The Purple Rose of Cairo Essay Example for Free

The Purple Rose of Cairo Essay Film has captured and enchanted audiences since its origination with the Lumiere Brothers; and, as it developed, it began to be used to convey messages and ideas. Film started to become a creative outlet that then turned to a catalyst of philosophical thought. Film theorist Sergei Einstein expressed that film â€Å"as a work of art, understood dynamically, is just the process of arranging images in the feelings and mind of the spectator†. Thus, directors began to realize that audience manipulation was possible through the images and sounds they delivered, as well as through the way these images and sounds were presented it all has an effect of how viewers thought of and interpreted the films. This is especially clear in the German film, Triumph of Will, directed by Leni Reifenstahl. While the film is brilliantly made, with moving cameras, the utilization of long focus lenses, aerial photography, and a revolutionary approach to musical accompaniment, the film was also incredibly propagandistic and manipulative at the time of it’s release. The entire film is a vehicle to promote the ideologies of Hitler; beginning with Germany’s near-destruction in World War I and depicting Hitler as a messiah, descending from the skies to greet his vehement followers. In the opening minutes of the film, there are close-up and over-the-shoulder shots of Hitler, making him seem rather personable, adored, and somewhat noble. There are also shots of children approaching him, showing that the ideas of innocence and purity are to be seen as parallel to the views and goals Hitler himself. Aesthetically, the entire film is superbly done, and politically its manipulative powers are astonishing. By showing Germany as unified under the divine rule of Hitler, it brought the nation together and created one of the most destructive and powerful nations in the 1940s. While film can be used as propaganda, like in Nazi Germany, it can also be used to provoke thought, rather than control it, manipulate it, or deceive it. In Woody Allen’s film The Purple Rose of Cairo, the audience is pushed to move beyond the appearance of things and consider other worlds, other perspectives. For the heroine, Cecilia, film is an escape and an impossible inspiration. According to the fictitious movie (The Purple Rose of Cairo), the purple rose itself is supposed to grow in a pharaoh’s tomb the expression of a perfect love. However, no flower can grow without light making it an impossible inspiration. According to Plato, and to partially to Allen, our relationship with truth is rather grim. When we attend movies we are much like Plato’s captives, chained facing a cave wall, only seeing a world of shadows our reality is suspended. But another point is made; although we can be deceived by shadows, we are also capable of understanding and questioning anything, shadows included. Yes, film is an escape from reality and the idea of being able to truly escape a somewhat horrid life is unimaginably wonderful, but thats just it it is an idea. Change has to be brought on by oneself, not an unreliable outside source, and perfection is an illusion. I as a viewer absolutely love how Allen presents these ideologies in The Purple Rose of Cairo. He gives it an unconventional point of view, setting up a series of contrasts between perfection and imperfection, reality and illusion, loving someone and being in love with someone, that forces us to think about film as well as the actual content of the film. And this all ties back to Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†; our life is veiled and we must aspire to leave and become less dependent on the shadow world. What is interesting is that, in the film, Allen makes the audience unsure of which world is the shadow world and which is the illusion. The perfect world becomes the film world and the false one is the desired reality. As entertainment, the film is great a nonsensical romantic comedy with a less-than-happy ending; but philosophically it goes much deeper than that, provoking audiences to think about reality and the importance of imperfection. While on the subject of imperfection, a third film demands some attention. Alejandro Amenabar’s The Sea Inside presents a whole new perspective on what perfection in life is. Many people see suicide as a selfish act removing yourself from the lives of your loved ones far earlier than they would have liked. However, the question of who is more selfish is posed. Is it the people who remove themselves when they feel no more connection to life; or the people who expect those who want to leave to stay, regardless of their misery or feelings of lacking true connection to the vibrancy of life? Thus are the questions presented to audiences upon viewing this film. In my mind, everyone should have the freedom to choose the life they want to live, or not live; and to choose what meaning they take out of said life. In Clendine’s â€Å"The Good Short Life†, it is said that we speak of living life, but never of death. That â€Å"we act as if facing death weren’t one of life’s greatest, most absorbing thrills and challenges† and that being incoherent and immobile until one only sees friends and family as â€Å"a passing cloud†. Both Clendine and Ramon didn’t want to put their loved ones through that, and taking one’s life seemed to be the best solution. Both were â€Å"vital to the end, and knew when to leave†. In my opinion, if someone has legitimate, justifiable reasons to want to leave this earth (such as a degenerative disease), that they have a right to do so. And if they cannot on their own accord due to that degenerative disease, I think that others (physicians, family members, friends) should be legally permitted to assist them. They shouldn’t be obligated to assist, but if they give consent and are willing to aid, I think they should be permitted. Mark from Breathing Lessons and Ramon were also similar on a few levels, but Mark had more hope and determination to live with dignity. Unlike Ramon who saw his life as undignified, Mark viewed it more as excessively challenging. Mark still desired life though considered suicide, but â€Å"chickened out† showing that he did truly still want to live. Ramon, however, was lost in his melancholy and nostalgia for the past, choosing to disregard the possibilities the future could bring. I think that it is a personal choice and that each individual should be given the liberty of making that choice. The phrase â€Å"dying with dignity† always reminds me of greek mythology when humiliated warriors would throw themselves on their swords for an honorable death, rather than live life in humility. I think Ramon saw his life as more humiliating and therefore wanted to throw himself on his sword, so to speak. With this, I think that the US should have a â€Å"death with dignity† law. Everyone has a right to life, as well as a right to death. Film is one of the most influential and powerful media. It’s capabilities to provoke, cultivate, and manipulate audience thought is incredible and worth studying. The innovations that film itself has gone through the amount of genres it contains, special effects, and advancements in sound all contribute to film as a whole, and all contribute to the beauty of how film is created and suspends the reality of viewers if only for an hour or two.

