Thursday, October 31, 2019

How Immigration Influences the Economic Issues Essay

How Immigration Influences the Economic Issues - Essay Example However, I personally believe that immigrants are proving beneficial for improving the economies of the developed countries. Stand Essay Apart from increase in the rate of crimes and drug trafficking because of some immigrants, there are also some very beneficial aspects of immigrations. People should not think negative of all immigrants because nature and activities of every person are not the same. It is only a small number of immigrants who are actually involved in criminal activities. Some news reports and researches say that 12 to 15 percent of immigrants are actually involved in illegal activities. The major part of the immigrants is very peaceful and does not take any step against the laws of the country. Such immigrants are very much concerned about their own image in the society as well as the image of their home nations. To maintain a good image, they follow the laws of the country and respect every individual they meet. Most of the immigrants are hardworking and careful in dividuals who obey the social, political, and labor laws and regulations of the foreign countries. Immigrants also help the countries improve their economies by helping them increase their GDPs. In the United States, news reports confirm that U.S. GDP increase by 0.75 percent annually due to large-scale immigrations. Immigrants work with full dedication and commitment wherever employed. They are very productive for the companies, which hire them because they have constant desire to earn money by working effectively and efficiently for they companies. Some of the immigrants include highly experienced surgeons, engineers, and professors who come to the United States to provide their high quality services to the local people. Researches prove that immigrant doctors and teachers play a valuable role in providing proper healthcare and educational needs to the local people and overcoming the labor shortage present in these professions. My personal experiences with immigrants have always b een good. A small group of Asian immigrants lives in my neighborhood. They have always helped me whenever and wherever my family and I needed it. For example, one day my younger brother was playing with his friends on the street next to my house. While they were playing, a motorcyclist appeared on the street. He was driving his motorcycle at a very a high speed. Suddenly my brother came in range of the motorcyclist who was just going to hit my brother. In the meantime, one of the immigrants rushed towards him and dragged him away of the motorcyclist’s range. That was the moment I realized that immigrants are very kind and supportive people. Opposition Essay In this part of the paper, we will see immigration to the United States from opposition’s point of view. It is a fact that a major part of the illegal immigrants living in the United States is originally from Mexico. Researches prove that approximately 13.2 million illegal immigrants living in the United States are Mexican-Americans. Increase in the number of crimes and drug trafficking are two of the most significant problems caused by the immigrants in the United States of America. Increase is the number of crimes is one of the major drawbacks associated with immigrations. Some percentage of the immigrants

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Maggi Brand Consumer Behaviour Research Essay Example for Free

Maggi Brand Consumer Behaviour Research Essay Well the history of this brand traces back to the 19th century when industrial revolution in Switzerland created factory jobs for women, who were therefore left with very little time to prepare meals. Due to this growing problem Swiss Public Welfare Society asked a miller named Julius Maggi to create a vegetable food product that would be quick to prepare and easy to digest. Julius, the son of an Italian immigrant came up with a formula to bring added taste to meals in 1863. Soon after he was commissioned by the Swiss Public Welfare Society, he came up with two instant pea soups a bean soup- the first launch of Maggi brand of instant foods in 1882-83. Towards the end of the century, Maggi company was producing not just powdered soups, but bouillon cubes, sauces and other flavorings. However in India(the largest consumer of Maggi noodles in the world! ) it was launched in 1980’s by Nestle group of companies. Maggie had merged with Nestle(This company too has a very interesting history which I will discuss in some other review! ) family in 1947. When launched it had to face a stiff competition from the ready to eat snack segments like biscuits, wafers etc. Also it had other competitor the so called ’home made’ snacks which are till today considered healthy and hygienic. Hence to capture the market it was positioned as a hygienic home made snack, a smart move. But still this didn’t work, as it was targeted towards the wrong target group, the working women. Although the product was developed for this particular purpose. After conducting an extensive research, the firm found that the children were the biggest consumers of Maggi noodles. Quickly a strategy was developed to capture the kids segment with various tools of sales promotion like pencils, fun books, maggi clubs which worked wonders for it. No doubt the ads of maggi have shown a hungry kid saying ’’Mummy bhookh lagi hai’’ to which his mom replies ’’Bas do minute! ’’ and soon he is happily eating Maggie noodles. The company could have easily positioned the product as a meal, but did not, as a study had shown that Indian mentality did not accept anything other than rice or roti as meal. They made it a easy to cook snack that could be prepared in just two minutes. The formula clicked well maggi became a brand name. That’s precisely what is required in making a product a brand The brand has grown to an estimated 200 crore contributes to around 10% of Nestle India’s top line. So next time when you are eating this noodles just remember these facts that have gone on to make Maggi a brand. In the early 1980s India was opening up to the world after three and a half decades of self-existence. Till then, the concept of â€Å"fast food† was practically non-existent. Nestle had already been pipped to the post by Cadbury in the milk chocolate segment and it desperately wanted to create a niche for itself in the high potential Indian market. It was then that it realized that it could be a first-mover in the untapped â€Å"instant food† segment. Several years went by and a lot of money was spent and Maggi Noodles was born. The problems had only just begun. The biggest of them was the Indian psyche of the 80s. The conservatism which India showed in their culture boiled down to their palate also. They would rather stick to their Tandoori Chicken or Idli Sambhar than be a little more adventurous in trying a new taste. Maggi Noodles was a new taste from a new culture. It was then that Maggi Noodles became Maggi Instant Two-Minute Noodles. The whole point was to position Maggi as platform of convenience and soul food for the a fast growing section of the Indian population – the working women. Heavy promotion was done on the same lines. But even this did not work. Sales were good but not as good as they wanted it to be. A research was carried out which revealed that the largest consumers of the brand were not the working women but young children in the Indian households. Realizing this, Nestle repositioned their brand using new promotional strategies and smart advertising. Marketing teams were sent out to schools to distribute free Maggi samples to take home. The kids would inevitably take their Maggi packets home and ask their mothers to prepare it for lunch or as a snack. The mothers would find that it took them only two minutes to make a proper hot meal for their children who