Abstract This is a paper that concerns a career as an actor. The paper discusses aspects of the actor's career such as auditions and casting, researching the play and character, understanding character and motivation, learning lines and blocking. The writer also looks at working with directors and stage managers, costumes, rehearsals, makeup and the madness of opening night.
From the Paper "Many people think they would like it if they were a famous actor, either on Broadway or in the movies. They are excited by the idea of being admired by millions of screaming fans, getting paid lots of money to hang out and maybe even get to do a love scene with other big celebrities. But acting is not all just about fame and fortune; it's a lot of work. Stage actors have to spend weeks or months in preparation for their two hours or less under the lights in auditioning, researching the play and understanding their character, learning their lines and blocking, rehearsing with the other cast members, getting into costumes and makeup, coping with nerves and stage fright, and dealing with directors and stage managers."
Abstract This paper begins with a look at the history of animation, focusing special attention on the history of computer animation. The paper explains the advances in technology that have helped improve computer animation techniques and then takes a look at some of the ethical questions that have developed regarding the use of computer animation. The paper then discusses one of the primary concerns, the fear that this type of animation will replace real actors, and explains why actors really have no reason to feel threatened by computer animation.
From the Paper "Visual representation of ideas, history, and stories has been an important part of human culture since prehistoric times, when cave paintings and other primitive drawings were used to record and relive events. As human culture developed, so did the visual arts, and primitive cave paintings gave way to more complex drawings, paintings, and engravings that told stories ranging from epic mythological tales to a simple moment from daily life. While a talented artist has always been able to bring drawings "to life" and have a sense of movement in the work, actual animation has its roots in the 1800s. Devices such as the zoetrope, also known as the ?wheel of life,? were simple and used a cylinder with slits in the sides to make the drawings inside appear to move when a person peered through the sides as it spun."
Abstract This paper explains that Whoopi Goldberg (real name, Caryn Elaine Johnson) grew up in a New York housing project, became a single, teenage mother and dropped out of high school because she was convinced that she was not able to understand basic lessons. (Later she found out that she had dyslexia.) The author points out that, in 1983, Goldberg's career took off when director Mike Nichols attended her show at the New York's Dance Theater Workshop and immediately signed her for a one-woman Broadway show; Steven Spielberg chose her to play the lead in "The Color Purple" for which she received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award. The paper concludes that Goldberg represents a true pioneer in the motion picture industry not only because of her groundbreaking roles, which place her at the forefront of the black female actors in America today, but also because Goldberg's portrayal of white actors created an environment that breaks down social barriers while tacitly acknowledging and reinforcing others.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Analysis of Selected Goldberg Roles
Conclusion
From the Paper "Goldberg endured the unendurable for several months ("I had this caseworker who was nasty as hell"), which makes her reaction to her initial success more understandable. Even though she's won a Grammy, a Golden Globe Award and received an Emmy nomination, Goldberg reports that absolutely nothing in her life has come close to the sense of accomplishment that she felt when, after five years on public assistance, she was able to support herself through acting: "The greatest thing I ever was able to do was give a welfare check back. I brought it back to the welfare department and said, 'Here. I don't need this anymore.""
Abstract Used, abused, and confused by the grinding, unforgiving machinery of celebrity, the aging TV child actor, from Ricky Nelson to Brandon Cruz, from Patty Duke to Dana Plato, has always been more susceptible to the "crash-and-burn" than your average, not-so-cute-and-cuddly-anymore youngster. But what about Gary Coleman? What is he supposed to do? Disappear? And there it is: The Gary Coleman Paradox, the Former Child Star Dilemma. When their time is up, when their shows are canceled, we want them to go away. But they can't. Reruns assure otherwise; our TV-burned memories assure otherwise. We don't need to see another second of another "Diff'rent Strokes" to know that Gary Coleman is pint-size Arnold Jackson Drummond from Harlem. Now and forever. He can't go away. They can't go away. And, for that, we make them pay. If it was impossible for the TV kids of the 1950s and '60s to know the traps that lay ahead, it was impossible for the TV kids who followed them not to know.