History And Evolution Of Sitcoms

History And Evolution Of Sitcoms In the field of entertainment, everybody could use a good laugh and this is where the comedy genre comes in. As the name states, its purpose is to bring humor and laughter to the audience. Comedies come in many formats in movies and television. In television, one of the most common genre is the situation comedy or sitcom, for short. As the name states the plot is centered on a particular situation set in a typical setting such as a home or workplace. A situation comedy features a regular cast of characters plus recurring ones who would appear in subsequent episodes as well as special guest stars. There are sitcoms that are aired performed before a live studio audience, making it similar to a theatrical play. One can tell it is live whenever a special guest star would appear as the audience would cheer enthusiastically. Another distinctive feature of the sitcom is the laugh track or what is called canned laughter which is played every time a hilarious scene unfolds. What makes sitcoms different from stand up comedy and sketch comedy is that they have a storyline and this essentially makes it a comedic drama; and as mentioned before, the setting is usually centered on family, workplace, or a group of friends as the principal characters or mainstays. Sitcoms came about when the television was introduced and this enabled audiences to return to a certain program if they like it. As a result of this (initial) trend, the performers who have key roles would become mainstays and the situations would remain the same to enable audiences to be familiar with them. Even animated shows, also adapt the sitcom format to cater to a specific audience as well, not merely children. Another feature of the sitcom is that it is often character driven and naturally, running gags often develop during a series or season. The plot of a sitcom episode is typical: It starts with the status quo where everything is normal among the characters and then, a disruption will occur, thereby affecting the usual situation and the relationships of the characters, but by the end of the episode, these issues will be settled, the situation will revert to the status quo and it is alls well that ends well until the next episode where the it will happen all over again but in a different plot. History and Evolution: Throughout its history, sitcoms over the years have evolved not only in the performers but also in the plot as well as how humor is delivered. In the early years of sitcom, the most common method of delivery is the slapstick approach of the 1950s and well into the 1960s. The slapstick is characterized by exaggerated violence where the characters appear to be hitting one another with exaggerated sound effects without getting hurt. This is common is earlier comedies such as The Three Stooges. Slapstick also features characters doing unthinkable or crazy stunts or acts or silly things in the scene to the point of making complete fools of themselves. One of the most popular sitcoms of the period was I Love Lucy starring the real-life couple of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This sitcom is one of those that features the slapstick delivery. One example is a scene in one episode where Lucy works in a chocolate factory. The chocolates are being churned out so fast that Lucy had to eat those that could not be packaged. In another episode, Lucy was mashing grapes in a winery and wrestled with another worker in the vat, making a mess out of themselves (Oppenheimer, 4-5). As for the setting, it centers on a typical couple, Lucy and Ricky (Arnaz) Ricardo. What makes the story interesting is that Lucy is not content in being a plain housewife while her husband works as a bandmaster in a club. Lucy aspires to have a career and this is the source of the humor. Besides these madcap adventures and misadventures, there is also the relationship with their neighbors Fred and Ethel who play the straight couple to their seemingly dysfunctional one to provide balance. Essentially, women would be portrayed as scatterbrained but extremely clever, men would be indignant (like Ricky), and friends or neighbors would be unwitting pawns, accomplices or villians (such as Fred and Ethel). Besides the typical family setting, early sitcoms offer different settings but with similar plots such as Sergeant Bilko, which looks at the humorous side of the military; Car 54 Where Are You? for the police officers and McHales Navy in the US Navy set during World War II to boot. The 1960s added a fantasy touch with sitcoms like I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. This was made possible with advancements in the realm of special effects which enabled these magic tricks to be performed. In addition, 1960s sitcoms deviated from the earlier ones in the sense that they were not filmed before live audiences but were filmed instead where the sessions are called tapings. The 1970s and 1980s saw a change in the character makeup of the sitcoms as evidenced by such shows as The Jeffersons, Different Strokes, Barney Miller and Chico and the Man where nonwhites began to share top billing as well yet the plot remains the same. This underscored by the real-world events happening the changes America has been going through by way of racial integration and that nonwhites were not regarded as equals to whites. This is what these shows intend to convey besides providing laughter (Dalton and Linder 125-126; Hamamoto 87, 90-91). In terms of delivery, studio audiences became the norm again on shows that were not filmed in several locations and several factors have to be taken into consideration such budget (Dalton and Linder 49-50). There were also changes in the composition of the characters or how they are shown in the show. It is no longer the typical family. The show would center on the kids or teens such as Facts of Life and Charles in Charge which deals prima rily with issues teenagers usually face. Besides race, feminism got into the act with shows such as Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show as women took lead roles in sitcoms as well. The 1990s saw a continued surge of similar shows such as Murphy Brown and Just Shoot Me. There were even instances when some shows would challenge morals at the time such as MarriedWith Children which features a dysfunctional family, an introduction