Media Aesthetics Notes

————————————————- September 19th ————————————————- Film Form; Film & Critical Analysis – Chapter 11 * Step 1: Develop a thesis * What is interesting, disturbing or noteworthy? * Does that aspect illustrate a concept from lecture w clarity? Is it a good example of something we talked about in class? * Did it have a unique effect on you? * Step 2: Segment the film * What features stuck out the most (given that weeks class topic)? * How are those features related to the film as a whole?Pay attention to details and how they affect the film * Step 3: Identify the outstanding instances of technique * Understand the techniques/concepts * Note specific examples of techniques * Types of lighting, angle, shots, narrative, style, etc. ————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- September 26th ————————————————- Styles of Film * Two major directions – realistic and formalistic * Directions or â€Å"types† are defines by form, not content Three Styles of Film/Media: * Realistic (focused on content, portraying as real life) * Classicism (in-between) Formalism (manipulation, taking out of reality) Realism: * Reproduce reality with minimum distortion-objective mirror * Major concern is with content, rather than form * Subject matter is supreme * Documentary film * Imagine as we’re watching it as we would see it through our own eyes * Ex: Big Brother – raw, unscripted, stagnant cameras, not playing w manipulation * Would never see something like a birds eye view of crowds of people, because we would never see that in real life. If we were watching a conversation happening it would be from one angle Formalism: Deliberately stylized and distort images (special effects, explosions, zooming in/out, narrative structure: in real life happens in temporal order as it would happen to us, in these movies jumps around in time) * Wants no one to mistake manipulated image for real thing (not pretending that this is reality, want to show the manipulation) * Concerned with form rather than content * Referred to as expressionist (self-expression, trying to create connections between stories/events that if watched over & over it has deeper meaning) * Avant-garde cinema Classical: What most fictional films/shows are classified as (we would never live like this but its fun to watch, drama, comedy, group of characters that the similarities can relate to your life but also an element that the story is manipulated that wouldn’t be reality) * Films are strong in story, star (someone we identify), and production values (summ er block busters, high financial investment in production because high financial return) * Clearly defined plot, conflict, rising climax, and resolution/closure * Avoids extremes of realism and formalism (wouldn’t see camera work that seems natural, but wouldn’t have random objects on the screen) (realistic enough but also fantasy) ————————————————- Narrative as a Formal System – Chapter 3 I. Principles of Narrative Construction: * Plot & Story * Cause-Effect * Time * Space * Patterns of development II. Flow of Story Information: Narration * Range of Story Information * Depth of Story Information * Narrator Narrative Form Most common in fictional media, but can be nonfictional too (ex: Bachelor – what’s going to happen next week suspense) * Identify because stories are all around us * What is narrative? Narrative is a chain of events link ed by cause and effect and occurring in time (how is this constructed†¦chronological? Jumping from times? ) and space (location, extras in background, cars, etc) Components of Narrative Form * Plots and Stories * Story is the subject matter or raw material of a narrative * A set of all events * Plot orders the events and actions of the story according to temporal and spatial patterns * Plots can vary – jump around or chronological, can focus on one person at a time or a group – in the end still has same story line * Cause and Effect Characters create causes and effects by making certain things happen and reacting to events * Qualities of the character influence cause-effect relationships * Physical characteristics, traits, personality * Action/Reaction * Can be a natural disaster, etc * Time * Construct story time based on order the plot presents them * We don’t need mundane elements (shower, sleep) to make sense of a story * Temporal order is the order whi ch events occur (are they happening in chronological, or flashbacks, or jumping) * Temporal duration is the length and which events span (is there a moment they pay more time to? What is the significance of that scene) * Temporal frequency is how often events within a story are revisited * Space Events occur in clearly defined locations where the action takes place * Associate other elements based on locations * Tells us information that isn’t stated * Opening, closing, patterns of development * Classic paradigm most popular in media * Set of conventions are present in classical narrative structure * Characters are goal oriented * Three-act structure model * Set up, Confrontation, Resolution ————————————————- October 3rd ————————————————- Mise-en-Scene Mis e-en-Scene: the arrangement of all the visual