The Aryan Brotherhood A Notorious Prison Gang

The Aryan Brotherhood (also known as the AB or the Brand) is a white-only prison gang formed in the 1960s at San Quentin State Prison. The gangs purpose at that time was to protect white inmates from being physically attacked by black and Hispanic inmates. Today the AB is reportedly more interested in money and is known for its involvement in  murder, narcotics trafficking, extortion, gambling, and robbery. History of the Aryan Brotherhood At San Quentin State Prison during the 1950s, a renegade motorcycle gang with strong Irish roots formed the Diamond Tooth Gang. The gangs main purpose was to protect white inmates from being assaulted from other racial groups within the prison. The name, Diamond Tooth, was chosen because many in the  gang had tiny pieces of glass embedded in their teeth. In the early 1960s, wanting more control, the gang  expanded its recruiting efforts and attracted more white-supremacist and violent prone inmates. As the gang grew, they changed the name from Diamond Tooth to Blue Bird. By the late 1960s, racial unrest increased throughout the nation and the desegregation within the prisons took place and stronger racial tensions grew within the prison yards. The Black Guerrilla Family, a gang made up of black-only members, became a real threat to the Blue Birds and the group looked toward other prison white-only gangs to form an alliance which became known as the Aryan Brotherhood. A Blood In-Blood Out philosophy took hold and the AB raged a war of intimidation and control within the prison. They demanded respect from all inmates and would kill to get it. Power Driven During the 1980s with control intact, the purpose of the AB shifted from being merely a protective shield for whites. They also sought full control over illegal prison activities for financial gain. As gang membership grew and members were let out of prison and re-entered other prisons, it became clear that an organized system was needed. Protection, extortion, narcotics, weapons and murder-for-hire schemes were paying off and the gang wanted to expand its power to other prisons across the country. Federal and State Factions Part of the AB setting up a strict organizational structure was the decision to have two factions; the Federal faction who would control the gang activities in federal prisons and the California state faction which kept control over the state prisons. Aryan Brotherhood Symbols Shamrock cloverleafInitials ABSwastikasDouble lightning boltsThe numbers 666HH for Heil HitlerA Falcon resembling the Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, meaning We OurselvesKnown to use Gaelic (old Irish) symbols as a method of coding communicationsAryan Brotherhood groups from other states often include the name of the stateLetters and exclamation points separated by happy faces Enemies/Rivals The Aryan Brotherhood has traditionally demonstrated a deep hatred toward black individuals and members of black gangs, such as the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), Crips, Bloods, and El Rukns. They also are rivals with the La Nuestra Familia (NF) because of their alliance with the Mexican Mafia. Allies The Aryan Brotherhood: Maintains a working relationship with the Mexican Mafia (EME).Works with some black groups in an effort to encourage possible prison disturbances and to deal drugs to the black prison population.Compatible with most motorcycle gangs as many of the AB members come from motorcycle gangs.Compatible with most white supremacy groups. This often leads to confusion in distinguishing AB members from other white supremacist groups, particularly when making identification by their tattoos or symbols.Copycat Aryan Brotherhood groups are generally tolerated by true members. However, federal and California ABs do not consider them to be legitimate and may threaten violence if AB tattoos are not burned or cut off.Actively cooperates with the Dirty White Boys, an Anglo spin-off gang of the Texas Syndicate. Similar cooperation has been observed with the Silent Brotherhood. Communications As an attempt to break up AB gang activity, prison officials placed many of the top AB leaders in ultra-maximum security prisons such as Pelican Bay yet communications continued, including orders to kill snitches and rival gang members. Older members had long perfected communicating with hand language as well as using codes and a 400-year-old binary alphabet system to communicate in writing. Cryptic notes would be concealed throughout the prison.