Book Report on `A Young Woman’s Mathematical Journey In Code

They say some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. In case of Sarah, did she achieve greatness? The answer to this question is both yes and no! How she can achieve greatness, where was the time for it?She was just sixteen, a tender age not even good enough to fall in love, and yet the word ‘great’ was firmly implanted on her. Was greatness thrust upon her? The answer to this question is firm ‘No!’   The part of the statement that befits her is that she is born great. Her illustrious mathematical journey had arrived at the sterling landmark at that young age.This work is both knowledge and enjoyment. The brilliance of the students comes to the fore at the Undergraduate and University levels. That is the time when the Professors spot the intelligent, brilliant and the brilliant among the brilliant students. But Sarah’s extraordinary brilliance must have been spotted when she was in the kindergarten. This is so, because, her father was a renowned Professor of Mathematics.Academic studies do matter for students like Sarah, but such genius children invariably study in the College of Self-Education, where their mind is their Principal. Their initiative, their Professors! Their hard work, their tutors! They are ambitious and industrious. They decide upon a project; start, act and finish.â€Å"The eldest among five children, Flannery went to high school at Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Blarney, where she gave a science fair presentation on cryptography. In researching RSA encryption, she created her own encryption algorithm, which earned her an Esat Young Scientist Exhibition and later an Intel Fellows Achievement Award.She went to college at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2003 with a degree in computer engineering. Now she works for American video game developer Electronic Arts.†(Planet†¦)In brief, what the book is about†¦.This book is the mathematician’s deli ght. How the serious subject like mathematics, can be interspersed with humor. Her introduction to the book itself fascinates and kindles curiosity. By reading it, you realize why she attained instant fame which she richly deserves.In introduction she gives details about public-key cryptography, the RSA algorithm and the alternate algorithm that she created. The lucid style and control on the language required to deal with mathematical explanations is the strong point of the book.Genius has nothing to do with the age. Therefore, forget for a while that a teenager is the author of the book, yet you can not forget that lovely and inspiring face of the author in the cover page of the book! Unless known in advance, you will find it difficult to believe that she is the owner of such a brilliant brain. You probably think that this book is the creation of an experienced Professor, well researched from a long list of bibliography.The book begins in an orthodox style. Instead of saying somet hing about the author straightaway, the book gives description with pages of family background. That again is about mathematics, because her father was the Professor of mathematics.   A long section, titled, â€Å"Early Challenges† follows. This is where the challenges for the readers are thrown. They are recollections of her past.The mention of about a dozen puzzles is made. She owned them from her father, told for the benefit of Sarah and her brothers. David Flannery, their father was the mentor of mathematics as well. The description for each puzzle is given along with an invitation for the reader to try to solve the same, before trying to locate the solution provided in the book elsewhere. Your chances of success are not very bright. A black-board in the dining room!That is bound to happen when you have four sons and a daughter, all interested in the serious study of mathematics. On the blackboard, new puzzle was recorded each day for them to work on. Like, â€Å"Given a five-liter jar and a three-liter jar and an unlimited supply of water, how do you measure out four liters exactly?†Some got into more difficult concepts: â€Å"How might you determine the average earnings of a group of people in a room (at a class reunion, perhaps) without any individual's divulging his or her salary?† the second puzzle has the latent message, which forms part of the theme all through the book.That is to try getting information and hiding information. With such intelligent invitations the readers become part of the proceedings in the book. It is no effort to score over the reader but to win the reader in a positive style. It is to encourage him, and no to affront one with the exhibition of intelligence. Those who think that this is a book on the subject of mathematics which is bound to have the serious start will have peasant surprise to be greeted with mind-boggling puzzles.Fame and Publicity and thereafter†¦.She received instant fame, became a celebrity in mathematics overnight, but she was humble about her achievements. Here she speaks beyond her age refuses to expand like the balloon with inflated ego. â€Å"I have no doubt that I am not a genius,†she declares.â€Å"I am not being falsely modest. Through my father’s classes I have seen examples of true genius and I know I do not possess that ‘insight’ that distinguishes geniuses from those regarded as merely intelligent.†(p. 243). Those who read the book were sure about her impending success in the world of mathematics. She was the worthy mathematics daughter of a worthy mathematics Professor.Next to puzzles†¦.She attempts the most original aspect of the subject of mathematics problems that take her to the position and fame sky-rocketing. Overnight she is a world-figure as for mathematics. The subject matter for any national level competition has got to be the unique one. She was to enter the Esat Irish Young Scientist’s Co mpettion-1998.The project on cryptography was done by her at the suggestion and instance of her father. Her project will throw light on various cryptographic techniques, providing the account of the famous RSA algorithm. The mention and discussion of all these things is initiated at page 40 of the book, she discuses learning the relevant mathematics and the programming involved.Then her father takes over the mathematical literature for the next 110 pages, and you catch up with Sarah again in page number 150.These pages contain mathematical exposition authored by David Flannery. They provide the basics of cryptography, and to understand it, is not the easiest of the propositions. He introduces thoroughly RSA algorithms at this stage.When Sarah takes over at page number 150, she is at the threshold of the fame that is about to engulf her young personality. She gets tremendous response for her project that fetches her several prizes, and she is inspired to prepare for another ambitious and prestigious entry –the Rafe Jones at Brown University.She is on the second step of the ladder of success. She undergoes a week-long internship at a Dublin cryptography company, and notices several techniques. Thereafter, she devises an alternative algorithm to the RSA and that is the flagship issue of her new project.The results achieved by her are astounding. Her method is simple matrix multiplication instead of the relatively cumbersome modular exponentiation of the RSA. Her algorithm runs twenty times faster. It is christened by her as the Cayley Purser algorithm, the 19th century British mathematician Arthur Cayley as also Michael Purser, the mathematician whose ideas caught her imagination during her internship.She runs in to the thick of the issues now-she proves how the new algorithm is secure from certain kinds of attacks and it becomes the mathematical odyssey for her, wherein she is required to explore and master the cobweb of not too familiar mathematics. Such a situation is the testing time for any student of mathematics.It was probing the new waters for the first time with lots of hopes of positive results, but also with the fear of disappointment, should anything go wrong, at the most unsuspected moment. Mathematics is such a subject where there is no scope for errors. You have got to be accurate, as otherwise the whole edifice built by you step by step will collapse.â€Å"All of this was an unusual experience for me,† she writes, â€Å"but I had a great feeling of excitement. I think it was because I was working on something that no one had worked on before. I worked constantly for whole days on end, and it was exhilarating† (p. 208).To get the worthy solution, you need to have a strong problem. That was the situation Sarah, luckily found she in. The thesis problem provided lots of enthusiasm to her to go ahead. With the finalization of the thesis problem, she considered her to be lucky.The problem was of her creation a nd she was bent upon to own the responsibility to solve it herself. She began to put extra efforts and worked desperately to find the authentic solution.She reaped the dividends for her sincere efforts, she was able to prove that Cayley Purser algorithm had strong defenses and it can withstand successfully attack from a large family. She provides the detailed description to judge her new project, both algorithm and proof, in the 1999 Irish Young Scientist competition.An inventive mind is always excited about any new achievement-you decide on a problem for you and then solve it successfully. Same was the case with Sarah.When you smell success, when you have positive indications that you are nearing solution, the excitement is all the more. At that stage Sarah burnt the midnight oil to continue her sincere efforts. Success had to kneel before her; she showed the strong defense for the Cayley-Purser algorithm in the face of multi-pronged family attacks. She gives the detailed account, step by step, how her project needs to be judged, and the related explanation for the algorithm, with unassailable proofs.In the 1999 Irish Young Scientists Competition., she quotes from her journal, â€Å"On one occasion,† she writes, â€Å"I looked out of our little huddle and it felt really strange—our conversation was so very intense that just to look around was like coming up for air† (p. 222). The finest moment of her judging was, she writes: â€Å"Before they left, [the judge] asked me the simplest question of all, and I could see he was wondering whether or not I would be able to answer it.The answer was the fast exponentiation algorithm, and I must have smiled before I replied, because I knew it was the perfect end to the perfect session. I had been able to defend my project at all levels. The last question was a check to see if I knew the fundamentals. They smiled at each other on my final answer, which I’ll never forget.† (p. 223).It was the perfect culmination. The excitement was about how gracefully Sarah walked up to the stage to accept the title of Irish Young Scientist of the Year. It was one of the extraordinary moments of her life. The charm of youth was on her side.And the algorithm she talked held excellent possibility of rich dividends. The inquisitive media stood alerted and the unexpected bonus arrived, when London Times front-paged an article on her mathematical exploits. Overnight she entered the portals of stardom in mathematics. It did not take long time to transform her academic achievements towards the commercial gain.The would-be cryptograph entrepreneurs were seeking her services. She received many offers to give lectures in Singapore. Mention of her name was made in the official magazine of the Spice Gils. She also received a request from Profile Books in London to write up the experiences and all that prompted to advance on the tough path of mathematics.The budding young mathematician’s book had the firs print order of 35,000 copies, the marketing budget of $ 65,000 and an eight-city author-tour.About the contents of the book, Sarah often   sweetly apologizes for going deep into number theory; before explaining matrices, she writes, â€Å"I promise that from then on there will be no more explicit mathematics, only light explanations of mathematical ideas.†The hard-core mathematics in the book is restricted to two chapters. For those who wish to learn more, there are appendices. Her main project is about how the most famous current encoding system works, and in the meantime, she had invented one of her own. She takes extensive pains to explain both the systems and goes deep into the number theory along the route.With the winning of the prize, fame and the monetary gains consequential to the fame arrived like an avalanche. Pepsi wanted her to concede that the mathematics brain and that of the family was due to lavish consumption of Pepsi, but the offer of c ontract was promptly turned down. A good mathematical calculation viewed from the humanitarian angle; they were aware perhaps of the harmful effects of such addictive drinks on the health of the younger generation!â€Å"I have no doubt that I am not a genius,† said the prize winner of the 1999 European Contest for Young Scientists. Bu who would believe her and at the same time remain without deeply appreciating her modesty! She was the media sensation within days after getting the prestigious award. She was about to be hailed as an instant celebrity, for the public key to cryptography, the method used to transmit secure data over the Internet, but destiny played its part.When everyone in the knowledgeable circles thought that her encryption algorithm is worth the millions, a security hole was discovered. Nevertheless she had done a great job. Now she met her father on equal terms, a mathematician talking to another senor mathematician.There is an interesting interaction betwe en the father-daughter mathematical duos. To be taught lessons from her father in the drawing room of the house was one thing. To be part of his lecture fraternity, and listen to his mathematical revelations in an organized way sitting as one among the audience was altogether a different experience. The previous day, he had a serious, purposeful conversation with Sarah. Her father said, â€Å"Now that you have decided to do transition year, I must do some math with you.† He continued, â€Å"I'd like to show you how some beautiful but reasonably elementary mathematics is applied, stuff that you wouldn't ordinarily come across in school.†She could not understand the immediate intentions of her father. She thought he was inviting her to the kitchen blackboard, as she was aware of his enthusiastic ways; how he got inspired at the most unsuspected moment and wished to unleash his mathematical knowledge on her, whether she was mentally prepared   for it or not.Perhaps, at that moment she was not ready to receive the tough lessons of mathematics. She replied, â€Å"Dad, whatever you do, do something structured!† That set him thinking, as to the proper, most effective and appropriate way to teach and take her to the world of mathematics. He remembered his past. The debt he owed to the one who taught him mathematics. How the torch of mathematical knowledge was passed on to his hand.It now depended, what he would do, with what his teacher did for him, and from where he left.   He strongly felt that he must transfer the knowledge to some one else who richly deserved it. Who else could be that individual except his own daughter, in whom he must have noticed the latent mathematical genius?He told his daughter, â€Å"Of course, only if you are genuinely interested-I wouldn't force it on you.