elements of a theatrical production within a given playing area – the stage.Derived from a French theatrical term meaning â€Å"between the scenes† * The Frame * Composition & Design * Territorial Space * Proxemic Patterns The Frame * Each movie image is enclosed in a frame * Filmmaker doesn’t fit a frame to the subject, but the subject matter to the frame * Dimensions of a frame are known as the aspect ratio Frame: Top – suggest ideas of power, controls all visual elements (usually someone scary, or authoritative) Center – reserved for area of interest, realism (expectation that through real eyes we expect something to be there) Bottom – powerlessness Left/Right Edges – suggest insignificance, unnoticed Off the Frame – fearful, importanceComposition & Design * The visual balance in the composition of the film * Want to maintain equilibrium between elements because it is easy to fol low * Depending on the type of film, a bad composition may be effective * The human eye attempts to organize elements in composition Dominant Contrast * The area of an image that immediately attracts out attention because of contrast * Stand out in some kind of isolation Subsidiary Contrast * After we take in dominant we scan for counterbalancing devices – Lines & Diagonals – Exaggerate Movement – Light & Dark, Shadow – Colour – Framing Territorial Space 1. Full Front a. Facing the camera b. Most intimate c.Viewer feels involved 2. Quarter Turn d. Favorite position for filmmakers e. Less emotional, but high intimacy still 3. Profile Position f. Character is less aware of being observed 4. Three Quarter Turn g. Even more isolated than profile shot h. Unfriendly or anti-social 5. Back Shot i. Suggests alienation from world j. Mystery, audience wants to see more * Setting can have symbolic meaning * Sunny exterior, inside, public/private * Consider Co ntextual use – setting * Consider way one setting is used to create different effects Proxemic Patters * The relationship of objects within a given space * Many factors determine space * Light, climate, noise level Patterns are similar to the way people obey certain special rules in social situations * The more distance between the camera and with subject, the more emotionally neutral we remain * â€Å"Long shot for comedy, close up for tragedy† – Chaplin * Space is seen through 4 patterns * Intimate: extreme close * Personal: medium * Social: full range * Public: long and extreme long ————————————————- October 17th ————————————————- Editing Classical Cutting * French were the first to use cutting to continuity to create â€Å"arranged scene s† * Editing for emotion and drama, rather than for purely physical reasons * Presents a series of psychologically connected shots * Film: A Trip to the Moon by Georges Melies Concepts in Classical Cutting Content Curve – where a cut should be made; point at which audience has been able to assimilate shot’s information (audience wont be bored because scene is too long ex: Jaws – one frame too long risks boredom, one too shot risk audience being able to make sence) * Parallel Editing – switching of shots of one scene with another at a different location to convey idea of simultaneous time Continuity Editing * Also called â€Å"invisible editing,† a system devised to minimize the audiences awareness of shot transitions, especially cuts, in order to improve the flow of the story to avoid interrupting the viewers immersion in it * Continuity and Space: editors follow a standard shot patter to maintain spatial continuity * Establish shot, moves to a series of individual shots, back to establishing shot * Film: American Beauty Shot/Reverse Shot: shot of one character is followed by shot of another taken from the reverse angle – as they have a convo we always see the back shoulder of the other person talking across the table so we always know how close they are * 180 Degree Rule: once camera starts filming on one side of action, it must continue filming on same side for the rest of the scene * Eyeline Matches: using characters line of vision as motivation for a cut, matching another characters * Continuity and Time * Match on Action: Different views of the same action pieced together to look continuous (someone jumping building to building – we see them take off & land) * Jump Cut: abrupt shift in time and place of an action which s not announced by a transition CLIP: Breathless – driving in car only shows clips of driving while they're talking=cuts out blank space * Continuity Error: any unintentional dis crepancy from shot to shot (seeing a boom in the corner) * Change in location, posture, hair, costume, etc. Soviet Montage and Formalist Tradition * 1920’s Soviet filmmakers developed editing style around the theory that editing should exploit the differences between shots to create meaning * Film was seen as a political tool * Soviet montage, also called collision montage – rhythmic, intellectual (The Godfather baptism scene – baptism + murder + he knows the killings are happening so this becomes a 3rd meaning) Realism Photography, TV, and cinema produce realistic images automatically * Viewed classical cutting and montage to be distorting, corrupting * After WW2 