The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example

The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Paper The final step in the opening credit sequence is the title screen detailing The Sopranos. The viewer is presented with a black scene in the centre of which is the white block letter spelling out The Sopranos. This title screen itself may semiotically provide much information regarding the themes of the television programme once its layers of meaning are extricated and analysed. Treating firstly the importance of the simple colours of this screen- black and white- the themes of the show are visible. The traditional semiotic meaning that is assigned to these two colours aid in the production of these themes. White is mostly explicitly recognised as the colour of the good, the virginal/pure in contrast to the assigning of the colour black to the evil, the mysterious, danger, death and malice. The assigning of meaning to these two colours can be traced back in anthropological terms to the Western worlds view of white people as being good whilst the black people from the continent of Africa were inherently evil and not to be trusted. This dichotomy was later applied to the notion of the goodies versus the baddies and can be seen in the title of graphics detailing a main theme of the show- the good guys or the police, reflected in the white, battling against the bad guys or Tony Soprano and his mafia family, reflected in the black. These colours can also represent the struggle in Tonys world between right and wrong and his struggle with his morality and religious faith. Throughout the series, Tony has many crises of faith and a few attacks of conscience. We will write a custom essay sample on The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus the black may reflect Tonys dark side, with his underhand dealings and deadly intent, and the white may represent Tonys faith, his belief in Catholicism and his need to do good in some form. However as the graphics show the black impedes on the white possibly illustrating the fact that Tony has a great struggle between right and wrong. To analyse the typography of the sequence it is again possible to find meaning implicitly embedded in it. The letters spelling out The Sopranos are thick and have blunt edges. The letters in the original are also large and white and stand out prominently from the black background. The typography used is illustrated below. This may be analysed semiotically as being a reflection of the character of Tony Soprano- solid and dependable with a large stature who is rough around the edges; possibly a reflection of his brutal streak. It may also serve to provide meaning about the Soprano family as a whole- large, close-knit and very prominent in society (reflected by the white standing out against the black background). Finally the representation of the downward facing gun as spelling out the R of The Sopranos is important for the assigning of meaning also. According to Freud, the gun can be viewed as a phallic symbol, a representation of the male penis and thus is a reflection of the male sexual drive. The gun may connote power and male sexual potency along with aggression and danger. The sexual exploits of Tony Soprano and his power sexually as well as physically is a main theme of the show, and is referred to implicitly in the title graphics. Thus it is possible to say that the title screen of the opening credit sequence of the show provides meaning semiotically through colour codes, typographic presentation and symbolic representation. Themes of the show such as the good versus the bad, violence and sexual prowess are all reflected through the simple yet highly effective title sequence. The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos may also be analysed semiotically as one explores the assigning of meaning to maleness and indeed the image of the gangster i. e. Tony Soprano. By analysing this sequence in-depth it is possible to detail information that the average viewer may neither implicitly nor explicitly decode whilst watching the television programme. The semiotic representation of Tony Soprano in the opening credit sequence reveals a lot about his character. Throughout the sequence Tonys face is obscured by shadows and darkness, the lower part of his face i. e. from his nose down, is the only part visible. If one is to assign meaning to this it is possible to say that Tony is a mysterious man with a dark mind/ dark thoughts. His face is obscured as he drives from New York to New Jersey; from work to home. It is only when he arrives home that Tony is fully visible/ fully illuminated. This reflects the idea that Tonys work life is dark and mysterious, full of secret dealings and murders, and that his home life and his family provide him with the bright/highlights of his day. In the car, Tony is the only person visible. He steers the car suggesting that he is a person who is solely in control and in power. It also suggests that he is an actor in his own future, that he directs his life and controls his destiny. This is again emphasised by the continuous close-up shots of Tonys hands and arms. The affluence of Tonys life and his materialism that is shown in the show is reflected in the opening sequences. There is a continual emphasis on Tonys gold jewellery connoting opulence, richness and his carelessness with money. The cigar that Tony smokes is also a symbol with several layers of signification for this opulence but also on another layer of meaning it may be seen as phallic, reflecting Tonys masculinity and raw sexual energy. The theme of money is again reinforced with the shot of the bank