Black Pillow by Frank Moore

Black Pillow 2002 by Frank Moore is set on a cornfield during daylight. In the background of the canvas there is a large factory with some plants and butterflies. The edge of this artwork has a yellow border and parts of this canvas are also lightly filled with the color yellow as well. On the left side of the canvas, there is a farmer in overalls that does not seem like he cares about what he is doing, pumping gas into the roots of the cornfield as he glowers into space.One the bottom of the canvas you can find the gasoline spilling all over the pillow of the cornfield, the white roots from the corn stand out from the black color of the gasoline. The art elements shown in â€Å"Black Pillow† are that it has a very warm feel to it since warm colors are used; it almost makes you feel like you are there outside in the hot field and gasoline. It is loosely spaced out since there is no color in the background that fills it up a lot except for some yellow lines and spots. It defini tely has bold colors to it and has no greyscale in it.The yellow has a significant contrast from the background and the black as well. The line of the corn leaves looks very alive and natural while the roots in the gasoline are stiff, rough and dead looking. This canvas shows how humans and industrialization are harming the corn crops by the gasoline, since gasoline consists of ten percent ethanol which comes from cornfields. The color yellow in the border of this artwork symbolizes rotting, heat, decay and death. Which fits in well with this theme since the careless farmer is pumping gas all over the roots of the cornfield.The gasoline which represents the color black means the coldness, negativity and evil that is pouring and taking over the corn which the color yellow can also symbolize joy, happiness, and optimism. The white root of the corn symbolizes how the innocence is being besieged by the gasoline’s coldness and evil. The gasoline in the pillow of the soil is where it gets its name â€Å"Black Pillow†. Personally, I believe Frank Moore got his message across in this artwork. He is portraying the decay of cornfields because of the increase in oil industry.The color symbolism is prevalent because the oil is the evil that is invading the cornfields for the benefit of more resources. It shows the evolution of where the oil comes from and how it is not used properly and is wasted on an everyday basis which causes pollution. Frank Moore’s point for this artwork is to show how ignoble humans are today and how bestial we are to our world enervating its natural beauty for our own selfish purposes. This topic is very imperative to our society today since gasoline is in high demands and our world’s pollution is getting worse by each day.

