Scene Analysis Of America Beauty Film Studies Essay

Scene Analysis Of America Beauty Film Studies Essay American Beauty is a film written by Alan Ball and directed by Sam Mendes in the year 2000. The film is about Lester Burnham , who is searching for happiness. Lester Burnham is an ordinary-looking man in his forties. Lester is in a loveless marriage because his wife, Carolyn Burnham, who thinks that success is the most important thing in life, neglects him due to her obsession to her real estate career. In the film, Lester often mentions that Carolyn doesnt acknowledge him. Lesters daughter, Jane Burnham, is emotionally distant from her father, and often claims how pathetic she thinks Lester is. In the beginning of the film, Lester was told that he was in danger of losing his job. All these factors dramatically culminate into feelings of desperation and vulnerability for him. This begins to change as Lester is introduced to his daughters friend, Angela Hayes. Lester overhears a conversation between Jane and Angela, where Angela states that she would have sex with him if he would star t working-out and building up his body. The thought of having a teenage girl finding Lester hot, excites Lester thus beginning Lesters change throughout the movie (American Beauty, motion picture, 2000). I will be analysing two scenes of this film which I found to be the most significant in terms of how it helped me shape my interpretation of and emotional response to the film. Both scenes involve major turn of events in the film regarding Lester Burnham and I found that the cinematographic qualities of the scenes played a major part in contributing to the movies overall meaning. According to Richard Barsam, cinematography is the process of capturing moving images on film or some other medium (Barsam 2007, p.140). Barsam states that, Although cinematography might seem to exist solely to please our eyes with beautiful images, it is in fact an intricate language that can contribute to a movies overall meaning as much as the story, mise-en-scene, and acting do (Barsam 2007, p.140). This means that the use of the different aspects of cinematography such as lighting, framing, camera angles can help contribute to interpreting the meaning of the film itself. The two cinematographic elements which are mainly used in the scenes include composition and camera movement. Barsam states that the composition element refers to the arrangement of visual elements within a shot (Barsam 2007, p.161). There can be numerous visual elements within a shot. Some of the elements include lighting, shot compositions (long-shot, medium-shot, close-up), and dynamic compositions. Barsam points out that a key component of composition is lighting. The lighting shapes the way the movie looks and helps tell the story (Barsam 2007, p.148). Among its properties are its source, quality, direction and style. Barsam states that the different properties of lighting work together with other elements to determine the overall mood and meaning of a scene (Barsam 2007, p.154). According to Barsam, the second cinematographic element, camera movement, can change the way we see the images because any movement of the camera modifies the different elements of framing. These elements include camera angle, level, height, types of shots and scale (Barsam 2007, p.176). The moving camera opens up cinematic space, and thus filmmakers use it to achieve many effects. Barsam points out that the moving camera leads the viewers eye, or focuses the viewers attention and, by moving into the scene, helps create the illusion of depth in the flat screen image. (Barsam 2007, p.176) The first scene I will be analysing is the scene where Lester first spots Angela. In this scene, Lester and Carolyn decided to support Jane at her school where she was performing a dance at half-time. This scene is significant because it shows how Lester begins to rebel against who he is, as a result of Angelas sexuality. The scene begins with Lester and Carolyn arriving at the basketball game right before Janes performance. Then as the performance begins, almost immediately into the dance routine, Angela is given an upward position in the frame elevated with dynamic composition. It is dynamic composition because there is movement within the fixed frame (Barsam 2007, p.161). By giving Angela an upward position within the frame, it suggests that Lester is taking notice of her. And as the scene continues, Angela has gotten Lesters full attention. Angela is shown moving towards the camera in another dynamic composition shot complemented by the camera zooming in on her. This enhances Ang elas presence and this also gave me an idea as to the degree of attention Lester is giving Angela due to her sexuality. The scene continues with a static composition shot of Lester. According to Barsam, a static composition shot is where there is no movement within the frame, unlike a dynamic composition where there is movement (Barsam 2007, p.161). The camera then begins to zoom in on Lester. As the camera zooms in, the crowd is eliminated and only Lester is shown in the frame. Furthermore, Lesters eyes appears to be bigger than they actually are because of the way the camera is focusing on them. This makes Lester look as though he is drooling over something he desires. At this point, the camera performs a point of view shot showing what Lesters eyes are fixated on, and that is Angela. This again displays the degree of enchantment that Angela has placed over Lester. In Lesters mind, only Angela and himself exists at that moment, and everyone else is filtered out as they are not of any importance to Lester. The scene then concludes with a shot-reverse-shot of Angela and Lester. A shot-reverse-shot is where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other (Yale Film Studies Program 2002). This allowed me to see that in Lesters fantasy, Angela is dancing erotically just for him, giving each other the same amount of attention. Because of the fact the Lester is desiring a girl that is his daughters age, it should be noted that Angela and Lester are never shown in the same frame in the scene as this suggests that there is some barrier in between them. Another technical element which I found that added to the effectiveness of the scene, was the lighting. In the point of view shot from Lesters perspective that showed that he was fixated on Angela, Angela was shown by herself in the frame. And as mentioned above, this is to point out that Lester only has his attention on Angela. The lighting used complemented the shot as the lighting helped to focus my attention on Lesters enlarged eyes and this showed me that he was being