Critically analyse the impacts that mega events have on a tourism Essay

Critically analyse the impacts that mega events have on a tourism destination - Essay Example It shall also discuss the strategies that the Chinese government used in order to enhance positive impacts and reduce the negative impacts of these mega events on Beijing, China, and on the Chinese people. The 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China is the most recent Olympics conducted. China won the bid in 2001 to hold the 2008 Olympics after two rounds of voting by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was China’s second bid to host the international games after it failed in its first bid 8 years before to Sydney, Australia (Longman, 2001). The games were declared a success by the IOC during the 13th Olympic Congress last October. The Olympic Games featured participants from 204 IOC member countries with about 80 heads of state attending (Xinhua News Agency, 2008). The city welcomed thousands of tourists who participated, watched the games, and took in the many sites around the country. It was the biggest influx of tourists the country has ever seen; and considering its closed-door policy for so many years, the Beijing Olympics opened China, on so many levels, to the rest of the world. Mega events have the potential of bringing various economic benefits to the place where the event is to be held. Economic analysts claim that they bring macroeconomic benefits which ultimately mean higher economic growth to the country due to increased spending in relation to the mega event. Economics Help.org (2008) also points out that the extra spending seen in mega events helps fuel inflation and boosts the economy of the country in general. With the increased influx of tourists into China, the exchange rate was also expected to increase. CNN’s Nick Hopkins (2001) also points out how the Beijing Olympics would potentially trigger the entry of major international investments into China. The entry of multinational corporations like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Eastman Kodak into China is already a given because these

Strategies in Theme Park Marketing Essay Example for Free

Strategies in Theme Park Marketing Essay Department of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: (00 852) 2766 6341; Fax: (00 852) 2362 9362; E-mail: [emailprotected] edu. hk Kevin K. F. Wong, PhD is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Manager of the HTM Resource Centre in the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic Uni- versity, Hong Kong. His major research interests focus on tourism management, tourist behaviour, tourism forecasting models and impact studies. Phoebe W. Y. Cheung is a research assistant within the Department of Hotel and Tourism. Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. ABSTRACT KEYWORDS: THEME PARK, THEMING, LEISURE, MOTIVATION, LIFESTYLE Theme parks aim to create the atmosphere of another world and it is essentially the theme which becomes the main part of a theme park experience. Thematic tourism has become increasingly popular where travel is motivated by an interest in a particular subject or area rather than by the more traditional motivations such as idyllic scenery and climate. The drawing power of theming is evident in the fact that it has, in recent years, become a catalyst for the growth of new destinations based mainly on thematic leisure. This study attempts to identify and describe a distinct and representative set of theme types and attributes in a theme park and examines the relationship between visitors motivation for visiting theme parks and theme preferences. Weak to mod- erately strong relationships were found between motivation for theme park visits by visitors and their demographics and lifestyle patterns. Given the fact the theme park industry is still relatively young in Asia, the  ®ndings of this study reinforce the need for Asian theme parks to focus strategically on satisfy- ing lower-level needs, such as stimulation, by developing and marketing an adventure theme comparable with Western theme parks. INTRODUCTION The theme park industry has witnessed a fairly rapid international expansion in recent years. In the US, the industry has reached maturity after 30 years of growth since the inception of Disneyland in the late 1950s, while in Europe, the industry has spread throughout Western Europe with a large concentration of attractions in Germany, France, the Benelux countries and the UK. Reports from the Economist Intelligence Unit indicate that the worldwide trend of the theme park industry is growing. 1The North American theme park industry grew at a compound rate of almost 3 per cent in attendance over the past decade while Eur- ope has become an attractive venue for corporate investment in theme park development by European consortia and large US corporations. Following Europe is Asia, which has been identi ®ed as the worlds next leading inter- national theme park market. In North Asia, Page 319 Journal of Vacation Marketing Volume 5 Number 4 Journal of Vacation Marketing Vol. 5 No. 4, 1999, pp. 319 ±332, Henry Stewart Publications, 1356-7667 at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from like Europe, the industry has experienced a rapid growth phase spurred on by strong demand, a growth which is expected to continue over the next ten years. 2The num- ber of theme parks has been growing in the Asian region. Since 1991, for example, there have been major theme parks developed in Shengzhen, China, such as the China Folk Culture Villages, Splendid China and the Window of the World. In Singapore, the Haw Par Villa Dragon World and Tang Dynasty Village were opened in 1991, in addition to its existing Sentosa Island which features several theme parks. In terms of visitor attendance, Hong Kongs premier theme park, Ocean Park, attracted an annual attendance of 4. 1 million in 1996, a growth rate of 22 per cent over the previous year. 3 This suggests that the industrys potential is enormous in Asia and at the same time implies that theme park developers are facing increasingly keen competition. However, despite the performance of the industry and the tourism earnings contributed by its strong growth, there is still a lack of informa- tion available on theme parks performance, positioning and development in Asia. 4 Theming and theme parks A theme park is `an amusement park that has themed attractions, be it food, costumes, entertainment, retail stores and/or rides ac-cording to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). Theme parks are distinguished from other amusement parks in that there is a theme that runs through all or most of their attractions. These attractions might be marketed under one general idea or personality, or they could comprise a cluster of different themes at one central location. 5 The theme, therefore, becomes the main part of the theme park experience. Even though theme parks were usually thought of as having a major theme, most of them in fact contain multi-themes in terms of differ- ent themed areas. Some park managers use themes to increase attendance over a period of time, say, during festivals or special events. However, even though the term `theme may sometimes be unclear, by reference to the de ®nition used by the IAAPA, the themes identi ®ed in this study may be thought of as: (i) the main theme which runs through all or most of the attractions, such as the movie theme of the Warner Brothers Movie World; (ii) the sub-themes which are found in a park in the form of different themed areas like the Frontierland, Adven- tureland, Fantasyland, Discoveryland and the Main Street USA of Disneys Magic King- dom; and (iii) the transitional themes, that is, themes that are created for special events which only last for a certain period of time to boost attendance. Some examples are the Far West Festival and Space Festival as seen in Disneyland Paris in 1994 and 1995 respec- tively. Theme parks are becoming increas- ingly attractive to the tourist who has limited vacation time, as by their very nature, they provide a condensed holiday product. 6A good example is Disneys new `Animal Kingdom in Florida which replicates a safari park in East Africa. Theme parks aim to create the atmosphere of another world7and it is essentially the theme itself that creates such an atmosphere. A theme represents a story line or framework which highlights a particular attraction at a destination. 