Acting For The Camera Film Studies Essay

Acting For The Camera Film Studies Essay The goal of the Meisner technique has often been described as getting actors to Live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. (Silverberg 1994: 45), Critically examine this statement, with reference to at least three different screen dramas. It is the writers belief that to attempt to examine the statement a brief recap on Meisners acting predecessors should be included in this essay. Arguably Stanislavski can be called the foundation of modern acting techniques. Challenging himself to become a better acting practitioner than the melodramatic thespians of his time .Stanislavski found that they didnt form a connection to their character or the other actors and directed their dialogue directly at the audience .Through taking notes and trial and error; he came up with an acting system. He was greatly responsible for the revolutionary change in Russian theatre, making it more accessible to the masses. Many of his principles called upon the actor to draw upon their own experiences and take an analytical approach to the character to be portrayed. He created the If principle, what would you do in a situation out with your experience but is faced by the character. This principle challenges the actor to use their imagination .Stanislavski wanted actors to draw upon their own life experiences to create the truth of their character and not to invent falsehoods. His subsequent students and followers used and developed his techniques. When these teachings crossed continents into America they were altered, whether through linguistic translation or artistic interpretation. Stella Adler was a strong follower of his teachings and travelled to Europe to learn his techniques firsthand. Through working with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, Meisner built upon the Stanislavski system and developed his own technique. The Meisner technique is about the actors truthful reactions within an imaginary circumstance.Stanislavski`s system comes across as regimented and over analysed with actions /reactions preordained before being performed in comparison. Though there are more similarities than differences of these two practitioners techniques at the core. Both believe that the actors own life experiences should be draw upon to bring truth to their character. By reacting instinctually when in character within the parameters of the text under the imaginary circumstances fresh discoveries can be made. Discoveries about the characters behaviour and the actors subconscious interpretation of their reasoning. Even through intense analysis of the text, these discoveries might not have been brought out through intellectual study. This is the heart of his technique ,finding behavioural truths which freely happen when the actor is in the moment. The ultimate goals of these practices are to bring truthfulness and believability to the character. If the actor takes on this truth of character action /reactions and fully believes it themselves ,then the audience will also. In the theatre it is generally stated that the performance is life compressed onstage but for acting on camera this must be refined. The camera can follow the action up-close and pick up on moments of doubt or an actor going through the motions. The actor isnt banging it out to the cheep seats but striving to produce a condensed realistic piece of acting. The combination of the actors own life experiences and the character`s creates this living real life under imaginary circumstances. My first example of Meisners technique in action on screen was found in the Crying Game (1992) directed by Neil Jordan. A disillusioned member of the Irish republican army tries to drop off the radar and is pursued by fellow agents. After aiding in the kidnapping of a black British soldier ,Fergus forms a bond with his captive and agrees to look up his girlfriend if negotiations for his release fall through. The prisoner Jody escapes but Fergus cant bring himself to shoot his new friend but Jody is tragically killed by his own army when they accidently run him over. Fergus looks up the girlfriend Dil and almost immediately forms a relationship with her. When He discovers that he isnt the only one keeping secrets ,Fergus continues with this affair with his new love. The reveal in the film was shocking at the time as this new love Dil was actually a man. The scene that caught my attention was the kissing scene between Dil and Fergus . When Fergus says to Dil be a good girl, go inside. Dil looks directly into his eyes and replies, only if you kiss me. Fergus is taken aback by the directness of the statement and takes a moment to recover, moving forward to kiss her. He is loving but surprised and confused and it is evident on his face. The confusion that stems from kissing another man is made apparent by the snort Fergus makes and his downplaying of the significance of the kiss by asking, are you happy now? Dils reply, delirious is charged with anger at Ferguss reluctance to embrace his feelings. The scene is important for the way in which the feelings of the characters, rather than the words they say, portray the meaning of the scene. Dil and Fergus moving towards and away from each other, looking at each other but refusing to touch and make physical contact, the awkward and defiant postures they adopt, all show the physical and emotional attraction that exists between them, and Fergus repulsion at the idea of kissing a man. Both are highly emotional and make that emotion available to each other and the audience with only a secondary