Friday, April 10, 2020
ââ¬ÅImpact of Television Violation on Childrenââ¬â¢s Socializationââ¬Â Essay Example
ââ¬Å"Impact of Television Violation on Childrenââ¬â¢s Socializationâ⬠Essay Children are to be considered as the hope of the tomorrow. They are the one who make our world beautiful and meaningful because of their innocence and simplicity. But are these facts still true nowadays? Or it will be just a ââ¬Å"dreamâ⬠for us now? Childrenââ¬â¢s characters, personalities and their totality as individual first develop and mold inside the home where parents are oblige and responsible to teach their children the good values and morals. But the irony for this issue is that, parents tend to forget their responsibilities as parents in supervising their kids, due to their hectic schedules and demands of their work, especially in watching television where children are expose to different kinds of indecent advertisements and commercials. Parents should allot time in spending quality moments and be on the side of their children in order for them to explain the advertisements and commercials which have an adult content.This paper intent to scrutinize the regulating of controversial television advertising and their content, but what is more important is doing this while upholding the first Amendment and; (2) impact of controversial television violation on childrenââ¬â¢s socialization.II. DiscussionTelevision is a very powerful tool to the learning of the children and it can educate them in many ways whether it is profitable or destructive to their morals and values. It contributes much most especially when parents let their children watch indecent television shows anytime of the day without their supervision. There are also shows on TV that create fear to the hearts of these children because they are able to internalize what they have seen. In a researched entitled ââ¬Å"Televisionâ⬠and conducted by the University of Michigan Health System stated that ââ¬Å"in a usual American household, there are about 7 hours spend by children in watching television everyday and there are about tens of thousands of commercials observed by the kids on TV whichà theà public relations mark. And not only that, every year the range of 1,000 to 2,000 children watched TV ads for alcohol and the fears attributed by the television can create sleep problems. A survey showed that there was about 37 percent of the kids stated that they were terrified by a TV story and the symptoms for this included anxious feelings, withdrawing from friends, nightmaresâ⬠¦(see ââ¬Å"Televisionâ⬠University of Michigan Health System).There are also commercials that speak about sex. It is called sex in advertising. The use of sexual attraction as a tool of persuasion by drawing attention, interest to a particular product for the purpose of promotion and increase in sales had been a part of marketing and advertising industry for quite some time. The method generally uses attractive models, usually in a suggestive or provocative scene. The past two decades have witnessed an increasing use of explicit sexual appeal in consumer-oriented print ad vertising and particularly of women as the object of sexual desire that it has reached to the point of being common.The use of sex in advertising can range from being highly overt to extremely subtle; from explicit displays of sexual acts or nudity, down to the use of basic cosmetic products to enhance attractiveness. The more subtle forms of this spectrum have seeped into other types of media. One such example is the criteria in the selection of DJs and announcers, which is based on the ââ¬Å"sexinessâ⬠of their voice.The use of sexual imagery in advertising has received a barrage of criticisms on various grounds. Moral and religious groups oppose it for being obscene.à Feminist groups raise the issue of womenââ¬â¢s rights, that it reduces women as mere ââ¬Ëobjectsââ¬â¢. Others believe that it only reinforces sexism.A. RegulationsWay back in 1924, the American Association of Advertising Agencies published a code of ethics, stating that the following practices were unethical:à ·Ã à à à à à à à False or misleading claims about the product, whether visual or verbalà ·Ã à à à à à à à Testimonials which does not truly speak of the real choice of a witnessà ·Ã à à à à à à à Price claims which is purposely done to mislead the publicà ·Ã à à à à à à à Statements which unfairly disparage a competing product or serviceà ·Ã à à à à à à à Claims which are unproven/untested, or claims that puts statements out of context to distort the true meaning made by professional or scientific authoritiesà ·Ã à à à à à à à Statements, pictures, or suggestions which are offensive to public decencyEach of these ethical codes is quite vague in nature which allows a wide range of interpretations. Consequently advertisers push the limits of what is actually acceptable to advertise about their services or wares. It is in the last code wherein sex is more or less add ressed as being potentially offensive to the public. The next deliberation is on the issue of what is NOT offensive to one person, may be horrible to another. It is subjective. The responsibility now lies on the advertiser to maintain a delicate balance (see K. Stirtz. ââ¬Å"For Most of Us, Sex Does Not Sellâ⬠).A prevailing advertising belief through the last two decades is the power of sexual imagery and suggestions on consumers. Neil E. Harrison, of the Canadian Business and Current Affairs wrote that ââ¬Å"advertisers recognize that ââ¬Ësex sellsââ¬â¢ because it attracts attentionâ⬠. It is not sexual images or suggestion that sells the product per se, but the technique of attention-getting that has always been the