8It at- tempts to tell a story and through this story the visitor is transported to another place and a unique experience is created. However, since theme parks are still a relatively new concept in tourist attractions,9there is a paucity of literature on success and failure of theme parks around the world. Past studies have focused primarily on theme park selection,10 visitor behaviour,11 visitor seg- mentation12 etc but not on the intrinsic value of the theme park ? the theme itself. Competitive theming Recent years have seen the emergence of many themes, only limited by imagination. For example, there have been themes that were based on the success of a product, such as Legoland in Denmark, and others that were built on the mythology of a culture like the Haw Par Villa Dragon World in Singa- pore. The more successful parks have been Page 320 Strategic theming in theme park marketing at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from able to use the theme to create a competitive advantage over the others. Theming promotes the creation of a whole new atmosphere based on the unique experience that a theme park offers. For instance, in all the Disney properties, there is a fantasy element that allows guests to escape the urban setting and go to places they dream about. 13 Thematic tourism, in fact, represents tourism with a relatively narrow focus, where trips are motivated by an interest in a particular subject or area rather than the more traditional motivations such as the lure of idyllic scenery and pleasant climate. More importantly, theming in some ways is di- vorced from the idea of place, relegating the consideration of location to being the back- ground for a theme, rather than being the primary motivating factor. 14. There are a number of advantages in theming. First of all, theming is important for creating an initial perception of quality. 15 Secondly, themes are means to be used to help boost attendance. For example, `themed discount programmes are created to aim at certain market segments. 16 They are likely to encourage repeat visitation, as a themed environment provides a unique, memorable experience which increases the probability that guests will return. Visitors will tell friends about their visits, provid- ing effective word-of-mouth advertising. 17 Thirdly, theming is a value-adding factor. The themed retail park `Knotts Camp. Snoopy demonstrated that `the mall with a themed entertainment experience will be superior to the mall without such oppor- tunity. 18 Fourthly, theming allows coordina- tion of retail merchandise, which can in turn increase the guests retail expenditure. 19 Fi- nally, theme parks that use an easily recogni- sable and interesting theme will have a competitive advantage over those which do not. 20 This is especially so when there is very strong competition and the equipment is very similar ? the way to differentiate is by theming. 21 In addition, as the industry ma- tures and visitors become more experienced and discerning, theming may be needed for a more sophisticated market. The power of theming or thematic tour- ism is evident in the fact that it has, in recent years, become a catalyst for the growth of new destinations based solely on thematic leisure. 22 Theme park developers have con- verted existing attractions into theme parks. To be more competitive and recover the loss of market share or pro ®t, developers have to diversify their `product offering. For exam- ple, there has been the growth in demand for attractions with a space theme. There- fore, knowing what themes guests look for is essential to both potential and existing theme park investors. New types of theme parks are being developed around the world which shift their focus away from the conventional features of a `Disneyland type attraction and further differentiate themselves. This is evi- denced a plan to develop a theme park at the site of the 1969 Woodstock music festival to recreate its counter-culture spirit and an- other based on crocodiles in Florida, named `Jungle Crocs of the World. 23 Purpose of study The purpose of the study is to examine the importance of the theme in the marketing of theme parks. Since the theme is an important factor affecting the choice of theme parks by visitors, it is important to ascertain more accurately what visitors preferences are in terms of themes and how their demographic characteristics and lifestyle in? uence such preference. More speci ®cally, this study seeks to identify and describe a distinct but representative set of theme types and attri- butes in a theme park; to  ®nd out the theme preference(s) of the theme park visitors; to examine the relationship between theme park visitors motivation (purpose of visit), demographics, psychographics (lifestyle) and their preference(s) for themes; and to exam- ine the importance of theming in the mar- keting of theme parks. Motivation for visiting theme parks Pearce and Dermotts leisure ladder provides a motivation framework to explain why people visit theme parks. 24 Five levels of need regarding theme park visitation are Page 321 Wong and Cheung at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from identi ®ed, with the highest level of need being listed as ful ®lment, followed by the need for self-esteem and development. The next level is relationship, which emphasises the need to build and extend ones personal relationships. This is followed by the need for stimulation. People in this group are concerned with the management of their arousal levels with emphasis on fun and thrill rides. The lowest level is that of relaxation or bodily needs (see Appendix). Apart from understanding the basic moti- vation for theme park visitation, it is neces- sary to  ®nd out why one theme park is chosen over another. The theme here plays a role in differentiating the more successful parks from the less successful ones. It has a twofold signi ®cance. First, the nature of the theme chosen will have an impact on the type of customers attracted to the park. Some themes may have a broad and general appeal which caters to a wide spectrum of visitors while others may be more focused and have a narrower appeal. Secondly, them- ing allows the creation of an enhanced atmo- sphere and guest experience. These effects, in fact, create the appropriately desirable image crucial to services marketing. Service marketing The theme park industry is part of the service component of the tourism industry. Owing to the intangible nature of services, the creation of an identi ®able image is critical for service marketing. Even though the image and the theme are not identical in nature, the theme helps project an image by the sort of theme chosen and the them- ing. For example, the fantasy theme of Disneyland helps project its image of de- light, fun and fantasy. Further, the extensive theming of Disney gives a perception of high quality. The decision made by a consumer to purchase a product or service is directly in- ?uenced by the image the individual has of himself/herself and the perceived image of the product or seller. This may explain the psychological process involved when a visi- tor chooses to go to a theme park with a particular theme, say, an adventure theme; he views himself as adventurous. It can be postulated that the psychographics of consu- mers help predict the sort of theme they prefer. Moreover, the service nature of theme parks make image creation a dif ®cult task as it is intrinsically abstract. Thus, service mar- keters may be able to build the image of speci ®c reality and differentiate it from other `realities by the presentation of tangible evidences and experiences simulating reality. By promoting a theme, customers can then use these created physical facilities and props to judge service quality. For example, them- ing is often done with the careful choice of types of architecture, costumes and other settings displayed in the park. Theme preference In a study by McClung it was found that the type of theme is one of the factors affecting tourists preference for theme parks. 25 Results also indicate that there is a correlation be- tween themes and attractions so that consid- erable multi-segmentation strategies can be devised to cater to different market seg- ments. For example, wet and wild themes correlate highly with family attractions. This type of theme can be used to attract younger people and families with children looking for thrills and excitement. Moreover, research has revealed that inter- national tourists with different cultural backgrounds exhibit distinct patterns of preference when they travel. Caucasians were found to be different from Asian visitors in terms of preference for theme park attributes concerning the nature of the attraction, activ- ities and themes. 26 Furthermore, the impor- tance of the cultural element in planning and designing theme parks has been emphasised by Gorder, who stressed the need to seek an appropriate philosophy of concept that re- ?ected Eastern thought and traditions for a park located in the Orient. 