Assertive Discipline

â€Å"Miss Collin was a nasty teacher that I had when I was 6 or 7 years old and, as a result of the psychotherapy I underwent in later years, I am now able to say that this teacher is responsible for most of the psychological damage I suffered with resulting suicidal tendencies. She used terror and humiliation to keep order in the classroom and did not hesitate to use the strap as her method of control† (Warnes 1). School children shouldn†t be afraid to attend their school because the teachers humiliate students, are mean and have strict rules. The overall purpose of public schools is to provide a simple learning environment so a student can obtain a good education. All students should be treated equally no matter where they are and should have the same rights as adults so they can reach their goal of graduating. Discipline is more than keeping a group of children or young people quiet while being talked to. Preserving good behavior is certainly one aspect to discipline, for learning it in an atmosphere of confusion is difficult. Children have to learn to conform to the rules of behavior needed in a classroom. Teachers have the right to ask for a quiet class, keep the students in their seats, and have the right to discipline them if they do not cooperate. When a teacher expresses his or her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in direct, honest, and appropriate ways that do not violate the right of others, and when the message does not humiliate, degrade, or dominate the one being talked to, he or she is using Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to maintain control of his or her class they must use Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to have his or her needs met, they can influence the behavior of the children. Without influence a teacher is â€Å"powerless† and will become â€Å"burned out. † (Canter, 2) There is no simple answer to why this happens. A number of complex factors have combined to create an environment in which teachers are having trouble in getting personal and professional needs met. Until the past decade, the teacher was looked at as the main person in the classroom by students and parents. The teacher, simply because of their role status, had respect and authority. Thus, the teacher was a â€Å"powerful† figure in the eyes of the students and could easily influence the student's behavior, often with just a look, smile, or a threat. All of that is now changed. Today, a teacher has to earn the respect of both the students and their parents. A teacher's basic techniques of influence, or discipline, is no longer as effective as getting the desired results. The discipline approaches of the 1950's and 1960's do not work with the students of the 1990's. In addition, the teacher cannot rely on the strong support of the parents anymore. Many parents are openly questioning, the education that their children are receiving, and do not feel they want to support the needs of their child's teachers. Teachers cannot get their needs met in a classroom unless they have an effective method of discipline in which they thoroughly understand and comfortable utilize. An assertive teacher is: â€Å"One who clearly and firmly communicates his or her wants and needs to his or her students, and is prepared to reinforce their words with appropriate actions. † (Canter,9) When a teacher is assertive, and clearly and firmly communicates their wants and feelings to a child, they send a clear message. This message simply states: â€Å"I mean what I say and say what I mean. (Collins, 155) Lee Canter, a child guidance specialist, has found that while most teachers make lesson plans as a routine matter, very few make discipline plans. Planning is essential to teaching well. Lesson planning is second nature to teachers. Lesson plans are part of a professional routine, and are done almost automatically when the need arises. However, planning for discipline is an entirely different story. The vast majority of teachers have learned or have been exposed to the steps involved in planning discipline programs, especially those to be used specifically with disruptive students. Because of teachers' frustrations, all we often hear is their complaining about how difficult the students really are. Such complaining may help to relieve the strain of dealing with difficult students, but it in no way helps to solve the problem. Planning your discipline efforts, and utilizing assertive principles, are as essential to teaching as a lesson plan. (Charles,128) Discipline planning will structure and guide classroom management efforts the same as lesson planning for academic efforts. Discipline plans are important and helpful to all teachers. Charles, urges to make discipline plans according to the following steps: Identify any existing or potential discipline problems, specify the behaviors you want the students to eliminate or engage in, decide on negative and positive consequences appropriate to the student and situation, and decide how to execute the negative and positive consequences. (Charles, 129) Discipline planning is the systematic applications of the assertive principles the teacher exhibits. It involves focusing your attention on any existing or potential discipline problems you may have. These discipline problems may involve an individual student, or a group of students, or an entire class. Having good discipline enables the teacher to deal assertively with their students. He or she will know how to maximize their potential influence to get their needs met, with more difficult situations it may be useful for the teacher to engage in problem-solving and discipline planning with peers, school psychologist, principle or anyone who may be familiar with the students or have successfully managed similar problems. One final area needed for discipline planning are special activities. Special activities are those activities the students do not consistently engage in, for example, field trips or assemblies. A day or so before such an activity, the teacher must have some basic discipline planning. Once again, the teacher must determine the behavior wanted and not wanted, the limit – setting and positive consequences, and how the program will be started. The assertive teacher recognizes the fact that he or she has wants and needs and has the right to get them met in the classroom. The teacher is also aware of the limitations and realizes that they have the right to ask for assistance, whether it is from the principle, parents, or peers. (Charles,37) The assertive teacher should be aware of the child's need for warmth and support. An assertive teacher is aware that a limit setting response must be delivered in as effective a manner as possible. Eye contact is very important when trying to get a point made. Whenever necessary, the teacher plans how to back up their limit setting