would love it. They would refer it to their neighbors who would pass it on to distant bachelor cousins who lived alone and had to cook for themselves. Thus, the hugely successful viral campaign ensured that Maggi created a distinct affection in the hearts of its consumers unlike any other proprietary food of its time. But the story was far from over. In 1997, Nissin – the inventor of instant noodles – launched its flagship brand Top Ramen in the Indian market with Shah Rukh Khan – fresh from the success of super hits like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge – endorsing the brand. It was then that Maggi took its first false step – it changed its taste to align itself with that of Top Ramen’s. The results were disastrous. A generation which had grown up on Maggi could not accept the new taste and would rather give Top Ramen a try. Nestle was fast losing ground to Nissin. It took them two years to work out a new strategy – accept the consumer’s verdict and get back to the basics. In 1999, Maggi relaunched itself with its original taste. It paid off handsomely and the faithfuls returned to their master. Top Ramen could no longer sustain the growth it built up in the two years. The next big hurdle came in 2004. The SARS epidemic of 2003 in South East Asia had led to widespread concerns regarding personal hygiene and health. Mothers were now more concerned regarding what their children were eating and maida in general was always considered to be low on the health aspect. In 2005 Maggi launched Atta Noodles with the tagline â€Å"Taste bhi, health bhi. † Although the advertisements showed Atta Noodles replacing the rotis and chapatis, this was never Maggi’s intention. It knew that thinking about that objective was a far cry and the main purpose was to convince mothers that their children was eating the right thing. In this sense, it scored over the Licia and Bambino semolina-based Macaroni products, which, though being an healthier alternative to Maggi, always tried to position themselves as a substitute for wheat based items of daily consumption. Within 10 months, Maggi Atta Noodles was declared a success and now they are foraying further with the â€Å"Taste bhi, Health bhi† campaign with products such as Multi-Grain Noodles. The above examples show that Maggi as a brand knows the customer and is willing to learn from its mistakes. It knows that its USP is convenience to ake and good to eat and it sticks to that without pushing the envelope further in its campaigns. It has also leveraged its success to other food products – the most notable of which is the Maggi ketchup which has garnered a market leader position of about 45% largely thanks to the Maggi brand and its positioning as a â€Å"Different† product ( Remember the tagline – Its different! ). The savior of many students (and especially the ones staying in hostels), there is little doubt as to why many regard Maggi as the greatest invention since the wheel.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Personal Research Project Animation Essay

The Personal Research Project Animation Essay This research document was undertaken to discover and analyse character acting in animation, and the different methods used to express emotion and thought process. The document is focused around how an audience is influenced by techniques of character acting, and what elements contribute to its believability. Research of various literature, articles and online sources have been ventured to aid the analysis and conclusion. The evidence researched, suggests that thought process must occur before an action takes place by the character. Developing a character with empathy through their emotions helps the audience relate to them, contributing to a richer, more believable outcome. Various techniques are used to express thought process and emotion, however, discovery has led to the understanding that body language can be just as expressive without dialogue. Internal thought process is best expressed through a characters eye movements in conjunction with body language. Introduction The aim of this research document is to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of how acting methods in character animation can be utilised and articulated to express emotions through the display of internal thought processes in a character. This research will explore the methods used by animators to create the illusion of life and discover how it can become believable and engaging for the audience. Acting is defined as the art of practise of representing a character on a stage or before cameras and derives from the Latin word agere, meaning to do an obsolete meaning for the word acting is animate. (John Kundert-Gibbs, 2009, p4) Research will be applied to specific methods of real/stage acting to develop an understanding of acting in character animation. Background to the Research Animate verb /annimayt/ 1. bring to life or activity. 2 give (a film or character) the appearance of movement using animation. adjective /annimt/ alive; having life. Derives, animator noun. Origin, Latin animare, from anima life, soul. (Oxford English Dictionary) Animation has been thought to have originated over 35,000 years ago, after the discovery of ancient wall paintings in places like Altamira and Lascaux; which depicted various types of humans, objects and animals as Richard Williams (2001, p13) explains, sometimes with four pairs of legs to show motion. In the early 1800s, Williams shows (2001, p14-15) that there were various different devices developed for the sole purpose of creating an illusion of movement such as the Thaumatrope, the Phenakistoscope, the Zoetrope, the Paxinoscope and the Flipper book. All these devices were based on the rediscovery, in 1824, of The persistence of vision by Peter Mark Roget. The principle of this rests, on the fact that our eyes temporarily retain the image of anything theyve just seen. (Williams, 2001, p13) In 1896, this sparked the interest of Thomas Edison, who ended up publicly releasing a combination of drawings, drawn by James Stuart Blackton, in sequence called Humorous Phases of Funny Faces. Since then, we have seen many different approaches to the genre of animation. With the rise of Disney animation studios, in 1928, Steamboat Willie was introduced with synchronised sound and a new character, Mickey Mouse. By 1936, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released which received amazing success. This was the starting point of the Golden Age of animation which was shortly followed by the popular Disney titles: Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi and Fantasia. It wasnt until November, 1995 that Toy Story, the first full-length computer animated film was released by Pixar Animation Studios. This sparked another new era of animation. Studios like Dreamworks and Blue Sky soon followed. Acting in animation has been adopted as the key element for creating believability in an animated sequence, But to make these designs work, the movements have to be believable which leads back to realism What we want to achieve isnt realism, its believability. (Williams, 2001, p.34) All animated acting is designed to give a character personality and believability. Just like in stage acting. Doron Meir (2008) explains that believable acting is a result of the audience feeling a characters actions of its own inner motives. Williams (2001) notes that animation principles that were developed by Disney Studios very early on, are still being used today in all types of animation to bring characters to life. Research Question How are emotions and internal thought processes expressed through techniques of acting in character animation to make characters believable and engaging to the audience? Survey of Literature Works Acting is a very broad subject, and can be applied to many different genres of acting for stage and camera. Animation has had a direct influence