enchanted by what he was seeing. Another way the lighting was used in the scene was when Angela was shown alone in the frame and the background in the shot became a lot darker. At the same time, a bright light shined on Angela from above. The lighting in this shot is high contrast and low key. It is high contrast because the difference between the light and darkness is clear. Barsam states that low key lighting is when little or no fill light is used, the ratio between bright illumination and deep shadow is very high (Barsam 2007, p.152). This is shown in the shot because Angelas shadow can be seen behind her and shadows can be seen on the rest of Lesters face, excluding his eyes. I found that lighting contributed quite a lot in this scene. Firstly, I felt that the light shining solely on Angela portrays Angela as the object of Lesters attention. Barsam states that lighting thrown down on a character from above can be used for many different effects, (ie: vulnerability) (Barsam 2007, p.153). In the case of this scene, the light may be portraying the innocence and purity of Angela as she was a virgin throughout the entire film and as light can sometimes be affiliated with good and darkness with bad. The darkness in the background may represent her fake personality where she lies about her sexual experience to the people around her. The darkness surrounding Lester during the close up shots of him may be representing the sexual thoughts he fantasizes about in the scene. And thus the darkness surrounds him throughout the shots of him paying full attention to Angela. The second scene I will be analysing, is the scene towards the end of the film when Lesters fantasies and dreams are about to become reality. This scene is significant because it shows the second turn of events which transforms Lester again, but this time back to the mature person he once was, and also making him realize what it really meant to make him happy. This scene also makes use of composition and camera movement. The scene begins with Lester moving close towards Angela who is lying on the couch. The camera pans right while following Lester. I found this to build up suspense to what would happen next. And as the camera moves to the right, it moves back down. This is a dynamic shot with downward movement. Dynamic because of the movement within the frame and downward movement because the camera moves in a downward movement. According to Barsam, this downward movement implies a negative action (Barsam 2007, p.177). In this case, the negative action is Lesters sexual tendencies towards Angela who is a teenager. Barsam also mentions that the downward movement implies the loss of something (Barsam 2007, p.177). In this case, the loss is of Angelas virginity. The next shot is of Angela appearing at a 45 degree angle in the frame. This is known as a Dutch-angle shot. According to Barsam, a Dutch-angle shot is when the camera is tilted from its normal horizontal and vertical position so that it is no longer straight, giving the viewer the impression that the world in the frame is out of balance (Barsam 2007, p.174). The Dutch-angle accentuates the unnatural nature of the actions in the frame. In this case, it is of the unnatural reaction of Angela, who is about to have a sexual experience for the first time. As the scene continues, the camera pans from left to right and right to left following Lesters hands as they go up and down Angelas body. I found that this intensified the erotic feeling of the scene. In the next shot, the camera moves to a dynamic crane shot, showing Lesters hands unbuttoning Angelas shirt. According to Barsam, a crane shot is a shot made from a camera mounted onto an elevating arm that, in turn, is mounted on a vehicle capable of moving by its own power resulting in it being more flexible due to the freedom of horizontal and vertical movement. The shot is then followed by a shot-reverse shot of Angela and Lester looking at one another. In the scene, Angela was given the low angle shot, looking up at Lester. Barsam states that a low-angle shot is made with the camera below the action and typically places the observer in the position of feeling helpless in the presence of a superior force (Barsam 2007, 171). In other words, a low-angle shot emphasizes anxiety, fear and vulnerability. The fact that Angela is looking up at Lester also implies that Lester is in control. However, I noticed during the crane shots, Angelas position in the frame is always higher than Les ters. In a way, this implies that she is pure and innocent because good elements are usually given a higher position over bad elements (eg: Heaven up, Hell down). In the next shot, Angela reveals to Lester that she is a virgin. At this point, the shot goes back to Lester, who is in a Dutch-angle shot smiles and asks if Angela was kidding. The reason for the Dutch-angle shot is because Lester has realized what he was doing was unnatural. After this shot, is the second major turning point in Lesters transformation, where he finally realizes after all this while, that being lustful for a teenager wasnt what it meant to be happy. The lighting technique used in this scene seemed to portray the light and darkness symbolic meaning that was mentioned above. Throughout the entire scene, there was always a light shining down on Angela but Lester was always kept in darkness. And with composition of Angelas white shirt and the soft light shining on it emphasizing the white colour of the shirt, the light represents purity and innocence because Angela is a virgin. Whereas, the darkness that surrounds Lester, and the minimal lighting shining on his hands as he moves his hands up and down Angelas body represents the impurity of his actions. The lighting used throughout this scene was low contrast and low key. Low contrast because the lighting used was dim and rather gray. In the final shots of the scene, the lighting used were low contrast and low key as well because that implies a sense of mystery. As a viewer, although Lester had come to realize what it meant to achieve happiness, there was something which kept me wondering what would happen. And true enough, the film ended with Lester getting killed. Throughout the film, there were many more cinematographic elements used which emphasized the personalities and characteristics of each character such as high-angle shots, the use of short-focal-length lenses and Long takes. However, because I interpreted the movie as Lesters transformations through being reborn, I found that the cinematographic qualities used in the two scenes I analysed to be the most significant in my interpretation of and emotional response to American Beauty.