† She was genuinely interested. The evening lecture by her father proved to be the foundation stone for the grand mathematical edifice that she was going to build.Sarah was now part of the class of serious students studying mathematics. The evening classes from seven ten, with the student strength of 8, continued for twenty five nights. The daughter was the youngest student, just 15 years and six months, but a couple of other students too were young.There were adults who came from various backgrounds. Computer scientists, a secondary school mathematics teacher, a chemistry graduate working for a medical laboratory. They were the ones who loved mathematics, and who regretted their inaction in not pursuing the mathematics study, when young. It was a class that had its own specialties.The cause of study was great, not the career out of the study. No credits were given. It was not part of any major. No home work or study was demanded. It was David Flannery’s way of â€Å"getting back into math† with no holds barred approach. You wee encouraged to come up with your most silly questions. He loved and appreciated those who mad e fools of themselves, as according to him, only those will learn and had the chance of success.These assurances, coming from a reputed Professor, were greatly appreciated by the students. They looked forward to the classes with expectancy and with hope that they will be exposed to something interesting about the mathematics in the next session.Sarah though had peculiar problem that the teacher was her father, she was able to mentally sort out the issue. Her dedication and the serious approach when she meant study, paved the way or her progress.From the teacher’s perspective, what one teaches is important. But how one teaches, what one teaches is more important. Towards this end David Flannery filled the bill admirably. He was the one who enjoyed his teachings and encouraged his students to learn in style.No time-bound hard tasks were expected from the students. Each one was encouraged to estimate one’s level of understanding, and progress accordingly. He was able to m aintain an atmosphere of affection at home and in his classes.The brain teasing puzzles enticed the students to know more and more, and the hours spent by the students in the association of David Flannery, proved highly fructifying. His company kindled their curiosity further. They eagerly awaited his next class and firmly believed that something more interesting would be in store for them.The class was not all fun as was made out initially by David Flannel. That was his style of making the students interested in the subject. Soon, the intensive part of his chartered syllabus for the students began and his forays were in the  Ã‚     elementary number theory, with cryptography as the final destination.He would the take the students entirely to different horizons of mathematics, interesting sights that were rich in content, may not be of use for the immediate application.When David Flannery was a student, the application of the number theory were so few (industrial and internet re volutions had not taken off), and yet the number theory was of prime importance to the mathematicians, its study was considered pure. By the end of 1970s, the situation had drastically changed.The various technicalities involved in the message system and their readings gave a shot in the arm for cryptography. It became a much sought after subject and millions of dollars were invested into the development of this subject. The demand for expertise in this area became tremendous.The book is a treat to read for the simple reason that it is a great human story as well, a success story, a management and pubic relation story etc. The way she prepared for the competitions would set the standard for any youngster who wishes to be an achiever.What a careful and great teacher her father was! The concepts of teaching itself have undergone metamorphic changes, and mathematics is no exception. The style of teaching has become more student-friendly.As for Sarah, her mathematician father was her gr eat career-asset. But her mother also continuously encouraged her by telling interesting anecdotes about the subject. ‘Mathematics is the queen of the sciences and number theory is the queen of mathematics.’ Such sweet nothings said about the subject during formative years of a young girl had great positive impact on her.Her Mom said Mathematics and the number theory was like the Sleeping Beauty Fairly Tale, and Sarah Flannery writes, â€Å"I thought about those who had toiled away through the centuries at unraveling the mysteries of this subject, motivated by nothing more than a passionate desire to know. They could have hardly dreamt of the applications that some of their results would one day find.I wondered what it was they had discovered, and what they would think if they could see how some of these discoveries are now being used. I was eager to learn the subject and surmise for myself whether they would be surprised or not.†But everything about the number t heory is not all that sweet. It is a deceptive theory. When you think that you are on the verge of success, you are suddenly knocked out by a lethal punch. The simple questions that you will ask your Professor may look so simple to you. The same questions were asked by many brilliant students in the past. The answers to such questions have not been found until this day, and the most intelligent ones are raking their brains to find out the solutions.But the toughest obstacle lay in waiting for Sarah. The sharp attacks on the Cayley-Purser algorithm arrived with Michael Purse alerts, making her mathematical advancement difficult. Sarah was on the defensive; she made efforts to repair the algorithm, but could not succeed. She stated that it is not salvageable as a workable encryption system.The theoretical interest stood in her favor through this testing time. She included a postscript explanation on the successful attack. It brought her further success when she was conferred the title of European Young Scientist of the Year for 1999. They say, â€Å"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!†It is very easy to say that Sarah climbed the stage to receive the award. But behind this glorious moment in the life of this sports-loving teenager from Blarney in Country Cork, Ireland, lay the extraordinary talent and matching efforts of relentless research and discoveries in Internet cryptography.At the age of sixteen to get the international recognition and to be hailed as â€Å"brilliant† by the London Times, is no ordinary achievement. Newspapers and periodicals hailed it as â€Å"a wonderfully moving story about the thrill of the mathematical chase† (Nature) and â€Å"a paean to intellectual adventure† (Times Educational Supplement).The dinner-time conversation with her father led her to the hall of fame. Her burning curiosity, the inner joy of persistence paid off handsomely. What is the meaning of the wise saying, â€Å"Have a wil l to grow and grow you will!†Ã¢â‚¬â€ask Sarah! David Flannery lectures on mathematics at Ireland’s Cork Institute of Technology. Sarah Flannery is now a student at Cambridge University.Some shortcomings of the book†¦.To say that it is the combination of a set of two books, would not be a far-fetched criticism on the book. Two narrative segments of the book, at the beginning and the end, do not serve the actual cause for which the book stands for. The 150 pages, though there is no doubting the merit of the contents, it is right thing at the wrong place. It makes the tough and prolonged reading, and causes obstruction in understanding the life of Sarah in a systematic, chronological order.The book goes on an aim-less wandering, and it defeats the structure of the book. But those who do not like mathematics intensely, for those who are not the serious students of the subject, these 150 pages are a good read! However, this can not be considered as the serious lapse of the book, but the professional critics of this literature, would not like to miss this   point, as a matter of their duty.The mathematical exposition part of it is flawless in contents and style. The beginning holds the interest of the common reader as well. The elementary examination of the prime numbers is detailed. The idea of primality about Mersenne primes, the Sieve of Eratosthenes and also primalaity testing are the important topics.Then is the chapter on Modular arithmetic, Fermat’s Little Theorem, and pseudo primes. For complete understanding of the RSA algorithm, the last two of these three mathematical chapters are necessary. But they can be avoided by those who are desirous of the elementary feel for public-key cryptography.The author has no problem with the English language, the exposition and style of writing is lucid. In fine, Sarah has given a very interesting book. The theme of the book and the author’s attitude towards the theme of mathematics, bot h evoke and sustain curiosity. The book deserves an outstanding position not only for the awards that it brought to Sarah, but also for the real contribution   it made to the cause of mathematics, for all time to come.There is something uniqueness about the book. Some more remarkable books should be expected from Sarah’s pen. The author has dealt with the topic in an excellent manner and the contents of the book gain stature, without losing its ground and reality. The book is the creation of the child, with father’s blessings. What more is required for the child and what does a father expect from the child? Both see the fulfillment of their respective mathematical missions through this book.When a child gives the account of her experiences that ultimately led her to great heights of success, the reader’s interest is all the more, for the simple reason that every parent wishes to visualize and  Ã‚   aspires for the success of their children.From the point of view of human psychology and management principles that lead to success, this book is the torchbearer. Her thoughts are playful, yet never missing the mathematical purpose of the book.The number of high school students who enjoy mathematics is not very high and many do the subject, as they have to do as it is the unavoidable subject up to a certain level. But an introduction and interaction with this book should change their perspective.Many may not be lucky enough get a mathematics genius Professor-father. In the case of Sarah, her pastime of solving the mathematical puzzles with her father paid her rich dividends. It started as a game and slowly turned into a thrill of the mathematical chase. Nothing succeeds like success and one good thing in her life, led to the other.A great lesson for the psychologists and sociologists who study the parental impact on the life and future of children! But for the encouragement and influence of her mathematician father, Sarah would have been yet another university student, pursuing the syllabus-oriented degrees for a routine career.Conclusion:God made the natural numbers, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 0 and what all ‘complications’ the human being has created under the subject-banner mathematics! But for becoming the mathematician, Sarah would have been a storyteller.The art comes naturally to her. She has dealt with a highly intellectual subject, without any pretensions, without the sense of overbearing. At times, the writing takes the serious turn, but that is what the subject matter is. Her childlike descriptions maintain the essential dignity. If she tries her hand at other subjects of writing, we may be in for surprises.That’s what her imagination, wit and charm throughout the book reveal. â€Å"In Code†, has the makings of a very good novel and her pen holds out great promises for even better works. It is a twice-blessed book. Primarily it is a book on mathematics, and more importantly it is an int eresting book of human endeavor, the human spirit, the book on positive qualities like grit and determination. Few children are lucky to have such great upbringing.The black board in the kitchen truly speaks about the studious family. She and her four brothers made it the perfect class at home, and mostly issues related to mathematics were discussed at the dining table. At lunch, the distraction would be not be like the television set in the modern drawing room, but the attractions were puzzles appearing on the blackboard days after day, without intermission. David Flannery had a clear purpose about the puzzles.They encouraged the children into enjoying abstract reasoning. But do no imagine, Sarah liked all these intensely. She was not a book worm. She liked to ride horses, played hurling and basketball, did boating and liked other adventurous team sports.She carried that adventurous spirit to her mathematics research as well.So to say, Sarah was a philanthropist mathematician and d id not possess any motivated desires about her accomplishments. Mathematical community offered the talented Sarah all co-operations. Experts in the field of cryptology were eager to help her.Initial reactions to her code system, was that it was patentable and she had the possibilities of becoming the millionaire. The exchange of vital information with other mathematicians could have damaged her interest for financial gains. Yet, she shared the information bearing in mind the overall interest of mathematics.She was only 17, when she was a guest speaker at an IBM leadership conference for women. Sarah was also given an invitation to attend the Nobel Prize ceremonies in Stockholm. To write an interesting readable book on mathematics, normally considered a dry and brain-racking subject is no mean achievement. She has set the trend for the budding young scientists, and great scholars in any subject need not be men and women with silver hair.The book provides to all concerned, the parents , the teachers and above all the combustible younger generation, who wish to achieve something in life, but do not know the correct procedures and steps to achieve very valuable information. Sarah provides good solutions to one’s ambitions and the way to achieve them.This makes the book even greater, than her contribution to cryptography. Bertrand Russell once talked about ‘the silent beauty’ of mathematics. Sarah has demonstrated how the skills of the mathematician and the skills of the fiction & fantasy writer can be clubbed together to create an outstanding contribution to the world of literature. Here is the combination of great human experience mixed with intellectual stuff. It is very easy to record and offer her congratulations for all that she achieved at the young age of 16.But think of the hard work she did, the relentless pressure she was able to endure at such a young age, and all this she did at the same time enjoying and pursuing her hobbies. So, if you have young children, and do not have many ideas as to how to inspire them, give this book to them—it would be more appropriate if the parents read and discuss the contents of this book for their benefit. The results are bound to be far fetching as for their future. The contents of the book have the lessons in ‘moral counseling’ as well.The application of cryptography has caught up fast with the internet revolution. Many of the big companies are willing to sponsor researches and Sarah is eminently suited to take advantage of this situation. Her achievements have changed her perspective of life. The career opportunities that arrive at her doors are perhaps too much for her to handle. She has traveled to important destinations all over the world, met cryptography figureheads like Ronald Rivest and Whitfield Diffey. But the best is yet to come, and Sarah Flannery knows it well.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  References Cited:In Code: A Mathematical Journey (Paperback)by Sarah Flannery (Author), David Flannery (Author}Paperback: 352 pagesPublisher: Algonquin Books (December 30, 2002)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1565123778ISBN-13: 978-1565123779PlanetMath: Sarah Flanneryplanetmath.org/encyclopedia/SarahFlannery.html – 19k – Cached, Retrieved on January29,2008