by the techniques and discoveries on how to portray a character through movement. This is why To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting by Michael Chekhov is an ideal choice that links directly to acting. Chekhov is famously known for his in-depth acting methods, and has stood as an iconic teacher for famous actors of today. Chekhov reflects on the methods used to call up emotions, develop characters and strengthen awareness as an actor. All these things help to develop specific Psychological Gestures that he explains within the book, that show the audience what the character is trying to express through body language, which is also the key to a characters believability in an animated sequence. To get a more specific understanding of how characters move, and the principles surrounding character animation as an art, The Animators Survival Guide by Richard Williams is an in-depth manual on the style and techniques of hand-drawn animation. Containing the specific principles used by animators to achieve believable movement. Williams has been one of the true innovators, and serves as a link between the golden age of animation by hand and new computer animation successes. (Williams, 2001, blurb) Everything in this book relates to the overall aim of producing a character that moves in a believable way. Acting relies on these techniques that are shown through drawing methods of frame by frame animation. By adopting these techniques, animators can be taught to study the anatomy of the human body to further understand how to produce successful animated characters. The analysis of how characters display emotion needs to be taken into account throughout this research. Acting for Animators by Ed Hooks explains the tried and tested methods in acting that reflect personality and feeling within a character. This book takes us through Hooks lessons on acting and the theoretical approach behind his techniques. Empathy occurs a lot in this book, answering the need to create characters with feeling, for the audience to empathise with. Analysis into character movement and acting by example will allow the discovery of techniques used in popular film. Acting in Animation: A Look at 12 Films is a second book by Ed Hooks, where he analyses twelve different animated films, going through chapter by chapter, describing the expressive and emotive methods used in each scene. Led by these film examples, the techniques discovered through research, can be firmly reinforced. Theoretical Approach for Selecting Data Data will be collected, analysed and displayed from a variety of published secondary sources including: books, articles, web articles, web blogs and conferences. All data and necessary information will be collected for the purpose of research, but will not all be related to the analysis of animation. Acting technique and method will be the main subject source of research, which will provide a broader context to base opinions, ideas and thoughts discovered in secondary literature sources by other people in the industry. Literature sources containing examples of proven practise will be used to further enforce the topic of research. Description of Proposed Practise By an extended discovery and analysis on the subject of character acting in animation, I plan to produce at least six interesting and achievable artefacts that reflect the knowledge gained through this research document, that will provide further understanding about how emotion can allow an audience to empathise with an animated character. The preliminary design practise will include the development of key character poses to emphasise specific emotions directly influenced by an internal thought process. This will then indicate how a character can be developed further into a collection of believable animation sequences. Each artefact plans to contain one of the six basic emotions, as stated by Ed Hooks, happiness, surprise, fear, anger, disgust and sadness (2000, p.36) Characters used will be designed and rigged by a secondary source, which will provide a simple, easy to use marionette for the purpose of animation. Dialogue will not be used, as this may stand as a distraction from the emotions that are aimed to be expressed through body language and facial expressions. These artefacts will provide a clearer understanding of subconscious body movements that are often overlooked. Discussion Character animation can take many forms within the context of animation in both the traditional sense as well as in modern computer animation. The following principles were developed and named: 1. Squash and Stretch 2. Timing and Motion 3. Anticipation 4. Staging 5. Follow Through and Overlapping 6. Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose 7. Slow In and Out 8. Arcs 9. Exaggeration 10. Secondary Action 11. AppealPersonality in character animation is the goal of all of the above. (John Lasseter, 1987, pp. 35-44, 21:4) Lasseter explains that these specific traditional animation principles and techniques developed in the 1930s by Walt Disney Studios should be incorporated into all animated media especially character animation to develop characters look to make them more realistic and entertaining (Lasseter, 1987, pp. 35-44) Richard Williams explains, The old knowledge applies to any style of approach to the medium no matter what the advances in technology. (2001, p. 20) This shows that successful, believable animation of all types have spawned on the basis and influence of these traditional principles and techniques. Richard Williams also tells us that, in relation to classical and computer animation, Both share the same problems of how to give a performance with movement, weight, timing and empathy. (2001, p. 20) This underlines a key point into the advances of technology in animation, showing that 3D animation software packages only act as a technique of animating and not an easier way to influence believable movement. Lasseter explains, To make a characters personality seem real to an audience, he must be different than the other characters on the screen. A simple way to distinguish the personalities of your characters is through contrast of movement. No two characters would do the same action in the same way. (1994) Creating a unique character, develops its personality. John Kricfalusi (2006) reminisced of how he got drawn in by Chuck Jones cartoons, noticing the unique expressions he drew. Specifically as an example, the way he draws two whites of the eyes joined together, one bigger than the other to form a D-uh expression. We can see that individuality is very important when introducing personality to a character, Chekhov (1953, p.83) explains on the subject of characterisation, that particular features indigenous to a character; like a typical movement, manner of speech, recurrent habit, odd way of walking and so on, expresses the finishing touches to a character. Characters become more alive and more human with this small feature. Hooks (2000, p.36) explains, When we speak of creating the illusion of life in animation, it boils down not to mannerisms and naturalistic movement, but to emotion. Hooks continues to state that theoretically speaking, emotion is the essential element of acting as the point of empathy for the audience. Hooks, Empathy is as essential to dynamic acting as oxygen is to water. (2000, p.9) Characters of all descriptions, in an attempt to make them believable to an audience, need to have a particular personality. The audience needs to be directly affected by a characters on-screen emotion, to really feel a sense of empathy. Without, the audience will lose interest easily and the objectives within the storyline can diminish. Hooks (2000, p.41), reflects on Charlie Chaplin as one of the most influential comedians that used a great deal of empathy in his work to touch the audiences emotions. He explains that his innovation as a performer has had