Measuring Shareholder Value Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Measuring Shareholder Value - Term Paper Example Capital gain is the gain that if gotten above an assets original buying price upon disposal. Any realized capital gain forms an investment that has been disposed of as at a profit. An unrealized capital gain may, on the other hand, refer to an investment which is yet to be disposed of but would lead to a profit if it was disposed of. Assets that can realize capital gains may include options, bonds, shares/stock, or businesses. A buyback kind of program involves a situation where a company repurchases its bond or stock that it had issued previously. In that case, the amount of stock that is outstanding reduces and this gives the shareholders that are remaining a bigger ownership stake of that company in the process. (investorwords.com, 2011) Investors in the world over have gotten more informed and, thus, if they have made an investment in a stock and that stock has proven not of much return as they would have wanted, then, they are unlikely to continue holding on to that stock. Thus, this escalated demand for shareholder value has led to a lot of pressure upon finance managers of various organizations. They have to ensure that the companies are earning reasonable profits and besides that, they have to come up with a very appropriate measure to shareholder value. This way, shareholders can monitor the performance of their investments. The task of getting the befitting measure for that can be an uphill one to most managers. In recent times executives have adopted numerous metrics to determine shareholder value and these are with the inclusion of cash flows, operating profits, economic performance, and return on assets. All of these metrics can be applied one at a time or all of them in entirety instantaneously. In the recent past, another metric was introduced by Stern Stewart and Company and this metric was known as EVA (Economic Value Added). EVA is said to evaluate shareholder value through computing the magnitude by which profits surpass the given companyâ₠¬â„¢s cost of capital.           Ã‚  

Two detective stories Essay Example for Free

Two detective stories Essay For my English coursework I am going to explain the similarities and the differences between the two detective stories The Speckled Band written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Forever After written by Jim Thomson. The Speckled Band was written in 1892, the detective in this story was none other than the famous Sherlock Holmes. The story was set in the 1890s so the people reading it at the time could relate to the story. Jim Thomson wrote Forever After but in this story there was no famous character, Jim Thomson had to create all of the characters from new. This means he had more flexibility to write the story. Conan Doyle was English and Jim Thomson was American. Obviously this would change the style of writing. Also The Speckled Band was written in 1892 and Forever After was written in 1960 so there was a large difference in the time it was written. This also means that the style of writing is different. The difference in age will also mean that when people read the story now, it will greatly affect how they can relate to it. In they1890s the people could relate to the speckled band because they where living in the same situation and the same lifestyle, but that was a long time ago so when people look at it now they might not be able to understand the situations and circumstances that they where in. The way of life has changed considerably. In the speckled band was written in the normal way of writing detective stories. There is a detective, a shady, typical villain, a spooky house, a suspect, many red herrings and a very difficult mystery to solve. The surprise in the story is when the mystery has been solved. Holmes already has a reputation before you even pick up the book. This gives Conan Doyle the advantage of not having to create a character. Dr Watson starts off the book by talking about all of the seventy odd mysteries he has witnessed his friend Sherlock Holmes investigate and solve. The he singles out one story in particular that he remembers this is the story of the speckled band. This makes you think that this story is special and is different from all of his other stories if this is the story, which he remembers in particularly. The story begins and a strange woman has arrived one early morning at Sherlock Holmess house. The author describes her as a lady heavily veiled and dressed in black. This told me that she is possibly mourning someones death; this creates a very dark and scary atmosphere, it also makes the reader very curious. This early arrival also makes the reader wonder what story this woman has arrived to tell and her appearance gives the impression that it could be a dark and frightening tale.