Explain Why Overseas Study at Australian Universities Is Popular

Different countries have different education system. Some students have decided to take their studies aboard to mainly achieve better with a different education system. These students go aboard to purse their academic learning by either at a foundation level or at a postgraduate level. With the outstanding education system, the multicultural society and the range of career opportunities Australia has to offer, students of different nationality, race and culture flock to Australia hoping to achieve better academically.Australia offers a unique education system that most countries do not have. Many students have actually found that the Australia has a lot to offer. Teachers with great devotion in teaching and helping students in every aspect of school work including life. This would be a great for student who is living aboard alone as they would have someone to turn to for emotional and academic support. With such a huge number of students entering Australia’s university each ye ar, it is for certain that the university would have an advance modern technology.This would not only assist teachers when are giving a lecture or a tutorial class, it help the students in understanding lessons and giving them the ability in presenting a good presentations with the equipment provided to them. With such an uncommon education system, the teachers too are dedicated in providing the students an interesting learning environment to make learning easier. For example, a common literature class would transform into a drama class to let the students feel closer to the book and the characters.Students become more involved in class and absorb more from the lessons. Australia had a wide diversity of races. By living an Australian lifestyle, students are bound to see the multicultural society Australia has to offer to them. With a wide range of races in Australia, students would be able to make new friends from different countries. Students would also encounter class mates of dif ferent cultural background. This would be a great way to learn and understand a different culture for the students.Since some restaurants are set up to cater to foreign students, it would a great chance to try different cuisines not found in their home country. By understanding different cultures, the students would know what to expect when they enter the working life. They would be able to communicate better with different people and if they have to bring clients to dinner, they would know what kind of food to look out for. Students would also learn to be sensitive to people’s feelings as in some cultures, some words are an insult to them.After graduating from university, graduates would start worrying whether they would be able to be employed. However, graduating from a prestigious university with good results may help graduates to get employed easier. Usaully universities become prestigious when they are able to produce graduates who are able to make a name for themselves, or it may be known for its good teaching techniques. Businesses, looking for a worker, would have a good impression of the applicant applying for the job just by looking at his application.This would give a good impression to the boss and just base on the resume, the graduate may get the job. Undergraduates would try to get into one of these outstanding schools hoping that they would be able to get a job easily. Most of these universities are in Australia, this making overseas study in Australia popular. In summary, an unique education system that makes class interesting, a multi-cultural society for students to experience new things and prestigious university are the reasons that attracts students to study abroad in Australia. Explain Why Overseas Study at Australian Universities Is Popular Different countries have different education system. Some students have decided to take their studies aboard to mainly achieve better with a different education system. These students go aboard to purse their academic learning by either at a foundation level or at a postgraduate level. With the outstanding education system, the multicultural society and the range of career opportunities Australia has to offer, students of different nationality, race and culture flock to Australia hoping to achieve better academically.Australia offers a unique education system that most countries do not have. Many students have actually found that the Australia has a lot to offer. Teachers with great devotion in teaching and helping students in every aspect of school work including life. This would be a great for student who is living aboard alone as they would have someone to turn to for emotional and academic support. With such a huge number of students entering Australia’s university each ye ar, it is for certain that the university would have an advance modern technology.This would not only assist teachers when are giving a lecture or a tutorial class, it help the students in understanding lessons and giving them the ability in presenting a good presentations with the equipment provided to them. With such an uncommon education system, the teachers too are dedicated in providing the students an interesting learning environment to make learning easier. For example, a common literature class would transform into a drama class to let the students feel closer to the book and the characters.Students become more involved in class and absorb more from the lessons. Australia had a wide diversity of races. By living an Australian lifestyle, students are bound to see the multicultural society Australia has to offer to them. With a wide range of races in Australia, students would be able to make new friends from different countries. Students would also encounter class mates of dif ferent cultural background. This would be a great way to learn and understand a different culture for the students.Since some restaurants are set up to cater to foreign students, it would a great chance to try different cuisines not found in their home country. By understanding different cultures, the students would know what to expect when they enter the working life. They would be able to communicate better with different people and if they have to bring clients to dinner, they would know what kind of food to look out for. Students would also learn to be sensitive to people’s feelings as in some cultures, some words are an insult to them.After graduating from university, graduates would start worrying whether they would be able to be employed. However, graduating from a prestigious university with good results may help graduates to get employed easier. Usaully universities become prestigious when they are able to produce graduates who are able to make a name for themselves, or it may be known for its good teaching techniques. Businesses, looking for a worker, would have a good impression of the applicant applying for the job just by looking at his application.This would give a good impression to the boss and just base on the resume, the graduate may get the job. Undergraduates would try to get into one of these outstanding schools hoping that they would be able to get a job easily. Most of these universities are in Australia, this making overseas study in Australia popular. In summary, an unique education system that makes class interesting, a multi-cultural society for students to experience new things and prestigious university are the reasons that attracts students to study abroad in Australia.

Gun Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gun Violence - Essay Example It is often put that gun violence is brought about by specific factors which to evidently would be untrue basing on findings on the subject (Reese, par. 20-24). Gun violence is attributed to a number of issues. These vary from lifestyle to economic reasons. For instance, social concerns are pinpointed as one of the reasons that yield to the tragedy. Such issues around the society as biases, social classification, just to mention but a few are termed as crucial in dictating gun violence. For instance, ethnic background and history confirm that black Americans are amongst the larger share of the victims involved. The problem is however, this same ethnicity is self targeted; an occurrence that raises question as to whether the issue is inter-ethnic or the contrary. In as much as the historical perceptions may have such a massive influence on the people there is more to the violence than the background can provide (Reese, par 5). The problem also arises with the nature in which the inventories of armories are handled. Evidently, there are approximately 283 million fire arms in the hands of the civilians. However this does not directly guarantee violence. It turns out that of this big number of civilian procession, most of the violence cases accrue from the firearms distributed by individual dealers. Roughly 30,000 firearms are unaccounted for annually from the dealers’ inventories. This makes the control of such distribution difficult especially given the policy guidelines (Reese, par. 4). Another paradigm significant in explaining the gun violence is the family and the society value system. There are several instances in records of homicidal and suicidal cases involving firearms in US. Most of these cases are unaccounted for by the media houses owing to the dynamic debates around them. When for example, a teenage girl indiscriminately shoots at her school mates and