statement with appropriate consequences. This is done in order to maximize the influence that his or her response can have on the behavior of the child. (Canter, 28) Whenever required, teachers should be prepared to back up their words with consequences in order to motivate the behavior of more difficult children. He or she is aware some children need more support than others and is prepared to give that child as much as they can. (Canter, 32). The children learn to trust and respect an assertive teacher. The children clearly know the parameters of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This gives them an opportunity to choose how they want to behave while knowing fully what the consequences will be for their behaviors. This does not mean that every child will like an assertive teacher, and does not mean that every child will behave. Some children may still decide not behave for any reason. All that an assertive teacher can do by his or her behavior is try to establish an atmosphere where he or she maximizes the potential for a positive teacher – child relationship. The major area where being an assertive teacher helps a child is when the student has special needs or problems. This when a teacher needs to step things up a notch and become more assertive. Some teachers may lose track of their assertive potential, but they have to teach the child how to behave in the appropriate manner. (Canter, 46) One problem area where a child needs assertive discipline is when he or she is confronted with peer pressure. This is when the student's fellow peers force him or her to do something, like throw spit balls or make funny noises to win the approval of others. This problem can be solved by confronting the child and telling him what he or she is doing wrong. This problem can also be solved by giving out a punishment like, writing on the chalkboard or may be standing in the corner with his or her back turned to the rest of the class. If all else fails, the teacher may want to call the child's home and plan a conference with the student's parents. Though most teachers feel threatened and overwhelmed by parents, especially if they are pushy or manipulative, they need to take a stand and thoroughly explain the situation going on with their child. (Rich, 145) The teacher has to be assertive with the parents and the child. The teacher should not down grade the problems they are having with their child. Instead they should tell the parents the way things are. For instance a teacher should not call the child's parents and say, â€Å"we have a little problem with your son,† when in actuality, the child had a violent tantrum. The teacher should let the parents know that they need their cooperation to discipline the child at home for his tantrum. If the teacher does not tell the parents what they truly feel then the child's tantrum will be even worse the next time. The corner stone of assertive discipline is the potential positive influence teachers can have on the behavior of their students. † Hand in hand with influence goes responsibility. † (Canter, 57) When teachers accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the responsibility to choose, or not to choose, to utilize this potential for the best interest of both themselves and the students. Assertive teachers recognize the responsibilities they have for the children. They know they cannot assert themselves and get their needs and the children needs met. They know they can have the impact on their classrooms if they choose to do so. Other teachers choose not to accept the reality of their potential influence. Thus, they are confronted with the following situations: they place themselves in a powerless position. They view themselves as a helpless victim at the mercy of the students, their parents, the principle, and the school system. Such teachers become the complainers. They complain about everyone and everything that â€Å"victimize† them. Charles, 120) They end up blaming all of their problems on others, and never on themselves. Mandatory uniforms is an answer that some give to stop the recent and alarming rise in violence and drop out rates in our public schools. Those that support uniforms argue that uniforms disguise economic and ethnic backgrounds, so students are no longer jealous of others. The financial burden on parents is lifted. But do uniforms really give all of these benefits? Can just one change in public schools make them so much better? The wearing of uniforms in more of the nation's public schools has been a much-talked about issue recently, with President Clinton and several members of Congress voicing their support. Supporters of school uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing, schools will have more of a sense of community, and students' self-esteem will improve. Some gang members have hurt or murdered innocent people because of a colored item of clothing they chose to wear. Proponents assert that uniforms will reduce this type of violence in schools and, therefore, make classes safe and orderly. Uniforms have been shown to reduce absentee rates as well. In situations where there are several different financial backgrounds attending the same school students may be under pressure, and possibly ridiculed because of failure to conform to the latest fashion trends. Everybody wearing the same styles of clothes might eliminate that. In response to growing levels of violence in our schools, many parents, teachers, and school officials have come to see school uniforms as one positive and creative way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety. They observed that the adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. As a result, many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia have enacted school uniform regulations. Even though social and economic barriers can be torn down, some schools have not had as much success. In fact, implementing mandatory school uniforms can be dangerous because it provides the community with a false sense of security. It is like putting a small bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to find ways to truly deal with the bleeding. Although this can happen, uniforms prove to continue to be a success. In a recent study of uniforms in Georgia Schools, eighty percent of students stated that they did not feel that the uniforms reduced fights and 68. % felt that uniforms did not help to make them feel a part of school. I myself would not feel at any way individually squashed if I were made to wear a uniform. Everyone must look at the main issue pertaining to this topic. Our lives, without our individuality is meaningless. I would be more than willing to wear a uniform to school and be safe and let my personality express my individualism, and be judged for what I am than to be judged and be put into a life threatening situation for what color I was wearing.