The importance of marketing in small business

The importance of marketing in small business A business which is operated and is owned by the private entity with a limited or small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales is known as small business. Small business are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships or sole proprietorships which fuel local economic growth and innovation. This essay is about managing small business with context to how a small enterprise named Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore been managed. Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore was established one hundred and fifty years ago as general ironmongers, in Cleveland Street, London. In the intervening years the companys reputation as a supplier and manufacturer of architectural ironmongery had transcended all the modest origins. Now based on Fulham Road, London Beardmore door furniture, decorative grilles and electrical fittings now graced the grandest public buildings and finest homes in Britain and abroad. For generations, Beardmore has represented the skill of English workmanship, and accommodated the tastes of a discerning clientele. Today this tradition continues, but Beardmores are not content to rest on past success. The company, led by its in-house design team, aims to place itself at the vanguard of contemporary style, introducing new product ranges year upon year. Accordingly, Beardmores p osition as the pre-eminent name in English-made, hand-crafted ironmongery and door furniture remains secure. Managing the business Setting up a small business is easy, but it has a higher risk of collapsing or taken over by some other big organizations. Managing small business is not as easy as it looks; every detail from the tiniest to the largest has to be managed in-order to run the business smoothly and successfully. Like as in Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore even though it as a small firm but it has taken over a very big market. Since it is an ironmongery shop the investment is a little higher but the income is much higher than the cost so the risk is a little low because of the high income. It has paid much attention towards its cost and expenses and even has a good long term relation with its suppliers. In small businesses, it is very easy to record business transactions. Keeping track of business dealings are easily maintained and updated regularly in Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore. The owner has setup an accounting system on his PC which stores all the transactions that the business makes so it is much easier to check the old transactions if some problems come up. Most accounting responsibilities in Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore are easily manageable but a qualified accountant can be useful in helping business owners make the reports and financial statements to better manage their business. Managing the assets and liabilities are much easier in Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore since it keeps all the transactions recorded and is easily maintainable Small businesses can grow with customer needs. Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore create products and services that address highly personalized requests at a moments notice which gives the higher level of customer satisfaction. The communication channel is perfect since there is lesser number of staff it is easier to communicate either from the higher to lower level or lower to higher level. New ideas generated by the staff can easily reach to the owner and vice versa which tends in motivation of the staffs. Planning is a detailed method, formulated beforehand, for managing all or part of a business. Effective running of a business is smoothly carried on with a good planning. With respect to planning Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore bros keeps the stock of all the goods which are most popular and is determined by looking at the past records that helps them to project their sales. The staff are well managed for the purpose of scheduling, site visit, accounts, sales and logistics so as to create a good customer satisfaction. A fundamental challenge of small business can be summarized as too many tasks, too few people. Organizing small business i.e. putting bits and pieces of a company together to utilize its resources and to get most of it. As on Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore everything is organized at its best. The customers are always prioritized; the customer orders are well managed and kept separate from the customer orders. The dispatch department is separated and all the good are properly checked before being dispatched. All the codes and prices are well labeled so as to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding as there are various range of products available. It has also complied with all the government regulations so as there are no hazards for health and safety and all the suppliers payment are well managed so as to avoid any delays on the customers order. Marketing One of the greatest needs of managers of small businesses is to understand and develop marketing programs for their products and services. Small Business success is based on the ability to build a growing body of satisfied customers. Modern marketing programs are built around the marketing concept and performance, which directs managers to focus their efforts on identifying, satisfying and following up the customers needs: all at a profit. For using the marketing concept, Farmer Brothers J.D.Beardmore has determined the needs of their customers, analyzed their competitive advantages, selected specific markets to serve and determined how to satisfy those needs. Market Research Gathering information about the customers need or about markets is market research. Market research provides information to analyze and identify the market size, need and competition. A small market research program based in a questionnaire given to present customers and/or prospective customers, can disclose problems and areas of dissatisfaction that can be easily remedied, or new products or services that could be offered successfully. To identify the problems and opportunities in the early stage, Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore does a proper research on the ongoing trend and even monitors the competitors so as to have sufficient information about the market trend. Marketing Strategy Marketing strategy is the method of focusing an organization to concentrate its limited resources and energies to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage which can lead to the dominance of a targeted market niche. Marketing strategy helped Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore to identify its target markets and contributed in product development, promotion, distribution, pricing etc. For example: Use a low cost product to attract consumers. Once our organization, via our low cost product, has established a relationship with consumers, our organization will sell additional, higher-margin products and services that enhance the consumers interaction with the low-cost product or service. Target Marketing Target marketing can be a key to a small businesss success keeping in mind that it involves breaking a market into segments and then concentrating the marketing efforts on one or couple key segments. Target marketing simplifies the promotion, pricing and distribution of the product or services and makes it cost effective. Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore mainly focuses or targets the customers like interior designers and builders who specifies the ironmongery products to the relative clients. The trade discount of 15% is provided to the designer and builders. Every year Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore attends Decorex International Design show, showcasing a variety of new and existing products which is attended by the worldwide designers. Brochures are often posted to the designers as a part of marketing strategy. Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore have even built their own website viewing all the product information, product code , contact details. They have even uploaded the picture and information about the recent and previous projects which give a promotional idea of the quality of the services provided. Even with the delivery services, Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore have hired one of the leading courier company for all the deliveries of the products which provides satisfactory result in the customer satisfaction. Price is determined by a number of factors including market share, competition, material costs, product identity and the customers perceived value of the product. Various ranges of product with various range of price are made available as the customer needs. Farmer Brothers J.D. Beardmore also adopted effective product strategies such as providing a bespoke product as per the customers satisfaction, plating facility so as to get the products in different finishes, refund policy, styling, quality, brand name, repairs and support. Conclusion Many small businesses fail to reach their full potential, or go bust, simply because the small business owner spends too much time working in the business, and too little time working on the business. For a small business to be successful well required business plan, marketing strategy and a well managed team is required. Farmers having been a small business are still successful by managing its resources and having good marketing strategies.

