Direct Marketing Essay Example for Free

Direct Marketing Essay Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits organizations to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques that can include Cell Phone Text messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional letters, and outdoor advertising. Direct marketing messages emphasize a focus on the customer, data, and accountability. Characteristics that distinguish direct marketing are: 1. Marketing messages are addressed directly to the customer and/or customers. Direct marketing relies on being able to address the members of a target market. Addressability comes in a variety of forms including email addresses, mobile phone numbers, Web browser cookies, fax numbers and postal addresses. 2. Direct marketing seeks to drive a specific call to action. For example, an advertisement may ask the prospect to call a freephone number or click on a link to a website. 3. Direct marketing emphasizes trackable, measurable responses from customers — regardless of medium. Direct marketing is practiced by businesses of all sizes — from the smallest start-up to the leaders on the Fortune 500. A well-executed direct advertising campaign can prove a positive return on investment by showing how many potential customers responded to a clear call-to-action. General advertising eschews calls-for-action in favor of messages that try to build prospects’ emotional awareness or engagement with a brand. Even well-designed general advertisements rarely can prove their impact on the organization’s bottom line. A recent study by the Direct Marketing Association reports that in 2010, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $153.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.2% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.798 trillion in incremental sales. In 2010, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2010, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.8 million US jobs. Direct marketing is attractive to many marketers because its positive results can be measured directly. For example, if a marketer sends out 1,000 solicitations by mail and 100 respond to the promotion, the marketer can say with confidence that campaign led directly to 10% direct responses. This metric is known as the response rate, and it is one of many clearly quantifiable success metrics employed by direct marketers. In contrast, general advertising uses indirect measurements, such as awareness or engagement, since there is no direct response from a consumer. Measurement of results is a fundamental element in successful direct marketing. The Internet has made it easier for marketing managers to measure the results of a campaign. This is often achieved by using a specific website landing page directly relating to the promotional material. A call to action will ask the customer to visit the landing page, and the effectiveness of the campaign can be measured by taking the number of promotional messages distributed (e.g., 1,000) and dividing it by the number of responses (people visiting the unique website page). Another way to measure the results is to compare the projected sales or generated leads for a given term with the actual sales or leads after a direct advertising campaign. While many marketers recognize the financial benefits of increasing targeted awareness, some direct marketing efforts using particular media have been criticized for generating poor quality leads, either due to poor message strategy or because of poorly compiled demographic databases. This poses a problem for marketers and consumers alike, as advertisers do not wish to waste money on communicating with consumers not interested in their products. Some of these concerns have been addressed by direct marketers by the use of individual opt-out lists, variable printing, and better-targeted list practices. Additionally, in order to avoid unwanted mailings, members of the marketing industry have established preference services that give customers more control over the marketing communications they receive in the mail. The term junk mail, referring to unsolicited commercial ads delivered via post office or directly deposited in consumers mail boxes, can be traced back to 1954. The term spam, meaning unsolicited commercial e-mail, can be traced back to March 31, 1993, although in its first few months it merely referred to inadvertently posting a message so many times on UseNet that the repetitions effectively drowned out the normal flow of conversation. To address the concerns of unwanted emails or spam, in 2003, The US Congress enacted the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act to curb unwanted email messages. Can-Spam gives recipients the ability to stop unwanted emails, and set out tough penalties for violations. Additionally, ISPs and email service providers have developed increasingly effective Email Filtering programs. These filters can interfere with the delivery of email marketing campaigns, even if the person has subscribed to receive them, as legitimate email marketing can possess the same hallmarks as spam. There are a range of email service providers that provide services for legitimate opt-in emailers to avoid being classified as spam. Consumers have expressed concerns about the privacy and environmental implications of direct marketing. In response to consumer demand and increasing business pressure to increase the effectiveness of reaching the right customer with direct marketing, companies specialize in targeted direct advertising to great effect, reducing advertising budget waste and increasing the effectiveness of delivering a marketing message with better geo-demography information, delivering the advertising message to only the customers interested in the product, service, or event on offer. Additionally, members of the advertising industry have been working to adopt stricter codes regarding online targeted advertising. Any medium that can be used to deliver a communication to a customer can be employed in direct marketing, including: Email Marketing Sending marketing messages through email or Emailmarketing is one of the most widely used direct-marketing methods. One reason for email marketings popularity is that it is relatively inexpensive to design, test, and send an email message. It also allows marketers to deliver messages around the clock, and to accurately measure responses. Online Tools With the expansion of digital technology and tools, direct marketing is increasingly taking place through online channels. Most online advertising is delivered to a focused group of customers and has a trackable response. * Display Ads are interactive ads that appear on the Web next to content on Web pages or Web services. Formats include static banners, pop ups, videos, and floating units. Customers can click on the ad to respond directly to the message or to find more detailed information. According to research by eMarketer, expenditures on online display ads rose 24.5% between 2010 and 2011. * Search: 49% of US spending on Internet ads goes to search, in which advertisers pay for prominent placement among listings in search engines whenever a potential customer enters a relevant search term, allowing ads to be delivered to customers based upon their already-indicated search criteria.This paid placement industry generates more than $10 billion dollars for search companies. Marketers also use search engine optimization to drive traffic to their sites. * Social Media Sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, also provide opportunities for direct marketers to communicate directly with customers by creating content to which customers can respond. Mobile Through mobile marketing, marketers engage with prospective customers and donors in an interactive manner through a mobile device or network, such as a cellphone, smartphone, or tablet. Types of mobile marketing messages include: SMS: (short message service) — marketing communications are sent in the form of text messages, also known as texting. MMS: (multi-media message service) — These messages use elements such as images, video, and audio; Mobile Applications: Smartphone-based mobile apps contain several types of messages. Push Notifications are direct messages sent to a user either automatically or as part of a campaign. They include transactional, marketing, geo-based, and more. Rich Push Notifications are full HTML Push Notifications. Mobile apps also contain Interactive ads that appear inside the mobile application or app; Location-Based Marketing: marketing messages delivered directly to a mobile device based on the users location; QR Codes (quick-response barcodes): This is a type of 2D barcode with an encoded link that can be accessed from a smartphone. This technology is increasingly being used for everything from special offers to product information. Mobile Banner Ads: Like standard banner ads for desktop