Counseling Children in a Community Setting Essay

This article deals with the effects of loss on children of both a primary and secondary nature. Events such as the death of a parent or friend and the resulting consequences can be difficult for a child to deal with, depending on what stage they are at developmentally. Other losses such as personal possessions, those resulting from abuse or a sudden change in a child’s life can also be difficult (Goldman, 2004). The author also discusses, according to Piaget’s developmental theory, how children deal with loss. Younger children can often have trouble understanding why a loved one died may connect an event to the death that is not even related. Older children are curious as to the events and reasons for the loss, tending to seek answers as to why the death occurred. It is recommended that when speaking to children about death, an age-appropriate explanation should be used. Children need to have information that clearly defines specific type of death that has occurred, such as a murderer or an accident (Goldman, 2004). To help children effectively cope with a sudden loss, Goldman proffers several options that can be productive. Having a team that focuses on supporting the child can be very beneficial to bereavement counseling. This team has members from: the family, school and includes the counselor. The team assesses exactly what losses have occurred to the child and what developmental stage the child is at. Based on this information, the team can set up a plan for supporting the child (2004). Other methods that can be used to help the child include helping the family communicate about the death, support groups, play therapy and focusing on early intervention. The author stresses the importance of having an all-around knowledge of the circumstances and that considering the consequences that the loss will have on a child’s whole life experience (Goldman, 2004). References Goldman, Linda. (2004). Counseling with children within contemporary society. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, Volume 26, no. 2, 168-187.

Mbuti Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mbuti Culture - Research Paper Example An average Mbuti adult is often four feet six inches tall. The word Pygmies is not preferred by the tribesman as it usually refers to people with a disability. They are known to be nomadic who move from one area to the other for benefits of hunting. The Mbuti people are also known as Bambuti as the word pygmy carries with it different meanings. Pygmies has generally been used in the medical terminology to refer to dwarves who are suffering from physiological problems. In comparison to pygmies these people are normal human beings who are eager to fight with people who insult them in anyway. If they find anyone denying their existence they consider it as an insult and fight for it. Thus it is better for non Mbuti people to claim that they have met with the person before. This essay would further revolve around the people who belong to Mbuti culture and would prove as to how their mode of subsistence is affecting different aspects of their culture (Adinoyi-Ojo 1996; Kent 1996). It is famous in Africa that the Ituri forest is owned by the Mbuti’s. The tribe is further divided into two classes on the basis of language. The true Mbuti are known to speak Bantu language whereas the Efe are known to speak Sudanese. Both of these subgroups are known to rely on hunting and gathering food in the forest. They gather food and then trade it in the city for commercial meat purposes. These people in return get farm produce which they use for their own purposes. Agricultural labor is also sought by these people as they mostly rely on agriculture as their source of food. The Mbuti exchange their gathering with the villagers for the things that they want. Thus it can be said that the Mbuti have developed an interdependent relationship with the villagers. The Efe similarly maintain the relationship with the villagers but it is not necessary that they use the means of hunting and gathering. Mbuti

Information Systems Security Assurance Management Article

Information Systems Security Assurance Management - Article Example The disaster that occurred was a major fire that completely destroyed the company’s servers including the entire software code of the programs made for their clients. Moreover, MSS also hosted a few of the programs of their smaller clients on their own servers. The news of the fire was relayed to Brian Elkin, who was in charge of research and development. Teitelbaum was out of town at the moment, so Elkin rushed to Andrew Katula (senior software engineer). It was the practice of the company to take backups of the software regularly. Katula was in the practice of doing so every evening after business, and Elkin was revealed that he did so the previous evening also. The author's state that had this not been done, the company’s business would have come to a stop and might even result in enclosure. When Teitelbaum returned he provided a free reign to his employees to purchase new hardware immediately. MSS’s telephone company, Verizon was asked to forward all calls to a new number. He contacted a friend for temporary office space and within four days had a functioning office with all the required hardware and infrastructure. Only the small clients who had servers with MSS were affected to a certain extent. The hardware vendors went out of their way to get the equipment for MSS. Most of the other clients did not even know about the fire at the company premises. Servers and other equipment are now protected by sensors that switch on cooling fans if the temperature exceeds a certain limit. Backup is being done every day as before. It can be seen that the best disaster management practice was taking daily backups. Otherwise, the company would have suffered irreversible damage.  

