Disneys Animation Evolution Essay Example

Disneys Animation Evolution Essay Ever since Disney started animating full length feature films there has been a common trend in their choice of lead characters. These characters have been young women or girls, and are often royalty. These characters have served as role models for many generations of young women, and have been continuously evolving over the years. This paper will examine the evolution of Disney’s heroines by examining past and present heroines, as well as speculate on what type of heroines Disney’s future projects may feature. This exploration will involve examining two heroines that are often termed to be â€Å"classic† and a two that are often termed to be â€Å"modern†. We will explore these characters styles of animation, physical appearance and temperaments, personal goals and situations and how these characteristics have affected or could effect viewers. The two â€Å"classical† heroines discussed in this paper are Snow White and Aurora, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty or Briar Rose. The animators who developed the physical appearance of these two characters used professional dancers as models for their characters. Snow White and Aurora both display similarities in their life situations and personality traits. They are featured as the main character in their respective stories and they are both princesses who are victimized. They are caucasian, young and beautiful, and naive. They both wait for their â€Å"true love†, to come and save them from their crisis. Their â€Å"true love†, in both stories, are mysterious and heroic princes who, among other admirable qualities, are avid horse riders. The feature film â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs† that was released in 1937. We will write a custom essay sample on Disneys Animation Evolution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Disneys Animation Evolution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Disneys Animation Evolution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As the very first Disney princess and being the lead heroine in the first full length feature by Walt Disney, Snow White became the base mold for all of Disney’s future heroines. Being the first princess meant she was also basically a rough sketch that would be improved upon with each new heroine. Modeled after the dancer Marge Champion (birth name: Marjorie Belcher), Snow White’s face is a bit rounded, she has a small nose, full lips, rosy cheeks and porcelain pale skin (John Grant, 1993). However she differs from heroines that come after her by having somewhat smaller eyes, which did not allow for more expressive emotions. Snow White’s appearance was modeled after a dancer with the intention to make her appear dainty and graceful. When she walks and runs it seems as if she is dancing, and when she actually does dance (as she does at scene 54:00-56:30) in the cottage she performs choreographed dance steps. Executing them perfectly just as Champion danced them with an ethereal dreamlike quality. Her voice was recorded by Adriana Caselotti, a young opera singer to emphasize Snow White’s youth, innocence and naivete. Snow Whites story is a simple one. Snow White is declared as the â€Å"fairest of them all† by a magic mirror owned by her stepmother, the queen. A huntsmen, at the command of Snow White’s jealous stepmother sets out to kill Snow White. The huntsmen shows Snow White mercy and allows her to run away. Snow White befriends cute and friendly woodland creatures and seven dwarfs in her attempts to hide from the queen. The queen continues to pursue Snow White and succeeds in putting Snow White in a coma-like sleep by feeding her a poisoned apple. Snow White’s true love, the prince searches through the forest to save her and awakens her with â€Å"true love’s kiss†. Snow White’s character in this movie is passive. After running away from danger she spends the remainder of the movie waiting to be rescued. She does not take any positive action to change her fate. The decisions made that drive the procession of events are made by other characters, leaving Snow White only able to react. Aurora is the least developed character in all of Disneys movies, only actually appearing for roughly 18 minutes throughout the entire film, yet she is considered to be the lead character. Aurora’s appearance was modeled after actress and dancer Helen Stanley (John Grant, 1993)22. She was drawn to be much thinner than Snow White and featured bigger more expressive eyes. When an evil fairy Malificent curses baby Aurora, Aurora’s parents send her into the woods to be raised by good fairies in order to protect her from the curse. Malificent searches for Aurora as she grows up as Briar Rose, unaware of her royal status and her looming fate. The evil fairy finally finds her and the curse is carried out: Aurora pricks her finger on a loom and falls into a deep sleep. Malificent captures Prince Philip to prevent him form saving the princess but he escapes. Prince Philip