cornerstone of advertising whether consumers look with interest, or look in disgust. The point advertisers seek is for consumers to LOOK, and if the imagery pushes the borderline of what is shocking or offensive, the more it is retained in the consume rââ¬â¢s memory. However, an article ââ¬Å"Playing the Gameâ⬠wrote that sexual images are ineffective especially when it is ironically diametrically opposed to the product it tries to sell (T Ball, P Avers. ââ¬Å"A Brief History of Sex in Advertisingâ⬠).B. Its EffectivenessSex in marketing through the years has become raunchier and raunchier, with each advertisement trying to outdo the last. Since it has become a powerful force in the marketing industry, we see the market being saturated with signs of glamorous blond women and muscle-rippling playboys. However, recent studies indicate that such a tool is no longer the sure-way answer to every marketing officerââ¬â¢s prayer.Although most companies utilize sex as their largest promoter of their product(s), negative results may never be far behind. Sexual ads do not always appeal to all consumers and accept sex as an acceptable marketing tool. A study done by Susan Cummings for the American Demographics Magazine, quot ed that ââ¬Å"75 percent of women and 53 percent of men aged 35 to 54 said that sex in advertising can be offensiveâ⬠(Cited in ââ¬Å"Sex Sellsâ⬠¦No, Really!â⬠).Other concerns being raised is how the youth react to this and how they perceive sex in advertising. There are many different opinions on how sexual appeal in advertising is defined. A slight difference had been found between young men and women. Sexual appeal for young women did not depend on how people looked in the advertisement. Focus is more on movement. It does not even have to include nudity, and models need not be exceptionally good looking for the ad to be even considered sexual. Young men also believe that the movement and the appearance of the models are of great importance. Both genders perceive an ad as sexual through words and images, even without images of nudity among the characters. Therefore, this study came to the following conclusions: that advertisement do not have to contain nudity to be perceived by young men and women as sexual in character; even movement and appearance of the models in the advertisement can make it sexual in nature; young men differ from their women counterparts in the sense that they believe that exceptional good looks among models require an ad campaign to be so. They also believe that there is too much sex in advertising, even observing that there are companies who make use of sexual appeal even if their product is discordant with the sexual image. These young men also see advertisements as discriminating to both men and women. This research also came to the same conclusion that buying behavior does not change, since nudity in advertisement has become so common.Young female respondents also believe that there is too much sex in advertising and these failed to elicit responses. Reaction of tension came only if the image is tasteless. However, for young women, attitude and buying behavior might change if an advertisement based on sexual appeal is too sexual. A favorable response comes only if the sexual appeal is done tastefully and the appeal has any connection towards the brand. Their self-image and confidence is affected when it showed attractive models. Corporations are then urged to make considerations in aiming advertising towards youth in using sexual appeals in their advertisement campaigns.This means that children are prone to adapt thwarted values and morals which will affect sooner to their development as individuals and contribute in the later part of their lives. Being TV addicts is more treacherous and hazardous than taking a drug because it disseminates violence, spoils peopleââ¬â¢s intellects, and ruins not only the individual but as well as our nation and culture.III. ConclusionsA. Effects on childrenWe cannot deny the fact that children are great imitators and that is one of their natures. They really follow and imitate what they have seen and observed from other people especially when they realize th at these people involve manifests excitement in doing such acts. Present televisionââ¬â¢s advertisements, commercials, shows and movies already content indecent acts such as violence, sensual actions or sex, drinking and taking drugs which have great impact to the minds of the younger generations. These kinds of entertainments will create curiosity and puzzlements to their young minds that will push them to try it by themselves. The advertisers really put an effort to convey their audiences-whether young or old-whom the actions perform on TV, those actions are worth emulating for and because of this, children are motivated to imitate it. The University of Michigan Health System further discussed that ââ¬Å"TV shows usually speak about the use of alcohol. The existence of alcohol on TV resorts the gamut from prime-time programsâ⬠¦In addition, the researched informed us that those who are TV addicts are more similarly to smoke cigarettes and marijuana. However, parents are not open in discussing issues such as birth control, sexually transmitted disease and sex and even schools are lacking to give information about sex education programs and due to such reasons, children are able to acquire sex information through watching TV. In a survey disclosed the fact that there were about 76 percent of teenagers attested that one intuition why young people indulge in sex because TV movies and programs make such thing as common and ordinary for their age group (see ââ¬Å"Televisionâ⬠University of Michigan Health System).
