DOCSLIB.ORG

Approaching the Screenplay As a Complex System: Underlying Mechanics, Interrelating Dynamics and the Plot-Algorithmic Process

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Approaching the Screenplay As a Complex System: Underlying Mechanics, Interrelating Dynamics and the Plot-Algorithmic Process SCREENPLECTICS APPROACHING THE SCREENPLAY AS A COMPLEX SYSTEM: UNDERLYING MECHANICS, INTERRELATING DYNAMICS AND THE PLOT-ALGORITHMIC PROCESS GEORGE VAROTSIS A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham in accordance with the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies September 2013 Abstract While the first notions of dramatic writing were investigated by Aristotle, the advancement of theoretical screenwriting has been limited to the necessary transformations from silent cinema to the present day motion pictures, and the attempts of popularized “how-to” techniques to further investigate the field. These techniques were based on internalised rules-of-thumb drawn from purely inductive observations of existing screenplays, often modelled to fit the assumptions of the theories under investigation. Such analyses, however successful they may have been, failed to provide answers on two troubling fundamental questions: first, how or what makes stories emerge in the context of narrative, and second, what are the underlying dynamics that allow a screenplay to function as a unified whole? This research consolidates the notion that for the comprehension of such complex dynamics, often encountered in various forms of narrative, a more comprehensive theory of narrative is required. Further, it argues that a way of thinking similar to Popper's model for the advancement of knowledge, used in conjunction with Screenplectics, the herewith proposed semantic model for the understanding of such structural dynamics, would benefit the field. The contribution of Screenplectics lies in the centre of its initial foundation. First, by explaining how a screenplay functions synergistically, and appropriating the necessary metaphors, systemically. Second, by explaining the mechanism that is i employed between compositional interactions in various structural levels that allows the coherent accumulative derivative we call story to emerge. The transition from an empirical to a theoretical perspective is achieved by examining the aforementioned dynamics under the prism of holism, and by introducing, again with the employment of metaphors, characteristics of complex systems: a network of components arranged hierarchically that interact parallel to one another in non-linear ways. This hierarchy shapes the foundation of the different layers of structure in a screenplay: deep, intermediate and surface structure. ii Author’s declaration I declare that the work contained in this thesis was carried out in accordance with the regulations of the University of Birmingham and is the original product and sole effort of the author. No part of this thesis has been submitted as part for any other academic award other than the one it is initially intended, i.e. of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of American and Canadian Studies of the University of Birmingham. This thesis has not been presented to any other education institution in the United Kingdom or overseas. Any views expressed hereby are those of the author and in no way represent those of the University. George Varotsis September 2013 iii Dedications To my father and the loving memory of my mother with love and gratitude To my beloved wife who has given me everything and knows my inner workings better than I do To my daughter who changed my worldview with just a gentle touch of my lips To my brother with whom I am so different yet so much alike To my in-laws for extending the immense love they have for their daughter to my person To the anonymous Cretan man who postponed my crossing of the river Styx by daunting Charon iv Acknowledgements I am hugely indebted, beyond the level mere words can convey, to all the researchers over the course of thousands of years and in a great diversity of fields, from mathematics to physics to philosophy to economics to film and screenwriting theory to biology to artificial intelligence to computer science and studies in complexity, among many other, that have been pushing the boundaries of knowledge to never-before-experienced dimensions, always acting under the