27 These important differences point to the need for more theme park studies to provide data for theme park developers catering to international tourists from diverse cultural backgrounds. Page 322. Strategic theming in theme park marketing at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from METHODOLOGY Theme types and attributes A detailed review of tourism and theme park literature and promotion brochures was con- ducted to  ®nd out the theme attributes of theme parks. Words used to describe the theme or general atmosphere associated with the theme parks that appeared more than once were recorded. A list of descriptions was generated by a review of promotional literature, and was expanded by conducting interviews with  ®ve experienced theme park professionals who were asked to list all the theme types used by theme parks around the world based on their experience and know- ledge. Speci ®c theme attributes were derived and content analysis was used to sort out the adjectives used. Obvious duplication and overgeneralised descriptors were eliminated and a list of 75 attributes was compiled. As the list contained many descriptors that were similar to each other, the latter were reduced to a smaller number and regrouped into attributes that were more likely to re- present one single theme. Content analysis was to distinguish different theme types and, after regrouping, the resulting attributes were classi ®ed into seven main ones. These theme types were then shown to the  ®ve volunteers who had past experience in theme park settings to obtain further feed- back for  ®nalising the grouping of theme types. Table 1 shows the  ®nal grouping into seven theme types used in this study. Motivation for theme park visitation To ascertain the motivation for theme park visiting, ten statements were constructed, based on Pearce and Dermotts leisure ladder for theme park settings, each stating visitors different reasons for visiting to theme parks. Table 1: Theme types grouping Type Attribute Type Attribute Adventure Excitement and action Fantasy Animation. Frightening Cartoon characters Mysterious Childhood enchantment Thrill rides Childrens play park Futurism Advances in society and technology Fairy tale Magic Discovery Make believe Exploration of science and technology History and culture Myths and legends Aboriginal Laser Authentic Robot Cultural heritage Scienti ®c Ethnic appeals Science  ®ction Gold Rush International Flavours of the world Historic ambience International village Movie American Wild West show Miniature replicas Comedy Scenic spots Motion picture World expositions Show business Nature Animals Stunt show Floral displays Horticultural gardens Landscaping. Marine life Natural wonders Ocean Wildlife Page 323 Wong and Cheung at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from These were in the form of questions which represented the  ®ve levels of the leisure ladder model as shown in the Appendix. Psychographic (lifestyle) Twelve statements pertaining to the person- ality, behaviour and interests of the respon- dents, such as I am a dreamer and like to fantasise; I am adventurous and look for excite- ment in life etc, were developed to investigate their preferences for particular themes. These statements were developed based on past literature and comments from a group of  ®ve volunteers. Demographic variables Demographic variables such as gender, country of origin, age, life cycle, occupation and post, household income and education level were selected to test whether any of them had a relationship with visitors theme preferences. Data collection An undisguised structured questionnaire was designed to  ®nd out information pertaining to visitors demographics, psychographics and their preferences for themes. It consisted of  ®ve sections, with the  ®rst section consist- ing of questions relating to general travel behaviour, such as frequency of travel and number of theme parks visited. In the second section, respondents were asked to indicate the degree of importance of each of the seven themes, with 1 being very unimpor- tant and 5 being very important. Following this, they were asked to rank their prefer- ences for these themes, with 1 being the most preferred and 7 the least preferred, as an indication of their ordinal partiality. The third section of the questionnaire, which sought to reveal the respondents lifestyle patterns (attitude, interest, behaviour) was achieved by seeking their level of agreement with a series of statements which related to these aspects on a scale which ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating strong disagreement and 5 indicating strong agreement. The fourth section focused on the motivation for theme park visitation. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with ten statements which related to the  ®ve levels of Pearce and Dermotts leisure ladder model for theme park settings. The  ®nal section gathered general demographic data on respondents gender, country of origin, age, marital status, occupation, household income and education level. The survey questionnaire was pre-tested on a small group of ten volunteers to ascer-tain the validity, clarity and appropriateness of the questions asked, particularly in the sections pertaining to motivation and life- style patterns. Based on the comments re- ceived, some rewording was considered and the layout of the questionnaire restructured. The sample in this study were Asians (not necessarily international tourists) in Hong Kong who had visited a theme park before and those who had not visited one but ex- pressed an intention to visit. The survey was conducted in a popular tourist shopping area in Kowloon, Hong Kong on a weekend to obtain a good cross-section of people. Re-spondents were randomly intercepted and requested to complete the survey question- naire. Interviewers were instructed to clarify to respondents the de ®nition of a theme park where necessary and give examples. FINDINGS Demographic pro ®le of respondents The basic pro ®le of respondents showed a mix of men (44 per cent) and women (56 per cent) across all age and income categories. The majority (52 per cent) of them were between 25 and 39 years of age and single. In terms of income group, slightly more than one-third reported middle to upper middle class incomes. This may be explained by the fact that 44 per cent of the respondents were white-collar workers and 39 per cent re- ported having attained a secondary education level. In terms of respondents nationality, most of them were from Hong Kong, with the rest originating from the Philippines, China, Korea, India, Japan and Singapore. Page 324 Strategic theming in theme park marketing at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from Visitation pattern Of the 105 respondents who provided usable data for this study, 95. 2 per cent have been to a theme park before while 4. 8 per cent have not. About one-third (32 per cent) of the respondents may be considered as non-frequent theme park visitors as they visited theme parks only once every two to four years. Another 30 per cent visited theme parks once a year whereas 22 per cent visited three times or more a year and once every six months. In terms of the number of theme parks they had visited, the majority of the respondents (46 per cent) had been to be- tween one and two different theme parks while 33 per cent of them had visited be- tween three and  ®ve theme parks. About 12 per cent had been to six to nine parks whereas only 9 per cent had been to ten or more different ones. The pattern of visitation may be attributed to the fact that there is a relatively small number of theme parks exist- ing in Asia. Ocean Park in Hong Kong was found to be the most visited park by those respondents who had been to theme parks before (97 per cent) followed by Disneys Magic Kingdom (30 per cent). Table 2 shows the list of theme parks visited by the respondents. Theme preference of respondents Seven theme types were examined to deter- mine which theme was most preferred by respondents. The nature theme (66. 7 per cent) was most frequently ranked among the higher ranks (ranks 1 ±3), followed by the fantasy theme (46. 7%) and adventure theme (44. 8%). Futurism (44. 7%), history and cul-ture (37. 1%), and international (32. 4%) themes came fourth,  ®fth and sixth respec- tively. The least preferred theme was the movie theme with only 27. 7% of respondents ranking in the top three ranks (see Table 3). To some extent the overwhelming prefer- ence for the nature theme may be explained by the limited theme park experience of some respondents. Ocean Park, an oceanarium (nature) type of park, was found to be the most visited park (97%) and almost half of these respondents have only visited one or two different parks. Thach and Axinn noted that consumers with a greater depth of ex- perience in one park only may be more likely to use the park they are familiar with as the standard for the industry and their expecta- tions of other parks are shaped by this limited knowledge. 28 Hence, the preference for the nature theme may very likely be a re? ection of the in-depth experience obtained at Ocean Park as 70 per cent of the companys guests were in fact on a repeat visit. On the other hand, the movie theme, a popular theme found in the West with the success of Universal Studios and Warner Brothers Movie World, was the least pre- ferred theme. This points to the need for the consideration of cultural in? uence on theme Table 2: Major theme parks visited by respondents Theme Park % Ocean Park 97 Disneys Magic Kingdom 30 Sung Dynasty Village 29 China Folk and Culture Village 29 Splendid China 24 Sentosa Island 17 The Window of the World 16 Haw Par Villa Dragon World 15 Warner Bros Movie World 11 Jurong Bird Park 10 Lotte World 10 Sea World 9 Dream World 8 Universal Studios 6 (n ? 