Product Lines of Metlife Alico

Abstract Products can be tangible or intangible, physical or logical. Insurance services are logical and considered as intangible product in marketing. Presently it is a familiar term in our day to day life. Many different insurance companies provide different types of insurance services. In western countries adopting insurance services are mandatory. In Bangladesh Insurance services are also getting popular day by day. MetLife Alico is one of the leading insurance companies in Bangladesh. It is well organized and has a wide range of product line.Here the details of the product lines of MetLife Alico will be presented in brief. Firstly, the product concept of marketing will be described. Secondly, insurance services will be introduced as a product. Thirdly, MetLife Alico and its history in Bangladesh will be discussed in brief. Fourthly, the product lines of MetLife Alico will be presented and their features will be discussed. Next, different value added service of the organization t owards its customers will be described. Finally, the report will be critically analyzed and some recommendations to increase acceptability of the report will be proposed.At last a, brief discussion on the product lines of MetLife Alico will be presented. Introduction Product is a good, service, or idea consisting of a bundle of tangible and intangible attributes that satisfies consumers and is received in exchange of money or some other unit of value. The organizations that are production-oriented look at a product basically as a manifestation of resources used to produce it and the organizations that are marketing oriented view a product from the target consumer’s perspective as a bundle of benefits by benefits i. e. functional as well as  emotional benefits.Accordingly they will have to see how their consumers view their products. There is no need to prepare a marketing mix for a product that offers few consumers benefits, because that product will not sell. If we conside r the product from the target customer’s perspective, like the cosmetic companies are combining chemicals to make lipsticks, vitamin manufacturers produce little pills; watch makers produce mechanical devices that keep time. -What marketers are doing is they are basically enhancing their products for their target markets-as lipstick has becomes beauty and hope, vitamins become hope or a healthier life and watches become status symbols. So we can say that, a product therefore is a bundle of physical or logical, tangible or intangible attributes that have the potential to satisfy present and potential customer wants. In addition to the physical goods themselves, other elements include the warranty, installation, after sales service accessories and package. For example a product with warranty and the same product without warranty are not same. Products that are intangible are exchanged directly from producer to user, they cannot be transported or stored, and are almost instantly perishable.These products are called services. Service products are often difficult to identify, because they come into existence at the same time they are bought and consumed. The American Marketing Association defines services as – â€Å"Activities, benefits and satisfactions which are offered for sale or are provided in connection with the sale of goods. † Some common examples of service that are considered as product are services of a lawyer, Service of a beautician, banking services etc. Insurance services can also be considered as an intangible product.Insurance service as a product Insurance is the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another in exchange of payment. It is a form of risk-management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. An insurer, or insurance carrier, is a company selling the insurance; the insured, or policyholder, is the person or entity buying the insurance policy. The amount of mon ey to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage is called the premium.The transaction involves the insured assuming a guaranteed and known relatively small loss in the form of payment to the insurer in exchange for the insurer's promise to compensate (indemnify) the insured in the case of a financial loss. The insured receives a contract, called the insurance policy, which details the conditions and circumstances under which the insured will be financially compensated. An Insurance service is also an intangible product because nothing is actually produced and there is no tangible item being exchanged.The policy, policy booklet, etc. is a contract and terms of the contract, however that is not bought. However with an insurance contract no tangible good is exchanged for the consideration (i. e. premium). What is being exchanged for the consideration is an agreement that the insurance company will indemnify you in accordance with the terms of the contract. Moreover insuranc e services are demandable and have market values. So, it is a product. There are wide ranges of insurance services, they are offered at different conditions and in different packages.A single insurance provider often offers different types packages and also different types of services. For example, MetLife Alico offers total four types of packages in insurance schemes with different types of products in each scheme. Terms and conditions vary from packages to packages and products to products. These services are designed targeting different types of customers. Overview of MetLife Alico MetLife Alico is an affiliate of MetLife, Inc. , a leading global provider of insurance and employee benefit programs. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife serves more than 90 million customers around the world.It provides a full range of Life, Accident and Health insurance products for customers ranging from individuals to large local and multinational corporations. Individual, group, and credit protection products help its customers recover from financial loss due to death, disability, accident, sickness, and loss of employment. Also, individual savings and group pension products help its customers save for education, retirement, or other financial goals. Its products are available through agents, brokers, financial institutions and direct to customer. In addition to, being the largest life insurer in the U.S. and Mexico, MetLife is now a leading competitor in Japan holding advantageous positions in Europe, and is in top-five position in many high-growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. MetLife Alico has been helping people and businesses in Bangladesh with their insurance needs since 1952. It have tailored extensive product offering to the unique needs of individuals, families and businesses of all sizes. Presently, it is one of the leading insurance companies in the country, with close to 1,000,000 insured members and over 12,000 agents.The main products of MetLife Alico in Bangladesh are life insurance, saving and retirement plans and accidents and health insurance for individuals and employee benefits, credit life insurance and insurance for non-employees for corporations. In these six categories MetLife supports many services of different terms and durations. Product lines of MetLife Alico Figure 1 : Different services of MetLife Alico. From the figure it is clear that MetLife Alico supports total six types of Insurance services in Bangladesh. It supports three types of solution in each of the individual and corporate solution category.The services offered by the company are Life insurance, Savings ; Retirement insurance plan, Accident ; Health Insurance, Employee Benefits, Credit Life Insurance, and Insurance for Non-Employees. For convenience only individual solutions will be discussed. A brief overview of the Individual services is provided in the next topic. Different schemes and their features The services of MetLife Alico will be discussed in two major categories, Individual solutions and corporate solutions. Individual solutions are services that are designed to meet individual needs.The individual services are designed to meet different types of insurance needs of individuals. Individual plans consists life insurance plan, savings ; retirement plans popularly known as DPS schemes and accident ; health insurance plans. Life insurance Life insurance can take care of family and help them maintain their standard of living if something odd happen to the insured. Apart from taking care of outstanding loans or mortgages, it can also protect children's education or provide monetary benefits to family members. There are two types of life insurance Education Protection Plan (EPP) Plus and Three Payment Plan (3PP) Plus.Education Protection Plan (EPP) Plus The cost of a good education is rising high, and has risen at an alarming rate in recent years. To secure the best possible e ducation for children’s, individuals need to plan ahead. Education Protection Plan is specifically designed to help and can give the reassurance right preparations for children’s future. If some awkward situations occur, insured family members suffers from financial crisis, this plan protects them from financial problems also. The main features of Education Protection Plan (EPP) Plus are: * A flexible plan with terms ranging from 10 to 25 years On maturity, insured persons child will receive the full face amount along with the bonus * In case of insured’s sudden death, the plan protects his child's financial future by paying out a monthly sum of 1% of the face amount every month for child’s education till the maturity of the policy. The policy also provides for a waiver of all future premiums in order to keep the policy active and in-force. * Insured can choose to add a disability protection rider to this plan which will protect in the event of a disabili ty due to sickness or accident. Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). * This EPP Plus plan also provides a personal accident coverage that ensures the financial future of insured loved ones in case of his death, disability or injury due to an accident. Three Payment Plan (3PP) Plus The Three Payment Plan is an innovative policy that provides the ultimate solution in financial planning giving both the protection insured need and the regular payouts he want to meet his financial needs. It has all the security of a life insurance plan and the flexibility of a savings policy.The main features of Three Payment Plan (3PP) Plus are: * This Plan is available for varying terms. * 25% of the face amount is paid at the end of 1/3rd of the term and another 25% at the end of 2/3rd of the term. * The remaining 50% of the face amount is paid along with a bonus at maturity. * In the unfortunate event of the death of th e policy holder, at any time during the term of the policy, their loved ones will receive the entire face amount along with the bonuses – NO DEDUCTION is made for the partial maturity amounts already paid. Loans up to a maximum of 85% of cash value are available, if required. * Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). * The 3PP Plus also provides Personal Accident Coverage in case of insured’s death, disability or injury due to accident. Savings ; Retirement Savings and retirement plans are for saving for future and creating a source of income to be available in future. There are three different plans in this category. Income growth Plan, DPS super and lifeline pension plan.The details of the plans are described below: Income Growth Plan The main features of Income Growth Plan are: * A unique plan that combines protection and savings * Offers a maximum premium payment term of up to 30 years t hereby giving the flexibility of choosing small payments to suit your budgetary needs * The plan is split into 2 phases. The first phase is for a period of 7 years and then the second phase starts (from the 8th year) and includes the rest of the term. * During the first 7 years savings is accumulated and grown and at the end of the 7th year a dividend is declared.This dividend could be up to 40% of the cash value of the plan. * In the second phase, the cash value and dividend are transferred to the Investment ; Protection Account (IPA) * From the 8th year onwards, the policy offers a range of flexible options such as changes to the amount of premium, insurance coverage, etc, subject to the policy terms and conditions. * Maturity Benefits: On maturity, the policy owner can either withdraw the account (IPA) value; or convert it into a life time pension. Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules) * Income Growth also provides Personal Accident Coverage in case of your death, disability or injury DPS Super As a sensible and responsible individual, one must be looking for the best possible avenues to grow his hard-earned money. An ideal financial plan for him may be the one that accumulates his money with reasonable returns as well as provides protection to him ; his family against uncertainties. One such a plan is MetLife Alico’s DPS Super offer.MetLife Alico’s DPS Super is a savings and protection plan that provides an attractive Maturity Value and a substantial Accidental Benefit. There are total three types of services in this category. They are: Plan| Features| DPS Super – Gold| Maturity Value + Life Coverage + Accident Coverage + Critical Illness ; Waiver of Premium Benefits| DPS Super – Silver| Maturity Value + Life Coverage + Accident Coverage| DPS Super – Bronze| Maturity Value + Accident Coverage| Table 1: MetLife Alico DPS plans. The terms and co nditions of the plans are given below: DPS Super – Gold Plan Attractive Maturity Value to meet financial planning needs. * Life Insurance coverage equivalent to policy Face Amount. * Double Benefit due to Accidental Death (AD) and Accidental Permanent ; Total Disability (PTD); consequently a total coverage of 3 times the Face Amount in case of AD. In case of Accidental Dismemberment the additional Accidental Benefit may reach up to 2 times the Face Amount depending on the type and extent of Loss * Lump Sum payment equal to 100% or 50% of the Face Amount in case of diagnosis of 8 Critical Illnesses * Waiver of Premium in case of Permanent Total Disability due to Accident or Sickness.DPS Super – Silver Plan * Attractive Maturity Value to meet ones financial planning needs. * Life Insurance coverage equivalent to policy Face Amount. * Double Benefit due to Accidental Death (AD) and Accidental Permanent ; Total Disability (PTD); consequently a total coverage of 3 times the Face Amount in case of AD. In case of Accidental Dismemberment the additional Accidental Benefit may reach up to 2 times the Face Amount depending on the type and extent of loss. DPS Super – Bronze Plan * Attractive Maturity Value to meet ones financial planning needs. Death Benefit equal to account value or premiums paid for the basic policy whichever is higher. * Accidental benefit under which 2 times the Face Amount (Face Amount is defined as the DPS Super annual premium times the policy term) will be paid in the event of accidental death, or accidental permanent ; total disability (PTD). In case of accidental dismemberment the additional accidental benefits may reach up to 2 times the face amount depending on the type and extent of loss. Lifeline Pension PlanLifeline Pension Plan is an opportunity to earn in the post job life after retirement. In life line pension scheme one saves during employment and earns after retirements. The main features of the product are: * It o ffers you a combination of savings and protection. * One can choose a plan that has a payment term ranging between 10 and 20 years. * It have the facility to withdraw the face amount along with any accumulated bonuses any time after the end of the premium payment period. * One can start receiving the pension payment, 1 year after the completion of the premium payment period. One can choose to postpone this pension payment and leave the annual income with MetLife Alico to accumulate further. * This annual pension payment will continue up to the age of 100. * It offer a minimum guaranteed return of 4% with the option to receive an excess form the year of investment performed. * In the unfortunate event of insured’s death, his loved ones will receive the full face amount plus accrued bonuses. * Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). This plan also provides a personal accident coverage that ensures th e financial future of loved ones in case of insured’s death, disability or injury due to accident. Accident ; Health Insurance Solutions MetLife’s accident and health insurance products secure its clients in case of unusual health hazards and accidental cases. There are total eight types of Accidental and Health Insurance solutions available in this category. The features and details of the services are given below. Critical Care No one likes to thinks about serious illness, but it is always a possibility.For example estimation shows that 1 in 8 people aged 30 today will contract cancer before age 65. The Critical Care is the convenient and affordable critical illness protection plan that is specially designed to protect insured and his family in the event of any health crisis that may strike any of us, any time, anywhere. Critical Care can make sure getting the medical help one need. What’s more, the policy can help replace insured income if he is unable to wor k, so the bills are still paid and insured’s loved ones are looked after. The terms and conditions of the plan are given below: Critical Care will provide insured with lump sum payment of up to BDT 500,000 which is payable upon diagnosis and receipt of proof for one critical illness only. * Critical Care supplements ones life insurance protection. * MetLife offer several plans and anyone can select the plan of his choice for him. * The critical illness lump sum payment will be made only after diagnostics and proved with any of the 25 illnesses listed. * There is no deductible amount. Hospital Care Being admitted in a hospital is stressful enough without the added worry of the expenses.Traditional insurance products may not cover all the additional expenses that one will incur or the loss of income may be suffered if one is hospitalized. Hospital Care supplementary policy can give the added finances to cover whatever one feel is important so that he can concentrate on getting well. It pays the cash amount that insured have selected when he or his insured family members are hospitalized, even in a free hospital. The cash income starts from the very first day of hospitalization and continues for up to 52 weeks for each confinement. The product terms and conditions are given below: The Hospital Care supplements insured life insurance protection * These benefits are payable in addition to any other insurance plan that one may have. * One can select the plan that best suits his needs and the needs of his family from the range offered. * The Daily Cash income continues for up to 52 weeks from the very first day of hospitalization. * The Cash Income is paid directly to insured, to use any way he wishes. * The Cash income is payable regardless of expenses, even if treatment is confined in a free hospital. * There is no deductible amount or waiting period.Lifetime Income Policy If anybody wants absolute security in case he is no longer capable or able to handle t he daily responsibilities of his family due to a sudden accident, Lifetime Income policy is for him. It is a protection plan that provides a cheque-a-month for lifetime of his spouse, his children or even himself, with a guaranteed minimum of 240 monthly benefit cheques. Lifetime Income Policy is a unique plan that provides cheques month after month, year after year to meet insured family expenses. With the same reliability one provide to his family.The details terms and conditions of the product are given below: * This is a dedicated accident insurance product specially tailored for the Bangladesh market where the rate of road traffic accident is one of the highest in the world. * It offers coverage for accidental loss of life, permanent partial disability due to accident, and permanent total disability due to accident * Several units are available under this policy and one can pick the number of units that suits him the best. * No health questionnaire or medical examination requir ed. * This plan provides you with 24 hour, 365 days a year worldwide coverage. The premiums that are paid are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). * 20% of the Premium paid will be refunded as a ‘No Claim Bonus' after 3 years, provided that no claim has been made. Circles of Protection With Circles of Protection one can build the ideal protection for him from a range of options; he just choose the ones that are appeared right to him.. The details of the terms and conditions are given below: * Circle 1 offers protection against accidental death, permanent total and partial disability, Double indemnity-common carrier ; flying with guaranteed cash payments to himself or his loved ones. Circle 2 offers a weekly accident indemnity income for up to two years, replacing lost income due to disability as a result of an accident. This option is only available if you take out Circle 1. * Circle 3 offers accident medical expense reimbursement – total prot ection for reasonable accident medical expenses in and out of hospital. Only available if one takes out Circle 1. * Circle 4 offers Hospital Health Care which provides income for insured and his family if he stay in hospital due to accident or sickness. Circle 5 offers a monthly income for Lifetime with a guaranteed minimum of 240 monthly benefits for covering expenses like food ; clothing, rent, school ; university fee, medical ; health, mortgage ; taxes etc. Minimum monthly income: BDT 3,000 Maximum monthly income: BDT 20,000 My Child Special, Good Health Special, Executive 5 Special and Medi-Guard these four services are still unavailable in Bangladesh and will be made available soon. Other features of MetLife Alico Apart from the above mentioned individual insurance offers MetLife Alico provides some value added services also.In this offers MetLife offers a free health card that offers 15% off on physical diagnostics of the insured and his family members at permitted hospitals a nd diagnostics centers. In