CreComm Year One

Well, we've come to the end — well the end for now.

To say this year has been anything but a roller coaster ride would not nothing short of a lie. From the high of registration day, where everybody nervously tried to make small-talk with the person beside them, to the countless Friday afternoons spent, temporarily, releasing some of the week's stresses.

I've learnt to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation and find the deeper meaning of what they are trying to say. I've struggled through not one, but two journalism assignments, Remembrance Day and city hall, where I was so ill that I could barely keep consciousness. And I've lost countless hours of sleep and years off of my life stressing about not only meeting deadlines, but meeting them with adequately produced work.

That being said, I feel like it has been worth it. My grades may not indicate it, but personally, I feel like I have improved as a writer, a film producer, and as a person because of this program. Coming into the Creative Communications program, I believed that I had at least a hold of how to write properly. The economics program is a challenging course that pushes your limits both analytically and critically. It is underestimated in terms of its difficulty amongst many of the university disciplines, yet it is one of most the challenging programs in university. And in CreComm, the word mathematics is not discussed, and when it is, it usually involves something along the lines of, "We're CreComms, we don't do math."

CreComm is a program that is meant to tear you apart and slowly, methodically build you back up again. The instructors hold "us" to a high regard and demand that we produce industry standard work. But you know what, when it's all said and done, I'd rather have that approach than a laissez-faire approach where teachers allow their students to coast and pass them, regardless of the quality of work they hand-in.

At the beginning of the year we were given a "survival guide sheet" that outlines things we should do and know heading into the year, so it should only be fitting that I return the favour for the new crop of "freshies" coming into CreComm.

Here are my top five pieces of advice for incoming students:
         1.) Check you ego at the door, accept criticism, and build yourself from it. (Oxford comma rules                      
               all)
         2.) Do not procrastinate, it will cause you a lot of unnecessary stress.
         3.) Become a master of time-management, especially if you work.
         4.) Make friends with your classmates, you will rely on them in dire situations, and they are  
               great for peer-editing your work.
         5.) Don't be afraid you approach your teacher, they are nice and are more than willing to give    
              you guidance and advice.

I'd like to thank all my readers for taking the time out of their day to read my blog, there are so many options out there, but I've almost hit 2,000 views on my blog. That's a big deal to me.

And of course, my babies would like to say thank-you as well,

Video Montage

Here we go, here it is. My video montage and for the most part, I am proud of it and everything it accomplished.

Unfortunately, I didn't get enough footage because I forgot to bring my second battery, whoops!


However, I created something in Adobe After Effects, which was challenging.

I hope you like it, please leave some feedback, both positive and negative.

Unfortunately, Jason Aldean doesn't allow his music to be played by Canadians. So, I had to remove the audio. If you have My Kinda Party, you can play it on top of it, haha.


https://youtu.be/P3N59p0PLU4

Recap!

This is my recap of the Keystone Arena during the Brandon Wheat Kings second playoff game.

What if you were told there is a place where 4,102 equals 15,004. On Friday March 27, my friend and I travelled to Brandon, Manitoba to watch the Brandon Wheat Kings game at the Keystone Centre. It was the second game of the Western Hockey League playoffs, and the Wheat Kings won 8 – 1.

The arena’s seating is set up in a single level horseshoe with a concourse that allows patrons to view the action from anywhere. Taking a walk around the rink, which took me about ten minutes, you pass beer stands offering cold Coors Light and Canadian draught beer, vendors selling normal rink food; hot dogs, burgers, and popcorn, and families.

Attending a Wheat Kings playoff game costs $22 per person, which is roughly 11 times cheaper than what it will cost a fan to sit in a seat that touches the back wall of the MTS Centre, $250.50 according to jets.nhl.com, if they make the playoffs.  The food is cheaper and more importantly, for many hockey fans, so is the beer.

The atmosphere of the Keystone Centre was as loud and enthusiastic as you would expect attending a Jets game. Having attending both arenas for hockey games, the crowd on hand, which was a quarter of the size of MTS Centre, was on par with a sold-out Jets home game in terms of how loud it felt.