Commodity Prices :: essays papers

Commodity Prices The financial term commodity is defined as a physical substance, such as food, grains, a and metals, which is interchangeable with other product of the same type, and which investors buy or sell, usually through future contracts. Or more generally, a product which trades on a commodity exchange; this would also include foreign currencies and financial instruments and indexes. When one speaks of a commodity, they can be referring to two types of this aspect of finance. A cash commodity or an actual is an actual physical commodity which is delivered at the completion of a "contract" This is the lesser utilized of commodities.(Investors Glossary) The more predominant type of commodity that is used is the commodity futures contract. The futures markets are described as continuous auction markets and exchanges providing the latest information about supply and demand with respect to individual commodities, financial instruments, and currencies. Futures exchanges are where buyers and sellers of an expanding list of commodities, financial instruments, and currencies, come together to trade. The primary purpose of futures markets, is to provide an efficient and effective mechanism to manage price risk. The futures market allows buyers and sellers to stabilize the price of something. Individuals and businesses seek to achieve insurance against adverse price changes. This is done by buying or selling futures contracts, with a price level established now, for items to be delivered later. A common practice amongst the traders of futures is called hedging. The details of hedging can be somewhat complex but the principle is simple. Hedgers are individuals and firms that make purchases and sales in the futures market solely for the purpose of establishing a known price level-weeks or months in advance-for something they later intend to buy or sell in the cash market (such as at a grain elevator or in the bond market). In this way they attempt to protect themselves against the risk of an unfavorable price change in the interim or hedgers may use futures to lock in an acceptable margin between their purchase cost and their selling price. A perfect example of how the futures trading works is provided in the agricultural form of commodities. For example, a food manufacturer will need to buy additional corn from his supplier in three months.

Our Future as Nurses Essay -- Nursing

Nurses should be empathetic and compassionate caregivers. However, what happens when nurses are constantly giving their energy to compassionate care, without seeing the positive outcomes nor being able to regain energy through self-care? This eventually would lead to compassion fatigue, which often results in impairment of concentration and diminished performance ultimately leading to poor quality of care. Preventing compassion fatigue can be achieved through a strong foundation with a comprehensive education consisting of critical thinking skills, evidence-based practice, leadership, management, and delegation, which are only taught in baccalaureate nursing programs. Nurses and nursing students must be reminded or taught that in order to prevent compassion fatigue, they should not only be taking good care of their patients but also themselves. All caregivers are at risk for compassion fatigue, especially nurses, since our profession is based on taking care of the ill. One experience that illustrates this condition was when I helped on an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I recall one nurse I met who had many years of experience but had a reputation of being anal-retentive and unfriendly. I would greet her every time I walked onto the unit, but she never responded. One day, this nurse was assigned to the son of a non-English speaking Chinese mother for whom I often acted as a translator. Her son was suffering from neuroleptic malignant syndrome and recovering from abdominal surgery for an ischemic bowel, which was infected. The mother rushed to me that day with a worried look and told me that the nurse was harming her son. She said she saw the nurse give two intravenous (IV) medications through his neck (internal jugular central venous ... ...es have worked long and hard to advance their careers and should have higher standards for education and provide quality care not only for the patients, but for themselves. Additional focus on nurses’ personal health and higher education will allow the nursing profession to advance in the future with improved integrity and credibility and result in better healthcare for patients. References Aiken, L. (2011). Nurses for the future. The New England Journal Of Medicine, 364(3), 196- 198. Aiken, L., Clarke, S., Cheung, R., Sloane, D., & Silber, J. (2003). Educational levels of hospital nurses and surgical patient mortality. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 290(12), 1617-1623. Boyle, D. A. (2011). Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda. Online Journal of Issues In Nursing, 16(1), 1-14. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No01Man02

Postmodernist vs. Modernist vs. Personal position on Faith :: essays research papers