a huge influence on the world of comics and animation. As Chuck Jones has said I admire Chaplin very much because you could see him think, and plan, and you cared for him. (Hooks, 2000, p.40) Chaplins unique relationship with the audience has seen a great influence on character animation from the beginning of Walt Disneys profession. Dick Huemer (Hooks, 2000, p.40), Disney storyman, tells us Walt had an image of Mickey Mouse as a little Chaplin. In order to successfully accomplish empathy within a character, there needs to be elements of individuality to provoke emotions. These can be developed through simple recurring mannerisms that correlate with the characters thoughts and actions. In every respect, the audience needs to be the main influence when deciding a characters actions. Hooks states humans express six basic emotions, happiness, surprise, fear, anger, disgust and sadness (2000, p.36) He also tells us that there is disagreement on whether facial expression is primarily a reflection of the inner emotional state, or if it is simply a social display. Hooks concludes that it could be either, depending on the situation. Emotion can be expressed through both facial expression and body language, although the influence of each method can be different. Williams (2001, p. 324) believes that words should be kept to a bare minimum and as an animator, make everything as clear as possible through pantomime using only the body to tell the story. The movements of the body are thought about a lot more by animators than real actors, as animators have to create it rather than do it, although the physical expressive nature of emotions are identical. Different types of feelings can be expressed easily as Chekhov shows, grasping or catching (greed, avarice, cupidity, miserliness) roughly with palms turned earthward lusts to overpower, to possess. (1953, p.67) Equally, Chekhov (1953, p.73) explains here that in order to build up your characters expressive nature, hands and arms should act first for example; hands up near the chin expresses unavoidability and loneliness, palms turned outward displays self-defence and slight humour is evoked when bending the three middle fingers of each hand. Hooks agrees, The truth is that our hands and arms are the most expressive parts of our bodies. (2000, p.60) An example to this, Hooks demonstrates, Arms folded across the chest indicate that the person is closed, intractable When you are embarrassed, you tend to shrink in space. (2000, p.62) This reveals that many body language patterns in human figures are emphasised through the movement of hands and arms. Williams (2001, p. 324) explains a method called Twinning where arms and hands are doing the same thing, symmetrically. He teaches that this is used to show authority by preachers, leaders, politicians and so forth. Kevan Shorey agrees that, Symmetry is a good way of adding force to an action to get a point across! (2008) Both animators, believe that twinning should be broken up to avoid an exact mirror image of movements that would produce unbelievable messages to the audience. Jeff Lew (2004) explains that to make twinning animation look more interesting, the perspective of shot needs to be changed so they dont physically look identical at a particular camera angle. Walt Disney in 1930s found that expression is better when the whole body is involved and not only the face, Movement begins in the area of your navel and radiates outwards into your limbs. (Hooks, 2000, p.60) John Kricfalusi (2006) explains that animators have evolved a style that has become more stagy than live action by reading characters emotions through body language and poses. Evidentially, facial expressions arent enough to provoke a meaningful emotion, and that the whole body needs to be articulating through hand gestures and arm movements to compliment facial expressions, to achieve a believable emotion through a character. In an example from Toy Story 2, Hooks notes, She (Jessie) doesnt simply greet Woody enthusiastically, she turns him over and gives him nuggies! She tosses him this way and that. Her emotion is leading her to energetically celebrate. (2005, p.90) This is a specific example of how body language is reflecting emotion successfully. If this same bit of acting was acted on the stage, or in front of a camera with real actors it would have a very different outcome. The emotion may be similar, but another way of emphasising actions used in animation is through exaggeration. Shawn Kelly (2009) informs us that he was taught to exaggerate something more than it should be, then double it. Exaggeration is one of the original animation principles. Lasseter (1987, pp. 35-44, 21:4) suggests exaggeration of characters by the animator must be very carefully chosen. If there is too much distortion it could result in an unrealistic look. Looking back much earlier, to 1927, the classic film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans was released. Without synchronised dialogue, films of this era had to rely on the characters acting and the backing compositions as the two main elements for the story. Sunrise is considered one of the finest films of the silent era, and Janets Gaynors performance is one its greatest virtues Her supple face and soulful eyes convey a range of thoughts and emotions that pages of dialogue could only suggest. (DeFreitas, 2009) Later, DeFreitas (2009) tells us that Sunrise became a winner of the 1929 Best Picture Oscar for Unique and Artistic Production. This film sets as an evidential example of how acting without dialogue can influence and empathise with an audience just as good, if not more so. Often in animation, Lasseter (1987, pp. 35-44) explains that the eye can easily pick up when the motion of a character seems to die, which can come across as looking particularly fake and unbelievable. To overcome this loss of motion, Lasseter uses a moving hold which is a technique used that continues the motion of a body part after an action. This breaks up the animation and results in a smoother and more believable sequence. Preston Blair (Hooks, 2001, p.60), states that an actor should never pause without a specific reason, and when a pause occurs, it should be shown for long enough so the audience can register it. These are both techniques that engage the audience into what the character is acting out. Before a movement of any sort can occur, thought processes need to become apparent through the character. Hooks outlines, Thinking tends to lead to conclusions; emotion tends to lead to action. (2000, p.1) Hooks defines a thought process as a method in discovering a conclusion. Lasseter (1994) mentions that every movement of a particular character must exist for a reason, and, ultimately, develop feelings in a character through their thought processes. As an observation, before a human being puts his body into action, a thought process must occur. In animation, this thought process must be shown to the audience to illustrate believability of an action that has just been revealed. To show a thought process in a character, Disney animator/teacher Eric Larson shows a technique, in Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnsons Illusion of Life, The subject gradually lowered his brows into a frown paused and then lifted one brow and glanced to the side, you immediately would sense a change from one thought to another (Richard Williams, 2001, p.320) This action was discovered when the first Mickey Mouse shorts were being created, and stands as a key element into how change of expression can reflect a meaningful thought process. Shawn Kelly (2009) expresses his ideas, explaining that there isnt anything more important than showing a characters thought process and changes which occur within it to provoke emotions and actions. It is down to these thought processes, he concludes, that drives everything we do. Looking at character animation in