The Strategy of the World's Largest Producer of Bearings Case Study - 10

The Strategy of the World's Largest Producer of Bearings - Case Study Example SKF has been contacted by ITC, its major distributor in the United States in order to participate in a reverse auction by Steelcorps, one of SKF's customers through ITC. The process of procurement will award the lowest bid in terms of price for the raw materials that Steelcorp needs, and with SKF as its major supplier of bearings during the past couple of years, the latter is expected to join the reverse auction.Answering the invitation and participating in the reverse auction is not an easy choice to make for the executives of SKF, however. The executives are on a crossroad between two major decisions: to join or not to join the reverse auction.If SKF joins the reverse auction, it signals the whole industry about the change in its value proposition, which is to deliver excellent services at a premium – a more for more strategy in the value proposition matrix (Fathy & Smithee 1999). If it joins the reverse auction where the winner will be determined based on the lowest price o f the bid, the company becomes inconsistent with its strategy and it blurs what its brand stands for; this is one of the considerations. On the other hand, Steelcorp is one of the company's major source of revenues through ITC, its biggest distributor in the US. ITC relies on SKF with the latter's high mark up an allowance for ITC, as ITC needs the profit margins from the SKF sales to Steelcorp in order to boost its profitability. Because of the recession, SKF's revenue targets are 5% lower than the previous year; dropping the Steelcorp reverse auction will also substantially affect its profitability for the current year. These are the complications.

Informal Letter About Top Two Things I Learned This Semester About My Essay

Informal Letter About Top Two Things I Learned This Semester About My Writing - Essay Example In terms of the step-by-step process, there were a great many aspects that I learned about and skills I strengthened throughout the course. While I had previously viewed writing essays as a more free-form means of expression, I increasingly came to understand that in following certain steps my writing would improve. In these regards, I now begin my writing be developing a detailed outline of what I am going to write. In brainstorming and developing an outline, I am able to produce more developed ideas that ultimately make my essay stronger and more complex. While I recognized that writing constitutes specific forms, through this course I learned how to better adhere to these forms with the necessary structure and information. In these regards, I learned how to better develop an introductory paragraph that would set the tone of the essay, provide necessary background information, and include a thesis statement that would describe what the body paragraphs would contain. I also learned the importance of topic sentences that would lead to sentences that contained examples and information that supported the main purpose of the essay. Finally, I came to understand the importance of a conclusion paragraph that would summarize the key points that were raised in the body paragraphs. The other thing I learned about my writing during this course was the importance of the research process.

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Auditing - Essay Example res are used by auditors so the accounting experts could plan about an organization’s internal system, its business and core segments as well as to plan about degree of other auditing techniques, tools and instruments. Nevertheless, auditing is facilitated from these procedures as they could also help in identifying the areas where there are chances for greater ‘audit risk’. Indeed, the applications of such procedures are extremely helpful as they enhance the auditors’ awareness of various underlying areas in a business entity, which had not been touched upon in past and thus require more attention to identify possible auditing risks. Finally, analytical review procedures are largely based on periodic ‘financial information, management accounts and budgets’ (Internet: frc.org.uk, 1995). It should be pointed out that auditors could use financial resources such as budgets, forecasts, statements etc. to develop expectations. In addition, non-financial information such as production and sales details in terms of number of units, sizes and packaging could also be beneficial, since it may prove to be pertinent during auditing process (Internet: frc.org.uk, 1995). The two major types of auditing tests are Test of Control and Substantive test of transactions and balances. Indeed, the substantive test refers to an auditing technique through which the auditors tend to recheck balances of all accounts separately to verify whether amounts are rightly entered (in the ledgers or not), complete, accurate etc. In addition, the test not only centers about transactions and balances but it could also include analytical procedures for validation and auditing. For instance, these tests are conducted to ensure that accounting standards are rightly applied on business transactions to obtain correct balances as they are later used in preparation of financial statements. Any errors are rectified after complete auditing process. For example, a Chartered Accountant may verify

American Politics and Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Politics and Government - Essay Example By examining and addressing these particular issues, we will be able to gain a much more informed and understanding viewpoint on the subject matter at hand, and as well, we will be able to get a better grasp in regards to the matter of the context of political issues today in general. The aim of this paper is to do all of this, and as well address any key and related issues that exist. This is what will be dissertated in the following. When it comes to the issue of the features of American political culture which are used to help balance democracy and elitism in the United States, there are many different features which are present here, and one of the most major is that of the views of political thinkers and historians such as Alexis de Tocqueville, Samuel Kernell, and Robert Goldwin, for example. Tocqueville in particular, as he has discussed in detail - particularly in his work Democracy in America - about such issues as the New World, for instance, and about its burgeoning democratic order. Tocqueville was able to do this properly and efficiently by writing of his travels through American in the early 19th century, and by pointing out several times about how he saw democracy as being a sort of equation, one which balanced liberty and equality, concern for the individual as well as that of the community. Tocqueville points out throughout most of his work Democracy in America that he believes that democracy in America lacks many things, including not only that of the "soundness of judgment which is necessary to select men really deserving of their confidence, but often have not the desire or the inclination to find them out. It cannot be denied that democratic institutions strongly tend to promote the feeling of envy in every human heart, not so much because they afford to everyone the means of rising to the same level with others as because those means perpetually disappoint the persons who employ them" (Tocqueville, 1835). The issue of democracy possibly being in danger of disappearing in the United States is one of incredible significance and one which although has had many doubts along the way as well, has caused an incredible amount of fear and disparagement as well. One of the biggest explanations as to why democracy is considered as being in danger of disappearing in the United States is due to the fact that the freedom of speech is slowly being 'crushed', and it has been considered that the founding fathers of the United States of America themselves would be genuinely concerned in regards to this matter, and about these recent developments in American democracy, and that surely they being who they are would feel that the United States as a country is absolutely facing a clear and present danger, one which is so serious that it has the potential to be able to completely threaten the future of the American experiment. It is considered by some that the biggest threat to democracy in America is actua lly not terrorists, which is what many people seem to automatically