Abstract This paper emphasizes that the style of China's national theater called the Beijing opera is importance to its culture. The author points out that the use of male actors to portray female characters and females portraying male actors are truly ancient in China, although the practice did not become primarily exclusive until the early 19th century. The paper relates that, although Beijing opera has been heavily influenced by royal prerogative in the past and the desires of the Chinese people more recently, the reverse gender playing the role in traditional Chinese drama has no restriction on the sex and age of its performers.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview.
Historic Influences on the Use of Male Actors for Female Roles in Beijing Opera
Contemporary Influences on the Use of Male Actors for Female Roles in Beijing Opera
Conclusion
From the Paper "Likewise, the distinctive Beijing opera walking styles of the dan (female roles) and sheng are clearly recognizable in other traditional forms, just as are the stylized hand and eye movements of the huadan. Although some localized forms of theater have not include certain role types (the jing being the role type most frequently excluded), the walk, posture, and gestures techniques used for every other role type traditionally included in each form and can be recognized by modern Chinese audiences without fail as belonging to that role type throughout the various forms of traditional Chinese theater."
Tags: dan, national, jingpai, conventionalized, actors
A review of Thomas Risse-Kappen's book, "Bringing Transnational Relations Back In. Non-State Actors, Domestic Structure and International Institutions".
Abstract This paper discusses how the book "Bringing Transnational Relations Back In. Non-State Actors, Domestic Structure and International Institutions" by Thomas Risse-Kappen takes a fresh look at the impact of non-state actors on world politics and on the foreign policies of states. It also discusses how it revives the debate on transnational relations which started in the 1970s, and was at the time focused on state-centred approaches. It looks at how Risse-Kappen's new approach highlights the interactions of states and transnational actors, arguing that domestic structures of the state as well as international institutions mediate the policy influence of transnational actors.
From the Paper "The fifth chapter is entitled "Transnational relations, domestic structures, and security policy in the USSR and Russia (1982 - 1994)". The author, Matthew Evangelista, aims to present a theoretical rationale understanding why the Soviet Union should have been open to the influence of transnational actors - in this case organisation of the Soviet and US scientists pursuing arms control initiatives - even in the high politics of security policy. This represents a break with the literature of the 1970s which assumed that transnational relations would predominate in issue areas outside the realm of 'high politics' and in countries where democratic politics would permit penetration of government policy making by transnational as well as domestic actors. Evangelista also seeks to evaluate an important implication of the generalization linking domestic structures and transnational activities. "
Abstract The writer of this paper details the prolific life of academy award winning actor, writer, diplomat, humanitarian and cultural icon Sidney Poitier. This paper discusses the actor's more controversial films, including "Cry, the Beloved Country," which addresses racism and apartheid in South Africa and "Blackboard Jungle," which deals with the issue of inner city education. This paper explores the actor's views and opinions on racism in Hollywood while also citing his refusal to work on films that do not employ an increased numbers of black talent. The writer contends and explains why Poitier continues to demonstrate a high level of integrity while also discussing his various appearances before congressional committees regarding racial discrimination in the film industry.
From the Paper "During the 1950's, Poitier made some of the most important and controversial movies of the time. In "Cry, the Beloved Country," he addressed the issues of racial equality and apartheid in South Africa, in "Blackboard Jungle," he confronted the issues of inner city education, and in "The Defiant Ones," he portrayed one of two escaped prisoners who must overcome issues of race in their struggle for freedom. Poitier returned to the stage in 1959 to star as Walter Lee in Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun." This play, the first by a black playwright to show on Broadway, was a moving reflection of black family life that had great popular appeal. Poitier's performance was such a critical success that he was asked to star in the movie adaptation in 1961."
Abstract This essay studies the history of the new "Lord of the Rings" movie, the actors and their reactions to the story and the overall meaning of the transfer of legend to movie. It includes a brief history of the movie and the making of the movie. It discusses the actors and how they suited their characters. It also discusses the difficulties of transferring a book to a movie.
From the Paper "How did the new blockbuster movie "The Fellowship of the Ring" come about? How was it made? I intend to answer these questions to educate all those people about the film and it's backgrounds and makings. The background underlying this story is very extensive and so I cannot cover all of it, however, I will cover the author of the original story, the making of the film, and the actors and their feelings about the story. This new movie has much more foundation to it than simply the film itself, it has many references to the original novel in the film and has a solid base in the images that the author, J.R.R. Tolkien, had originally painted with words."