addition to the health card the company provides a dedicated customer care officer for each client who deals will all insurance related problems and query of the clients. The monthly payment can be made by auto debit system to reduce effort from clients end. Moreover the websites of the company provides a satisfactory description to its services and provides easier contact with its scustomer care officers.Limitations of the Report The report is prepared extensively based on information provided at the company websites and at other web resources. Customer’s opinions are not taken into account during preparation of the report. If customer’s opinions and their feedbacks are added to the report it will be more reliable and authentic. Some customer relation officers can also be interviewed to enhance the report. If some case study and more present statistics are added to the report it will be more accurate. ConclusionsInsurance services are gettin g popular all over the world day by day. It is a logical service related to risk-management. The main policy is saving user’s money for future to resolve accidental crisis. However people in our country are not aware about the policies of the available companies. Necessary campaigns are necessary to make the insurance services popular. Moreover most of the peoples in our country live below the poverty lines, so insurance companies should make easier terms and policies suitable to the poor peoples of the country.But it is ironically true that most of the insurance companies are targeting only the corporate peoples. The insurance companies should change their values to make their services more users friendly rather then treating it as a profitable product only. It is desired that MetLife will design their new services considering these facts. Appendix Appendix A: Personal Accident Coverage If one is qualified for accident coverage, this plan also provides the following addition al benefits in case of his death, disability or injury due to accident within the premium paying period.The Personal Accident Coverage provides a maximum cover of Tk. 20,00,000 and the proportionate amounts are mentioned below: A. ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT| : 100% of FA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  | B. PERMANENT TOTAL DISABILITY BENEFIT| : 100% of FA| C. PERMANENT PARTIAL DISABILITY for the following losses:|   | †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both Hands or Feet or Sights of eyes| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One Hand   and One Foot| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Either Hand / Foot and Sight of One Eye| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hearing of Both Ears| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Speech  | : 100% of FA|   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Either Hand or Foot| :   50% of FA  | †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sight of one Eye| :   50% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thumb and Index fingers| :   25% of FA| D. MEDICAL EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENT| Max of :   15% of FA| Appendix B: Critical Care Insurance packages and benefits Appendix C: Diseases covered under critical care 1. Stroke 2. Cancer (Except Skin Cancer) 3. First Heart Attack 4. Coronary Artery Surgery 5. Other Serious Coronary Artery Diseases 6. Heart Valve Replacement 7. Major Burns 8. Blindness 9. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (Primary) 10.End-stage Lung Disease 11. Kidney Failure 12. Surgery To Aorta 13. Aplastic Anemia 14. Major Organ Transplant 15. Loss Of Hearing 16. Loss Of Speech 17. Muscular Dystrophy 18. Alzheimer’s Disease / Irreversible Organic Degenerative Brain Disorders 19. Motor Neuron Disease 20. Parkinson’s Disease 21. Coma 22. Benign Brain Tumor 23. Major Head Trauma 24. Bacterial Meningitis 25. Paralysis| Appendix D: Hospital Care packages and benefits Appendix E: Diseases covered under Hospital care packageThe 9 dreadful diseases covered under hospital care packages are:    * Heart Attack   Ã‚   * Cancer (Except Skin Cancer) * Coronary Artery Disease * Stroke * Renal Failure * Blindness due to Sickness * Paralysis * Major Burns * Major Organ Transplantation| References Information and different data are collected from the following sources: * http://www. metlifealico. com. bd/en/Individual/index. html * Principles of Marketing by Philip J. Kotler ; Gary Armstrong * http://www. adv-ins. com/ * http://www. marketing91. com/product-concept/

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The Formation of Channel and Floodplain Habitats - Essay Example The abundance of LW in stream channels is an indication of the intimate association of river ecosystems with the surrounding terrestrial environment (Naiman and Bilby 1998, Naiman and Dà ©camps 1997). Understanding this relationship is crucial in river basin management. Large wood abundance in the watershed depends on channel size, channel type, and the surrounding riparian forest. LW is more abundant in small channels on a per unit area basis because LW is easily transported in larger channels; it follows that whilst abundance in large channels is lower, the average LW sizes are bigger (Bilby and Ward 1989). LW is also more abundant where the stream channel is unconstrained and has fine substrate compared to constrained channels with boulder substrate (Bilby and Wasserman 1989). Moreover, LW is more abundant in forests where conifers are dominant compared to forests where hardwoods are dominant because conifers are larger making them less transient (Harmon et al., 1986). The abundance of LW is also more pronounced where the forest is mature than in forest dominated by young stands of small hardwoods (Bilby and Ward 1991). Woodland river ecosystems in their natural and pristine conditions are surrounded by riparian forest and have multiple channels. Over the years, the anthropogenic disturbance has greatly reduced riparian forest cover, the topography graded for agricultural purposes, and rivers were constrained by levees into a single channel (Caroll & Robinson, 2007; Florsheim & Mount, 2002). Other than forest denudation, this also has deleterious effects on the morphological development of stream and the stream biota.  

Manager of a company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Manager of a company - Assignment Example When it comes to organization in the company, the manager is in charge, be it getting parts to be used in the manufacturing department or distribution of finances and resources to all the departments which is facilitated by the finances and human resources departments. The company has an information system that helps the management know the number of employees in each department and required for each shift; night and day shifts. When it comes to management it’s mostly about leadership though these are two different activities; management of employees and the company resources is led by the top level manager. The manager supervises all the activities through the various departmental leaders; moreover, knowing and listening to our employees needs, ideas and suggestions have a great impact on the leadership of our company. Controlling is mostly about guaranteeing whether as an organization we have achieved our objectives and met our goals; this is done by evaluating the situation of the company after the duration set in the objectives or plan. Evaluation is mainly about comparing the cost and the output/benefits/performance of the organization ie no of motorbikes sold, their cost of manufacturing and profit. Noticeably, the management shares this information with the employees, giving copies of this information to all the departments and discussing the different figures; this builds a sense of trust, feeling of involvement and team work for the employees. By implementing these four functions in managing the HD Cycles company, it is clearly understood by the top level management that it’s all about these functions in all the organization’s departments. The HD cycles company has an overall number of 100 employees and five departments/branches i.e. finances, human resources, sales, manufacturing and employee welfare departments. Management is

Rehabilitation and Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction Essay

Rehabilitation and Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction - Essay Example Most of those who are affected are the poor because the drug is much cheaper and the effects last longer than those of cocaine. Cruickshank and Dyer (2009) explain that the chemicals used in making the drug have toxic waste that is quite explosive. The toxins that remain behind after cooking methamphetamine are also risky to those who stay in the neighborhood where methamphetamine laboratories previously existed. For total cleanliness of such laboratories, there should be complete overhaul of the structure with absorbent materials like carpets being destroyed together with sinks, drains and toilets and after the new structures have been fitted, thorough inspection should be carried out by a qualified health worker. The rehabilitation and treatment of the addicts is dependent on the attitude of the health workers. This is also affected by the existence of myths surrounding the treatment of addicts. Some beliefs state that whether addicts seek treatment or not, they still continue usin g the drug. This however improves with the health workers realizing that the treatment involves doing away with the involuntary desire to continue using the drug. The treatment process requires referrals for psychiatric treatment. When there is commitment on the part of the addict and the health care provider, addiction of methamphetamine is treatable. Assessment and management of withdrawal symptoms is important in the recovery process. The objective of the study is to determine whether emergency health departments address issues related to health including drug abuse. Also it determines whether health centers in Kansas have policies put in place to provide care and treatment to addicts.... addition to the availability of formal protocols. Proper application of the above provisions will reduce the health, financial and environmental effects of the drug. The findings of the study help in making the public aware of the fact that the location of a hospital does not influence acquisition of quality health care unless the facility is equipped with adequate facilities. Those practicing nursing should also know that the process of taking good care of addicts is fundamental in their recovery and that the notion of addiction being a voluntary decision is largely misguided. They should also formulate and implement policies consistently for effective treatment so as to avoid the destructive effects of addiction.The study is however limited because of the use of telephones for interviews. Therefore, there is no surety that the person answering the call is the best representative of the emergency department of the specific health facility. The sample size is small and may fail in so me respects adequately represent the population.

