Early Developments Of Narrative Cinema Film

Early Developments Of Narrative Cinema Film Using either two short films from films silent period (pre 1929), or one short film and an extract from a longer film (both of which should also be pre 1929) discuss what they can tell us about the early developments of narrative cinema. Early development of narrative cinema pre 1929 (silent films) Films have changed a great deal since the earliest productions in the silent era of around 1898 to around 1929, when the development of sound was conceived. Many advances in film have enhanced the viewing pleasure, from the almost alien productions created nearly a hundred years ago, for example Georges Melies Voyage to the Moon (1902), to the familiar films of our generation, such as James Camerons Avatar. This essay will discuss the changes made from a visual and aesthetic cinema to a structured narrative cinema. Also how films may have evolved in both plot and story, and also how the development of the narrative form changed, in some respects, films viewing purpose and audiences expectations. Analyzing why films which contain narratives and the ability to derive tension from their audience overtook the medium most popular at the time, the cinema of attractions, will help us to understand how films viewing changed. By comparing two very different silent films, Rescued by Rover (directed by Lewin Fitzhamon 1905) and Broken Blossoms (directed by D .W. Griffith 1919) one would expect to see a great many differences, not only technological (such as the length of the films, and editing advancements) but also such things as character development, and characters emotional drives along with the variety of devices which drive the narrative forward. Comparing the entirety of Rescued by Rover with just a short scene from Broken Blossoms will enable us to select the clear advances in narrative structure and understand their development from the simple action and consequence format to the in-depth emotional build up created by films made later during the silent film era. The early 1900s saw change and growth, in both the production of short films and the demand. Thomas Elsaesser discusses this notion in his book Early Cinema: Space, Frame, Narrative suggesting that 1905 saw the production of many stable permanent theaters being set up as well as the film industry trying to knit developments together, such as the first full film reel and a number of film theaters allowing the exchange of films as a means of distribution. These and other developments, took place in order to try and produce a stable industry. The introduction of films containing narratives has played a significant role in the popularity and production of films. Short silent films shown just before and during the very early 1900s did not focus on the need to tell a story as much, maybe because the development of film only really began a decade before. However, on March 22, 1895, in Paris, France, the Socià ©tà © dEncouragement à   lIndustrie Nationale (National Society for the Promotion of Industry) gathered to watch a film depicting factory workers leaving for their dinner hour, which although may seem primitive to an audience of today, must have been an impressive show and indeed an exciting step forward from the kinetoscope. The film, screened and viewed in front of an audience, was an innovation created by brothers Louis Lumià ¨re (1864-1948) and Auguste Lumià ¨re (1862-1954). Loius Lumiere made many short films which included, LArroseur arrose, known in English as The Gardener and the Bad Boy, which unlike the pr evious films contained a comic narrative structure. Joel. W. Finler in his book Silent Cinema: before the coming of sound, states that although shot from a fixed camera position, the picture demonstrates a sophisticated use of the film frame, suggesting that the film had previous planning and each frame had been structured for both characters so that they would fit nicely, showing early attempts to add to the film aesthetically. Rescued by Rover was made in 1905. It was directed by Cecil Hepworth and Lewin Fizhamon and the Hepworth manufacturing company was the production company. The short film is about a baby who is kidnapped by an old woman, but luckily the family collie rescues the baby. The film is very easy to follow, containing a variety of simple shots all helping the viewer to follow the narrative. The first shot is of the baby and the dog sitting quietly together, then the mother is seen wheeling the baby up a path in her pram, a nasty old woman approaches the mother begging, but the mother walks on, ignoring the old woman. In the next shot the mother is distracted by another man talking to her. They both chat while sneakily the old woman steals her precious baby. This is a simple example