​ Busting Up the AB In August 2002, after a six-year investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) nearly all suspected AB gang leaders were indicted and charged with murder, contract hits, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, robbery, and narcotics trafficking. Ultimately, four of the top AB leaders were found guilty and given life sentences without the possibility of parole. Barry The Barron Mills: Alleged leader of the Aryan Brotherhoods operations in the federal prison system.Tyler Davis The Hulk Bingham: Alleged leader who worked with Mills in the federal prison branch of the AB.Edgar The Snail Hevle: Allegedly, a former top-level member of the three-man commission that oversaw the federal branch of the prison gang.Christopher Overton Gibson: Allegedly, a member of the group in charge of the gangs day-to-day activities. Although some felt hopeful that removing the top leaders of the AB would result in the demise of the gang as a whole, many believed it was a mere setback with vacant positions quickly filled by other gang members and business continued as usual. Aryan Brotherhood Trivia Charles Manson was denied membership into the AB gang because the leaders found his type of murder, distasteful. However, they did utilize the women visiting Manson as a means of smuggling in narcotics. The Aryan Brotherhood was hired to protect mobster boss John Gotti during his incarceration after he was attacked by an inmate. This relationship resulted in many murders-by-hire between the AB and the Mafia. Source Florida Dept. of Corrections

The Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane - 1152 Words

The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is a fictional novel that portrays the Civil War through the life of Henry Fleming, a young soldier. The reader follows Henry’s coming of age story through a strand of events and choices. The fashion in which Crane develops Henry’s story, is by using distinctive literary techniques to establish the theme of courage throughout the novel. Henry, as the main character, would not have developed over the course of the novel without Crane’s use of courage. One literary technique Crane has used in the novel is irony. In particular when Crane writes that â€Å"at times he (Henry) regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage† (Crane, 52). This is considered ironic, because all Henry wanted was to be seen as courageous, and the fact that his first real injury was caused by a union soldier, rather th an his boldness, causes the whole idea behind Henry’s courage to seem ironic. In effect, Henry’s actions and thoughts at the beginning of the book, make it sound like he does not wish to be courageous for the right reasons. Henry craves to be recognized as a hero, but does not want to deal with all of the effects that could happen leading up to that. At the very beginning of the novel Henry wants to become someone, he wants to show that he too can fight and be a hero. This is shown in chapter one when it is written that, â€Å"heShow MoreRelatedThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1840 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Stephen Crane was considered one of America’s most influential realist writers. Crane was born on November 1, 1871, in Newark, New Jersey. He was the 14th and last child of Mary Crane, who was a writer/suffragist, and Reverend Jonathan Crane, a Methodist Episcopal minister. Crane spent less than two years as college student, between going to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and then to Syracuse University in upper state New York. After college, Crane moved to Patterson, NewRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesThe Novel, The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is about a Union Regiment during the civil war that is stationed along a riverbank. Henry Flemming is a newcomer who is bothered about his bravery because there is a rumor the regiment is going to go to battle. The only reason Henry was drawn to enlist was because he wanted to become a war hero. The main conflict is internal. When Henry has to go into battle and risk his life, he realizes that there is no turning back, and he could not runRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane917 Words   |  4 PagesGrowing Up From Boys to Men Symbols and themes play a major role in novels. The symbols and themes can help with getting a better understanding in novels. One novel that has many symbols is The Red Badge Of Courage. The author of this novel is Stephen Crane and the genre is historical fiction. In the novel the main character is Henry Fleming. Henry is also known as The Youth. Henry joins the Union in the Civil War. Henry joined the army to have glory. When Henry first gets on the battle field heRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1840 Words   |  8 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Red Badge of Courage as Satire   Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Crane once said â€Å"Let a thing become a tradition, and it becomes half a lie† (Maggie, A Girl of the Streets 230).   This sentiment proves true in how he describes the tradition of heroism in his novel The Red Badge of Courage.   While Crane writes what is considered to be one of the most important novels about the Civil War, his views on the war and the heroics of those fighting the war are mostly critical.   