The Wheat Kings fans cheer their team on with a “Go Wheaties Go” chant when they feel their team needs a little boost or to add extra pressure when the home team has the visiting team on the ropes at their end. The excited crowd cheered as loud when the home team made the score 6 – 0 as they did when they opened up the scoring 36 seconds into the game.

A word of caution though, standing at the top of the stairway is not allowed, and you will be, politely, asked to move, even if you are cheering for the home squad.

The crowd ranged from party going twentysomethings pounding back several pints in the concourse, to families sitting in their seats with sodas and popcorn, to old timers, both seated and standing, who have been attending games since they were, “just a little kid” that by my observations was probably 70 years ago. It was a wide assortment of people, all of whom you could spark up a conversation with, given a break in play.

However, if you feel the urge to step away from the large crowds, the Coors Light Hockey House, located in the 880 CKLQ Hall, offers fans, of legal age, a chance to watch the game on a large projector screen while sitting in comfy chairs and being served by Coors Light girls. There were probably 30 people taking advantage of this amenity when we briefly popped in to see what it had to offer, we chose to watch the game live.

No matter who takes in a game at the Keystone Centre, whether you are with a couple of your buddies, a family, or someone who has been going for the past 70 years, the experience is affordable, friendly, and fun.

Magazine trade fair

Well, what a day that was. The magazine trade fair was the culmination of months of work, agony, and pain. All the groups in CreComm laid out tables to present their magazines and show off their hard work. It was amazing, some of the booths were really incredible, much respect to them.

It was a long day, probably an hour longer than it needed to be. My feet were sore by the end of it, but I enjoyed it, and even was able to sneak off and capture some shots.

Around three o'clock we were summoned tot he north doors to find out who the top three magazine groups were. Myself, I was not getting my hopes up walking over there as I brought my camera to take pictures of the groups who finished "atop the podium".  Everything happened so quickly, a quick introduction and an announcement of the final three magazines, of which we were apart of. I was blown away that we were in the final three, no joke. I was in disbelief and as soon as she announced the top three, she announced the overall winner, Rise Up!

She said our magazine, OUR MAGAZINE! I was beyond shocked. I think I even let a few expletives out after she announced it, whoops!

I turned to Scott, who was standing beside me and he was in as much shock as I was. We literally did not think we were going to be in the top three, let alone win the whole dang thing. But we did, and we are proud of it and what we accomplished.

I can't wait to go back next year and see what the new class has to offer, I have a feeling there magazines will be better than ours – which is a good thing.

Anyways, here are some of my favourite shots from the day. Enjoy!

Off to Brandon!

Tonight, Brent and myself are heading out to Brandon. Reason being? Well, it's playoff time for the Wheat Kings and we both don't work. So, why the hell not?

We are literally heading out right at four and flying out there for seven o'clock puck drop.




Along the way, I plan on filming some footage and filming, hopefully, at the game also. Reason being? Use it for my montage film for Media Pro.








AND we also got another assignment today, a review assignment.







I plan to review the experience of the Keystone Centre and compare it to the MTS Centre or The Hangar as I am starting a movement to name it.




Having closed last night, I got home around three in the morning and woke up at 6:40 a.m. I am a wee bit tired as I am feverishly writing this blog.

That being said, I will get my third wind soon and be good to go for the rest of the day.

Next week is the Magazine Trade Fair, feel free top stop on by, noon - 4 p.m. Red River College's Exchange District Campus

Le Magazine

Well folks, it's done.

After months of work, countless hours of lost sleep, and immeasurable levels of stress, we've finally completed our magazine, Rise Up!

It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops, nor was it all thunderstorms and horror.

From the start, it was a battle to think outside of my comfort zone and try to represent the people that I interviewed and the companies I created ads for. I met an amazing young man named Michael Champagne, and wrote and rewrote an article that explains him and his story while trying to shed a light on the bigger issue that surrounds what he does and why he does it.  I think I did a fairly good job of getting it done, and I'm excited for him to read it when it comes to print for the magazine trade fair, April 2nd at the Exchange District campus.

Last night, I was up till nearly three in the morning trying to save the final PDF of the magazine. For some reason, we were having technical difficulties, and was definitely not a fun experience. However, I managed to get it done, and managed to get it in on time, so that's good right?

There's the cover, I think it looks pretty cool and new.

