The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example

The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Paper 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. 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.

Making Connections 2 Essays (493 words) - Writing, Free Essays

Making Connections 2 Essays (493 words) - Writing, Free Essays Kennedy Sims @02839811 March 21st, 2019 Making Connections Two Assignment After reading the multiple articles regarding writing and literacy today, it made me realize how much I actually was not taught or taught incorrectly in high school. I always wondered why it felt like I was constantly writing the same essay over and over again. This was because the outline for writing in high school was very mundane and general. Majority of the topics were never interesting, and we were always told as students to stay in a certain sentence structure or outline. One of the main articles that I strongly related to in "Visons and Cyphers" was "Shitty First Drafts" by Anne Lamott. In her article she states how it is okay and often normal to have a "incoherent" or "hideous" first draft. She explains how most notable writers have three or even four rough drafts in order to have an interesting and effective piece of writing. I found this especially intriguing because in high school we were often told to have one rough draft and immediately after that our final draft had to be written. I believe this method may have limited the creative thinking space needed in order to mess up and fix those mistakes ourselves, or even add ideas. This is the change that I believe should be made in teaching English, or any subject, around the globe. We should drop the boxes and frames we try to put children in in order to meet societal or even our personal standards. Doing this will allow for free creative space and unique ideas that make way for more interesting writing. Another article that caught my attention in "Visions and Cyphers" was the essay by Geneva Smitherman called "English Teacher: Why You Be Doing the Thangs You Don't Do?". In this essay Smitherman discusses the criticism toward African American Vernacular in writing in the classroom. She expresses her concerns toward this by saying that students should be able to openly express how they feel through their writing. She feels sad that many African-American students have to change the way they write and often speak to be accepted into the professional world. The last article in Visions and Cyphers that I found very interesting regarding teaching methods in today's English world is "Literacy, Identity, Imagination, Flight" by Keith Gilyard. In this essay one topic that Keith discussed which I found very interesting was the example of sloppy handwriting being frowned upon if you are someone of lower status, but it is a "mark of status" if you were to be a doctor or celebrity. I believe, once again, this circles around to how things are taught in society today. These things are often carried over into the classrooms. In the long run, the switch in the mindset that everything has to be taught the same way is what is really holding students back in the classroom.

Start Up Shoe Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Start Up Shoe Business - Essay Example high heel, medium heel and low heel. All these three heights can be adjusted in a single product. The heel of this innovative product will be of hard plastic. It can be rotated to adjust the desired heights from three default sizes. This feature is the key attractive feature of the product. Manufacturing cost of this product would be $25. The company will manufacture this product through their own production unit. It will source leather and other required raw materials from the local suppliers. The quality of this multi-featured shoe will be of premium standard so that it can be positioned in the market among the premium brands. Quality will be checked by the expertise of the company’s manufacturing department. Quality control activity involves checking of quality of lather and pasting. These two components of a shoe determine the overall quality of the product. Customers’ feedbacks about the product at initial stage need to be evaluated to find out necessary revisions in production process or product raw materials. Quality control is one of the most important parts of production process. The quality control department always needs to focus on the industry quality standard and position the brand by comparing general feedback of the customers about quality of this product with respect to other brands. This product will be offered in the market with high standard of customer service like 6 months after sales warranty for any kind of damages of the shoe. New shoe will be provided in case of major damages within 6 months. Production flow of this product will be controlled on the basis of the demand of the product in the market. This strategy will be adapted to faster liquidation of the inventory and lower inventory cycle. Customers’ feedback will be given higher priority for further product development in terms of quality and design of this innovative product. Location HIGHLOWS shoe will be manufactured in Springfield, MA. Springfield is one of the most popular cities in England. The manufacturing unit of this product will be established in this location. Therefore, availability of resources needs to be analyzed in this location. For developing manufacturing and warehousing unit, a large hall will be leased for the next 5 years, and the interior of the hall will be designed. This includes separating the total space into two different divisions like manufacturing unit and warehouse. In the manufacturing unit, required machineries will be installed. Electric wearing will be fixed before the installation of the machineries. The generator facility will be necessary to ensure 24 hour electric supply. Renting the required building will be cost effective for this new business as the initial investment needs to be allocated in various activities like marketing, transportation, working capital management etc. Therefore, the cost of developing a building will be allocated in other operating activities. It is the most effective busi ness strategy for a new business to use rented fixed assets at initial stages, which also helps the company to easily withdraw the business in case of the worst case scenario in terms of market demand of the product. 2 to 3 vehicles are necessary for carrying raw material and also for supplying the products to the wholesalers as well as retailers. Again, to reduce initial capital requirements, this service will be outsourced from local transport service providers. To avoid delayed supply of raw materials, local suppliers will be involved in the production of this product. Legal Environment In order to obtain the licensing of the shoe business, an experienced attorney will have to be hired in order that all the legal requirements of the business are fulfilled and necessary