to the genre commonly known as transgression comedy. One other noticeable feature of sitcoms starting in the 1970s was the evolution of the delivery. Slapstick was no longer used at this point in time. Rather, the producers and the performers make use of the current situations they are in, whether they are personal, affecting only them or the social situation that affects them entirely. In other words, they poke fun at their problems without having to do crazy stunts or exaggerated violence reminiscent of The Three Stooges. The 1990s saw the emergence of sitcoms in animation followed the lead of live shows such as The Simpsons which is still enjoying a following to this day, and later South Park (Dalton and Linder 270-271). This trend would go on well into the 21st century with similar shows coming out such as The Office and 30 Rock which still follow the same trend. Furthermore, sitcoms have also broken down into categories according to age groups. Disney Channel offers sitcoms for children and teenagers such as Thats so Raven, Hannah Montana and Corey in the House. Naturally, the shows centers on the younger characters with the adults in the supporting role but the plot is nonetheless similar to the mainstream sitcoms (Dalton and Linder 44-45). Analysis: By the 21st century, the trend in the entertainment industry is leaning toward reality-TV shows which feature non-actors and single-camera recordings. The reason for this increasing popularity is that the participants are not actors and the audience can easily relate to them as the cameras capture every moment of their life and they are seen in their best and their worst and there are no cuts and takes, the camera continues rolling. It is as real as it gets and all the elements or genres are there from action, drama and even comedy without the canned laughter. It is said that these shows will replace mainstream programming which would affect soap operas and sitcoms. But this does not mean sitcoms will fade into oblivion or give up without a fight. In the latter shows, for instance, The Office, 30 Rock and even The Drew Carey Show make use of an element called the pathos. Where the shows make the viewers sympathize with the characters, and relate to them on a level unlike any other show (Graham 1). Old sitcoms never had this pathos. The problems facing the characters in the show are similar problems the audience faces on a regular basis in real life (Graham 1). In addition, this pathos need not be exaggerated like in slapstick. It is shown in a plain simple way similar to what real people go through every day. The characters, especially the main ones, are depicted as the everyman or average Joe. In the case of the three sitcoms, they reflect the joys, trials and tribulations the average (American) employee goes through in their daily routine. Nothing is exaggerated and the issues they face are real since real people experience them too. Matthew G ilbert puts it nicely At their best these single hand held sitcoms are an uplifting art form, one that has come of age in the past 20 years. They can invent a unique comic lexicon, invite us to laugh at our failings, capture the brilliance of our imaginations, and satirize our culture, they can reflect, clarify, and normalize human nature(Gilbert 1). Even animated sitcoms like The Simpsons and South Park show that as well this is why such animated series also appeal to adults, breaking the notion that they are only for children. Shows like Arrested Development and The Office are amongst some of a growing number of sitcoms that look different and are produced differently from sitcoms in the past. Eric Berlin states on the changing sitcom This new genre combines oddball characters, stress on improv acting, cinematic look, expert single-camera production work, and inventive use of flashbacks, private one on one confessions with the camera and quick cut-aways. The writing is daring, smart, and resembles the everyday awkward encounters that humans experience(Berlin 3). Shows like The Office and Arrested Development have been appropriately termed by author Brett Mills as the televisual style called comedy verite(Thompson 63). What comedy verità © is doing through its distinctive televisual style is shift the source of humor in the television comedy from the constructed joke, as seen in prior sitcoms, to the observation of a comic event (Thompson 67). Thompson states The observational component of these sitcoms, w hich includes not just what they look like but also the timing of shots and the sense that at times we observe events in real time, creates a different type of engagement with the narrative. The sitcom is thus reinvigorated by a shift from the tired realm of the staged sitcom, with its three cameras, studio audience, or one-camera, coverage shooting, to an experience of observation or witness(Thompson 67). A big part of these new comedy verite style sitcoms is how they convey the observational mode that the viewer is caught in, primarily through handheld shooting and a pacing that suggests particular segments unfold in real time as if their viewer were there (Thompson 68). However these segments and scenes are increasingly taking place in intimate settings, including shots conveying a particular characters subjectivity and vulnerability, and are less marked by characters performing for the camera, a fly on the wall type of perspective (Thompson 68). This production style that is new to the Sitcom tries to convey to the viewer that they are not watching comedy but are observing the comedic acts that unfold before the ever present handheld camera. Whether the acting is improvised or carefully scripted, it looks like it just happened and thats the whole point (Thompson 71). As a mode of production, this new developed sub genre of the sitcom is addressing comedy like never before and is effective in the use of presenting what is truly funny to viewers. Furthermore, what makes sitcoms better than reality TV is, as mentioned earlier, these shows do not only try to make the audience relate to the character as far as pathos is concerned, but being a comedy, it encourages the audience to laugh off their problems as well. Furthermore, unlike reality shows, it is the characters that are laughed at, not the people themselves. Because of this, this is what will make sitcoms last longer and keep on entertaining people.