of films early jump to the narrative structure. In narrative it is all the events, both explicitly presented and inferred that make the story, an example of this is provided in Rescued by Rover. Three shots are used to set up the plot,( the baby and dog together, the mother pushing the baby the baby is taken.) followed by another sixteen shots showing Rover tracking down the child, these sixteen shots are repeated twice more to show, (in reverse) the dog returning home and then again when rover takes the father with him, however a forth repeat of the sequence is not shown (the dog, the father and the baby returning home together) and instead a shot of the kidnapper returning to her room, followed by a shot of the reunited family is provided. The film assumes that the audience does not need to see the Father, baby and dog returning home, but that the audience is able to identify that this was happening while the shot of the beggar woman returning to her house was shown. The films ability to involve itself with the audience and coherently lay each relevant characters plight, initiates an emotional response, such as sympathy for the baby and sorrow for the mother when she loses her baby. Films like The Gardener and the Bad Boy and Rescued by Rover are clear examples of why the demand for narrative films grew. Bernard F Dick discusses narrative films advance in his book Anatomy of Film, Fifth edition, saying the narrative film came about when film makers discovered the medium could do more than just record whatever was in front of the camera. The next step was not only to capture it but to re-create it; to show what could or might be; in other words to tell a story. This suggests that films such as Rescued by Rover and The Gardener and the Bad Boy where successful experiments in the field of narrative cinema and led to much more in-depth narrative films. Broken Blossoms, the film directed by D W Griffith, stands proudly among the greats of the silent film era, and unlike Rescued by Rover, uses intertitles. Bernard. F.Dick, in Anatomy of Film, discusses this notion when commenting, Printed material that appeared on the screen periodically during the course of the movie, the intertitle was one of the ways in which the silent filmmaker supplemented the narrative or clarified the action; it is also a reminder of films early dependence on printed word. D.W.Griffith used intertitles for a variety of purposes, not just to reproduce dialogue and identify characters. One clear difference in the two films, Rescued by Rover and Broken Blossoms, is the ability to develop a much more in-depth relationship between the character and the viewer. Broken Blossoms, contains both a larger plot and story opening up to a wider range of audiences, because of its variety in characters (the poor lost girl with what seems like no hope, and the wandering Chinese man whose fame and respect are as nothing in a cruel foreign world.) Broken Blossoms also uses different advances in camera work: to better tell a story, such as the scene in which the poor girls ghastly father finds her sleeping in the Chinese mans bed, the scene cuts backwards and forwards from shots of the fathers face getting more and more angry, to the girl becoming more and more scared shot and the scene is edited correctly for convincing continuity, and the correct level of tension has been created. However D.W.Griffith has allowed for emotion to be displayed though characters actions as well, inste ad of only using Intertitles in the scene where the father discovers Lucy in the Chinese mans room, such as You! with a dirty chink! and Taint nothin wrong! Taint nothin wrong! I fell down in the doorway and it wasnt nothin wrong! Different shots are given to display the emotions of the father and Lucy, several close up shots of both Lucy and the father are provided. The tension is built up by the shots of their faces getting closer and closer until the audience is shown an extreme close up of their eyes, this serves to drive the plot and create emotional response from the viewers. From viewing early silent films and analyzing both Rescued by Rover and Broken Blossoms, one conclusion dominates above others: the progression narrative film has taken in film makers ability to tell a story, from a simple plot such as a dog saving a baby, to the elaborate plot of Broken Blossoms and its Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet-esc plot, filled with emotionally provoking moments. The development of a simple narrative working within a film has enabled us to make, and watch films with far more complex narratives. The simple narrative films of the past have paved the way for the future and the coming of sound and colour, bringing films to life with a vivid and beautifully developed mode of story telling.

