Articles for Commercial Media Workshop
The Truth behind the Mass Communication Entrance Exam
The entrance exam required for the declaration of the Mass Communication major is a cause of stress among many freshmen. According to the Department of Mass Communication, the test is tailored depending on the concentration; one test for film students and one for journalism students. It is offered two times a year, once each semester, and it is evaluated by a team of three Mass Communication faculty members. The dates for the Fall entrance exam are to be announced. To ease the concerns of those planning on taking the entrance exam this upcoming semester, two seniors were asked about their experiences with the infamous test.
Q: What’s your name, major, and concentration?
A: Jasmine George, Mass Communications - Film & Visual Media
Q: When did you take your entrance exam?
A: I took the entrance exam in the spring of 2010.
Q: What did you hear about the entrance exam prior to taking it?
A: The entrance exam had just begun when I took it, so I didn't really hear anything about it. It was a new thing, and I'm sure there have been lots of changes.
Q: Was it what you expected?
A: I was a little alarmed by the amount of journalism on the exam. I thought it would be more specialized considering I'm on the video track. All in all, I think there needs to be more offered for each special track instead of focusing almost entirely on print journalism.
Q: Any suggestions for those planning on taking the entrance exam this Fall/Spring?
A: I would say, don't only focus on your track! It encompasses mass communications broadly. Also, it's not as hard as you might think it'll be. Just study.
Q: What’s your name, major, and concentration?
A: Caitlin Halloran, Mass Communications- Communication Research
Q: When did you take your entrance exam?
A: I took the entrance exam March 2010, my sophomore year.
Q: What did you hear about the entrance exam prior to taking it?
A: I hadn't heard ANYTHING about the entrance exam, but plenty about senior comps, so I was really shaking prior to taking it. I also hadn't had any Mass Communication classes except for a few weeks of Newswriting and Media Ethics, so I didn't know what to study.
Q: Was it what you expected?
A: It felt like second nature to everything I knew and was interested in studying, so I didn't have a problem finding things to say.
Q: Any suggestions for those planning on taking the entrance exam this Fall/Spring?
A: Know your background. If you're interested in being a Mass Communication major, no matter the concentration, know the basic history of your field, and a few key players in that past. We're communicators, and should always know what’s going on currently, but we also need to know where we came from in comparison.
A: Caitlin Halloran, Mass Communications- Communication Research
Q: When did you take your entrance exam?
A: I took the entrance exam March 2010, my sophomore year.
Q: What did you hear about the entrance exam prior to taking it?
A: I hadn't heard ANYTHING about the entrance exam, but plenty about senior comps, so I was really shaking prior to taking it. I also hadn't had any Mass Communication classes except for a few weeks of Newswriting and Media Ethics, so I didn't know what to study.
Q: Was it what you expected?
A: It felt like second nature to everything I knew and was interested in studying, so I didn't have a problem finding things to say.
Q: Any suggestions for those planning on taking the entrance exam this Fall/Spring?
A: Know your background. If you're interested in being a Mass Communication major, no matter the concentration, know the basic history of your field, and a few key players in that past. We're communicators, and should always know what’s going on currently, but we also need to know where we came from in comparison.
Entourage Star, Adrian Grenier, Talks Social Implications of Celebrity at Panel Discussion
Adrian Grenier, the actor who portrayed Vince in HBO’s hit series, Entourage, screened his documentary “Teenage Paparazzo” in Lipinsky auditorium on Saturday, Sept. 24. He later conducted a panel discussion with UNC Asheville professors Anne Slatton and Michael Neelon at Mars Hill College.
The idea for the documentary came to Adrian after he was “sprayed” with about 30 shots from a paparazzo that, surprisingly, was merely 13years old. The 13-year old was Austin Visschedyk, and Adrian was so disturbed by the encounter, it prompted him to investigate further. He began following the young photographer around and formulating a documentary that examined the relationship between society and celebrity.
The film mentions a study that asked middle school and high school students whether they’d rather be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a president of a college, a Navy SEAL, or an assistant to a celebrity. Forty two percent said they would want to be a celebrity’s personal assistant, which was four times as many that claimed they would want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
The numbers made it apparent that American teens idealize celebrity lifestyle, which began the discussion at the Mars Hill panel. Later, they discussed the symbiotic relationship between celebrities and the tabloids that simultaneously “exploit” them and help maintain their fame. The discussion concluded with a remark from Adrian in which he explained that making “Teenage Paparazzo” was his way of dealing with his fame, and he found the experience empowering.
The idea for the documentary came to Adrian after he was “sprayed” with about 30 shots from a paparazzo that, surprisingly, was merely 13years old. The 13-year old was Austin Visschedyk, and Adrian was so disturbed by the encounter, it prompted him to investigate further. He began following the young photographer around and formulating a documentary that examined the relationship between society and celebrity.