Like Ernest Hemingway, Crane writes aRead MoreRed Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1820 Words   |  8 Pagesauthors is Stephen Crane, whose The Red Badge of Courage depicted the war from the eyes of a common soldier, Henry. Crane uses Henry and the setting of the Battle of Chancellorsville to accurately depict the Civil War in all its brutality. In Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane shows a unique perspective on the true nature of war, both physically and mentally, by graphically depicting war both through the setting and through the po int of view of Henry and his comrades, thusly making Crane a true historicalRead MoreThe Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane1809 Words   |  7 PagesRED BADGE OF COURAGE BY STEPHEN CRANE â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† written by Stephen THE Crane was a great example of the works that the author penned. Stephen Crane was born in New Jersey on November 1, 1871. Crane was the youngest of fourteen children and attend a few different preparatory schools and colleges before deciding that he wanted to be a journalist and an author. He wrote first of things that had happened in New York City, but once he decided for sure that this was what he wantedRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Red Badge of Courage† is a story written by Stephen Crane. The events of â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† took place in Chancellorsville, Virginia, happening during a course of a couple days in May of 1863. It takes place in the Battle of Chancellorsville on a field of battle during the Civil War on a field of battle. â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† is a story of a teenager named Henry Fleming, who hopes of fulfilling his dreams of glory. He enlists in the Union army, with lots of fear and doubts. HoweverRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pageswriting. It is through an author’s ability to make a character come to life and seem human that they either succeed or fail in this venture. In the Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, Crane is able to create a character that succeeds at this highly. Despite times in the novel where Crane’s character appears to act without any virtue at all, Crane is able to humanize him and eventually he turns into a role model for readers. The novel opens with Crane’s character, Henry Fleming, sitting in hisRead MoreThe Badge of Red Courage by Stephen Crane653 Words   |  3 PagesThe Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage thirty years after the Civil War had already taken place. I found this book confusing at first with all of the flashbacks, it had throughout the story, but as the book progressed I found it interesting with all of the details he used. I felt like I was in the war myself; he is a descriptive author. If I was going to suggest this book to other readers, I would tell them to be patient because it seems to be very confusing in theRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1276 Words   |  6 PagesThe Novel, The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is about a Union Regiment during the civil war that is stationed along a riverbank. Henry Flemming is a newcomer who is bothered about his bravery because there is a rumor the regiment is going to go to battle. The only reason Henry was drawn to enlist was because he wanted to become a war hero. The main conflict is internal. When Henry has to go into battle and risk his life, he rea lizes that there is no turning back, and he could not run

The Argument For Gods Existence - 2069 Words

Introduction The Bible begins with the book of Genesis stating, â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.† The Bible doesn’t begin with an argument for the reality of God, but states the truth of His existence. The Jews accepted the truth of an eternal God, so the authors rarely spent time with an argument for His existence. However, today in our society, it is usually required to begin explaining the gospel with an argument for God’s existence. 1 Peter 3:15 instructs believers to, â€Å"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.† For the believer, it is a good practice to have an understanding of the arguments for God’s existence. It is important to realize that†¦show more content†¦No other species on earth displays our level of intelligence, creativity, and emotion. One aspect of the anthropological argument reveals that mankind is so widely different from our world is we were created in the image of God, and because of this we have been given certain attributes that separate us from all other forms of life. We were not physically made in God’s likeness, because scripture tells us that God is spirit and we should not assume that God’s physical appearance is similar to a man’s. It is our non-physical attributes that made in the image of God. Our intelligence, imagination, emotion, creativity, and morality are many of the attributes of God that He has blessed us with. Theological Definition The theological definition of the anthropological (anthropos meaning man) argument is based on the human condition, of man s basic moral standards and the constant need for there to be a higher being. It is similar to the cosmological argument in that if man has a desire for God and a conscience when offending him; apparently these have their basis in God and not in man. This argument was perhaps most famously theorized by Blaise Pascal, who suggested that it was a better bet to believe in God than not to. Biblical Foundation The Biblical Foundations of the anthropological argument are: (1) That man is the product of a living being: In Genesis chapter 2 it says that â€Å"God formed man of the dust of the ground and

Personal Loans Pro Tips For Keeping The Peace And...