Monday, March 9, 2020
The Term ââ¬ÅArtââ¬Â Essay Sample Essays
The Term ââ¬Å"Artâ⬠Essay Sample Essays The Term ââ¬Å"Artâ⬠Essay Sample Paper The Term ââ¬Å"Artâ⬠Essay Sample Paper The subject matter of this essay is based on the original article The Trouble with (the term) Art written by Carolyn Dean (professor of History of Art and Visual Culture at the University of California) and published in the Art Journal, Vol. 65, no. 2 (summer 2006), pp 25-32. As the title indicates, the theme of that article and of this essay should be ââ¬Å"artâ⬠or, perhaps, more precisely the concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠itself ââ¬Å"for what art seems to be at the very heart of the issueâ⬠(Carolyne Dean). The author of the article emphasizes the fact that the term ââ¬Å"artâ⬠has been used by many scholars in various disciplines with different connotations. Carolyn Dean focuses on the ââ¬Å"so-called AOA fields (Africa, Oceania, America)â⬠, that is on cultures often categorized as ââ¬Å"primitiveâ⬠. The scholars working in these fields often incorrectly describe the products of these cultures as being ââ¬Å"primitive artâ⬠, by contrasting them with what is commonly seen as West-European art. What is theà major questionà in Deans article? The major question points to the error of using the term ââ¬Å"artâ⬠simply for anything that is touched, moved, used or produced by mankind anywhere and at any time on the planet. The greatest problem is that we keep calling things ââ¬Å"artâ⬠without regard to the objects original purpose as given to them by those indigenous people who used or fabricated them in the first place. It is a fact, that in the many cultures whose products we call ââ¬Å"primitive art,â⬠there has been no concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠in the contemporary West-European understanding of this word. Certainly, there have been cultures that have developed a different understanding and appreciation of objects. Though, in many cases, their primal role and worthiness stay hidden in the history because there is no one left to be asked if there was an aesthetic evaluation present or if there was any concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠at all. So, when we find the remains of an older culture, we simply appl y our ââ¬Å"Westernâ⬠values and use our ââ¬Å"Westernâ⬠points of views. Instead, we should try to look at it through the eyes of the culture we are trying to study, on the basis of our findings. Unfortunately, we tend to have a commercial approach to it: how valuable is this piece of ââ¬Å"primitive artâ⬠?. Even worse, it is not only the bygone cultures that we approach in this manner but also those cultures we have discovered in the colonized territories since the late Middle-Ages. Can we ever possibly undo the damage that has already been done to all these cultures? What kind of action should be taken when a culture with a concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠and one without such a concept meet? Should this concept be introduced to the culture where such a concept is missing? Should it be implanted at all costs? What if there is a reason why the concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠has not jet evolved in that culture or, perhaps, what if we do or did not recognize it has already been there? Then the remains of cultures which had known the concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠may in a way be called ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. On the other hand, there may have been cultures that never developed aesthetic feelings, then nothing these cultures would have left behind could be ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. However, it is not for us to decide on such a thing and therefore we simply apply our concept of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠to what may or may not be ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. Has mankind learned from any of its mistakes? ââ¬Å"This is art!â⬠I have always had a problem with this term and much more trouble with its interpretation. It usually leads me to an inner dispute where, on the one hand, there stands subjective me designating everything that has been adapted and created by man as ââ¬Å"artâ⬠, and, on the other hand there is an objective me recognizing as ââ¬Å"artâ⬠only a few things accepted as ââ¬Å"artâ⬠collectively by the whole human society. Here is a short demonstration: The subjective me says: When I draw a sketch, paint a picture, take a photograph, using a random melody, prepare a meal, walk, dream, etc., I consider myself it producing or even being an object of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. Why shouldnt everything I say and the way I say it be approached as ââ¬Å"art?