Topic 1: Postmodernist vs. Modernist vs. Personal position on Faith Topic 2: What did you learn in this class? Written By: Angela Gonzalez Topic 1: Postmodernist vs. Modernist Position on Science and Religion We have all at one time or another asked ourselves the question â€Å"Should I believe this?† Doubt is simply another part of the human experience. When we doubt our faith, however, it can be more crucial than many other doubts we have, because of the believed consequences that come along with it. Where there is doubt people begin to look for ways to rationalize whether what they believe is more right than what someone else believes. Science and religion, two means in which knowledge is obtained from the world, are used by post modernist and modernist to justify faith or lack there of. In this paper I will discuss the contradicting views postmodernist and modernist have on the separation and overlap of scientific knowledge and religious knowledge. Whether you believe one view over the other boils down to personal choice and acceptance of the idea based on ones experiences, therefore I will also discuss my opinion on the connectivity among faith, rationality, objective truth an d ways of gaining and testing the truth of knowledge for both science and religion. Let’s begin by discussing the Enlightenment thought of modernist’s that only that which can be scientifically measured and quantified and reasoned through logically is true knowledge. We can have true knowledge about time in space, fitness, age or the power of your punch, but what, about things that can not be scientifically measured such as beauty, morals, and other matters of the spirit. It does not seem right to say that we can not obtain true knowledge of such things so we have inherited the modernist belief that such things are matters of opinion. In other words, they are subjective matters having only to do with the individual’s experiences and preferences. This modernist scientific mindset is devastating for religious beliefs. Though some religious beliefs can be empirically tested there are others, such as the nature of God and justification by faith which cannot be weighed or measured. These central elements of religious knowledge can therefore be said to be matters of personal opinion, or worse figments of imagination. This contradicting relationship between the scientific and religious approach of knowledge can have a tragic effect on a believer of faith because it is very easy for the individual to get caught up in providing for themselves the kind of impossible logical certainty for their beliefs a nonbeliever might demand.

Movies Represent Storytelling at Its Best Essay

Imagery, sounds, storytelling ability, excellent editing, serious acting and creative imaginations are all technically combined to make a good movie. Movies represent storytelling at its best. The writer gives a script to the director who interprets it and creates a core team of professionals that includes the cinematographer, the designer (and his team), the sound engineer, the actors, and the editor. They make ï ¬ lms to entertain, to express emotion, tell stories, deliver messages, to dream, to imagine, and it is all because they have a passion that drives them. Filmmaking takes time, patience, dedication, commitment, and an understanding of the process in its totality. If ï ¬ lmmakers are oriented toward story and performance, they must learn to visualize the narrative. The story must unfold in the mind’s eye, as it is conceived and created. The ï ¬ lmmaker has to see the movie while the screenplay is being written and during pre-production before the cameras roll. (LoBrutto 2002) Matthew Vaughn created a make-believe movie which insinuates that mutants are everyday people that exist among us; and there were times during the movie that the thought actually crossed my mind. Owing to the fact that, making a film is a most complex artistic enterprise and that, movie making is the only creative endeavor that encompasses all of the arts: writing, photography, painting, acting, music, dance, and architecture; the filmmaker must take on the challenge of telling a story via image and sound each time a movie is made. (LoBrutto 2002) Storytelling A movie is a story; it is as simple as that. Movies are really a category of art that use various kinds of technical combinations of imagery and sounds to tell stories. However, how the story is told, often make fictions seem real, non-fictions become personal, fantasy appear realistic and musicals, like Burlesque, http://youtu.be/9snF_LsF-OI expand into song and dance. There is always something that viewers can relate to in movies. Nevertheless, â€Å"Movies are not, and are not meant to be, blueprints for how to live our lives. They are, however, reflections of lives.† (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011) The story, X-Men: First Class, is about former closeted mutants coming out and embracing their difference. However, the film began with a setting during the period of the holocaust when Magneto was a young boy in Poland. The boy’s name was Erik Lehnsherr (later named Magneto). The story highlights aspects of the enslavement of Jews by the German Gustapo. The close-up shots of the numbers that were branded on the arms of the Jewish people in the concentration camp align the story with an actual historical event. Those shots coupled with the boy’s forceful separation from his mother help to authenticate and solidify the director’s attempt at reality. His anger and fury at the separation triggered his mutant power of magnetism that caused him to rip the metal fence that stood between himself and his mother. The Gustapo commander’s name was Schmidt (later Sebastian Shaw). It was he who shot and killed Erik’s mother in cold blood, before the child; resulting in Erik’s mutant power of magnetism being triggered and magnified