FINAL EXAMINATION: Top Ten REVELATIONS - Due here by Thursday, December 5 at MIDNIGHT as a STAND-ALONE post!

Overview: Using our THREE books, our in-class films, our student (music video and car commercial) YouTube presentations, our guest speakers, and our class conversations, create a “Top 10 Key Insights About Cars, Culture and Media" final examination that explains, with examples, the TEN most important revelations you have had about CARS, CULTURE AND MEDIA this semester.

To PASS this final examination, you must:

1. Provide at least ONE direct quotation [parenthetically cited, like so--> (Kunstler, 76)] from one of our our THREE books, as well as references to our student presentations, as relevant, for EACH of your 10 revelations. 

2. Embed a video OR photo to illustrate EACH of your 10 revelations. Use our course blog and your research to assist you in making your reflections.

3. Provide at least a 4-5 sentence paragraphs for each of your TEN revelations, and be sure that you have no grammar, spelling or mechanical errors.

Synthesize, and show us what you have learned.

REV. And thanks for a fantastic semester!

LAST READING! UVM's Richard Watts says "Transportation Solutions Will Take More Than Electric Cars"

Click here to read. 

And then post ONE comment and ONE question you have for Dr. Watts.  By Thursday's class. Rev.

Pimp My Ride: VT Edition

Cars as the ultimate form of self expression

Road Rage on a street far, far away...

Pimp My Ride...Vermont

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVyKuSPLQJQ

Pimp My Ride....Vermont style

Meet Your New Best Friend- Car Advert

BBC's Premiere Production: Meet Your New Best Friend

Tesla Adverts - courtesy of Todd Lockwood

Tesla "Recharge" from Über Content on Vimeo.

Complete Streets

Deep Dive: Rush

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3PfXTMoedEk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thesis
While driving a racecar is very dangerous, the desire to win surpasses the fear of death. Also, watching cars go fast and crash is entertaining so you should go see this movie.

Triune Brain
This video makes use of the emotional and reptilian brains through the use fast moving images and exciting music. By quickly cutting between shots of cars driving fast in the rain or crashing (in slow motion), the reptilian brain senses the danger that is present. The emotional brain is affected by the image of an ambulance, which symbolizes that something bad has occurred. The rational brain does not play a key role in the video as most rational people wouldn’t agree with the statement that, “more powerful than the fear of death, is the will to win.”

Shifts/Trends
Economic Shift- The shift to commercialism is evident in this video as the cars and drivers are covered with the logos of sponsors. Corporate sponsorship of Formula 1 teams didn’t start until the seventies, causing the sport to become driven by large amounts of money.
Technological Shift- The shift towards digital video is evident in the way that the cars are filmed. When they were actually racing (1976), any footage of the cars is quite grainy and low quality. In this video, the cars are captured in high definition and super slow motion. The video also makes use of CGI, such as when the camera’s perspective is inside of an engine.
Epistemological Shift- The shift from word to image to draw attention is evident as no words appear in the video other than the drivers name, sponsors, and the title of the film advertised. Exciting, fast moving images are the primary method used to attract attention.

“Facts”
Driving a racecar is dangerous. Racing drivers are brave, and a bit nuts. Races are not cancelled due to rain (increases danger). Formula 1 cars are fast. In 1976, there was a 20% chance that a driver would die.

Principles
Production Techniques- This trailer uses production techniques as the main way to try and convince you to go see the film. By quickly cutting between slow motion shots of cars driving in the rain and crashing, the video captures the attention of the viewer and keeps it. The use of CGI in certain areas also adds to the excitement.
Emotional Transfer- This video uses the overhanging presence of death as an emotional tool. The image of a driver’s car engulfed in flames and then showing him in the hospital with his crying wife by his side tugs at the viewers emotions and makes them curious of the outcome.
Ownership- One has to keep in mind that the reason this video exists is to try and convince you to go see the film Rush. The video contains many exciting clips to engage your attention, but it doesn’t actually show any sense of a story or plot line.

Persuasive Techniques
Beautiful People- Seeing as how this is a trailer for a high-budget Hollywood film, it is filled with attractive people. Olivia Wilde and Chris Hemsworth are two of the leading actors.
Nostalgia- This film is based on a true story that occurred in 1976. Those that remember the real-life events taking place will be more inclined to see this movie as it will take them back to an earlier time in their life.
Strength- The main characters of this film are very brave individuals who take getting back up on the horse to a new level.
Timing- The trailer uses timing to capture your attention with slow motion, and then changes to a different scene quickly to keep you interested. It also cycles through people that are both happy and sad, showcasing an emotional movie.

SEPRITE Themes
Social Structures- The video showcases the Formula 1 world, which is traditionally exclusive to rich, white males. The environment of a race is a glamorous event that often attracts the ‘rich and famous.’ You can see this in the trailer by the appearance of 
Technology- The F1 cars in the video are clearly technologically advanced as they are traveling incredibly quickly around the track. The video also shows the inherit danger of 1970s era F1 cars as a crash often led to the car being engulfed in flames.
Environments- Racecars can hardly be thought of as environmentally friendly, especially in the 1970s. The engines are far from fuel-efficient and the travel involved in a global sport uses vast amounts of fuel. They also often race on purpose-built tracks (shown in the video) that take a lot of resources and energy to build.

Cars of Camel's Hump

The parking lot at the end of Camel's Hump Rd (the Huntington stretch, not the Duxbury stretch) tends to host a variety of autos.

A Saab, imported to Massachusetts, with a license plate frame that implies it traveled to Uruguay. The "Svede" banner and Mad River Glen sticker (written in French) make this auto a true cosmopolite!

A Hyundai owned by Carshare: Vermont. Their site reads:

Since 2008, CarShare Vermont has been on a mission to help more people get around with fewer cars. We've got a network of vehicles parked in convenient spots all over town that you can use by the hour or day whenever you need to drive. Shopping, meetings, weekend jaunts—CarShare Vermont is an easy and affordable alternative to owning a car. Join us!

You can add "hiking" that list.

Bitchin' Camaro: Driving @ Frisco (Dr. W)

Check out this neat video!

Alex Gemme, Eli Guterman, Conor Mark.....doing what they do best.

Silence - A Public Service Announcement @ Drunk Driving

Silence
A Public Service Announcement 
@ Drunk Driving

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

I began drafting a poem to convey the horror of my first automobile accident. After several revisions, I was displeased with the poem because I felt it lacked that enigmatic something. A few weeks later, I realized that the accident could have been avoided if somebody--anybody--had intervened. I was only seven-years old when the accident happened, and I was in desperate need of someone's support. I returned to the poem, to inspire others to speak by conferring upon them the authority of my grueling experience, with hopes that it would prevent future victims of silence. I thank Catherine Lutz & Anne Fernandez, the authors of Carjacked, for sharing the strife in their life, and for narrating a thought-provoking expose on automobility. They catalyzed my resolve to heal via the artistry of this short film. I quote MLK, Jr. because I also hope that my friends will remember me as the voice that cared, not the silence that feared.