Toy Story 2, Hooks (2005, p.87) explains how Woodys realisation that Andy has gone to camp without him, leads him to his express sadness (emotion) which then leads him to withdraw to the back shelf, out of sight. He adds that, The more specific the characters thought process, the better the performance. (2005, p.87) Thought process in character animation, as mentioned, is very important for believability. This has been true for many years since the beginning of Disneys Golden Age in animation. Walt Disney said, In most instances, the driving force behind the action is the mood, the personality, the attitude of the character-or all three. Therefore, the mind is the pilot. We think of things before the body does them. (Lasseter, 1987, pp. 35-44, 21:4) It is widely agreed that thought process is the main building block that needs to be perfected and shown successfully in any animated character. Bill Tytla (Hooks, 2005, p.3), concluded that the pose is a reaction to something. Hooks refers to Aristotle, Aristotle referred to this as a unity of action small actions that lead to a bigger action, or objective. This simple rule lies at the base of all acting theory. An action without a thought is impossible, and action without an objective is just a mechanical thing, moving body parts. (Hooks, 2005, p.4-5) Aristotle finds that the thought process of a character separates a character with life to a robotic, lifeless machine. As mentioned earlier, Eric Larsons technique of showing a thought process in a character is very believable. But more specifically, it has been discovered that the eyes are the most important parts of the character to express and emphasis these thoughts. Williams (2001, p.325) advises on how the eyes are the focal point that people watch in a character. As an example, he notes, When listening on the phone the eyes flicker around in a Staccato fashion reflecting the listeners shifting thoughts in reaction our eyes are rarely still. (2001, p.326) The eyes, the driving force behind a characters actions. Kelly agrees that decisions can be reflected successfully with the eyes, They will very often dart their eyes around a bit as they consider and weigh their options. Its almost as if they are reading an imaginary list of possible choices! (2009) Lasseter (1987), explains that eyes lead before the action, and that the only time they wouldnt lead, would be if there was an external force acting upon the character. He mentions further, that the trick to showing thought process through the eyes of a character is with anticipation. The eyes should move first, followed by the head and then the rest of the body. The eyes of a character are the windows to its thoughts; the characters thoughts are conveyed through the actions of its eyes. (Lasseter, 1987) As well as eye movements, the timing and speed of a characters blinks can also affect the outcome of what is portrayed as a thought process. Kelly (2009), explains that different blinks can offer up our own different perceptions of what the character is thinking. A ton of blinks will feel as though the character is going to cry, is nervous, uncomfortable, shy, or possibly relieved after a big build up; while very little to no blinking will either feel dead, stoned worried, angry, or just very intense. (Kelly, 2009) Kelly teaches that blinks should be there for a reason to further enhance a particular emotion. Before an animator can even start to animate a particular thought process, they need to know about the character to be able to understand what they would be feeling at a certain moment, in an attempt to achieve a believable outcome. The most important foundation of believable character acting starts with finding out about a specific character. Williams states, Got to get inside the character. What does he/she/it want? and even more interesting why does the character want it? (2001, p.20) To develop our understanding of what a character is thinking, and in order to provoke emotion in a character, these questions need to be posed. Ed Hooks also explains to us that, Every character in a scene should be able to answer the question. What am I doing? in a theatrical sense. In other words, what action am I playing in pursuit of what objective? And what is the obstacle/conflict? (2005, p.89) Just like this, in the context of acting for an audience, Michael Chekhov suggests to, Ask yourself what the main desires of the character might be (1953, p.67) This approach sets the scene for any character in order to discover what the characters personality is trying to portray in what they are thinking or doing. Hooks notes, If you want to understand what a character is feeling, it is best to start by asking what the character is thinking and what his value system is. (2000, p.2) To understand how a character must move, the animator needs to discover the atmosphere and influence of the obstacle that the character is being confronted with. Only then can a thought process occur, and a feeling be evoked by a specific situation or conflict. Jeff Lew (2004) , expresses his thoughts on the development of a characters bio before learning how a character will react in any animated scene. This develops further understanding of a characters background that could be significant in influencing the way their emotions are expressed. This evidence shows us that there are a lot of elements contributing to developing a characters emotional state and to make it believable to the audience. To develop his understanding of a character and what they are thinking, Ed Hooks uses a definition coined by Michael Chekhov called a Psychological Gesture, which, Chekhov explains as the psychology of a character containing thoughts, feelings and a human free will which is expressed physically through external feelings, thoughts and desires. Hooks gives the example, Have you ever noticed someone who wrings his hands a lot while hes talking? A Bully punches someone in the chest with his finger. That is a psychological gesture. (2000, p.66) A psychological gesture is an internal thought process, manifesting itself into an external action to express an emotion. Chekhov gives an acting example, The qualities which fill and permeate each muscle of the entire body, will provoke within you feelings of hatred and disgust. (1953, p.64) The above, is very similar to the way animators approach the discovery of a characters psychological gesture by calling up ideas of how thoughts can influence the emotions that are displayed. Conclusion Character animation, in both the traditional and computer medium, rely heavily on the original animation principles that were discovered by Disney Studios. This emphasises how improvements in 3D animated software are used as only as a tool for the creation of animation, and does not rely on the computer to make things look believable by itself. Analysis has shown that acting techniques in animation are almost identical to stage and film acting. It is the exaggeration of body language and the ability to adapt a character in specific detail that sets it apart. It is evident that the emotional state of a character is a direct influence of its thought process. Thought process can be best expressed through body language to enhance an emotion. This research has lead to discover that eye movements are one of the focal points that enhance a characters thought. Emotions need to be manifested into an external, physical body movement, however slight, in order to engage an audience. The conclusion to the discussion has shown that creating empathy as a result of expressing an emotion, is the key element for engaging any audience. A characters believability is successful when an audience can relate to it in some way or another. This can be done by giving a character a personality through mannerisms and specific body language. Bibliography and List of Works CHEKHOV, M., CALLOW, S To The Actor: on the technique of acting, Oxon: Routledge, 2002 DEFREITAS, J MOVING PICTURES: Motion and Emotion in F.W. Murnaus Sunrise, 2009, http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-0212/article/32219?headline=MOVING-PICTURES-Motion-and-Emotion-in-F.W.-Murnaus-Sunrise- HOOKS, E., BIRD, B Acting for Animators, Portsmouth: Heinemann 2000 HOOKS, E Acting in Animation: A Look at 12 Films, Portsmouth: Heinemann 2005 KUNDERT- GIBBS, J, Action! Lessons for CG Animators, Oxford: John Wiley Sons, 2009 KRICFALUSI, J Personal Blog, 2006, http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com KELLY, S Animation Mentor Blog, 2009, http://www.animationtipsandtricks.com LASSETER, J Principles of Traditional Animation Applied to 3D Computer Animation, Siggraph, 1987, http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/animation/character_animation/principles/prin_trad_anim.htm