reflecting possibly Tonys implicit need for financial security for himself and his family. The religious aspect of Tonys personality is also detailed. The shot of the cathedral/church illustrates Tonys Catholicism but the shot is somewhat obscured by branches of trees. This may signify the crisis of faith that both Tony implicitly and his wife Carmela explicitly have in the show. Tony is religious, he has faith but this faith is obscured by the sins that he has committed and the illegal dealings that he is involved in. the image is almost a black and white image reflecting the clear cut base belief in God that Tony and the Soprano family hold. A red canopy on the front of the church is important as its semiotic analysis reveals that the colour red connotes a raw energy, vigour and spirituality. This reinforces the strong position that religion plays in Tonys life. The appearance of the graveyard also provides us with information about the show. The long shot of the gravestones illustrates that death will be a prevalent theme as it proves to be with all the murders carried out by Tony and his mafia gang in the show. The appearance of the butchers shop stands as signification on two levels- the butcher per se as the murderer e. g. Tony, and as standing for an immoral behaviour. The pig on top of this shop stands as a symbolic representation of Tonys greed for both food and money and for his selfishness and over-indulgence. The Pizzaland shop also reflects his greed for food and Tonys traditional Italian roots. Tonys arrival at home is also important to analyse semiotically. His movement through the gates signifies that he has entered a new phase of his life and as he moves up his driveway this signifies that an end has come to his journey, he is at rest and secure/content. Thus by performing a semiotic analysis of Tony and certain scenes from the opening credit sequences it is possible to ascertain what are the important areas of Tonys life i. e. family, religion, sex, money, food, revenge etc. The use of colour in the opening credit sequence is of particular importance in this semiotic study. There are many different meanings assigned to colours and their use in certain contexts can be highly significant in the development of meaning and therefore, themes. Tony is dressed in a maroon coloured shirt. This colour is associated with bravery and strength, which is indicative of Tonys character despite his cruel and brutal streak. The road signs signalling New Jersey, Tonys home-place, are green. Green is associated here with Tonys home-life and his family and this colour connotes peace and serenity, all feelings that Tony himself hopes to associate with his family. A colour that is of a particular significance due to its connotations is silver. The colour silver connotes justice and purity due to its association with the silver swords of the knights of olden times- protectors of freedom, upholders of morality and keepers of peace and justice. For this reason the colour is also connotative of the police as they have taken on the contemporary role of the knight. Silver freight lorries are frequently shown in the opening sequences but they are always shown travelling in different directions to Tony, never with him or even close to him. A freight truck may act as a symbol for carrying a heavy load or a burden, so the silver trucks may connote Tonys anxiety regarding being caught/followed by the police. His journey in opposite directions to these silver trucks may also act as signification that he has left purity/justice behind and is leading an immoral life. It is possible to even suggest that the colour of Tonys house is indicative to meaning. As Tony drives home, he passes by many white family homes, which bear the American flag thus connoting morality and good. Tonys house however is brown or not white signifying something other than purity and wholesomeness. Thus by analysing the use of colours and in particular their use in certain contexts it is possible to ascertain that themes such as immorality, family and fear of the police will feature as themes in this show. An important part of any semiotic analysis of a film or television programme is that of the soundtrack. Music works primarily on the level that it can rely on the spoken word as it is sung to create meaning instead of the visual image. Non-verbal communication is also employed in music to create meaning with the use of certain instruments to evoke emotions and atmosphere. According to Self (1988:116) title sequences together with title music, are instrumental in communicating the mood and themes of the coming production. The show uses the same song at the beginning of each episode. The song is Goy yourself a Gun and its lyrics play on the notion of the mob and the gun which are both themes in a way in the programme. The song plays slowly and quietly at the start of the sequence as Tony leaves the city and gains in speed and audibility, as he gets closer to home. This illustrates that he feels strongly about where he lives and about his family. According to the song, if one is to relate it to Tony, he was born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your (his) eyes (lines 7-8). This provides a hint to Tonys character, that he is immoral and does not follow the rules. Having blue moon in ones eyes is indicative of Tonys upward gazing idea, that one must better themselves regardless of how they do this even if the rules must be broken. The repetition of this song at the beginning of each episode helps to continually create the overall atmosphere of the show as being one of immorality and violence connoted by the gun in the song.