prism of motivation that distinguishes our species: the inexhaustible curiosity to understand and, subsequently, explain how our world works, from ultramicroscopic structures to the macrocosm of galaxies, and everything in between. By immersing myself in their genius work, and to the extent my pre-determined mental abilities have shaped my limited understanding, I was only then able to lay down the foundations of this research. A debt of gratitude for the continual intellectual support, advice and invaluable feedback given by both of my supervisors, Dr. James Walters and Dr. Richard House. This project came to fruition thanks to their immense help on all fronts. v CONTENTS Abstract i Author's declaration iii Dedicatio ns iv Acknowledgements v Table of contents vi Chapter One 1 1.1 Summary 2 1.2 Analysis of systems and the contributions of structuralism 6 1.3 Structuralism elevated: holistic systems 16 1.4 Principles of narrative and structure 21 1.4.1 Plot: a structural tool 26 1.4.2 Narrative schema 28 1.4.3 Story grammars 32 1.4.4 Why structural and formal story grammars are inadequate 37 1.5 Universality of structure and the three-act paradigm 44 1.6 Some cognitive aspects of Screenplectics 60 1.7 Understanding the complex 67 1.8 Minor elements of justification and historical data 72 Chapter Two 81 2.1 Problems arising from methodology 82 2.1.1 The importance of universal knowledge 84 2.1.2 Avoiding pitfalls of abduction and interpretation 86 2.1.3 Cross-linking inductivism with empirical justification 95 vi 2.1.4 Avoiding pitfalls of reductionism and logical formalization 101 2.2 What Screenplectics has to offer 106 2.2.1 Descriptive and explanatory adequacy 114 2.2.1.1 Explanatory adequacy 114 2.2.1.2 Descriptive adequacy 117 Chapter Three 120 3.1 A holistic and systemic approach 121 3.1.1 Holistic systems 124 3.1.2 [CSS]: Both 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' 135 3.2 Complex systems: first order complexity 137 3.3 Abstracting about complex systems: second order complexity 145 3.3.1 The author as part of the [CSS] 148 3.3.1.1 Rule-based systems 149 3.3.1.2 Connectionist systems 151 3.3.1.3 Comparing rule-based and connectionist systems 152 3.4 Complex Screenplay Systems [CSS] 158 3.4.1 Characteristics of [CSS] 162 3.4.2 Organised complexity in [CSS] 175 3.4.3 Contributions of complexity theory in [CSS] 177 3.5 Emergence in Complex Screenplay Systems [CSS] 179 3.5.1 How information affects the dramatic components 180 3.5.2 Internal complexity of the dramatic components 186 3.5.3 Flexibility vs. Rigidity 189 vii Chapter four 192 4.1 Inner logic and determinism of Complex Screenplay Systems 193 4.2 The story-world [SW] in [CSS] 198 4.2.1 Boundaries of a [SW] 205 4.2.2 The function of plot in a [SW] 211 4.3 Story-world [SW] configuration and set-up 224 4.3.1 The plotting schema 232 4.3.2 Configuration of the individual components 238 4.3.3 An example of story-world [SW] configuration 242 4.3.4 Breakdown of the story-world [SW] components 244 4.3.5 A fundamental component: the character 248 4.3.5.1 Character as the core structural component 258 4.3.5.1.1 Goal-orientation 270 4.3.5.2 Fictional characters and their actions 279 4.3.5.2.1 Functions and events 290 4.3.5.2.2 Actions, functions and causality 293 4.3.5.2.3 Goals, motives, needs and conflicts 293 4.4 The interactions of components 303 4.5 The interrelations of the components 311 4.6 Three levels of structure 317 4.6.1 Deep structure: The abstract level 321 4.6.2 Intermediate structure: The strategic level 328 4.6.3 Surface structure: The implementation level 329 4.7 The plot-algorithmic process: the generative aspects 330 viii 4.7.1 A brief introduction to the concept of algorithms 331 4.7.2 The plot-algorithm [PA] mechanism 336 4.7.2.1 Non-linearity and the [PA] mechanism 343 Epilogue 352 Appendix 366 Bibliography 371 ix Chapter One An introduction to Screenplectics 1 1.1 Summary As an academic discipline, screenwriting has come a long way since the first motion picture was projected in April 23, 1896. As a film theorist with a keen interest in screenwriting, and its peculiar status of lacking 'literary' merit, Steven Price gives one explanation for the neglect of the screenplay in the field of film studies: "...at the same time as film theory was in the vanguard of attempts to decentre the individual human subject, a dominant strand in film criticism was committed to the quite opposite