neorealism emerged which deemphasized editing * Film: Stranger than Paradise – shows boy on phone, doesn’t give us other side of conversation we only know what he says – shots hardly move to accommodate characters we see what can fit into the frame – doesn’t cut out u seless times, shows everyone doing every action – goes black in between scenes) ————————————————- November 14th – Film Genre Understanding Genre * Genres are various types of films that audiences and filmmakers recognize by their familiar narrative, stylistic, and thematic conventions * Various conventions I. Narrative Elements – Most important criteria for defining a genre – Character types – Plot events Thematic recurrence – general meanings from plot that surface again and again II. Visual, sound, objects & setting * Lighting tends to be similar in films w same genre * Sound draws attention to possibilities that neither the characters nor the audience can see * Objects/setting serve as recurring symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film III. Predictability and Variation * Genres meet audience expectations * However, a film without surprises become cliche * Sub genres begin to form – smaller clusters of films within a genre * Many films incorporate characteristics of multiple genres, creating a hybrid * No genre can be defined in a single way *

Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Essay

Throughout a nurse’s professional career, many difficult ethical and legal situations will arise. Since nurses are given the unique privilege of caring for patients and their families, it is important to uphold certain professional standards. The American Nursing Association (ANA) Code of Nursing Ethics provides a foundation on which a nurse should conduct her professional life. In addition to the Code of Ethics, nurses must also balance their personal values along with legal standards to make the best decisions for their patients. A nurse’s first priority is to the patient and providing safe and competent care. According to the ANA (2001), Provision 1 of the Code of Ethics states â€Å"The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.†(p.1) The nurse is bound by duty to respect the wishes of the patient and family in regards to end of life decisions. In the case of Marianne, a committee is forced to help a family make a difficult decision regarding the life of a loved one. Since the patient is unable to express her wishes and had no advance directive, the nurse has an obligation to ensure that the family is informed and knowledgeable on her care. The nurse needs to support the family in the decision-making process and refer the family to other resources to assist in the decision making process. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, such as consulting with an ethics committee, is one resource that is available to the family to assist in the decision-making process. In addition to difficult end of life decisions, the Code of Ethics can be used to guide decisions in cases of malpractice. Provision 3 states, â€Å" The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to  protect the health, safety, and rights of the patientâ⠂¬  (ANA, 2001). In other words, the Code of Ethics leads the nurse to address practice that is substandard and may jeopardize patient care. The nurse should follow policy and procedures of the facility to report such behavior, but if measures are not taken to ensure the integrity of nursing practice then the nurse may report to outside agencies, such as state departments. The nurse also has an obligation to ensure that the proper assistance or treatment is provided to assist in the impaired nurse’s recovery. While the Code of Ethics provides an important foundation on which to base behavior, any ethical decision involves an evaluation of one’s set of personal and societal values. According to Uustal (1993).â€Å"Nursing is a behavioral manifestation of the nurse’s value system. It is not merely a career, a job, an assignment: it is a ministry† (p.10). Nurses need to be aware of their beliefs so that they can recognize and accept that a patient may have different values and beliefs. The nurse needs to interact with the patient and the family in a nonjudgmental, caring way. The nurse needs to take care not to influence the patient in making choices based on her beliefs or what she believes is right. The nurse’s role is to be supportive to patients and their families in actions that are congruent with the code of ethics. Some conflicts that may compromise the nurse’s personal beliefs may include end of life decisions, abortions or refusal of medical treatment. For example, a nurse may support pro-life decision-making but is bound to respect the patient’s wishes if they seek a legal abortion. Furthermore, a nurse needs to honor a patient’s decision to forego treatment, even if the nurse believes that that treatment represents the best option for the patient. References American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe303.html. Uustal, D. (1993). Clinical ethics and values:issues and insights in a changing healthcare environment. Educational Resources in Healthcare, 12 (2), 10.