Anyways, as I had mentioned earlier, the magazine trade fair is on April 2nd, from noon till four at the Exchange District Campus and we'd love for everyone to come out and check out our booth, and our magazine.

P.s. There will be freshly baked blueberry bannock and home-made jam!

Travel assignment.

Today was crecomm travel assignment day. Four of us went to Emerson. It was a great experience, and we met some interesting people, including a former mayor, former fire chief, and current councellor. 

All in all, it was a fun day and I am glad we had this assignment. Even though I wasn't looking forward to it to begin with. 

Till next week!

You must read my blog...

This week we learnt about creating ads on Twitter, Facebook and Google. I signed up for Twitter ad and am curious to see how well it works. My campaign will run on Monday afternoon promoting my radio show Countrified Country Time which airs from 6 - 7 online. radio.rrc.ca

As it stands, I am under the impression that I currently have zero to two listeners a week as no one ever comments about my latest show or Tweets my way. My show is fun and I enjoy hosting it every week. If you haven't tuned in, I suggest that you do, I GUARANTEE that you'll like it, and if you don't, I'll refund your money.

Depending on the results, it will go a long way in deciding whether I want to include this form of marketing for my IPP next fall. Marketing is a large component of our IPP's and especially mine. There will be more details outlining what my IPP will entail in a few months after I present it to the panel of judges. It will be in their hands, however, I hope to have made it as easy for them to confirm it as possible.

Next Friday, we have been tasked to venture into a town or community from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, or North Dakota. My group has selected Emerson, the last stop between Manitoba and North Dakota. I am still researching where to go, but am excited to see where our adventures lead us.

Till next time!

Photo Essay from Family Day at The Forks

This photo essay came to be because I had not read the requirements on our journalism assignment correctly right before reading week. I had written a story, but not in the correct format. So, I hurriedly re-wrote it, but in the correct form. I thought I was in the clear as I was about to print it off to hand it in and still had one minute remaining. Well, I accidentally printed it to the wrong room and didn't realize it at first. Sooo, here I ran out of the classroom, barged into a class (while they were still in session), grabbed my article and handed it in, less than 30 seconds after the due time... Ugh, frustrating.

Nevertheless, I was tasked to create a photo essay of my choosing. I chose to go to The Forks for Family Day, as there are great chances to get wicked shots, of people. It was a fun time, but a cold time. I took many photos, some good, some bad, some "I thought it was good, buuut turns out it was bad". 

Well, here it is, my photo essay of The Forks and Family Day. Enjoy!

River ski chairs /Clifford Fewings

Clifford Fewings-Essay 1-Scene

They had these ski chairs spread out across the river for people to use.

Lisa getting Becky ready for a skate along the river /Clifford Fewings 

Clifford Fewings-Essay 2-Scene

Lisa was getting ready to go out onto the ice, she was excited as it was her first time on the river this year.

The intersection of The Forks from a different angle /Clifford Fewings

Clifford Fewings-Essay 3-Scene

This view offers a different view of the Red and Assiniboine River intersecting at The Forks.

Couple taking a selfie in front of the hanging warming blankets /Clifford Fewings

Clifford Fewings-Essay 4-Portrait

People were wrapping themselves up in these red felt warming blankets to escape the wind on the Assiniboine River.

Families grabbing a coffee after a cold skate on the river /Clifford Fewings

Clifford Fewings-Essay 5-Scene

 Espresso Junction was a popular spot for people to escape the wind and cold and warm up before heading outside again.

Little Amanda waiting for her mom /Clifford Fewings

Clifford Fewings-Essay 6-Action

I liked this shot Amanda was wearing all red and the skating aide was red also. She was skating all by herself, waiting for her mom who was juggling her son in the background.

Saxophone player playing for the crowd /Clifford Fewings

Clifford Fewings-Essay 7-Scene

I stood here for a while and watched as this man played his saxophone for visitors, very few people came his way, but those who did, tossed some change into his case.

Well here you have it, my photo essay. Let me know what you think.

Blogggggin

The first week back from Reading Week has been nothing short of induced stress, deprivation of sleep, and constant self-doubt.

Reflecting back, I am glad that I took the time to come to the school during Reading Week to get some assignments finished, because, if I had not, I would most likely be lying in a puddle of tears.