â⬠Everybody is unique! We all are in a way a form of ââ¬Å"artâ⬠and there are many aesthetic distinctions between all of us to evaluate our products and ourselves. The objective me replies: We a re unique individuals but we all cant live on producing ââ¬Å"artâ⬠, unless we would call ââ¬Å"artâ⬠all human activity. Nonetheless, things like cars, customer goods and all the articles of mass production should not be called ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. Surely, there is the design of these products, which can be marked as ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. This dialogue could go on forever as well as might the one in the real world. Thanks for reading this article I found out that there is a real discussion taking place. I have even thought about joining the discussion myself and, at any rate, I am really looking forward to learning the outcome. Carolyn Dean tries to resume the discussions on the subject by presenting previous attempts to find solutions and definitions for the term ââ¬Å"artâ⬠. She also provokes those in the field to replace the so much hated term ââ¬Å"primitive artâ⬠. This term has some supporters among those using it. There were more and less courageous attempts throughout modern history to arouse debates on this very burning issue ââ¬â I personally like the phrase Adrian Gerbrands used in 1957 during one of the first discussions on this subject; back then he called it ââ¬Å"the problem of the nameâ⬠. Deans article may encourage some art historians, anthropologists, and other related scholars to continue in the debate and eventually agree on the terminology to be used. Nevertheless, that stays an open question.
Saturday, February 22, 2020
The Organization Behavior of PIXAR Research Paper
The Organization Behavior of PIXAR - Research Paper Example Pixar animation studios is built upon a family style structure in which stakeholder interests are a priority and quality is the highest goal over financial concerns. The objective of their enterprise, according to their website is ââ¬Å"to combine proprietary technology and world class creative talent to develop computer animated feature films with memorable characters and heartwarming stories that appeal to audiences of all agesâ⬠. In order to pursue this goal, the company has created a strategy-culture in which a strong culture has developed so that the employees are highly loyal. However, the insular corporate culture has created some issues in which communications in the organization are not up to the original standard expected by the mandates. The business is experiencing some of the effects of expansion as lower level employees are fighting to be heard. From its smaller beginnings of merely 44 employees when purchased by Steve Jobs, the company now has 850 employees with 19 executives. With a large work force all operating towards a limited number of projects, the experiences that first brought Lasseter to form his own business can eventually become seen as a threat to the company if the creativity of lower level employees is not allowed to flourish. However, according to Hooverââ¬â¢s, Inc. , the average amount of revenue per employee per year is at $300,000, making the business a capital-intensive industry. Investment and start-up costs make competition difficult, but also mean that competing creative types have a shot at finding financing even in the high-risk, but potentially high return nature of the business. Company History Pixar Studios did not start out on a successful tract. The company started as Pixar, Inc. in 1984, a company that sold computer hardware and turned to selling animation software as well as providing commercial animations for advertisers. John Lasseter and a handful of employees, shortly from the junior animation ranks at the Walt Disney Company, formed this company as a division of the company owned by George Lucas under the special effects branch (Pixar, 2011). The hope of the company was to create a success through animation, creating short length promotional films which were bringing in no financial return. The company ran reporting nothing but losses in the couple of years and was having trouble financing the one project they were determined to create (Price, 2009). The company was purchased by Steve Jobs in 1986 for ten million dollars when the division was formed into an independent company as Pixar, thus beginning the course towards a revolution in the animated film industry. The company was co-founded by Ed Catmull, who was also the vice-president of the special effects division at Lucas, Inc (Pixar, 2011). Through innovative techniques and building a reputation through short films, the company gained enough credibility to engage in their first efforts towards a full length, feature film project. With Lucas, Inc., Steve Jobs, and innovations that had the capacity to rock the animated film industry, the next logical step was to include the Walt Disney Company as a part of one of the most powerful innovative groupings ever developed. The project was Toy Story, a fully computer generated animation film that the Disney Studios came on board to finance in 1991. There was a murmur of disapproval in Hollywood, the belief that a fully computerized
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence Research Paper
Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence - Research Paper Example Before discussing the theory of Multiple Intelligences in detail, let us get a brief introduction of the theorist, Howard Gardner. Howard Gardner was born in the United States in 1943. He got his major education from Harvard University where he studied history, social relations, psychology, and human behaviors. His ideological beliefs and perceptions are influenced by some key figures related to the fields of psychology and sociology. Some of those prominent figures include Nelson Goodman, Jean piaget, Erik Erikson, and Jerome Bruner. Currently, Garner is serving as a professor in Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard University.Seven Intelligences of the Theory Multiple intelligence theory suggests that humans usually have a variety of intelligences that are independent of each other (Marchetti, n.d.). This theory is more humane and veridical as compared to alternative views of intelligence (Gardner, 2006, p. 6). The seven intelligences included in the Howard Gardnerâ⬠â¢s Multiple Intelligences model are linguistic intelligence, logical/mathematical intelligence, musical intelligence, bodily/kinesthetic intelligence, visual/spatial intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and intrapersonal intelligence (Bogin, 2012). Let us discuss all of them in detail in order to develop an understanding of key intelligences.This intelligence refers to the use of language to accomplish certain goals. A person can use language to write something, learn something, and to express his/her feelings to others.à Ã