Web pages but smaller to fit on mobile screens and run on the mobile content network Direct Mail The term direct mail is used to refer to communications sent to potential customers or donors via the postal service and other delivery services. Direct mail is sent to customers based on criteria such as age, income, location, profession, buying pattern, etc. Direct mail includes advertising circulars, catalogs, free-trial CDs, pre-approved credit card applications, and other unsolicited merchandising invitations delivered by mail to homes and businesses. Bulk mailings are a particularly popular method of promotion for businesses operating in the financial services, home computer, and travel and tourism industries. In many developed countries, direct mail represents such a significant amount of the total volume of mail that special rate classes have been established. In the United States and United Kingdom, for example, there are bulk mail rates that enable marketers to send mail at rates that are substantially lower than regular first-class rates. In order to qualify for these rates, marketers must format and sort the mail in particular ways – which reduces the handling (and therefore costs) required by the postal service. In the US, marketers send over 90 billion pieces of direct mail per year. Advertisers often refine direct mail practices into targeted mailing, in which mail is sent out following database analysis to select recipients considered most likely to respond positively. For example, a person who has demonstrated an interest in golf may receive direct mail for golf-related products or perhaps for goods and services that are appropriate for golfers. This use of database analysis is a type of database marketing. The United States Postal Service calls this form of mail advertising mail (admail for short). Telemarketing Another common form of direct marketing is telemarketing, in which marketers contact customers by phone. The primary benefit to businesses is increased lead generation, which helps businesses increase sales volume and customer base. The most successful telemarketing service providers focus on generating more qualified leads that have a higher probability of getting converted into actual sales. The National Do Not Call Registry was created in 2003 to offer consumers a choice whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. The FTC created the National Do Not Call Registry after a comprehensive review of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). The do-not-call provisions of the TSR cover any plan, program, or campaign to sell goods or services through interstate phone calls. The provisions do not cover calls from political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, or companies with which a customer has an existing business relationship. Canada has its own National Do Not Call List (DNCL). In other countries it is voluntary, such as the New Zealand Name Removal Service. Voicemail Marketing Voicemail marketing emerged out of the market prevalence of personal voice mailboxes, and business voicemail systems. Voicemail marketing presented a cost effective means by which to reach people directly, by voice. Abuse of consumer marketing applications of voicemail marketing resulted in an abundance of voice-spam, and prompted many jurisdictions to pass laws regulating consumer voicemail marketing. More recently, businesses have utilized guided voicemail (an application where pre-recorded voicemails are guided by live callers) to accomplish personalized business-to-business marketing formerly reserved for telemarketing. Because guided voicemail is used to contact only businesses, it is exempt from Do Not Call regulations in place for other forms of voicemail marketing. Voicemail courier is a similar form of voicemail marketing with both business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications. Broadcast Faxing Broadcast faxing, in which faxes are sent to multiple recipients, is now less common than in the past. This is partly due to laws in the United States and elsewhere which regulate its use for consumer marketing. In 2005, President Bush signed into law S. 714, the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (JFPA), which allows marketers to send commercial faxes to those with whom they have an established business relationship (EBR), but imposes some new requirements. These requirements include providing an opt-out notice on the first page of faxes and establishing a system to accept opt-outs at any time of the day. Fax senders must begin complying with these new requirements, which are described in this fact sheet. Roughly 2% of direct marketers use fax, mostly for business-to-business marketing campaigns.[16] Also, due to the popularity of a variety of digital communication methods, the overall use of faxes is less than in the past. Couponing Couponing is used in print and digital media to elicit a response from the reader. An example is a coupon which the reader receives through the mail and takes to a stores check-out counter to receive a discount. Digital Coupons: Manufacturers and retailers make coupons available online for electronic orders that can be downloaded and printed. Digital coupons are available on company websites, social media outlets, texts, and email alerts. There are an increasing number of mobile phone applications offering digital coupons for direct use. Daily Deal Sites offer local and online deals each day, and are becoming increasingly popular. Customers sign up to receive notice of discounts and offers, which are sent daily by email. Purchases are often made using a special coupon code or promotional code. The largest of these sites, Groupon, has over 83 million subscribers. Direct Response TV Direct marketing via television (commonly referred to as DRTV) has two basic forms: long form (usually half-hour or hour-long segments that explain a product in detail and are commonly referred to as infomercials) and short form, which refers to typical 30-second or 60-second commercials that ask viewers for an immediate response (typically to call a phone number on screen or go to a website). TV-response marketing — i.e. infomercials — can be considered a form of direct marketing, since responses are in the form of calls to telephone numbers given on-air. This allows marketers to reasonably conclude that the calls are due to a particular campaign, and enables them to obtain customers phone numbers as targets for telemarketing. One of the most famous DRTV commercials was for Ginsu Knives by Ginsu Products, Inc. of RI. Several aspects of ad, such as its use of adding items to the offer and the guarantee of satisfaction were much copied, and came to be considered part of the formula for success with short-form direct-response TV ads (DRTV) Direct Response Radio In direct response radio, ads contain a call to action with a specific tracking mechanism. Often, this tracking mechanism is a call now prompt with a toll-free phone number or a unique Web URL. Results of the ad can be tracked in terms of calls, orders, customers, leads, sales, revenue, and profits that result from the airing of those ads. Insert Media Another form of direct marketing, insert media are marketing materials that are inserted into other communications, such as a catalog, newspaper, magazine, package, or bill. Coop or shared mail, where marketing offers from several companies are delivered via a single envelope, is also considered insert media. Out-of-Home Out of home direct marketing refers to a wide array of media designed to reach the consumer outside the home, including transit, bus shelters, bus benches, aerials, airports, in-flight, in-store, movies, college campus/high schools, hotels, shopping malls, sport facilities, stadiums, taxis — that contain a call-to-action for the customer to respond. Direct Response Magazines and Newspapers Magazine and newspaper ads often include a direct response call-to-action, such as a toll-free number, a coupon redeemable at a brick-and-mortar store, or a QR code that can be scanned by a mobile device — these methods are all forms of direct marketing, because they elicit a direct and measurable action from the customer. Direct Selling Direct selling is the sale of products by face-to-face contact with the customer, either by having salespeople approach potential customers in person, or through indirect means such as Tupperware parties. Grassroots/Community Marketing The door-to-door distribution of flyers and leaflets within a local community is a business-to-consumer form of direct marketing used extensively by restaurants, fast food companies, and many other business focusing on a local catchment. Similar to direct mail marketing, this method is targeted purely by area and community, and costs a fraction of the amount of a mailshot, since it is not necessary to purchase stamps, envelopes, or address lists with the names of home occupants.