I managed to get everything finished, albeit not to the standards that I would have hoped for, but everything is done and is about to be handed in.

Today has been pretty rough so far, yesterday I was at the school at 7:30 a.m. and left at 8:15 p.m. only to go straight to work and work until 2:30 a.m. I fell asleep around 3 in the morning and woke up at 6:40, so yes, I have been sluggish and quirky all day. I am looking forward to going home and having a nap before closing again tonight and again tomorrow, only to open on Sunday...#Livinthelife

I had planned on creating a video with the babies, as they have been lacking from the blog lately, but I ran out of time and energy. Next week looks to be calmer, so I hope to bring the world back to the kitties, the reason this blog exists.

As for right now, I'm going to close my laptop and close my eyes for half an hour. Good day y'all.

Reading Week, hurray! ..."Not so fast," said CreComm instructors.

We have arrived at another Reading Week, usually a time for students to regroup, reenergize, and revamp for the final stretch of the school year. However, this year, our teachers have decided that instead of "allowing" us the luxury to doing the aforementioned actions, they have instead plagued us with a laundry's list of assignments that are due the week we return.

In years passed, I've slept the days away, I've caught waves on a catamaran in the Dominican Republic, and I've amped up my the number of shifts worked. 

As each day passed this week, another assignment was forced upon us. First it was the IPP proposal for WC, then it was the Midterm for CW, next it was to read a book and answer questions in J, Thursday it was a proposal strategy for our magazine, and finally to round out the week, a radio assignment.

I was not exaggerating when I said something new every day, it was and remains true. 

Speaking to classmates, they like me are looking forward to having the opportunity to sleep-in during the week. However, each and every one of them say they are as tired as I am and as a few of the teachers have pointed out, we look deflated and appear to lack energy to participate in meaningful conversations. 

Following the final class on Friday, the CreCommers will be taking a stroll down to the

self-proclaimed CreComm watering hole, the King's Head to put behind all the assignments that we, or many of us, recently lost sleep over, the newsletter, the magazine feature article, and our full-page magazine ad.

Needless to say, the libations will be flowing freely, and our worries, albeit temporarily, with them.

This post has more or less been all about the doom and gloom of the impending Reading Week, BUT, there was one single highlight of this week, I am dubbing it 'Catgate'. Earlier this week, an individual Tweeted a photo involving their dog and as the Favourites and Retweets ensued, so did people's desire to include their own pictures, but of their feline companions. This lead the person who created the thread to take a stance against the cat population and go so far as to denounce their inclusion into the feed. This fallout led the masses to choose which side of the aisle they would support, Cats v. Dogs.

It was all in good fun, and I enjoyed the playful banter that came along with Catgate. It was an opportunity for me to take a step back, breathe, relax, and remind myself that all would be ok. 

Here are the two posters that I posted in my class, as an attempt to sway dog lovers over to the cat side.

Remember Y'all, Vote Democats!

And to my fellow classmates, even though we have a heavy amount of school work to do over the break, take a moment and do something that you enjoy, because, after the break, it's going to be chaotic.

Post Super Bowl

Soo the Super Bowl. It was a big deal to 114+ million people in the states alone. It was an entertaining game- especially in the second half. 

I did not lose faith in Tom and co. as many people around me had thought I did. I was confident in the fact that the Pats D would be able to withstand the push from the Shit Hawks. Turned out that it wasn't a bad play call by the Hawks, rather, it was an extraordinary play by the D. They played it to perfection   As Butler said, he had practiced against that play in practice and was not caught off guard. 

It was a split decision that changed the outcome and the legacy that is Tom Brady. Instead of start 3 for 3 and going 0 for 3, the Pats managed to pull through, even though another once in a life time catch went against them. 

It was a great win. And I couldn't be more proud to be a Pats fan than I am now. And as long as Tom continues to play at a high level, the young Pats have a good chance of finding themselves in the big game next season. 

Super Bowl XLIX

***Warning, this post is gambling themed and I do not encourage gambling***

The Super Bowl is upon and today we were given a gift by the CRTC (for once). They announced that starting in 2017, Canadians will be able to watch the elusive American commercials that can run upwards of 4.5 million dollars for a 30-second spot.