Paganism and New Ageism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Paganism and New Ageism - Essay Example As the discussion highlights Paganism encourages worship of godheads that are similar to the medieval Pagan godheads that thrived in an age of anarchy, and the New Age movement presents a complex mix of occult, science, belief in extraterritorial beings that exist in a different plane and â€Å"Enlightened Masters† to resemble Gnosticism. This essay argues that it is best to avoid the Pagan and New Age religiosities because they present a potential for even greater anarchy than is apparent in a world that predominantly subscribes to the monotheistic doctrines.This paper declares that  over the past decades, North America and the Western World have witnessed a substantial increase in the number and diversity of New Religious Movements and new forms of religious life. This is probably because of the fact that with the emergence of a new world, religion must now adapt to new realities. Now, religion is a private matter; more of a matter of choice than it used to be, and religio n must now cope with advanced capitalism. Information is now far more readily available for the masses with the freedom to question and to think.  God who deliberately divided His people into followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam tolerate the slaughter and the butchery that are the result of His messages to humanity?  Are any of the three of those that presented messages about monotheism imposters and Satanists?... Information is now far more readily available for the masses with the freedom to question and to think. According to Partridge (2006), notions of wellbeing are now important for spiritual health and individuals search for that which satisfies them most in their interaction with the world around them. The reality associated with suffering in a world in which God, an omnipotent being, the all-powerful and the all-knowing Creator, should and could have prevented despair creates a certain lack of satisfaction with the established religious doctrine, especially the monotheistic religious doctrine (Davy, 1997, pp. 1 – 20). After all, how could a merciful monotheistic God who deliberately divided His people into followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam tolerate the slaughter and the butchery that are the result of His messages to humanity? Are any of the three of those that presented messages about monotheism imposters and Satanists? How can one believe in the truth of events tha t unfolded many thousands of years ago? Why is it impossible for this God, who has the power to create, to maintain all of His creations in dignity and satisfaction in a world that He created and if there is an omnipotent God, why does he delight in the slaughter and destruction of His creation? Many questions and doubts haunt many followers of the three monotheist religious doctrines and the history of monotheism spread over many thousands of years presents many flaws, contradictions, abhorrent notions and notions that defy logic. A study of Armstrong (2011), Stark (2003), Bianchi (1975) and Paterson (2004) lends some support to the previously mentioned doubts. Davy (1997) suggests that a failure to remain satisfied by the notion

Digital marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Digital marketing - Essay Example The paper "Digital marketing" study illustrates the use of digital marketing in the â€Å"adidas Group† strategy for gaining competitive market position. Companies increasingly invent new business models–or strategies–for selling as the markets globalize, competition intensifies, and both consumers and investors become more demanding. The new business challenges of the Internet era largely stems from the globalization. Digital methods such as the real time marketing tools have become an essential part of the global business giants today. Researchers have reported three distinct waves in the direct and interactive marketing during the past 30 years namely; mainstreaming, database marketing and the Internet stage. The new horizon in the Internet stage brings fascinating opportunities for the marketers, enabling them to actually realize the goals of one-to one marketing while also encouraging them to learn, deploy, and adopt information technologies strategically. I n other words online technology and marketing have joined during the above third wave. Any business that chooses to ignore these new changes will most likely die out from the market eventually because the intensifying global competition has made it almost impossible to do any effective marketing without in some way using the technology of the Internet (Wiedemann, 2001). For example, the â€Å"adidas Group† stated its brands needed to make more relevant to the online audiences in order to propel demand. Hence the company is now engaged.