Identify the Mission, Objectives, and Responsibilities of an Organisation Within It’s Environment Essay Example for Free

Identify the Mission, Objectives, and Responsibilities of an Organisation Within It’s Environment Essay An organisation is defined as ‘A group of people working together’ (Collins Dictionary 2001). An organisation is generally accepted as a unit working together to achieve the same goals. Concurring with this statement, Mintzberg (1997) defined goals as ‘the intentions behind decisions or actions, the states of mind that drive individuals or collectives of individuals called organisations to do what they do’. In order for an organisation to work, set guidelines have to be put in place for both short and long term aspirations, to ensure that the organisation is moving as a whole, a unit, to avoid separation, miscommunication, and misunderstanding. This can be achieved by administering a meaningful and worthwhile strategic plan consisting of a progressive, hierarchical set of aims. This will give each individual, as well as the organisation as a whole, a purpose. A set of aims can be as follows (Business Essentials 2010); An example of this would be my current place of employment. Their Vision Statement is as follows; ‘We are committed to providing a modern, efficient, and cost effective service focused on meeting our customer’s needs in a friendly , timely, and accurate manner, and will provide the necessary resources to enable achievement of our objectives. We will be readily accessible to everyone in the community to maximise social inclusion, minimise barriers to work and assist people to live in decent housing. We will process claims quickly and accurately, while actively reducing the incidences of fraud or error through investigation. Where fraudulent intent is proven, we will seek to apply appropriate sanctions as a deterrent against future activity. Where we seek to collect money, we will issue bills promptly and correctly. Where recovery action is required, we will act quickly, fairly, and impartially, but with due regard to social welfare and human rights of our customers.’ (Heather Tiso, 1995) However something so unobtainable may not be in the forefront of people’s minds. This is summed up in the following article statement ‘Mission statement in some companies has a huge influence in all management levels of the firm, but in others it is still just addition on the wall and usually what’s forgotten.’ Values of an organisation are more likely to be remembered, as they are more relatable to people within. The values upheld by the people within my organisation, are that of trust, respect, pride in work, ability to take ownership, two way communication – to give as well as to receive, to maintain excellent customer service at all time, to help each other out if need be, to feel comfortable and confident enough to speak up if they have any ideas for improvements, to strive for fairness, equality, and diversity, versatility, flexibility, taking responsibility for their own development, to be open minded as our line of service is ever changing. This encourages a culture of people that are able to pull together against constant adversity, and still achieve excellent results, as well as continually exceed Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The key objectives of my organisation, can be broken down in to the following examples; †¢Operational Goal – to increase revenue (Objective – decrease number of incorrect subsidy claims by 10%) †¢Non Operational Goal – to modify behaviour of customers (Objective – to get customers to act and think in a productive manner) †¢Primary Objective – to maximise revenues with as little expenditure as possible †¢Secondary objective(s) – to maintain excellent customer service, to strive for 100% accuracy, to maintain excellent working relationships with stakeholders. †¢Corporate Objectives – To increase customer satisfaction, to minimise risk, to ensure a glide path is in place for these objectives. †¢Unit Objectives – to answer all calls within 20 seconds, to deal with all work items with a turnaround of 9 days, to see all customers visiting the offices within under 5 minutes, to identify and understand our customer’s needs, to maintain a very high level of service, to develop personal/professional relationships with stakeholders. The influence of stakeholders Identifying Stakeholders is a process of integration within the said organisation. This can be summarised with a statement from a World Bank Group article – ‘All parties should be listed which are likely to be affected by the development, both positively or negatively, directly or indirectly.’ Stakeholders in our company are highly valued and important, and therefore our relationships with them are maintained to a very high standard. Our organisation has numerous companies identified as Stakeholders. This is not just on a professional level, as on top of Internal Stakeholders (i.e. staff) we recognise a number of Connected Stakeholders (customers, suppliers,) and External Stakeholders (local community, the government). Therefore, overall Stakeholder influence is vast, extending way beyond just making a customer happy. The knock on effects of the positive or negative experience of that customer may affect my organisation greatly. As different Stakeholders have different interests, it is not possible to focus on all of them at once with a blanket gesture in the hope of satisfying all their needs. Their needs have to be prioritised by looking at individual objectives, and balancing important/urgent needs with needs that would not have an adverse effect or affect relationships by waiting to be dealt with. Examples of Stakeholders in my organisation, are employees, customers, and the Government. As staff are immediately and intimately connected with the organisation, their influence is going to possibly be the strongest influence. It has been said numerous times that employees are the most influential. Motivated employees are highly likely to be more productive in producing work, ideas, and meeting objectives. Coincidently, the objectives of staff, are to be treated fairly, be given equal opportunity, be recognised for the consistently excellent work they produce when the odds are stacked against them, feel secure in their job and working environment, and have a sense that they are achieving. These objectives are met in the most part, however, as the organisation as a whole has a hierarchy , and it tends to be the senior managers setting objectives and deciding whether these have been met. This can lead to the human element being lost, and people judged by numbers, as other factors aren’t always taken into consideration. This can affect morale, but ultimately, our nee ds are met. Achieving objectives of stakeholders One of our Connected Stakeholders, our customers, are generally the focal point of our work. The bottom line, is customers want a service provided with their individual interests in mind, with the least possible output from them. The saying ‘The Customer is Always Right’, is incorrect in my opinion. The customer may not know what they need, they need to be asked open and closed questions in order to ascertain exactly what service they require. Customers wish to be heard, treated with respect, and for a positive experience with whatever organisation they deal with. The needs of our customers are met, as they are one of the most important stakeholders. Failure to meet these needs may result in loss of business, complaints, and repercussions from higher management if objectives are not met. The Government is an example of our External Stakeholders. This is due to the fact we are a public sector organisation, and a direct derivative of Central Government. The Government’s objectives are mainly that their Corporate Objectives influence our Unit Objectives, as well as Primary/Secondary Objectives. We meet the requirements of the Government by adhering to their laws, policies, procedures, and implementing them whilst maintaining a professional forefront to other stakeholders, such as the general public.