Work Trends - Contractors, Temporary Workers, Annualised Hours :: Business Management Studies

Work Trends - Contractors, Temporary Workers, Annualised Hours Changing working environments Trends  · Use of contractors  · More temporary workers  · Annualised hours  · More part-time working  · Self-employment  · Hiring consultants Employers Advantages Disadvantages 1. Less cost less employment costs helping the business compete 2. Hiring consultants bring experts into the business 3. business can cope with sudden and unexpected changes in sale 4. Less hiring costs 5. Les costs. Flexible workforce can reduce employment costs, helping a business to compete more effectively with other businesses 6. Using a consultants and self-employed people bring expertise into the business 7. The use of consultants and self-employed people means that businesses do not have to pay to them 1. Difficult to communicate with P/T and temporary workers-don’t know them 2. More labour turn over 3. Poor reputation as employers Good effects o employees  · Some employees, such as these with responsibilities for looking after young children, want only part-time or temporary work. They would be happy to be part of a flexible workforce  · Working as part of a team can be a good experience. Employees may enjoy working with other people and learning from more experienced workers. Research says that working in tem can raise morale  · Some employees may prefer to be employed as teleworkers, working from home. Teleworkers do not have the cost and the bother of travelling to work everyday. They can live where they wish and need not to be close to the business that employs them Bad effects on employees  · Some workers may be very dissatisfied with temporary contracts. They might want the security of a permanent job and not feel committed to the business. They may feel unsettled and want to look for other work

Purpose of Schools Essay

School is an institutional mechanism that tries to share knowledge and/or be an agent for social action. Looking back to the ancient history of schools, some schools of ancient Israel for example feel that the main purpose of education was to ‘produce faithful members of a nation – a son who would bring pride to his family and his people and glory to God. ’ In ancient Greece, the school was to produce a productive citizen, wise and mature and Rome followed the example of Greece. However, there are some schools which are just for education, where basic knowledge is shared based on the age through a planned curriculum. There are schools which apart from providing knowledge through planned curricula do bring in social change through actions. I believe that a school has got to play the role of both i. e. sharing knowledge and also be an agency for social action. An example that can be cited following both is the ancient Hindu school called ‘gurukul’ , where apart from knowledge through planned curricula, there are learning sessions on various social norms and values that are normally practiced in the society. The purpose of a school is thus to orient students to socialize by understanding the background, culture and values of that area which would further add to their individual growth and understanding for nurturing good citizens. Apart from this, there is a need for the schools to see to it that students are able to gain proper knowledge which should further help them to able to attain further education and employment. Thus, we can say that the main purpose of schools is to provide education which would enhance the knowledge, skills and attributes of students and make them responsible citizens of the country. Even though schools as educational institutions have their own limitations of access to knowledge, funds to provide the services to students etc. based on the need and following the goal that the educational institution wants to achieve, teachers have to redesign their teaching strategies/pedagogy.