Analysing Film Adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth

Analysing Film Adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth In Roger Manvells Book Peter Hall is quoted as saying â€Å"Shakespeare is no screen writer. He is a verbal dramatist, relying on the associative and metaphorical power of words†¦Even his stage action is verbalised†¦ This is bad screen writing. A good film script relies on contrasting verbal images. What is spoken is of secondary importance.† (Manvell, 1971, p.125) It is certainly true that screenwriting and playwriting are two very separate arts, as is the discipline of acting in the two arenas. A screen actor has the advantage of the camera being able to pick out subtle facial expressions and body movements that will illustrate the characters emotion without the need for dialogue. A stage player must project his or her voice across the expanse of a theatre and cannot rely on the audience members at the back of a theatre being able to witness all the subtleties of their body movement. As such much more needs to be spoken. On the screen expositionary dialogue is redundant and detrimental to the narrative drive. However Shakespeare infuses all his dialogue with rich textual imagery and double meanings. In translating this to the screen some of it is unavoidably lost. This essay will explore the aforementioned contention with reference to three adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth. It aims to show that although it is very difficult to adapt Shakespeares poetry faithfully it is not impossible. The version of principle discussion will be the 1948 version that was directed by and starred Orson Welles, as well as the 1971 Roman Polanski directed version starring Jon Finch and the 1957 Japanese retelling by Akira Kurosawa, Kumonosu jà ´ (Throne Of Blood.) The opening scene of Macbeth is extremely short yet extremely effective in establishing an atmosphere of mystery and the imagery of light and dark as an analogy of good and evil that runs throughout the course of the play. It opens to the sound of thunder and lighting. The turbulent and dark nature of the weather serves as an apt environment for the turbulent and dark events that unfold and effectively serving to set the tone of the play and the imagery of stormy weather that is used as pathetic falla cy throughout the play. The witches mention a battle and Macbeth but their involvement in these maters is not clear; but what is clear is the atmosphere of mystery that is established. They converse in verse with rhyming couplets and all chant the same couplet at the end of the scene as if they were casting a spell. Fair is foul and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air. (Act I Scene I) The internal rhyme and inversion of values of good and bad warns the audience that something is amiss and is echoed in Macbeths opening line of the play, So foul and fair a day I have not seen (Act I Scene III) The verbal resonance of this line associates Macbeth with the will of the witches and foreshadows his entanglement with the forces of diabolism. The filmic versions of the play also stem their predominant imagery from this opening scene. The opening scene of Welles Macbeth shows the three Witches standing on the edge of a tall jagged rock face. The barren landscape is dark and shadowy and mist swirls in the dark night sky. The production design is minimalist and actually resembles a theatre set rather than a filmic one. It recalls the visual style of German expressionism, which has a tradition within the horror genre. This design continues throughout the film. The lighting and the black and white photography have been composed to cast eerie shadows over the sets and faces of the players, perfectly visualizing the light and dark imagery in Shakespeares text. The film actually opens with lines from Act IV Scene I. Double, double toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble. The film then cuts to a close shot of the cauldron mouth as the witches mix a potion and continue to chant Shakespeares words as if casting a spell. From the cauldron a clay doll is formed and as it is fully formed the word Macbeth is spoken as the films title appears on the screen. Although tonally much of what Shakespeare had written is retained within the visual style of the film, in this version of the scene the emphasis on the witches is changed from agents of diabolism to enforcers of it. Lady Macbeths soliloquy of Act I Scene V bares none of the visual flair that Welles opening scene does. To momentarily go back to the source material this is the scene where she has just been informed in a letter from her husband about the fulfilment of the witches first prophecy. Her immediate concern is that her husband does not have the necessary character to murder Duncan for the crown. I fear thy nature, It is too full of the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way (Act I Scene V) Her conceit is interesting as it is clear in the play that Macbeth struggles a little with his conscience he is quite easily persuaded to commit murder. She also calls to the spirits to Come to my womans breasts, and take my milk for gall. (Act I scene V) The inference here is that she wants to replace Macbeths milk of human kindness with her own diabolically polluted milk. She allys herself with the forces of evil in order to give her the strength of purpose to kill Duncan. Her words are about her adopting evil into her own nature and becoming one with the malevolent forces. †¦Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty†¦ †¦Come thick night And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell. (Act I Scene V) The line from to the crown to the toe is at once a statement that she wishes to become engulfed with evil and a reference to the royal crown. The soliloquy also includes the images of dark ness associated with evil. The words unsex me here recall Banquos comments on the ambiguous sexuality of the three witches. You should be women Yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so. (Act I Scene III) In the play the scene establishes Lady Macbeths ambition for her husband as another factor in his downfall by associating her with imagery of diabolism. The majority of the scene in Welles film is played out in a medium shot of Lady Macbeth in a bare bedchamber whilst the soliloquy is delivered in voice over. Jeanette Nolans deliver of the lines is extremely theatrical in tone and the back drop is unusually expressionless. The scene looks and plays as if it has been recorded at a theatre performance As such the scene is visually static and the power of Shakespeares words carry the scene as opposed to any cinematic elements. Polanski dilutes the immediacy of Lady Macbeths turn to evil by having her deliver the first part of the soliloquy before Macbeths return to the castle and then the second part, where she calls upon evil spirits, after Malcolm is named successor and it is clear that murder is the only way for Macbeth to ascend the throne. Although this changes emphasis, like Nolan s performance Francesca Annis delivers the soliloquy in voice over and a theatrical