The+Indie+Film+Producers

=**__The Indie Film Producers__**= By: Megan Kempa, Randall Sutton, Jessica Faremouth, and Adam Carrion


 * __ Questions: __ **
 * 1) Do Indie obesity films affect the opinions of the viewer?(Adam)
 * 2) How does the main objective of television shows compare to that of the Indie films?(Jessica)
 * 3) Do the Indie films have a long lasting affect on the mindset of the viewer?(Randy)
 * 4) Should televison producers use target marketing as an instrument to shape our views?(Megan)

__ Responses: __ > 3. **//"Forks Over Knives" -Indie Film//**
 * Yes, the Indie obesity films affect the opinions on the viewers.**
 * 1) //** "LBS"- Indie Film**//
 * This Indie film is about a man who doesn't let any food go to waste. The man is 300 lbs and eventually has an epiphany about his weight and travels upstate to get away. He bought a piece of land and spent his days on his own dieting and biking to lose 100 lbs. The movie is basically a coming-of-age story and revealed ways to accomplish weight loss. Main point was he was unhappy with his weight and appearance so he inspired himself to do something about it. It's an inspirational movie and may capture overweight people's attention and hopefully will motivate them to do something about their health.
 * 1) **//"I Used to be Fat" -MTV//**
 * An MTV reality series about overweight teens striving to achieve weight loss with exercise and dieting. They each get their own trainer to help them accomplish their goal throughout the series. The teens share their personal trials and tribulations in the show as well. They all get pushed and pushed to get to their satisfaction of the way they look and how healthy they are. This show explains how to become a healthier person and most people want to be healthy. In the end the participants look 10 times better and are living a much more healthy lifestyle.
 * Film shows that having a heart disease can be reversed dramatically just by adjusting our diets, which includes not eating processed foods and eating animal-based foods instead. One of the head Dr.’s at the Cleveland Clinic discovered that some of the diseases in theU.S.were nearly nonexistent in countries that ate more plant-based foods. Dr. Campbell, one of the Dr.’s in the film, found out that a whole-food, plant based diet could prevent and maybe reverse conditions of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Basically eating healthier foods, plant-based, can prevent you from having some sort of diabetes or heart disease.



2. **The main objective of television shows is entertainment compared to that of Indie films.** >>> The answer, sadly, is no because most of them gained at least half their weight back. So after the research: As viewers can we tell the difference, should we be able or do we want to be able to tell the difference from the main objective of television shows marketing plots or schemes. 3. **No, the Indie Films do not have a long lasting affect on the mindset of the viewer.** 3. **//"Kids Movie - Causes of Childhood Obesity"-//** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwFmzRclbvI&feature=related
 * 1) **// "Super Size Me" -Indie film  //**
 * The purpose of indie films and television shows generally have the objective of entertainment although a good amount of indie films provide educational facts on the problems of obesity in the United States. For example, Super Size Me an eye opening film that has shocking looks at the effects of fast food in the body. This film attacks the problem of obesity while the objective of two television shows I viewed made the subject of obesity seem not that big of an issue. These shows are more for entertainment purposes.
 * 1) **//  "Shedding for the Wedding" - CW //**
 * This reality television show about a new competition series from the creator of the biggest loser is about nine over weight couples attempting to lose unwanted weight and win a wedding of their dreams. The show ranked as the least watched television show among five broadcast networks for the 2010- 11 season. Before watching the show and comparing its objective to that of an indie film that is trying to change the problem of obesity in America I thought the show would be strictly for entertainment of the American viewer but after watching a few episodes the producers clearly wanted to “set the bar high” and help viewers relate to the “struggle” of losing weight. It shows the challenges but through the scrutiny these challenges become responsibility and responsibilities you like to have. Even though it does not give cold hard facts about obesity in America I think the producer is not only helping these nine couples but inspiring some viewer to take control of their life.
 * 1) **// "The Biggest Loser" - NBC//**
 * The Biggest Loser, another reality television show about slimming down, is another entertaining show as one individual competes against other individuals to lose unwanted weight. To go from being obese “the biggest loser” to each person losing an excessive amount of weight with a healthy lifestyle change. After watching this show I have watch these people absorb not only a physiological flow but healthy dieting as well both physically and mentally. What I observed from watching interviews and episodes was enough to make me think. The objective was to lose weight with a healthy lifestyle and they did but in the future will the objective stay the same for them to stay lean and healthy after the show? Will the positive thinking, healthy choices and “fighting spirit” stick with them in order to maintain their success from their goals that they absorbed?
 * 1)  **//"Generation XL- Obesity in America"-//** []
 * This film attacks the problem of obesity, and how it affects America as a whole and not just the person who is obese. The main objective of this film is to educate others who do not suffer from the disease about how to help those who do and how to avoid becoming obese. The creator of the video tells us that those who make an effort to change their lifestyle do it for only about a month, and slowly drift away from that life style change they need to accomplish to overcome obesity. This shows that people who watch these indie films are impacted for only a short period and that people just completely lack the motivation it takes to make a life style change. According to this film, the affects of the indie films on the viewer are minimum to none.
 * 1)  **//"How to Solve the Epidemic of Childhood Obesity and disease"-//** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTB8DSslpNUThi
 * This is a blog by an M.D. about how we can solve the problem of obesity in our country. He firmly believes that the problem rests solely in the chemicals the corporations are beginning to put into our everyday food. However, as I was looking around the page I noticed how many views this video has gotten since it was posted onto YouTube in 2007. Shockingly, this video has only gotten 8,379 hits from the day it was posted over 4 years ago. This proves that people around the world are definitely not interested at all in then problem that is ruining our country's economy and overall wellness. This indie film is just another example of how the films have almost zero affect on the viewer as a whole.
 * This film is an animation created by Jordan Fritzsche that explains reasons and causes for the obesity epidemic happening in our country. It gives examples such as the food the stores sell, the fast food industry, and the lack of physical activity Americans do throughout their lives. Although the animation is extremely eye opening to the causes of obesity, it does not affect the mindset of the viewer because like the other films, wear off of the viewers mind very shortly after watching the film. The indie films are trying to help solve this epidemic but the cannot do it alone because their influence is very, very minimal and they just do not have the fire power it takes to change people's thoughts about obesity as a whole.