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Sentence :: Retribution Incapacitation Deterrence

As a judge dealing with a sentence for an individual that has been convicted of stealing others’ identity for monetary gain, specific information would be needed before a sentence could be imposed. The information needed would be as follows: How many people did he steal identities from? How was he or she planning to obtain money from the stolen identities? How did he or she steal the identities? Specifically, was it stolen from peoples’ garbage? Or was the identity stolen from a place that the person worked? Does the person have any prior convictions? What types of peoples’ identity were stolen? Were just elderly people targeted? What type of education does the individual have that stole from these people?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To incorporate the sentencing goals of retribution, incapacitations and deterrence all sort of tie in with each other. Giving the individual five years sentence with minimum 3 years served. Retribution would be dealt with by giving the criminal jail time well deserved. By serving time in jail, incapacitation would be incorporated. It would definitely remove the convicted person from the community. Jail time would prove to be short term deterrence for the person to commit further crime for three to five years while serving time. Depending on the person’s experience in prison, it might deter him or her from committing any future crimes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To provide restitution for the community that was victimized the individual would be fined or sentenced to do some type of community service. The type of community service should be that of picking up trash along side the road or to cleaning a national park. This person should not do community service where he or she could be near any information of other persons. He or she does not need the opportunity to be a repeat offender.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rehabilitation could be done through some sort of counseling.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Human resource management function Essay

Human resource management function -Able to outsource production or manufacturing in other countries such as Italy, Morocco, Poland and Turkey which are able to make the shirts cheap enough and good enough. -Under a smart boss who is Passionate and skilled in his business. -Limited human capital especially operation directors so that Robert can concentrate on design. The opportunity to bring more operations director on board so that Robert can concentrate on design. -An adverse Change in the international market environment given that they are unable to manufacture cheap and good quality shirts off the road. Accounting and finance function -Very healthy financially especially due to use retained profits to expand. -Has been self-financed after the paternal startup deal. -Good enough people apart from Robert who are able to do tasks such as analytics, accounting and warehousing much better than Robert. -A paternal startup deal which had higher interest rates than local bank rates. -An extremely conservative approach to financing -Angel investors and equity financiers will be willing to invest in the business given its good financial health. -Cutthroat angel investors who has the potential to affect the growth of the business. – Issuing out part of equity will dilute control of ownership which may bring wrangles in future. Marketing function -E-commerce which is already accounting for 15% of sales. -A Loyal customer’s base that is able to market the business by word of mouth and thus no much marketing needed. -Broad patterns of up to 500 patterns -A number of details about the expansion plan still remain sketchy. -Marketing and promotion only rely with word of mouth. -A chance to build itself as a brand by diversifying into other products such as jackets, shoes, belts. -An opportunity to diversify customers seeming to be demanding diversification. -Opportunity for increased number of outlets -The opening up of an online shop which has potential for multiplying sales from the current 15%. -A longer term vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. -Limitation by design and material. A number of parts or areas of the business need more strengthening so as to accelerate the growth and expansion of the business. The area that should be given priority in terms of strengthening it is accounting and finance since it will affect the other functions. The very conservative approach of financing ought to be loosened and the cutthroat angel and equity investors avoided so as avoiding problems that may arise in the future. The human resource management function should be strengthened by encouraging more specialization within the organization such as by hiring operations directors to manage operations that other may concentrate on other tasks like design. Also trying to engage in manufacturing off the road may help to overcome eventualities such as incase of change in the international market environment. The marketing function can be strengthened by having a clear and concise expansion plan and also by getting more materials and designs to help in curbing shortage in future even after outlets have been increased. Culture is a set of shared expectations, beliefs and norms by the members of the same organization. In depth Organizational culture can be described as the ideological system that is shared by the members of the organization, this culture is transmitted through interaction and socialization in the organization and help to shape the behavior of individuals (Schwartz and Davis, 1981: p. 33). The culture in Emmett shirts is shaped by the following factors. First the sector in which the Emmett shirts business operates in greatly influences it and in this case given that the business deals with clothes and specifically shirts where they sell them on retail to the customers. The fact that they are in direct contact with their final consumer makes them to be more friendly to consumers, listening to their suggestions and demands and showing them that they care. Secondly the influence of the founder or the business leader shapes the organizational culture. Robert Emmett being the owner and boss of the organization is key into formulating ideas and ideologies that are embraced by the others in the organization. Robert refers to himself as a smart boss but also quick to note that he is not there yet, this depicts him as someone setting the precedent to work smart and still seeking to do it better and better. He is also very passionate about his business having has started it from scratch and also not to fail to mention his skills especially in design. The other people in the organization tend to benchmark themselves with the leader and thus in Emmett shirts Robert is very crucial in terms of changing the organization culture. The history and tradition of the business also shapes the culture of the organization. Emmett