use of language. The scene is a remarkable achievement for the way in which it portrays the surprise and adventure, and the newness of the experience. The characters appear not to know what will happen, and yet are alive and expectant to what that might entail. They are prime examples of Meisners statement that, the quality of your acting depends on how fully you are doing what you are doing, . The second example is from Moon (2009) directed by Duncan Jones Set in the near future, earth natural recourses have been exhausted and the moon is now being mined. Loan astronaught Sam Bell is isolated and shut off from earth as communication is down. As he approaches the final month of his contract Sam has an accident outside in a moon vehicle. Waking up in the medi lab he slowly starts to realise all is not right when the computer tries to keep him confined. Venturing outside Sam finds the injured Sam and brings him back to the lab. Is Sam loosing his mind or is the company abusing their power by cloning him. Who is the real Sam and will the company let more than one version exist. In the chosen scene for this example the Sam who has been injured and almost completed his term is confronting the newly awaked clone Sam. Injured Sam is still not sure what he is experiencing is real while clone Sam is struggling to work out why this is happening. Even though this is a scene involving the same actor and the interaction are being imposed upon each other ,the momentum is not lost and the technology of the scene doesnt draw focus from the acting.Meisner trained Sam Rockwell gives two wholly believable distinctly different performances in this scene. A man loosing his mind against one who is struggling to maintain his sanity. The battle of wills while they fight over music is well choreographed and an extreme example of acting truthfully under imaginary circumstances. A third example of Meisners technique comes from his own performance in The Story on Page One (1959) directed by Clifford Odets. A married Jo Morris is a woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who is abusive to their young daughter has an affair .Through a series of unfortunate events her lover Larry Ellis ,accidently kills the husband and they decide to cover up Larry`s presence .What follows is the subsequent trial by the legal system and tabloid press .Larrys domineering mother initially interfered in his budding relationship and causes more problems for the lovers during the trial. In this film, Meisner plays Phil Stanley the prosecuting attorney. After the accidental killing by Gig Young of his lovers husband, Meisner puts on a remarkable performance in the courtroom scenes. In scene after scene, the questioning and cross examination of Gig Young and the other witnesses in the case is carried out convincingly and intensely. Meisners technique, as demonstrated by the three screen performances used as examples in this paper, therefore lives up to Meisners own claim that acting should be to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. The actors all appear to be reacting to genuine impulses and motivations, guided by their feelings and by compelling motivating factors.

Addiction :: essays research papers

Addiction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have all seen the ads on television that show a lady talking and breathing through a hole in her throat. There are also ads that show kids in situations where their peers are trying to get them to smoke. Twenty years ago these types of commercials were not available, instead you had Joe Cool, Marlboro Man, and many beautiful people who are shown as popular and attractive people because of the cigarettes that they were smoking. The truth is it was all a falsity. Those people who smoke will experience more pain and heartache in their shortened lifetime than that of non-smokers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While I have never smoked, I have seen what it can do to not only those who do smoke, but the people they know as well. Both of my mom’s parents have smoked ever since she had been born. Smoking was not an unusual sight to her. She was also not aware of the adverse affects that smoking has physically, mentally, and emotionally. Nicotine, which is the drug in cigarettes, has been said to be one of the most addictive drugs. Both of my grandparents were addicted, my mom followed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been seven years since my grandma has died from smoking. She didn’t get a chance to have a surgery, or any other form of assistance to help her live longer. She died in her sleep of emphysema. This hit my mom very hard as she was close to my grandma. Her death led my mom to attempt to quit smoking several times, all failures. I couldn’t understand why it was so difficult. I had watched my dad kick the habit 4 years prior to my grandma’s death. In my eyes it should be easy to quit something that is so harmful, to not only yourself, but to those around you as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My grandma’s death also led to a few changes in my grandpa’s life. He began to think he didn’t have anything else to live for and constantly would smoke and drink. Both of which has caused him many medical problems in the past year. It appears that among other things, he too has emphysema. With this, he has come close to dying two times in the past year. What is worse is that he knows what is wrong and could do something to change his situation. Where he wouldn’t be able to live forever if he was to quit smoking, he would at least make it a few years longer.