Highway Administrator Paper

The administrator of the highway department was given a task to find a way to fill more potholes. This program to fill more potholes would decrease the number of complaints in the city and the number of damages to the residents' cars. To do this, the Highway Administrator implemented a goal-setting program, in hopes this would encourage the workers to fill more potholes. This program sets a standard for each crew to fill a certain amount of potholes per day, no matter the location of where the crew was working.The results will then be posted for all of the crews to observe and compare. As an incentive to fill the most potholes possible, the crew who filled the greatest amount of potholes each week was given a reward. I personally believe excellent results will be achieved since the Highway Administrator's plan follows the design of the goal setting theory. â€Å"Goal setting theory was based on the premise that much human action is purposeful, in that it is directed by conscious goa ls. † (Neil, 1994) A more updated definition of the Goal Setting Theory states that goals are the remarry drivers of the intensity and persistence of effort.This program is going to be successful since the goals to be met are specific, accompanied by feedback, and difficult, but accepted by the workers. These aspects of the program will increase the overall performance of the workers, meaning more potholes will be filled in the approved manner, therefore, decreasing the number of complaints in the city and damages to the residents' cars. Since the duties assigned to the workers are meant to help the community, it is safe to say that their Job performance is meaningful.The errors have a clear, spelled out Job description and a list of tasks they need to complete, in the order they need to complete them. With their specific Job description and the workers helping out the community, overall Job satisfaction will rise, increasing Job productivity. â€Å"Meaningful work and Job sa tisfaction are linked,† (Weir, 2013) and typically lead to overall life satisfaction. Goals set by the highway administrator's program were specific. The standard set by the highway administrator were that each crew was to fill 20% more potholes than they usually fill on a daily basis.This aspect of the goal is extremely efficient and specific which gives the workers a clear idea of what they need to do at work. If the goal were to simply â€Å"fill more potholes than you normally fill† than each crew could fill one more pothole than they normally do and still meet the goal, but this would probably not complete as much work done as fast as it needs to completed. This goal is also a clear standard because of the different working conditions each crew operates in. Asking each crew to fill five more potholes than normal might prove to be easy for one crew and extremely difficult for another, depending on the conditions.Each crew was also given a step-by-step sheet on how t o properly fill each pothole. This will create a filled pothole that will last longer, therefore, making less work for the future. The feedback that accompanies each goal comes at the end of each week. Feedback is objective information about performance. Motivational feedback serves as a reward and the highway administrator clearly understands that since he is using rewards to drive his employees' productivity. (Hogue, 2004) Each week, the highway administrator will post performance data on a board for all of the other crews to view.Since there are only rewards and no harsh consequences, this creates friendly competition for each crew. The crew who has the most potholes filled at the end of each week wins tickets to a sports game in their locality. Since there is an incentive involved with the weekly performance, the crews will work much harder in order to come first and win the reward. This will drive up the work performance significantly since the reward is something people know t hey will enjoy. Finally, the goals are official, yet accepted by the workers. It may not be easy at first to fill 20% more potholes than average.Once the crews realize the goals are difficult, yet not impossible, the intensity and persistence of the workers will maximize in order to be the best and finish the work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Each crew will work their hardest to fill many potholes as possible. The incentives come into play once again when it comes to the goal being difficult since each crew knows if they work harder, they will achieve more potholes than the other crews. It is also beneficial to he program that performance statistics aren't posted until the end of the week.If they were to post performance statistics every day, crews with lower performance may feel discouraged if they are not filling the most potholes, leading them to not work as hard as they may feel they don't have a chance. The highway administrator's goal setting program is meant to rai se productivity and I predict that is exactly what will happen. Since the goal setting program is based off of the goal setting theory, it needs to follow three important aspects to be successful. When the goals are specific, accompanied by feedback, and difficult, but accepted by employees, they increase the performance of the workers.These aspects serve as the primary drivers of the intensity and persistence of effort. â€Å"In order for an organization to be successful they must continuously ensure the satisfaction of their employees. † (Yip, Goldman, Martin, 2009) Taking the goal setting theory into consideration, the ultimate goal is for the goal setting program to be successful. When workers are satisfied with their Job and the work they've done, along with possible rewards they may have earned, they will intuition to work harder. This is mainly since work itself has a strong correlation with job satisfaction.If someone is not satisfied with the work they do, they may n ot want to work as hard or be as productive. Employees that like their work find it easy to work harder and strive for their best. They do this by setting personal goals for themselves, relating to work, and achieving them. Each crew may come up with team and individual strategies in order to employ every effort to fill the most potholes. This program will raise the workers' productivity by raising the workers' satisfaction. If I were the highway administrator, I would implement the same program with minor tweaks.Ultimately, I feel that this program will drive workers to increase productivity and fill more potholes. With this result and more potholes filled, complaints from