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Important information Essay Example for Free
Important information Essay Unstructured Interviews are a method of interviews where questions can be twisted or adapted to meet the interviewee intelligence, understanding or belief. They do not offer a limited, pre-set range of answers for a respondent to choose from as by structured interviews, but instead like listening to how each individual person responds to the question. ââ¬Å" The emphasis here is on acquiring deep knowledge and authenticity of peoples life experiences ââ¬Å" (Gubrium and Holstein, 2001) . Unstructured Interviews have a lot of set backs as compared with structured interviews, which make this stlye invalid and unreliable,some of these are ; . Unstructured interviews are time consuming as the conversation can go on and on,there is interviewer effect, this is when the interviewee answer is effected by the interviewer presence of the due to either his/her race, ethnicity, colour, or answer to certain questions, the information collected is prone to digression and much of the data collected could be unnecessary,unstructured interviews are usually small scale so it is hard to generalise with the results as only a small number of the interviewees can be interviewed, data collected is hard to categorise as there is likely to be a variety of different answers, coding will require more work when choosing categories for the respondents. Unstructured interviews has continued to be used by many employers since the data collect is said to be valid as it is an exact account of what the interviewee has said, the interviewer can also find out important information which didnt seem relevant before the interview and ask the interviewee to go further into the new topic,unstructured interviews are also more suitable for sensitive subjects such as domestic violenceâ⬠(http://en. wikipedia. org ) as many people would lie in a more formal interview and also their answer may not be on the preset questioner . ââ¬Å" Often, the subject matter is personal, intimate and emotional, and the objective is to achieve some kind of deep disclosure ââ¬Å"(Johnson, 2001) In general structure or unstructured interviews depend wholely on the the interviewer Refference 1) http://en. wikipedia. org 2) (Gubrium and Holstein, 2001) . 3) ââ¬Å"(Johnson, 2001).
Monday, January 20, 2020
Considering Dysarthria: A Speech Disorder On the Margins :: Biology Essays Research Papers
Considering Dysarthria: A Speech Disorder 'On the Margins' The goal of this paper is to portray dysarthria, a language impairment, as a disorder that is "on the margins" of the category of speech disorders. The argumentation will be that since dysarthria shares common underlying neurological causes with motor diseases rather than with other language impairments, it is set apart from other language impairments and evidence for the overlap of the motor modality with the language modality. Language is arguably one if not the most complex functions produced by the human brain, and one that is all but transparent as to the underlying neurological structures and processes in that so much is going on at the same time that it is hard to tell what is what. What we do know is that there are different areas of representation for different aspects of language. An area in the left hemisphere above the perisylvian fissure in the frontal lobe anterior to the motor cortex roughly controls production and fluency of speech; another area, in the temporal lobe of the same hemisphere roughly controls comprehension and word retrieval. Other regions next to and between these areas carry related functions, and lesioning to them results in variations of the symptoms caused by lesioning one of the central regions described above(1).. These areas are known to us as the "language areas." However, they can be completely intact in a person that is suffering from severe language impairment. Are there other "language areas" then? Strictly speaking, no, loosely speaking, yes. Language is more than a mental function where structures are established, words are retrieved and sound associations are made. The final execution of language is purely a question of complex motor control. Disruption of this complex interaction of motor signals towards the formation of speech is known as dysarthria (2). It is sometimes confused with impairment resulting from injury to the "language areas" (1), illustrating the point that the process of producing language is multi-layered, and that it is often hard to tell what is what. The symptoms of dysarthria may be slurred speech, nasality of sound, or quiet and slow speech (3).. These different impairments reflect the sub-sections in the 'motor symphony' that produces speech: The lips, tongue, teeth and jaw shape specific sounds; the soft palate channels air into either the nasal or oral cavity, producing different sound qualities; the larynx (voice box) makes the air vibrate through the vocal folds to create voice; and finally, the respiratory system powers this process (3).