100) Table 3: Theme preferences of respondents by frequency of higher ranking Theme % Rank Nature 66. 7 1 Fantasy 46. 7 2 Adventure 44. 8 3 Futurism 44. 7 4 History and culture 37. 1 5 International 32. 4 6 Movie 27. 7 7 Page 325 Wong and Cheung at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from preferences. Another interpretation may be that as the breadth of experience in terms of the number of different parks visited was limited, the respondents in this study did not have much exposure to the movie theme. For example, only 11 per cent and 6 per cent of the respondents have been to Warner Brothers Movie World and Universal Stu- dios respectively. Demographics and themes A one-way ANOVA was conducted to test the relationship between the demographic variables and visitors preferences for themes. The results are as follows. ? The results of the ANOVA revealed that visitors preferences for the adventure theme was affected by their marital status, with those being single showing a higher preference for this theme (mean ? 3:84) as shown in Table 4. ? The importance of the fantasy theme was also found to be affected by marital status. Those who were single preferred the theme, with a relatively high mean of 3. 51 in contrast to those who were mar- ried with no children (mean ? 2:30). Table 4 presents these results. ? Younger groups of respondents did not consider the history and culture theme important (mean ? 2:88) compared to those in the age group of 40 ±54 years (mean ? 4:07). Students also reported a lower mean (mean ? 2:63) towards this theme whereas the blue-collar workers and the middle-income group (HK $10,000 ±$30,000) regarded it as impor- tant. These results are presented in Tables 5, 6 and 7 below. ? The importance of the movie theme differed signi ®cantly by respondents age, marital status and occupation. Those aged between 10 and 24 years (mean ? 3:46), being single (mean ? 3:40) and students (mean ? 3:63) preferred the movie theme (Tables 4, 5 and 6). These results are consistent with the  ®ndings in an earlier study by Pearce and Dermott pertaining to the matching of demographic groups (young children, single adults and families) with the motivations for theme park visitors. The 13 ±16 year olds and the solos representing the single group viewed the rides or thrills as more important than did the family groups. Given that age and marital status are somewhat related it is not surpris- ing that respondents who are single would prefer the fantasy theme which has attributes like childhood enchantment, childrens play park, cartoon characters etc. This probably also explains why other groups such as those Table 4: Comparison of the importance of the theme to respondents by marital status Theme importance Group 1 (Single) Group 2 (Married, no child) Group 3 (Married, children at home) Group 4 (Married, children left home). ANOVA Main effect probability Adventure 3. 84 3. 10 3. 03 3. 00 . 0092A Fantasy 3. 51 2. 30 3. 26 3. 20 . 0213A Futurism 3. 49 3. 60 3. 71 2. 60 . 2191 History and culture 3. 40 3. 70 3. 65 4. 20 . 3598 International 3. 40 3. 30 3. 35 3. 80 . 7696 Movie 3. 40 3. 10 2. 68 3. 36 . 0271A Nature 3. 95 3. 90 3. 85 4. 20 . 9127 Results are presented as the mean, on a 5-point scale where 1 indicated the theme was very unimportant and 5 indicated the theme was very important. ADenotes signi ®cance at the . 05 level. Page 326 Strategic theming in theme park marketing at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from married with children who stay with parents and married with children who do not stay with parents, with the exception of empty nesters (married with no child), tend to prefer the fantasy theme. This may be attrib- uted to the fact that families with children may be more desirous of seeking entertain- ment opportunities for their children. As for the movie theme, it was found that the preference for this theme was in? uenced by several related demographic variables. Younger people, who are more likely to be single and are students, preferred going to cinemas to spend their leisure time. It seemed that the more movies they saw, the higher the probability the movie theme would be attractive to them. However, it should be noted that the number of movies watched does not necessarily correlate with the importance given the movie theme (coefficient ? :1246, p ? :210). Likewise, the educational nature contained in the his- tory and culture theme was less appealing to the younger group who are usually students, and tend to perceive history and culture as less stimulating. This study also revealed that the blue- collar section showed a preference for the history and culture theme. While the basic motivation for travel may be to achieve `a more profound appreciation of society and culture,29 blue-collar workers who earn a Table 5: Comparison of the importance of the theme to respondents by age Theme importance Group 1 (10 ±24) Group 2 (25 ±39) Group 3 (40 ±54) Group 4 (55 ±65? ) ANOVA Main effect probability Adventure 3. 92 3. 50 2. 86 3. 36 . 0587 Fantasy 3. 58 3. 25 2. 93 3. 36 . 3889 Futurism 3. 29 3. 67 3. 57 3. 27 . 4619 History and culture 2. 88 3. 65 4. 07 3. 82 . 0029A International 3. 29 3. 36 3. 36 3. 82 . 4406 Movie 3. 46 3. 05 2. 50 3. 10 . 0371A Nature 3. 79 3. 93 4. 07 4. 00 . 8699 Results are presented as the mean, on a 5-point scale where 1 indicated the theme was very unimportant and 5 indicated the theme was very important. ADenotes signi ®cance at the . 05 level. Table 6: Comparison of the importance of the theme to respondents by occupation and post Theme importance Group 1 (Business owner/self- employed/manager/ white collar) Group 2 (Blue collar) Group 3 (Student) Group 4 (Housewife/ retired/ unemployed) ANOVA Main effect probability Adventure 3. 52 3. 56 3. 69 3. 13 . 5597 Fantasy 3. 41 2. 81 3. 38 3. 31 . 3273 Futurism 3. 55 3. 75 3. 13 3. 63 . 4156 History and culture 3. 59 4. 00 2. 63 3. 88 . 0009 A International 3. 27 3. 75 3. 25 3. 63 . 1819 Movie 2. 84 3. 19 3. 63 3. 50 . 0271A Nature 3. 89 4. 19 3. 88 3. 81 . 7355 Results are presented as the mean, on a 5-point scale where 1 indicated the theme was very unimportant and 5 indicated the theme was very important. ADenotes signi ®cance at the . 05 level. Page 327 Wong and Cheung at University College Birmingham on December 27, 2014jvm. sagepub. comDownloaded from low to middle household income have lim- ited travelling opportunities and, therefore.

The Two-Dimensional Character of Virginia Woolfs To The Lighthouse :: To The Lighthouse Essays

To the Lighthouse  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Two-Dimensional Character   In the novel, To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf illustrates the character of Mr. Ramsay, a husband and father of eight children.   As a husband, he degrades and mentally abuses his wife, Mrs. Ramsay, and as a father, he disparages and psychologically injures his children.   Yet, Mr. Ramsay has another side -- a second dimension.   He carries the traits of a very compassionate and loving husband and a securing and nurturing father. Although Woolf depicts Mr. Ramsay as crude, brusque, and insensitive, he, nonetheless, desires happiness and welfare for his family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though Mr. Ramsay frequently scolds and denounces Mrs. Ramsay, he still seeks happiness and comfort for his wife.   For example, after Mrs. Ramsay lies to James about the next day's weather, "He [Mr. Ramsay] stamped his foot on the stone step. 'Damn you,' he said." (31) Mr. Ramsay devastates his wife's emotions.   Because of a little lie, the temperamental Mr. Ramsay hurts, if not kills, Mrs. Ramsay's emotions.   Still, right after the incident, Mr. Ramsay self-reflects and   "[he was] ashamed of that petulance [that he brought to his wife]." (32) Mr. Ramsay understands and regrets the sorrow he brought on Mrs. Ramsay.   He sympathizes with her and is "ashamed" for what he had done.   Mr. Ramsay wants to appease his wife and make her happy as a result of the torment that he inflicted on her.   Next, Woolf again illustrates Mr. Ramsay's insensitive dimension when Mr. Ramsay makes Mrs. Ramsay "bend her head as if to let the pelt of jagged hail, the drench of dirty water, bespatter her unrebuked." (32) Mr. Ramsay is heartless to his wife's feelings; it is as if he enjoys "drenching" Mrs. Ramsay and enjoys seeing her in mental anguish.   However, Woolf later contrasts the callous Mr. Ramsay with a more sensitive and caring Mr. Ramsay:   So stiffened and composed the lines of her face in a habit of sternness that when her husband passed†¦ he could not help noting, the sternness at the heart of her beauty.   It saddened him, and her remoteness pained him. (64)      Therefore, here Mr. Ramsay is portrayed as a sympathetic and caring husband that is "pained" by the expression of sorrow on his wife's face.   Mr. Ramsay is sensitive to his wife's feelings and desires her well-being.