Point of sale and inventory documentation Essay

Point of Sale and Inventory System is a process wherein the business could monitor the movements of the products as well as the sales transactions. It is important for the company to take account inventory of the products as well as the sales. Inventory refers total amount of goods and/or materials contained in a store at any or factory at any given time (Inventory, 2011) Even though technology is available, still many companies use manual system. Operating manual inventory is a time-consuming task, lots of paper works and slow date processing (Hamlet, 2011). It also problematic in terms of communication streams. Each update or removal from the inventory must be updated daily (Cruz, 2010). Manual sales and inventory process was prone to errors that required time to rectify discrepancies (â€Å"Inventory†, nd.). Since manual inventory consumes a lot of time and is susceptible to errors, it would be helpful to build a system that will automate the transactions from acquisition of the product description to updating the inventory database. Work efficiency of employees is defined as how productive they are in their work (â€Å"Inventory†, nd.). The causes of the discrepancies in the records are many, and some of the commonly observed ones are: stock loss; transaction error, inaccessible inventory, and incorrect product identification. Stock loss, also known as shrinkage in industry, includes all forms of loss of the products available for sale. One common example is theft, which can be committed by both shoppers (external theft) and employees (internal theft). With these problems of manual inventory system, businesses emerged with computerized Point of Sales and Inventory System. It tracks purchases and sale transactions thought an organization. Point of Sale and Inventory System is a tool used by retail businesses such as stores, supermarkets, and restaurants. It can register the purchase and keep track of inventory. It also records information on the purchase including time and store location. It also manages the sales of retail goods. It makes a business much more efficient, lowering the costs of running the business while improving customer service and making the business more pleasant to work in (Smith &  Harris, 2011) According to Hendeson (2011), that effective tracking of inventory is an imperative component to a small business successful operation. By having up-to-date data regarding all needed stocks for sale, the organization will drastically increase its bottom line. The amount of time that can be saved by the company is the biggest benefits of using a computerized point of sale and inventory system. Another benefit of a computerized point of sale and inventory system is the accuracy it ensures. The companies operation will be more effectively. The business owner or the manager can ensure that the reports, purchased order and other documents related to sales and inventory are uniform regardless of two created the reports (What are the benefits of Computerized Sales and Inventory, n.d.). According to ruffling (2009), senior director of retail services for BBK Ltd., the trends in Sales and Inventory System are not just inventory accuracy but the use of pricing models to allow for markdown management. Based from the problems encountered in a manual point of sales and inventory system, developers come up with this computerized point of sales and inventory system. Developers have chosen Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa started its operations in the year 2012 by Mr. Randy S. Quiniones. It is located at Sierra Heights Place, Sierra Madre St. Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City. The company is currently using a manual inventory system but aims for improvement to be competitive. In small businesses, inventory system is still applicable because of the advantages it provides the management. Inventory system makes the management of stock levels mush easier and more organized. It improves profits by accurately identifying the flow of stocks. The developers have come up with an idea developing a system that will improve the process and at the same time comes up with an idea developing a system that will improved the process and at the same time comes up with an efficient result of Inventory. The developers aim to eliminate possible problems due human errors that might occur during manual handling, like erroneous tallying and recording of items and other products during the actual inventories. The proposed project entitled â€Å"Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa Point of Sale and Inventory System† deals with the tracking of regular costumers, supplies and delivery’s inventory system. This system will be made actually for the management to reduce their work with concrete and consistent handling of data. Also it  aims to build a consistent inventory system for the company that will surely help the company for stability and profitability. Statement of the Problem Sales and Inventory has always been an issue in the part of manual procedures. Thus, the study seeks to answer the following: 1. How to Design, develop and implement a Point of Sale and Inventory System? 2. How to develop a module that will be used for keeping and storing the entire item’s information? 3. How to develop a module for counting all the sales of the sold items? 4. How to develop a Computerized Point of Sales and Inventory System that will lessen time spent in processing of the payment? 5. How to generate reports faster on-time? Objectives of the study The developers aimed to designed, developed and test Point of Sale and Inventory System for Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa, for them to become more competitive and to attract more customers specifically, it sought to answer the following objectives. 