finds Aurora, kisses her and awakens her from her sleep. Aurora is like Snow White in that all decisions about her life are made by the people around her. She is given away at birth to be raised by the good fairies, and once she meets her true love, she is informed that she is actually betrothed to the prince. Of course her true love and the prince are one and the same, but she is still not given any choice in the matter. Although in the end everything works out, but it seems more like pure luck than anything. The two â€Å"modern† heroines discussed in this paper are Mulan and Tiana. Both Mulan and Tiana display similarities in their life situations and personality traits. They are featured as the main characters in their respective stories and are both members of minorities and have different cultural backgrounds. They are not born princesses and instead of being victimized are faced with challenges, that they must overcome themselves. Mulan is the tomboy out of Disney’s heroines, and although considered to be one of Disney’s princesses she is in fact not a princess, nor does she become one. Mulan is exotic looking with large saucer almond shaped eyes and pouty lips. Her tomboyish look is not only perceived because of her actual cross dressing but more on her character. Her body, though thin is not waif like, she is somewhat stockier overall than past heroines. There is no clear record of who she was modeled after, her speaking voice is done by Ming-Na, an actress from Hong Kong, and her singing voice was recorded by Lea Salonga. Both her speaking voice and singing voice are strong and sure, they do not waver or portray innocence and naivety. When China goes to war with the Huns, one man from every family is called to arms including Mulans father, who is already injured from the last war. Mulan switches places with her father, going undercover as a man to save her families honor. She trains to become as strong as the rest of the real men in the army and fights alongside them. She is accompanied by Mushu the dragon, a fallen family protector and a lucky cricket. Unlike most of the classical heroines the animals are not woodland characters, nor do they flock to Mulan when she is singing. They are part of her journey and aid her by providing strength and encouragement. Mulan manages to save China and the emporer from the Huns, earning both her families honor and honor of her own. Of course the story would not be complete without a little bit of love. Mulan falls in love with her companies captain, and in the end he appears to have fallen for her as well. He is not a prince though and seems to merely compliment her life instead of wanting to rule her life. Tiana is the princess from the movie â€Å"The Princess and the Frog† that was released in 2009. This is the most recent Disney movie with a female heroine. Tiana is the first african american heroine, and unfortunately she spends the majority of the story in frog form. Now the main difference of course between Tiana and past heroines is that she is african american, she has the typical saucer eyes and oval face. Her nose is a little wider than most of the heroines and her lips are much fuller. Her body is thin for the most part, but she seems to have wider hips and slightly larger legs and calves, while still appearing slim overall. Tiana’s voice is done by Anika Noni Rose, and while it is not specified anywhere, it appears as if she was modeled after her too. Her voice is strong and proud, with a little bit of spice to it, meaning that her attitude comes through when she speaks. Disney’s princess and the frog is a bit of a twist on the original tale, of course it is due to a little mishap, with Tiana not actually being a princess. Tiana is girl with a goal, dreaming of owning her own restaurant. She is unlike all the past heroines in the case that she has an actual paying job, two in fact, barely sleeping and collecting tips so that one day she can afford her dream location. She passes up frivolity and doesn’t put any stock into love, fashion or anything else that would give her something in common with any of the past female leads. Once she is turned into a frog she learns that maybe shutting the possibility of love out of her life was hastey, and she falls for the prince although they are both frogs. The rest of the movie revolves around their quest to become human again, ending in their marriage, while still in frog form. This marriage makes her a princess and thus their first wedded kiss turns them both back. The prince helps her to open her dream restaurant and appears to convert to a life of the normal instead of a life of royalty. For the last section of the paper we will theorize on the possible direction that future disney princesses and heroines might take. One would hope that Disney would continue on with the image of strong, empowered, positive female characters that they have been portraying in the past fifteen years. Because these characters are seen as such a strong influence on most young girls, it is important to keep