Contemporary Culture Seen Thru Post-War British Films

The British cinema of the Second World War has typically been exemplified in terms of its depiction of ‘the people's war’. The films which have attracted most crucial consideration are those which offered a picture of the British people at war, united regardless of class differences, and where the chronicles of individuals, heroic though they may be, were inspired into the greater story of the whole nation pulling together at a time of national crisis. Curran and Porter (1983) have identified, for the first time in British feature films, a genuine, true-to-life image of ordinary men and women.Roger Manvell (1947)considered that films such as Millions Like Us, San Demetrio, London, Nine Men, The Way Ahead, Waterloo Road and The Way to the Stars ‘showed pe ople in whom we could trust and whose experience was as genuine as our own’. The reason for this pristine realism, according to Aldgate and Richards (2002) is usually clarified through the impact of the docu mentary movement, the progressive left-wing sector of the British film industry, on the mainstream feature film producers. The British film industry endeavoured to open out overseas. J.Arthur Rank, of the Rank Organization, extended his world-wide distribution. The Associated British Picture Corporation or ABPC joined Warner Brothers to institute distribution in the United States. Perry (1988) noted that Alexander Korda acquired London Films and British Lion, the former from MGM. Korda's London Films had in 1933 created The Private Lives of Henry VIII. He established circulation of his films in the United States through Twentieth Century Fox. Green (1983) illustrates that unlike the aspirations of the highly financed studios, Ealing Studios focused its labours on a series of modest comic films.Teams of writer/directors made a series of remarkable films. The Boulting brothers, John and Roy, interchanged as director and producer of a series of films, including Brighton Rock (1947), Th e Magic Box (1951), Lucky Jim (1957), and I'm All Right, Jack (1959). The team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, operating under the label of the Archers and supported by J. Arthur Rank, made two specials, The Red Shoes (1948) and Tales of Hoffman (1951). The first popularised ballet while the second popularised opera.Powell and Pressburger's Stairway to Heaven (also called A Matter of Life and Death, 1945) was the make-believe tale of a pilot who is mistakenly called to heaven so soon. One of the folklores that cropped up from war-weary Britain was a faith in the unity and equality of the community. The myth persisted for a brief time after the war, stimulated by expectations for the Labour government's experiment, when recuperating English society felt the likelihood of progressing the unity experienced in the â€Å"people's war† to decipher the nation's massive social problems.The myth, in which all elements of society, even those not normally associating with one another, pull together, played out in a number of films, such as the Ealing films of Hue and Cry, Whiskey Galore, Passport to Pimlico, and The Blue Lamp. Michael Balcon of Ealing Studios produced these films as â€Å"fantastic escape. † The fantasy created was of a sense of community prompted by the world war. The distraction was in fancy and departure from actuality. Hue and Cry was the first of what have become known as the Ealing comedies and it started the fantasy foundation of community.The setting in south London, an area devastated by the German blitz, was scheduled for enormous restoration in the years 1945-1953. In Hue and Cry, writer T. E. B. Clarke fixed on a London community of youths living and playing around a bombsite, who come together to overpower a gang of criminals. The young hero, Joe Kirby, spends time reading escapist pulp detective comics. Through a series of imaginary and strange encounters, Joe ascertains a criminal syndicate of black market operators using comic books as a code. Joe, with the help of the community of boys, suppresses the criminals, led by the evil Nightingale.Manvell (1947) said that at the end of the war, British film was trapped in a struggle between its realist, documentary tradition and a pull toward the fantastic and expressionism. The anthology film Dead of Night (1945), co-directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton and Basil Dearden, caught some of this resistance. The film modifies from the factual to the Gothic. It makes use of expressionist techniques, such as a powerful mirror scene. Landy (1991) described that realism was a primary trait of British cinema during the war.Realism was acknowledged with black and white, straight-forward narrative and characters. It was profoundly influenced by Britain's documentary tradition. However, many post-war films were answers to realism. Of course, realism comes in many forms. Some films used realism seemingly to expand the story line, as in Michael Anderson's The Dam-Busters (1954), the Boulting brothers' Seven Days to Noon (1950) or Michael Powell's The Small Back Room (1949). The Boulting film involved a reconstruction of the evacuation of London when the city is endangered by a scientist with an atomic device.Powell's film integrated a long episode of the dismantling of a bomb. Ealing comedies, such as Hue and Cry and Passport to Pimlico, used realism as a framework for stories that were essentially non-realistic. In other films, such as Carol Reed's The Third Man or Odd Man Out, realism is used to heighten the drama and suspense. Other films used a documentary-style reconstruction, such as Charles Frend's Scott of the Antarctic (1948). The documentary-style opening of The Blue Lamp was an intentional device, although the story propagated the fantasy of community.The documentary opening and closing of Whiskey Galore were essentially significant to the film's satire. Realism, as a predominant style, resurfaced in the late Fifties, leading to â€Å"new cinema† or social realism. Dickinson and Street (1985) said that expressionism, rather than realism, dominated many of the British productions. Most of the literary were highly yet successfully stylized, including Lean's adaptations from Dickens, Olivier's Shakespearean films, and Dickinson's The Queen of Spades. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Red Shoes and Tales of Hoffman are examples of the stylization.The films represent the nexus of several strands of film and literary tradition, including German expressionism of the 1920's, romanticism, Gothic, the combination of the arts, and the reaction of realism. The Red Shoes was a story by Hans Christian Anderson, derived from a story by E. T. A. Hoffman (1776-1822), a German romanticist, and influenced by life of Russian ballet director Diaghilev and dancer Nijinsky. It is the story of a ballerina torn between the control of two men — her director, Lermontov, and her husban d, Julian, a conductor.Her husband wrote the score for a ballet just for her — â€Å"The Red Shoes. † Lermontov directed her in it. Although Vicki is tough at the start, able to return â€Å"the gaze† of Lermontov, she soon loses her capability to endure either man. The men, primarily Lermontov, are puppet masters, using manipulation to restrain the female to the male's domination. Geraghty (1985) stresses that the battle of the masters is carried out on several levels. At the core of the struggle are the highly stylized ballet scenes, using images of Julian conducting, Lermontov directing and Vicki soaring on stage and in the air.The shoe maker in the ballet is, likewise, a puppeteer. The expressionistic ballet, a combination of music, art, dance and film, is surrounded by the narrative, in which the dancer shifts loyalties between herself, Lermontov and Julian. Lermontov manipulates both dancer and conductor. Vicki finally escapes by injuring herself and endin g forever her ability to dance. Lermontov continues the final performance of the ballet without a dancer in the lead role. Green (1983) said that The Tales of Hoffman was based on an opera of the German expressionist Jacques Offenbach.It comprises film with little dialog. It recollects the universal visual language of the silent film. The various characters of the opera, which challenge and defy Hoffman, a nobleman/poet, include an array of manipulators — an eye glass maker, a master of souls, and a demonic doctor. The filmed opera originally had four episodes, though one episode, hence another manipulator, was cut from the film. The film represents creator as monster and tormentor as well as tormented victim. This theme, said to cast Hoffman as a metaphor for Powell, recalls Lermontov and his tries to gets in touch with Vicki.Both films utilise expressionist techniques such as the metaphors of the gaze and the mirror to symbolize and accentuate the struggle, which Werner Fas sbinder has called sadism in the creative act and creation in destruction. Williams (1991) describes Both Powell and Pressburger films aim to create what Richard Wagner hoped to do with opera — the total art by combining the visual with the aural. The Red Shoes mediates ballet cinematically. It interprets ballet into film rather than record ballet on film. The Tales of Hoffman interprets opera into film rather than record opera on film.Adding to their stature, the creative collaboration of Powell and Pressburger combined the art tradition of European film and the technical advances of American film. Their films experimented with the new Technicolor technology. Low (1985) reports that the anti-realism traits of German expressionism, Gothic and fantasy even appeared in the Ealing comedies. At least twice in Hue and Cry — when the hero and his friend climbed the stairs to the writer's apartment, and in the final fight with the criminal master-mind in the bombed building à ¢â‚¬â€ the camera angles and shadows evoked images of German expressionist films such as The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari. The expressionistic device of the mirror appears in a number of films, such as Dead of Night, and The Blue Lamp. Likewise, the technique of â€Å"the gaze† appears in several films, including The Blue Lamp. Williams (1991) described the behaviour of the writer and the Victorian clutter of his apartment, and the passage of the children through the London sewers, both in Hue and Cry, evoked images of Gothic horror. Likewise, the Hammer horror films were a reaction to realism. Fantasy appeared in a variety of films, especially the Ealing comedies, including the fanciful idea of a sovereign Pimlico or Hue and Cry's children against crime.These communities were rooted in fantasy not reality. They were no more than a daydream. British cinema after the Second World War can be distinguished by a number of features. The films were generally comedies, melodramas, litera ry or horror films. Among the features coming out through these films were 1) attempts to preserve the nostalgic values, such as community of wartime Britain, and 2) the denunciation of the realism and documentary style of the World War II films, particularly through expressionism and stylization. Britain today is a richly mixed society and culture.Its residents typify a wide variety of national, cultural, racial and religious backgrounds and mixtures. That diversity is an outcome of a history, which has incorporated invasion, expansion, empire and Commonwealth, and Britain’s role as a retreat for people of all races. Murphy (2000) describes the British governments have taken measures to undertake problems of discrimination and disadvantage through pioneering such things as race relations legislation which makes racial discrimination an objectionable, and illegal practice, and through strategy to remedy disadvantage.Britain’s ethnic diversity, with its range of and uni que mix of cultural identities and heritages, describes and puts in worth to contemporary Britain. For instance, the Muslim society in Britain make a crucial and lively input to every facet of life from sports and the arts to business and even politics. This paper shall look into at least three film features created after the Second World War. First is Notting Hill which stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The film was a certified box-office hit not only in the United Kingdom but the world over.Next is Four Weddings and a Funeral written by the same writer of Notting Hill. The last movie is Chariots of Fire. Britain’s contemporary cultural diversity is being studied through these film features. Notting Hill Notting Hill has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area popular for its attractive terraces of large Victorian townhouses and high-class shopping and restaurants. Residents are symbolised as young and affluent and many people who conform to such stereotypes are o ften referred to as â€Å"The Notting Hill Set†, â€Å"The Notting Hillbillies†, and â€Å"Trustafarians†.The area came to international attention with the release of the successful Hollywood movie of the same name. Notting Hill (1999) stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant use the characteristic features of the area as a backdrop to the action, including the Portobello Road antiques market and enclosed square gardens. Notting Hill is a 1999 romantic comedy film set in the Notting Hill district of London,. The screenplay was written by Richard Curtis who also wrote the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. In Western culture, we are fixated by the notion of celebrity.This may be easily viewed with the enormous number of paparazzis everywhere that descend on public figures when they make appearances, or the popularity of gossip magazines and TV shows. Celebrities are treated like royalty – fascinating and untouchable, they become objects of unreasonable adoration . Perhaps one of the most common fantasies entertained by an average man or woman is what would happen if someone famous fell in love with them. And therein lies the premise of Notting Hill. Hugh Grant plays William Thacker, the owner of a small bookstore in London's Notting Hill.Grant’s character is just an average Joe – when he's not working, he spends time with his friends and his wacky Welsh flat-mate, Spike played by Rhys Ifans, but has no romantic life to speak of. One day, however, the foundation of his way of life changes when Anna Scott, played by Julia Roberts, a famous actress, walks through the door to his little shop. In London to publicize her new film, she's taking a break from the press and Notting Hill seems like a good place to lose them. Later, William literally runs into her in the street, spilling orange juice all over her. Annoyed and humiliated, he requests her to his place to clean up.Much to his surprise, she accepts his offer, and, after chang ing outfits, she gives him a lingering kiss on the lips. William is immediately smitten and so, apparently, is Anna. Thus begins a turbulent relationship that asks whether a star can live happily ever after with somebody who has never had his face in the papers. Although Notting Hill is a pleasant enough motion picture, it isn't much more than that. It's a domesticated movie that takes few chances. Even the casting of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts is an example of playing it safe, since both are proven box office draws.The comedy, while sporadically funny, occasionally feels forced and unnatural, as if screenwriter Richard Curtis was forced to ratchet up the level of humour at the cost of characters' integrity. Spike is a case in point. As portrayed by Rhys Ifans he's the constant butt of jokes but he achieves little purpose beyond that. He's a pure misrepresentation of a lewd lazy bone, and, whenever he comes on screen, he actually becomes a disturbance. Another problem with the fil m is that the romance is half-hearted. While there's a feeling of sociability and even affection between William and Anna, there was no passion felt between the two.They appear more like brother and sister than lovers broken up by an army of publicists and photographers. The plot pursues the ordinary beat of a traditional romantic comedy: boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy and girl get to know each other, then complications interfere. In this case, those complications come in the form of Anna's off-again/on-again boyfriend and the media. Notting Hill is not without its enjoyable moments. The relationship between two of William's friends, Max and Bella, is touching. There's an exciting conversation between William and Anna about why men are attracted to breasts.And there's an appealing shot of William walking down a street in Notting Hill as the seasons change around him. The movie shows us how Britain has achieved tremendous changes after the war era. It is an attempt to penetrate the western movie market and this proved to be quite a difficult task at first. Four Weddings and a Funeral The simplest and most honest articulation of praise that can be presented to this Mike Newell's movie is that it epitomises two hours of solid movie magic. Four Weddings and a Funeral enjoys the extraordinary power to make an audience laugh and cry without ever apparent scheming or going desperately over-the-top.Another Hugh grant movie who plays Charles is a serial monogamist or someone who moves from girlfriend to girlfriend without ever falling in love. His friends have started down the matrimonial road, but not Charles. Feelings of spending the rest of his life with someone never went through his mind, until one day at a wedding when he encounters Carrie played by Andie MacDowell, an American fashion editor. And, although the two enjoy a brief rendezvous at an inn, Charles' typical British uncommunicativeness comes in, and Carrie is on her way back to America before he rec ognizes he should have said something.Here’s another movie that showcases cultural diversity in