1. To identify the existing processes in terms of a. Sales and b. Inventory 2. To determine the software and hardware requirements of the system. 3. To enumerate the features of the system; and 4. To test the acceptability of the system. Significance of the Study The system will bring innovations and modernization for Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa, and an effective way in providing a means of convenience and faster service. The following will be the beneficiaries: Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa. The system will give the company another asset to be used for them to attract customer by providing better services with regards to their improved point of sale system. Also it increases the company’s competitiveness among other competitors. In this way, it may able to improve the Thirsty Teddy Refilling  Station and The Sierra Spa image and professionalism through a better and well organized business. Manager. The system will help the manager perform more efficient ways to operate the business. The manager will receive reliable and accurate reports on inventory status and sales report. Through these reports the manager can create a good business decisions, determine products that contribute to sales and create new business strategies and enhancement. Inventory Clerk. The clerk will be more productive in checking the stock-in and stock-out of the company. It will also help the inventory clerk in doing reports for the system will generate stock reports Cashier. Upon implementing the system, the cashier will be more productive and efficient in doing work, providing reliable reports for manager and giving the customer quality service. The cashier will not worry about doing manual calculations, for the system will generate sales reports. Developers. In creating the system, developers will be able to apply knowledge acquired in school and discover new facts and ideas that will be a big help in the long run being in the world of business particularly in a system and software development. Other Developers. This will serve as the great significance to other developers that will have similar studies. These developers may further improve and revise the outcome of this research. Scope and Limitations The study focused on the manager and cashier’s requirements. The proposed system included only stocks monitoring process. The System is able to provide inventory reports and sales reports. There were two modules aim to developed- the administrator or manager module and the cashier module. In the Manager module, the manager can view, edit and delete user account as well as supplier accounts, view inventory as well as reports such as the stock in and stock out and the list of suppliers that can provide the stocks needed. The manager can also view stock that needs to be purchased as well as the status of each purchase order. In the Clerk module, the inventory clerk can add and edit information of stocks being delivered by the supplier. The said module enables the generation of information on the status of stocks, the bad orders, the stocks needed to be purchased and the suppliers that can provide the stocks. Inventory clerk is not allowed to delete supplier’s information. In the Cashier model, sales transaction  receipt generation and purchase order is also included as one of the features of the system. The cashier can only view and add transactions, but is not allowed to delete and edit information made by the manager and the inventory clerk. Security measures were also included. The user will simply login the user name and password to gain access in the system. Conceptual Framework The developers aim to use Input-Process-Output (IPO) to present paradigm of the study that illustrates the relationship between the input and output. The paradigm of the study exhibits the skeletal framework of the research study. The input consists of existing process of Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa in terms of inventory and sales. Problems of the existing process are also needed in the development of the system. The developers also identify the features of the system and test the acceptability of the system. The phases of Waterfall Model will be the basis for the development of the system. This includes the following phases; requirements, analysis, design and implementation. The output of this system is Thirsty Teddy Refilling Station and The Sierra Spa Point of Sale and Inventory System. Figure 1.1 in the succeeding page, shows the paradigm of the study to be conducted, to come up with the output of the propose system.

Charles Dickens was one of the Brightest and Most...

The British writer Charles Dickens was one of the brightest and most influential people of his time. His many writings, including Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol, have been efficacious in many lives and have created a legacy of classics that will be read forever. Dickens, who was born in Portsmouth, England, was raised in a poor family, in which he had to work instead of attending school. Although not being able to go to school was detrimental to Charles, it gave him a chance to begin his career. After a few years of journalism, Dickens began working for a press under the alias, â€Å"Boz.† With the publishing of The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Charles Dickens was ushered into the literary community and gained his first real fame. The writing career of Charles Dickens is often described in two phases. The first phase, being the humorous side of Dickens, is when he uses serious topics and characters while incorporating just the right amount of humor. Within the first phase, his work, because it was written during the Victorian Age (1837-1901), was as K. K. Collins put it, â€Å"often concerned with social reform† (12). Throughout these earlier novels and essays, there is a common theme of 18th century gothic romance. Charles, being an England native, used London as a common setting for many of his writings. The Old Curiosity Shop, a novel by Dickens that describes a young girl named Nell and her grandfather’s bankruptcy, reflects these themes quite literally.Show MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesuse material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trade marks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial caps or all caps. Library of Congress