tone. Whilst Shakespeares words and imagery are retained there is nothing cinematic about the scene itself Act I Scene VII suggests that Lady Macbeth was right about her husbands willingness to perform the act of murder. In a soliloquy Macbeth talks himself out of the deed; he reasons to himself that it is evil and that he does not have the necessary character. †¦I have No spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itself. (Act 1 Scene 7) Macbeth effectively talks himself out of the deed by considering the ramifications of killing Duncan. He employs imagery of heaven to illustrate Duncans virtue and the legitimate claim to the throne. ,Or heavens cherubin horsd Upon the slightest couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye That tears shall blow down the wind. (Act I scene VII) In Welles film this same speech in the film is relocated to a religious ceremony that precedes the battle. Orson Welless creation Holy Father reads through a post battle service. In the background there are men holding huge Celtic crosses. This symbol of early Christianity illustrates an uneasy balance between Christian ethics and pagan mysticism. Again the expressionist set retains the constant presence of the forces of evil; the religious context of the scene emphasizes the conflict with the diabolical influence. We are allowed inside Macbeths mind as he rationalizes what he is planning on doing and the evil nature of it, but the I have no spur passage has been omitted. The scene plays out in a close shot of Macbeths face which remains resolute. There is no suggestion of a moral struggle in Welles delivery, merely an acknowledgement of the immorality of his intentions. However on the Heaven cherubin horsd line there is a cut to a wider shot of Duncans subjects genuflecting before him. This reinforces the notion of Duncan as the model ideal for king. The Polanski version of the scene is fantastically captured on screen. Once again we hear Macbeths thoughts in voice over, this time in the full original text. The scene starts with a close shot of Macbeths pensive face, then tracks backwards to reveal the festivity and frivolity of all the others at the feast. This reiterates Macbeths position as Duncans kinsman and host, whilst placing Duncan within the context of a happy and prosperous kingdom. On delivery of the line weld jump the life to come, there is a roll of thunder and the curtains are violently blown into the hall disrupting the festivities as if to disturb Macbeths train of thought. This scene at once retains Shakespeares poetry and accompanies it visually in cinematic terms. The final soliloquy of the play comes in Act V Scene V after Macbeths learning of his wifes demise. In is a dramatic pause before the arrival of Birnam wood to Dunsinane to allow Macbeth to mourn for his dead wife and contemplate his actions. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; (Act V Scene V) The repetition of the word tomorrow gives verbal resonance to a sense of inevitability of Macbeths death and the inevitability of death as a universal truth. The word creep also has connotations of the subterfuge of malignant forces. Macbeth sees that he is backed into a corner and that his plans have been his own undoing . Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Act V Scene V) The walking shadow that Macbeth speaks of hear exists between light and dark and is also an intangible and temporary thing. The reference to acting suggests that Macbeth feels as if he has been directed by some unknowable source, and the words sound a fury recall the lightning storm that heralded the arrival of the witches. This soliloquy is rich and full with imagery and perfectly captures the mind of a man whose purpose has left him. After this point in the play all Macbeth has is an instinct of self-preservation. In Welles film the scene is at once strikingly visual and completely verbal. Although the two sets of imagery do not properly resonate. A close up of Macbeths face is cross faded with an image of swirling mist as the soliloquy is started then delivered in full by Orson Welles in voice over. The association between Macbeths face and the fade places the viewer firmly within Macbeths mind and indicates that we are privy to his innermost thoughts. The fact that there is very little to look at gives added gravitas to Macbeths words and makes the viewer reflect upon them more. The imagery evokes a sense of inner-turmoil that reflects the mind of a man who has been corrupted by power and stricken with grief. However it evokes other thematic and narrative elements such as a sense of mystery that recalls the witches, a sense of foreshadowing that herald on the stage. In this scene the verbal essence of the play is completely retained by the visuals of the film. The end of the play restores a natural order to the kingdom of Scotland. Malcolm ascends to his rightful place on the throne. He is given a rhetorical speech in rhyming verse which serves as epilogue to the play. And what needful else That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace, We will perform in measure time and place: (Act V Scene VII) Unlike the opening scene were rhyming couplets were used to mimic the casting of spells, in this speech the rhymed words produce a comforting and familiar sound. The phrase measure time and place suggests that the rightful order has been restored and reference to Grace alluding to the grace of god tells us that the forces of evil are no longer at work. The ending of Welles film does not include Malcolms speech. As Macduff holds Macbeths head aloft and proclaims Malcolm king the rest of Malcolms subjects join in and repeat the cry of â€Å"Hail king Malcolm† this continues as the subjects hold aloft burning torches that visually symbolise the light returning to a darkened kingdom. There is then a cut to a wide shot of the castle no longer enshrined in darkness but in the pale morning light. However Welles undercuts any sense of the restoration of order by placing the three witches silhouetted in the middle ground of the shot. Polanskis film goes even further as we see Donalblain seeking out the witches council. He is presumably the next heir until Malcolm has a son and the suggestion is that he too will consult the powers of evil to aide his own bloody ascension. As discussed earlier in the essay, these films place much more emphasis on the external factors that exert their influence over Macbeth. The play itself is more concerned with one mans decision to succumb to evil whilst the films of Orson Welles and Roman Polanski suggest that the force of the witches will is insurmountable. What is clear from the Polanski and Welles versions of the Play is that although both films manage to translate certain passages from the play and retain the verbal essence they are not entirely successful. However they are interpretations of the play as well as adaptations emphasis on theme and narrative has been shifted. By far the most satisfying film version of Macbeth is Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood. However this version has been relocated to feudal Japan and falls within the