Britain were two individuals from different cultural backgrounds may have the possibility of ending up together despite their cultural diversity. Four Weddings and a Funeral is about four weddings and a funeral. While the central story of this delightful motion picture is somewhat common romantic comedy fare, it is structured by a plot packed with little twists and turns, lots of laughs, and a frothy, fascinating atmosphere. Mike Newell, whose recent directing credits include Enchanted April and Into the West, maintains to display a clever hand when it comes to good, escapist fun.Newell's direction is unassuming — he allows his actors and the script to carry the film, which results in an enjoyable mix of cheerful comedy with a dash of misery. Screenwriter Richard Curtis is fast to let the humour starts flowing, and once it starts, it never stops. The scenes most likely to ca use irrepressible laughter happen during the second wedding and centre on Rowan Atkinson as a somewhat confused priest. It's not a shock that Atkinson feels at home with a Curtis script, since the two have teamed up on the British TV show Blackadder.Four Weddings and a Funeral is a modern comedy with a very time-honoured theme. It mixes upright breeding and bad language; laughter and tears; and marriage and friendship into a thoroughly enjoyable whole. This movie showcases how Britain has become one of the world’s best movie producers. It was so popular across the globe which highlighted the greatness of Britain. Chariots of Fire Sporting events today have become vicious, angry affairs where the slogan, more frequently than not, is â€Å"win at all costs. † Demonstrations of good sportsmanship are about as rare as altruism.Everyone is out for themselves, and the displays of athletes like Albert Belle, John McEnroe, and Dennis Rodman can sit in the stomach like a large piece of heavy matter. So it's invigorating to look back at an era when triumph didn't command seclusion, resentment, and disgust of one's rivals. Chariots of Fire, the Oscar-winning 1981 film, delights us to the 1924 Olympics, and, in the process, highlights such laudable qualities as loyalty, determination, and fraternity. That's not to say that winning isn't important to the competitors in Hugh Hudson's film.On the other hand, for British track stars Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Eric Lidell (Ian Charleson), it's a principal anxiety, but neither is so fixated by their ambition that they lose sight of the larger picture. Eric is a devout Christian who runs because he considers it venerates God. Harold is a Jew who struggles as a way of establishing his worth. Both are driven by an internal fire, and have nothing but reverence for their competitors. Chariots of Fire tells the story of the British triumphs at the 1924 Olympics, where the UK representatives took a number of medals over the heavily-favoured Americans.With Abrahams and Lidell leading the way, the British track team had one of their best-ever showings. This film outlines the two principal athletes' paths to the Paris games, where their on-field victories form a astoundingly low-key climax. Chariots of Fire doesn't depend on worn-out sports film cliches; it's more fascinated in enthusiasm and character improvement. Yes, it's essential to know that Abrahams and Lidell win, but the real essence of the story is enclosed in what leads up to the races.Like in Sylvester Stallone's first Rocky, it's probable to claim victory before the competition begins — Lidell because he has holds fast to his beliefs and Abrahams because gives all he has to give. At the time when Chariots of Fire was first released, many of the major cast members, including Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, and Alice Krige, were relative unheard of. All give strong presentations, and each was remunerated with future part s in other productions. Some identifiable faces fill supporting roles, including Sir John Gielgud as the Master of Trinity College and Ian Holm as Abraham's mentor, Sam Mussabini.There's barely a trace of exaggerated scenes in Chariots of Fire, which makes the film-watching experience all the more effective — director Hugh Hudson shows respect for the veracity of his material and the cleverness of his audience. The deficiency of maudlin moments supplies the storyline with an authentic quality that supports its factual background. Not only do we care about the characters, but we admit that they really existed. In fact, the entire production declares that same sense of atmosphere. Most sports movies counts on melancholy and adrenaline — Chariots of Fire stands up on strong writing, direction, and acting.Approval of this picture doesn't require a love of sports, simply an understanding of human nature. Conclusion Immigrant, ethnic minority, asylum-seeker – slivers of intimation divide the meanings of each term in contemporary Britain. Ethnic minority, black and Asian, cultural diversity – clouds of confusion have distinguished contemporary arts in Britain over the past 30 years. Cook (1981) declares that notably, every liberal political measure undertaken so far to correct injustices – the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry into institutional racism being only the most recent – has proven ineffectual.Racism is not an intellectual failure that can be corrected by a greater dose of education. It is a moral value, however much one may abhor such a morality. It is an imaginative construct and so the engineers of the imagination – artists – find themselves in the frontline, their weapons being the pen or the hand or the body or the voice. Gilette (2003) discloses Post-war British film was both a response to the world war and a reaction to the film styles of the war and post-war periods. As a response to the war, post-war f ilms adopted a style of pseudo-realism to construct a post-war fantasy world.This fantasy, sometimes captured as a daydream, attempted to preserve the spirit of the war years, including the values of community and egalitarianism. This daydream or fantasy world also served as an escape from the memory of the war and the disappointment over the failure of a new society in post-war Britain. As a reaction to the war, post-war films revolted against the realism of the war-period films. They utilized and integrated strands of romanticism, expressionism, and the Gothic. References: Aldgate, A. and Richards, J. 2nd Edition. 1994. Britain Can Take it: British Cinema in the Second World War.Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Barr, Charles; Ed. 1986. All Our Yesterdays: 90 Years of British Cinema. London: British Film Institute Aldgate, A. and Richards, J. 2002. Best of British: Cinema and Society from 1930 to the Present. London: I. B. Tauris Barr, C. Ealing Studios (London: Cameron & Tayl or, 1977). Cook, D. A History of Narrative Film (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1981). Curran, J. and Porter, V. ; Eds. 1983. British Cinema History. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson Dickinson, M. and Street, S. 1985. Cinema and the State: The Film industry and the British Government, 1927-84.London: BFI Friedman, Lester; Ed. 1992. British Cinema and Thatcherism. London: UCL Press Geraghty, Christine. 2000. British Cinema in the Fifties: Gender Genre and the New Look. London Routledge Gillett, P. 2003. The British Working Class in Postwar Film. Manchester: Manchester University Press Green, I. â€Å"Ealing in the Comedy Frame,† in British Cinema History, eds. , James Curran and Vincent Porter (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1983). Landy, M. 1991. British Genres: Cinema and Society, 1930-1960. Princeton University Press Low, R. 1985. Film Making in 1930s Britain.London: George, Allen and Unwin Rotha, Paul. 1973. Documentary diary; an informal history of the British docum entary film, 1928-1939, New York: Hill and Wang Swann, Paul. 2003. The British Documentary Film Movement, 1926-1946. Cambridge University Press Manvell, R. ‘The British Feature Film from 1925 to 1945’, in Twenty Years of British Film 1925–1945, eds M. Balcon, E. Lindgren, F. Hardy and R. Manvell (London, The Falcon Press, 1947), p. 85. Murphy, Robert. 2000. British Cinema and the Second World War. London: Continuum Murphy, R; Ed. 1996. Sixties British Cinema. London: BFIOrwell, G. â€Å"England, Your England† (1941), in A Collection of Essays (New York: Doubleday, 1954). Perry, G. 1988. The Great British Picture Show. Little Brown, 1988. Porter, V. â€Å"The Context of Creativity: Ealing Studios and Hammer,† in British Cinema History, eds. , James Curran and Vincent Porter (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1983). Powell, Pressburger and Others (British Film Institute, 1978). Shaw, T. 2001. British Cinema and the Cold War. London: I. B. Tauris Willi ams, T. various lectures, The Survey of Film History, fall semester, 1991, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Art Deco