For many years, the regulatory board that says what we see on TV has told us that the, usually, entertaining, high-octane commercials that the big brands produce, namely Budweiser, Doritos, and Go Daddy, for the roughly 111.5 million people in the US alone. And this year, that number is expected to surpass last years astounding number. In what could be described as the worst PR year in the history of the NFL, the owners are laughing all the way to the bank with their bags of gold.


The other day, someone asked if I would be watching the Super Bowl, and if so, who would I cheering for. I laughed because clearly this person didn't know that I've been a Pats (not a Patriots) fan since the days of Drew Bledsoe. I said the Pats, hands down. But it will be a close game.

We agreed on the second part and we began to talk about the prop bets that accompany the game itself. There are hundreds, literally hundreds of prop bets that anyone can wager on, from the coin flip, to what Katy Perry will sing first during the half time show, and what colour the Gatorade will be that douses the winning coach.

Gambling 101
1-3 means, if you wager $100 you will win $300 this can also be written as
+300
Ex. Cliff lives the rest of his life with only cats for roommates -145. This means that you have to wager $100 and if you win, you receive $145. (- means it's a favourite)
Conversely, Ex.2 Cliff wins the lottery and buys a country, +250. This means you have to risk $250 in order to win $100. (+ means it's the underdog)

Inevitably, whether you think Perrys first song will be (My money is on Dark Horse which is currently 12-1, strong begining and opening sequence lets someone introduce her)

After some research, I've found 7, yes SEVEN locks. Follow these and you'll be bathing in Dom Perignon afterwards.

1. Will either team score 3 unanswered scores (TD, FG) -200
YES- The last 3 SBs a team has scored 3 unanswered times and in both conference title games both teams managed to do this.

2. Will Gronkowski score a TD -170
YES- The Seahawks are the 18th rated team in the NFL when it comes to stoping tight ends and Gronkowski is the #1 TE in the league.

3. Will there be a safety in the game +550
YES- The last 3 Super Bowls all had a safety at some point in the game and there have been 23 safeties this year.

4. How many viewers will the game have? over/under 113 million +/- 100
OVER- take the over, go all-in on the over, bet your kids inheritance on the over, book it!

5. New England will convert a fourth down +130
YES. New England converted 6 of 10 attempts this season. They are one of the best teams in the league at converting on fourth down.

6. Receiving yards by Michael Hoomanawanui Over 6.5 +165
Yes- Averaged 14.7 ypg in the regular season and 9.8 ypg in the post season.

7. Will Marshawn Lynch grab himself in celebration after he scores a TD +400
YES-It is likely that he will find the end zone, and this has been a trademark celebration for him along with media scrum antics.

Alright folks, here ya have it. These are my locks, win or lose I know that I will enjoy watching the game with friends. Hopefully, I can shake this bloody cold that I've been battling these last couple of days.

Oh, I almost forget...What about the actual outcome of the game you say?! Like that matters....

New England +1 

and the over/under of 47.5...This is a tough one...but I like the over but just barely

Wagers $100

Potential winnings $1425

Happy Super Bowling Y'all! And if you're going to a house party, don't be that guy.

Major Day!

Major day can mean one of two things. The first, that there is some significance to the day, and the second, that we had to select our majors for next year.

So which is it you ask? Well like everything else in CreComm, "It depends"

Today we did select our major and up until a week ago I was sold on Media Production. I enjoyed working with video, pictures, and even the radio...I find that it comes easy to me.

BUT, something happened last week in PR class. We were to look at mission statements for a company that we either have worked for, or just one that we were interested in.

I chose Canad Inns,the company that I have worked for over four and a half years. It took me a while to find their mission statement, I actually had to log into their staff section to find it. And when I did, boy o boy...Here it is. I was disappointed in this, it is very ambiguous and doesn't really say exactly what they do...

I'll come back to this...



Now onto why today is a major day.

Today is a major day because I am going to interview the person who I am writing my feature article about for my magazine. His name is Michael Champagne, he is kind of a big deal and if you don't know who he is, you should. He does a great number of things for the North End and young aboriginals and people in Winnipeg.
I am going to the Meet Me At The Bell Tower rally tonight for the first time. I have a feeling that tonights rally is going to be extra packed because of the recent Maclean's magazine article labelling  Winnipeg as the city in Canada with the largest racism issues.
I'm hoping to get some wicked shots tonight and if I do, I'll post a few for all to see. I'm also hoping that i'll be able to get some good quotes as well.