Shyness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shyness - Essay Example Shyness reactions can occur at any or all of the following levels: cognitive, affective, physiological and behavioral, and may be triggered by a wide variety of arousal cues. Among the most typical are: authorities, one-on-one opposite sex interactions, intimacy, strangers, having to take individuating action in a group setting, and initiating social actions in unstructured, spontaneous behavioral settings. Metaphorically, shyness is a shrinking back from life that weakens the bonds of human connection. The percentage of adults in the United States reporting that they are chronically shy, such that it presents a problem in their lives, had been reported at 40%, plus or minus 3%, since the early 1970's. Recent research indicates that the percentage of self-reported shyness has escalated gradually in the last decade to nearly 50% (48.7% + /- 2%). The National Co-morbidity Survey in 1994 revealed a lifetime prevalence of social phobia of 13.3%, making it the third most prevalent psychiatric disorder. (Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, SHYNESS, Lynne Henderson The Shyness Clinic, Portola Valley, California, Phillip Zimbardo, Stanford University, Stanford, California). In humans, shyness is the feeling of apprehension or lack of confidence experienced in regard to social association with others, e.g. being in proximity to, approaching and being approached by others. In zoology, shy generally means "tends to avoid human beings". Adolescence can be a challengin g time with youth experiencing biological, psychological, and social changes. Both normative stressors (such as moving from middle school to high school), as well as non-normative stressors (such as parental divorce) have been linked to an increased risk of such internalizing behaviors as depression and anxiety. The first thing to understand about shyness is that neither is it a symptom of cowardice or inferiority. Shyness has nothing to do with cowardice or inferiority, so no one should make the association, either consciously or unconsciously. As a part of the growing or adolescence comes the necessity of "showing performance", often this competition or the need to prove one's self starts at home among the siblings. If a boy of 13 to 16 years of age is very shy in nature and finds a problem in interacting with people as any other physically and mentally normal boy of his age would do with ease, a peep into his family frequently exposes a very dominating elder sibling. Other than t he sibling often very dominating, criticizing, discouraging and strict parental behavior also contributes immensely in forcing the child to withdraw and eventually become shy and afraid. As a result of this stress and of the fear of being judged and criticized, often the person is unable to unearth his/her own capabilities; they deprive themselves of the chance of doing something worthy. Even though they have the potential they lack the confidence to pull a job efficiently, they themselves become their worst critics. One of the most common and prominent reason among the others that lead adolescents to become shy and introvert, is the inhuman experience of any sort of physical and/or sexual abuse during their childhood. In their childhood children are often prey to these

Economic Colonization and a North-South Polarization Term Paper

Economic Colonization and a North-South Polarization - Term Paper Example However, the above distinction is found to be absent in the policy statements furnished by global trade and economic bodies like the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund. An analysis made on the basis of income suggests that the countries falling in the South Pole of international trade has per capita income at least less by 50 times in comparison to that of the countries pertaining to the North Pole. Further, the north-south polarization debate gained ground from the period of Cold War due to wide differences in the economic, political, and military resource conditions of the developed and developing countries. (Johnston, 2000, p. 558) The modern practice of international trade is contributing to the creation of economic colonies depending on the economic and political disparities of the different nations. This growth of economic colonization reinforces the concept of North-South Polarization. The notion of North-South Polarization earned due importance after the end of the Second World War. It is observed that the countries pertaining to the North Pole were referred to as the ‘First World’ countries. On the other hand, countries belonging to the South Pole were referred to as the ‘Third World’ countries. It is however, observed that the notion of the third world countries existed prior to the fall of the Socialist states like Soviet Union in 1980. In the previous period, the concept of third world was used in regards to geo-political ideologies in the realm of global politics. Moreover, the distinction between the North and South Polarization was also found to have relevance to the levels of industrial practice among the world nations.

Higher education policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Higher education policies - Essay Example Thus, this paper will specifically focus on the policies of higher education system of one of the countries of the African continent, South Africa. In particular, the paper will focus on the process of policies development in South African higher education system while discussing the responses of higher education institutions regarding the alterations in the mode of curricula after policy developments in the country. Lastly, the researcher will put efforts to conclude the paper while proposing some recommendations that will be beneficial for the higher education system in the coming years. In addition, it is anticipation that such discussion and deliberation on higher education system of South Africa and its process of education policies formation will enlighten readers with differences in the policy formulation and its implementation in real scenarios. Furthermore, this paper will provide critical observations that will enable the experts in prioritise future educational policies Analysis of the literature (Johnson, 1996) has indicated that since beginning, public institutions have been dominating the higher education system in South Africa; however, since a decade, there has been an increment in the number of private institutions, an indication of successful policy alteration implementation. Moreover, there have been reports (Bitzer, 2009) of private-public partnerships as well in the same sector that points toward the growth of the higher education system. In particular, besides public institutions, according to the statistics of the year 2004, private educational institutions had approximately eighty-five thousand students in different academic programs all over the country (Bitzer, 2009). In addition, foreign educational institutions have also begun to operate in South African that is another indication of success in the policy

Macro and Micro Economics and their Predictions for the Future Term Paper

Macro and Micro Economics and their Predictions for the Future - Term Paper Example Research has it that this growth began in the postwar period from 1955. Between this year and 1973, there was a rapid growth in the GDP at 8% but later, the GDP per capita was at 3%. Most of this growth has been attributed to the increase in the manufacturing sector. Various spheres of human development also improved greatly during this period, for instance; infant and maternal mortality rates declined such that by 1993 it was one of the lowest in the world. Some researchers say that over the past decade, Japan's economy has been stagnant due to poor population growth, debt, deflation and natural disasters. According to Buttonwood, however, the growth per capita over the last ten years is at 1.6% greater than that of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and even America (www.economist.com). Apparently, Japan has plans to start trans-pacific partnership trade to increase its economic growth. Another indicator of economic growth is the Human Development Index, currently in Japan; it is at 0.901, the 12th out of 187 countries. The purchasing power parity according to the wall street journal is 1$= 110.784 yen. The main industry in Japan is the manufacturing industry inclusive of electronics, automobile, biochemistry and optical media. Agriculture is not that well developed due to lack of farming land. These two industries provide the population with employment and according to the economist, in 2008, the ratio of job offers to applicants is at 0.59. However, the low birth rate is troubling this economy due to the high probability of lack of available indigenous workforce in the next few years. Japan is known to be one of the easiest and best places to do business due to its low tax rate. This is one of the members of G-20 countries, an upcoming economy. Currently, its economy has an expectation to expand by 8.5% (the Economist). The increase in the workforce is one of the reasons why there is a high expectation of its economic growth. The growing national income per capita has been seen to triple at a  percentage of 13.7% according to the wall street journal. Human development index in India is still questionable but expectations of improvement are very high.

MLT1 Task 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MLT1 Task 11 - Essay Example nd beverages such as of fermented milk, wine, alcohol, yoghurt, sauerkraut, and so on, aids in agricultural production through nitrogen fixation, for example, are useful inn study and manipulation of the DNA of plants and animals (genetic engineering/ biotechnology), and in the development of vaccines. In all the samples that I studied, that is, those from water, soil, and air, there were evidences of microbial growth after allowed periods of incubation in the respective Petri-dishes at room temperature. However, also, there were no distinct colony characteristics in all the dishes which had various kinds of colonies, colors, shapes and other such definitive features. Five kinds of colonies were evident on the air dish and had various sizes (6mm, 4mm, 13mm, 5mm and 9.5mm) and shapes (with four being irregular and one round shaped). Margins were either lobate (2) or wavy (3) with the surfaces wrinkled, smooth or smooth with contoured edges. The first colony was milky white, the second had a white center with clear surrounding, the third had a white center with milky white surrounding, the fourth had yellow, gold, clear surrounding and the fifth had a tan center with a white/ clear ring. Two colonies were seen in the soil (one 10mm and the other less than 1 mm in size). The first colony lacked a definite shape or margin while the second was irregularly shaped with a lobate margin. All surfaces were wrinkled. The first colony was clear and the second was cream white. There were four different colonies in the water sample (dish) (4mm, 5mm, 1mm, and 30mm). Three were round and one irregular, with two margins lobate and the other two smooth. All surfaces of the water colonies were smooth. Colors differed from tan to white, orange, clear to off white and lastly, transparent. As noted in C above, all the dishes from water, air, soil and skin samples had an array of different kinds of microbial colonies. This is a result of the fact that each of these microbial

Identity theft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Identity theft - Research Paper Example Identity theft involves the use of another individual’s personal information in order to gain access to financial or other information that would serve to benefit the criminal in some way. Identity theft has become an increasing problem globally in recent years, causing millions of people undue emotional, psychological, and physical trauma. In addition to this, the issue has cost society quite a lot of money. The heartache caused has limited access to critical services and denied credit availability to millions of honest and hardworking citizens around the world, and in particular the United States. It is a serious issue that needs to be tackled immediately before spiraling even further out of control. The aim of this study is to discuss the seriousness of the problem and to explore various ways that society can begin to protect itself from the evils of identity theft moving forward. Problem Statement The problem is that identity theft is destroying the financial security and freedom of countless individuals worldwide. As honest people have their identities stole, they are subject to a potential loss of credit access, have difficulty in gaining employment, and they may encounter problems of various sorts with law authorities. Upon becoming a victim, individuals must often hard to prove that their identity was stolen in the first place, often causing a great deal of anguish throughout the process. Governments and other officials across the globe are currently implementing measure to prevent identity theft, but the problem continues to grow exponentially (Adomi & Igun, 2008). The five major types of identity theft in existence today, and that form the basis for this study, are: 1) Criminal identity theft, 2) Financial identity theft, 3) Identity cloning, 4) Medical identity theft, and 5) Child identity theft. This study examines each of these areas in an effort to help the reader understand the warning signs of identity theft and assists them in the avoida nce of becoming a victim themselves in the future. Relevance and Significance of Understanding Identity Theft As has been discussed to this point, identity theft is a serious issue that must be tackled across all segments of society. It affects nearly everyone in our culture, either directly or indirectly. Even if a person is not a victim on their own, they often pay the price for the crime in other ways. An individual who has fallen victim to any of the major types of identity theft often find themselves embroiled in years of turmoil and strife trying to set the record straight. Families can be denied mortgages, criminals set free, and hospital services rendered to people who have no right to the benefits. These are just a few of the ills that can be realized as a result of identity theft. When honest members of society go to utilize certain services, which they are rightfully entitled to, they can quickly that they are denied access because someone else is using their name and per sonal information. It is an unfair burden to be sure, but one which criminal have bought to the forefront of modern reality. For these reasons, it is critical that we understand the issues surrounding how identity theft occurs and how to prevent it moving forward. That reality forms the focus for this study. Criminal Identity Theft Criminal identity theft involves one person committing a criminal act, proceeding to get arrested, and then