Personal Loans: Pro Tips for Keeping the Peace and Keeping Your Commitment Personal Loans: Pro Tips for Keeping the Peace and Keeping Your Commitment Many of us have official obligations like credit card debt and less formal debts to friends or family members that include personal loans. Usually, one of these personal loans isn t structured by a formalized loan agreement, but it can be equally important to your reputation, relationships and financial budget to consider personal loans just as seriously as you do contractual obligations for paying off debt . Family loans often come with hidden agendas and generate unexpected consequences, so the following financial best practices for keeping peace and fulfilling you commitments make sense: Balancing the Demands of Legal Creditors with Personal Financial Obligations Unfortunately, informal family loans are usually the first casualties when people get into financial trouble and can t pay their debts. It s just human nature to put off friends or family members when you ve got legal creditors aggressively pursuing collection activities. However, it can also be draining and frustrating when friends or family members get upset over personal loans. These disputes could ruin relationships, generate lifelong enmities, preclude any future borrowing--even in extreme emergencies-- and even result in legal actions from offended lenders. The best strategy for balancing legal and personal debts involves talking to the lenders,Show MoreRelatedAirborne Express 714476 Words   |  58 Pagesbarriers to international trade and investment. Is the pace of change now outpacing the capability of governments to manage the global economy? Will national governments become more or less important to international business in the future? Explain your answer. Answer--- In my opinion, I think the national government strongly affect to international trade and investment and I think it cannot be changed. In the future, I think national governments would become more and more powerful to internationalRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages658.40071 173—dc22 I. Cameron, 2009040522 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ISBN 10: 0-13-612100-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-612100-8 B R I E F TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Preface xvii Introduction 1 PART I 1 2 3 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 Developing Self-Awareness 45 Managing Personal Stress 105 Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively 167 PART II 4 5 6 7 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 232 233 Building Relationships by Communicating Supportively Gaining Power and Influence 279 MotivatingRead MoreAccounting Information System Chapter 1137115 Words   |  549 Pagesfew of your classmates decided to become entrepreneurs. You came up with a great idea for a new mobile phone application that you think will make lots of money. Your business plan won second place in a local competition, and you are using the $10,000 prize to support yourselves as you start your company. a. Identify the key decisions you need to make to be successful entrepreneurs, the information you need to make them, and the business processes you will need to engage in. b. Your companyRead MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 PagesTOP-TEAM POLITICS†¦page 90 WHEN YOUR CORE BUSINESS IS DYING†¦page 66 Y GE SE PA IN DS CK R M WA A 53 www.hbr.org April 2007 58 What Your Leader Expects of You Larry Bossidy 66 Finding Your Next Core Business Chris Zook 78 Promise-Based Management: The Essence of Execution Donald N. Sull and Charles Spinosa 90 The Leadership Team: Complementary Strengths or Conï ¬â€šicting Agendas? Stephen A. Miles and Michael D. Watkins 100 Avoiding Integrity Land Mines BenRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesexperience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from an experienced student user Ask your local representative for details! Collaborate with your colleagues, find a mentor, attend virtual and live events, and view resources www.WhereFacultyConnect.com Pre-loadedRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesphotocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designationsRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pages What is the best way to use people’s skills? Car production has changed dramatically over the years as managers have applied different principles of management to organize and control work activities. Prior to 1900, small groups What Kind of Personal Computers Do Customers modiï ¬ ed to ï ¬ t together. This system, a type of Want? small-batch production, was very expensive; assembling just one car took considerable time of skilled workers cooperated to hand-build cars with parts that often hadRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesgood and bad handling of problems and opportunities are forever emerging. But sometimes we bring back an oldie, and with updating, gain a new perspective. For new users, I hope the book will meet your full expectations and be an effective instructional tool. Although case books abound, you and your students may find this somewhat unique and very readable, a book that can help transform dry and rather remote concepts into practical reality, and lead to lively class discussions, and even debatesRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesshared invaluable insights on prioritizing projects. University students and managers deserve special accolades for identifying problems with earlier drafts of the text and exercises. We are indebted to the reviewers of past editions who shared our commitment to elevating the instruction of project management. The reviewers include Paul S. Allen, Rice University; Denis F. Cioffi, George Washington University; Joseph D. DeVoss, DeVry University; Edward J. Glantz, Pennsylvania State University; MichaelRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesAttribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author, namely by citing his name, the book title, and the relevant page numbers (but not in any way that suggests that the book Logical Reasoning or its author endorse you or your use of the work). (2) Noncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposes (for example, by inserting passages into a book that is sold to students). (3) No Derivative Works You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. An earlier