context of a different cultural setting. Kurosawa has done the best possible job in translating the text into a foreign context whilst retaining the essential essence of the source material. There is an attempt to retain a sense of the poetic within the dialogue. Kurosawa approximates Shakespearian dialogue with a Japanese equivalent of Noh. At certain key moments of the film the dialogue slips into Noh verse such as the end of the film when a chorus is summarising the story of Washizu (The Macbeth Character.) Lived a proud warrior Murdered by ambition His spirit walking still. Still his spirit walks, his fame is known, For what once was is now yet true Murderous ambition will pursue†¦ This technique is used sparingly throughout the film so as not to seem forced or alienate contemporary audience, but what it does do is infuse the film with Japanese storytelling tradition and give the film an added quality of timelessness. Throne of Blood can also be considered as retaining the best qualities of Welless Macbeth in terms of its expressive production design. Kurosawa has spoken of the use of wide interiors with low ceilings and squat pillars to enclose the interior space and visualise a sense of oppression. This symbolises the forces out of Washizus control that are compelling him along his murderous and treacherous path. The exterior world of the forest is also expressionistic; the tangled treacherous forest is an inhospitable place where the witch and the hostile forces of nature conspire against the will of man. It also reaches out towards Washizus castle that has been made from the resources of the forest and is itself part of the forces of nature. Again the visua l style has been interpreted in such a way to try to capture the essence of the tone of the source material. Like Polanski and Welles, Kurowsawa has interpreted and adapt the play as he saw fit. The significant changes to setting and cultural changes mean that Throne of Blood has been scrutinised, studied and approached as a film in its own right and discussed in its own terms without the direct comparison to Shakespeares exact words. As mentioned at the outset of the essay the arts of screen and play writing are very different and that which has been written for the stage does not necessarily translate to the screen. Critics argue rightly that Shakespeares poetry has been in places mutilated to bring the plays to the screen. However as this essay illustrates; certain passages have been successfully translated into cinematic terms retaining the imagery and the poetry of original play. To say that the verbal essence of a Shakespeare play is essentially non-cinematic is untrue. To say that it is extremely difficult to translate into cinematic terms is entirely fair. Bibliography Anderegg, M.A. Orson Welles, Shakespeare and Popular Culture (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.) Bazin, A. Orson Welles (London: Elm Tree Books, 1978) Davies, a Filming Shakespeares Plays: The Adaptations of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook and Akira Kurosawa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988). Davies, A. Wells, S. (Eds) â€Å"Shakespeare and the Moving Image: The plays on Film and Television† (London: Cambridge University Press, 1994.) Jackson, R. (Ed) â€Å"The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film† (London: Cambridge University Press. 2000) Manvell, R. Theater and Film: A Comparative Study of Two Forms of Dramatic Art (Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979.) Manvell, R. Shakespeare and the Film (London: Dent, 1971) McBride, J. Orson Welles (London: BFI, 1972) Films Kumonosu jà ´ (Dir Akira Kurosawa, 1957 Japan) Macbeth (Dir Orson Welles, 1948, US) Tragedy of Macbeth, The (Dir Roman Polanski, 1971, US/UK)

A Shropshire Lad Essay -- essays research papers fc

Shropshire: A Place of Imagined Sexual Contentment Published in 1869, A.E. Housman’s A Shropshire Lad stands as one of the most socially acclaimed collections of English poetry from the Victorian age. This period in British history, however, proves, by judiciary focus (the Criminal Law Amendment of 1885), to be conflictive with Housman’s own internal conflicts concerning the homoerotic tendencies which he discovered in his admiration of fellow Oxford student Moses Jackson. Housman, much unlike other English literary figures such as Oscar Wilde and Thomas hardy, was not an artist who found it necessary to directly confront Britain with any political dissention imposed by is works. Instead, "for Housman the discovery of self was so disturbing and disconcerting that poetry came as a way of disclosing it" (Bayley 44). The county of Shropshire is central to much of his poetry, but it is employed merely as "a personification of the writer’s memories, dreams and affections;" meanwhile, Housmanâ€℠¢s central character is one "who could at once be himself and not himself" (Scott-Kilvert 26). In what Housman himself regarded to be one of his best poems, "XXVII: Is my team ploughing," the focus is placed upon a conversation between a dead man and one of his friends from his previous life (Housman 18). "XXII: The street sounds to the soldiers’ tread;" meanwhile, expresses an emotional wonder discovered in the eyes of a passing soldier (Housman 15). Both the ambiguous quality of the dead man’s last question (18 ll. 25-26) in poem XXVII and the nature of the chance encounter in XXII stand to exemplify the subtle undercurrent of Housman’s own enigmatic sexuality. "Is my team ploughing" is in the form of "the primitive ballad metres, which Housman revived," and primarily "employed for a poetry not of action but of introspection" (Scott-Kilvert 25). The piece begins by the dead man’s questioning of such trivialities as his "team" (l. 1) that he "used to drive" (l. 2), and "football" (l. 9) being played "Along the river shore" (l. 10). The other speaker responds to the dead man’s questions with a partially abrasive tone as can be interpreted by lines 7-8 in which ... ...t some fickleness therein. It must be said in conclusion if these works do in fact mirror the "thoughts at heart" within Housman, that his sexuality combined with his philosophy of love culminate in an intensely masochistic lifestyle. Such is reflected by the guilt that is obviously associated by the speaker of "Is my team ploughing" deciding to take his dead friend’s sweetheart. In poem XXII the speaker relays the contentment which he finds in the mutual emotions of love between he and the redcoat, but at the same time XXVII relays the frustrations ultimately found in being alone. To invest such emotional intensity only to knowingly find unrequited perspectives manifests itself as personified hope in both poems of which speak of experiences of intimate gratification and internal content. Works Cited Bayley, John. Housman’s Poems. Clarendon’s Press, Oxford. 1992. Hoagwood, Terrence Allen. A.E Housman Revisited. Twayne Publishers, N.Y. 1995. Housman, A.E. A Shropshire Lad. Ed. Stanley Appelbaum. General Publishing Co., Ltd., Toronto. 1990. Scott-Kilvert, Ian. A.E. Housman: Writers and Their Work No. 69. Longmans, Green and Co., London. 1965.