About Yang Fudong Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

About Yang Fudong - Research Paper Example Fudong currently works as director of films, he creates video installations, as well as photographs. To date, Yang lives and works in Shanghai, but he constantly travels around the world, attending prestigious international art events such as premiers; something that comes with his capacity as a successful photographer and filmmaker. For instance, in 2007 he attended the 52nd Venice Biennale Fudong came to the international limelight in 2002 following the premiere of his first film known as, An Estranged Paradise, which earned him world attention. The piece is a psychodrama, which is about a young man, Zhuzi from Hangzhou, who suffers from a condition of the general feeling of being illness. This condition attributes to the discontentment overall felt in the Chinese society. Similarly, the film explores several themes, which play a significant role not only in this film, but also in his other works. Generally, it is anxiety about the future and an invocation of the past, as well as the tensions between remembrance and forgetting, engagement and indifference. The film is in black and white cinematography, which reinforces the connection to the film. Most of his films are based on traditional Chinese painting, as well as the 1930s and 1940s Chinese cinema. The features common in most of Fudong’s works include dreamlike qualities, atemporal quality, dividing narratives, long suspended sequences, and multiple storylines and relationships. In addition, the works reflect the anxieties and ideals of his generation, which is a generation that came after, as well as during the Cultural Revolution in China. Moreover, his works are considered poetic due to the beauty and the style that he produces them. Furthermore, the works that Yang creates are powerful and strong since they capture the experiences, thoughts, and emotions of everyday life. His works show respect to the Chinese art and traditions of china and involve

Health care Essay Example for Free

Health care Essay 1a. What model of healthcare does the US and your chosen country have (Japan)? Be very specific. The United States has a healthcare system that is different from almost every country in the world. I would call the United States health care system a hybrid type system. I would call our system a hybrid because we fall into almost every type of category possible when it comes to health care; for instance, people who are uninsured have to pay out-of-pocket when they want to see a doctor versus someone who is insured and only has to pay a deductable. Many companies in the United States offer free medical care for employers, or they make health care insurance fairly cheap to afford. Unlike many countries our healthcare system is a little rocky. Insurance companies can drop you for being to high risk leaving you stranded to find another insurance company or leaving you to pay out-of-pocket. Our system has forced many of our fellow citizens homeless, or with masses amount of debt. Japan on the other hand has a Universal healthcare, in which everyone is covered up to 70% of the cost. Japan’s healthcare is much cheaper than hear in America because in Japan, it is accustom to their culture that a family member acts as a nurse, in which they help assist with the patient. In Japan, they have separate hospital beds in the room for a person from the family to sleep in. The family member acts like a nurse by providing food, cleaning, and changing sheet just to name a few. People from Japan who are employed but do not receive health coverage from their company, can participate in a national health insurance program offered and controlled by their government. People in Japan cannot be denied coverage unlike our healthcare in America, and by law Japans hospitals have to be a non-profit hospital which is run by physicians. 1b. In 10 sentences or less [emphasis on less], describe the Beveridge, Bismarck, National Health Insurance and Out-of-Pocket models. The Beveridge model is named after William Beveridge and was designed/implemented in Britain’s National Health Service. This system is funded by the government through tax payments, similar to how a public library works. According to PBS, â€Å"Bismarck-type health insurance plans have to cover everybody, and they dont make a profit. Doctors and hospitals tend to be private in Bismarck countries†(Health care systemthe four basic models, 2008. ). â€Å"Universal health care is a term that refers to a governmental system meant to ensure that every citizen or resident of a region has access to the required medical services†(What is universal health care, 2003-2013). According to TLC, â€Å"An out-of-pocket expense is a no reimbursable expense paid by a patient. This could include any medical benefits that your health plan doesnt consider covered services. But out-of-pocket expenses can also include covered expenses that you are responsible for before your health-plan benefits kick in at 100 percent coverage. When the insurance company pays all of your expenses and you have to pay only your monthly premium, you have reached the out-of-pocket maximum’’(Jeffries, M. , 2013). 2a. What types of healthcare plans are available in each country? You must discuss each in detail. The US has managed care plans [Health Maintenance Organizations, Preferred Provider Organizations, Exclusive Provider Organizations, Point of Service Plans], and indemnity coverage as well as Medicaid and Medicare and your countrys plan so you need to touch on them all in order to be detailed in your response. The United States has a managed care plan; managed care is used to help control cost. For instance, lets say you are rushed to the hospital, the first thing they EMT’s will ask you regardless how hurt you are â€Å"do you have insurance†. It is sad that the United States has such a terrible health care system. The United States utilizes HMO, which is health maintenance organization, this plans limits the amount of doctors you can see. This is where a person pays a monthly premium in exchange they are covered for hospital visits, pediatric care, x-rays, and many other services our health care has to offer. The person who utilizes this plan generally has to pay co-pay, which the cost varies depending on the type of plan you have. Many people like this type of plan because when you go to the doctor you don’t need to fill out claim forms. Members show a card when they go to the doctor or hospital. The downfall to this plan is that you might have to wait longer in the waiting room. Another plan the United States has is called point-of-service plan. This plan allows the members of the plan to refer themselves to an outside plan and still be able to obtain some coverage. A doctor can also make a referral out of the network and in-turn the health care plan will pay for most if not the entire bill. A preferred provider organization is another type of plan offered by the United States. Just like the health maintenance organization, the preferred provider organization limits you to the number of doctors you can see, but when you do find the right doctor most of your medical bills are covered. The preferred provider organization requires you to choose a primary care physician in order to monitor your health care. If you elect to go to a doctor who is not part of this plan, some of the medical expenses are covered. I deem some people like this plan because if their primary care doctor is not part of the plan, they don’t have to change doctors. According to Health Insurance. Info â€Å"An Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) is a network of individual medical care providers, or groups of medical care providers, who have entered into written agreements with an insurer to provide health insurance to subscribers. In EPO, medical care providers enter a mutually beneficial relationship with an insurer. The insurer reimburses an insured subscriber only if the medical expenses are derived from the designated network of medical care providers. The established network of medical care providers in turn provide subscribed patients medical services at significantly lower rates than what would have been under normal circumstances. In exchange for reduced rates of medical services, medical care providers get a steady stream of business†(Exclusive provider organization, 2010. ). Japan has a national health insurance plan; this plan for people who are not covered by their employer. You can obtain this health care plan by living in Japan for a year. Japan does have universal health coverage as well, but this plan varies between each individual. Some factors that affect this plan are: visiting, studying, working, your age just to name a few. Your premium that you pay depends on your salary you make for the year, so the cost varies for every individual. In Japan their health care system provides free examinations for specific diseases, infectious diseases and parental care. The government pays up to 70% of the cost for every citizen and foreigners who have lived in the country for a year or longer. Japan has an awesome health care plan compared to the United States, and I deem this is why their economy is flourishing and they have one of the healthiest populations in the world. People in Japan have a longer life expectancy compared to any other county in the world; I deem this is due to the bombing health care, their life style choices, and knowledge. 3a. What alternatives are available if an individual loses their healthcare due to job loss? In the US there is more than one alternative. Please be specific for each country. People in Japan are covered no matter what happens to their job. They have a universal health care system in which their government pays up to 70% of their entire cost for any medical bill. People, who don’t have a job, hardly have to pay any coverage when they are ill no matter how severe their condition is. Unlike Japan, in the United States you generally will loose your health benefits, or you will have till the end of the month to utilize it. Some employers will allow you to have your benefits for 26 weeks, which is ample time to find another job with health benefits. You will have to file a claim through your place of work in order to do this action. 4a. The storage of healthcare records are evolving? Describe what EHR, EMR and the cloud are with respect to this evolving technology. We want to see a minimum of five points per explanation. â€Å"An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization†(What is emr and ehr, 2013. ). EHR’s has some great benefits, one great benefit it has over paper records is that it can notify a doctor or physician that a patient is due for a routine check up. Another benefit is that it makes it almost virtually impossible to loose or misplace someone’s records. I like the fact that you can call your doctor and ask them to just simply print and mail you your medical records with all of your medical history; it makes it much easier for a patient to access. I deem one day that doctors will be able to email, or have an app where a patient can access their medical records electronically just for viewing or printing purposes. According to Healthit. gov â€Å"An electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient’s medical history from one practice. An EMR is mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment†(What is an electronic medical record, 2012. ). This is not as beneficial in my opinion as EHR’s are. The reason I feel this way is because EMR’s can only access medical files from one practice. Many people have more than one doctor such as an eye doctor, physician, and even a dentist. All these different practices utilize some sort of medical history that you have compiled over a certain time span. The cloud is a database where every doctor you encounter can access you files. Many people have mixed views about this so called â€Å"cloud†. From a doctors point of view it is great! They can see your medical history for every doctor you have been to. Some people may deem this to be a violation of HIPPA. Many people find it an invasion to their privacy and why would a physician need access to any of my other files. One benefit is doctors can see specific medicines you maybe allergic to that you may have for got to inform them about. 5a. What problems are associated with each country’s healthcare plan(s)? Details please. The United States health care system has many flaws; one is hospitals tend to over price patients. I learned from my Health Law and Ethics class, that some hospitals charge unnecessary charges such as $10. 00 for a cup they carry you medicine in. If you are in the hospital for some time that really adds up quickly! Another flaw our health care system has is over spending on testing. Our country spends more money on test with their patients than any other country. I read an article that a patient was experiencing heart burn constantly and rather than giving a $1,200 stress test (way over priced if you ask me) the doctor charged the patient with a $8,000 CT scan. Many insurance companies will not accept a patient who has had previous records of specific diseases or any chronic condition in fear that they will have to pay too much for their care. If a person who is young and can’t qualify for Medicare, Medicade, and does not have company medical benefits, they have to pay out of pocket. Japan is known for having one of the most superior health care systems in the world. One flaw that it has is a surprisingly high suicide rate. One study showed that these suicides were due to health problems. Japan has a high cancer rate because of the obsessive smoking and drinking in their country.