Alright, back to the major decision...


And here it is, public relations is the choice. I am nervous yet excited to be going forward with PR as my major. I feel like I am more suited for it and believe that it is something I could spend a long amount of time doing in the future!

So, let's hope I made the right choice and all turns out A-OK!

Anyways, I'm off to go do some "real" journalism!

Wow...what an experience. I was able to speak to Maclean's magazine writer Nancy MacDonald, it was brief but interesting!

I spoke and interviewed Robert-Falcon Ouellette, I froze but he was kind of enough to notice and keep the "interview" going.

Met reporters from CTV and CBC, watched their live hits...Was even put on "snowball duty" from Jillian Taylor. Apparently, there were snowball bandits out there and I had to help protect her being pelted live on-air.

Then I was able to sit on my first Meet Me At The Bell Tower meeting. It was informative and interesting, there were many different people all walks of life that attended and spoke up and out against issues that are happening in the North End.

Nancy even came to the meeting and was kind enough to say a few words. Her message to the people in attendance was "I want to come back in one year and talk about all the positive change in Winnipeg–thats my dream."

Then I spoke with a visually exhausted Michael Champagne. He told me his day started at 4 a.m. and consisted of 10 interviews on TV and radio. The guy went all out today.

I let him know that I wouldn't be asking any Maclean's related questions and there was a sense of relief that I felt. We chatted about all sorts of things ranging from his upbringing, the things that he is part of now, and where he hopes to see himself...No spoilers guys sorry, guess you'll just have to read my article when its finished.

Here are a couple of the pics that I took tonight, enjoy!

first streeter

so this morning we had our first streeter of the second semester and our first journalism assignment since Remembrance Day.

For those of you who do know what a streeter is. Well, you are given a list of a few topics. Then you must leave the campus and find 2 strangers, interview them, hustle back to school, and writer a "news story" involving your topic and sources all within two hours. It is stressful. 

I braved the elements at a brisk 8 a.m. and managed to find two people to interview. I, and as it turns out, and many other people decided to talk about Target shutting its Canadian doors for good.

I think it turned out alright and here it is. (I've removed the peoples names that I interviewed)

Target Corporation decided to shut its Canadian doors for good Thursday morning. The perception amongst some Winnipeggers was that of indifference.

“Believe it or not, the only time that I’ve shopped at Target was in Victoria (British Columbia),” said Lady A, Exchange District resident. “Truthfully, I haven’t been to any of the stores in Winnipeg.”

Brian Cornell, Target Corporation chairman and CEO, issued a statement saying that, “after a thorough review of our Canadian performance and careful consideration of the implications of all options, we were unable to find a realistic scenario that would get Target Canada to profitability until at least 2021.”

Target Canada, which opened to the public in March of 2013, had a rocky start from its inception. Having empty shelves and higher than expected prices, Target drove many potential repeat customers away.

“I shopped there twice and was disgusted,” said Lady B. “The prices weren’t competitive with those in the US, and there was a poor selection of items and often had empty shelves.”

Target currently has 133 stores operational in Canada and employees roughly 17,600 people. Target Canada has said it hopes to offer its employees a minimum of 16-weeks of severance. According to social media, many people found out that they were out of a job through Twitter, Facebook and local radio.

“I think it was handled poorly,” said Lady A, who works as a human resource manager. “Local management should’ve brought its employees in and told them what was happening, because this decision wasn’t made over night.”

Lady B, who enjoys shopping at Target in Grand Forks, feels that the business plan in the States is strong and works well but is confused as to why it was not able to transfer into the Canadian market.

When the stock market opened yesterday, Target (NYSE:TGT) stock price had raised $3.01 per share to $77.21 but has since fallen back to $74.20. Management believes that it expects to lose approximately $5.4 billion of pre-tax loses on discontinued operations in the fourth quarter of 2014. Earnings-per-share is expected to come in at $1.43 to $1.46, about six cents higher than anticipated despite the failings above the border.