The Voice of Billie Holiday Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Paper

The Voice of Billie Holiday      Ã‚  Ã‚   A woman stands before you, and although she isn't a politician, she expresses her moving thoughts on issues that affect all Americans. Her voice isn't harsh or demanding in tone. Her stature is slender and traced in a shimmer of light that reflects from her dress. A southern magnolia is lying comfortably above her ear. She sings. She sings of incomprehension, of hate, and of a race's pain. She sings low and confused. She sings as "Our Lady of Sorrow"(Davis 1), a representation of a whole people torn and discriminated against.   And though her speech is not spoken, she moves a crowd, one that gathers into many. Billie Holiday comes to prove that one woman's voice, singing one song, that calls awareness to one issue of society, can change the world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Music has come to shape our views of society, love, race, and creed. We can all remember a time when a song evoked an emotion. The song seemed to express every feeling within us. The artist sang the words we longed to say, and the music expressed all the things we couldn't speak. At the same time, music can help express the things we don't understand in life, creating a bridge between differences. Music of a different artist can represent the point of view of someone that you don't understand, that looks at you funny, dresses different, speaks oddly, and believes something you don't. Music can express the emotions you feel, and the emotions that someone else feels.. Ray Charles once said, "Thank God for music, it was a salvation"(Keep on Pushing). Music is emotion: whether rage, love, lust, hate or confusion, music teaches us that our views fall within the same staff as the views of those we don't understand. ... ... <www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/08/reviews/980.08davist.html.>. Davis, Francis. "Our Lady of Sorrows." 2000. 9 Nov. 2001. <www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/11/davis.htm>. Ellis, James. "Black Female Jazz Artists and Race and Gender Conscious Protest: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald." 12 Nov 2001. <www.wam.edu/~ellisj/news_femalejazz.htm>. Foley, Jack. David Marolick, Strange Fruit: Billy Holiday, Cafà © Society, and an Early Cry for Civil Rights. The Alsop Review. Running Press. 9 Nov. 2001.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <www.alsopreview.com/foley/jfmargolick.html>. Keep on Pushing: Say it Loud. VH1 Productions, 2001. Margolick, David. "Strange Fruit: A Song that Reverberates in the American Soul." 14 Nov. 2001. <www.qkw.com/racematters/nytarchjb218.htm>.                                 

Early History Of The Pipe Organ :: essays research papers fc

Early History of the Pipe Organ The â€Å"king of instruments† has a long history, one which can arguably be traced to the concept of a collection of â€Å"fixed-pitched pipes blown by a single player (such as the panpipes)† (Randel 583). The first examples of pipe organs with the basic features of today can be traced to the third century B.C.E. in the Greco-Roman arena; it is said to have been invented by Ktesibios of Alexander and contained â€Å"a mechanism to supply air under pressure, a wind-chest to store and distribute it, keys and valves to admit wind to the pipes, and one or more graded sets of fixed-pitch pipes.† (Randel 583) These early organs used water as a means to supply air-pressure, hence the use of the terms hydraulic and hydraulis. Hydraulic organs were in use for several hundred years before the concept of bellows, similar in concept and style to those of a blacksmith, came into use with the organ. Numerous bellows were used to supply air to the wind-chest, often being pumped in pairs by men. The disadvantages of this method of air supply include the lack of consistent pressure, which leads to inconsistent pitch and tuning; also, many people were required to operate the bellows since there were upwards of twenty-four bellows per organ (Hopkins & Rimbault 35). Also, with organs of this size, the bellows took up large amounts of space, thus forcing the organ to be located in a fixed place, such as a church. Up until the eleventh century (approximately), pitch and range of organs were extremely limited, mainly in part to the lack of a any style of keyboard. Keys of a sort were introduced around this time, though not in the manner we are accustomed to. â€Å"The earliest keyboards were sets of levers played by the hands rather than the fingers.† (Randel 428) They looked similar to large rectangles â€Å" an ell long and three inches wide† (Hopkins & Rimbault 33) and were played by pushing on them with a hand, although some were large enough that one might need to step on them. While allowing no real technical dexterity, they were sufficient to play plain-song and chant melodies, particularly with the use of more than one player. As time progressed, the keys became smaller and more numerous until they began to resemble the modern keyboard (except for range) in appearance ca. 1400. While these large early organs were used in limited fashion in churches, many of the organs of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were known as portatives or regals. Portatives were small enough to be carried and played by a single

Synthesis of Aspirin

Abstract: The purpose of this lab is to synthesise acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) by creating a reaction between acetic anhydride and salicylic acid. This was be accomplished through the use of recrystallization. Acetic anhydride and salicylic acid are mixed together, and then acidified by the addition of a few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid, which catalyzed the reaction. The percent yield is calculated to determine the effectiveness of the reaction in preparing the desired product (aspirin).The limiting reactant of the equation was salicylic acid. After the limiting reactant was determined, the theoretical yield of aspirin was calculated at approximately 1.97g. The actual yield was only around 0.67g, producing a percent yield of 34.3%. These results show that the methods used were only partially successful at achieving the goal of the experiment (synthesising aspirin). The findings showed that acetylsalicylic acid can be produced through a reaction between salicylic acid and ac etic anhydride, but that a much lower yield will be produced. A higher yield could surely be achieved if several sources of error were to be eliminated.Introduction: Acetylsalicylic acid is commonly used to alleviate minor aches and pains (Wikipedia, Aspirin, 2013). The active metabolite ingredient in acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is salicylic acid (Wikipedia, Salicylic acid, 2013), which was first discovered by Edward Stone in 1763 (Wikipedia, Aspirin, 2013).Salicylic acid is toxic in large quantities but in small doses can be useful for food preservatives and as an antiseptic. Other than being used in the production of