Gayle Forman s An World Of Teens - 1632 Words

Gayle Forman is a fairly known author, but mostly in the world of teens. Gayle Forman is now known mostly for writing young adult fiction, but that isn’t where she began her career. Gayle Forman got her start in writing as a journalist, where she got her first job at Seventeen magazine. She began her work there by reporting what was going on in the world, and telling the stories of people she had crossed paths with. She remained at her job at Seventeen until she decided to start a family with her husband, and decided that being a journalist was too hard to juggle when you are also a mother, because journalism requires traveling. She began writing her novels while she was expecting her first child, and has been writing novels ever since.†¦show more content†¦The book is a large one filled with stories from the time she and her husband decided to travel the world together. Forman and her husband live in New York, and they went on their trip shortly following the attacks from 9/11. Since Forman got her start as a journalist, the way she writes the vast amount of short stories in the book, reflects her love for the writing style. The stories took place in several different countries. â€Å"My favorite country I visited: India. Least-favorite country: Tonga† (Forman). Along with journalism, Forman fell in love with traveling. As a whole, Forman has travelled to 64 countries, although she didn’t write about all of those countries in You Can’t Get There from Here. Gayle Forman is extremely family oriented, which is why she traded journalism and gave in to her want to start a family after publishing her travel log. The book that really launched Forman’s career was a novel she wrote called If I Stay. The novel was published in 2009, and instantly became a hit, making its way to the #1 slot on the New York Times best seller list. The novel is tragic and beautiful, but is also humorous at times. The novel is about a 17 year old girl named Mia, who is an excellent cello player, and is also obsessed with classical music. Because Mia’s parents are extreme hard rock fans, Mia often feels like an outsider in her own family, but she still remains close with her parents, as well as her

Bar Midwest - Original Writing - 1421 Words

The morning air seeped through the open window as the newly rising sun glowed on the barren rock landscape dome. It wasn’t so barren though, there was small house that laid nestled in the rocks. The house was more like a small shackled shed than an actually house. The house was small and simple, made out of wood equipped with a chicken coop and garden. The house was had one room. In the room was a fireplace, coal burning stove, table for two, and a twin sized bed shoved in the corner. The bed was unmade and a man stood at the stove making his morning breakfast of eggs. The man is me, Coy Fimms. Living on the hills of rocks was usually simple and boring. Every morning started out the same I woke up, never made the bed, and ate my bland†¦show more content†¦And also that I had been shamed by my family after I has the first report in five generations to be so publicly humiliated. But of course none of this riff-raff was true. This is all a lie that was my cover story to keep me protected from the dark sides of the ruthless oil companies. They government had place me here to keep watch over the very expensive and crucial part of the oil world. The Teapot Dome. The name may not describe the expensive side of the teapot but it did describe the formation its self. The dome was literally a teapot shape depending on which way rock was look at. The rock formation sat on the rock hill with the spout facing north and the sides of the kettle facing west and east. The rock was tall and wide. And when the skies rained in the early springs the vegetation on the hill wood start to grow and add a mossy green color to the dome. But the dome still stood prevalent in the barren landscape. Even though the rock itself was amazing for the shape, the dome was even more special because the dome is a dome. The dome is obviously a rock formation and the features of the rock allows oil to be trapped underground between impervious layers of rock. Which makes this dome a gold mine for oil. Oil companies would be in a quarreling over the land except for the fact that congress set aside

Sudan’s Economic Development Free Essays

Development is something we do to make our way of life more comfortable. If we were not to develop we would still be living in the depths of the jungle feeding on bugs and things. But we have developed to become a more intelligent and happier race. We will write a custom essay sample on Sudan’s Economic Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now In developing we take things we have and manipulate them into things we can use and sell to help our current situation and in turn make our way of life better. The quality of life is very important. Some factors may be measured but inputs such as personal happiness, a sense of well being or self worth etc., are more difficult to measure because they are subjective. A study of development must contain both measurable objective and subjective aspects. The quality of life can be measured by other factors like infant mortality rate, life expectancy, literacy rate, GNP, and