Art Deco BY grandparents ‘Art Deco' was an art movement that flourished through the sass's and sass's. The decade opened up an extensive variety of original and distinctive styles and still remains to be the foundation of ‘an era so rich and so remote that at times it seems to belong to the unfathomable domain of dreams (Coated, n. D). ‘ Art Deco was a necessity at the time, due to the economic crisis and war. Society needed pop color and creative, eccentric designs to brighten up the dull life they were living. People deed to Escape reality and drown in a world completely unlike their own.Freethinking and creativeness was embraced, not frowned upon. It was revolutionary, the start of something new. The Art Deco movement was a time marked by Fashion Illustrator Paul Ripe as he revived the fashion plate in a modernist style, in order to produce a streamlined natural yet fashionable silhouette. A designer so great, utilizing simplicity as well as developing the aesthe tics of modernism, in order to rename himself in the elite and exclusive world of art. It is exemplified that this erred has helped develop and shape art in general, through merging naturalism and realism as one. Antonio Lopez Garcia' is not only acknowledged as one of the most revered contemporary artists to the Spanish, but to the world. The extreme sense of realism or his so-called hyper realistic illustrations convey his visual sensitivity to the elements of color, space and light. Lopez Garlic's style may be deemed as inquisitive and surreal although highlights irony through the way in which he uses his illustrations to capture the commonplace spaces that instill life in is eyes, to enable the tranquility that allows for the encroachments of everyday life (Lopez Garcia & Serially, 2010). Paul Ripe acknowledged artist, Journalist, fashion illustrator and designer deemed as a pioneer of the Art Deco movement. It was through his originality he was able to gain an international rep utation, which was through designing the layout El Robes De Paul Poorer in 1908. Director and producer Cecil B. Domicile brought Ripe to Hollywood in 1920, where he was a well-recognized designer of fabrics, wallpaper, furniture and several costume designs of Demise's dramas.Ripe was recognized for his clean graphic line, Jeweled-tone palette and his ability to produce exotic silhouettes through the main utilization of line, giving it a sense of naturalism. His designs portrayed naturalistic yet modernistic fashion illustration figures, which enjoyed life in relaxed arrangements. Thus represented elegance, functionality, glamour and modernity. Lopez Garcia, a well-known artist of this present day explores the classical themes of still life, landscape and figure; this was done through the depth insight of his immediate ambiance.Furthermore this ‘created a faithful representation of his simple motifs (Boston Museum, 2008). Lopez Garlic's work comprises of particular combinations of illustrations of backdrops and people, while many of his illustrations resulted in a mysterious yet pragmatic composition. Lopez Garcia deciphered his personal view into ‘poetic canvases, drawings, and sculpture (Boston Museum, 2008). ‘ He is accredited for his astonishing patience which allowed him to create authentic masterpieces, ‘Lopper's work is its timelessness; he is an old master in the contemporary world (Brutal, 2008).Lopez Garlic's relationship with Madrid developed through the extensive periods of observation he put in, in order to complete his work, this resulted in repeatedly visiting the chosen landscapes whether it was days or years. This exemplified his passion and determination for producing precocious works of fine art. The exquisiteness of Lopez Garlic's work begins with the appreciation he has for his personal technique. He believed that every ‘artist [should] work out for [themselves] what technique [they] need for [their] work (Lope z Garcia, 2009).He is perceived as a Versatile realist', who is proficient in the media's of oil painting on board, carved wood sculpture, charcoal, pencil drawing or water colors, pen, ink, Polaroid film and bas relief in plaster. The watercolors seen in an array of Lopez Garlic's work insinuates the transparency and how it allows the light to reflect from the direct surface of the paper, giving it that incandescent look. He uses stick of charcoal or thin pastel to blend and soften his original drawing strokes; this helps furnish his work a bona fide touch.The world comes to life with he stunning pragmatism of Antonio Lopez Garcia, through his depiction of buildings, plants and ‘cluttered interiors (Kaufman, 2009). ‘ His meticulousness can be insinuated as quite invigorating, in which he paints the commonplace with its lingering beauty as it ‘pervades [the simplicity in] life (Kaufman, 2009). ‘LÂ ¶peg Garcia illustrates every aspect and every angle depictin g ‘stains, grime and shadows with a verisimilitude that goes beyond bibliographic realism toward an absolute faith (Daily News, 2010). He is recognized as one of Spain's most revered artists, where his heartsickness of his work, were deemed as the translation of the everyday. You could say Lopez Garcia was an observer, as he painted with an astonished precision of a man perceiving the world for the very first time. He captured the visual and ‘his extraordinary deftness prolongs our attention to these quotidian prospects, disrupting our perceptual complacency and directing us to reexamine forms, often leading us to experience their beauty (Kaufman, 2009). You work until the whole surface has an expressive intensity equivalent to what you eve before you, converted into a pictorial reality (Lopez, n. D). Lopez Garlic's depictions enable him to stand out from other illustrators, as he understands the use of regular proportion in which he uses to pinpoint certain emotions fro m an individual. The proportion he seems to master can be linked with harmony as his art creates specific feelings through the color, lighting and space he uses.The composition combines those elements of color and space to give simplicity to his work. Lopez Garcia is deemed to form composition in methods he uses to create a ensue of delusion, through the ‘planes of color from a monochromatic and subdued palette, a precursor to minimalist aesthetics (Boston Museum, 2008). ‘ ‘He has an uncanny ability to understand light and translate it into color (Brutal, 2009). The techniques which helped Lopez Garcia in producing astounding work, and assisted him with the proportions of creating precise form [and] space and measuring distance between angles was simply ‘a ruler to his cheekbone, and the other end with his hand also holding a compass upright (FAA News, 2009). ‘ To comprehend the effect f light as it touches an object or landscape, he limited his time pa inting in the same spot at the exact time each day, so that he could adapt his work to the weather, which was done without the use of photographs or camera's, giving it a sense of naturalism.The composition of his work can be associated with unity in the way in which it gives his works wholeness, giving his piece the realistic perfection he intended. Subsequently Lopez Garlic's main technique to perfection ‘at a length, is patience, eyes wide open (FAA News, 2009). ‘ In stark contrast to Garcia, Paul Ribbed technique offered as his key method of design was by utilizing the biochip technique in which colors were brushed onto paper through thin copper or even zinc and were cut out stencils were an important boost for the art of fashion illustration.Ripe used this to depict the fashion at the time. Ribbed technique was based on simplicity with the use of simple lines creating flat, broad and abstract expanses of brighter colors in order to capture the Empire dresses, which gave him his creditability and name as a designer. Ribbed designs can be executed as simple yet sophisticated. The way in which he plays with contrast and color and captures the essence of a women's beauty through the simplicity of lines Work brilliantly together. Although Antonio Lopez Garcia and Paul ‘ribbed remain to be designers in stark contrast, you can consider the following designs and they ways in which both the artists translates the fashion realm into something a little less ordinary. The perception of realism is dependent on the time, exemplified through the Art Deco movement simplicity was as real as it got, however because times are changing, so is he art, which is why Antonio Lopez Garcia was able to modernize and evolve through his art.Both their styles remain as limitless and crafts of perfection. The aura of not only fashion is evident through Ribbed art, but life in the self-portraits of Garlic's. Fashion and Life were seen as an art form and both their illu strations capture the idea of what their idea is on life/fashion. ‘For there is beauty in placement and detail as well as skill in the application of color in all the elements of a work of art as there is in fashion. ‘