shirts started as a really small entity with a loan from Robert`s father and now through retained earnings it has grown to three outlets all of which are doing great. The history of the business to its current position shapes the ideas and beliefs of what the business can achieve in future. These ideas and beliefs about the business in turn affect the actions and behavior of the workers and all members at large. The organization expectations in terms the growth plan, returns expected, expectations on the workers, the objectives, long term and short term goals, mission and vision to a great extent dictates the culture of the organization. The culture of the organization should support the realization of the organization expectations. The reward system and measurement of performance of the organization also goes a long way in determining the member’s culture. Emmett`s shirts business is also dictated mostly by this factor since its culture has to support its expansion plan of establishing more outlets. The customer base combined with the broad business environment such as legislation and other aspects like competition defines the culture of the organization. A change in the business environment may necessitate a change of culture as the organization adjusts to the changed environment. Emmett shirts may have to change a few aspects so as to address customer’s demands, respond to their feedback and move along with them. The culture of the organization can also be shaped by its environment such that an environment which is competitive may call for the organization to believe in its being the best, deliver quality products and offer excellent services. A Stakeholder of any organization refers to any person or party with an interest in the organization, the interests of different groups may at times conflict. Financial stakeholders in an organization are those who have financial interests in the organization or they will be affected by the state of the organization financially. Table 1.2 showing different stakeholders and their interests. Stakeholder category. Stakeholder. Interests. Internal stakeholders Owner(s), Robert Emmett Financial return or profits and capital gain or increase in value of his investment. Management team or Employees of Emmett shirts. A sense of belonging, payment, job satisfaction, and training. External stakeholders Lender, Robert`s father. Security and interest rate Community Contribution to community. Government/Authorities Taxes and compliance. Customers Supply of properly priced quality goods and services. Plans concerning future growth of Robert`s business through consideration of a number of available business opportunities. The growth plan will affect the different groups with a financial interest in the business. Robert want to expand his business by establishing more outlets, having an online shop, increasing production and in the long term the vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. Implementing these expansion plans means more risks, increased costs and multiplied management problems. The costs will be elastic to changes in the market in which the organization is operating in and thus the cost is likely to vary with future plans. The owner(s) interest to get higher financial returns could be thwarted in the short run if the expansion plans are implemented. The cash which could have been considered as returns to the owner are used in conjunction with other resources to implement the expansion plan. The owner, Robert will have to contend with nil returns for a time as he awaits the newly established projects to break-even. Expansion also means more finances are needed in the process and Robert may be forced to surrender a good proportion of the ownership of the organization to investors who are ready to invest their money in the organization in exchange to a share of ownership. The management and employees of Emmett shirts will also encounter more management problems in the expansion process and also later as they manage the new establishment in its new environment. Some of the workers may be transferred to different locations and others assigned different and more challenging roles. The above will in turn kill the sense of belonging amongst the employees as they are shifted to different locations and probably also diminish job satisfaction. The management and workers may also have to spend cash and time training so as to be able to handle the new challenges in the organization. Lenders of the business such as Robert`s father who provided the capital for starting the business, their financial interest in the firm i.e. repayment of principal amount and interest may be adversely affected. Loans are supposed to be repaid periodically of which it may not be possible if the expansion plan is quite over-ambitious or done over-aggressively without considering the ramifications of doing that. To avoid a scenario where loan repayment plan fails it is instrumental to plan and budget wisely. Costs can be differentiated into different types and categories which require different treatment in the budget. Variable (VC) or proportional and fixed costs (FC) are the main costs incurred in any business. Although there are intermediaries between the two main costs such are: semi-variable costs, semi-fixed costs. The above classification depends purely on the cost responsiveness to changing levels of business activity. Fixed costs remain constant throughout and do not change even if the level of business activity changes, semi –fixed costs tend to change a little bit to changes in business activity. Variable or proportional costs change with a change in the level of business activity; semi-variable costs have an element of not being very much responsive to change in the level of business activity. In the expansion phase FC rarely change much but VC will change with a slight change in activity level. Table 1.3 Showing the different types of costs in Emmett shirts business and their classification. No Item(Cost) Category Description Rent Fixed costs Cost of hiring space for retailing or warehousing. Labor and wages Variable costs Payment to workers and casual laborers. Designing Variable costs This is the cost used to make designs for manufacturing. Materials Variable costs These are materials or garment used to make the shirts License Fixed costs The newly established outlets will need licenses for them to start operating. Research Variable cost This helps to determine aspects such as location and demand. Depreciation Fixed cost It is the cost of loss of value of machines Motor vehicle Variable cost It will help in transportation of materials and personnel Marketing Variable cost Promotion and advertising especially for new outlets. Consultancy costs Variable costs To help comply with regulations and requirements in the new environment Packaging materials Variable costs Management Allowances Variable costs Establishing new outlets may necessitate additional allowances. Furniture Fixed costs Such as additional tables and chairs The human resource management in the case of Emmett Shirts is wanting in terms of specialization of tasks in the organization. Those doing design should be different from those engaged in managing the operations of the business. Hiring more talented personnel such as operation directors may go a long way in enhancing efficiency and dealing with future challenges that may arise as the business grows. Under the marketing function the expansion plan should be clear and the option to take that is whether to diversify as per customer demands. E-commerce has more potential and can help much in online marketing of the shirts. (Hurley 2011 p. 16) Globalization is the integration of economies, markets, industries, cultures and policy formulation. Globalization has both positive and negative effects on the economy of each country that has embrace it. Emmett shirts to a really