Personal Narrative †Singing Poorly :: Personal Narrative Writing

Personal Narrative – Singing Poorly It was a year like any other, or, at least I suppose it could have been, but, it wasn't. It was actually 1965. This particular year, the Beatles released Help! the movie; for the second time, Jack Nicklaus won the Masters golf title; on Palm Sunday, 51 reported tornadoes touched down in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa resulting in 256 deaths and over 1500 injured; and, a young boy in Smalltown, USA was turned away from his school choir. "Some people just aren't right for choir. Son, you couldn't hold a note with a bucket." And so began a life-long career in singing poorly. Singing poorly. It's an art. It takes feeling, passion. The chanteur/chanteuse in question must believe in herself, in the song, in the very message she is projecting. Not just anyone can do it. In fact, believe it or not, there are those who can even sing poorly, poorly. Now, there are many different angles from which I could attack this topic, but, I'm not sure I want to pick one just yet...so, bear with me. As well as there being different levels and "classes" among talented, quality singers, there are different levels and "classes" among talented, poor singers. Stay with me now. When I say poor singers, I mean they sing poorly, not sing without any money. Although, I suppose that there could be those out there who are poor enough singers, that they could actually be, poor poor singers. The first class of poor singers I would like to discuss is a little group I like to call the "Hello, my name is Britney Spears and these are my various other counterparts of the female and male persuasions† posse, or, simply "Biapse" for short. This group of artists is famed the world over. They own Top 40 radio and are infamous for paying as much as possible, for as little as possible (when it comes to their clothing, that is). They play "idol" for the young and the...not so young (both of which, disturb me equally) despite their obvious lack of singing talent, which they cleverly cover up by showing off their "range" using different techniques, like wailing, moaning, sighing, and combinations thereof. Despite their shortcomings, however, I must give credit where credit is due. These people are doing their jobs, and doing them well.