project of reconceiving what had previously been considered a collaborative medium as a vehicle for expressing the world view of individual directors. " (Price, 2010, p. 6) Price continues by adding that with: "...such a radical devaluation of the role of the writer, which in Anglophone countries had never acquired significant cultural status in any event, it is hardly surprising that film writing became the last place in which to search for evidence of literary merit." (Price, 2010, p. 6) While the first notions of narrative were investigated by Aristotle, the advancement of theoretical screenwriting was limited to the necessary transformations from silent cinema to the present day motion pictures, and the attempts of popularized “how-to” techniques, such as Syd Field's (Field, 2003; Field, 1984a; Field, 1984b), Robert McKee's (McKee, 1999) and Linda Seger's (1994), to further investigate the field.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • GCWC WAG Creative Writing
    GASTON COLLEGE Creative Writing Writing Center I. GENERAL PURPOSE/AUDIENCE Creative writing may take many forms, such as fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting. Creative writers can turn almost any situation into possible writing material. Creative writers have a lot of freedom to work with and can experiment with form in their work, but they should also be aware of common tropes and forms within their chosen style. For instance, short story writers should be aware of what represents common structures within that genre in published fiction and steer away from using the structures of TV shows or movies. Audiences may include any reader of the genre that the author chooses to use; therefore, authors should address potential audiences for their writing outside the classroom. What’s more, students should address a national audience of interested readers—not just familiar readers who will know about a particular location or situation (for example, college life). II. TYPES OF WRITING • Fiction (novels and short stories) • Creative non-fiction • Poetry • Plays • Screenplays Assignments will vary from instructor to instructor and class to class, but students in all Creative Writing classes are assigned writing exercises and will also provide peer critiques of their classmates’ work. In a university setting, instructors expect prose to be in the realistic, literary vein unless otherwise specified. III. TYPES OF EVIDENCE • Subjective: personal accounts and storytelling; invention • Objective: historical data, historical and cultural accuracy: Work set in any period of the past (or present) should reflect the facts, events, details, and culture of its time and place.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ontology and Literary Status of the Screenplay:The Case of »Scriptfic«
    DOI 10.1515/jlt-2013-0006 JLT 2013; 7(1–2): 135–153 Ted Nannicelli The Ontology and Literary Status of the Screenplay:The Case of »Scriptfic« Abstract: Are screenplays – or at least some screenplays – works of literature? Until relatively recently, very few theorists had addressed this question. Thanks to recent work by scholars such as Ian W. Macdonald, Steven Maras, and Steven Price, theorizing the nature of the screenplay is back on the agenda after years of neglect (albeit with a few important exceptions) by film studies and literary studies (Macdonald 2004; Maras 2009; Price 2010). What has emerged from this work, however, is a general acceptance that the screenplay is ontologically peculiar and, as a result, a divergence of opinion about whether or not it is the kind of thing that can be literature. Specifically, recent discussion about the nature of the screenplay has tended to emphasize its putative lack of ontological autonomy from the film, its supposed inherent incompleteness, or both (Carroll 2008, 68–69; Maras 2009, 48; Price 2010, 38–42). Moreover, these sorts of claims about the screenplay’s ontology – its essential nature – are often hitched to broader arguments. According to one such argument, a screenplay’s supposed ontological tie to the production of a film is said to vitiate the possibility of it being a work of literature in its own right (Carroll 2008, 68–69; Maras 2009, 48). According to another, the screenplay’s tenuous literary status is putatively explained by the idea that it is perpetually unfinished, akin to a Barthesian »writerly text« (Price 2010, 41).