during his subsequent angry outburst. Sebastian Shaw murdered the boy’s mother because he wanted to see a demonstration of the boyâ€⠄¢s mutant powers. Mission accomplished, Shaw wanted to train and harness Erik’s mutant power to use it as a weapon. On the other hand, Charles Xavier was a brilliant academic who is of gentry stock. As we saw it when he was a boy, he had the power of telepathy. He also had the ability to read and control other people’s minds. In the beginning of the film, Charles was quite blatant and unapologetic about reading people’s minds without their permission as was the case when he was talking the woman at the bar, before Raven interrupted. He became a CIA consultant on humans with mutant abilities then later he and Erik (who became his close friend) recruited, trained and formed X-Men: First Class a department within the CIA. Both men, Charles and Erik formed a league of mutants to fight against the plans of the evil Sebastian Shaw. There were also minor storylines about interpersonal relationships and the mutants’ personal insecurities as it related to personal acceptance. Overal l the storyline of a Jew’s revenge against his former Gustapo torturers was good; revenge in this case was sweet. Acting Actors are the most visible elements in a film. The actors †¦. In X-Men: First Class There was wild card and character actors but there were no star actors (except for Hugh Jackman’s one clip appearance when he used the f word). The acting was mediocre because at times it did not come across as being natural. It appeared to be acting, more the type for a stage production than for the cinema. However, if I should compare the two main characters; Michael Fassbender did a good job of portraying Erik’s anger, loss and hurt that he suffered growing up in a concentration camp. McAvoy in Charles’ character on the other hand, did not have much negative experience to work with and his character came across as Erik’s boring telepathic side-kick. Kevin Bacon did justice to Sebastian Shaw’s character. With the exception of Raven, the other actors were not really given much screen time. There were many actors but not much solid acting, although there was a lot of action. Cinematography The director of cinematography’s job is to take the director’s view of how the movie should look and help the director to get the shots that he wants with ideas on camera angles, types of cameras, and lighting suggestions that will best serve the director in getting the type of feel he wants out of each scene in the movie. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). The cinematographer is specifically responsible for its look, in very specific, shot-by-shot terms. He or she is responsible for the images that the camera sees, and by extension the images that the audience will see in the finished film. . Cinematography means â€Å"writing with movement.† (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAbhclxSNTw The cinematographer demonstrated knowledge based brilliance and skillful use of all type of shots in this clip. He coupled it with the bright natural sunshine made the finale to this clip quite moving. The words â€Å"Never Again† were delivered in a deep focus close up shot of Magneto. The cinematographer used long, medium and close-up shots as well as deep focus. His variety of shots and choice of lightings made this film very entertaining. Editing â€Å"The film editor helps create the film, literally constructing it, piecing together different takes of individual scenes and then placing the selected scenes in the order that tells the story the director wants to tell. The editor’s role is crucial to the making of a successful film. Poor editing does the audience the ultimate disservice when it comes to film.† (Goodykoontz, 2009). The scenes were fast paced, action packed, story driven to the point where there was nothing noticeably wrong or out of place with the editing. It was done in an incongruous style and that added to the overall excitement. The fast movements created the desire to watch this film again and again. The editing was clean. There were no visible or audible hitches. The story flowed and it was quite riveting and entertaining because it reflected real life human struggles for acceptance. Sound â€Å"Music has been a crucial part of the movie going experience since before the advent of recorded sound in films. So important was its use that over time directors began inserting musical cues, or signals, for specific music to be played at specific times.† (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011) I particularly favored the scene that brought Xavier and Erik together; it contained a variety of magnificent sounds. When Erik was in the sea and there was also a bevy of boats and ships around him; there were sounds of boat horns; there were natural sounds of water splashing against the sides of the ships and the ripping sounds of the speed boats dividing the water. During the destruction of Shaw’s ship, there were credible sound effects of the unreeling of the massive chain on the anchor; the crashing banging sounds and the explosive sounds. The complimentary sound of background orchestra music playing that loaded repeated andante beat (da-dap da-dap da-dap) that suggests action and then there was the dialogue. Overall, the music and sounds were seamlessly interwoven into each scene to further engage the audience’s attention. Added to that, amidst all the other sounds, the dialogue was clear and audible. The overall sound for this movie was good. Style and Directing A film director is the creative force behind a movie. He is the one who is responsible for the end product that the viewing public pays to see at the movie theatre. His word is final on the visuals, the sounds and the acting. According to Vincent LoBrutto in his book, The Filmmaker’s Guide to Production Design; â€Å"A good director must have a ï ¬ rm idea of how to translate the script cinematically.