Understanding of the Flynn Effect

The Flynn Effect, first observed by James Flynn in 1981, is the steady year on year increase in IQ scores on intelligence tests, noting a greater rise in fluid (non-verbal) intelligence than crystallised (verbal) intelligence. There are numerous studies providing evidence for this effect leading to the question; are generations getting more intelligent? There is no universal definition of intelligence, leading many researchers to try and discover common themes around the world.Yang & Sternberg (1997b) found similarities in ideas of intelligence between Western and Eastern cultures but ultimately, along with other researchers such as Baral & Das (2004), concluded that there are great differences between conceptions of intelligence around the world. Due to this, there have been many different methods used to measure intelligence over the years, from Binet & Simon’s (1911) intelligence test, to Gardner’s (1983) multiple intelligence theory.One of the more accepted and univ ersally used methods designed to test intelligence is the intelligence quotient (IQ) test, developed by William Stern in 1912, an idea used by many other intelligence researchers. In 1981, when reviewing intelligence tests to test validity for new versions, James Flynn noticed that whenever participants were given an old test and a new test to complete, they always got higher scores on the newer test. He went on to look at a further 73 studies (Flynn, 1984) and discovered that between 1932 and 1978, white Americans had gained 14 IQ points, supporting his original discovery.In 1987 he published intelligence test data from 14 countries (Flynn, 1987), coming to the conclusion that IQ scores were rising not only in America, but across a number of different countries and cultures, further displaying evidence for his discovery. In attempt to make sense of Flynn’s discovery, it has been proposed that generations are getting more intelligent, an idea that Flynn himself rules out. He argued that if generations were getting more intelligent, we would expect to see an ever rising number of geniuses in the world which we don’t.So why are IQ scores getting higher? In 1998, Ulrich Neisser (Neisser, 1998a) edited a book suggesting some possible environmental explanations for the Flynn Effect. The book was contributed to by Flynn (1998), Greenfield (1998), Lynn (1998), Neisser (1998b), Schooler (1998) and Williams (1998). It covered 5 main areas: schooling, test-taking sophistication, parental rearing style, visual and technical environment and nutrition. However, Lynn (1990) originally broke these ideas down into two opposing hypotheses; the nutrition hypothesis and the cognitive stimulation hypothesis.The Nutrition hypothesis proposes that nutrition is a key factor in generations' increased intelligence, Lynn (1990; 1998). It sees nutrition as increasing intelligence as part of a nurturing environment, including longer life expectancies, improved health and lo wer infant disease. As food has become more readily available to most people, we are inevitably receiving more of the nutrition and food that our bodies and brains require, meaning our bodies and brains are more capable of performing to the best of their ability.Compared with generations ago, when food and water was scarce it is almost expected that we should achieve better results on intelligence tests when our brains are better nourished and equipped to deal with them. Average human height has also risen over the last century, which has been attributed to nutrition. Lynn (1990;1998) suggested that this could be significant, as brain size has been linked to nutrition and also to intelligence. Some researchers began looking at particular nutrients in relation to intelligence.Quian et al (2005) looked at the effects of iodine on intelligence. Findings showed that the children who had received iodine supplements before and after birth scored significantly higher on intelligence tests than children who hadn’t. Iodine is now well known as one of the most important minerals for good health. Benton & Roberts (1988) conducted a study involving 90 children divided into 3 groups of 30. Group 1 were given a supplement which contained a number of vitamins and minerals. Group 2 were given a placebo and Group 3 was not given anything.8 months later Benton & Roberts (1988) found that in Group 1 a significant increase in non-verbal (fluid) intelligence scores was observed, supporting the Flynn effect. However, there was no significant difference between verbal (crystallised) intelligence scores. Further research into understanding the Flynn effect saw Colom, Luis-Font & Andres-Pueyo (2005) test two large samples of Spanish boys with a 30 year gap in a measure of fluid intelligence. A significant rise in IQ scores was observed in the later sample, with findings interestingly noting intelligence gains mainly observed among the lower percentile of IQ scores.Teasdale & Ow en (1989) and Lynn & Hampson (1986) had previously found similar results. These findings, and many other replications, support the Nutrition hypothesis as evidence for the Flynn effect. In general these types of studies have provided plenty of evidence to conclude that IQ is affected by vitamin/mineral supplements on non-verbal measures of intelligence, however, it is becoming increasingly hard to test this as most people are well-nourished these days particularly in Western cultures.Future studies could continue to look at which particular nutrients affect which particular areas of intelligence, and concentrate on broadening the research to a wider variety of cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many of the previously mentioned studies use a sample consisting of only males, which makes results