Interagency Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interagency Networks - Essay Example The principle challenge that lies in any country is creating coordination and integration between the numerous national instruments through the interagency process. This is a major challenge faced even by the United States, a country whose power has global influence unmatched by any other country. The problem can become greater in the current century as strategy makers both of civilian and military stature struggle with geopolitical issues that will be needing fluency in fitting together all the elements and levers of power. Today, the U.S. has embassies, consulates and memberships in most international organizations. It has a singular military command system that has reach in every part of the world and even the outer space. It initiates and makes agreements that endorse peace, human rights, democracy and protection of the environment. All the instruments of American power are implemented to create a global impact. In spite of all these, there remains â€Å"the challenge of strateg ic integration, of bringing the instruments into calculated effectiveness†. The political leaders and the national security staff continuously attempt to achieve consistency with limited success through the interagency process. For any kind of policy formulation and implementation, the participants are governments or their agencies which mean governments function through the cooperation of subordinate agencies. The roles of governments for solving national and international problems are always under scanner. However, it is also needed that any structure that is created as advisory body of the government and to make strategic decisions for policy implementation should also be scrutinized. Governments function through institutions, hence officials of each institution should be categorized into coherent groups to assist the government. The challenge here is to organize the officials in an efficient manner, and to ensure positive outcomes of organizational decisions. The solution lies in performing functions in a better process, better organizations and more coherent allocation of government’s instruments. However, there is no common perspective on what is the best approach towards organizing a government’s myriad functions. Also, there is no concrete proof how well modifications in the working process of the government have worked. The demand to bring changes is â€Å"as often based on statements of belief or intent as on clearly defined calculations of institutional cause and effect† (O’Faircheallaigh et al., 1999, p.72). An organization is formed because of the