population-growth rate. The quality of life is directly linked to the state of development that a country is currently at. To be developed a country has to have at the very least the basic necessities covered for the human population, e.g. clean water and a health system. To be highly developed a country would have to be up with the cutting edge of technology and health care, plus have a good education status etc. This report will eventually draw up a conclusion of what state of development this country (Sudan) is at. Sudan is situated in Northeastern Africa, the largest country of the African continent. It is bounded on the north by Egypt; on the east by the Red Sea and has Kenya, Uganda, DRC (formerly Zaire), Central African Republic, Chad and Libya. Sudan has a total area of 2,505,813 sq. km. Khartoum is the Capital City of Sudan. Sudan has a maximum length from north to south of more than 2250km; the extreme width of the country is about1730km. Divided into three separate regions, ranging from desert which covers about 30% of all Sudan, through a vast semiarid region of steppes and low mountains in central Sudan, to a region of vast swamps and rain forest in the south. Major features of Sudan are the great Nile River and its head streams the White Nile and the Blue Nile. Sudan has a tropical climate, Seasonal variations are most sharply defined in the desert zones, where winter temperatures as low as 4.4 degrees Celsius are common. Summer temperatures often exceed 43.3 degrees Celsius in the desert zones, and rainfall is negligible. Dust storms frequently occur. In Khartoum the average annual temperature is about 26.7 degrees Celsius; and annual rainfall which often occurs between mid-June and September, is about 254mm. The primary natural resources of Sudan are water. Supplied by the Nile River system, and fertile soil. Large areas of cultivable land are situated in the region between the Blue Nile and the White Nile. Small deposits of many minerals occur. The most important of which are chromium, copper and iron ore. Petroleum was also discovered in the late 1970†³s. The population of Sudan is composed mainly of Arabs in the north and black Africans in the south. Other ethnic groups in northern Sudan include the Beja, Jamala and Nubian peoples. About 58% of the economically active people are engaged in agricultural or pastoral activities; a quarter are employed in services and less than 10% in manufacturing and mining. Infant mortality rate indicates how many infants in every 1000 die soon after birth. Sudan has an infant morality rate of 77 in every 1000 live births. In developing countries the infant mortality rate is usually high and this lowers the overall life expectancy, along with generally poor health among adults. Sudan has a limited health system; it provides various vaccinations for the population but lacks overall medical treatment. Sudan does not have a good life expectancy (52 years); this is probably due to the relatively poor health services. Only 48% of Sudan†s population have access to clean water and there are 11620 people per doctor. (Population projection graph Appendix A) (Sudan population pyramid Appendix B) Sudan†s economic situation is not all that great. GDP/capita is only at $186 US, compared to other countries like Indonesia ($671), Togo ($559) and Costa Rica ($1774) Sudan needs to do a little work to get their GDP up. Sudan imports primary foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals at a cost of 1.1billion dollars US annually. But they only export $535 million per annum in cotton (24%), livestock/meat (13%), gum Arabic (food additive in printing material)(11%). This has put Sudan into an $18 billion dollar debt. The education status of Sudan is not very impressive either. An Adult literacy rate of 42.7% and only 52% of children in primary school the population doesn†t get the education it requires to develop properly. About two thirds of Sudan†s population derives its living from crop farming or grazing, but only about 5% of the countries land is arable. Annual crop production in the early 1990†³s included; sorghum, wheat, peanuts, dates, yams and pulses. Cotton is the leading cash crop of Sudan; it is produced in large amounts in the Al Jazirah region. The livestock population in the early 1990†³s included about 21.6 million cattle, 22.6 million sheep, 18.7 million goats and 35 million poultry. The constitution of 1973, establishing Sudan as a one-party presidential Republic, was suspended following a military coup in 1985. Open elections were held in 1986, but political activities in the court were banned after another military coup in 1989. After the 1985 coup a 15 member Transitional Military Council took control. In April 1986 the people elected members to a parliamentary assembly; the leader of the majority party became Prime Minister. This shows that the government up until 1985 the Sudanese government was unstable and needed reform. It is quite clear that Sudan is not a developed country. This shows mainly in it†s economic factors, with the country being $18billion dollars in debt and having its exports much lower than its imports there doesn†t seem to be much hope of Sudan getting into or anywhere near the black. Also the majority of the population works in agriculture and only a limited number of people work in the industries. The health system provides only limited support for the population. Over 11 000 people per doctor and 48% of the population with access to clean water, it is no surprise that the life expectancy is only 52 years. (Basic demographic Indicators Appendix C) Everyone knows that it takes money to make money and Sudan has a lot of its money channelled into the military. They could cut down on the army expenses and divide that money into other aspects like education, health and technology. Sudan can be an ally with neighbouring countries and trade goods; they could combine their forces and become one force. How to cite Sudan’s Economic Development, Papers