    [Show full text]
  • Why Does the Screenwriter Cross the Road…By Joe Gilford 1
    WHY DOES THE SCREENWRITER CROSS THE ROAD…BY JOE GILFORD 1 WHY DOES THE SCREENWRITER CROSS THE ROAD? …and other screenwriting secrets. by Joe Gilford TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION (included on this web page) 1. FILM IS NOT A VISUAL MEDIUM 2. SCREENPLAYS ARE NOT WRITTEN—THEY’RE BUILT 3. SO THERE’S THIS PERSON… 4. SUSTAINABLE SCREENWRITING 5. WHAT’S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN?—THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS! 6. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE THIS STORY—WHO WILL?? 7. TOOLBAG: THE TRICKS, GAGS & GADGETS OF THE TRADE 8. OK, GO WRITE YOUR SCRIPT 9. NOW WHAT? INTRODUCTION Let’s admit it: writing a good screenplay isn’t easy. Any seasoned professional, including me, can tell you that. You really want it to go well. You really want to do a good job. You want those involved — including yourself — to be very pleased. You really want it to be satisfying for all parties, in this case that means your characters and your audience. WHY DOES THE SCREENWRITER CROSS THE ROAD…BY JOE GILFORD 2 I believe great care is always taken in writing the best screenplays. The story needs to be psychically and spiritually nutritious. This isn’t a one-night stand. This is something that needs to be meaningful, maybe even last a lifetime, which is difficult even under the best circumstances. Believe it or not, in the end, it needs to make sense in some way. Even if you don’t see yourself as some kind of “artist,” you can’t avoid it. You’re going to be writing this script using your whole psyche.
    [Show full text]
  • CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION (Name of Registrant As Specified in Its Charter)
    Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 14A Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ) Filed by the Registrant ☒ Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐ Check the appropriate box: ☐ Preliminary Proxy Statement ☐ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) ☒ Definitive Proxy Statement ☐ Definitive Additional Materials ☐ Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12 CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION (Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant) Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): ☒ No fee required. ☐ Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: (5) Total fee paid: ☐ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. ☐ Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. (1) Amount Previously Paid: (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: (3) Filing Party: (4) Date Filed: Table of Contents Table of Contents OUR GUIDING FRAMEWORKS Our Mission We inspire grown-ups to play.
    [Show full text]
  • Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on June 6
    NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 6, 2019 To the Stockholders of Netflix, Inc.: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Netflix, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), will be held on June 6, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time. You can attend the Annual Meeting via the internet, vote your shares electronically and submit your questions during the Annual Meeting, by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/nflx2019 (there is no physical location for the Annual Meeting). You will need to have your 16-Digit Control Number included on your Notice or your proxy card (if you received a printed copy of the proxy materials) to join the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes: 1. To elect four Class II directors to hold office until the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders; 2. To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2019; 3. Advisory approval of the Company’s executive officer compensation; 4. To consider two stockholder proposals, if properly presented at the Annual Meeting; 5. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting. These business items are described more fully in the Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice. Only stockholders who owned our common stock at the close of business on April 8, 2019 can vote at this meeting or any adjournments that may take place. All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting via the internet.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction Screenwriting Off the Page
    Introduction Screenwriting off the Page The product of the dream factory is not one of the same nature as are the material objects turned out on most assembly lines. For them, uniformity is essential; for the motion picture, originality is important. The conflict between the two qualities is a major problem in Hollywood. hortense powdermaker1 A screenplay writer, screenwriter for short, or scriptwriter or scenarist is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media such as films, television programs, comics or video games are based. Wikipedia In the documentary Dreams on Spec (2007), filmmaker Daniel J. Snyder tests studio executive Jack Warner’s famous line: “Writers are just sch- mucks with Underwoods.” Snyder seeks to explain, for example, why a writer would take the time to craft an original “spec” script without a mon- etary advance and with only the dimmest of possibilities that it will be bought by a studio or producer. Extending anthropologist Hortense Powdermaker’s 1950s framing of Hollywood in the era of Jack Warner and other classic Hollywood moguls as a “dream factory,” Dreams on Spec pro- files the creative and economic nightmares experienced by contemporary screenwriters hoping to clock in on Hollywood’s assembly line of creative uniformity. There is something to learn about the craft and profession of screenwrit- ing from all the characters in this documentary. One of the interviewees, Dennis Palumbo (My Favorite Year, 1982), addresses the downside of the struggling screenwriter’s life with a healthy dose of pragmatism: “A writ- er’s life and a writer’s struggle can be really hard on relationships, very hard for your mate to understand.