these characteristics as well as to maybe modernize them even more. Today young women in americanized cultures are empowered to have rights, be independent, fend for themselves and to make their own paths in life. Tiana, from â€Å"The princess and the frog†, as discussed in the prior section of the paper, mostly fits this description. However it still ends with her finding her prince and living happily ever after. Now not to say that the heroines to come shouldn’t live happily ever after but who says they need a prince or man anymore. Lets be realistic here, women today pave their own way and while finding love is usually not completely crossed off anyones list it is not usually their main goal. Goals of heroines and princesses to come could involve a princess going to university, starting her own business like Tiana, or having some sort of job. Who says the princess needs to fall in love, get married and make babies. Disney is often controversial dealing with things that may not immediately be accepted, like when they introduced exotic characters of different races. Maybe Disney will push the envelope and make a lesbian heroine or princess, that would be different although possibly too different. As discussed earlier all of Disney’s main leading women, are slender, small waisted and of nice if not perfect proportions. Women come in all shapes and sizes and Disney would be smart to incorporate these aspects into characters to come. The characters would be more realistic and maybe even more relatable for young girls. A larger heroine with thicker legs and larger proportions overall would help counter the images most young girls are subjected to by the media today, and the images that are portrayed in past Disney films. Disney’s heroines have been evolving continuously from the very beginning. Starting with shy, naive waif like girls and proceeding to include different cultures and personality types. Tiana is the start of the future for Disney, and if you compare her to Snow White you can see how far these heroines have come, while still managing to be part of a fairytale. We remain hopeful that Disney will continue to progress and evolve their heroines further, pushing boundaries and setting better examples for young girls. Bibliography John Grant, 1993. Encyclopedia of Walt Disney animated characters. Hyperion: New York Leonard Mosley, 1985. Disney’s World: a biography. Stein and Day: New York Christopher Finch, 1973. Walt Disney: From mickey mouse to the magic Kingdoms. Harry N. Abrams, Inc: New York Walt Disney, David hand. (1937) Snow White and the Seven dwarfs. United States: Buena Vista Distribution Walt Disney, Clyde Geronimi. (1959) Sleeping Beauty. United States: Buena Vista Distribution Pam Coate, Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. (1998) Mulan. United States: Walt Disney Pictures Peter Del Vecho, Ron Clements and John Musker. (2009) The princes and the frog. United States: Walt Disney Pictures

The 4 Best ACT Apps (and How to Use Them in Your Prep)

The 4 Best ACT Apps (and How to Use Them in Your Prep) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You can use apps to order food, watch sports, keep up with friends, and even study for the ACT. ACT apps are a somewhat recent phenomenon, but they're pretty appealing. After all, studying on your phone sounds like way more funthan studying from a book. Unfortunately, apps aren't enough to prepare you for the test on their own, but they can be a helpful resource. In this article, I'll explain what ACT prep apps are, list the best ACT apps (most of which are free!), andoffer tips on how to use them effectively. ACT Apps: An Overview As mobile apps have become more popular, a number of ACT prep apps have been created to help students prepare for the ACT. Those who have created them are trying to capitalize on the popularity of mobile apps, and they want to make ACT prep material more accessible for students. If you have an ACT prep app on your phone or tablet, you'll be able to study for the ACT wherever you’re at, whether you’re at home, school, or on a plane. Also, studying on an app is more enjoyable and interactive for some students than using an ACT prep book. Most ACT prep apps are free, but there are some that cost money to purchase. Why ACT Apps Are Not Enough ACT apps can be a good study tool, but you probably won’t be able to solely rely on them to reach your target score. They're helpful, but it takes more than just a piece of technology to to get a killer score on the ACT!You should check out our articles on how to get a perfect score on the ACT and the best ways to study for the ACTfor the best tips and tricks to getting a great score. Additionally, most of the apps don't have sufficient practice questions. There are either too few of them, or they're not representative of the questions you'll get on the ACT. You may need more real ACT questions or realistic practice questions to test your knowledge and improve your content weaknesses. Also, the apps don’t teach you ACT test-taking strategies