the citizens and damages to their cars' will decrease immensely. This would improve the overall moral of the city if more potholes were filled. The reward aspect of this program is one of the most important parts. â€Å"A good reward system should foster personal growth and development and keep talented people f rom leaving† (Grittier, 1998). This program does Just that, which is why I agree with it and how it will affect the workflow.When individuals set goals for themselves as well as try to receive rewards that may be awarded to them, they grow as a person and do not want to leave due to Job satisfaction and potential rewards. This leads to affective commitment by the workers. Workers will stay with the organization because they want to, not because they feel obligated or need to due to their financial situation. The only aspect I would change about this program is the percentage of potholes that need to be filled. I would survey each crews work area and give them team goals to meet.Anything above that would be compared to the other teams and the crew who was most effective would receive the reward. Overall, the highway administrator's goal setting program will work effectively and serve it's purpose of filling more potholes to construct a better community environment.

Extended concert review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Extended concert review - Essay Example The ensemble that was used for the jazz performance was based on the contemporary style of jazz that formed from big band. This was inclusive of the rhythm section that drove forward the different pieces of music by keeping the beat to each of the songs. This was followed by the brass and saxophone sections that balanced out a stronger sound to the ensemble. The sections interchanged different solo forms while holding the melody or the harmonies that were used throughout each of the pieces. This combination of factors then provided a different approach to the music played while developing a specific sound that made a stronger statement to the different pieces that were played. The blend of instrumentation created a louder sound through each of the pieces while making a bold statement with the melodies and with the more dissonant harmonies that were a part of the performance. The style of jazz that was played consisted of more classical forms, such as from the 1950s – 1970s. Th ere was a combination with some contemporary pieces; however, all were based on the level of the performance that was a part of the ensemble. The first piece that was heard was a jazz standard called â€Å"Invitation.† This was followed by a second standard also known as a blues standard by Jerry Lewis and which was well – known for being associated with a contemporary Hollywood video scene. This was followed by other standards, such as George Gershwin’s â€Å"Someone to Watch Over Me.† The standards continued as a main part of the jazz ensemble and approach taken toward the music. There were distinct melodies that were a part of the styles used, as opposed to more new age and contemporary styles that has more experimentation and breaks the rules of jazz. This was done because of the performers that were a part of the stage and the approaches which were used in conducting the ensemble. The more contemporary songs included more dissonance with the harmonie s and distinguished sounds that were combined with the melodies to create the right type of effect. The jazz ensemble was able to build the right approach to the music by combining the melody and harmony of more classical styles to build a strong foundation with the music that was played. An important part of the performance was with the improvisation that was a part of the performance. The improvisation was defined by soloists that had a 16 bar section on average for a solo. This rotated between different instruments, such as the piano, trumpet or trombone. Each individual was able to create their own interpretation of the music by using their own melodic lines or approaches. The improvisation that was heard could associate strongly with the chord structure and harmonies that were behind the jazz pieces. When listening to the solos, it could be heard that the changes in chordal structure was what led the ensembles. Each of the soloists would have a scale or set of notes that went a round the chords played in the background. When these changed, the improvisation also altered into a different chordal structure and scale that was played. There wasn’t a distinguished melody by the improvisation and most stayed within the most comfortable range of the instrument to create the necessary sound. The strengths of the

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 8

Business Plan - Essay Example The company intends to incorporate information technology into the marketing strategies adopted by companies to gain a competitive advantage. To offer marketing services through clear-cut information systems. To be an effective information technology company that offers operational management services in relation to marketing processes. The company will strive to create a broad consumer base by improving the marketing strategies adopted by companies. The primary reason for writing this business plan is to convince our prospective clients to utilize the operational management services offered by the company. The company plans to provide information technology services to companies to improve the marketing strategies adopted. The company is concerned with formulating ways to improve productivity through effective marketing strategies. The first part of the business plan is the company description. The business plan contains an in-depth analysis of the company to explain that it is a reliable information technology company. The products and services provided by the company are also outlined in the business plan. This section describes the benefits of the services offered by the company to its clients. The business plan is concluded by an overview of the operations and management functions of the company. The business plan does not include an appendix, market analysis, or financial analysis. The reason for such omissions is attributable to the fact that the company is still new. It has not been in existence for a significant amount of time to establish the market and financial performance. However, the service description and operations and management segment provide all the relevant information about the company and the set objectives. Techmark is a limited liability corporation that focuses on providing operational management services in relation to marketing.