Marketing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing research - Essay Example Table of Contents 1. Introduction --------------------------------------------------------4 1.1 Research Questions--------------------------------------------4 1.2 Research Aim---------------------------------------------------4 1.3 Research Objectives -------------------------------------------4 1.4 Research Hypothesis------------------------------------------5 2. Literature Review--------------------------------------------------------6 2.1 Service Recovery -----------------------------------------------6 2.2 Customer satisfaction-------------------------------------------7 2.3 Customer loyalty------------------------------------------------7 2.4 Service Recovery, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention 3. Research Methodology ----------------------------------------------------9 3.1 Research Approach ----------------------------------------------9 3.2 Research Methods------------------------------------------------9 3.3 Research Design----------------------------------------- ----------9 3.4 Ethical considerations--------------------------------------------11 4. Findings and Analysis ---------------------------------------------------12 5. Conclusion and Recommendations------------------------------------17 6. ... ----------------- Table 1: Time of recovery and customer satisfaction and customer retention----13 Table 2: Quality of recovery and customer satisfaction and customer retention--14 Table 3: Type of service failure and customer satisfaction -------------------15 Table 4: type of service failure and customer retention------------------------15 List of Appendices Appendix A: Research Questionnaire--------------------------------------------------19 Appendix B: Findings from SPSS-----------------------------------------------------------------------21 Appendix C: Correlations from SPSS-------------------------------------------------23 References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------24 1. Introduction This report aims to evaluate the impacts of service recovery on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the hotel industry in the UK. Efficient and quick service recovery has been found to have a positive impact on customer loyalty and satisfaction in several researches (Bowen and Chen, 2001). However, it has also been found that service recovery’s impact is mediated by several factors like the type of industry, and the type of service failure that may have occurred (Matos, Henrique and Rossi, 2007). The current research aims to understand how service recovery impacts the customer loyalty and satisfaction in the hotel industry, which is predominantly a service intensive industry. The following research questions are used to guide the research: 1.1 Research Questions 1. How does service recovery enhance customer satisfaction in the hotel industry? 2. How does service recovery enhance customer loyalty in the hotel industry? 3. What is the relationship between the impacts of service recovery and the type of service

Deforestation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Deforestation - Research Paper Example â€Å"The average facade temperature of the globe has augmented more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900 and the speed of warming has been almost three folds the century long average since 1970† (Global warming). Eilperin (2009) mentioned that the earth’s surface temperature has been increased around 0.750 C during the last century itself and the atmospheric temperature may even go up by 6 degrees before the end of the current century (Eilperin). Global warming and climate changes are some of the worst problems facing by the human community at present. Atmospheric temperature is rising rapidly for the last few decades and as a result of that unexpected weather calamities are occurring. Many studies have proved that the average atmospheric temperature has increased more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900. Sea level rise is another major problem created by global warming. It should be noted that atmospheric temperature rise increases the melting of huge ice blocks from P olar Regions and as a result of that sea level is increasing gradually. Unexpected floods, storms, earthquakes, tsunami, etc are other problems associated with global warming. Plenty of reasons were cited for global warming problems. Some people believe that manmade activities are causing global warming whereas others are of the view that solar activities are causing these problems. In any case, one thing is sure- atmospheric temperature is rising much rapidly at present. Greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and industrial units are often cited as the major reason for global warming; however, many people believe that deforestation is the major reason for global warming and climate change problems.... But when forests are logged or burnt, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and accelerating the rate of climate change. So much carbon is released that they contribute up to one-fifth of global man-made emissions, more than the world's entire transport sector (Deforestation and climate change). Human consumes oxygen from atmosphere for breathing purpose whereas plants or forests consume carbon dioxide from atmosphere for making food or photosynthesis process. It should be noted that plants are the only food manufacturers in this world and all the other living things rely heavily on plants in one way or another for their food needs. On the other hand, atmospheric carbon dioxide is essential for the food manufacturing processes of the plants. Plants have the ability of liberating oxygen to atmosphere at the time of food manufacturing. In other words, plants consume carbon dioxide and liberate oxygen to atmospher e. Forests are our own natural resources which no man can imitate. It has its own part in the biodiversity of life even if man refuses to acknowledge them. One of the most important roles our forests play is absorbing carbon dioxide from the air—tons of it, for that matter. Without them, the ever harmful carbon dioxide will just float above our heads, further increasing greenhouse gas emissions (How Deforestation Affects Climate Change). There is a balance between the volume of carbon dioxide and the volume of oxygen in the atmosphere. Plants are responsible for maintaining this oxygen-carbon dioxide ration in atmosphere. It should not be forgotten that carbon and its oxides like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide etc have the ability to increase

American Dream by James Truslow Essay Example for Free

American Dream by James Truslow Essay The ‘American dream’ is a term coined by James Truslow in his 1932 book Epic of America, but it is a concept as old as America itself: anything is possible if only the individual is willing to work hard. The dream draws immigrants to our shores and borders every year and keeps millions of Americans content in the idea that their toiling will pave the way to success for them and for their children. However, for every rags-to-riches story, there are thousands of other hard-working people who cannot get by, who do not have enough to eat, transportation, safe housing, or warm clothes in winter. There is much evidence that the American dream is little more than a myth, a false promise that keeps millions of people working themselves weary for a better tomorrow that will never come. The American dream is the promise of the Declaration of Independence, which indicates that our â€Å"inalienable rights† are â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† There is no single American dream, but Adams defines the concept in its most dignified sense: [It is the] dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which that are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. (qtd. In Ferenz) The lure of America for immigrants and the promise to its citizens is that, as Adams indicates, the individual is not held back by circumstances, but through individual efforts can pursue and attain whatever personal brand of happiness he or she desires. In the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt recognized the part the federal government needed to play in keeping the American dream alive-no longer was hard work the only factor involved in ensuring an acceptable standard of living. Under his administration, a number of social programs were put into place to help Americans achieve the dream, which Roosevelt described as â€Å"sufficiency of life, rather than†¦a plethora of riches [and] good health, good food, good education, good working conditions† (qtd. In Muir). Owing to these principles, Roosevelt’s New Deal included the Social Security Act, Fair Labor Standards Act that banned child labor and established a minimum wage, and a variety of programs that put Americans to work in civil service (Successes 4-6). Roosevelt’s programs and World War II helped drag the nation out of the Great Depression, but were not permanent solutions in making the American dream possible for all Americans. By the 1960’s, one in five Americans were living in poverty, and in his first State of the Union address in 1964, Lyndon Johnson declared, â€Å"an unconditional war on poverty in America.† (qtd. In Quindlen 1) Johnson, too, understood that the American dream was one not attainable through hard work alone. As Anna Quindlen, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, notes in her 2004 editorial, â€Å"from [Johnson’s] declaration a host of government initiatives sprang, including Head Start, an expended food-stamp program, and sweeping reforms in health care for the needy† (Quindlen 2). Unfortunately, in spite of the attempts of Roosevelt, Johnson, and others to lend a hand to those Americans who need it most, the feeling that the poor are responsible for their own troubles always seems to creep its way back into the American mind. We’ve all heard the rumors that the poor are lazy, that welfare is just n excuse not to get a job. Quindlen comments that â€Å"part of the problem with a war on poverty today is that many Americans have decided that being poor is a character defect, not an economic condition† (Quindlen 2). Public policy of the last few decades seems to follow this line of thinking: the Federal minimum wage has not risen since 1997 even as welfare reform movements have forced millions of people, many single parents, off public assistance and into minimum wage jobs. Quindlen argues that â€Å"forty years after Johnson led the charge, the battle against poverty still rages. The biggest differences today if that there is no call to arms by those in power† (Quindlen 1). How does this shift in American policy affect the status of the American dream? Can we still call ourselves the land of opportunity when the American dream eludes so many of our citizens? Should the American dream exist and is it really worth it to try and live by the dream? In July 2000, Mortimer Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report, wrote an essay about the success of the American dream. Zuckerman claims that â€Å"it is a dream on individual effort-talent, ambition, risk-taking, readiness to change, and just plain hard work-qualities that count more in America than social background of luck† (Zuckerman 120). That is a perspective that Zuckerman, a billionaire whose biography on the U.S. News and World Report website boasts he has substantial real-estate holdings, including properties in Boston, New York, Washington, and San Francisco can afford to have. The reality for most Americans, however, is not nearly so great. It is a reality where social background and luck play far too large a part in achieving the American dream. Two articles written a decade apart demonstrate that bitter reality. In USA Today in 1996, Charles Whalen writes that â€Å"beneath the misleading surface prosperity [of the 1990s] are numerous alarming trends,† among them â€Å"relentless downsizing, longer job searches and sluggish job creation, explosive growth in contingent work (part-time and temporary employment), and wage stagnation† (Whalen 2-3). One would be hard=pressed to find a list that better demonstrates the part luck plays in securing steady employment. Whalen also cites a survey, ironically conducted for U.S. News and World Report, that indicates â€Å"57% of those asked said that the American dream is out of reach for most families† (qtd. in Whalen 2). In 2006 in the Chicago Sun-Times, Clyde Murphy cites a â€Å"new report released by the Opportunity Agenda [that] measures the nation’s progress in living up to the American dream.