Last Journal Prompt

The Final Round of the Masters
Will Tiger Woods, four strokes behind, return to the spotlight in a positive fashion by winning his 5th Master’s Championship? Or will the rest of the field continue to thwart Tiger’s chance of a come from behind victory? The beginning of the Master’s coverage poses various questions as to lure viewers into watching the 18-hole drama filled afternoon of golf. Boring to some, the announcers manipulated the minds of viewers by throwing out situations and storylines to follow so that they aren’t only watching golf for the love of the game, but to cheer on certain players. By throwing statistical information and background history into play, viewers (including myself) devote their time to continue watching the five hour televised tournament. The announcers are exceptionally clever right before commercial breaks as well as they persuade viewers to not change the channel because they will miss Tiger’s important birdie putt for example.

Lose Yourself by Eminem


Considered to be one of the best pump-up songs of modern time, Eminem knows how to keep his listeners grasping for more. Lose Yourself is just one of many videos that tells a story to attract the viewer into watching to see what happens at the end. The first thirty seconds of the music video shows clips of the infamous city of Detroit, Michigan (Eminem’s hometown), during all hours of the day. The opening illustrates the inner city and enormous skyscrapers Detroit has to offer during the morning hours. The sunny morning scenes pan into a dark evening setting for is fit for the dangerous city. Once the scenes of Detroit are painted, catchy heart throbbing music starts as if a movie is about to begin. Immediately, Eminem appears in a sweat suit and skull cap, as if preparing for a fight, and poses questions to the viewer with no answer. That technique allows for the viewer to want to find the answers to these questions. Throughout the song from beginning to the end the song answers the questions. Eminem is a lyrical genius and performer and knows how to control a crowd. The Lose Yourself video is one of his many masterpieces.

Both use an opening that urges viewers to continue listening or watching. These are successful approaches which captivate the viewer’s attention. A strong opening, as shown through the examples, is crucial for overall success. I will try to implement the strategies that these two examples incorporate.