Those Winter Sundays Essay -- Literary Analysis, Robert Hayden

Distance is a problem in many homes whether it be through emotional distance or physical Distance or it may just be that the word love is not spoken enough, in both Robert Hayden’s poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† and Rita Dove’s â€Å"Daystar† is a distant parent are they selfish or mean or is the love they do show just not understood? In Robert Hayden’s poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† show that children have a hard time understanding why a parent is distant the speaker says â€Å"Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on/ in the blueblack cold,†(Line 1-2) the father even gets up very early on Sundays as in the â€Å"blueblack cold† the speaker seems to not understand why the father does this why does he get up so early day after day? He seems to ask himself. The speaker observes that â€Å" †¦With cracked hands the ached from labor in the weekday weather/ banked fires blazed†(Line 3-5) the father works hard for his family his hands are cracked and sore and he still gets up earlier then the rest of his family and makes the fire blaze to warm the house for them. Distant parents even if they mean well and try to convey their love to their families through actions or deeds as the speaker states â€Å"No one ever thanked him† the father not seen as loving to the child. (Line 5) The speaker says â€Å"I will rise and dress, fearing the chronic angers of that house,† there is usually a lot of tension and fear in a house hold with bad communication skills, the mother and father may fight or argue often or the distant parent if not both of them may be angry that the child does not understand their love and compassion The children grow to be uncaring and unresponsive to the actions that the parents do for the family as the speake... ...e that was hers for an hour†(Line 16-20) when they are making love she day dreams of her time with her self and the only thing she has is her thoughts she has no desire to love her husband as the speaker explains she thinks of the place â€Å"where she [is] nothing, pure nothing, in the middle of the day.†(Line 20-22) In Robert Hayden’s poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† there is a father who loves his cild and does kind things for his family he works hard getting up early everyday and â€Å"No one ever thanked him† (Hayden Line 5) and in Rita Dove’s â€Å"Daystar† there is the mother who is deeply depressed and is not happy with the life she has she is unhappy was being a mother and goes through the motions of everyday life because she has to as a mother. Children never benefit from distance in the home they rarely understand it and they never feel loved.

Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

Of Mice and Men is one of Steinbeck’s best novels. John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, CA he goes back to that setting for this novel. There are five to six characters that Steinbeck develops and opens up to the reader through the novel. Although George, Lennie, Crooks, Candy, and Curly’s wife all seek a place to belong and someone to love as a cure to there loneliness, all their dreams for a better future are destroyed in the novel. George and Lennie are an unlikely pair of friends who are introduced in the beginning. George is â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.†(2) Lennie contradicts George because he is a â€Å"huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily.†(2) George is the more dominant of the two because Lennie is slow in the head. George and Lennie are different from the rest of the people in the same occupation because as Lennie said to George, â€Å"because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.†(14) They are also different because as George said, â€Å"We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.†(14) They also share a common goal for their future together. They want to be able to live on there own and have a couple of acres so they can plant things and have animals. They are going to â€Å"live off the fatta the lan’.†(14) This single dream makes George and Lennie different from everyone else. Candy is a nice, old, handicapped man on the ranch. He lost his hand four years earlier in a farm machine while working. Candy overheard George and Lennie discussing about a small piece of land they would like to buy. Candy was compensated $250 for the lost of his hand and has a total of $350 he is willing to invest into the place with George and Lennie. Candy wants to get the place soon because he knows they are going to fire him sometime in the near future. When they fire him he will not have anyone or anything at all. Candy says, â€Å"When they can me here I just wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go.†(60) So, Candy just wants to be needed and to always have a place to work at and George and Lennie are his way to achieve that goal.