† The findings? â€Å"That millions of Americans do not have a fair chance to achieve their full potential, despite their best efforts† (Murphy 33). Two of the reasons cited by the study are housing discrimination against blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are employment discrimination against women and minorities, which included favoring job candidates with â€Å"white-sounding† names. These findings clearly refute Zuckerman’s claim, demonstrating that background does in fact count more in America than individual effort when it comes to achieving certain aspects of the American dream. Another dubious claim in Zuckerman’s essay is that â€Å"anybody who wishes to work has the opportunity to move from the bottom of the ladder to a middle-class standard of life, or higher† (Zuckerman 120). As award-winning journalist Barbara Ehrenreich notes in her book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform â€Å"assumed that a job was the ticket out of poverty and that the only thing holding back welfare recipients was their reluctance to get out and get one† (Ehrenreich 196). As a wealth of evidence suggests, this is the fundamental misperception surrounding the American dream. In her 2003 editorial A New Kind of Poverty, Anna Quindlen argues â€Å"America is a country that now sits atop a precarious latticework of myth. It is the myth that working people can support their families† (Quindlen 2). Quindlen interviews two women who run services for the homeless and impoverished in New York City, ant they note that more often they are seeing working families in dire need of their help. Indeed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005 report on poverty, America’s poverty rate has been climbing, from 11.3 percent in 2000 to 12.7 percent in 2004, the latest for which data is available. This translates into 37 million people who live below the poverty line. This is further complicated, however, by the way that the Census Bureau calculates the poverty level. Barbara Ehrenreich explains that â€Å"[it] is still calculated by the archaic method of taking the bare-bones cost of food for a family of a given size and multiplying that number by th ree. Yet food is relatively inflation-proof† (Ehrenreich 200). This method results in a base calculation of $9,310 for one person, with $3,180 added for each additional person in the household. As anyone who has ever lived on his or her own understands, those poverty calculations are very low. Ehrenreich points out that â€Å"the Economic Policy Institute recently reviewed dozens of studies of what constitutes a ‘living wage’ and came up with an average figure of $30,000 for a family of one adult and two children† (Ehrenreich 213). When compared to the federal poverty calculation of $15,670, the gap becomes glaringly apparent. Anna Quindlen explains â€Å"when you adjust the level to reflect reality, you come closer to 35 percent of all Americans who are having a hard time providing the basics for their families† (Quindlen 2). As pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow’s research reveals, psychological and safety needs-the â€Å"basics† referred to by Quindlen, such as food and housing-must be fulfilled before other needs, core components of the American dream such as belongingness and self-esteem, can be met (Abraham 2). This creates a basic gap between those who can reach for the American dream and those who cannot; if all someone’s energy is focused on providing food and shelter, there is nothing left to reach for higher goals. In a 2002 essay What’s So Great About America? Dinesh D’Souza, an Indian immigrant, makes assertions that demonstrate some common misconceptions about Americans meeting our basic needs. â€Å"The United States is a country where the ordinary guy has a good life,† (D’Souza 23). He even goes so far to say that â€Å"very few people in America have to wonder where their next meal is coming from† (D’Souza 23). Sadly, this is not true. Quindlen indicates â€Å"the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that 1.6 million New Yorkers†¦suffer from ‘food insecurity,’ which is just a fancy way of saying they do not have to enough to eat† (Quindlen 1). Ehrenreich reports that â€Å"according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 67 percent of the adults requesting emergency food aid are people with jobs† (Ehrenreich 219). Two other basic needs, safe housing and health care, are also beyond the reach of many Americans. â€Å"When the rich and the poor compete for housing on the open market,† writes Ehrenreich, â€Å"the poor don’t stand a chance. The rich can always outbid them, buy up their tenements and trailer parks, and replace them with†¦whatever they like† (Ehrenreich 199). This is exaggerated by the fact that â€Å"expenditures on public housing have fallen since the 1980s, and the expansion of public rental subsidies came to a halt in the 1990s† (Ehrenreich 201). Health care is another sad story. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans with no health insurance has been slowly rising, arriving at 15.7 percent in 2004, and as Quindlen observes, â€Å"poor kids are much more likely to become sick than their counterparts, but much less likely to have health insurance. Talk about a double whammy† (Quindlen 1). How can families dream big an d plan for the future as they worry about whether the next month will bring eviction or illness? Two people in particular have put a human face on the statistical evidence that the American dream remains out of reach for millions of hard-working Americans. At the urging of her editor at Harper’s magazine, Barbara Ehrenreich undertook a yearlong undercover investigation of living on low-wage jobs in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota. She waited tables, worked as a maid, and worked at Wal-Mart, never revealing her statue as a reported, but keeping careful private diaries documenting the details of her experience. In spite of working at least full-time, usually more, she was unable to get by. The most heartbreaking part of her journey, however, was the people she met, women who were not just experimenting with the low-wage life, but who were trapped by it. They were women who were victims of the affordable housing shortage, who lived in cars, or if they were lucky, weekly rental motel rooms. They walked, rode bikes, or bummed rides to work. Certainly among those who experience food insecurity, they skipped meals or ate nutritionally void foods like hot dog buns because they couldn’t afford to eat. They were women with raw hands and sore backs, balancing two or more jobs who would never, in spite of their work ethic, move off that bottom rung of the social ladder. In a similar experiment, Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) and his fiancà ©e lived on minimum wage for thirty days in Columbus, Ohio and recorded the results for the premiere episode of his television series 30 Days. As Spurlock works eighteen-hour days making at least $7.50 per hour and Alex works for minimum wage at a coffee house, the pair is faced with a host of challenges that mirror the everyday trials of the working poor. Emergency room visits for a urinary tract infection and a sprained wrist cost them $1,217. D’Souza correctly comments that in America, â€Å"even sick people who don’t have money or insurance will receive medical care at hospital emergency rooms† (D’Souza 23), but he fails to take into account that suck care generates bills are equivalent to six weeks’ of full time minimum wage work. The most affordable housing they could find, a steal at $325 per month, has ant infestations, malfunctioning heat, and is upstairs from an apartment that was a crack house just the week before. Furthermore, their relationship is strained by the stress that results from the constant worrying about money. At the end of the month they find themselves hundreds of dollars in the hole, by permanently changed by their experience. When taken together, the accounts of Ehrenreich and Spurlock offer powerful insight into the everyday struggles of the working poor, those who are anything but lazy but still find themselves drowning financially, the American dream slipping further away all the time. Dinesh D’Souza claims that â€Å"in America your destiny is not prescribed. Your life is like a blank sheet of paper and you are the artist† (D’Souza 24). It is difficult to believe, however, that the millions of working poor are not trying to create a better destiny for themselves, only to find their dreams let down by the harsh realities of daily life. So why is the American dream still suck a pervasive part of our consciousness, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that hard work is not the ticket to prosperity, or even necessarily to a comfortable standard of living? In his â€Å"Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of the Right,† Karl Marx wrote that â€Å"religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for the real happiness† (qtd in Cline). Marx’s clever observation is that religion, in keeping the focus on the afterlife, keeps people from demanding fair treatment in this world. D’Souza suggests, however, that â€Å"capitalism gives America a this-worldly focus that allows death and the afterlife to recede from everyday view†¦the gaze of the people is shifted to earthly progress† (D’Souza 25). If this the case, why is it that we are not more aware of (and enraged about!) the decided lack of â€Å"earthly progress† of so many of our friends and neighbors? Some believe that it is because the American dream has taken the place of religion as today’s â€Å"opiate of the masses.† So long as we all believe that there is a better life ahead, that is we only work harder, our dreams are within reach, it is easy to be lulled into satisfaction about the inequality that is so common in America today. Barbara Ehrenreich predicts that someday the working poor â€Å"are bound to tire of getting so little in return [for their labor] and to demand to be paid what they’re worth† (Ehrenreich 221). Some challenge, echoing Marx, that Ehrenreich’s predication will not come true until the American dream, â€Å"the illusory happiness of the people,† is abolished in favor of a more realistic world view that recognizes that more than hard work, a hel ping hand is needed to make America truly the land of opportunity. From the survey that I took in class, 14 out of 20 people were surveyed and said that they to, disagree that the American dream should exist. They believe as well that there should be a more realistic view in society that allows you to get what you work for. Of the people that did agree, most were people between the ages of 18 and 21, people who have not yet, most likely gotten out into the real world to experience what type of life they can actually work for. If you too, disagree with the American dream, I ask you to go to this website: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/the-american-dream-is-not-for-rent , sign the petition, and keep working hard at what you do! Work Cited â€Å"Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.† Shippensberg University Website. Sept. 2005: 2-3. Web. 16 June 2009. Cline, Austin. â€Å"Karl Marx on Religion.† About.com. 5 Apr. 2006: n.pag. Web. 16 June 2009. D’Souza, Dinesh. â€Å"What’s So Great About America?† The American Enterprise. May 2002: 22-25. Print. Ehrenreich, Barbara. â€Å"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.† New York: Owl Books. 2002: 20-38. Print. Ferenz, Kathleen. â€Å"What is the American Dream?† San Francisco State University Online Web Site. 31 Mar. 2005: n.pag. Web. 16 June 2009. Muir, Ed. â€Å"Narrowing the Highway to the American Dream.† American Teacher. Oct. 2004: 25. Print. Murphy, Clyde. â€Å"When Opportunity Knocks, It Skips Over Some Adresses.† Chicago Sun-Times. 14 Feb. 2006: 33. Web. 16 June 2009. Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"A New Kind of Poverty.† Newsweek. 1 Dec. 2003: 1-2. Web. 16 June 2009. Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"The War We Haven’t Won.† Newsweek. 20 Sep. 2004: 1-2. Web. 16 June 2009. â€Å"Successes and Failures of Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ Programs.† Bergen County Technical Schools and Special Services Web Site. 10 Mar. 2006: 4-6. 16 June 2009. U.S Census Bureau. 2005 Poverty Press Release. 30 Aug. 2005: n.pag. 16 June 2009. Whalen, Charles J. â€Å"The Age of Anxiety: Erosion of the American Dream.† USA Today. Sep. 1996: 1-3. Web. 16 June 2009. Zuckerman, Mortimer. â€Å"A Time to Celebrate.† U.S. News and World Report. 17 Jul. 2000: 120. Print.