4. **Yes, television Producers should use target marketing as an instrument to shape the ideas of the viewer.** 3 .**//Ripe for Change//** []
 * 1)  **//"Killer at Large"-//** http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/killer_at_large/
 * The film "Killer at Large" discusses how the media is changing our mind-set, from a healthy home-style American diet, to a processed, chemically enhanced menu. In the beginning, the producer Steven Green street, interviews four people that are currently fighting obesity, or used to be obese. The younger generation that is living with obesity confided with the viewer about their struggles they had to face everyday. From this interview the viewer truly began to understand where the problem of the overweight victim started. Some of the people stress ate, while others ate because they were addicted to the taste of food. Sweet foods such as those from McDonalds, are especially addictive because of their large amounts of sugar, or chemically enhanced sweeteners. According to the film, sugary foods can induce a form of dependency, which your body cannot ignore. As the movie reached its peak, it rolled into the main issue, which was how much the media affected the opinions of the viewers. Commercials such as McDonalds, is a major contributor to having a less healthy mindset. Its amazing to believe that 95% of commercial ads are junk food. Now-a-days, the producers of major commercials are trying to reach children as young as 2 years old... " Once you get them at 2, you will have them for the rest of their lives."
 * 1) **//"Two Angry Moms"//**: []
 * In this film, “Two Angry Moms” by Amy Kalaea, mothers discuss their struggles between the school district’s “yummy food” and healthy foods. These moms are fighting ignorance daily. They are so upset that the schools are not taking responsibility for their students’ diets. The mothers are setting up committees to try to save the health of our future. These committees are often known as the “food police” or the “nutrition Nazis”; however, these people are crucial American Society. These moms, or concerned parents are trying to change the food IQ of our future generations, one step at a time.
 * In the homeland of where fast food was born, farm fresh products are struggling to stay alive. In the film “Ripe for Change” award-winning director Emiko Omori conveys the intersection between politics and agriculture. This interesting documentary brings to light the struggles of Americans to choose the inexpensive unhealthy food, or the costly, farm fresh products. Ripe for Change exhibits how farm-fresh natural products, will eventually change the future.

//COMPARE CONTRAST//

 * The discuss the issue of obesity || Television shows glorify the over-weight people ||
 * Generally inspire someone to change their life, ( short-term) || Indie Films have more facts, while Television shows are for entertainment. ||
 * They both have primary sources || Indie films promote a change, while television show the change happening. ||
 * They both have a common goal of loosing weight || Indie Films are documentaries. ||
 * Both show incredible transformations || Indie Films are less censored than television shows. ||
 * They both come to the same conclusions…exercise, nutrition. || Indie films are small market, while television shows are big market productions. ||


 * __Analysis:__**
 * From the research our group has done, it has become evident that what the Indie Film Producers are trying to do is a worthy cause, and they are doing it correctly, but their films for the most part are only being taken seriously for a few months after they are viewed. The Indie Films for the most part lack the wow factor that causes those who are affected by obesity to make a complete lifestyle change to reverse the affects of obesity. Also, the films are usually taken for pure entertainment of the viewer who is not affected by obesity. All in all, the indie films are created for all good intentions but do in fact lack the wow factor to create lifestyle changes and mindset changes as well.


 * __Work Cited:__**

Bonifacio, Matthew, dir. //Lbs.// 2004. IMDb. DVD.

Broome, Dave, prod. //Shedding for the Wedding//. The CW. 23 Feb. 2011. Television.

Fritzsche, Jordan. //Kids Movie - Causes of Childhood Obesity//. 2011. //YouTube//. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. .

Fulkerson, Lee, dir. //Forks Over Knives//. 2011. IMDb. DVD.

//Generation XL- Obesity in America//. //YouTube//. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. . Greenstreet, Steven, dir. //Killer at Large//. 2008. IMDb. DVD.

Hyman, Mark. //How to Solve the Epidemic of Childhood Obesity and Disease//. //ultrawellness.com///‌//blog//. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. .

//I Used to be Fat//. MTV. 29 Dec. 2010. Television.

Kalafa, Amy, dir. //Two Angry Moms//. 2007. MSN Movies. DVD.

Omori, Emik, dir. //Ripe for Change//. 2006. Snag Films. DVD.

Rhea, Caroline, host. //The Biggest Loser//. NBC. 19 Oct. 2004. Television.

Spurlock, Morgan, dir. //Super Size Me//. 2004. IMBd. DVD.