Basic knowledge of Commercial Bank

There is no guarantee in any credit market that lenders will be willing and able to accommodate every borrower. 3) The Length of Time for Which Funds are Needed Some funds sources may be difficult to access immediately such as commercial paper and long-term debt capital. 4) The Size of the Institution that Requires More Funds A denomination often exceeds the borrowing requirements of the smallest financial institutions. 5) Regulations Limiting the Use of Alternative Funding Sources Federal and state regulations may limit the amount, frequency, and use of borrowed funds.Basel I represent a â€Å"one size fits all† approach to capital regulation. It failed to recognize that no two banks are alike in term of their risk profiles. Basel II sets up a yester in which capital requirements are more sensitive to risk and protect against more types of risk than has been true under Basel l. Basel II attempts to ensure that, consistently, low-risk assets require less capital than high-risk assets, whereas the reverse was often the case with Basel l.There are four new elements of Basel II: 1) Internal Risk Assessment 2) Operational Risk 3) Credit Risk Models 4) A Dual Set of Rules. 1) Character The loan officer must be convinced the customer has a well-defined purpose for requesting credit and a serious intention to repay. ) Capacity The loan officer must be sure the customer has the authority to request a loan and the legal standing to sign a binding loan agreement. 3) Cash The loan application centers should assess borrowing customers' ability to generate enough cash to repay the loan. ) Collateral In assessing the collateral aspect of a loan request, the loan officer must ask whether the borrower possess adequate net worth or own enough quality assets to provide adequate support for the loan. 5) Conditions The loan officer and credit analyst must be aware of recent trend in the borrower's nine of work or industry and how changing economic conditions might affect th e loan. 6) Control The control element centers on such questions as whether changes in law and regulation could adversely affect the borrower and whether the loan request meets the lender's and the regulatory authorities' standards for loan quality.The CAMELS is a system used by federal bank examiners for evaluating the overall condition of a bank based upon the adequacy of its capital, the quality of its asset portfolio, its management quality, the adequacy of its earnings, its liquidity and its sensitivity to market risk. Depository institutions whose overall CAMELS rating is toward the low, riskier end of the numerical scale-?an overall rating of 4 or 5-?tend to be examined more frequently than the highest-rated institutions, those with ratings of 1,2,or 3. ) Unusual or unexplained delays in receiving promised financial reports and payments or in communicating with bank personnel. 2) For business loans, any sudden change in methods used by the borrowing firm to account for deprec iation, make pension plan contributions, value inventories, account for taxes, or recognize income. 3) For business loans, restructuring, outstanding debt or eliminating vividness, or experiencing a change in the customer's credit rating. 4) Adverse changes in the price of a borrowing customer's stock. ) Losses in one or more years, especially as measured by returns on the borrower's assets (ROAR), or equity capital (ROE), or earnings before interest and taxes (BIT). 6) Adverse changes in the borrower's capital structure (equity/debt ratio), liquidity (current ratio), or activity levels (e. G. , the ratio of sales to inventory). 7) Deviations of actual sales, cash flows, or income from those projected when the loan was requested. 8) Unexpected or unexplained changes in customer deposit balances. Basic knowledge of Commercial Bank There is no guarantee in any credit market that lenders will be willing and able to accommodate every borrower. 3) The Length of Time for Which Funds are Needed Some funds sources may be difficult to access immediately such as commercial paper and long-term debt capital. 4) The Size of the Institution that Requires More Funds A denomination often exceeds the borrowing requirements of the smallest financial institutions. 5) Regulations Limiting the Use of Alternative Funding Sources Federal and state regulations may limit the amount, frequency, and use of borrowed funds.Basel I represent a â€Å"one size fits all† approach to capital regulation. It failed to recognize that no two banks are alike in term of their risk profiles. Basel II sets up a yester in which capital requirements are more sensitive to risk and protect against more types of risk than has been true under Basel l. Basel II attempts to ensure that, consistently, low-risk assets require less capital than high-risk assets, whereas the reverse was often the case with Basel l.There are four new elements of Basel II: 1) Internal Risk Assessment 2) Operational Risk 3) Credit Risk Models 4) A Dual Set of Rules. 1) Character The loan officer must be convinced the customer has a well-defined purpose for requesting credit and a serious intention to repay. ) Capacity The loan officer must be sure the customer has the authority to request a loan and the legal standing to sign a binding loan agreement. 3) Cash The loan application centers should assess borrowing customers' ability to generate enough cash to repay the loan. ) Collateral In assessing the collateral aspect of a loan request, the loan officer must ask whether the borrower possess adequate net worth or own enough quality assets to provide adequate support for the loan. 5) Conditions The loan officer and credit analyst must be aware of recent trend in the borrower's nine of work or industry and how changing economic conditions might affect th e loan. 6) Control The control element centers on such questions as whether changes in law and regulation could adversely affect the borrower and whether the loan request meets the lender's and the regulatory authorities' standards for loan quality.The CAMELS is a system used by federal bank examiners for evaluating the overall condition of a bank based upon the adequacy of its capital, the quality of its asset portfolio, its management quality, the adequacy of its earnings, its liquidity and its sensitivity to market risk. Depository institutions whose overall CAMELS rating is toward the low, riskier end of the numerical scale-?an overall rating of 4 or 5-?tend to be examined more frequently than the highest-rated institutions, those with ratings of 1,2,or 3. ) Unusual or unexplained delays in receiving promised financial reports and payments or in communicating with bank personnel. 2) For business loans, any sudden change in methods used by the borrowing firm to account for deprec iation, make pension plan contributions, value inventories, account for taxes, or recognize income. 3) For business loans, restructuring, outstanding debt or eliminating vividness, or experiencing a change in the customer's credit rating. 4) Adverse changes in the price of a borrowing customer's stock. ) Losses in one or more years, especially as measured by returns on the borrower's assets (ROAR), or equity capital (ROE), or earnings before interest and taxes (BIT). 6) Adverse changes in the borrower's capital structure (equity/debt ratio), liquidity (current ratio), or activity levels (e. G. , the ratio of sales to inventory). 7) Deviations of actual sales, cash flows, or income from those projected when the loan was requested. 8) Unexpected or unexplained changes in customer deposit balances.