The film mentions a study that asked middle school and high school students whether they’d rather be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a president of a college, a Navy SEAL, or an assistant to a celebrity. Forty two percent said they would want to be a celebrity’s personal assistant, which was four times as many that claimed they would want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
The numbers made it apparent that American teens idealize celebrity lifestyle, which began the discussion at the Mars Hill panel. Later, they discussed the symbiotic relationship between celebrities and the tabloids that simultaneously “exploit” them and help maintain their fame. The discussion concluded with a remark from Adrian in which he explained that making “Teenage Paparazzo” was his way of dealing with his fame, and he found the experience empowering.
Mass Comm Graduate Fulfilling her Dreams as a Comedian
Recent UNC Asheville graduate, Becca Steinhoff, a mass communication major with a concentration in Film and Visual Media has been very busy developing a full-time career in comedy since graduating from the program in May of 2011.
This past July, Steinhoff performed in the widely successful Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival that Mountain Xpress called “…a fun evening with plenty of laugh out loud moments and a pleasantly surprising number of good regional artists.”
Steinhoff has been performing in shows all along the east coast, as well as performing weekly in Asheville. Every Wednesday, Steinhoff can be seen at the Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge at Athena’s, which is downtown next to Tupelo Honey and Pritchard Park.
Upcoming shows:
· Friday, Oct. 14 at Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar inside The Grove Park Inn at 8.
· Friday, Oct. 21 at The Altamont Theatre on Church Street, opening for Erin Jackson
· Thursday Nov. 3 at Pulp Lounge underneath The Orange Peel for Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic.
This past July, Steinhoff performed in the widely successful Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival that Mountain Xpress called “…a fun evening with plenty of laugh out loud moments and a pleasantly surprising number of good regional artists.”
Steinhoff has been performing in shows all along the east coast, as well as performing weekly in Asheville. Every Wednesday, Steinhoff can be seen at the Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge at Athena’s, which is downtown next to Tupelo Honey and Pritchard Park.
Upcoming shows:
· Friday, Oct. 14 at Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar inside The Grove Park Inn at 8.
· Friday, Oct. 21 at The Altamont Theatre on Church Street, opening for Erin Jackson
· Thursday Nov. 3 at Pulp Lounge underneath The Orange Peel for Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic.
The Career and Graduate Fair Offers Sound Advice to Mass Communication Majors
On Tuesday October 18th, employers from all over North Carolina graced UNC-Asheville with their presence during the fall semester’s Career and Graduate Fair. Seniors picked up their caps and gowns, ordered their class rings, and put on their best business attire as they walked the circle of potential employers, resumes eagerly, but carefully in their hands.
Mass Communication majors that went from WLOS to Bursco Promotional Printing, then from Sensible City Inc. to Clear Channel Communications all heard the some of the same things from these potential employers: Have an ability to learn and master new skills or programs. Media is changing so quickly, and in an attempt to keep up, most businesses need desperately an employee who can keep them up to date with their media marketing.
Clear Channel Communications Paul McNeill says that he is looking for “design and layout from UNC-Asheville Mass Communications majors, but there is no limitation, it’s just the focus I have right now. And I’m not locked into that; I just know it’s where UNCA might help me more than other schools.” McNeill says Clear Channel is a broad based communication business in radio and internet.
“Our primary purpose is to develop and deliver compelling content that people want to hear and are interested in,” says the National Sales Manager.
When asked what skills he expected and what would make a mass communication student stand out, he replied with one word: creativity.
“Really, I think you can develop any kind of skill, but creativity is what is needed so you can come in, look at a scenario, and say “yeah, this is a potential solution,” or come up with a way to communicate something more successfully.” McNeill says that the most important thing a mass communication major can provide to stand out from the crowd is an impressive portfolio. He said that he would look at the different ways a student took an idea and did something different with it to make it stand out.
“In radio, you’ve only got three seconds to make an impression. After that, if it’s not compelling to them, they’re gone!”
Further down the row of employers, I ran into Asheville Radio Group, whose primary purpose is sales, promotion, and programming, though the group of local radio stations does much more. Nikki Mitchell and Jordan Coppinger, the Promotions Director and Promotions Assistant, respectively, both stake claims in the ability of an intern or employee to change based on different scenarios and to be flexible to change.
“Sometimes, in this industry, you need to be able to change on a dime,” says Mitchell. Coppinger later discussed how mass communication majors generally are very effective, because they cover all interpersonal communication and business communication in the course of their studies. When asked what would make a mass communication student stand out, they replied with a unanimous “A recommendation from Patricia Baldwin.”