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood for Love”
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Set in front of the conservative backdrop of 1960's Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love tells the intimate tale of two people who, by fate, seem to land themselves in each other's company due to the common bond of the absence of their spouses. The plot of the film is by no means anything original, but it is deeply accentuated by the style in which the film is shot. With unconventional camera angles, an inconsistent musical score, and deep, luscious colors, In the Mood for Love brings a seemingly real perspective to a very personal story. Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Chang (Maggie Cheung) coincidentally, move in to their small neighboring Hong Kong flats on the same day. Mr. Chow, a newspaper editor with an unseen, but presumably traveling, wife, and Mrs. Chang, a secretary, also with an unseen business executive husband. The two often find their paths crossing as they frequent the same streets, restaurants, and noodle shop. It is when they discover that their spouses are having an affair that they begin to see each other. Unlike very fast paced, show-all, American films, the relationship that blossoms between Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chang is not one of immense passion and love, but more of a deeper unsaid understanding. It is the simple gestures such as the conversations, the gazing into one another's eyes, and the holding of hands where the real relationship lies. This could not be clearer when, in a climactic moment of the film, they briefly caress each other's hands in the back of a taxi. The film is accentuated by the unconventional, but highly innovative camera work throughout. Often times the camera remains stationary while the characters move about, and sometimes out of the frame. It's as if to remind the audience that we are looking through a peep hole rather than through a movie screen, and that there are things that we will not be able to see. Throughout various portions of the film, like the rice cooker scene, for example, you can hear the characters speaking, but you will actually have to visualize what they are doing. The position at which the camera lies throughout the movie is also noteworthy because of the strange angles it is put at, such as under a bed, over a person's shoulder, through metal grating, and in general, low to the ground. It seems that Wong Kar Wai is telling us ââ¬Å"no, that's too easy. You need to look at this from a more difficult position, as if you were eavesdropping on these very private momentsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ The rich colors and costumes of the film play a very large part in how the story is told as well. In the first scene, at the appearance of Mrs. Chan and her very colorful dress, the audience is immediately drawn to her and continues to watch her throughout the rest of the film. From then on each dress, one right after the other, begins to astonish the viewer with its lush colors and interesting patterns. This immediately sets Mrs. Chan apart from any other character, especially Mr. Chow, who dresses in relatively the same attire every day, creating a very physical contrast between two characters who are emotionally similar. Not only does the costuming add emphasis to the film, but the lighting of most of the scenes adds another layer onto they already thick stylized coat of the film. Much of the film takes place on the very foreign and almost enigmatic streets of Hong Kong, usually during the night, and we are provided with not quite enough illumination to see everything perfectly. This adds a heightened level of mystery throughout the entire film, especially in the first half, before the characters really meet. The warm colors, in a sense, add quite a bit to the slow pacing of the film. These are not very cold, vivid, or fast colors, but rather ones that let the scenes take their time, in a place where conversations are not hurried and friendly games with neighbors last into the late hours of the night. The editing also does its part to slow down the movie, making the shifts between days seamless and slowing scenes down into slow motion to literally ââ¬Å"juiceâ⬠the magic out of them. However, much, if not all of the aforementioned material is simply technique none of the true bread and butter of movies is covered. This is simply because there hardly was any. Is the plot original? No, not really. Is the script solid? Well, considering there was no actual script to begin with, no. But is the way in which all of these, otherwise boring, elements filmed beautiful and interesting? Absolutely! It seems that the true core of this movie is missing, but who's to say that every movie has to follow a standard formula? THEMES TIME After reading some interviews I found that Kar-wai was very interested in the past, almost nostalgic for how Hong Kong was when he was growing up. He also finds interesting ways to show the passing