Some questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Some questions - Essay Example This includes the right to education, religion, and matrimony. The right to live and to have free speech in order to be heard and be heard truly with an understanding and open mind. And most importantly, the right to be respected at all times as humans, whether man or woman. The issue between genders have always been a controversy; as to who the â€Å"stronger laborer or the main economic contributor is†. (Byrne 132) Women have stood behind men for decades: a norm for them to serve under the towering image of their male counterparts. Not until recent years did women fight for their rights to be heard asking for society to uphold them. Through this, contemporary feminism has altered the debate on human rights in several different ways. They have risen to several different occasions to be the most powerful voice in the nation; rising to the challenge of political, environmental and at the same time economic agendas both in the entire nation and within their private spaces. If th e country’s leaders would support their objectives, not only will women be heard but every individual fighting for their human rights as well. Now, as the most powerful country in the world, to whom every nation look up to, the US should lead by example actively performing and promoting the rights of every individual no matter the status or gender. They should not limit themselves to laws and leave this responsibility to the UN. As an active member of this organization, it should empower the UN to ask everyone to actively participate in the promotion of human rights. It should not stop at being just a member but instead push forward to reach further in creating a greater impact in the entire world; thereby starting within the confines of its constitution leading by example and mandating respect towards every individual rights. Prejudice refers to attitudes of aversion and hostility toward the members of a group simply because they belong to it and hence are

The Lovely Bone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Lovely Bone - Essay Example The story is set in Pennsylvania where Susie is returning home through a shortcut. Near the cornfield she finds a shelter made by Mr. Harvey who rapes and kills her. Three days later her elbow bone is found by the detective, Len Fenerman who tells this to her parents. Other evidences are found as Susie continues to watch her murderer from the heaven. After Susie’s father meets Mr. Harvey few days after her death, he begins suspecting him and tells his detective. Susie watches everything from haven including her sister Lindsey who breaks into Mr. Harvey’s house for evidence. Mr. Harvey who now fears he will get caught escapes the town. The case comes to an end as the detective is unable to solve it. Mr. Harvey dies in the end by falling into a crevice. Major changes occur after Susie’s death as her family starts to accept her death. Her parents are extremely sad at their loss and Susie’s father is convinced that Mr. Harvey has killed his daughter. Meanwhile Susie is watching all of this from heaven. Jack Salmon, who wants to find solid evidence against Jack sends Susie’s sister Lindsey to Mr. Harvey’s house upon which she finds evidence. The family starts drifting apart as Susie’s mother, Abigail has an affair with the detective to her murder case. Abigail leaves her family and goes to live in California. Lindsey grows up and starts a relationship with Samuel. Susie’s grandmother also comes to live in with her father. Jack still does not overcome the anxiety caused by Susie’s loss at which Susie’s brother Buckley tells Jack to focus on him too. After Jack gets a heart attack where Abigail comes to meet him and falls in love with him again. Towards the end, the family is reuni ted. Even upon finding no solid evidence against Mr. Harvey initially, Jack is very confident that he is guilty. Jack seems to be too much focused on Susie’s death that it overtakes his life and he can only concentrate on Mr. Harvey which