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Related Video: (Film Your Issue 2008 Entry: “How many more will it take?”)

A public service announcement addressing the problems of the current Emergency Alert System. Delivered by TRON.

Early Warning and efficient communication are powerful tools when it comes to saving lives. Despite all of our technological breakthroughs, the “Emergency Alert System” remains terribly inefficient.

Cellular networks are capable of (using current technology) delivering geographically specific warnings/notifications. Furthermore, cellular phones are quickly becoming one of the most accessible forms of communication technology; 1stworld – 3rd world alike. There are 2,168,433,600 Cell phones in use as of 2005. By the year 2011, Global cellular penetration is projected to reach 75%.

I chose to represent this message with a “TRON” theme because I wanted to illustrate how technology can be used to help humanity. I found this film to be quite appropriate as it depicts man and machine working together for a common good. “TRON” further conveys this point, as it was the 1st movie to use Computer Graphic Imagery (only 15 min; the rest was animated by hand). Hence, man and machine quite literally worked together to produce the footage.

Though this video was not as fluid as I had intended, I believe it carries an important message. A few changes to our Emergency Alert System, could save countless lives all across the globe.

By Ian Cofrin

Video Footage:

“Me on KY3 News”

“UNC Emergency Plan (SMS)”

“Tsunami Relief by the Red Cross”

“Virginia Tech Massacre”

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5nGtnMA8PzM

How stuff works “Cell Phone”

http://www.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm

TRON (1982)

Directed by:
Steven Lisberger & Robert Meyer Burnett
Produced by:
Donald Kushner & Harrison Ellenshaw
Written by:
Steven Lisberger & Bonnie MacBird
Studio:
Buena Vista & Walt Disney Video

Music:

“Voodoo People”
Performed by Prodigy
Music for the Jilted Generation, 1994