Factors for Success in Business Organisations

Factors for Success in Business Organisations With reference to two detailed examples (of business organisations) and appropriate writers on management theory, identify the main critical factors in ensuring the success of business organisations in an increasingly competitive and globalised world. Nokia is increasingly recognised as one of the biggest success stories of the modern world, successfully coping with being in the middle of some of the most wide scale changes seen in the last twenty years. Indeed, until 1992, Nokia’s products were almost uniformly low tech and purely functional, mainly consisting of toilet paper, nappies, car tyres and rubber boots; and cables for electric and telephone utilities. The company, based in Finland, had its major market in the Soviet Union up until its collapse in 1991/92. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was Finland’s main trading partner, Nokia almost went into bankruptcy due to falling demand. Some of the company’s shareholders tried to sell Nokia to Ericsson at this point, but Ericsson refused to buy what they saw as a company on the brink of collapse and impossible to rescue (Fox, 2000). However by May 2001, Nokia had become the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones by a long way, with 35% of the global market share, compared to 13% for Motorola, and was second in the world in the equipment used to run mobile networks. Business Week’s (2001) ranking of the world’s largest companies showed that Nokia had the fifth most valuable brand on earth in the year 2000, and the company’s stock market value was approximately $250 billion: the second highest in Europe, and ninth in the world. This dramatic turnaround has largely been attributed to one of the most well publicised critical factors in the modern business environment: dynamic leadership (Kanji, 2005). Following poor performance from several CEOs, Nokia appointed Jorma Olilla, described as a â€Å"charismatic, charming entrepreneur† (Abetti, 2000), as new CEO in 1992. Olilla had previously been in charge of the company’s mobile phone business in 1990, and had successfully turned it into a global force, leading to his appointment as CEO. He revolutionised the company’s strategy, claiming that, as the Scandinavian nations, had a very low population density, but high standards of living compared to much of the world, their communication preferences and tastes were significantly ahead of the rest of the world. As a result, he concluded that mobile phones would both appeal to the younger generation, who were always on the move, and in doing so would gradually replace land line phones. As a result, whilst Motorola, one of Nokia’s biggest competitors at the time, was targeting principally business, government and industry (Abetti, 2000), Nokia decided to target individual consumers. The company exploited the wealth of the Scandinavian nations by competing on quality, brand and fashion; rather than on price. Olilla also recognised that Nokia was highly technically competent, with a strong internal culture and focus (Fox, 2000); another two of the critical factors for success in the modern business environment. From this base, he saw the need for the company to embrace a third critical factor: technological innovation, and used this to drive the focus of the corporation away from mere technical RD and on to a more innovative and creative corporate strategy Another strategic decision was to diversify away from being purely reliant on the GSH digital standard, and to embrace the other two standards: TDMA in North America, and PDS in Japan (Pulkkinen 1997). This market diversification, another critical factor for success, enabled Nokia to dominate in many markets, whilst maintaining brand integrity and a consistent look and feel for the phones. Indeed, embracing the trend towards user friendliness, Nokia included a software based menu, making their mobile phones similar to a palmtop computer and thus adding extra functionality for users. However, whilst Nokia recognised the need for diversification, it also recognised the need for a strong strategic focus, which is another critical success factor. Indeed, shortly after Olilla became CEO, all the companies vice-presidents but one left the company, Nokia closed down all of its unprofitable non-electronic businesses, and the company’s management was reformed into a new five person executive team, all of whom were young and ready to embrace the new market challenges. Due to this strong strategic focus, Nokia’s diversification into electronics and mobile phones became the core competency for the entire company, leading to Nokia becoming the world leader in wireless communication. The results can be seen in the fact that the sales goal for Nokia’s first series of phones was 2,000 units, when in fact the company sold over 20 million of these phones worldwide (Abetti, 2000). The Nokia case covers the vast majority of the critical success factors companies require to succeed in the modern business environment. Indeed, so prevalent are these factors that they can also be seen in the case of Rolls Royce’s success over the past few years. Similar to Nokia, Rolls-Royce focuses strongly on technology and innovation however, in contrast to many modern global companies, Rolls Royce maintains a significant manufacturing base in the UK, where it manufactures value added components Rather than looking to outsource manufacturing overseas to a country where manufacturing cheaper, as many major companies have, Rolls Royce has used the UK’s sound technological base and excellent infrastructure to great advantage. The company has build focused factories with a very good lean flow of information, the minimum amount of waste, well designed processes and modern working practices, such as self directed teamwork (Sandford, 2004). This comprehensive and holistic approach to operational excellence and total quality management, two critical factors for many manufacturing firms, has led to Rolls Royce’s productivity being equal or better than any of its competitors. Similar to Nokia, Rolls Royce has a strong strategic focus, however in contrast to the mobile phone giant, Rolls Royce has kept its overall strategy remarkably constant over the years, and this constancy of purpose has been a great help to the company when developing and consolidating its operational strategy (Interavia, 2001). This constancy of purpose and strategy has also enable Rolls Royce to learn from its factories, its people and its processes, and such organisational learning is vital in helping the company develop better products for future growth. Indeed, Rolls Royce has remained very strong in developing and maintaining its internal resources and core competencies, which are also seen as key strategic factors in the modern business environment (Barney, 1996). Rolls Royce have recognised that, whilst short term cost savings may not be as great; ultimately, outsourcing core activities such as manufacturing will result in both product innovation and long term competitive advantage suffering. In fact, Mesinger (2007) discovered that when technology and cost considerations replace the role of skilled people in the performance of many routine jobs, creativity and innovation thinking among employees is affected across the board. As such, with creativity and innovation being considered critical factors in modern organisational success, Meisinger suggests that companies will need to develop strategies specifically to enhance the creative environment of the workplace. A further critical factor in global business success, and one that is often viewed as a separate consideration, is the use of the Internet for sales, marketing and communications. Whilst some academics argue that the Internet should be considered a separate business unit, Chaffey et al (2000) claim that a company’s Internet strategy is an integral part of its overall strategy, as the Internet, if used properly, will supports the main thrusts of the company’s marketing and business strategy. Indeed, modern researchers and practitioners now increasingly view a company’s marketing strategy, and the related factors, as critical factors in business success (Porter, 2001). One final factor that is viewed by many practitioners as being critical in the modern environment is successfully managing the knowledge that is accumulated within business organisations. This has led to the rise in knowledge management as a critical and differentiating factor for any business that relies on the skill of its people. Lee and Asllani (1997) cite several examples that demonstrate how knowledge management enables companies to achieve both continuous and radical improvements, and that these two approaches can significantly increase the firm’s competitive advantage. Indeed, many researchers have recognised the importance of knowledge management in the implementing the improvement philosophies involved in lean manufacturing and total quality management (Yang, 2004) and now see the interaction between the two concepts as being a critical factor for success in itself. Zetie (2002) showed that the concepts of total quality management and knowledge management, together w ith a number of others, are becoming ever more closely linked, and are actually all leading towards better organisational learning and development. Indeed, Zetie (2002) further argues that firms who benefit from said organisation learning will become better organisational change management, which Zeite claims is also a critical factor in the modern business environment. References Abetti, P. A. (2000) Critical Success Factors for Radical Technological Innovation: A Five Case Study. Creativity Innovation Management; Vol. 9, Issue 4, p. 208. Barney, J. B. (1996) The Resource-based Theory of the Firm. Organization Science, Vol. 7, Issue 5, p. 469. Business Week (2000) The World’s Most Valuable Companies. 10th July 2000. Chaffey, D. Mayer, R. Johnston, K. and Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2000) Internet Marketing. Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall. Fox, J. (2000) Nokia’s secret code. Fortune, 1st May 2000, p. 161-174. Interavia Business Technology (2001) Rolls-Royce keeping a tight focus. Vol. 56, Issue 652, p. 14. Kanji, G. K. (2005) Sustainable growth and business excellence. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence; Vol. 16, Issue 8/9, p. 1069-1078. Lee, S. M. and Asllani, A. (1997) TQM and BPR: symbiosis and a new approach for integration. Management Decision, Vol. 35, Issue 6, p. 409–416. Meisinger, S. (2007) Creativity and Innovation: Key Drivers for Success. HR Magazine; Vol. 52, Issue 5, p. 10. Porter, M. E. (2001) Strategy and the Internet Harvard Business Review, Vol. 79, Issue 3, p. 63–78. Pulkkinen, M. (1997) The Breakthrough of Nokia Mobile Phones. Helsinki: Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration, Ph.D. Thesis. Yang, J. (2004) Knowledge management opportunities for cycle time reduction. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, Vol. 1, Issue 2, p. 192–207. Sandford, A. (2004) Training partnership spreads the lean message. Metalworking Production; Vol. 148, Issue 8, p. 16-17. Zetie, S. (2002) The quality circle approach to knowledge management. Managerial Auditing Journal, Vol. 17, Issue 6, p. 317–321.