How to Conjugate Voler (to Fly, Steal) in French

How to Conjugate Voler (to Fly, Steal) in French The French verb  voler  has two very interesting meanings. While it may be used for to fly, as in an airplane or as a bird does, it may also mean to steal, as in robbing someone or taking something. In orer to use  voler  properly, you will need to commit its conjugations to memory. A quick lesson will introduce you to the essentials you need to know. The Basic Conjugations of  Voler French verb conjugations can be a challenge because you have more words to memorize than you would in English. Thats because the verb changes not only with the tense but for every subject pronoun within each tense as well. The good news is that  voler  is a  regular -er verb. It follows some very common rules of conjugation and youll use these for the majority of French verbs. That makes each new one you study just a bit easier than the last. The first step in any conjugation is to find the radical of the verb (its stem). In this case, that is  vol-. With that, use the table to study the different endings you need to apply for the present, future, and imperfect past tenses. For example, I am flying is  je vole  and we stole is  nous volions. Present Future Imperfect je vole volerai volais tu voles voleras volais il vole volera volait nous volons volerons volions vous volez volerez voliez ils volent voleront volaient The Present Participle of  Voler The present participle of regular verbs is formed by adding -ant to the radical. For voler, this gives us volant. Voler  in the Compound Past Tense The  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is common in the French language. It is the compound past tense and its relatively easy to construct. You will begin by  conjugating avoir, the auxiliary verb, to fit your subject in the present tense. Then, all you need to do is add the  past participle  volà ©. This gives us  jai volà ©Ã‚  for I flew and  nous avons volà ©Ã‚  for we stole. More Simple Conjugations of  Voler Whenever you need to bring the act of flying or stealing into question,  the subjunctive  can be used. If, however, the act is dependent on something, then youll need  the conditional. In written French, youll likely encounter the passà © simple  or  the imperfect subjunctive  forms of  voler  as well. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je vole volerais volai volasse tu voles volerais volas volasses il vole volerait vola volt nous volions volerions volmes volassions vous voliez voleriez voltes volassiez ils volent voleraient volrent volassent The French imperative  form  drops all formality, along with the subject pronoun. When using it for short sentences, you can simplify it from  tu vole  to  vole. Imperative (tu) vole (nous) volons (vous) volez

Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essays

Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essays Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essay Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essay The mixed solution contained benzene acid, iron, table salt, and sand. When separated using water, fuel, or a magnet, their characteristics and properties changed. The mass of the entire mixed solids was 6. 6 grams. When the magnet was used, the iron was immediately picked up. The mass for that was 1. 7 grams. The table salt was 1. 2 grams. Benzene acid mass was 0. 8 grams and the sand was 1. 4 grams after being separated. Introduction The objective of this lab was to separate and examine different solutions within a elution. In order to separate each element different methods and techniques were used. Separating the Iron filings wasnt difficult or lengthy; however It did require patience and a steady hand. Separating the benzene acid and the table salt took the longest because it needed to air dry causing the water to evaporate. Methods While the water was boiling with the table salt, sand, and benzene acid, the water got thick. It was difficult to separate the solids because they would get stuck to the bottom of the Styrofoam cup. In order to separate the iron flings a magnet was used. The solution first needed to be spread out on a piece of paper. As the magnet was ran over the solution, the iron filings were picked up. It took several tries to get all of the iron picked up. To separate the sand, the burner and distilled water was used. As it boiled, it had to be stirred to make sure it was completely dissolved. Having done this twice ensures that the salt and the benzene acid are completely removed from the sand. An Ice bed was necessary to observe the benzene acid crystallizing. The Ice deed allowed the burning benzene acid to cool down and change appearance and texture. The sand had to be over low heat to be completely dry. No sand splattered which made it effective for the data. To separate the benzene acid, filtration was used. The mass of the filter paper was 1. 1 grams. The ice bath was used again to chill the distilled water in the cylinder. The table salt and benzene crystals were poured into the funnel filter paper. This had to be left to air dry overnight. To separate the sand, the Styrofoam cup had to also be left aside overnight for It to be completely dry. Results After each solid was separated, they were able to be weighted. The solids weighted were iron filings, sand, table salt, and benzene acid. Data Table: Experiment Data Grams Percent of mixture Iron flings 33. 3% Sand 1. 4 27% Table salt 1. 2 23. 5% Benzene acid 0. 8 15. 7% Total 5. 1 99. 5% Discussion This lab concluded that properties are contributory when it comes to separating solids. Using the magnet to gather all the iron filings was very effective, though it did take several tries. Solubility played a huge part in this lab. Each solid took a different amount of time and a different method to become separated due to solubility. This lab did bring up a few questions. For example, would the mass of the table salt or the benzene acid be different if it was boiled rather than air dried? What would happen if the sand was actually air dried rather than boiled? I wonder if their properties would have changed as well. The disadvantage with my data table is the totals. It does not equal 100, though it is very close. Solubility was definitely key in this lab.