† (LoBrutto 2002) LoBrutto went on further to say that, directors read the script for an overall impression and impact. It does not matter who the scriptwriter(s) is/are, it is the director’s interpretation, shots and takes that viewers see at the movie theatres. The buck stops at the film director. (LoBrutto 2002) Director Matthew Vaughn has his own fast-paced action-packed style of directing. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891216/ He tried to make comic book characters seem real by fusing natural historic events like the holocaust (Erik was in the concentration camp during the Holocaust where his mom was killed) and the Cuban missile crisis into the plot. Vaughn created elaborate props and set designs and he used every computer graphics skill to enhance the story. X-Men: First Class doesn’t just rely on the usual fast paced scenes and top notch special effects that are typical of action movies; it raises the bar several notches. It doesn’t lose its sentimental core amidst the explosions and super feats but it continues to provide viewers a complex storyline to follow. This is Vaughn’s â€Å"Kick Ass† style. There is humor as in the training sessions when Banshee, after receiving clear instructions and encouragement; fell straight to ground without even attempting to try. There was much laughter at his expense. Humor is Vaughn style; as his previous work â€Å"Kick Ass† showed; that coupled with the elaborate props and high tech sound effects; complete his signature on the project. The director Matthew Vaughn placed his stamp on this movie through the production design, the acting, the dialogue, the cinematography and especially the sounds. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891216/ Impact of society on the film and vice versa Whether it is in appearance, fashion, or behavior, films romanticize a certain lifestyle that is eagerly imitated by audiences. Fashion magazines promise that we can â€Å"Get Angelina’s Look† if we follow the tips inside. Celebrity gossip publications keep readers up-to-date on the comings and goings of seemingly everyone who has appeared in a movie. The Internet and social media are practically choked with chatter about film— box-office results, reviews, gossip, and more. Beyond such obviously shallower aspects, film can influence how we live, our morality, and our behavior. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011) â€Å"Film can influence how we live, our morality, and our behavior.† (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011) Filmmakers will argue that, this effect is unintentional because movies are a part of a make believe world but there are those who pattern what they see, and make it their reality. An example of society’s impact on film is portrayed in the indelible affect that the holocaust had on Erik; he was soaked with hatred and revenge for the former Gustapos who imprisoned him, especially Sebastian Shaw. This is a portrayal of the agony that the Jewish people suffered at the hands of the Germans. That intrinsic hatred became the fuel for his mutant powers. The others had to hide their difference from normal society, for fear of rejection but above all the fear of unknown reaction to them. Likewise, the film is highlighting the fact that some people among us who are different from us, want acceptance and they also want to feel a sense of belonging just like normal people. Their differences are as varied as the characters in the film and their needs are as similar. It is sending a message of acceptance, brotherhood and unity. Genre â€Å"A genre is so called because it tends to use familiar story formulas, character types, settings, and iconography (visual imagery with symbolic implications), all of which lead viewers to have certain expectations about what the movie will be like before actually watching it. .† (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011) It is a type, or category of films that is usually easily recognizable as part of a certain genre. Genres tell the audience up front what to expect from the product they are buying. If they like a particular kind of story, chances are they will like this particular film, especially if the writer and director give the expectations a little twist. X-Men: First Class is an action-fantasy. It is loaded with action but it is also loaded with some fantastic comic book feats. At the start of the film, the MARVEL logo is shown; that is an indicator that it is a comic book story. The ability for humans to alter and mutate into other beings, is genre specific activities for fantasy. While the fast-paced actions during the confrontations/battles with good and evil are typical of action films. Therefore, it is difficult to place the film within any one genre because it can fit into several: drama (Erik’s beginning and the dramatic separation from his mother); fantasy (Erik’s control of the missiles in mid-air); action (the air and sea confrontation). Application of at least one approach to analysis and Interpretation Films are often used to express emotion, deliver a message, to dream and to imagine; all