Luxury Brands Essay Example for Free

Luxury Brands Essay Luxury Brands: What Are They Doing About Social Responsibility? David S. Waller, Marketing Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Anurag G. Hingorani, Marketing Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Abstract Although luxury goods may be synonymous with extravagance, lavishness, and even waste, it may appear to be a contradiction that a number of companies that manufacture and sell luxury brands have also discovered the value of being socially responsible. With growing criticism of the high costs and exploitation in the manufacture of luxury goods, some companies are increasing the extent to which corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues feature in their business practices. This paper will look at the issues regarding luxury brands and social responsibility, and will focus on LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world‟s largest luxury goods conglomerate. Introduction Despite the recent global financial crisis and continuing economic troubles worldwide, sales of luxury brands are growing. According to the Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, luxury spending in 2011 rose 8% to â‚ ¬185 billion ($US274 billion) in 2011, with growth in the US, Europe and China, which was after a fall in sales in 2008 and 2009 (Holmes 2011). Brand names like Chanel, Yves St Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany Co. have become household names and brands that some people aspire to purchase and wear. However, luxury brands have also been often criticised for being extravagant, overpriced, exploiting third world suppliers, and wasteful when many people are struggling financially. As luxury brands promote themselves to the global audience, some companies are increasing the extent to which corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues feature in their business practices. This paper will explore the issues related to luxury brands and social responsibility, with a particular focus on LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world‟s largest luxury goods conglomerate which includes internationally recognised brands such as Christian Dior, TAG Heuer, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Guerlain, Kenzo and Givenchy. A content analysis of the 2010 Annual report will reveal the CSR initiatives/activities undertaken by LVMH and some implications for CSR disclosure will be discussed. Background Since some embarrassing corporate ethical and financial disasters, many organisations are taking steps to improve their corporate governance, ethical practice and CSR activities (Agrawal and Chadha, 2005; Margolis and Walsh, 2001). There has been particular interest in CSR, in which there is a â€Å"concern for the impact of all of the corporations activities on the total welfare of society† (Bowman and Haire, 1976, p. 13). CSR activities and disclosure have increased with organisations identifying different types of CSR initiatives that they undertake, including those that relate to work output, HR activities, social/community commitment, and environmental initiatives (Gray, Owen and Maunders, 1987; Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006; Waller 2009; Waller and Lanis, 2009). These CSR activities can help promote a specific image that management would like to portray to its various stakeholders, and counter criticism for other issues that may affect the company. The luxury industry thrives on the creation of an image and the communication of brandassociations. This contributes to the interest in luxury brands by many consumers who might want to portray a particular image or feel a certain way by acquiring and consuming luxury goods and services. Not only consumers but also academic and industry researchers are  interested in luxury brands (Bendell and Kleanthous 2007; Fionda and Moore 2009; Kapferer and Bastien 2009; Phau and Prendergast 2000). Most consumers prefer to purchase a wellknown, reputable brand over a cheaper, unknown brand, especially when making highinvolvement purchases, or products that reflect a buyer‟s personality. Luxury provides selfexpression which reflects class, status, and quality. However, at a time when there is increasing unemployment, economic troubles around the world, and a downturn in sales, there is a concern that a luxury brand is elitist and uncaring for the wider community. In 2007, the WWF-UK measured 10 luxury brands on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance – and the brands did not fair well (Bendell and Kleanthous 2007). In relation to the marketing of luxury brands in a world of rich and poor, the report states: â€Å"Luxury brands are experiencing rapid expansion in societies that contain both very rich and very poor people. Such societies can view displays of conspicuous consumption as a threat to social cohesion. This is true, for example, in China, where the authorities in Beijing have banned the use of billboards to advertise luxury products and services. In this context, the credibility of luxury products and services will be derived from their ability to generate wellbeing, not only for consumers, but also for those involved in (or affected by) their production, use, reuse and disposal.† The report ranked the top 10 largest luxury goods companies on an environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance ranking. This was based on: (1) what the companies report to the community; and (2) what media and non-governmental organisations have said about the companies. The companies were given a score out of 100, and graded from A (the best) to F (the worst). Out of the 10 companies, none were graded more than a C+ with LOreal topping the ranking, followed by Hermà ¨s and Louis Vuitton. By being more proactive in their civic responsibilities and keeping within government regulations in their business operations, an organisation can build a reputation as a good corporate citizen. Some CSR activities that luxury brands can undertake include eco-friendly ingredient sourcing, fair pricing, eco-manufacture, and efficient non-wasteful distribution, as well as corporate sponsorship. This study will examine the CSR activities run by LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world‟s largest luxury goods conglomerate, via a content analysis of the LVMH 2010 Annual Report. The main company information about LVMH is found in Table 1. Table 1: LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton Company Information Luxury goods, retail Industry Founded Headquarters Products Brands 1987 Paris, France Clothing, cosmetics, fashion accessories, jewellery, perfumes, spirits, watches and wines Includes: Moà «t et Chandon, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Fendi, Donna Karan, Givenchy, Kenzo, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, DFS, Le Bon Marchà © â‚ ¬20.32 billion â‚ ¬3.032 billion 83,540 Methodology Organisations can communicate their CSR information through a variety of sources such as advertising, annual reports, public relations and their websites. In this study, the annual report was analysed as this is the only document produced regularly to comply with regulatory requirements and is central to the organisation‟s own image (Gray, Kouhy and Lavers 1995). After finding the LVMH 2010 annual report online from the company website (www.lvmh.com), a search was made for a social responsibility section in the report.