Burco Promotional Marketing was on down the circle of vendors, and Sam Vignjevic and Kendrick Wilson stood at the table covered in promotional samples of their work, inviting and eager to talk to the oncoming seniors, of which I was one. Vignjevic, as if reading my expression, offered the information, “Burco is a promotional marketing company that helps recreational businesses market themselves in order to drive traffic.” Burco, which was originally established as a golf scorecard printing company, now continues to grow and expand their product line to meet the constantly changing needs of their many clients, in every facet of their marketing needs. Though they’ve never had an intern, they are interested in the idea of having one in the future, as long as the intern is technologically savvy, dependable, and has the ability to absorb, process, and be profitable with new technology.
Sensible City Inc. offered great information, as well, on what they do, what they’re looking for, and what makes a mass communication student stand out. On their mission statement, Sensible City’s Chad Simpson said, “What we’re doing changes a lot. We are an integrated communications firm, so we handle press, social media, outreach, and general communications for several nationally based educational technology firms, but we try to work with anyone who’s effecting positive change in the world.”
Katie Cleary, responsible for outreach and events at Sensible City Inc., said that values play a large role in their office life and structure.
“Respect, courageous honesty, accountability, and a community-oriented view of the world are all things that we value. We also need the kind of person who says ‘I don’t care what you throw at me. I’ll learn how to do it!’”
As far as standing out from the pack, they continued to say knowledge of wordpress, Final Cut and Motion for video concentrations, social media such as facebook and twitter, and the ability to write a good press release will all give you a step up in their industry.
Cleary said, “It’s important to know social media and understand strategy and matrix, as far as measuring influence within an area. As for press releases, we’re looking for someone who can write a really good one, not just fill-in-the-blank with information, but something to really get a reporter excited about.”
Mass Communication majors that went from WLOS to Bursco Promotional Printing, then from Sensible City Inc. to Clear Channel Communications all heard the some of the same things from these potential employers: Have an ability to learn and master new skills or programs. Media is changing so quickly, and in an attempt to keep up, most businesses need desperately an employee who can keep them up to date with their media marketing.
Clear Channel Communications Paul McNeill says that he is looking for “design and layout from UNC-Asheville Mass Communications majors, but there is no limitation, it’s just the focus I have right now. And I’m not locked into that; I just know it’s where UNCA might help me more than other schools.” McNeill says Clear Channel is a broad based communication business in radio and internet.
“Our primary purpose is to develop and deliver compelling content that people want to hear and are interested in,” says the National Sales Manager.
When asked what skills he expected and what would make a mass communication student stand out, he replied with one word: creativity.
“Really, I think you can develop any kind of skill, but creativity is what is needed so you can come in, look at a scenario, and say “yeah, this is a potential solution,” or come up with a way to communicate something more successfully.” McNeill says that the most important thing a mass communication major can provide to stand out from the crowd is an impressive portfolio. He said that he would look at the different ways a student took an idea and did something different with it to make it stand out.
“In radio, you’ve only got three seconds to make an impression. After that, if it’s not compelling to them, they’re gone!”
Further down the row of employers, I ran into Asheville Radio Group, whose primary purpose is sales, promotion, and programming, though the group of local radio stations does much more. Nikki Mitchell and Jordan Coppinger, the Promotions Director and Promotions Assistant, respectively, both stake claims in the ability of an intern or employee to change based on different scenarios and to be flexible to change.
“Sometimes, in this industry, you need to be able to change on a dime,” says Mitchell. Coppinger later discussed how mass communication majors generally are very effective, because they cover all interpersonal communication and business communication in the course of their studies. When asked what would make a mass communication student stand out, they replied with a unanimous “A recommendation from Patricia Baldwin.”
Burco Promotional Marketing was on down the circle of vendors, and Sam Vignjevic and Kendrick Wilson stood at the table covered in promotional samples of their work, inviting and eager to talk to the oncoming seniors, of which I was one. Vignjevic, as if reading my expression, offered the information, “Burco is a promotional marketing company that helps recreational businesses market themselves in order to drive traffic.” Burco, which was originally established as a golf scorecard printing company, now continues to grow and expand their product line to meet the constantly changing needs of their many clients, in every facet of their marketing needs. Though they’ve never had an intern, they are interested in the idea of having one in the future, as long as the intern is technologically savvy, dependable, and has the ability to absorb, process, and be profitable with new technology.
Sensible City Inc. offered great information, as well, on what they do, what they’re looking for, and what makes a mass communication student stand out. On their mission statement, Sensible City’s Chad Simpson said, “What we’re doing changes a lot. We are an integrated communications firm, so we handle press, social media, outreach, and general communications for several nationally based educational technology firms, but we try to work with anyone who’s effecting positive change in the world.”