Louis Vuitton – Japan

Executive Summary: Louis Vuitton, a pioneer in luxury market has Japan a key market with largest revenue generator during its golden period. Due to adverse consequences of global recession, the slowdown was also faced by Louis Vuitton. In order to regain its fame, Louis Vuitton needs to change its manufacturing strategy and the production strategy. Goal: To reinvent and regain the cachet, Louis Vuitton needs to increase and attain the largest market share in five years. Louis Vuitton offers a wide range of luxury brands and was a trend setter in Japan. One of the key components which drive this goal strategy is the overall market growth. Although luxury market growth rate has reduced due to the global financial crisis, the Japanese luxury market growth rate was still at six percent. Also, the customers has been shifting to low price segment, the Japanese way of consuming luxury brands was a kind of social value that they cannot afford to lose. Impediment: The global financial crisis affects the consumer mind set and the behavior. The first and the most important key impediment which proves to the major obstacle in achieving the goal is high priced products offered by Louis Vuitton that could easily be attacked by other competitors. The various other companies offer the luxury products at competitive price as compare to Louis Vuitton have shaken the market share. Moreover, the product line offered by Louis Vuitton is limited and monotonous from past few years which made less impact on the consumers. Louis Vuitton was growing its strategy towards mid size and smaller cities but no attempt was made to promote the brand in these cities. Solution: In order to revive the company, and to increase the overall market share in Japan, Louis Vuitton needs to change its manufacturing strategy by setting up a manufacturing plant in Japan with some of the French workforce leading the plant. Since Japanese luxury market is one of the leading market egments, this would eventually decrease the import cost and French workforce would help in gaining the customer satisfaction. Moreover, it will also avoid the counterfeiting because the product is manufactured and consumed at the same place. Low scaled promotions could also be advertised during the discount season in mid size cities. Also Jacobs had signed a contract until 2018 and Marc Jacobs’s label was one of the rising stars in LVMH’s portfolio. Jacobs could also bring many other new opportunities to just keep up the brand image an d value.