    [Show full text]
  • Rewriting Aristotle: the Uses and Misuses of the Poetics in the Teaching and Practice of Screenwriting
    Rewriting Aristotle: the Uses and Misuses of the Poetics in the Teaching and Practice of Screenwriting Brian Dunnigan, Head of Screenwriting, London Film School October 2014 “ All human beings by nature desire knowledge.” Aristotle (Metaphysics) “ Tragedy is essentially an imitation not of persons but of action and of life.” Aristotle (Poetics) “The film language is the most elaborate, the most secret and the most invisible. A good script is a script that you don’t notice. It has vanished. Being a screenwriter is not the last step of a literary adventure but the first step of a film adventure…therefore a screenwriter must know everything about the techniques of how to make a film.” Jean-Claude Carrière I read with interest that amongst the early aims of the Screenwriting Research Network is that of “ interpreting documents intended to describe the screen idea” and a study of “ the interaction of those agents concerned with constructing the screenwork.” We are presumably referring here to the screenplay and the screenwriters and filmmakers working toward the creation of a film. The lively, anxious, imaginative humans who struggle to express themselves in conversation and debate, to shape a meaningful narrative for an audience. As an educator involved with curious and often confused humans trying to understand what it is they have to say about the world - I find that description of theoretical practice misses too much of what excites me about storytelling and cinema. This is partly language and partly to do with how as a writer and teacher one prefers to think about the process of filmmaking.
    [Show full text]
  • A Genre Is a Conventional Response to a Rhetorical Situation That Occurs Fairly Often
    What is a genre? A genre is a conventional response to a rhetorical situation that occurs fairly often. Conventional does not necessarily mean boring. Instead, it means a recognizable pattern for providing specific kinds of information for an identifiable audience demanded by circumstances that come up again and again. For example, new movies open almost every week. Movie makers pay for advertising to entice viewers to see their movies. Genres have a purpose. While consumers may learn about a movie from the ads, they know they are getting a sales pitch with that information, so they look for an outside source of information before they spend their money. Movie reviews provide viewers with enough information about the content and quality of a film to help them make a decision, without ruining it for them by giving away the ending. Movie reviews are the conventional response to the rhetorical situation of a new film opening. Genres have a pattern. The movie review is conventional because it follows certain conventions, or recognized and accepted ways of giving readers information. This is called a move pattern. Here are the moves associated with that genre: 1. Name of the movie, director, leading actors, Sometimes, the opening also includes the names of people and companies associated with the film if that information seems important to the reader: screenwriter, animators, special effects, or other important aspects of the film. This information is always included in the opening lines or at the top of the review. 2. Graphic design elements---usually, movie reviews include some kind of art or graphic taken from the film itself to call attention to the review and draw readers into it.
    [Show full text]
  • I1 ~0402594487 11111 U~ I. Continuity and Change in Hollywood Representations of The
    '\ I1 ~0402594487 11111 U~ I. Continuity and Change in Hollywood Representations of the Middle East after September 11 th by Sulaiman Arti A Doctoral Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University June 2009 © 2008 S. Arti Abstract This thesis inquires into the factors behind Hollywood's depiction of the Middle East. That depiction is not static, but is modified in response to changes in political events and US government foreign policy. Although the events of 9/11 seemed to justify the traditional negative stereotype of Arabs, the image has been partially and rationally re-interpreted. This was due to the rise in prominence of the ideas of a minority of radical and free-thinking members of the Hollywood cornmunity who embraced a more intellectual approach, which advocated that the popular Western view of the Arab world was unjustified and based on a fallacious fabrication for Western political advantage. The research further shows that these activists did not owe allegiance to the Hollywood-US government propaganda machine. They were able to fracture this traditional alliance and provide the opportunity for the appearance of films of a radical nature, which were critical of US Middle Eastern policy and projected the Arab world in a new light. The study analyzes a selection of films that represent the Middle East in terms of their philosophy and cinematic structure, which enables them to act as vectors to raise public awareness of the issues and to promote reconciliation and co-existence between East and West.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2007 Prosiebensat.1 Group: Key Figures 2007 20071 20064 Change