having to do with human psychology. A psychological approach to analyzing a film is especially concerned with how a film provides examples of various psychological theories and concepts, particularly those of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung (e.g., sexual symbolism, subconscious repression and dreams, the id, ego, and superego, the collective unconscious). Identity crisis was an issue in the film. Psychologist Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory of human growth and development at the fifth stage looks at Identity versus Identity confusion. This was played out so well by Raven. It states that adolescents must be allowed to explore different roles in a healthy manner in order to achieve a positive identity; or else they will experience identity confusion. (Santrock, 1989) Raven obviously received no previous parental guidance regarding self-acceptance and role explorations; she hid behind a morphed socially accepted form. She was more comfortable being someone else and she often abandoned her true identity. Accept Yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csii_f5f204 â€Å"You want society to accept you, but you can’t even accept yourself,† said Magneto to Raven. Raven had a serious problem of identity confusion and she struggled with self-acceptance. In the above clip Erik challenged her to accept herself in her true blue form. The movie embraced people who were physically different, while at the same time it was highlighting their struggles to gain social acceptance and their deep-down desire to be normal. This point was introduced as early as the meeting with Charles and Raven. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEKxXYrb2Rk The insecurities about their difference continued to play out in the dialogue between Raven and Charles as well as Raven and Hank. http://youtu.be/PKnL_MwwU3o Charles Xavier, who like Erik, had no visible disability, seemed to have had a more rational approach to life in general. He was more in control of his behavior and his decisions than Erik. According to Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, the ego makes rational decisions (Santrock, 1989 p. 34). An example of this was the scene where Charles was in his kitchen and Raven (who he looked upon as a sister) entered in her unclothed blue form, in a sensual rather sexual manner. Charles’ ego quickly assessed the situation and decided that it was wrong and he chided her with disgust in his voice. His conscious ego made a decision. Similarly, psychologist Albert Bandura’s social learning theory speaks to conforming to social behavior within the one’s environment (Witt & Mossler, 2010). Charles Xavier knew that society, especially the upper class to which he belonged, would definitely not accept Raven in her true form. His socialization caused him not to even consider having a relationship with a blue woman; blue blooded one, perhaps. Overall textual themes There are five categories that make up the theme of every film: the plot, the emotional mood, the character, style or texture, and ideas. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011) There were several themes in this film. †¢Self-Acceptance: The lack of social acceptance motivated the mutants to bond together as a brotherhood; and help each other to gain control of their super power as well as provide them with a safe non-judgmental environment. †¢Brotherhood and Unity: They watch out for and watch over each other; they literally function like a family with Erik and Charles as the parents. At Charles castle during the training days. †¢Inter-Personal Relationships: Charles and Erik seem to have a deep seated tenderness for each other as was seen in those close up shots when Charles was shot in his back. Erik held him in his arms and the moment captured a deep relationship. †¢Revenge: Erik hunted and killed all his torturers. Sebastian Shaw’s killing was the final reveng e and the sweetest. Conclusion Imagery, sounds, storytelling ability, excellent editing, serious acting and creative imaginations are all technically combined to make a good movie. Movies represent storytelling at its best. The writer gives a script to the director who interprets it and creates a core team of professionals that includes the cinematographer, the designer (and his team), the sound engineer, the actors, and the editor. They make ï ¬ lms to entertain, to express emotion, tell stories, deliver messages, to dream, to imagine, and it is all because they have a passion that drives them. Filmmaking takes time, patience, dedication, commitment, and an understanding of the process in its totality. If ï ¬ lmmakers are oriented toward story and performance, they must learn to visualize the narrative. The story must unfold in the mind’s eye, as it is conceived and created. The ï ¬ lmmaker has to see the movie while the screenplay is being written and during pre-production before the cameras roll. (LoBrutto 2002) The film was good, exciting, colorful, action packed and almost believable. However, due to its suggested sexual contents and the one time use of the f word, I cannot recommend it for the family. Twaitney O. Reference Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. LoBrutto, V. (2002) The Filmmaker’s Guide to Production Design New York, NY: Allworth Press Santrock, J. W. (1995). Life-Span Development. Dubuque, IA: Brown & Benchmark Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult Development & Life Assessment. 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