that can help you. Most of the apps don’t cover test-taking strategies like how to read the ACT Reading and English passages. Furthermore, the majority of the apps aren’t customized to your skill level. To improve your ACT score, you need to focus your time on improving your weaknesses. You may need to get better with your time management on the Science section. Or you may need help with trigonometry. Most of these apps aren’t effective at determining where you’re weak, and they’re not designed to help you focus on the areas in which your skills need to improve. Identify your weaknesses What Makes a Good ACT App? There are specific qualities you should look for in an SAT app. #1: Tons of Realistic Practice Questions The best ACT apps will offer hundreds of practice questions for you to hone your skills. The questions should be presented in the same format as the questions that appear on the ACT, and they should be roughly as difficult as the questions on the official ACT practice tests. Each question should provide a thorough explanation, so you’re able to understand how to correctly answer all of the practice questions. #2: Good User Experience The app should be easy to navigate and use. On some of the apps, the text is hard to read, or the setup of the app makes it difficult to identify the functions and navigate between them. #3: Thorough Content Instruction A good ACT prep app should clearly teach you the content you need to know to excel on the ACT. After reading a lesson or answer explanation, you shouldn’t have any lingering confusion about the topic. A quality app will break down the topic and thoroughly explain it. You should be able to start with limited knowledge of the topic, but then understand it well enough to correctly answer related ACT questions after using the app. A bad app will provide more brief instruction and leave you uncomfortable with a content area you are unsure about. If you have unanswered questions about the topic, you'll need more content instruction. #4: Questions and Lessons Divided by Specific Topics A good app will divide practice questions and content instruction by more specific topics than just Reading, English, Science, and Math. If you know the topics on which you need extra help, you should know exactly where to go. If you need more help with pronoun agreement, you should be able to easily find instruction or practice questions to help you with your knowledge of pronoun agreement. The 4 Best ACT Apps If you want to use ACT apps in your studying, here are four that can provide some benefit to you. All are free of charge, except the official ACT app. Many of the other ACT apps that I’m not mentioning offer an unhelpful basic version, and then you have to pay to upgrade to the â€Å"premium† version for more practice questions and content instruction. #1: ACT Online Prep iTunes|Google Play This is the ACT’s official prep app, and it advertises itself as the only app that can help you accurately predict your ACT score. It’s definitely helpful, but it costs $39.95 and comes as part of thepurchase of the ACT's online prep program. It’s customized to your skill level, it has practice questions and a test with real ACT questions, and it offers thorough content review. Also, there are gaming features that allow you to test your knowledge and compete with your friends. That's not to mention the fact that this app isofficial,so you know you're getting the best information possible. Honestly, the biggest drawbackto this app is the price. #2: Ready4 ACT iTunes |Google Play This app offers 60 lessons, 1,000 virtual flashcards that provide explanations to example questions, and 1,000 practice questions. Initially, you take a diagnostic test of eight questions and the app will customize a course of instruction for you. Because there aren’t many questions on the diagnostic, the app may not accurately determine your current skill level. This app is definitely one of the better free ACT prep apps. It offers content instruction, you can take a mock ACT with up to 100 questions, it offers many good realistic practice questions, and the explanations to the questions are complete. It’s still not perfect, though. The content instruction it provides is pretty brief, so it may not be enough if you’re struggling with a topic. Also, the user experience isn't ideal. For the Reading and English questions, the passages and questions are on different screens, and it was a little difficult for me to find the underlined portion of the passage for the English questions. #3: ACT: Practice, Prep, Flashcards iTunes |Google Play This app, which was designed by the tutoring company Varsity Tutors, has a ton of features. Itincludes practice tests, single-section diagnostic tests, questions of the day, and flashcards with practice questions and explanations. You can also make your own flashcards and find a tutor via the app. You’ll have to pay for the tutor, though, and the prices for one-on-one tutoring aren't clearly listed. The app's major benefit is its wealth of practicequestions, and