Importance of Narrative in CGI Films

Importance of Narrative in CGI Films This essay will look at the importance of narrative in two CG animated films which are Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Hironobu Sakaguchi, 2001) and The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). The essay focuses specifically on the narrative and the spectacle of the films and how through the cinematic medium, they help each other to deliver a visual story across to the audience. The essay will discuss if a solid storyline is needed for a successful feature length animated film or are the animated films just a platform for spectacular imagery. This essay will discuss topics such as the different narrative theories and how the majority of contemporary films have a similar narrative structure, how films have become more sophisticated in terms of raw video footage being just one element necessary to complete a single shot in a film. It will also discuss modern film techniques and how it can help the story being told. The essay will first focus on the various theories of narrative and a brief history of the spectacle of cinema before moving on to the analysis of my chosen case studies. People have been communicating since the day they have been born. From gossiping, bed time stories to little white lies people have been subconsciously or consciously telling stories in some form of a narrative structure. By this I do not mean that all human discourse takes the form of a true story itself but the elements of the basic narrative structure such as having, a beginning, middle and an end are present. Vast majority of mainstream films have the classic three stage act structure of the 19th century stage melodrama, set-up, conflict and resolution as the basic linear structure.â€Å"†¦time is experienced as linear (past-present-future).† From starting to read this essay to the end time has passed. Narratives that have manifested itself into other forms of medium more or less have a tendency to follow this fact. Dreams, flashbacks, characters or a narrator reciting earlier events or future events which are due to happen are eccentric elements of breaking up the linear time format. Hence the arrangement of the plot being the story or as described by the Russian formalist, Viktor Shklovsky, fibula (story) and syuzhet (plot). A prominent example of this is in such films as The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995) or Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000) where the plot and story are quite different, the story not being presented chronologically. Narration, the plot’s way of distributing story information in order to achieve specific effects. Narration is the moment by moment process that guides us in building the story out of the plot. Re-arranging the plot of narratives can be a powerful technique as it can easily create suspense, curiosity, fear, satisfaction, motivation to know more of the situation. Film as a narrative medium, more or less does have closure of story or events, as in the end order is established, stability has been restored. In other words restoring the balance, a theory concluded by Tzvetan Todorov, a Bulgarian structuralist. Todorov reported that the majority of narratives have the same structure, i.e: in a linear storyline, initially all the forces are in balance (equilibrium) and by some event or another the forces are disturbed and majority of the storyline involving around further complications of the initial situation at hand and eventually the balance being restored in the end, even though this balance is not the same as it was at the start of the narrative. When speaking of events happening or that have already happened to disturb the equilibrium, I am referring to character driven and event driven plots or moments. Major film blockbusters tend to follow this pattern with a high tendency of closure with the notion of appealing to the mass audience. This concept of commercial aesthetics may or may not be frowned upon by directors, producers or the script writers but I can comfortably agree with the fact that major film studios highly consider what will or wont appeal to the audience, how much funding they are willing to provide, generating revenues, running time, sequels and prequels and this greatly effects the quality of the storytelling and spectacle of the films, thus the director’s or producer’s true vision of the film not being fulfilled. There are many theorists in different fields of study who have studied to devise logical ways of thinking about narratives. The main theorists I have looked at are Carl G. Jung, a Swiss physiatrist who studied Archetypes and their influences in western storytelling, Claude Là ©vi-Strauss, a French anthropologist studied that narratives were made up of binary oppositions and that key terms in narratives had differences. Joseph Campbell, an American professor studied mythology and religion. His works have been published in a book, ‘Hero With A Thousand Faces.’ He described the term monomyth, an idea which he outlined some archetypal patterns that he realised. He focuses on the role of the hero and the various events that the hero can go through. Gustav Freytag, a German critic suggested a method for representing and analysing plots through a simple diagram of a triangle. The triangle highlighted the setup, conflict and resolution of conventional narrative structures. Starting from the left side (setup), going up the triangle would suggest the apex of the crisis (conflict) and falling back down to the end of the story or the equilibrium being restored (resolution). Meanwhile going across the bottom of the triangle would be the time passing by in relation to the events in the story. This triangle is an adaptation of Aristotle’s work on narrative structures. Aristotle’s work has been collected together into a book called The Poetics which is a series of lectures and workings, which essentially sums up that â€Å"there are causes and effects that occur over time.† Tzvetan Todorov and Viktor Shklovsky I have mentioned before as theorists in narrative and finally Vladimir Propp. They all came to the conclusion of their own theories of narrative however, it will be most useful to concentrate on two particular theorists whose works compliments each others quite well. †¦all conventional films are characterized by the same narrative structure by the work of Tzvetan Todorov and Vladimir Propp. The majority of mainstream films have a similar narrative structure and the works of Todorov and Propp are evidently clear within these narratives. Vladimir Propp, a Russian critic and folklorist analysed many folk tales to see if they shared any common attributes and structures. He concluded that there are eight main characters such as ‘the dispatcher’ or ‘the donor’ and that there are 31 narrative functions such as ‘villain is punished’ or ‘the hero is pursued.’ His analysis also mentioned that not all these are evident in all narratives. Todorov and Propps theories have been influential in modern narratives and work fluently with my chosen case studies and I will apply their theories in more detail later. One last person worth mentioning is Christopher Booker, an English journalist who published the book, ‘The Seven Basic Plots.’ This book outlines that all narratives fall into one of the seven various forms of storytelling. These plots are overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy and rebirth. These plots all had alternative darker versions, except for tragedy which already is the dark version. Furthermore two new plots were added outside this list, rebellion against the one and mystery. Both my case studies fall under the plot, overcoming the monster which I will briefly look at later when analysing my case studies. â€Å"The pleasure of looking – scopophilia has been central to cinema since the beginning† Film is a visual storytelling medium. More people are keen on using their eyes to visualise the story as the audience willingly lose suspension of disbelief, sitting in a film theatre staring at a flat wall for two hours as the story unfolds before their eyes. Before I discuss some of the contemporary film techniques of storytelling I will briefly focus on the ‘cinema of attractions’ an expression used to describe the early cinema by film historian Tom Gunning. As technology began to evolve over the 20th century, the moving image was born. People were overwhelmed by this form of medium and what technology could do thereafter. It was all about the ‘wow’ factor, the look of the film. Since most films during this time were unedited sequences of footage, the narrative was not an important issue. Film makers were more fascinated with the possibilities of this particular medium and capturing the ‘real’ and what they could do with it. There were people like the Lumiere Brothers (Auguste Marie (1862-1954) and Louis Jean (1864-1948)) who successfully captured the ‘real-life’ imitation of film. One famous example is the short film called LArrivà ©e dun train en gare de la Ciotat (1895). When this film was shown people were so shocked and in fear that the train was going to run them down they fled the theatre. This was a turning point in film history as the Lumiere Brothers inspired so many other film makers. One particular other magician turned film maker was Georges Melies (1861-1938). He was another French film pioneer who made over a thousand films, the most memorable ones being Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon, 1902). His views on film making was not to mimic ‘real-life’ but to explore other possibilities, using the camera to subvert what the camera sees into abstractness or creating illusions. He discovered the dissolve effect by chance when his equipment jammed. He explored the ‘magical’ possibilities of the camera and other techniques such as split screen techniques and stop motion photography. He was a pioneer in cinematic special effects and also a film maker who inspired the likes of Jan Svankmajer, Terry Gilliam, etc. Films made during this period were only a couple of minutes long and over the years up until the present films have got longer, in the nineties being an hour and a half but now the average running time is at least two hours, which I definitely support the idea of, since we at least as the audience will be getting our moneys worth. This is not to say that quantity is more essential than quality but I would like to argue the fact that film producers and directors are adding extra running time to enhance the narrative, by adding sub plots or developing characters to improve the story or explain situations or events clearly and not to extend the running time so the spectacle can be the main attraction, even though Hollywood has a tendency to refer to its films as motion pictures rather than film. This can be a signal that Hollywood is faithful to the spectacle of the moving image. A new cinema of attractions has risen, particularly within action genres, where plot and story are of less importance than the spectacle. This can be true since the action genre relies on the spectacle to deliver the film. The action genre is an area where the narrative is simply a platform for spectacle where the audience can sit back, relax and enjoy the film visually, instead of participating in the story and working out clues and problem solving the story. It is more or less the dominant element, meaning in days to come we will remember the ‘spectacle’ but might fail to remember what actually happened. Furthermore I think films in theory have to have at least a sequence where the narrative is disrupted and spectacle takes over, such as a car chase or a well choreographed fight scene. In theory the ‘cinema of attractions’ still exist to this day with the huge cinema screens with surround sounds and films still offering the spectacle as the attraction. In Russia during the Soviet Union (1920’s) spectacle was still the attraction but besides that, editing of films was also used to draw the audiences attention. Editing created powerful effects on the spectators. One particular example I would like to mention is the famous Odessa steps sequence from Sergei Eisenstein’s, Battleship Potemkin (USSR, 1925). This well known sequence is where the army restores order among the sailors and civilians of Odessa. He used a ‘montage’ type of editing to create a pulsating attraction after attraction to intensify the feeling and effect. The point I am trying to make here is that spectacle can be a potent technique in storytelling without the strong element of narrative. Editing has evolved over the years and has become an art form in itself. It can be used to clarify events, establish a location and to build up tension and emotions. Editing itself is a unique process of shots being composed together to maximise the dramatic effect of the story. It combines the mise en scene of the shot along with all the rest to make sense of the film. It is how information can be held back to the director’s content, what to reveal and what not to the audience. Filmmakers are editing in specific ways or cutting more shots out of the final film recently since the audience’s sophistication grows. This can also be referred to as restricted and unrestricted narrative. Restricted narrative is when we have limited information as to what is going on, we only know what the characters know, being it false information or not. We are told information from a first person perspective, as if we are in the films ourselves within that space. Unrestricted narrative is where we are told everything, we know things that the protagonists don’t as in a third person perspective. Editing shots in a way that one shot transitions into another giving the sense of a smooth, flowing edit is called continuity editing. This is a technique where a seamless edit takes place, this can be helpful as it can interpolate the audience into the physical space where the action is taking place. But some narratives shots require the edits to be visible to achieve a particular effect such as the Odessa steps sequence as mentioned before. In continuity editing there is rule known as the 180degrees rule. This rule takes place seamlessly also within the film. When two characters are talking, the action is shot on one specific side of the characters, being the one side or the other and the camera being placed anywhere on that side. This is just to clarify which direction the characters are facing and to establish the space in which they are in. This rule can be used for close-ups for intimate conversations and happenings or far out as we look on as spectators. Another important aspect of storytelling is mise en scene. This is a term given to describe everything involved within that particular shot. It is everything that makes up the frame, i.e: actors, dialogue, the music, diegetic material, cinematography, cg elements or as Richard Maltby describes, â€Å" arrangement of screen space as a meaningful organisation of elements† Lev Manovich a professor in visual arts, wrote an article among many, but one that I found particularly interesting was on Digital Cinema and he quotes, â€Å"Cinema is the art of the index; it is an attempt to make art out of a footprint.