Peter The Great Analysis Essay Example For Students

Peter The Great Analysis Essay Peter the Great or Peter I, czar of Russia, reigned from (1672-1725). In many ways he bettered the country of Russia, but in other ways he hurt Russia. The ways in which bettered the country outweighs the bad effects put upon Russians during his reign. Most of the ways that he improved the country stemmed from him forcing Western European culture on his people. One of the ways in which he bettered Russia was that he expanded their land. Land expansion meant that Russia became bigger that the rest of Europe and Russia now had sea and fresh water ports important for trade. He also improved education, the military, and transportation. Some of the negative aspects of Peters rule was that the Russians taxes increased and their standard of life had decrease. At all cost and with his perseverance Peter had made Russia a European power. Peters greatest accomplishment was that he educated many of the would be illiterate Russians. Russians were at the highest point of education that they had ever been. He standardized a simpler Russian alphabet and introduced Arabic numerals. He started Russian academies for higher education. For the Boyards he made the college aged people to go out of the country for five years to study at a school in a Western European school. For the first time in Russian history there were the publishing of newspapers. He also changed the calendar to agree with the current calendar, the Gregorian. Peter next best accomplishment was that he expanded the state and therefor encouraged trade. Until the middle part of his reign Russia was land locked which meant that they had to hope that the other countries would let them through their country and water to go other countries seeking trade. The only way they could trade was with neighboring countries and that was still not good. Through wars with other countries such as Sweden they acquired lands that would give them seaports. With this came the establishment of a large seaport called St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg brought along the establishment in Russia of newly invented canals, stone roads, and drainage systems. The success was due to no pay labor of the peasants and the nobles having to spend time in that city. The city became known as the window to Europe. The accomplishment that is both good and bad was the implementation of a strong standing army. The main reason for why it was good was that it gave Russia victories in wars that resulted in land gains for trading. He added the Kossacks to the military that was a great move because these men were great horsemen. Something else had grown from his army policy that benefited that peasants the nobles were also put in the army. Because of this the peasants through his military merit advancement policy could become nobles. Everyone at this time were equal in status. The reason for why it was bad was that it gave Peter absolute control over everyone. 85 to 90 percent of the revenue rose by taxes were given to the military. There were also three tax hikes to pay for his many wars and his troops. People did not realize it but their lives could have been at stake with any false actions. Peter the Great was bad in that he was very cruel to the people of Russia. He heavily taxed everyone, so the serfs had to pay taxes for themselves and their owners. In the case of St. Petersburg the serfs had build without pay and those who did not build paid taxes. Peter was so mean that he tortured his son to death and that the people of Russia were saying some bad stuff under their breath about Peter. Due to the frequent wars the people that he drafted for the army had great chances of dying in action. In wars with the Turks he had lost some of their pride. .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d , .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .postImageUrl , .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d , .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:hover , .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:visited , .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:active { border:0!important; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:active , .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u001408e84dea5b7eb15aac96357d664d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Barbados EssayPeter the Great of Russia was a great Czar whose actions helped the country more than it hurt the country. He expanded the territory of Russia and trade with it. He also introduced Russia to Western culture. From that came education and inventions. He was also known for having a great military and winning many battles. In at least one major way he hurt the country, he raised taxes three times.

The American Film Industry Essay Example For Students

The American Film Industry Essay Why is the Film Industry one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world? Simple. People like entertainment. Movies are entertainment. Movies are like books, only theyre visual. People like seeing other people cast in roles, and playing out a story. Why not turn to plays instead, you ask? Movies give people the actors and the stories, along with background music, special effects, and overall satisfaction within a 2 hour period of time. Movies can also take you to a physical state that theatre can not. They take you to real physical locations instead of just a cardboard stages. Its the same reason people like television so much. The birth of cinema came in the late 1800s. One of the major reasons for the emergence of motion pictures in the 1890s was the late 1880s development of a camera that could capture movement, and a sprocket system that could move the film through the camera. William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, a young assistant in Thomas Edisons laboratories, designed an early version of a movie-picture camera called a Kinetograph that was first patented