, combined with the already well-practiced technique. In essence, this hair salon allows anyone to walk in and feel like a celebrity. I would advertise primarily through television commercials, using actual celebrities as the actors and actresses. 

EcoSmart Essay

EcoSmart

            It is a sad fact in the United States that, out of the 251 million tons of trash thrown out, only 82 million tons are recycled on average per year. For every 4.6 pounds of trash per person per day, only 1.5 pounds of this are recycled.[1] Researchers have noted that “people are most likely to continue recycling if they emphasize the sense of satisfaction that they get from contributing to the environment.”[2] This ties in neatly with the concept of operant conditioning, which is defined by Mirriam-Webster as “conditioning in which the desired behavior or increasingly closer approximations to it are followed by a rewarding or reinforcing stimulus.”[3] In layman’s terms, this simply means that if a positive action is rewarded, a person will continue to perform this action because they see that it has a positive effect. This is an incredibly effective tactic when it comes to teaching young children, as they are not mentally developed enough to understand the coercion. Therefore, it stands to reason that people who are taught to recycle as children are far more likely to continue to recycle into adulthood. This is why “EcoSmart” would be a huge asset to any classroom or family setting.

            “EcoSmart” comes in three different adjustable sizes – circular, square, and rectangular. It attaches to the rim of the garbage can and locks on, weighted on two opposite sides so it does not tip the garbage can. On the front is a square attachment, reminiscent of a GPS, and the inside is a scanner, similar to the ones that stores use to ring up items. The scanner scans the barcode for whatever items you throw in to the garbage can, and instead of displaying the price, “EcoSmart” recognizes the chemical make-up of the item and displays this in the common terminology: aluminum, plastic, paper, etc. Then the automated voice gives a statistic about recycling. If there is no bar code – for example, a simple piece of paper – the automated voice just says something along the lines of “Thank you for saving our planet!” There would be about thirty different facts and twenty different forms of encouragement to provide positive reinforcement. There is also the option to mute the voice ad simply display the words across the screen. Overall, “EcoSmart” is designed to be a teaching aid and get children interested in recycling, whether they are learning these skills at school or at home. Children are more likely to continue to perform tasks into adulthood that they were taught at this age, and “EcoSmart” is intended to become a part of the child’s daily routine. The positive reinforcement will stay with the child, and the values it instills will continue to shape them into adolescence.

            “EcoSmart” is intended for children age six to ten, and aims to teach both boys and girls. Though this was designed with teachers in mind to be used for science classes, it could also be used at home by environmentally friendly parents who wish for their children to inherit these core values. It would be advertised primarily on television, preferably stations like Nickelodean, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network, which aim their content at children in the age bracket that the product is intended for. It would also be in parenting magazines, and magazines aimed at teachers.

            The budget would be high at first. Most likely around $150, so it is understandable that parents might not want to buy it for their families, but I don’t believe that it is too steep of a price for schools, especially with the building interest in math and science. Potential sponsors include special interest groups concerning the environment, environmentally conscious celebrities interested in promoting the product, and maybe even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a branch of the government charged with protecting human health and the environment.

            Overall, I believe that this would be a great product for kids to learn more about the environment in a subtle, interesting way. The children would not realize that they were being conditioned to care because the information would be reaching them in a more hands-on way. Ultimately, “EcoSmart” has the potential to make a big difference in the world, and as the children are the ones who will inherit it, they should be aware of the effects humanity has on it.

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[1] Sustainablog

[2] Gateways to Mind and Behavior

[3] Mirriam-Webster Dictionary

The Nutrifier

I believe that the Nutrifier was the best idea that anyone in the class had thus far. It is a great product for two main reasons: want and need. Suburban mothers and health-conscious parents will love this for their child, as it is an easy way to make sure that children are getting all of the vitamins and nutrients they need without the child realizing anything is entering their system. Like Thomas stated during his presentation, children either reject vitamins, or want too many of them, as it is with vitamins like the Flinstone brand, which taste very much like candy. However, most suburbanites will simply want this product as a matter of convenience. The ones who really need it are the children, and even adults, in third world countries that go without food, water, clothing, shelter - things Americans take for granted every day. This product would save millions of lives, simply by providing nutrients to people who have no other ways to get any. The problem with Thomas' presentation was not the idea, but rather who he aimed the idea toward. I believe this product would be far more useful in third world countries than in America, where most children have an excess of food, vitamins, and other necessities that enable them to flourish and grow. I believe he should start out selling the idea to people in the United States solely to make easy money, so they should be featured in parenting magazines, and in maternity stores and supermarkets, and that every couple of dollars spent on the Nutrifier will go towards paying for Nutrifiers to be sent to third world countries. After it has garnered a lot of revenue in America, then they can focus their attention on these third world countries. Thomas might not realize it, but this product has the potential to help save the world.

Movie Pitch: When Harry Met Sally

"Men and women can not be friends, because the sex part always gets in the way." Two people meet, and over the course of twelve years, engage in a battle of the sexes, aiming ultimately to prove that men and women can be friends. It works perfectly, until they succumb to their self-fulfilling prophecy and fall for one another. Can the couple overcome the obstacles and find everything they need in one another? This movie is a romantic comedy intended for women specifically, but will have just enough humor to appeal to men as well. Our competition is likely to be action-adventure movies, or movies that will steal away the male audience, as this movie aims to engage both sexes equally.

Proposal for Final Project

Proposal One:
My project consists of a recycling/waste bin that has a third compartment for dumping liquid that you don't finish, so you do not have to put the plastic bottle in the waste and can instead place it in the recycling section. The first section is simply a waste basket, while the second is a recycling bin. The third section is cylindrical shaped, and at the bottom are small sponge-like objects that give off heat and absorb the contents of the beverages. The heat aims to evaporate the liquid, while the sponges absorb the nutrients and sugary substances until they take in so much that they slowly break down and become waste. The cylindrical can may be taken out using the handles on the side, and emptied and replaced when necessary. The sponges are very durable and take a long time to disintegrate, so it would only be necessary to replace every five or six months. This product aims to make recycling easier for people who are already eco-friendly and mindful of the environment. This product is also meant for work or school settings, where recycling bins tend to be few and far between, and when they are there, there is nowhere to dump leftover liquid. It is meant for both men and women, and can be used by a large range of people, from elementary school age to senior citizens. It will be advertised in eco-friendly magazines, and in school and work magazines, as they are trying to find more and more ways to "go green." This product could also be advertised in newspapers. It would take a decent amount of money to produce, especially to get the sponges to emit heat at all times without electricity. Potential sponsors include eco-friendly organizations, nonprofit organizations, and maybe even large companies, if they get a cut of the profit as well.

Would you mind e-mailing me back to let me know if this is what you're looking for? I still feel like this isn't a very strong project idea, but you were right about my other idea, the object used to locate other objects: it already exists. http://www.keyringer.com/