aspirin, acetic anhydride is used to convert cellulose to cellulose acetate, a key component in photographic film and other coated materials (Wikipedia, Acetic anhydride, 2013). Sulfuric acid has many applications, such as pigments, explosives, lubricants, batteries, antifreeze, and detergents. In the synthesis of aspirin, sulfuric acid is also used as a catalyst t o speed up the reaction (Wikipedia, Sulfuric acid, 2013).Limiting reactants are important in chemical reactions because a reaction cannot proceed without all of the reactants. That is to say, a reaction can  only occur until one reactant is used up (Kirk, 2013). Percent yields are related to limiting reactants because the formula to solve for percent yield includes theoretical and actual yield. The theoretical yield is the amount of a product formed when the limiting reactant in completely consumed, and is the maximum amount that can be produced from the amount of reactants used in the reaction. The theoretical yield is rarely obtained because of sources of error, side reactions, or other complications. The percent yield is the actual yield of a product given as a percentage of the theoretical yield (Kirk, 2013).Purpose:How can one prepare aspirin through a reaction between salicylic acid and acetic anhydride?Apparatus:(2) 250 mL beaker 10 mL graduated cylinder Filter paper Funnel support Hot plate 25 mL graduated cylinder 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask Eyedropper pipette Funnel 100 mL beaker Wash bottleMaterials:Boiling chips (calcium carbonate) Acetic anhydride 18M sulfuric acid Ethanol Salicylic acid Distilled water IceMethod: 1. Prepared a water bath by half-filling a 250 mL beaker with water and heating it on a hot plate to until it was near boiling. Placed a few boiling chips in the beaker to prevent bumping if the water began to boil. 2. Weighed out 1.5g of salicylic acid on a piece of filter paper. Recorded the weight on the data sheet. Transferred the salicylic acid to a 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask. 3. Measured out 5.0 mL of acetic anhydride in a graduated cylinder from the fume hood. Recorded the volume of acetic anhydride used on the data sheet. Poured the acetic anhydride into the 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask containing the salicylic acid.4. Took the Erlenmeyer flask to the fume hood and added 5 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid to the mixture. 5. Mixed the solut ion and placed the Erlenmeyer flask in the water bath for about 10 minutes, making sure the Erlenmeyer flask did not tip in the water bath. 6. After the 10 minutes elapsed, added 2 mL of distilled water with an eyedropper carefully to avoid splatter. Waited 6 minutes, during which time an ice water mixture was prepared in another 250 mL beaker. 7. After the 6 minutes elapsed, 10 mL of distilled water was added to the Erlenmeyer flask and placed in the ice water, avoiding getting any of the ice water in the Erlenmeyer flask. A precipitate formed as the solution cooled. Used the â€Å"scratching† method, in which the bottom of the Erlenmeyer flask is scraped, to speed up the process of precipitate formation.8. Prepared a piece of filter paper in a filter funnel and filtered off the precipitate from the Erlenmeyer flask solution. After the liquid drained through the filter paper, washed the filtrate with two 10 mL portions of cold distilled water. When all the water had drained through, the filter paper was removed, and the solid (impure aspirin) was scraped into a dry 100 mL beaker using a clean scoopula.Recrystallization9. Measured out 5 mL of ethanol from the fume hood in a graduated cylinder, and added it to the 100 mL beaker containing the solid aspirin. Swirled the beaker to dissolve as much of the solid as possible, then placed the beaker on the hot plate until the solid completely dissolved. 10. After the solid  dissolved, added about 15 mL of distilled water. Prepared another ice water mixture in the 250 mL beaker and placed the 100 mL beaker in the ice water. Waited about 10 minutes. 11. Weighed a piece of filter paper and recorded it on the data sheet. Prepared the filter paper in a funnel and filtered off the precipitate. Rinsed the dirty apparatus thoroughly with lots of water. After all of the water was filtered through, left the filter paper to dry until the next class. 12. Weighed the piece of filter paper with the aspirin on it. Recorded the weight on the data table. Discarded the aspirin.Results: Overall Findings: When the salicylic acid and acetic anhydride were mixed, a white, powdery solution formed. When the sulfuric acid was added, a clear solution formed that produced heat. After heating, then cooling and scratching the solution, a white precipitate formed. The moisture in the precipitate was filtered overnight and what was left over was the desired product, aspirin.Qualitative Data: The boiling chips (calcium carbonate) were white, opaque crystals. The acetic anhydride was a clear solution with a vinegar-like odour. The salicylic acid was a find, white solid powder. The ethanol was a clear solution with an odour similar to strong alcohol. The sulfuric acid was a clear solution with a strong odour when heated. The aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was a white, solid powder.When the acetic anhydride and salicylic acid were mixed, they produced a white, powdery solution. When the sulfuric acid was added to this s olution, it turned clear and was warm. Upon heating the solution and adding water, puffs of smoke were produced. When the solution cooled and the â€Å"scratching† method was used, a white precipitate formed.Quantitative Data: Density (Table #1) Substance Density Acetic anhydride 1.08 m/LVolume (Table #2) Substance Volume Acetic anhydride 5.0 mLMolar weight (Table #3) Substance Molar weight Salicylic acid 138.12 g/mol Acetic anhydride 102.09 g/mol Acetylsalicylic acid 180.16 g/mol Weight (Table #4) Substance Weight Salicylic acid 1.51 g Acetic anhydride 5.4 g Empty filter paper 1.27 g Filter paper and aspirin 1.946 g Aspirin 0.676 gPercent Yield (Table #5) Substance Percent Yield Aspirin 34.3%Analysis: Determine whether the limiting reactant is the salicylic acid or the acetic anhydride. First, convert both masses to moles. 1 mole is equal to the molar mass of a substance; therefore, the grams of acetic anhydride and grams of salicylic acid must be divided by their molar mass es respectively.Molar mass of acetic anhydride = 4(12.01) + 6(1.008) + 3(16) = 102.088g Molar mass of salicylic acid = 7(12.01) + 6(1.008) + 3(16) = 138.118 g Acetic anhydride: 5.4g C4H6O3 x 1 mole C4H6O3 l= 0.052895541 moles C4H6O3 102.088g C4H6O3Salicylic acid:1.51g C7H6O3 x 1 mole C7H6O3 = 0.01093268 moles C7H6O3 138.118 g C7H6O3Since both acetic anhydride and salicylic acid have a coefficient of 1, the smaller number is the limiting reactant. Therefore, salicylic acid is the limiting reactant of the reaction. Next, calculate the theoretical yield of aspirin by converting the mass of the limiting reactant to grams of aspirin. 