Application Of Sound In Movies And Games Film Studies Essay

Application Of Sound In Movies And Games Film Studies Essay Approaches to Game Audio. Modern computer games are undeniably becoming more realistic and cinematic. As graphics become better quality and game consoles become more powerful, the distinctive line between films and computer games that was set in the 1970s now hardly exists. Graphics have a big part to play in films and modern computer games, but an even bigger part of films in my opinion is the music and the sound in the film general. The music helps create the tension, emphasise dramatic moments in the plot and giving films another dimension to what is shown on screen. These techniques in music and sound/sound effects in film have been taken and used into the production of the modern computer game. Although the music and sound in film and modern computer game may have the same cinematic practice, the way it is implemented in computer games is very different. This is because of the interactive nature of the gaming environment in the computer game. Throughout this assignment Im going to be looking at what kind of strategys game audio developers have created and adopted from film to produce effective audio in the music, dialogue and effects in computer games. We will firstly be looking into the techniques on how film music and sound is made, and the different strategies have been used to produce them. Then at the strategies and techniques on music for modern games, then discussing and evaluating the different and similar techniques and strategys that computer games have adopted. Sound in film Music and sound have always been a big part of film. Even before technology was advanced enough to play dialogue or music, silent films would normally accompanied by a pianist or even a whole orchestra. But why is sound so important to film? Composer Aaron Copland describes five purposes of film music which we will be going into detail about: Creating a convincing atmosphere of time and place; Underlining psychological refinements the unspoken thoughts of the character; Serving as a kind of neutral background filler; Building a sense of continuity; Underpinning the theatrical build-up of a scene, and rounding it off with a sense of finality. (Copland 1975: 154-5) Creating a convincing atmosphere of time and place Composers can achieve creating a time and place by capturing the musical colour, creating the feeling that the music would be created in that location or time. They can achieve this by using instrument of that era or location- Bagpipes would suggest the scene was in Scotland, while a String quartet could symbolise a Scene from the 1800. Although this is an effective way of locating the film musically in some respects, sometimes the composer or director of the film may not want to use authentic Chinese  music but just want to achieve a Chinese flavour or colour by using a pentatonic scale with Western instruments (Source 1) This can create a better effect overall, hinting towards where the scene is musically without using unwanted interments. Underlining psychological refinements the unspoken thoughts of the character In some instances, music can portray a psychological element much better than dialogue can. This type of film music seems more effective if the composer reads over the script at the creation stage, making suggestions on where he would like the music to be. Far too often, however, this possibility is passed over and music is not allowed to speak (B source 1). Music can also give the viewer a better understanding on what is going on within the head of a character, not specific detail, but an overview. Leonard Rosenman  thinks that The musical contribution to the film should be ideally to create a  supra-reality, a condition wherein the elements of literary naturalism are perceptually altered. In this way the audience can have the insight into different aspects of behaviour and motivation not possible under the aegis of naturalism. This show that music can give a film another dimension, bringing out emotions and insights into characters where film without sound cant. Serving as a kind of neutral background filler Through research many composers feel this is one of the hardest things to do within composing a piece of music. Roy A. Prendergast point out that creating background music for a composer calls for him to be at his most subordinated. At times one of the functions of film music is to do nothing more than be there This shows that sometimes music is just needed to blend in the background as though it would exist as sound rather than as constructed music. Building a sense of continuity What is meant by continuity in film is that music can hold a film together Music can tie together a visual medium that is, by its very nature, continually in danger of falling apart (B source 1).The editor of the film will probably be the most aware of this particular attribute of music in films. Music can also bring a film together as a whole using a unifying musical idea. Underpinning the theatrical build-up of a scene, and rounding it off with a sense of finality When used correctly, music can add a huge amount of intensity and intimacy to a scene, it can evoke a gut reaction unobtainable in any other way (B Source 1) But music isnt a miracle worker, a lot of good composers have been asked to create music for a weak scene, hoping that it will the scene stronger. But if the scene is weak it is near impossible to make it stronger, and sadly it is normally the composer who critics blame. Three forms of music The sound in Cinema takes on three different forms: Speech, Music or Noise. Speech The dialogue in films are spoken by the actors or narration heard as a voice over (Source 2). A major component in speech for films is an automated dialogue replacement. When recording on set there is normally back ground noise of traffic or planes flying overhead, this drowns the actors lines out. Because of this, the dialogue is recorded within a studio. Recording dialogue in this way makes it possible for actors to make their lines more dramatic then recording on location. An example of this is the screaming by the actor in Jurassic Park actually was recorded in the sound studios in New York and Los Angeles (source 2). In the studio an ADR expert would match the new recording with the film, making sure that they were properly in sync so that the audience isnt aware of it being recorded in a studio. Music Music is a very powerful component to a film, in many different ways. For example in musicals such as The Sound of Music (1965) the music trys to captivate the audience creating an emotional response when music and words are linked in a scene (B source 2). Music also helps explain and move the plot instrumentally. Themes are very commonly used for individual characters, for example Star wars when Darth Vader appears on screen his theme music is played. There are two different types of film music. Firstly there is Source music, which is the realistic part of the scene; Street Musicians, Rock band playing in the background etc. The second film type is Underscoring; Music motivated by dramatically consideration (B source 3). The composers are normally not needed until a rough cut of the film is made, or even later. Within films that have to be shot in time with music that does not exist yet a temporary music track may be played on set (B source 3). Many films without music feel very empty; this is why films are normally pretracked. The editor would cut scenes to stock or classical music so that the tempo and phrasing lend structure to the footage. Composers then have the task too music that is similar but different. In scoring, one of the first steps is deciding which scene will have music; this is called spotting. The composer will have to cue the start and end of the scene with a stop watch. The music editor will then create a time sheet or breakdown which will change the feet of the film into seconds, or even smaller time scale. He will then detail the action in a cue, making it easier for the composer to write any way he wants, The closes synchronisation of music to action is called Mickey-mousing' (B Source 3) There are two main types of cues in films. Long Cues which are length normally classical pieces of composition, an example of this is a scene from Gold finger where planes are dropping sleeping gas on to a military base, throughout this scene that lasts over two minutes, the same composition is played throughout. Short cues are normally just a few bars of music; this normally acts as punctuation. For example, in many horror films when someone is going to be stabbed with a knife, this is normal accompanied with a strings playing a high sustained chord, giving a sense of anticipation and making the audience uncomfortable. At the recording stage of the music, the conductor of the piece is alerted by a streamer, a three-foot scratch in the film at the end of which a punched hole producing a light on the screen that acts as the starting cue. For the additional short cue scenes, there are similar streamers that will alert the conductor. Throughout the recording, the conductor will normally have a set of headphones where he can listen to the dialogue or a click track. Noise This can be any other sound that can be heard within the movie for example footsteps or birds. Usually the quality recorded on set is poor, which means that special sound effect (SFX) have to be produced in a studio. To produce these sound effects, sound technicians called Foley artists will record different sound effect with items in a studio. For example to create a horse walking, the Foley artist can use two half of a coconut and tap them on the table or floor, or using a metal sheet to create the sound of thunder. Many of these sound effects can be bought digitally from companies that have noise libraries