less representative to the entire population. The Cognitive Stimulation hypothesis, takes into account some of the other ideas mentioned in Neisser’s book (Neisser 1998a), suggestin g that higher intelligence is driven by improvements in cognitive stimulation.In particular, visual analysis and technical advances are seen as causing intelligence to increase. Visual analysis can range between many things, from photographs, messages on cereal boxes, puzzles in a newspaper, to television programmes. One of the biggest changes in the twentieth century was the arrival of visual media such as television and the internet. Nowadays almost every home has a television and many have computers and access to the internet.Children now have much wider access to educational toys, games, television programmes and computer programs, and adults now participate in many cognitively demanding activities such as reading, puzzles, video games and using devices such as television and computers. Johnson (2003) argues that popular television has become more cognitively demanding in recent years. One example is children’s television show Sesame Street, designed to increase childrenà ¢â‚¬â„¢s intelligence and awareness by providing mental stimulation at an early age.Sesame Street is now an award winning show and is recognised as helping to develop children’s understanding and abilities (Palmer, 2003). Even simple things such as adverts provide us with cognitive stimulation, sometimes requiring viewers to work out a hidden or abstract meaning, compared with much more straight forward adverts seen from years ago. Intelligence tests such as Raven’s matrices measure visual analysis, on which the largest gains in IQ have been found providing support for the cognitive stimulation hypothesis.Some of the other ideas mentioned in Neisser’s book include schooling, test-taking sophistication and parental rearing style. Nowadays, we attend school for many more years than our parents and grandparents did. Cahan & Cohen (1989) found that length of schooling influences intelligence, however their results suggested larger rises in verbal intelligence, thus not providing evidence for the Flynn effect. Test-taking sophistication is the idea that we are just generally more aware of intelligence tests than generations ago. IQ tests are something we learn about in school as teaching today is generally geared towards achievement tests.This could potentially explain better scores in intelligence tests by those who know why and what they are doing them for, but it is unknown whether this could explain the emphasis on non-verbal intelligence seen in the Flynn effect, as it is a very difficult concept to test. Parental rearing styles have also changed, with families getting smaller meaning each child is spending more time with his or her parents. Flynn (1998) and Williams (1998) also suggest that today’s parents are more interested in their children’s intellectual development than in previous generations.However, it could be argued that due to the Flynn effect, today’s parents are simply more intelligent than their own pare nts and grandparents, and therefore better able to guide and educate their own children. If the cognitive stimulation hypothesis can truly explain the Flynn effect, then we should see a rise of IQ scores across generations at all levels of IQ (Flynn, 2003; Lynn (1990) but if the nutritional hypothesis provides the explanation, intelligence gains would appear more so at the bottom end of IQ scores, where nutritional deprivation is at its worst (Flynn, 2003).Neither the nutritional hypothesis nor the cognitive stimulation hypothesis appears to be telling the whole story in relation to the Flynn effect, and there are still many other theories out there. Some suggest natural selection as a cause, such as Deary et al, 2004 who found significant correlation between low IQ score and risk of cardiovascular disease and death. However this could be down to environmental factors caused by lower IQ such as poverty and living conditions which could lead to death and illness Gottfredson 1997. Bra in size has also been proposed as a relevant factor.Tiedmann (1836) suggested a connection between brain size and mental energy, and medical advances allowing tests such as MRI scans have since led to further research in this area. Willerman et al (1991) and Raz et al (1993) went on to find correlations between brain size and general intelligence, supporting Tiedmann’s hypothesis. However, these correlations were found in particular samples, and did not clarify causation. Luria (1968, 1972) conducted two case studies and discovered that injuries to different parts of the brain affected intelligence in different ways.Flynn (1994, 1999) favoured environmental explanations himself, suggesting intelligence gains too rapid to be genetic. Many recent European studies have suggested that the Flynn effect is actually coming to an end, or could possibly be in reverse. Sundet et al (2004) composed intelligence tests from the 1950’s and found that in line with the Flynn effect, n on-verbal intelligence showed higher gains, that is until the 1990’s when IQ scores ceased to increase. Teasdale & Owen (2005) found similar results, with scores rising from 1959 and peaking in the late 1990’s.Teasdale & Owen (2005) noticed that after this peak, intelligence test performance has since declined to pre-1991 level. Many people view these studies as direct evidence for the end of the Flynn effect; however some view it an extension of the Flynn effect, one which can still be explained by the nutritional hypothesis. It is proposed that the rise in IQ scores was a result of the number of low scorers who were dragging the average IQ score down, getting smaller and smaller.Supporters of