of time in In the Mood for Love with the many beautiful dresses that Mrs. Chang wears. ISOLATION Another heavy theme in In the Mood for Love is isolation. In a couple of the interviews Kar-wai mentioned that people (like himself) fleeing Shanghai to Hong Kong basically had to cram into apartments. Kar-wai creates a limited visual space by having actors off-camera, shooting in narrow hallways. Even the characterââ¬â¢s emotions seem to distance themselves. CINEMATOGRAPHY The way Wong Kar-wai and Chris Boyle go about shooting movies is the complete opposite from every other director weââ¬â¢ve studied this semester. Instead of taking a more professional approach of meticulously planning out every shot, they figure out what would be best determined by location, and it seems they act more like bumbling film students rather than award winning filmmakers. ââ¬Å"Our styles come from the way we work; like in Fallen Angels we started working in a very small teahouse, and the only way we could shoot the scene was with a wide-angle lens. But I thought the wide-angle lens was too normal, so instead I preferred an extreme wide-angle. And the effect is stunning because it draws the characters very close to the camera but twists the perspective of the space so they seem far away. It became a contrast to Chungking Express, in which people are very far away from the camera but seem so close. Also, we work with very limited budgets and we don't have permits, so we have to work like CNN, you know, just breaking into some place and taking some shots. We often don't have time for setups, and sometimes when neighbors walk into the frames we have to cut them out, and that becomes a jump cut. I think 10 or 15 percent is preconceived. Most of it just happens. â⬠ââ¬âWong Kar-wai This is all very surprising because the most notable features in In the Mood for Love is the look of the film, which is beautiful. Itââ¬â¢s nice to know there are other ways to go about shooting a film, and that being meticulous doesnââ¬â¢t make you a better director. The way you take on the challenges of shooting a film to be as visually competent as possible makes you a director. WORKING WITH ACTORS Seeing how Kar-waiââ¬â¢s filming techniques are by the seat of your pants, it comes as no surprise that his directing of actors is just as spontaneous. During the filming of In the Mood for Love, Maggie Cheung said that the camera would be far away (because heââ¬â¢s shooting with a wide angle Iââ¬â¢d assume) and that he would all of a sudden want to switch the shot to slow motion, without telling any of the actors. ââ¬Å"He will see a shot and then suddenly he will picture it as a slow motion shot and he'll just say, let's try one of those, and then he'll just do it, without us even knowing. Iââ¬â¢m not sure if this is the best way to go about directing an actor unless you are absolutely sure about what youââ¬â¢re doing. Wong Kar-wai seems to be a free spirit in the way he speaks, and directs. Plus he has a close relationship with many collaborators so everyone knows what is needed from them to complete his vision. Kar-wai seems to know the most ab out human emotions and how to properly show them on the screen so theyââ¬â¢re believable. I remember there was an emotional scene where I was saying good-bye to Andy Lau at a bus stop. We had to retake that scene the next day because I was not very good. I thought I had been good because I had been crying and crying, but Wong Kar Wai said, ââ¬Å"It is not about that. It is not about how many tears drop out of your eyes or how emotional you are. â⬠I said, ââ¬Å"No? But you ask me to cry and I am crying, why am I doing it wrong? â⬠He said, ââ¬Å"But when you cry you should try to hold back. Nobody cries just like that. The minute you feel the sting in your eyes your first reaction should be ââ¬ËI donââ¬â¢t want to cry,ââ¬â¢ and to hold it back. â⬠INFLUENCES Wong Kar-wai was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong when he was five. Leaving his 40 or so cousins, he became an only child thanks to the Cultural Revolution. Leaving the lifestyle of a small village full of friends and family your own age, to a city full of adults must have been very impressionable on the young Kar-wai. His mother loved movies and luckily for them there were plenty of theaters around playing Western, European, and local films, ââ¬Å"we spent almost every day in the cinemas because she doesn't have any friends or relatives in Hong Kongâ⬠. Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046 all take place during the 1960ââ¬â¢s in Hong Kong, with slight political undertones so this place and time was obviously very important to him. Wong Kar-wai also seems to be heavily influenced by the French New Wave, but who isnââ¬â¢t? Like The 400 Blows and Breathless, Kar-waiââ¬â¢s films come off as a love letter to their settings because of how beautifully detailed the shots are. You can tell that he is in love with Hong Kong and that it is his greatest influence.
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