for a cheaper cost then to get Foley artists. But many producers for major motion pictures will employ people and spend more money on Foley artists to create custom sounds for the movie. Timing There are two different timings within films: Viewing Time and Story Time. Viewing time means the physical length of the film. This normally differs from Story time, which is the time that passes within the film itself. Films can normally cover a few years in the characters lives, but most films that we see only take around a couple hours to watch. Viewing time becomes an instrument of the plots manipulation of story time. (B Source 3) Matching a sound or dialogue within the films images is called synchronization. When dialogue or sound is synchronized properly, the audience will not normally be able to tell if everything has been over overdubbed, or sound effects have been added. Sound in games The process of producing game audio resembles in many ways the production of film audio. Game audio follows the same five purposes of film rules made by Aaron Copland, has similar recording techniques for live sound and Foley, and use many of the same software and recording equipment. A lot of game play, i.e. the battles or the big set pieces, essentially has to be scored in some form or fashion. So thats all similar to a film. (B source 4) Although these traits are very similar between game audio and film audio, there are very distinctive differences in the processes. Most of film audio is normally done on the post-production stage, which takes place after the film has been edited and the visuals have been locked (the final version set) (B source 4). A large amount of time is spent mixing and balancing the sounds at this stage, which is one of the most significant differences between film and games sound. Post- production within film doesnt generally exist within game audio. This is because the timings are variable, the music needs to adapt to the game play. The reason for this is because some game players may vary greatly in the length of time needed to complete a level, and often they can complete tasks in different ways. The way they have come across this hurdle is by creating adaptive audio or interactive audio to others. To find out how game audio makes this adaptive or interactive audio, we are going to look through the three production stages. The three stem can be found in the same file or separate files depending on the individual or companys choice. Pre Production The first step on pre production for game audio is the creation of an audio design document. An audio design document contains the details of the design and implementation of the games audio. At this early stage, the audio team dont have much information; they may only have storyboards and characters sketches on which they have to develop an audio design document. But with this information the can start at an early stage of the production, making sure that the audio plays a significant role in the game. The first thing is to determine what type of game it is, finding out the genre and theme for the audio. One technique of finding out the right genre is by creating a temp track. A temp track means placing pre-existing music where the final composition should be. This helps the composer have an idea on where to work from. The second step is how the sound will interact with the gameplay. Rules will normally be placed out by the games designer describing what role the sound design will have within the game. The next stage is to find out which parts of the game should have ambient sound and music. This is known as spotting, it involves defining cue point entrances, exits, play-ins/play-outs, and game state changes, as well as deciding if the games variables (such as players health, surface properties, and so on) will be used to change sound parameters(B source 4). To help the music fit into context with the game, a music cue list can be created. This helps break down the storyboard or script into segments and chapters, creating an individual map for the game, as well as for each individual level. At theses first stages the audio team will need to look for spots for environments, action, pace, tension/release, objects, characters/personalitys and so on. Another important step is spotting the game in terms of emotion; Within a games there is normally movement or a certain rhythm in terms of emotional peaks and valleys (B source 4). To help the sound designer which sounds may interfere with one and another and which sounds need emphasis, an emotion map can be created showing tension and release points. At this stage level descriptions are broken down into different sound types, for example ambient noises, weapons sounds, Foley etc. These sound types will be created within an asset list which can be used at a later stage too track recording in order to reproduce sounds at a later stage, if necessary Production At this stage the production of game sound is normally taken place in several different locations. Like production of film sound: sound libraries are used and normally these effects are layered and manipulated to create the right effect. Bigger companies may have a dedicated Foley studio where Foley artists are hired and are told to create original sound effects for the game. The same techniques in film are used in game audio for sound. One of the most useful techniques that are being used in game audio is the processing of digital signal processing (DSP) in real time. Being able to do this saves a lot of recording time for the sound developers. Before processing DSP in real time effects on certain sounds had to be re-recorded individually, for example; to get the effect of footsteps to change when walking from, say, a stone path into a cave, the effects would have to be pre recorded onto the footsteps file (B Source 4) But now only one sound sample of footsteps needs to be recorded, this is because the DSP filters can be set for location, making the audio responded physics graphic engines which can create more realistic sounding effects in real time while playing the game. The final part of the audio production process is the integration of the music, sound effects, and dialogue. The integration of audio into game decides how the audio will be triggered within the game. This also controls what part of the audio might change the games state or the games parameters. For example Music or ambience tracks may be triggered by location, by game state, by time-ins or time-outs, by players, or by various game events. For the composers music to work with the game, it must be able to integrate into it. Cutting the music into chunks, splits or loops may help in creating a much more dynamic score for the game. An hour or so of music can be stretched out to many hours by cutting it up and looping it. To make it easier to cut, normally the songs have to be quite rhythmic. In game music compositions, the composer will normally make sure that the music is played within the same key throughout. This is because it is easy for sections to be cut and looped without the audience realising. The music composers for Red Dead Redemption composed the music by creating many riffs and small composition lasting less than a minute each, all within the same key. After mastering each one individually, they then put it into the music engine of the game where segments of the musical material are constantly chosen at random an put together to form a piece of music. (B source 5) Music can not only be cut, but also elements of it can be changed in real time in the game engine, for example DSP effects, tempo and instrumentation. Software such as Wwise and FMOD are being used much more these days to create editing such as this. This is because the software lowers cost and production time, and makes it easier to integrate a more dynamic score within the game. Segments of the musical material are constantly chosen at random and put together to create a piece of music. Post Production stage At this stage of production the main task is the mixing of the audio. The mixer has to find anything within the mix which is unnatural, too much repetition or anything having an unnatural imbalance. Within current games, the different stems of audio are competing with each other because they are all in the same aural space. This gives a great risk of sounds being in the same sound range and masking each other out. This is also problematic within film, but because of the unpredictability on where different sounds are going to be heard in a game, makes the mixing an even more difficult task. A strategy mixers have used to tackle this obstacle is by prioritizing sounds real-time in games. Using FX and ducking the music when dialogue happens, is an effective way of making sure needed information is passed on to the player. Another effective technique is making certain frequencies in the music quieter; this makes room for the dialogue to be heard and the music still has a presence. Strategies adopted by game audio developers To make it easier to see the similarities and differences in film and game audio, they have been made into two different sections Similarities Film and game audio have very similar, if not exact recording techniques. They both have to overdub dialogue and ambience. Game audio however, is more reliant on over dubbing, this is because there is no original sound because they have to create the ambience and dialogue from scratch. They both follow similar rules in what they want from the audio, and how they want their audience too feel. The music is very similar, both film and game audio often have scores arranged by professional composers, have a dedicated team that that deal with all the audios needs. Differences Evaluate Conclusion Overall thoughts Examples, including discussion and evaluation, of strategies adopted by game audio developers; Conclusion; References.