Are Visual Effects Improving or Damaging Film?

Are Visual Effects Improving or Damaging Film? Introduction From the very inception of film visual effects have been employed by numerous photographers and film makers to enhance, to realise and create new meaning. The very early days of film took great advantage of ‘visual magic to create illusions and trickery which have impressed countless audiences. Over a century ago when photography was emerging as an art form some unscrupulous commercial photographers would capture portrait shots using an ordinary exposure but then as soon as the subject was removed from the studio a collaborator would be positioned within the same setting, a quick exposure would be taken so as to leave a faint image trace on the film. The unsuspecting customer would then be handed a positive copy of their image with what appeared to be a ghostly figure in shot. A more subtle variation involved the customer being placed with numerous props around him or her, the props would be removed for the second exposure of the ghost character, so as they wouldnt appear too d eliberately double exposed. The ghost character would usually be wearing black clothing as film does not ‘see black due to the chemical process in the emulsion of film which identifies light only, therefore only the ghost would appear in the second image. And herein began the industry of special effects. This ghost trick was the starting point for what is now known as the matte process where unrequired objects are removed from the exposure by masking them so they do not register on the film. One of the first uses of this process in a moving image sequence was witnessed in Alexander Kordas Things To Come (1936) in which the upper levels of a futuristic underground city have been double exposed above footage of live actors, matte masks prevented one image showing on the other image. This film provides one of the earliest examples of special effects being adopted to positively improve the aesthetics of a film. Of course since films early experiments with visual effects the industry has today developed into a very sophisticated, digitally driven and technically ultra-advanced visual medium. Computers have taken special effects to an entirely new level and as computers continue to update and improve their spec so too will the film industry develop around these advances; quite simply computers and digital technology have enabled films to be produced which otherwise would not have been. However despite the often profound visual success of special effects in certain cases some people argue that film is now placing an over reliance on special effects, they argue that visual effects in some films are counter productive as they come across as ineffective and some times unnecessary. Some also question the performance of the actors if all they are doing in a film is running in front of a green screen shouting at an imagined ‘alien clutching an imagined prop. Others raise concerns regarding the films quality and the processes of putting a film together where much of it is CGI constituted. So is it really the case that films being produced now would be better received by audiences if they did not make so much use of visual effects? Or is it that some studios and directors simply cant adjust effectively to modern day film making? And who is to blame for this? Man or machine? As visual effects artist Piers Bizony points out: One of the greatest misconceptions about modern movies is that visual effects are generated by computers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Human inventiveness is the most important ingredient and it always will be. Computers offer amazing new possibilities, but the underlying challenges of movie illusions are the same today as they were nearly a century ago when the industry was young . Chapter 1: The Profound Benefits of Using Visual Effects in Film Digital effects have significantly impacted on mainstream films, indeed digital technology is now synonymous with exceptional visual effects. Michael Baileys sci-fi film Armageddon (1999) provides a good example of a director engaging with digital visual effects which achieves an impressive and hugely successful end product. The disaster film depicts the efforts to prevent Earth being destroyed by a huge meteorite on a collision course with it. Teams of ‘heroes are sent into orbit in an attempt to blow the meteorite up and save the world. The film is saturated with digital effects some of which are the result of a very complex process. These computer generated sequences include the entire orbit scenes, the meteorite shots and the films climax. The evolutionary process by which the visual effects product is accomplished can be an awe inspiring process in itself; take for example the asteroid in Armageddon which began life as a small sketch on a napkin, the image was then refined and digitized, then colour was added to it in Photoshop. After this a physical model of the asteroid was constructed out of foam. Numerous shots were then taken and fed back into a computer so that other effects could be added such as gasses and rocks. A second and larger model was then built and using an intricate technological process wired the model so that a computer could read every single three-dimensional detail of it. The final product we see in the film is an image which is the result of multiple digital imagery layers with many of the films scenes comprising of between fifty and a hundred layers. It is an astounding feat of modern visual trickery. If the film had been made several years before hand it would have had to employ the more conventional optical printing cinematographic process. However this would have left green lines visible on the subjects and depreciated the overall aesthetic qualities of the film, today computers can remove these lines thereby rendering the composite process invisible to the viewer. Contemporary modern visual effects engender a film culture based on a production process that in actual fact is less ‘physical. As academics and authors Peter Lehman and William Luhr observe: As a movie like Armageddon makes clear, much of what we now see in Hollywood films never existed in front of the camera and this has had a profound effect upon how we think about movies. The quality of the visual effects necessarily impacts on the believability of the film for the viewer and most Hollywood films strive to hide any signs of the film making methods used with the aim of providing the spectator with a ‘real experience. Some label this style of Hollywood film making a ‘the invisible style and digital visual effects in many instances now makes this film making approach even more attainable, and more easier to produce as costs are cut. Films like Cecil B. De Milles The Ten Commandments (1956) used to be a rare event in Hollywood because of the costs involved in creating the special visual effects, but now thanks to modern visual effects financial barriers have been removed and we now see Hollywood increasing their output of more visually daring films. Michael Baileys follow-up to Armageddon was the hugely successful blockbuster Pearl Harbour (2002) which again repeated the success of his previous film as regards the use of visual effects and wen t on to generate worldwide box office sales of just under  £300,000,000. When Ridley Scotts historical action drama Gladiator (2000) was released there was wide media coverage focusing on many of the visual effects the film had employed . In the film many of the scenes occur in the Roman coliseum and we are treated to plenty of shots of an entire coliseum where hoards of spectators occupy it observing the macabre event taking place below. However the spectacle was in actual fact constructed from multiple digital layers and is another example of visual effects making an invaluable contribution to the film industry. It is only through digital technology that we can enjoy with such visual fluidity the epic structure of the coliseum, the gladiators engaging in their fierce battle and the jeering spectators all in one shot. James Cameron is a Canadian director with numerous titles to his name and is well known for his use of cutting edge visual effects technology. His first blockbuster foray into the visual effects arena was with his groundbreaking sci-fi The Terminator (1984) in which we witness a director pushing the boundaries of special effects capabilities. The film epitomises a trend of the time in which Hollywood was experimenting with new means of visual effects through the production of films which fused the genres of science fiction and horror including Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Robocop (1987) and Predator (1987), a breed of films which author Mark Jancovich describes as films which: Contain strong female leads; an interest in the family; concerns about scientific-technical rationality and the military; killing machines which lack conscious motivation; and forms of body/horror . Within Camerons Terminator film we can glean an overpowering sense of directorial creativity which, for all of the films impressive and successful visual effects, is still somehow constrained not by the mind of the director but by the technology available to him. The film was low budget costing around  £4m to make but due to its huge popularity generated  £30m in box office sales in America alone. The Terminator bred a franchise and to date four films have been made although only the first two were under Camerons direction. In Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Cameron teams up with George Lucass Industrial Light and Magic visual effects house and three other special effects houses. Cameron builds on his rendered water tentacle he created for The Abyss (1989); he was encouraged by some of the concepts used for The Abyss and in Terminator 2 created a Terminator constructed of liquid metal – the T–1000. On screen we witness T-1000, a polymorphic assassin, shape-shifti ng into anyone it touches. To achieve many of the films visual effects Cameron fused two elements of computer generated graphics with a film composite to create blue prints which were heavily used with astounding success. Between Cameron and the four visual effects houses the film boasts three hundred optical and mechanical shots incorporating state of the art computer produced imagery as well as more conventional optical trickeries and process photography. Each of the four effects companies provided the film with their own unique contributions. For example visual effects company ‘Video Image produced the twelve TerrorVision shots from the Arnold Schwarzenegger T-800 characters infra-red point