    Group The power of television Annual Report 2007 ProSiebenSat.1 Group: Key figures 2007 20071 20064 Change Euro m Euro m Revenues 2,702.5 2,095.1 29% Recurring EBITDA2 661.9 485.6 36% EBITDA 521.3 482.9 8% EBIT 384.3 442.8 -13% Financial loss -135.5 -57.5 -136% Profit before taxes 248.8 385.3 -35% Consolidated net profit 89.4 240.7 -63% Underlying net income3 272.8 243.9 12% Earnings per share of preferred stock (in EUR) 0.42 1.11 -62% Underlying earnings per share of preferred stock (in EUR) 1.26 1.12 13% Cash flow from operating activities 1,593.6 1.272.0 25% Cash flow from investing activities -3,269.0 -979.6 - / - Free cash-flow -1,675.4 292.4 - / - 12/31/20071 12/31/2006 Change Total assets 5,998.8 1,932.1 210% Shareholders´ equity 1,062.3 1,240.5 -14% Equity ratio 18% 64% -72% Programming assets 1,317.7 1,056.3 25% Net financial debt 3,328.4 121.8 - / - 1 Consolidation of SBS Broadcasting Group since July 2007, figures for 2006 are not adjusted 2 Recurring EBITDA: EBITDA before non-recurring items 3 Adjusted consolidated net profit: Consolidated net profit before effects of purchase price allocation and (2007 only) FCO fine 4 Prior-year figures adjusted to reflect recognition of PSP as a discontinued operation OurOur MissionMission StatementStatement TheThe powerpower ofof televisiontelevision TheThe ProSiebenSat.1 Group Group is is a aleading leading pan-european pan-European media media company.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reader's Digest Association
    THE READER’S DIGEST ASSOCIATION, INC. ANNUAL REPORT For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007 Note: The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. has prepared this annual report and posted the report on its website pursuant to Section 4.03(d) of the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of March 2, 2007 among The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., the Guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York, as trustee. This report will neither be filed with, nor furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Holders of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.’s 9% senior subordinated notes due 2017 issued pursuant to the Indenture may request copies of this report from The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. at the following address and telephone number: The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Pleasantville, New York 10570-7000 Attn: Global Communications Telephone: (914) 244-7446 1 THE READER’S DIGEST ASSOCIATION, INC. ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 INDEX Page PART I BUSINESS 4 RISK FACTORS 24 UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 39 PROPERTIES 39 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 39 SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS 39 PART II MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND 40 ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 40 MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF 40 OPERATIONS QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 60 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 61 CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 61 DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
    [Show full text]
  • Business Case Booklet
    SMOKE University of California, San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education | August 2020 | FREE https://bit.ly/sfm-casebook2020 MOVIES SmokeFreeMovies.ucsf.edu When kids are at greater risk... Why are kids still starting to smoke and vape? And why are we seeing more smoking in US movies and TV shows? The two questions are connected. Tobacco content and exposure are increasing, overall, in top-grossing US movies released in theaters, first, and then on streaming channels with no age gates. Most of the companies making these movies also commission original streaming shows with tobacco content. This chart shows that tobacco content (incidents) and audience exposure (impressions) have increased by more than half in films youth-rated PG/ PG-13 over the past five years. Tobacco content more than doubled and au- dience tobacco exposures have tripled in R-rated films accessible to young people via in-home media, over the same period. 1 | Data: UCSF-Breathe California Onscreen Tobacco Database (OTDb) ...big media companies are at greater risk Since 2002, according to content surveys by UCSF and Breathe California, more than half of all top-grossing films have featured smoking, including 51% of movies released in 2019. Overall, 44% of PG-13 films and more than 70% of R-rated movies featured tobacco imagery. Movie inventories differ among companies, and not all films on streaming services are top-grossing movies, but it’s probable that about half of the total movie inventories now accessible to young people feature smoking. So do most of the original streaming shows most popular with young people 15-21, according to recent studies by Truth Initiative, the tobacco prevention foundation funded out of the states’ multibillion-dollar Master Settlement Agreement with US tobacco companies in 1998.
    [Show full text]