This video guide to occupations covers some 66 "worker traits" in 12 broad "occupational clusters" on 14 videocassettes. Since Artistic covered "Literary Arts," and since wordsmithing is my chosen occupation, I decided to watch that particular volume first. Put nicely, the framing device which has two students rehearsing--that is reading their scripts out loud--for this program, and a director who sits in semi-shadow offering comments (which he's obviously reading), stinks. For each "worker trait group," sample occupations are listed and briefly discussed, and then an actual worker is interviewed. For "Literary Arts," the main occupations listed are: book editor, fiction writer, screen writer (sic), and film editor. Film editor, at first, seems a mite off this particular map, but all is made clear when the interview begins: Mark Rance, a film editor, playing with knobs at an editing suite says that he likes books that skip description and go right to what happens next (goodbye Saul Bellow, goodbye Margaret Atwood, goodbye John Updike, Goodbye, Columbus). Who is this guy? And why should today's semi-literate students receive further encouragement to adopt the McWriter's approach to writing? I watched the rest of the tape which covered "Visual Arts," "Performing Arts" (drama, music, and dance), "Arts & Crafts," and "Modeling," which improved on the opening segment somewhat (still, your average podunk high school career counselor knows more about occupations than these people apparently do). I also watched the tape on Protective occupations, which included such careers as detective, police officer, firefighter, etc., characterized as involving "exciting, high-pressure decisions in life and death situations." Besides the pumped-up absurdity of the language, this second tape was similar in format to the first, but also contained a dreadfully unfunny skit about a patrolling security guard. The other cryptically named titles in the series are: Scientific, Plants & Animals, Mechanical I and II, Industrial, Business Detail, Selling, Accommodating, Humanitarian, Leading & Influencing I and II, and Physical Performing. All are available at the series price of $749. Not recommended. (Available from: Cambridge Career Associates, P.O. Box 2153, Charleston, WV, 25328-2153; 1-800-468-4227.)
The Video Guide To Occupational Exploration: Artistic; The Video Guide To Occupational Exploration: Protective
(1992) 45 m. $69.95. Cambridge Career Associates. Public performance rights included. Color cover. Vol. 7, Issue 4
The Video Guide To Occupational Exploration: Artistic; The Video Guide To Occupational Exploration: Protective
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