1.51g C7H6O3 x 1 mole C7H6O3 x 1 mole C9H8O4 x 180.154 g C9H8O4138.118 g C7H6O3 1 mol C7H6O31 mol C9H8O4 = 1.969566168g AspirinUsing the theoretical yield and the actual yield (from the data table), calculate the percent yield.Percent yield = Actual yield x 100 = l 0.676g l x 100 = 34.3% Theoretical yield1.969566168gDiscussion: Sources of error that were pos sibly present in the synthesis of aspirin lab are an improperly calibrated balance, an inaccurate hot plate, contamination  of the substances, age of the substances, or contamination of the glassware. Inaccurate calibrations of the hot plate or balance could have shown higher or lower quantitative data which would have affected the results by producing either a higher or lower percent yield. A contamination of the substances used or the glassware could have caused the substances to react differently with each other, again causing the percent yield to change depending on how the contamination affected the substances by producing a higher or lower percent yield.Another source of error could have been due to the transport of the aspirin from the Erlenmeyer flask after cooling to the funnel to be filtered. Some of the aspirin may have been lost or left behind and that would have showed a lower percent yield. The accuracy of this lab could be improved with more precise equipment, allow ing the experimenter to be more confident in the accuracy of the measurements obtained. While the aspirin was left overnight to allow time for the moisture to be filtered out, the air could have been a contaminant.A way to get rid of the source of error would be to keep the samples in a more isolated area where there is a smaller chance of contamination. Aspirin has many real-life applications. It is a pain reliever and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID). It has become very common as an antiplatelet to prevent blood clot formation and is used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It has been present for over one hundred years and is one of the most widely used medications in the world. Conclusion:The main objective of the synthesis of aspirin lab was so produce aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) through the reaction of salicylic acid and acetic anhydride. The methods used included recrystallization and scratching to produce a precipitate, which was then filtered to remove any exc ess moisture. The results displayed a percent yield of 34.3%, from a theoretical yield of about 1.97g of aspirin and an actual yield of approximately 0.68g of aspirin. Upon completion of the lab, analysis, and calculations, it is evident that the synthesis of aspirin is possible using these methods but that the yield will be relatively low.

Wilfred Owen War Poetry

Poetry places individuals minds in a state of imagination and emotion where words are thoughts of experiences branding into the minds of the readers. Dulce Et Decorum Est explore how the experiences create emotions for the readers mind to capture the essence of war whilst on the other hand the Anthem for Doomed Youth speaks about what war was like in conjunction to pitifulness and stupidity. To begin, Dulce Et Decorum Est (It is sweet and honourable) talks about war and the effects of war. The effects of war are described as ‘Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags' where soldiers are demystified in juxtaposition to the propaganda where they are spoken about as young, strong, handsome men and here they come back buggered and weak from the war. Owen speaks about the war with his insights of pity he has for it ‘In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin' and Owens insights of the war allow the readers to capture and understand what world war 1 was like from his own experiences. Owen uses emotive and alliteration language to grasp the minds of the readers ‘Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime†¦ Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. ‘ With Owen being able to grab the readers attention, he is able to use this imagery to create a sense of emotion towards the readers as they look to find a deeper understanding of the war. Assonance of the terms ‘ing' helps to associate the feeling of what was happening at that time where he expresses the scene as ‘guttering, choking, drowning' when his friends where being drowned in the green poisonous gases described as ‘green sea' to emphasis that sense of dying helplessly. The enthusiasm that own incorporates into his poetry expresses his own opinions and thoughts of the pitifulness and stupidity of war when he says ‘My friend, you would not tell with such high zest' and this is an indication to hat he feels about outsiders trying to explain what it was like without even being their to experience it first hand. To understand the war, the poetry of Owen directs his insights of the war straight to the readers where his descriptive language and emotive scenery create the images of a first hand experience and this is how Owens poetry brands emotions and melts the images of emotion into the readers minds through his thoughts and experiences. In relation to Owens Dulce Et Decorum Est, the poem Anthem for Doomed Youth uses a range of techniques to embed emotions into the mods of readers. Owen captivates the readers attention through a wide range of imagery where ‘passing-bells for these who die as cattle? ‘ grasps the minds readers to create a scene of dying cows to mimic the deaths of soldiers and the pain of death and war through ‘stuttering rifles rapid rattle' where the alliteration captures the readers attention whilst still creating that image of death and loss. The poem Anthem for Doomed Youth is rather a sad story of tears and sorrow where by Owen speaks about ‘The pallor of girls brows shall be their pall;' which indicates how the sad expressions of girls eyebrows are the only thing that they can share that is common to both sides. The excessive use of personification dims the horror of the war to allow readers to understand the pain through metaphors explaining ‘passing-bells for these who die as cattle? , and ‘wailing shells' and ‘drawing-down of blinds' which signify the closing of the soldiers eyes in death and wailing shells are dead men in the ocean floating by one by one without anything able to be done about it and this is how Owen further expresses his feelings of pity and stupidity on war. Owen uses personification and emphasis in his poetry to allow his emotions and thoughts to be branded into the minds of the readers and to allow them to grasp the sense of pithiness of war. In conclusion, Owens poetic insights in Dulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth allow readers to grasp the experiences of war and a sense of emotion towards what Owen would have been feeling throughout the war. Owen way of communicating to the outside world away from war is effective in enabling him to capture the minds of readers and lead them into a state of embedding his insights into their minds so that they can gather s deeper understanding of the lives of soldiers in world war 1.