Making waves Essay Example For Students

Making waves Essay Exit, pursued by a bear is a bit of a stretch for most theatres producing The Winters Tale. But on radio, this stage direction stretches imagination rather than resources: A bears roar, a mans terrified scream and off? Maybe a narrator stating it simply and chillingly? Or with a smile in his voice, as with an oft-told joke? Non-radio people get tired of radio types extolling the endless possibilities of radio drama, but until youve experienced it you cant imagine the kick of that kind of freedom. My experience with radio began two years ago when my play Truckin Maggie won the BBC World Service Drama Competition and I went to London for the production. Our schedule had to be shortened from the usual three days to two because the production coincided with the first strike by BBC employees in 50 years. The lead actor, Anton Lesser, was half dead with a cold and trying not to be concerned about how hed manage not only our rushed schedule but playing Richard III at the RSC, which he was also doing at the time. One of the bit parts hadnt been cast by the time we started but, no problem, Michael Horden was passing by and was happy to give 10 minutes to a cameo. This was heady stuff for a first-timer. I was hooked. When Gordon House, head of BBC World Service Drama, asked to do an adaptation of two of my one-acts, I couldnt wait to go back. There was the usual climbing down into the bunker to get to the studio (five levels below ground a left-over from World War II broadcasting-during-the-Blitz days), and the stereotypically civilized tea breaks, provided by the BBC canteen. But this time a strike was only threatened (by Equity), so we had the full three days for production. Three days may not sound like a lot of time to discuss, rehearse and record a play, but the BBC has it down to a science, and the director and actors, drawn mainly from theatre, come prepared to put meat on the bone quickly and effectively. There are few distractions from the work at hand. No costumes, no sets and little blocking is needed in what has been called the stage of pure sound. Scenes are read, discussed, rehearsed and recorded one after the other, with one final take at the end. Afterwards, the director edits the tape, working with the production team to add special sound effects or music, and the play is ready to be broadcast to World Service Dramas audience of 120 million. (What playwright could resist that size house?) Often, BBC Radio 4 will pick up a World Service Drama production to be broadcast nationally, making for an even bigger audience. The BBC doesnt have a corner on this kind of production, of course. Radio drama in Europe is an institution, and a thriving one. German radio is an active producer of new plays, as well as of adaptations many in English of writers ranging from Graham Greene to Dashiell Hammett. Radio in the Netherlands, though its become increasingly commercial the last few years, still manages to provide a forum for new plays. France, Italy and Austria all have systems of radio networks supported by public funds, broadcasting on a regular basis a variety of radio drama. But perhaps it is in Great Britain that radios standing is most evident: It is not a fringe medium. Every daily newspaper carries the radio schedule right next to the one for television. Any newsstand carries at least one of the three national magazines The Listener, Radio Times, London Calling featuring articles about radio. Costs for the five national networks and 50 local radio networks constitute a fourth of the total BBC budget. About 2,200 plays a year are produced by BBC Radio and BBC World Service Drama, with production costs running around 12,000 per hour, versus 300,000 for an hour of television drama. (This is not to say that BBC pays exorbitant fees to its artists. My bed and breakfast was hosted by a writer whose novel was being filmed by BBC television. We commiserated on the trade-off between the quality of work possible with BBC and large financial renumeration available elsewhere and decided it was worth it.) John Tydeman, a radio veteran of 30 years and head of BBC Radio for the past five, attributes radios success to the fact that, in the 60s when the bite of television was being felt, BBC Radio did not panic and go for the elitist market. They continued to program entertaining fluff alongside Hamlet and found that their core audience stuck around for the classics. He also reasons that one explanation for the health and liveliness of the British theatre is that it continues the tradition of radio dramas. The two media continue to feed each other today. Name a West End playwright or actor, and its more than likely that he or she also does radio. Radio isnt a medium theatre artists use as a stepping stone to better things. Its one they return to again and gain for the singular qualities no other medium can provide. As Gordon House says, When we do a play, were reinterpreting that play not leaching off the other medium. Adaptations to radio can change the feel of a play completely. He uses the example of Alan Ayckbourns plays several of which he has directed for radio pointing our that an individual seeing these plays in a theatre is affected by the reactions of those around him and so, naturally, picks up on the comedy eliciting the laughter. But when that same individual is listening to the plays in the quiet of his own home, the darkness in the plays is more accented and becomes much more a part of ones reaction to that play. House also emphasizes how congenial radio is for writers honing their talents for a characterization and dialouge. Which is why most playwrights, given the opportunity, love to write for