Katie Cleary, responsible for outreach and events at Sensible City Inc., said that values play a large role in their office life and structure.
“Respect, courageous honesty, accountability, and a community-oriented view of the world are all things that we value. We also need the kind of person who says ‘I don’t care what you throw at me. I’ll learn how to do it!’”
As far as standing out from the pack, they continued to say knowledge of wordpress, Final Cut and Motion for video concentrations, social media such as facebook and twitter, and the ability to write a good press release will all give you a step up in their industry.
Cleary said, “It’s important to know social media and understand strategy and matrix, as far as measuring influence within an area. As for press releases, we’re looking for someone who can write a really good one, not just fill-in-the-blank with information, but something to really get a reporter excited about.”
Viral Videos Make a Modest Man out of Mass Communication Major Lassi Hurskainen
“I absolutely don’t hold, or want to hold, any celebrity status on campus,” said the 24-year old trick shot artist Lassi Hurskainen during a recent interview. Well, some students at UNC-Asheville disagree.
“Of course I know who Lassi is! He’s the guy who makes the viral videos!” claimed Health and Wellness major, Elektra Gupton.
“The goalkeeper, right? The one whose videos have, like, millions of views?” said Lisa Jester, a Psychology major.
Lassi, who’s a transfer student from Finland, even said while returning home last summer, a stranger approached him for a picture.
“Next to me on the plane was sitting a man who had seen me on German television and recognized me because he had watched the show where my tricks were show. He took a picture of us for his kids.”
Unwanted celebrity status aside, Lassi said a lot of work went into his viral videos. Drafts, outtakes after outtakes and screenings all went into the videos before they were ever published online. Hurskainen said that the film and video production classes contributed valuable insight into the filmmaking process for him, as well as honest feedback, which he describes as the “key to making a video that raises interest in a viewer.”
As one of the best goalkeepers in the country, as well as a successful and promising interest in film, one has to wonder what career Lassi will choose to pursue.
“Both,” said the Finland native. “They play such an important role in my life right now. I don’t want to pick one. I’ll probably see if there will be some options related to soccer, but this degree will hopefully get me a job I the sports don’t end up working out my way.”
Broadcast for the first time at the widely publicized game against Chapel Hill was an intro video Hurskainen made in one night. The video shows the seniors preparing for a game to an epic soundtrack and concludes with senior Chris Stephenson dunking, seen from all angles.
“The intro video is definitely one of my favorites,” Hurskainen said. “I don’t like to go back and watch my videos after I’ve made them because I feel like I could’ve done a better job, but I really like this one.”
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx8rgHuh_yc
The video is a creative way to pair a love for sports with a interest in filmmaking, and Hurskainen is successful at both.
“The mass communication department gave me the fundamental skills I needed to be able to make videos in the first place. The department also made it physically possible by allowing me to use the equipment. It has definitely helped.”
“Of course I know who Lassi is! He’s the guy who makes the viral videos!” claimed Health and Wellness major, Elektra Gupton.
“The goalkeeper, right? The one whose videos have, like, millions of views?” said Lisa Jester, a Psychology major.
Lassi, who’s a transfer student from Finland, even said while returning home last summer, a stranger approached him for a picture.
“Next to me on the plane was sitting a man who had seen me on German television and recognized me because he had watched the show where my tricks were show. He took a picture of us for his kids.”
Unwanted celebrity status aside, Lassi said a lot of work went into his viral videos. Drafts, outtakes after outtakes and screenings all went into the videos before they were ever published online. Hurskainen said that the film and video production classes contributed valuable insight into the filmmaking process for him, as well as honest feedback, which he describes as the “key to making a video that raises interest in a viewer.”
As one of the best goalkeepers in the country, as well as a successful and promising interest in film, one has to wonder what career Lassi will choose to pursue.
“Both,” said the Finland native. “They play such an important role in my life right now. I don’t want to pick one. I’ll probably see if there will be some options related to soccer, but this degree will hopefully get me a job I the sports don’t end up working out my way.”
Broadcast for the first time at the widely publicized game against Chapel Hill was an intro video Hurskainen made in one night. The video shows the seniors preparing for a game to an epic soundtrack and concludes with senior Chris Stephenson dunking, seen from all angles.
“The intro video is definitely one of my favorites,” Hurskainen said. “I don’t like to go back and watch my videos after I’ve made them because I feel like I could’ve done a better job, but I really like this one.”
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx8rgHuh_yc
The video is a creative way to pair a love for sports with a interest in filmmaking, and Hurskainen is successful at both.
“The mass communication department gave me the fundamental skills I needed to be able to make videos in the first place. The department also made it physically possible by allowing me to use the equipment. It has definitely helped.”