By: Maya Blanks
As the election race comes to an end, the campaign teams have released a final video to gain swing votes. Each video contained a very different tone, emphasizing the character of the candidates. The pieces include a variety of techniques such as humor, rhetorical questions, sound effects, transitions, and even filters. Now let’s take a closer look at the presentation of each candidate.
Amanda Davis used an informative approach to get her message across to the voters that are on the fence. The video begins with news clips detailing the pandemic and its tragic influence on society. She transitions this into an attack on the other candidates and brings attention to their lack of Covid protocols. Davis highlights her educational goals, including, universal preschool education and 2 years of free community college for all. Finally, she chooses to interview each candidate on their policies and concludes the video with endorsements of individuals saying “Vote Amanda Davis.”
Julia Swift takes a more comedic and influential approach, making bold statements and leaving a more memorable impression. Introducing the video, Swift’s video has a calm tone with the use of soothing music and yoga poses. She gives the audience a background of who she is by showing her family and discussing her NEA endorsement. Background music blasts an American song to show her patriotism and love for America. She shows the audience why she is the right woman for the job in comparison to the other candidates.
Sarah Smith uses comedy and personal background to leave a lasting impact on her target audience. The video entails a day in the life of Sarah Smith, including her fight against the Russians and daily exercise. She attempts to gain support by showing her involvement in the community and her love for the country when she sings the Star Spangled Banner. The Smith campaign uses a variety of transitions, sound effects, background music, and filters. Her use of humor throughout the piece, including the Property Brothers ritual, ensures the video is unforgettable.
Mcdonalds’ video is by far the shortest piece of all the candidates. Using harsh language against Sarah Smith, he criticizes her campaign and her unrealistic motivations. He details why voting for Smith is a vote wasted, but manages to give minimal details on why his campaign is better.
The candidates used a variety of editing techniques and rhetorical strategies to sway their target audiences’. We hold tight as the election comes to a close, awaiting the results of the presidency.
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