† He states the fact that contemporary cinema has become a platform where film-makers can edit and simulate real world actions through different forms and techniques such as CGI. Cinema has evolved from movies being mostly live footage to contemporary digital cinema where the live footage in film has become little or used as a basis for experimentation, 3d manipulation, etc. The fact that he used the expression ‘an attempt to make art out of a footprint’ in reference to raw video is an indication as how it is used as a ground element for the CG to build upon and to manipulate it until all the elements are finalised to complete the shot. How did cinema arrive at using animation in its projects? I am going to try to explain this as short and briefly as possible. Cinema was born when the moving image was created, a sequence of images, footage or hand drawn, which theoretically is animation, since a series of images give the illusion of movement, hence animation. Film makers took this new format and made films in the tendency of the ‘Lumiere style’ or the ‘Melies style’ as mentioned before, adding animation as a supplement. As technology developed, the future made digital cinema possible incorporating animation and special effects as the main essence of films while live recording was used as the basis or even reference, â€Å"hence, the production becomes just the 1st stage of post-production.† Manual construction and animation of images gave birth to cinema and slipped into the marginsonly to re-appear as the foundation of digital cinema. The history of the moving image thus makes a full circle. Born from animation, cinema pushed animation to its boundary, only to become one particular case of animation in the end. These contemporary film techniques and processes which I have just discussed are clearly evident in the two films of my choice. The first film I want to examine is Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The film is the first photorealistic computer generated film ever to be made as all the cast are life like computer generated characters. The film is set in the future and it focuses on Dr. Aki Ross and her finding of the eighth spirit, in doing so will erase the alien phantom spirits from earth who have more or less taken over the world and left a barren like wasteland. The film follows a linear narrative structure and even though the film shares the same title as the computer games it bears no reference or relation to any of the stories in the computer games. Todorov suggests that conventional narratives are structured in five stages and this film’s narrative structure seamlessly integrates within those five stages. The first stage is clearly the equilibrium, however the film starts off with an already unbalanced state, which is the world has been laid waste to an alien race. The second and third stages, is the equilibrium being disturbed by some event and the recognition of this disturbance, which also has already happened before the story has begun, in being that the aliens have crashed on planet earth, and the human population reacting to this by evacuating to gigantic like plane hangers cities around the world which are protected by some sort of special field against the threat. The majority of the film is in reference to stage four which is trying to repair the unbalance, meaning Dr. Aki Ross with the help of a special task force unit trying to find the remaining spirits. The story finishes off in the fifth and final stage where the balance is restored in the end and the alien race eradicated from earth. Final fantasy also bears a resemblance to Christopher Bookers work and his theories of the seven plots, specifically ‘overcoming the monster’. The phantoms are the great and mysterious evil which the world has fallen to. The source of threat is the phantoms. The hero is Dr Aki Ross who is armed with the seven spirits and with the help of the scientist Dr Sid, they set out to travel to the source of the evil and with some amount of struggling, finding the last spirit and finally by discovering the eighth spirit the monstrous entity is destroyed. The threat has been lifted and the world has been saved with the loss of her companions. Looking at the film, the sense of photorealistic spectacle can help intensify and value the story better particularly the scenes of the phantoms. To clarify this notion in the scene where Dr Aki Ross is having her dreams of the phantoms charging towards her, I would find it quite difficult and would feel emotionless if the CGI was ‘unrealistic’ to say the least, you wouldn’t feel threatened because they didn’t look real or menacing enough. As a serious science fiction film the visual look can help communicate the narrative across at some points in the story by making the scenes more authentic and grittier. To be honest that is the only positive aspect I can mention about the look of the film. But on the other hand a point worth mentioning is the fact that the digital actors were quite emotionless. This lead to the notion that they were artificial. In traditional animation, the facial features and body movements are extremely vivid. The motions are slightly exaggerated to give the illusion of life and personality so the movement can blend from one frame to another and that is why films that are made by pixar are so rich in character because their animators have strong backgrounds in traditional animation. Nonetheless Final Fantasy strived for life like replicas of real human people. The films photorealistic look with the serious live action feel can also be considered as its weakness. While they did look amazingly real their emotions and actions were lifeless which lead to the fact that they were artificial characters. The characters had no chemistry with each other on screen, an example is the love/romantic scene with Dr Aki Ross and Captain Gray Edwards, I did not feel like they genuinely liked each other, it was not shown successfully with their reactions or on their faces. This brings me to my next point. My initial reaction to the life like characters was mostly surprised and mesmerised. But striving for the human believability of the characters solely on the look was not enough. Maybe if the characters were created for a still image in a magazine for example it would have been suffice. But for a motion picture, the digital characters felt strange and eerie. This might be down to the fact that, the photorealism in an animated feature film was a first but I would like to believe it was down to a theory hypothesised by a Japanese roboticist, by the name of Dr. Masahiro Mori. His theory was that the more human like a robot becomes or looks like, people are fascinated by it, but when the robot borderlines human likeness the natural response by people is negative. People focus on that negativity. The human like robot is considered odd and bizarre and leads to the feeling of strangeness within the viewer. This theory was named ‘The Uncanny Valley.â₠¬â„¢ Imagine a perfectly human-looking face that suddenly grimaces or smiles in a non-human way†¦ Its profoundly disturbing when something blurs the line between human and non-human. I myself, think the story was not strong enough for the film, it does not hold up to the magnificent CGI. I personally thought it failed to articulate the plot well. It is why I think the film was a let down. Some questions were left unanswered. Why were the alien phantoms a threat to the human race? Why were the alien phantoms fighting each other on their home planet in Dr Aki Ross’s dreams? Why did their home planet explode? Some of these questions, answered would have given us as the audience a better understanding of the plot. The narrative was simply a platform for spectacular imagery. When I watched the film for the first time I suspended disbelief on the visual realism, I was attracted to how believable the characters and environments were. I was conscious to the excellent CGI being shown the whole time. In the future looking back at this film, people will remember this film and automatically think of how brilliantly photorealistic the animation was, how life like the characters were and how new and ever evolving technology made this possible. My next case study is another feature length animation made by the incredibly talented people at pixar studios. Pixar have been making animated feature length films and short films for over 10 years now and each one has been more successful than the previous one. The Incredibles is a computer generated film that is not photo realistic. It does have that classic pixar look, heavily stylized with human attributes. It is arguably, one of my favourite animated films mainly because it is not just the typical comedy from pixar. It does have its comedic moments but what sets this apart from any other animated film especially from the studio of pixar is that it is darker and has some form of violence. It feels like a live action film. It has moved away from the cute, lovely characters from previous pixar films. I liked this notion because it mainly appeals to a much wider audience. The narrative structure does follow Todorov’s linear theory of equilibrium but I would like to apply Propp’s theory of character types with Gustav Freytag’s Triangle. The story film begins with an equilibrium, superheroes exist, living amongst normal people saving the world and keeping peace and order in society. Problems begin to evolve as the main ‘Hero’ Mr Incredible is being sued for injuring the same civilian he just saved moments before. One thing leads to another and all superheroes have been forced to live normal lives under a superhero witness protection program. Thus the balances have been disturbed and according to Freytag’s Triangle the density of the problems are growing as time goes on and as the story makes its way up the triangle. The hero by temptation has been called into action by the ‘villain’ into using his powers. The hero without knowing what he is doing has willingly helped the villain in his master plans and when Mr Incredible realises what he has done he is inevitably captured. His family are now on their way to release him. This is the peak of the crisis or triangle as all the problems are laid bare and the tension has built up, we know what Syndromes (villain) intensions are. The climax or the solving of the problems are to follow next as we climb down the triangle, as the family of superheroes solve the problems one by one. The family now together try to find a way to stop Syndromes plans and save the world, restoring the balance in the end and the story coming to an appropriate closure of the current events. I say appropriate closure because the films ending is more or less an open possibility for a sequel or maybe more. I loved the narrative as it has a bond’esque feel about it, saving the world from a mad man. I was easily and simply able to establish who the heroes and villains were and the fact that the story had a suitable closure as all the loose ends of the story were tied up. Examining the narrative overall I can safely say that the relatively straightforward narrative fits Freytag’s triangle perfectly in view of the fact that all the problems that grew were resolved in the end. I would like to mention the beginning of the film was a parody to the 1950/1960’s U.S superhero comics and films. The likeness is significant in the terms that the film begins in the past and works its way to the present day and when the superhero’s lived alongside average citizens and the fact that the look of the film mimicked the same style of news reporting when the superheroes over the world were being sued. In addition the stylised characters with the large upper torso, broad shoulders, square jaw and smaller than average legs evidently represented by Mr Incredible were mimics of the 1950/1960’s U.S superheroes. This parody worked well as it gave the film authenticity and it felt that time had moved on within the film to the present day. Even though the characters were not photorealistic, the animation sold the concept that they were real. The exaggerated motions like I mentioned before convinced me that these artificial characters had feelings and they genuinely exist. This was quite an achievement for pixar, as cg characters before The Incredibles, whether in television adverts, cartoons or short animated films have not been quite rigid but lacked that sense of energy and dynamic in them. This can raise the question, is animation only successful with non-human or non-realistic characters? This question in itself is worth another essay, to be studied accurately, but in short I would like to think not, since there have been films that have major success such as The Incredibles clearly, Toy Story 12 also made by people at pixar studios, Shrek 12 by Dreamworks Animations and feature length films which include ‘CG doubles’ of their live counterparts. Again the theory of ‘The Uncanny Valley’ comes into play as successful films of non-realistic characters maybe down to the fact that people find it strange when CG characters end up looking ‘too real’ on screen. The appearance of the film was simplistic, almost approaching a ‘minimalist’ look and stylised but not over done as to steal the limelight of the narrative. The narrative is the dominant element within this film as I believe that the spectacle supported but did not dominate the narrative. On watching this film I was drawn into the story, what was going to happen next, it was engaging and I wanted to know more. I felt that an actual story was told to me, that I was watching the events unfold from a third person view within the film, that I was successfully entertained. On first time round watching the film I was not thinking how that was made. The film will be remembered for its entertaining, excellent storytelling factor, a film the whole family can watch. All feature animated films that have been produced by the pixar studios have had massive success. I think of pixar as any other major film studio emphasising on telling an entertaining narrative but telling it through a specific medium of film. Films such as the Toy Story series, Finding Nemo, Shrek series, Ice Age series and Madagascar all have had major success due to the strong narrative element running through the film. All films are non photo-realistic as the spectacle supports and is just the platform for story. It is kind of ironic that a photorealistic character felt unconvincing in Final Fantasy but felt realistic in The Incredibles even though the creators of Final Fantasy were aiming for realism. It proves my point of the fact that intending to achieve realism will only go so far without the narrative, vigour or the personality behind it. Narrative is compulsory in giving spectacle depth and more over ‘life’ so it will become believable and to work and blend as one as a feature length animated film. So is story and plot less significant in feature length animation then spectacle? I think not. I strongly disagree with the fact that spectacle is more vital than narrative primarily because of the apparent reason that the whole idea of feature films is to tell a story. The public go to cinemas to be entertained for two hours. They set out to be enthralled by a story, that is what a ‘film’ is, a narrative in by which the spectacle helps to communicate the information across. As CG effects get more complicated the audiences want more than spectacle, they yearn to be motivated by other means rather than to watch a sequence of frames. To lose the sense of reality and be mesmerised into a fictional world of wonderful computer generated characters and environments. I believe that full feature animation is just another medium of spectacle that stories can be told through, that narrative is essential for a successful CGI animation, as only recently due to new software and powerful hardware more and more CGI feature films are being made and it is technically quite a new process as filming the real has been done for a while. There is of course the excuse of the cinema to show off how the latest technology can create spectacular imagery and special effects, and show off new film and CG techniques. I also agree that spectacle can sometimes enhance the narrative being told, by exotic scenery and sets that would be impossible to manually build on location, or unrealistic physical attributes such as walking on water or punching holes in walls. The visual storytelling medium has changed, evolved for better or worse due to commercial