The characterization of Cyrus in The Warriors (1979)

The man himself -- Cyrus. Can you dig it?

In Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979), the character of Cyrus is present in but a single scene, for he is killed within the first half hour. Nonetheless, his brief appearance is replete with characterization. He is at once vehement and eloquent, commanding total respect and attention from his audience; an intellectual and a strategist, considering his ambition to run New York through a massive, unified gang; and a true leader, with all of his followers pledging allegiance. Whereas all others in the courtyard setting are darkly lit, crowded together, and uniformly dressed, Cyrus is in the spotlight, in the center stage, in the garb of a king.

"Photos of People Who Deserve to Die?" (Chase Jarvis)

This article, by Chase Jarvis himself, details a series of posters and billboards that have been appearing recently. They proclaim various niche groups who, as seen at left, "deserve to die." However, this is a front to raise awareness; a visit to the campaign website reveals the organization's true message: that no one deserves to die, regardless of societal labeling. The question posed by the article is whether or not this tactic works; put simply, because of the massive (albeit often negative) attention it generates, yes. It does work. As they say, any publicity is good publicity. Read the article! Follow Chase's blog! Yes!

Ten Themes: "When You Find Me" (2012)

"When You Find Me" is the product of Canon and Ron Howard's collaborative effort inviting consumers to help to inspire a Hollywood production.

See previous post for deeper explanations and further examples of the Ten Themes of Storytelling (and also to add to my view count.)

The Ten Themes of Storytelling

I. MOOD - CONVEYS ATMOSPHERE OR TONE

This photo depicts a woman who, due to the smeared makeup and sad expression on her face, appears to have been crying. The shallow focus of the photo is on her face; as it is intended to be the subject, it is in focus whereas the decidedly irrelevant background is out of focus. The mood of the photo is further communicated through a high angle/bird's-eye view with height taller than that of the subject, which, combined, make the subject appear vulnerable or powerless -- as a crying woman would ostensibly be. Finally, the employing of the rule of thirds (the woman's eyes and mouth lie on intersection points) guarantees that the subject will be emphasized above all.