Abstract This paper studies the life of Sean Penn, actor and later director. It first briefly describes his father's acting career and how it was cut short because of his "communist" activities in the 1960's and how he was black-listed. It continues to compare Sean Penn to his father, focusing on Penn's bad-boy image which is highlighted by his marriage to pop-star Madonna and a one-month jail stint for assault. It mentions many of the movies that Penn starred in or directed and shows how through all of these he continued to make political and controversial statements.
From the Paper "It could be said that celebrity activism is a family affair for Sean Penn, celebrated Hollywood actor and director. Before Sean was even born his father, Leo Penn, who was an actor on Broadway and in films in the late 40s, used his celebrity to make social statements. Leo was blacklisted for a decade in the 1950s for refusing to give names to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) of those in the Hollywood community with communist ties.
Supposedly one of Sean's earlier memories is of his father taking him to the set of The Last Tycoon near to the family home. There the director, Elia Kazan, someone who had named names at the hearings, tried to say hello. But Leo, normally warm and friendly, walked straight past, a point of integrity his son could not fail to notice. Unlike many of the blacklisted actors of the time, Leo's entertainment career survived his political stance and he went on to make a name for himself behind the camera, in television rather than feature films. During his career, he directed than 400 hours of prime-time television programming, including episodes of Bonanza, Ben Casey, Starsky & Hutch, Magnum P.I., Columbo, Kojak, and St. Elsewhere. "
Abstract This paper discusses Jet Li's life, starting from his childhood where his interest in wu-shu began, until he emerged as a movie actor incorporating martial arts in his films, becoming both an acclaimed Hong Kong Asian and American actor. In addition to Li's biography, this paper also discusses the psychological development of Li's life from childhood to present life and how his life can be contextualized, based on Erik Erikson's socio-emotional theory of human development.
From the Paper "For many years, Asian actors have not been given enough opportunities to break into the entertainment industry in the United States, popularly called the Hollywood. Only few Asian actors have made it big in Hollywood, of which the famed martial arts master Bruce Lee is considered as the first Asian who brought fame in the Asian entertainment industry through his martial arts movies. Jackie Chan, similarly, shares Bruce Lee's glory but in a different genre, where Chan uses martial arts not as a form of physical violence, but a form of art movement. Also, Chan's movies are mostly humorous, illustrating Chan's penchant for a feel-good movie for his audience."
Abstract This paper examines how Luigi Pirandello's play, "Six Characters in Search of an Author", is a representation of reality as opposed to the presentation of reality via drama. It looks at how it can also be interpreted as a division of the conscious mind from reality, or what Freud called "doubling", since the characters in the play are separated into actors and the characters they are to play. In particular, it attempts to show how the relationship between the author's characters and the actors who attempt to play the characters can be understood in terms of Freud's theory of the uncanny.
From the Paper "In the play, six characters appear at a rehearsal and are looking for a way to have their story told. Their goal is to have actors play the parts they represent in the story as yet completed. It is a paradoxical situation in which the actors are imitating the characters as they "perform" the circumstances of their lives. The conflict is made manifest in the discussions between the father and the producer as to what constitutes reality. The actors are "real" because they are living humans. The characters are "fictitious forms" of consciousness. From the perspective of the characters, the actors are comical in their attempts to recreate what the character has created. The actor is both "real" and an imitation while the characters are a representation presented to the world as "real" because of the reality of their stories."
Abstract This paper explains the concept of syndication and looks at its impact on actors, television audiences, and the industry as a whole. It discusses how syndication can also revive interest in a defunct show that never found its audience by giving it a new time slot and lease on life. The writer states that it can sustain the revenue of a faltering actor who gave his or her "best years" to America in a particularly beloved and culturally seminal role, like Archie Bunker, but, ultimately, syndication is the art of repetition, rather than the creation of what is new.