sensible extent can be termed as a globalised business, due to the following reasons and aspects that can be seen in it. First under globalization there are four drivers that drive globalization namely: cost driver, market driver, technology driver and competition driver. Emmett Shirts have greatly embraced technology and has plans to continue to do so. Already 15% of the organization total sales are from E-commerce and plans are underway to have a well established online shop which is the same as establishing six physical stores. Having embraced E-commerce the business can be able to sell its product to any person in any place in the world and also do its promotion, marketing and advertising online. This intense online presence will help create more awareness about the product, announce introduction of new products and outlets. It is also easier to solicit support from the existing loyal customer base and even benefit from customer referrals online. Technology level is the number one determinant of whether a business is a globalised business. In my opinion I would say that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business given that it has embraced technology in its operations and has embraced E-commerce and continues to do so. Market driver is another key driver of globalization under which companies take into consideration the various markets to invest that is giving attention to open market economics. Emmett Shirts considers as part of its long term ambition or goal to take advantage of the emerging markets in the east such as in China and others awakening giants. These markets have got high appetite and demand for British luxury products or brands. We also see the business benchmarking itself against a brand from Dunhill road which has more shops in China than in London. This action tells us more about what the business is likely to focus on in its long term plan that is establishing shops in the emerging markets in the Far East. This reason leads me to conclude that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business. In regard to whether Emmett Shirts is globalized we realize that the business outsource its production or manufacturing of shirts from other countries such as Poland, Morocco, Ital and Turkey depending on style and material. The reason doing for this is that in the country it is hard to produce cheap enough and good enough shirts. In summary this action shows us that the business has embraced cost driver as a key factor driving globalization and thus can be termed as a globalized business. There are four drivers of globalization which include: technology driver, competition driver, cost driver and market driver. Under market driver globalization is driven by a desire to expand the market base to the emerging markets which are growing in terms of population and increased consumer purchasing power in these markets. Companies consider investing or shifting their investment to open market economics. This also comes in handy with the aspect of competition amongst different countries and companies which are moving beyond their national or regional spheres to international spheres of the whole global market. Technology has been a driver of globalization in quite a number of aspects such as through E-commerce and Electronic transfer, telecommunication gadgets, platforms and software’s. Platforms such as the social media examples being face book, Twitter linked in and others, the media at large, emails, video links such as Skype have continued to accelerate communication and sharing of key information. In business spheres outsourcing some business tasks have been made possible. Government driver or change of policy framework in different countries and formation of trading blocks. Trade and non trade tariffs and shift in open market system. Formulation of G.A.T.T. (General Agreement of Tariff and Trade). Countries which are willing enter into agreements to carry free trade around the world. The tariffs were initially to protect the local infant industries I a country but the realization that countries have to work together for them to achieve economic development continues to propel countries to loosen their trade tariffs. According to my own analysis technology is the strongest driver of globalization of all the others. This is so because at a click of a button one can buy or sell any product or service while in any part of the world. Technology has turned the world into a global village and communication is made with ease amongst people who are very far from each other as if they were just next to each other. Telecommunication devices such as tablets, smart phones and computers at large have interlinked every corner of the world through the World Wide Web. Reference Hurley, J. (2011) ‘Emmett’s Luxury Shirts: Deciding whether to specialise or diversify a luxury brand’, The Daily Telegraph (London), 19 July. Source document

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Law School Admission Essay

Law School Admission Essay Law School Admission Essay Prior to writing law school admission essay you must have the necessary information about the school you are going to submit your documents. For admission essay writing you may be asked to write something about the law school (advantages, impressions, etc). Responding to a similar essay question, keep in mind the factors that are crucial for writing success. This will help you avoid the insincerity and praise statements that are undesirable in law school admission essays. Writing an essay you should be honest and reinforce your thoughts by facts. It is not easy to express your thoughts freely and truthfully at the same time. Do not be too modest or vice verse. Show that you have a thorough knowledge about the law schools while writing an essay. Be honest and explain your views while writing an English essay:http://.com/blog/school-english-essay You may be asked to write about ideal leaders, about your interests and passions. E.g. 'Tell us about one of your hobbies. What would you like to do when you have free time, and why do you enjoy the specified activity?' Such essay questions are a good opportunity to provide more information about you. The comments about your hobbies will help to understand your individuality. Law schools prefer their students to be versatile personalities. Your occupational activity is only a small part of your personality. For law schools, it is important whether or not you are an active person outside of school. It is well known that many of the ideas embodied in successful later life appear when you are not at work. So your work outside business hours often affects your nature. In addition, the funny, unusual and interesting people have the ability to make a revival in everything they do either at work or while studying. Their keenness, enthusiasm and willingness to sacrifice are transferred to ot hers. You have a wonderful opportunity while writing an essay to demonstrate your leadership abilities and uniqueness. Admission Essay Help What would you feel if no one looked at your grades, experience or score on the tests? Imagine for a moment that a representative of the admission committee finds only your custom essay while opening a package of documents. Imagine that the representative of the admission committee will make a decision only on the basis of what is written in your essay, a decision that will affect your destiny. So, admission essay writersmust be very serious about writing law school essay. .com Law school admission essay writing help is a solution to students who want to be successful, however, have no time to devote to writing. Custom admission essay writing is your chance to advance your academic excellence without any efforts. is a network of professional writers who are available 24/7! Read also: Process Essay How to Write a Book Report Favorite Season Essays Online Essay Editing Editing English Paper