of view. This was achieved by scanning into a computer live footage and manipulating the colour scheme then overlaying it with flashing graphics. ‘Fantasy Film II effects company had the task of producing the opening ‘future war sequence by improving it with intricate optical enhancements, they also created optical lighting and lasers for the shots of the arrival of the Terminator. It was ‘4Ward Production which created the nuclear blast scenes in which Los Angeles is devastated by a nucl ear bomb. The sequence was partly electronically created by using a big layered painting of the city which included a blast dome and by using the Apple Mac programme Electric Image very effectively simulated the destruction of buildings to capture the blasts destructive effects. However it was Industrial Light and Magic and Stan Winston Studios working in collaboration who were presented with the challenge of making the T-1000 which would turn out to be a combination of mechanical prosthetics, moving puppets and complex processes of computer generated digital imagery. Camerons Titanic (1997) was until very recently the worlds most successful box office film. The film made great use of visual effects as well as employing some more traditional special effects processes. Cameron constructed an entire Titanic replica which was able to be flooded and broken apart for the sinking sequences. Most of the visual effects were supplied by Camerons own company Digital Domain which made use of both CG and miniature models to recreate the journey and eventual fate of the ship. Digital Domain also generated hundreds of digital passengers, digital water and numerous digital matte paintings and also created particle effects which simulated smoke. Other visual effects work on the film was carried out by VIFX who composited icy breaths onto some of the characters to ensure maximum authenticity for outside scenes. A number of other collaborators include POP Film who created some very clever digital face replacements and complex matte paintings. And CIS Hollywood made blue sky substitutes and bluescreen composites. The whole collaboration ensured the final product did what it was supposed to do. The films visual effects are an overwhelming credit to a Hollywood narrative film which, in true Hollywood style, hopes to ensure its audiences beliefs are suspended so the journey is as real as it can get, there can be no doubt that the visual effects in this film was a key ingredient in helping the audience achieve that belief suspension. On the 29th August 2009 the Daily Mail ran an article with the title ‘How James Camerons 3D Film Could Change Cinema Forever. The story previewed James Camerons latest sci-fi adventure film Avatar (2009) and the articles author claimed: A movie revolution will take place at the end of the year potentially offering as big a leap in our viewing experience as the change from black-and-white television to colour. The remark was perhaps a little over zealous but nonetheless captured the sentiment of the huge visual success celebrated by the release of Avatar. The film had been a concept in Camerons mind since the mid 1990s but due to the deficit in technological capabilities the film remained unmade. In actual fact Cameron didnt completely wait for the technology to catch up he made technology catch up by creating specialist cameras and equipment required to make the 3D film a reality. The imagery in Avatar constitutes 60% CGI and most of the CG character animation sequences are filmed using live actors with groundbreaking new motion-capture processes. The other 40% of the film comprises of live action imagery and relies on more conventional special effects. In bringing Camerons CG characters to life he has essentially created a whole new method for filming motion capture; he makes his actors wear special body suits with a standard definition camera attached to a head ring which will repeatedl y take photographs of their faces. Then the data is sent to another camera which creates a real-time image of the ‘live actor in costume. Of the processes used to create his visual effects in Avatar Cameron stated: Its this amazing ability to quickly conjure scenes and images and great fantasy scapes that is very visual†¦When you are doing performance capture, creatively its very daunting. Its very hard to imagine what it will look like. But if you can see it, if you can have a virtual image of what is it going to be like, then you are there . Avatar adopts further new motion capture processes with its Facial Performance Replacement (FPR) technique which allowed Cameron to reshape the facial movements of the actors. So where dialogue is altered after principal photography on a scene it is still capable of being perfectly integrated into the final scene thereby avoiding actors having to re-shoot another take with their body suits and head rigs on again. Its as though Cameron is constantly merging the boundaries of CGI and live action imagery but appears to have created the desired result although at cost. Whilst the film was in production James Cameron said in an interview on Canadian television that:Were in CG hell. Were trying to create a world from scratch. Its like trench warfare. Were working with computer-generated characters that are photo-realistic. Thats tough. We set the bar high. Were just now getting confidence that its going to work .Its the type of remark that embodies the drive behind an artists creative inte lligence and reveals his determination as well as frustration of a project which ultimately will be successful, James Cameron must be sitting comfortably with the knowledge that he broke his own previous record. Avatar is now the biggest box office success in cinema history. Chapter 2: When Do Visual Effects Damage Film? It is incontrovertible that visual effects have augmented many film experiences and that todays modern technological advances have created a film industry capable of exceeding audiences expectations. However despite the immense success of these visual effects there is a growing feeling among many people and film makers alike that digital effects are eroding the quality of some films. CGI used to be a hugely expensive process so much so that George Lucass Star Wars (1977) only contained a ninety second CGI sequence which took three months to complete. However almost twenty years later and the cost of CGI has significantly reduced which enables Pixar Animated Studios to profitably produce an entirely computer generated film – Toy Story (1995). Just another six years later and Sony manages to remove the difference between cartoon and ‘real life with its production of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). Today CGI is an integral ingredient for many filmmakers who employ its use for most of Hollywoods big action sequences. Despite the affordability of CGI it still remains an expensive process and is very time consuming and this is precisely why it is often contracted out of Hollywood to specialist visual effects companies. As we have seen above Avatar had at least four different visual effects companies work on it, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) had eleven outside companies produce the visual effects. Herein lies one of the key areas of concern regarding the use of visual effects in contemporary film making. So that this type of digital outsourcing can be facilitated the film is essentially divided into two separate productions: firstly the studio or location based live action scenes and secondly the CGI element which is made on computers. During the live action filming the actor will quite often be working on whats called a ‘limbo set in which there will be few physicalities to the scene, instead the actor will be required to simulate particular actions and even mouth certain words of dialogue, all the omissions will then be filled in at a later stage on computer when engaging the CGI stage of the production. It will paint bold background imagery, place elaborate costumes on characters, implant certain objects into the actors hands and create sounds and dialogue befitting of the scenario. When the live footage has to be completed and even the editing of the live film the divide between the live and the CGI work becomes more distinct and problematic as quite often directors havent seen any of the CGI imagery at that stage. One classic example of this situation was during the filming of Jonathan Mostows Terminator 3. The film began shooting in July 2002 and Warner Brothers required the film to be submitted within twelve months for its release. However the sub-contracted CGI element of the production would take eight months for the subcontractors to complete, and so due to the time restriction this meant that Mostow had no choice other than to provide storyboards to the CGI teams so they could begin work and so were not working from the live footage which Mostow had yet to film. The split nature of this method of film making is epitomised, almost bizarrely, in the film itself in the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The right side of his face has ordinary make-up on it, the left side is green this is because the digital animation supervisor San Rafael directed the CGI which would become Schwarzeneggers right side of his face, whereas Mostow directed the left side of his face in Los Angeles. Once the CGI had been completed there was simply no time to facilitate a re-do. Mostow stated at the time: For a filmmaker that is the worst thing you can imagine. In the regular rhythm of making movies you shoot, you edit, you hone the editing, and then you add the finishing touches. Computer graphics turns the normal procedures of filmmaking upside down . This method of filmmaking was also witnessed in the production processes of Avatar which outsourced the digital effects work to a number of different companies. One of those companies was London based Framestore and some of the work they had to carry out vividly illustrates the production issues of films which employ heavy use of CGI, Jonathan Fawkner of Framestore said: So what we got from the production was literally an actor in a green background, and we were required to put everything else, including set material props and people . Hollywood studios often believe that digital effects are worth their price, even if it is just to enjoy the profit margin from the spin off sales of merchandise of toys and computer games. However if CGI can not sustain audience interest because it lacks other fundamental film elements such as narrative then no groundbreaking computer generated graphics will compensate for an audience dissatisfied with the story of a