October Writing Prompts for Classroom Journals

October Writing Prompts for Classroom Journals October begins with students and teachers still happily enjoy the summer holidays and ends with the excitement of heading back to school. Feel free to use these writing prompts for each day in October as daily warm-ups or journal entries. October Holidays Adopt-a-Shelter-Animal MonthComputer Learning MonthFamily History MonthNational Dessert MonthEnergy Awareness Month Writing Prompt Ideas for October October 1 - Theme: World Vegetarian DayAre you a vegetarian? Why? If not, would you ever consider becoming one? Why or why not?October 2 - Theme: Peanuts Comics Strip First PublishedWhy is your favorite character from Peanuts: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, or another character? Explain your answer.OR October 2- Theme:  International Day of Non-ViolenceNon-violence has been used to bring about social change.Read up on Gandhi. What social change would you suggest should be brought about?October 3 - Theme: Family Television DayIs there any television show that you watch together as a family? If so, what are they? If not, explain which TV show is your favorite.October 4 - Theme: Toot Your Own Flute DayWhat is something that you are really proud about? What are you good at? For todays writing assignment, brag about yourself.October 5 - Theme: Fast Food (Ray Krocs Birthday)What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Why?OR October 5 - Theme: World Teachers DayEstablishe d by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) in 1994.Write a teacher from your past (or present) a heartfelt â€Å"thank you† letter or card. October 6 - Theme: Thomas Edison Showed the First Motion PictureExplain how movies have changed the world OR consider the economics of the motion picture industry (MPAA).   What is the significance of this industry that employs roughly  2.1 million jobs while paying out $49 billion to local businesses across the country?October 7 - Theme: Computer Learning MonthAre you a gamer? A coder?  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, how would you rate your skills using a computer?October 8 - Theme:  Columbus Day  -(celebrated)Should Columbus Day still be celebrated as a national holiday?Explain your answer.October 9 - Theme: Explorer Leif Erikson DayCelebrate the explorer who found America!No, not Columbus. The other explorer, the Viking, Leif Erikson, who beat Columbus by 400 years. Why do you think we do not celebrate this explorer?October 10 - Theme: Cakes (Cake Decorating Day)If you could have any cake for your birthday, what would it be?Describe the type of cake, the t ype of icing, and how it would be decorated. October 11 - Theme: Eleanor Roosevelts BirthdayEleanor Roosevelt was born on this date in 1884. She is considered one of the most influential First Ladies. In your opinion, what kind of influence should the First Lady have on the government?October 12 - Theme: Indigenous Peoples Day (traditionally Columbus Day)Indigenous Peoples Day  began as a counter-celebration to  the U.S.  federal holiday  of  Columbus Day.   Indigenous Peoples Day is intended to celebrate North and South American peoples, and to bring attention to  Native Americans who  continue to practice their cultures today. Do you know which indigenous peoples are associated with your town, city, or state?October 13 - Theme: Train Your Brain DayAre you a fan of crosswords, sudoku, or other mind games? Why or why not?OR  October 13 - Theme: National MM DayThere are over 340 million MMs produced daily.Which  is your favorite kind of MM candy? (plain, peanut, etc) If they had to invent a new MM, what would you suggest?October 14 - Theme: Chocolate Covered Insect DayThe  U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization notes that  there are more than 1,900 edible insect species on Earth. Insects may be one way to feed the world population in the future.Would you ever consider eating a chocolate covered insect? Why or why not? October 15 - Theme: National Poetry DayT. S. Eliot said, Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. What do you think he meant by this?October 16 - Theme: Dictionary DayBased on the life and times of Noah Webster of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, this day celebrates words. Over 800 words are added annually to our language.  