the nutritional hypothesis argue that this decreasing number of low scorers was due to the decreasing number of people suffering from poor nutrition, and now poor nutrition is not a problem the slow removal of low scorers has levelled out. Three big questions when looking at int elligence testing are the reliability of intelligence tests, the validity of intelligence tests and whether the usefulness of intelligence is overemphasised.One issue with reliability is that IQ scores fluctuate, and if you take the same test a few weeks later it is likely you will achieve a different score, although you are not supposed to retake the same IQ test as your first interaction with it will almost certainly influence your second performance. Researchers question whether we can ever truly know if the first score we get is truly a representation of our intelligence, or if it may be a fluctuation from our real intelligence, questioning the accuracy of such scores. This concern hasinspired plenty of research into IQ fluctuation, with many studies such as Jones & Bayley (1941) suggesting that although scores do fluctuate, they remain relatively stable. Furthermore, while there is plenty of evidence to suggest intelligence tests correlate well with other intelligence tests (Ne isser et al, 1996), these studies are based on the assumption that there is a globally agreed idea of general intelligence when this is in fact not true (Benson, 2003). As mentioned earlier, there are cultural variations of what is perceived as intelligence, calling into question the validity of intelligence testing.It wouldn’t be sensible to dismiss intelligence tests entirely as there is plenty of evidence to support their reliability, validity and usefulness. However, we should not ignore the shortcomings. Both the nutritional hypothesis and the cognitive stimulation hypothesis have contributed somewhat to our understanding of the Flynn effect, but neither appears to be telling the whole story. The nutritional hypothesis views nutrition as increasing intelligence as part of a nurturing environment with plenty of evidence providing support for this as an explanation of the Flynn effect, such as Quian et al (2005) and Benton & Roberts (1988).However it is becoming increasing ly difficult to continue to test this as most people are well nourished these days, particularly in Western culture. The cognitive stimulation hypothesis suggests that the visual revolution is responsible for the Flynn effect, suggesting higher intelligence results from improvements in cognitive stimulation. Again, there is plenty of evidence in support of this; however it does not provide an absolute explanation.Due to the rising number of studies suggesting the Flynn effect is coming to an end, it is possible that any current and future research into the Flynn effect is futile, although many of the evidence to suggest this is predominantly undertaken in Europe, pointing back to the cultural differences in intelligence. Perhaps less developed countries are seeing the Flynn effect? We could benefit from more research across various cultures. There are also the questions of intelligence test reliability, validity and usefulness to consider. Leading to my final question; if we canâ₠¬â„¢t define intelligence, how can we truly test it?

RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing 10 Highest Paying Nursing Specialties in Colorado 2019

RNs in Colorado are heading back to school in search of higher paying nursing jobs. With an RN to bachelor of science in nursing, Colorado nurses have access to a wealth of career opportunities. The Colorado Board of Nursing has named these top 10 nursing specialties as the highest paying in the state: Colorado Nurse Anesthetist. Colorado Nursing Executive. Colorado Nurse Consultant. Colorado Nurse Midwife. Colorado Nurse Practitioner. Colorado Nurse Manager. Colorado Clinical Nurse Specialist. Colorado Nurse Instructor/Faculty. Colorado Nurse Supervisor. Colorado Nurse Case Manager. Flexible RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs Available to Colorado RNs RNs interested in pursuing an RN to bachelor of science in nursing can choose from a variety of Colorado nursing schools. Unique combinations of campus-based and online RN to bachelor of science in nursing programs are available through Colorado colleges and universities, such as: Kaplan University Kaplan College Denver Campus. Online RN to bachelor of science in nursing programs. University of Phoenix Lone Tree Campus. Online Nursing degree programs. University of Phoenix Colorado Springs Campus. RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs. .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3:active, .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .ucf06875e05fd6a75871dd28900984cf3:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Put Creative Talents to Use with a Bachelor's Degree in Interior DesignSome RN to bachelor of science in nursing programs can be completed in as little as 12 months. Admission requirements, tuition, financial aid, and curriculum details are readily available at each Colorado nursing college. To request information from any RN to bachelor of science in nursing program of choice, prospective students are encouraged to submit this brief information request form through College-Pages.com, the leading education and career resource website. Related ArticlesColleges for the Health Care ProfessionsCriminal Justice Bachelor Degree Single Parents in Colorado Find Convenience at Kaplan UniversityOnline Education Options in HealthcareYour Home Business and AccountingThe Relationship Beteween Computer Science and EngineeringBachelor Business Degree in Management of Information Systems Enter an IT Career in the Business Environment