Celluloid

McCay enlisted the help of a young neighbour, John A. Fitzsimmons to help trace the backgrounds while McCay devoted his efforts to animating Gertie himself, ten thousand drawings in total. Upon release Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914 McCay and his animated creation were a hit. The film was a landmark title not only for having the first animated star, but for being the first with a proper storyline as well (Goldman, 2005). Up until this point animation had been mostly the work of individual artists…

Censorship was in its full regulatory glory in the 1940s, with the Production Code Administration (or the PCA) carefully reviewing whether or not films met certain guidelines which were listed in the Production Code. One example of censorship under the Production Code is the film Black Narcissus, made in 1947, which follows an order of Anglican nuns’ acclimation to helping a remote village in the Himalayas. The Production Code, created by the Roman Catholic Church and enforced by the PCA, found…

“Some dismiss [communication studies] as “fluffy,” or easy” (Frierson, 2012). However, people seem to not understand that a communication studies program can prepare you for a variety of careers. Frierson (2012) states, “In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists more career opportunities for communications graduates than any other major, including computer science, engineering and mathematics.” “Communication Studies is a broad discipline that covers rhetorical theory from the ancient…

The Spaniards subjected the land of the Aztecs and the Mayans. It was then called the land of Mexico where the cacao trees were first seen. The Spaniards then shipped the cacao to the Philippines through the use of the galleon trading system. The Philippines was the first country outside Mesoamerica that plants and grows cacao. It became more popular to the country and also to the other parts of the world. As stated by the Cacao Manual published by the Inter-American Institute of American…

The power of cinema has been remarkably significant in the world because of it’s ability to take you into worlds were anything can happen. You watch a movie where reality is often pushed to the side and imagination takes over. Movies have the ability to also tell truths about real world happenings that are not so easily talked about, allowing the viewer to understand what is actually happening. But, with power comes great responsibility. Hollywood’s representation of Native Americans has been…

History of Photography Although many may know what photography is, they do not know how far it has come from the beginning of its time. Photography, in itself, is one of the fastest growing hobbies in today’s world. Many believed it was “the killer of fine art” (Tolmachev) as it began to develop. The changes of photography and the people who have contributed to its advancement, have played a vital part in bringing it from its humble beginnings to its present day technological astonishment.…

Introduction The representation of Africa and African people in popular American media has been a major concern in academic disciplines and the subject of numerous books and essays. Many scholars and activists have written about this issue seeking to introduce new knowledges and methodologies into the debate while taking into account the overwhelming evidence of the colonial influence on these representations. The debates and arguments are not restricted to Hollywood films (although Hollywood…

Nitro-junkie & Badmotorjam I have a natural appreciation for muscle cars, classic automobiles, motorcycles et al. I also love movies, and my penchant for these appreciations means life stories are analogous to all things with engines and celluloid. What’s even better is there is never a shortage of stories to tell. Last week’s adventure at the pump was eye opening for me anyway. Yet, I have noticed that whenever someone sticks their neck out to write about the topic of masculinity, some people…

Alfalfa’s Shadows “Give me an R” a loud man yells at the front of the theater. He now has everyone in the audience’s attention. “R,” the crowd yelled back at him. “Give me an O!” “O!” “Give me a C!” “C!” “Give me a K!” “K!” “Give me a Y!” “Why,” the crowd answers back sarcastically. It was show time. The leader of a theater group, Paul, successfully got everyone in the crowd to pay attention. We had been practicing for this night for about two months. I could already feel the sweat drip down my…

Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North is a silent ethnographic documentary following a family of Inuits living in the Arctic Circle. Regarded by some as a turning point for documentaries, it serves as a ground for debate around representation and ethics of documentary film. In 1922 Flaherty set out to record the previously unseen lives of the Inuit in snowy Alaska as they struggle to survive in such a harsh environment. Flaherty spent 16 months living with Inuit where he staged sequences of them…