film. This was illuminated when Sony had to learn a bitter lesson after it released the sci-fi digital effects imbued Stealth (2005) which performed abysmally at the box office. DreamWorks also had a bloody nose in the same year with the release of The Island (2005) which again generated disappointing box office sales. As journalist and author Edward Epstein states: If this new economy of illusion allows the CGI side of a production to overwhelm the directors ability to tell a coherent story in his live-action side, digital effects may prove to be the ruination of movies . Another aspect of film erosion some argue is occurring when film requires the use of stunts to increase the action to higher levels of intensity. When American actor, writer, producer and director Douglas Fairbanks in the 1924 film version of the fantasy Thief of Baghdad impressively jumps from one huge pot to another with all the anticipation captured beautifully in the film he does so himself, with two unseen trampolines used to support the actor as he performs the stunt. The action sequence is thoroughly effective because it is real. Martial arts actor and director Jackie Chan brings to us films which are highly charged with plenty of karate sequences, this is for many part of the appeal of his films. The fighting scenes always use trained martial arts experts to bring the audience closer to the fighting action so they dont just see and hear it they feel it. However CGI threatens this authenticity by injecting scenes of action which are physically impossible for the human being. T he reality is that sadly with the continuing development of CGI there will be less impressive live stunts in film to enjoy. Another argument which criticises digital visual effects concerns the relationship with the aesthetics and the deeper meaning of what the aesthetics are depicting. If we look at a much older film such as the The Thief of Baghdad (1940) we observe a film which makes very effective use of visual effects for its time. It is obvious watching the film that the visual effects are easily identified as visual augmentations but in those aesthetics they actually capture a large degree of reality. Clearly the audience knows that horses and carpets are not capable of flying by themselves yet in the film that is precisely what we see and a visual treat it is despite its lack of visual sophistication. If those scenes were filmed today they would be produced through CGI processes which would load the scenes with fast paced shots of the horses imagined responses if it could fly which would be generated with intricate detail and seamless visual flow, we would see overview shots of the landscapes bene ath and we might even see an eagle or two because the whole sequence would be so busy that the audience just doesnt have time to appreciate the whole point of the scene that someone is flying through the air on a horse or carpet! And this is the problem when visual effects take over the scene it reduces the significance of what it portrays. Digital visual effects also seem to engender a type of laziness amongst some film makers. However in the film X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) attention was focused away from digital support in favour of more traditional effects, the audience is aware that theyre not always seeing real bodies or real severed body parts but the effects were impressive and no CGI was used, the film makers instead employed model making efforts to realise the visual characteristics of the film. US scriptwriter and film critic Roger Ebert says: I have nothing against digital technology. It tricks the eye just as matte paintings and miniatures did. What Im concerned about is that filmmakers take it for granted. When youre not dealing with something physical, like a matte, youre tempted to go for broke, and then your ‘real life movie feels like a cartoon. The best effects are those that are entirely story-driven and character-driven. In many peoples view CGI is simply becoming overused. Steve Becks horror Ghost Ship (2002) received strong censure from critics and spectators for its digitally constructed scenes and lack of attention to narrative. The unreal look which comes with CGI can often destroy credibility for the audience. Special effects co-ordinator Randy Cabral believes that CGI has a damaging effect on some films, he says: I go to the movies often and Im taken out of the moment completely when you see something and its so unreal, so unbelievable and it just screams CGI that it completely ruins the film for me. Conclusion Looking at the top ten most successful films of all time, commercially speaking, every single one of them has employed CGI to a significant extent . From Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001) to The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) through to Toy Story 3 (2010) and of course Avatar (2009) between them these films have thrilled worldwide audiences and rewarded them with a visual feast. There can be no denying the merits of digital effects and the overwhelming contribution it has made to cinema. The success in sales figures both at the box office and in DVD and Blu-ray profits matches the success of what CGI has achieved on screen. The advantages to the film industry are plenty as is evident from above, but what some directors and film makers some times overlook are the negative aspects of this technology. CGI can not replace a good story or substitute an intelligent script with meaningful dialogue and whilst it can indeed create stunning three dimensional characte rs it can not produce the depth of character which audiences can relate to if the character has no characteristics or depth of expression. It seems that some directors and the Hollywood system have not learnt these lessons fully yet. The recent sci-fi film Skyline (2010) relied heavily on digital effects, some which were quite clearly weak in parts, and lacked depth of narrative. The film attempted to ride on the back of recent successes in the genre like War of the Worlds (2005), Cloverfield (2007) and District 9 (2009) but failed to match their achievements. Skyline unfortunately is a modern example which demonstrates that Hollywood continues to ignore fundamental film constituents in favour of computer generated sequences to realise a film, perhaps after the box office failure of Skyline Hollywood may begin to effectively address this issue. Even directors like Tim Burton who have strong views on digital effects and resisted using them extensively for his remake of Charlie and th e Chocolate Factory (2005) still dont appreciate the damage CGI can do, as the film still featured many scenes that were not enhanced by the visual effects but were in fact weakened by them. Having considered many of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of visual effects within the film industry there are clearly two opposing perspectives. Some advocate the continuing and indeed increasing use of CGI as a key method for the production of major film projects and to realise the creativity of the human mind whilst others prefer a more moderate approach to the use of digital effects. James Cameron when being interviewed by Charlie Rose said: I threw everything I had at making it a great piece of entertainment and that was the 3-D, the CGI and creating the world and every trick I knew to get people to come to a theatre, and then every trick I knew as a filmmaker to engage them in terms of the story and the actors and so on . It is probably fair to suggest the most efficacious means of producing films should incorporate a balance, and ensure the right calculation between using digital technologies to realise the film and the other essential ingredients which makes the film successful. If the film industry chooses to ignore the genuine complaints of digital effects use then it may well find itself producing more films which do not connect with audiences, and thus runs the risk of damage not only their profits but their credibility also.

Death Penalty as an Effective Method of Punishment Essay -- Argumentat

Death Penalty as an Effective Method of Punishment An issue that has continually created tension in today's society is whether the death penalty serves as a justified and valid form of punishment. Whenever the word "death penalty" comes up, extremists from both sides start yelling out their arguments. One side says deterrence, the other side says there's a potential of executing an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says execution is murder. Crime is an evident part of society, and everyone is aware that something must be done about it. Most people know the threat of crime to their lives, but the question lies in the methods and action in which it should be dealt with. In several parts of the world, the death penalty has been apportioned to those who have committed a variety of offenses from the time of ancient Babylon to present-day America. The Roman Empire made use of the death penalty liberally, as did the Church of the Middle Ages. As history tells us, capital punishment, whose def inition is "the use of death as a legally sanctioned punishment," is an acceptable and efficient means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty remains an effective method of punishment for murder and other heinous crimes. There is debate over the morals and effectiveness of such a harsh sentence. Most commonly, the death penalty is challenged as a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which says that the U.S. cannot use "cruel and unusual" punishment. Due to the fact that "punishment" is a legal infliction of suffering, it must be somewhat "cruel.† As for being unusual, it is anything but, due to the long history of its usage. People will plunder, take advantage of others, and commit cri... ...does not violate the cruel and unusual punishment clause. Capital punishment has proven to have good benefits upon the country in determining the consequences that criminals deserve. This is needed to ensure the safety and moral values of society. If this is the case, there is no need for us to consider the expenses involved in the death penalty. Certainly human lives are more important, for it may easily be yours. We should not abolish capital punishment, but hold our country accountable for properly exercising the death penalty upon those who deserve it. Works Cited Anonymous: "Death Penalty and Sentencing Information in the United States." Internet. "Death Penalty Statistics," North Carolina Attorney General's Office. 1997. Nancy Jacobs, Alison Landes, and Mark A. Siegel. Capital Punishment, Cruel and Unusual?. Wylie: Information Plus, 1996.