Look up some of the new additions or make a suggestion for the adoption of a new word.October 17 - Theme: Wear Something Gaudy DayDescribe the gaudiest outfit imaginable. Would you wear it?OR October 17 - Theme: Chess​In 1956, a 13-year old Bobby Fischer won the a chess match against the   26-year-old champion Donald Byrne  in what is called the chess Game of the Century.Do you play chess or other strategy games (board or video)? Do you think age makes a difference in who is a champion in a game of strategy? Why or why not?October 18 - Theme: Adopt-a-Shelter-Animal DayAccording to the ASPCA, approximately 6.5 million companion animals en ter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year.If you were to buy a dog or cat, would you go to a shelter to adopt one or buy from a breeder? Explain your reasons. October 19 - Theme: Thomas Edison Demonstrated the Electric LightA survey taken at the end of the 20th Century found that Edison was the most influential figure of the millennium..... Do you agree or disagree?   Describe at least five things that would be different about life if there were no electric lights.October 20 - Theme: Sweetest DayDescribe at least three nice things that you can do for someone you care about.October 21 - Theme: Reptile Awareness DayReptiles can an  alternatives for people who are allergic to furry  or feathery animals. There are some drawbacks, however, as there are many species of  Ã‚  reptiles that will bite. Some species are venomous.Would you own a snake or other reptile as a pet? Why or why not?October 22 - Theme: National Color DayWhat is your favorite color? How would you describe your favorite color to a blind person?OR October 22- Theme: RiskOn  this day in 1779, the French balloonist Andrà ©-Jacques Garnerin was the first person to use a parachute when he jumped out of a balloon over Paris using a silk parachute that he made himself.What is the riskiest thing you have ever done? Would you do it again? October 23 - Theme: Mole DayMole Day is an unofficial holiday for chemistry enthusiasts celebrated between 6:02 a.m. and 6:02 p.m., or 6:02 10/23 (a measuring  unit in chemistry).What are three ways in which chemistry has made the world a better place?October 24 - Theme: United Nations DayIn 1971, United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday.If you could visit one foreign country, which would it be and why?October 25 - Theme: Sarcasm (Sarcastic Month)Are you a fan of sarcasm? Are you personally sarcastic? Explain your answers.October 26 - Theme: Make a Difference DayPick an area of your life: family, school, work, friends, or society. Explain 5 ways you can make a positive difference in that area.October 27 -Theme:  US Navy DayThe US Navy was created  by the Second  Continental  Congress  passed a resolution  but it was not until 1794 after an engagement with Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean that the Navy showed its prowess. What do you know about this branch of the military? Would you ever consider a career in the military? October 28 - Theme: Statue of Libertys BirthdayThe Statue of Liberty, or Liberty Enlightening the World, was a   symbolic gift from the people of France to the people of the United States in 1886.What does this the Statue of Liberty symbolize today?October 29 - Theme:  National Cat Day68 percent of all households in the United States own  a pet cat, making the number of pet cats close to  95.6 million.Are you a cat pet person or are you a dog pet person? Or do you even want a pet? Why or why not?October 30 - Theme: National Candy Corn DayWhats your favorite Halloween candy? Why?October 31 - Theme: HalloweenThe National Retail Federation estimates that over $9 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween. Do you plan on spending money for Halloween? Do you like Halloween? Dressing up? Why or why not?