by Edison in 1893. Early in 1893, the worlds first film studio, the Black Maria, was built on the grounds of Edisons laboratories at West Orange, New Jersey and the first successful motion picture was made a re-creation of a sneeze. Most of the earliest moving images were non-fictional, unedited, crude documentary views of simple, ordinary slices of life street scenes, the activities of police or firemen, or shots of a passing train. Then, in 1894, along came another marvelous Edison Company invention in the mid 1890s the Kinetoscope. It was basicall y a bulky, coin-operated movie peep show viewer for a single customer, in which the images on a continuous film loop-belt were viewed in motion as they were rotated in front of a shutter and a light. On Saturday, April 14th, 1894, the Holland Brothers opened their original Kinetoscope Parlor at 1155 Broadway in New York City and for the first time, commercially exhibited movies as we know them today. Early spectators in Kinetoscope parlors were amazed by even the most strange moving images in very short films (between 30 and 60 seconds) an approaching train, a parade, women dancing, dogs terrorizing rats, and other such things. In 1895, Edison exhibited hand-colored movies, including Annabelle The Dancer, in Atlanta, Georgia at the Cotton States Exhibition. In one of Edisons 1896 films, entitled The Widow Jones, often called The Kiss, May Irwin and John Rice re-enacted a scene from a Broadway play it was a close-up of a cinematic kiss. In 1909 the first movie studio was started U niversal Studios. The ten year peiod of 1920-1930 was the period between the end of the Great War and the Stock Market Crash. Film theaters and studios were not initially affected in this decade by the crash. Films really blossomed in the 1920s, expanding upon the foundations of film from earlier years. Some of the best artists from European film-making circles were imported to Hollywood and adapted there. The basic pattern of the film industry, and its economic organization, was established in the 1920s the studio system was essentially born in the second decade of the century. With films, came a need for protection, and ratings. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) acted domestically as the voice and advocate of seven of the largest producers and distributors of filmed entertainment. MPAAs counterpart, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) served the same purpose on an international basis. Founded in 1922 as the trade association for the American film industry, the MPAA has broadened its authorization over the years to reflect the diversity of the expanding motion picture industry. Today, these associations represent not only the world of the theatrical film, but also major producers and distributors of entertainment programming for television, cable, and home video, and looking into the future, for delivery systems not yet imagined. Among its principle missions, the MPAA directs an anti-piracy program to protect, through copyright and other laws, U.S. films in 65 countries throughout the world. The MPAA also works to eliminate unfair and restri ctive trade regulations and practices and non-tariff trade barriers to allow free competition in the international marketplace. The firms that were to rule Hollywood filmmaking for the next half-century were the giants. Warner Bros. Pictures incorporated in 1923, and in 1924, MGM, Columbia Pictures, and MCA (Music Corporation of America) were all created or founded. Later, RKO Pictures went into business in 1928. After World War I and into the early 1920s, America was the leading producer of films in the world using Thomas Inces factory system of production although the system did limit the creativity of many directors. Films were bigger, costlier, more polished, and the major film emphasis was on swashbucklers, historical extravaganzas, and melodramas. MGM was to become the dominant studio of Hollywoods Golden Age during the 30s. The 1930s decade has been rightfully labeled as the most memorable era of all, with the term The Golden Age of Hollywood. It was called this because of the great prosperity of the movie industry. New films were being developed, new techniques, and people were soaking them in. The 30s was also the decade of the sound revolution, color revolution, the advance of the talkies, and the advancement of film genres (gangster films, musicals, newspaper films, historical biopics, westerns and horror to name a few). Most of the early talkies were successful at the box-office, but many of them were of poor quality dialogue-dominated play adaptations, with stilted acting and an unmoving camera or microphone. Nonetheless, a tremendous variety of films were produced with a wit, style, skill, and elegance that has never been equalled. Rouben Mamoulian, a successful Broadway director, refused to keep the cumbersome sound cameras pinned to the studio floor, and demonstrated a graceful, rhythmic, flui d, choreographed flowing style to his films with his directorial debut 1929 film Applause. Mastery of techniques for the sound era were also demonstrated with many films, by combining a mobile camera with inventive, rapid-fire dialogue and quick-editing. After 1932, the development of sound-mixing freed films from the limitations of recording on sets and locations. Scripts from writers were becoming more advanced with witty dialogue, realistic characters, and plots. The first film, though a short one, produced in three-color Technicolor was Walt Disneys animated story Flowers and Trees, which came out in 1932. Hollywoods first full-length feature film photographed entirely in three-strip Technicolor was Rouben Mamoulians Becky Sharp in 1935. In the late 30s, two beloved films, The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, both in 1939, were expensively produced with Technicolor. Special-effects processes were advanced by the late 1930s, making it possible for many more films to be shot on sets rather than on-location. In 1937, the first feature-length animated film was premiered by Walt Disney Studios which was becoming quickly known for its sophisticated animation was a milestone for all cinema. It was the classic cartoon