radio, as evidenced by the experience of Marjorie Van Halteren, producer/artistic director of The Radio Stage, a program of plays running on National Public Radio through March 22, 1992. Van Halteren, a three-time Peabody Award Winner, had no trouble attracting playwrights like Adrienne Kennedy, Eric Overmyer, Migdalia Cruz and Wendy Wasserstein to adapt their plays or write new ones for the series. She points out the powerful advantages for playwrights in radio, among them the opportunity to see the play through from inception to production. This is a valuable opportunity for writers who work in the American theatre, where so many new plays never make it past the level of a staged reading. And radio is relatively cheap. Two dozen radio plays can be produced for about what it would cost to produce one play Off Broadway. So why dont we have the same thriving radio medium as Europe has? Mainly because American and European radio developed differently. Here, commercial radio came first, with public radio not coming on strong until 1970, with the advent of NPR. Radio in the U.S. is a business, not an art form, says Van Halteren. Its basically a service to an advertiser. In commercial broadcasting, the product is the audience. In public broadcasting, the product is the program. But this stark reality hasnt discouraged those trying to bring radio into the mainstream. Van Halteren admits, I find a real strength in the kind of guerrilla atmosphere in which we work. Nearly everyone in radio drama in the States today is reinventing the wheel. In a hopeful vein she quotes Brecht: If you want to build a barn, you work with the beams you have. American radios beams are few right now, but growing in number and strength. Surely there must be room for a medium that allows both its artists and its audience to stretch their imaginations so inexpensively and innovatively. Its just a matter of time. .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db , .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .postImageUrl , .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db , .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:hover , .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:visited , .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:active { border:0!important; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:active , .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u745ed83ef52ae8c5943f63d29af2d2db:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Giorgio Strehler Essay OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMSÂ   The radio stage series is actually only one of several lively, largely unsung programs offering drama on the ariwaves. Perhaps the most ambitious, SoundPlay, began a year-long series of radio drama last September. Produced by New York-based Voices International and distributed by the Pacifica Program Service in Universal City, Calif., SoundPlay features new work by Tom Stoppard, Vaclaw Hazel, Suzan-Lori, Parks, Ingeborg Bachmann, Peter Handke and the prospects directors Everett Frost and Faith Wilding. Voices International has also put together a three-part program of dramatized myths and legends by Native Americans, Stories from the Spirit World, to coincide with the Columbus Quincentenary. L.A. Theatre Works, headed by Susan Loewenberg, regularly produces radio plays, often with nearby Hollywood celebrities. Edward Asner, Richard Dreyfus, Marsha Mason, Hector Elizondo and Howard Hesseman have been known to participate from time to time, performing before enthusiastic studio audiences. LATWs productions are broadcast on NPR affiliates across the country. The other main L.A.-based series, California Artists Radio Theatre, has also become a thriving place for original radio writing. In Hartford, Conn., Company One initiated a series of specially commissioned radio plays in 1989; this past year it stepped up its radio activities, offering mini-festivals of radio drama in May and October. Erik Bauersfelds Bay Area Radio Drama (BARD) in Northern California has opened its studios to radio-drama directors for many years. One of its latest productions, a radio version of The Emperor Jones, is currently being aired around the country. Finally, the Midwest Radio Theatre Workshop has for 12 years been generating discussion and production of radio theatre at its annual conference held in Columbus, Mo. Masters and novices gather for an intensive week of training seasons, panels and presentations, culminating in a live performance of a radio drama broadcast across the state. Still other institutions are transferring the excitement and immediacy of radio drama to the stage. Within the past two years the Blackfriars Theatre of San Diego has presented two of Todd Blakesley and Burnham Joiners radioformat satires, The Laughing Buddha Wholistik Radio Theatre and More of the Laughing Buddha Wholistik Radio Theatre. Comprised of comedy serials, jingles, musical interludes and sound effects, the shows give the audience the experience of being at a live radio broadcast. In Seattle, the Bathhouse Theatres radioesque revue The Big Broadcast has become a holiday favorite; and Walton Joness 1940s Radio Hour has brought wartime radio nostalgia to audiences at San Jose Rep twice in the past three years (in 1988, and again this winter). More information on the burgeoning radio culture can be found in the current special issue of Theatre Journal (vol. 43, no. 3), guest-edited by Everett Frost. It includes essays by Carey Perloff (on recording Ingeborg Bachmans Good God of Manhattan), Anthony Burgess and Jose Quintero, among others. Several collections of radio drama have also recently been published, among them German Radio Plays (Continuum), the English Best Radio Plays of 1991 (Methuen/BBC Publications) and the Canadian Airborne: Radio Plays by Women (Blizzard Publishing).