The Making of a Memory in January Essay Example

The Making of a Memory in January Essay Example The Making of a Memory in January Essay The Making of a Memory in January Essay As a â€Å"baby boomer†, I have seen and done many things during my 60 years in the world.   I grew up to see technical innovations, the space race, and the transformation of the United States in the 1960’s.   I have traveled all over the country as a child with a father, who was a career military man.   I have even traveled the world during my stint as a Seaman.   I have seen the hard life of the streets and walked the hallowed halls of the university, receiving a Master’s in Criminal Justice, some twenty-plus years ago.   The events of my past tie into the major event I will soon see in my future, President-elect Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration.   I must admit that this milestone in our nation’s history brings to me pride, wonder, and nostalgia.   Along with all these emotions, comes what a man like me finds hard to admit, fear.   Barack Obama has been talking about change and I know all about and I have seen change, I hav e embraced it.   I will embrace inauguration day with as much enthusiasm as I can, even though I am still filled will wonder.I must admit that the new transformation of the nation is difficult for me and many like me.   I grew up, as a young boy, to understand that the integrity of a military person was never to be questioned.   It was an inconvenient truth in my twenties, during my own military experience to see the opposite.   Many Vietnam veterans were not received and revered like the military men of my father’s wars.   To me, McCain was the epitome of courage and strength during that misunderstood war in Vietnam and to see the shift away from the honor that men like him deserve brought up many painful memories for me.   I must add too, that I am white.   But, color has never been an issue with me in this situation.   Most of us, who remember the 60’s, have evolved from pointless racism.As a man, though, who has seen the ins and outs of criminal jus tice, it is hard to trust the integrity of an attorney.   Most in the criminal justice field feel similar.   As an older person, as well, it is hard to trust the unfounded optimism of the youth and their vote.   I remember when I was young and saw many activists hitting the streets in protest and to me it was simply chaos.   But, then it was â€Å"word of mouth† grassroots campaigning while now technology has advanced us to internet activism and social networking.   Some have even said the Obama won because of his extensive internet presence.   All of this is a wonder in itself.   I must admit that some of the fear, too, comes from recalling the tragedies of innovative men like Obama.   I vividly recall the assassinations of both Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.   When I hear reports of dissidents in the U.S., I fear for this man, because I know that this can happen, because it has happened.   I wonder if the youth think about that much.In closing, I would like to say that I was proud of both candidates that ran for President in 2008 and will be proud of Obama, when he takes the honor in 2009.   I feel as if I am passing the torch into a new era, a torch that has been burning now for some years without me even realizing it.   It will take a lot of acceptance and expectations for this new generation, but I am confident that they can handle the charge appointed not just to the President, but to them, as well.   As long as the conception of honor and integrity stay always on the table, I can rest assured that the next four years will be memorable and momentous.

Internationalisation of Fashion Company in Brazil Research Paper

Internationalisation of Fashion Company in Brazil - Research Paper Example The research paper "Internationalisation of Fashion Company in Brazil" talks about the ways to present a luxury fashion company on the Brazil fashion market and how to successfully expand its consumer. The internationalization strategy to be pursued should be chosen carefully in order to determine the best approach in the luxury fashion product market. The foreign market expansion is not a new concept. For over two decades, intercontinental development in the trend industry had been unparalleled. The emergence of super-brands has sparked intense competition. The market positioning of some brands makes them more appealing than others. Internationalization can be defined as the sourcing of goods from overseas markets. Buying from worldwide markets is aggravated by the economic and competitive consideration. Fashion companies seek to obtain gain from a low cost of labor in the underdeveloped economies. The global fashion brand has caused most of the people to look for the most successful brands like the Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera. The super brands have left the fashion buyers with little choice but to ignore the lesser known brands. Expansion strategies are important when dealing with recessionary pressure. The emergence of a cosmopolitan and fashion-informed consumer market has caused global expansion. And technology has enabled online transactions. This led to an amplified union in worldwide lifestyles. This allowed the fashion industry retailers to correspond efficiently with the customers in foreign markets. International fashion and design companies have succeeded partly because of design excellence, cosmopolitanism and exclusivity (Alexander & Myers 2000). The Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren companies have indentified their market niche. The companies target the clients who deal with accessories, garments and apparels. The companies aim at offering differentiated products of high quality (Charles & Gareth 2012). The same market is the target of the rival companies like Loewe. The future of companies like Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera and other fashion retailers lies in the internalization strategy. Many domestic markets have been saturated by local brand leading to lessening of profits. Intense local markets competition has caused constraints to complicate the strategic management of these organizations (Charles & Gareth 2012). The rise of global sourcing by fashion retailers and technological advances has made it easy for companies to target the global market (Chevalier & Mazzalovo 2012).