Here is the link to this awesome TED talk by Ric Elias.
This short yet insightful TED talk is about what Elias experienced and thought about while his plane was emergency landing into the Hudson River. He discusses three major points and relates it back to his life before and after the crash. He wants others to go through the same revelations he had without the need for such a catastrophic event. He goes through his three things he learned (it all changes in an instant; in my humanity, I also allow my ego to get in; and the only goal I have in life is to be a good dad), making sure to provide context and guide the audience along the way.
The first important thing Elias does, as any successful storyteller does, is provide context. The visual and auditory imagery he uses is very powerful. His first words immediately entice the audience: "Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary." He also addresses this scenario with a casual demeanor; his posture is relaxed and he says such serious words with a carefree tone, lightening the situation and making the audience comfortable with the content. He then guides the audience through his realizations and he continually reminds the audience of the context of his three revelations (again, very effective storytelling). He definitely establishes ethos and pathos within the first minute of his talk. He has a lot of credibility because he was in such a terrifying situation that not many people ever experience in their lives. The way that Elias puts the audience in his own situation develops his pathos. His use of real life scenarios that can apply to anyone in the audience makes them even more invested in his words. Pathos is the basis for his entire TED talk and he effectively develops it.
This talk resonated with me because it made me empathize with Elias' situation. At the end of his talk, he encourages the audience to imagine if we were in his shoes, and I did. If I were in a scenario similar to his, where I could die at any second, I would not know what to do or how to think. I would probably feel regret about not being able to accomplish as much as I could have or I would have begun to feel remorse about not being able to say any final words to my loved ones. This also made me realize that these kinds of realizations should not be a result of something so terrible; instead, they should be principles on which we base our actions and thoughts around.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Blog Post #8: Who do you think the heroes are, baby
Blog Post #8: Double Indemnity
4. In your mind, are there any heroes in Double Indemnity? If so, who?
The only hero in Double Indemnity is the supporting character, the smart and witty insurance broker Keyes. Walter Neff is most definitely not a hero in this movie. On a superficial level, he is smart and suave with women ("That's a honey of an anklet you're wearing, Mrs. Dietrichson" ;) ); but later, he becomes susceptible to persuasion and he becomes mercurial when faced with danger. Essentially, he is Macbeth, who relies on another person for guidance and support until he decides to do something rash and bold, like bail out on the original plan and kill Phyllis to save himself. He is the opposite of virtuous because he does not think to plead guilty; instead he wants to tie up all loose ends and escape. The director also made sure to use the Venetian-blind prison bar illusion technique on him, insinuating that he should not be idolized.
If Walter is Macbeth, Keyes resembles Malcolm and Macduff. He is the only one who retains his good character and he has no facade to hide his true self. He is honest and blunt and he represents the ethical and virtuous. He uses the law as guidelines and there are no instances of him straying from his moral code, even when he finds out that Walter is the man behind the murder and scheming. He always operates on a level head because he is so knowledgeable in his field and he has a sharp mind that can see the murder of Mr. Dietrichson for what it really is. Also, he is never near any windows, so the audience knows he can be considered a trustworthy character.
4. In your mind, are there any heroes in Double Indemnity? If so, who?
The only hero in Double Indemnity is the supporting character, the smart and witty insurance broker Keyes. Walter Neff is most definitely not a hero in this movie. On a superficial level, he is smart and suave with women ("That's a honey of an anklet you're wearing, Mrs. Dietrichson" ;) ); but later, he becomes susceptible to persuasion and he becomes mercurial when faced with danger. Essentially, he is Macbeth, who relies on another person for guidance and support until he decides to do something rash and bold, like bail out on the original plan and kill Phyllis to save himself. He is the opposite of virtuous because he does not think to plead guilty; instead he wants to tie up all loose ends and escape. The director also made sure to use the Venetian-blind prison bar illusion technique on him, insinuating that he should not be idolized.
If Walter is Macbeth, Keyes resembles Malcolm and Macduff. He is the only one who retains his good character and he has no facade to hide his true self. He is honest and blunt and he represents the ethical and virtuous. He uses the law as guidelines and there are no instances of him straying from his moral code, even when he finds out that Walter is the man behind the murder and scheming. He always operates on a level head because he is so knowledgeable in his field and he has a sharp mind that can see the murder of Mr. Dietrichson for what it really is. Also, he is never near any windows, so the audience knows he can be considered a trustworthy character.
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