since they're divided by topic, you can drill your specific weaknesses. Unfortunately,there’s no mention of test-taking strategies nor anycontent instruction other than explanations of the practice questions. But for a free app, you can't beat the amount of information! #4: ACT Prep Coach Practice Test iTunes | Google Play On the upshot, this test prep app by Magoosh (which updates regularly!) gives users a lot to love. The app combines study tips, helpful articles, and test practice questions, and it even offers users a practice test. The free tier is pretty robust in that you can access all the most recent articles along with 100 video lessons and 63 practice questions. I think the free trial gives you enough good information to get started. The premium version of this app boasts tons more content, including nearly 700 practice questions and more than double the video content. But the pricing model for premium isn't clear. Is it a one-time purchase or a subscription? How much does premium cost? All of this information- which is pretty important- seems to be hidden from users, so it's hard to know whether a premium subscription is really worth it. How to Use ACT Apps in Your Studying As I previously mentioned, ACT apps can be a good resource, but you shouldn’t rely solely on them in your ACT prep. Here’s are a few tips on howto useapps effectively, rather than as a way to avoid more productive study methods. #1: For Additional Practice Questions For ACT practice questions, focus on the official released ACTs. These questions will most closely resemble the questions you’ll find on your ACT. Also, you can get the Official ACT Prep Guide, which has three official tests with answer explanations. The ACT prep apps are a good supplement to these resources, and they provide a ton of questions for you to continue to drill and test your knowledge. #2: To Improve Your Weaknesses If you know the types of questions on which you struggle, you can use apps to do more questions related to those topics or get more content instruction. Use the apps that divide questions by specific topics, and you should focus on the topics with which you need the most help.Don’t just dogeometryquestions if you’re already getting all of those questions right. #3: To Change Up Your Study Routine If you’re always using the same book or website to study, then you can use an ACT app to alter your normal routine. Sometimes, changing your regular routine can energize you and give you additional motivation to study. FinalRecommendations ACT apps can help you in your ACT preparation, if you use them in conjunction with other resources. The apps work best once you already have a solid foundation, namely if you'refamiliar with all the content on the ACT and aware ofyour current weaknesses. Also, keep in mind that you’ll have to learn test-taking strategies elsewhere. If you want needa free resource to learn ACT content and strategies, I'd recommendchecking outthe articles on this blog! What's Next? Are you trying to improve your ACT score? Learn how to study for and ace the ACT. Is your ACT coming up very soon and you haven't adequately prepared? Read our guide to cramming for the ACT. What score should you be aiming for on the ACT? We've got an article that coverswhat exactly a "good" score looks like, along with tips on how to get there. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Analysis of the Movie The Gladiator Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the The Gladiator - Movie Review Example The movie review "Analysis of the Movie The Gladiator" presents the overview of the film "The Gladiator" plot, its main heroes, and techniques used in the production of this movie. The plot of the film is brought out in an overwhelmingly exciting manner with scenes unfolding like in a real-life scene. Maximus is preferred by Commodus father to inherit the throne, something which Commodus disputes strongly. Commodus then resorts to murder his father and forcefully inherits the throne. He reduces Maximus to being a slave and severely destroys his family. To save himself from the chains of slavery, Maximus opts to become a gladiator on a new land after being saved by slave traders- a very low position in society. Using his brains and tactics, he plans to take revenge on Commodus so that he can be reunited happily with his family. In spite of all the challenges he faced, he was able to go through with his revenge. The movie is built around three act structures; bringing Maximus down from a warrior to slave and finally to gladiator. There is nothing complex in this film as it is not realistic but rather an attempt to create a myth. The three acts are brought out in a dizzyingly exciting manner. Scott employs simple digital effects of reconstructing the whole Ancient Rome world on a film. He presents breathtaking scenes like the intact Coliseum shots flooded by crowds of spectators. Furthermore, on watching the film, there are scenes when the screen is filled with action series of tigers, chariots, and swords.