"Development is only concerned with the economic growth of a Essay

"Development is only concerned with the economic growth of a country" discuss - Essay Example Another aspect of development concerns the policies and programs to deliver services to members of a society. It may also be measured through business strategies for a given economy such as offering finance and expansion of the markets for produced goods. The primary objective of economic development is to ensure the improvement of society members’ well-being through strategies that involve job creation, improvement of quality of life, and improve government revenue. In most developed economies, several of the aforementioned factors exist in major sectors (International Economic Development Council 3). Economic development and growth vary. Usually, they are measured based on the effects that they create on the population (La 1). For most instances, economic growth measures a generalized increase in the levels of national income and Gross Domestic Product. The method of measurement does not cater for the quality of life of the population. Such a statement means economic growth does not measure the quality of life of the society members. It is possible to realize economic growth without economic development. The rationale for such an argument is that the latter aspect of the economy weighs human capacity development. The main human factors for this case sum to both the quality of life and the standards of living. An economy can grow without catering for aspects such as reduced illiteracy, poverty elimination, creation of sufficient goods and services among others. It would therefore, imply that the economy exploits the citizens by unfair means such as long hours of working with low payments. Sustainable development gives economic development a task of improving the qualities of lives of citizens. The approach of sustainable economic development targets an increased production of goods and services to the growing population. There was, therefore, a need that the economists devise a method that would see the dreams of economic plans. Consequently, after the

Observe particles by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Essay

Observe particles by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray SEM and Transmission Electron Microscopy - Essay Example Analysis shows that even though the particle size range is from 10 ?m to 160 ?m; however most of the particles are confined in three size ranges: 10 - 20 ?m, 50 – 70 ?m and 110 – 120 ?m. SEM-EDS analysis shows that the bright particle in the silica sample are yttrium oxide. TEM images show two kinds of shape – spherical and cylindrical for TiO2 and faceted equiaxed morphology for Fe2O3 particles. The detailed results and analysis is presented in this report. Introduction Powders play very important role in materials science and industry so much so that one stream of metallurgy is known as powder metallurgy. Besides, ceramics engineering revolved around powders. Consolidation of many materials becomes possible only through powder metallurgy route, which involves filling, compaction and sintering of powders. All these processes depend heavily on powder characteristics like shape, size, size distribution etc. to name a few. Experimental determination of these attrib utes of powder is very important. Some of these attributes like size and size distribution can be determined by indirect methods like laser particle size analysis. However, only a direct method like microscopy gives the confidence in the result. Beside, many attributes like shape and chemistry can be determined only by advance electron microscopy. Electron microscopy involves obtaining high magnification images of the samples using focused beam of accelerated electrons as probe and then forming images by collecting the different signals like backscattered electrons, secondary electrons, transmitted electrons etc [1]. As wavelength of accelerated electrons is much smaller as compared to light; therefore, it can be focused to much finer spots and much higher resolution and magnification is possible in case of electron microscopes as compared to the same in case of optical microscopes. Besides, many signals generated by electron – matter interaction like auger electron, characte ristic X-rays etc. contain information about chemistry of the matter and these signals can be used to determine chemistry of the sample using different detectors like Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometer (WDS), Energy Dispersive Spectrometer etc. Accordingly there are different instruments like Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), SEM-EDS, Electron Probe Microanalyser (EPMA), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) etc. A basic description of SEM, SEM-EDS and TEM which were used in these experiments is provided in the subsequent sections. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) [2]: As suggested by the name, in this microscope a focused beam of electron is scanned over the sample in a raster using scanning coils. This leads to generation of signals like secondary electrons and backscattered electrons; which are used for image formation on a CRT screen. The image is formed in a pixel by pixel manner and therefore, the raster size corre sponds to the CRT screen size magnification is arrived by dividing the CRT length by the raster length. The magnification can thus be increased gradually by reducing the rater size on the sample as the CRT size is fixed. An SEM consists of an electron source or an electron gun, apertures to block unwanted beam, electromagnetic lenses to focus the beam, different detectors like secondary electron detector and backscattered electron detector for image formati

Environmental Development through Role Play in Schools Essay Example for Free

Environmental Development through Role Play in Schools Essay 1. Executive Summary In this proposal the Environmental Protection Group (EPG) requests funding for its Environmental Development Project through Role Play in Schools. The project’s goal is to contribute to the reduction of environmental devastation and destruction through the implementation of role-play strategies that highlight concomitant preventive and behaviour change interventions. With this support, EPG will emphasize on increasing awareness practices and measurement requirements and work in close collaboration with partners toward the reduction of the burden of environmental devastation. EPG is requesting Kyats 16,000,000 to support its efforts to combat human effects on our environment and its resultant environmental destruction among the currently unnoticed affected areas of Myanmar. EPG will work in collaboration with the â€Å"Save Earth†, community-based organizations and International NGOs, promoting positive behaviour change through the Environmental protection Role play in schools project. 2. Environmental Issues in Myanmar While environmental protection projects and environment activists are endeavoring to bring forth harmony amongst our environment and our society, Myanmar has rather a slow rate of environmental protection measurements. Citizens should be warned of the effects of their behavior on the environment and the resultant destruction of the environment. However, since the population of working people will not be able to contribute much to our project, we have set our targets on children. Through role play on environmental devastation, we will raise children’s awareness of the environment. Despite learning about the deterioration of the environment only when they get older, making children contribute to the environment is claimed to have much effect both on the children and on the environment. While the environment will get greener with children’s interest in it, the children, on the other hand, will also learn the advantages and disadvantages of their behavior towards the Earth. This way, the science of the Earth and the art of individual responsibility will be learned by the children at the same time, as well as benefit in the eco-friendliness of men and our Earth. 3. Project Objectives to raise environmental awareness through community participation approach to get ideas from the community to promote community’s critical thinking of the environment 4. Our Vision Statement Communities in which people respect the environment, develop the sustainable eco-friendly lifestyle and share the environmental knowledge and practice from generation to generation. 5. The weaknesses of our community Lack of environmental awareness Weakness in practicing conservation Ignorance of the significance of the natural environment 6. Skills and Qualities Patience Motivation in community participation Theatre ability Persuasiveness Ability to understand the reality of the community Scientific Knowledge

Ambition In Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

In Shakespearean times, ambition was seen to be wrong, as it went against the natural order. You had to accept yourself for who you were. People were not encouraged to better themselves. In act I scene I, the three witches plan to meet Macbeth upon a heath. They announce the major theme of the play: appearances can be deceptive."Fair is foul, and foul is fair" line 10. Macbeth in Act I echoes this in Scene three,"So foul and fair a day I have not seen"These contradictions introduce a feeling of opposing forces at war. They are a symbol of the struggles that take place in the play. This could tie in with the scene in which Lady Macbeth tells her husband to "..Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't."At the beginning of scene three, the wit...

Drug Addiction and Thesis Statement

Drugs addiction is a problem faced by many people of the world, it is a topic that interests many writers, and they wish to write an essay on drugs for this topic. Drugs are very harmful and keep the capability of dragging an individual towards death and destruction. People all over the world want to eradicate the adverse situation of drug addiction from this world and this is the reason why they are busy in writing essays on drugs.Essays on drugs are of many types such as war on drugs essay, essay on performance enhancing drugs in sports, essay on drug abuse, essay on illegal drugs, essay on drug addiction, essay on drug use, essay on drugs and alcohol and essay on drug testing, etc. The essays on drugs should be initiated by bringing in the information related to the topic of the essay on drug. You should know what drugs are.In an essay on drugs, you will have to write about drugs, their affects and the reasons due to which people use them, you have to include the information about why the drugs are so famous and how harmful are they. A persuasive essay on drugs will be one, which will be according to the topic of the essay on drugs. It should have a full-fledged introduction, which should introduce the topic completely. The introduction should also have a thesis statement that should be the main idea of the essay on drugs.A thesis statement should be based on the essay question to which your essay on drugs is an answer. A thesis statement of an essay on drugs can be one sentence or more than one sentence but it is suggested that it should be only one sentence. Essays on drug abuse or essays on drug addiction should be written by arranging the ideas in a format that should be understandable. You should divide your ideas in different paragraphs for an essay on drug abuse or for war on drugs essay.One paragraph should contain one idea and should not go towards a second idea, as it will reduce the comprehensiveness of the paragraph of essay about drugs. The essa ys on drugs should be written by researching the topic of drugs thoroughly so that the writer can depict information knowledgably. If you feel disturbed by an exercise of writing an essay on drugs, you can also get plagiarism free essays on drugs from custom writing websites, which are there for your assistance and support in terms of writing essays on drugs.