From the Paper "The most recent hit television show to come to an end was the popular NBC sitcom ?Friends.? The show was one of the last mainstays of NBC's long-standing but faltering "Must See TV" Thursday lineup. This lineup used to include "Seinfield" but has now dwindled to a faltering "ER" and little else, a show that is also syndicated and likely to end soon, given its declining number of viewers. What was so interesting, however, in terms of the death of "Friends" as a cultural mainstay, was not the loss of this rather pedestrian sitcom, but the fact that even more than the content of the final episode, the question in the media was often?how much would the actors receive for their performance in the show, and how much was the undisclosed amount they would receive when all of the episodes entered syndication. The show's presence, through syndication, had become so ubiquitous, that there were more questions about the revenue of the actors than of the show's termination itself. After all, no one could miss "Friends"--it would still be on, in recycled form, night after night."
Tags: friends, television, audience, actor, time, slot
Abstract This paper explains that one of the biggest challenges of adapting literature into film is the complex task of finding the actors to convincingly bring them to life on the big screen; Adam Egoyan's version of "The Sweet Hereafter" has done this. The author points out that, in a novel, the characters are developed with the aid of small clues from the author and are much more fluid than those captured on film, which is why the casting task is so challenging. This paper relates that, by relying on a cast of talented actors, by filming in anamorphic CinemaScope, and by adding a particular set of visual clues, Egoyan has remained faithful to Russel Banks's heart-wrenching, emotional tale.
From the Paper "In Banks' version of The Sweet Hereafter, Dolores Driscoll has a very distinctive voice. She speaks in colloquial terms, and her descriptions are short and frank. Banks has Dolores speak about the essential area of religion in order to illustrate this trait: "Oh, like most people, we go to church - First Methodist - but irregularly and mostly for social reasons, so as not to stand out too much in the community" Clearly, Dolores is a brutally honest woman. She goes to church merely to uphold an image, and she discloses this motivation without any hesitation. Dolores does not feel the need to put on airs or to pretend to be something that she is not."
Abstract This paper explains that, since its inception, several events have conspired to push the European Union (EU) towards implementing foreign and security policies and military intervention; the ethnic conflicts on the doorstep of Europe in the Balkans and specifically the failures in Bosnia and Kosovo have prompted EU leaders to consider the role of the EU in military and humanitarian concerns. The author points out that, in the war on terror, the American response was 'shock and awe'; whereas, the 'European way of war' includes not only the Petersberg Tasks of peacekeeping and humanitarian aid but also trying to deal with the congeries of economic, political, social and human factors, which, if left unaddressed, can contribute to conflict and to support for terrorism. The paper concludes that the EU's identity as an actor on the world stage, as it has developed over the years, has proven it to be a successful economic and political participant in world affairs and, therefore, has been obliged the EU to take responsibility for international conflict and humanitarian crises in its capacity as a major world actor.
Table of Contents
Bosnia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Congo
The End of the Cold War
The 'War on Terror'
Conclusion
From the Paper "The massacre at Srebrenica in Bosnia, July 1995 was called 'the worst mass murder in Europe since 1945'. The massacre was the culmination of civil war between Serbs and Muslims, brought about through ethnic rivalries. At the time, the United Nations (UN) was in official command of troops in Bosnia and had designated Srebrenica a safe zone for Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), but the UN troops (under a Dutch commander) found themselves unable to intervene. The troops, called in for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, were not authorised to engage with the Serbs. While the EU with its newly formed Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) attempted negotiations, it was a case of too little, too late."
Abstract This paper discusses the film "Multi-facial", written, directed by and starring Vin Diesel. The paper discusses the way in which the film makes use of its pseudo-documentary style of filming to highlight the difficulties of an actor whose multi-racial appearance causes casting directors and filmmaking insiders to view him with suspicion. The paper describes the way in which the film suggests to the viewer that this is a reality that is encountered by actors behind studio walls.
From the Paper "This rough texture of filming places the viewer, constantly in the position of the auditioning casting director of the actor played by Diesel. It forces the viewer to ask, how do I read this actor, racially? It is thus just not a point of plot to ask how will Mike's face be 'read' by the individuals who may or may not give him a job. The viewer is asked to reconsider his or her assumptions. Time and time again, Mike's auditioning directors reject the actor because they feel that the audience's eyes will not read Mike's facial characteristics correctly as a member of a particular racial group."