story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Downfall Of Lady Macbeth EssayIn 1988 technical breakthroughs were accomplished in Robert Zemeckis innovative Who Framed Roger Rabbit it seamlessly blended animated cartoon characters and live action in a hard-boiled, 1940s-style Hollywood murder mystery. The film was a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and the Walt Disney Studio. Earlier, in 1964, Disney had married animation and live-action in the 60s hit Mary Poppins. In 1989 Disney Studios returned to its old-fashioned film values with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids an inventive, special-effect-filled comedy about a father/scientist who accidentallyreduced four children to ant-size proportions. Disney also scored with one of its old-fashioned musical animations that appealed to both children and adults in 1989. Its 28th feature-length cartoon titled The Little Mermaid heralded a new generation of successful animations. In the 1990s for the most part, cinema attendance was up mostly at multi-screen cineplex complexes throughout the country. Although the average film budget was almost $53 million by 1998, many films cost over $100 million to produce. Higher costs for film star salaries and agency fees, expensive price tags for new high-tech and digital special-effects and CGI (computer generated images), costly market research and testing, and big-budget marketing all contributed to the inflated, excessive spending in the film industry. Character development and intelligent story-telling often suffered in the process. In the early 1990s, box-office revenues had dipped considerably (the averageticket price for a film was around $5 by the end of the decade), probably due in part to the American economic recession of 1991. By the beginning of the decade, the VCR was a popular appliance in most households, and rentals of videotapes were big business. By 1997, the first DVDs (digital video discs) had eme rged in stores, featuring sharper resolution pictures, better quality and durability than VHS tapes. In 1999, foretelling new methods of Internet-based marketing, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myricks low-budget, roughly-made, offbeat independent film The Blair Witch Project, a quasi-documentary about a horrifying camping trip experienced by three vanished student film-makers, reaped a greater audience (and box-office receipts) from Internet exposure. It became the most profitable film (percentage-wise) of all time, earning $140 million domestically, and having only budgeted only $30,000. But there still existed an imbalanced emphasis on the opening weekend, weekly box-office returns, critics ratings, and the belief that expensive, high-budget films meant quality. One of the emerging trends of the late 80s and 90s was that although about the same number of pictures were produced as in the Golden Age of Hollywood (about 450-500 in a year), many of the films that were produced (an estima ted 40%) went directly to video with no cinematic release at all. And the window of time between a films theatrical opening and availability for cable TV or home viewing shrunk drastically. It was significant that the first new Hollywood studio in many decades, Dream Works (SKG), was formed in 1994 as the brainchild of director-producer Steven Spielberg, ex-Disney executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, and film producer/music industry giant David Geffen. The studios first theatrical release was first-time feature director Mimi Leders The Peacemaker, in 1997. In the very next year, Disney Studios acquired the maverick studio for $65 million. The trend toward sequels from the previous decade continued, but Hollywood was also attempting to deal with serious themes, including homelessness, the Holocaust, AIDS, feminism, and racism, while making bottom-line profits. There were a number ofmainstream films that confronted the issues in a profound way. In 1993, director Jonathan Demmes Philadelphia, was the first big-studio attempt to deal with AIDS,winning for Tom Hanks the first of consecutive Best Actor Oscars. With seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, Steven Spielbergs long and serious B/W Holocaust epic Schindlers List, made in 1993, was a significant milestone, but also a grim story about an opportunistic German businessman in Poland who ultimately saved over 1,000 Jews from death. Two special-effects-laden, predictably-scripted apocalpytic disaster films racked up huge profits. Both were about destructive meteors or asteroids hurtling toward Earth: Mimi Leders Deep Impact, and Michael Bays Armageddon, both in 1998. At the close of the decade, three other major films appeared: George Lucas computer-generated return to his epic saga with the first sci-fi space episode titled Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, in 1999; and writer-directors Andy and Larry Wachowskis ambitiousvirtual-reality flick The Matrix, also in 1999 with computer-enhanced digital effects that won four Academy Awards, all in sound, editing, and visual effects technical categories. The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $31,500, the largest among major industrial nations. In the United States there are more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with the five major networks-NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) television broadcasting systems, and more than 550 movie studios. That was the rate in 1997. Now, those figures have gone up by about 56%. Americans like entertainment. Thats what they spend their money on. Each year the movie industry earns more and more money. Its not just that movies are gaining larger audiences, and more movies are being produced, but its the fact that movie prices are rising. Ticket prices are at a peak, selling in some places for as much as $10.50 a pop. Not to mention when movies come out for sale, most VHS start at a record breaking $24.99, and most DVDs start st $39.99. Why are the movie bosses charging this much? Simply because they can. People would probably pay even more if they had to, and in my opinion theyll soon have to. American has adopted movies into their family, and they dont want to stop watching them. Bibliography: