10 Titles:
Part 1:
While writing my ending, I tried to focus on bigger picture ideas and tried to end on a slightly hopeful, yet uncertain, note.
“Sadly, there is no definitive answer, as everyone is different, but there are ways that have been proven to increase happiness among members of the general public. Putting time, effort and creativity into creating a piece of art, whether it be a film, painting or otherwise, and being proud of the finished product is far more rewarding in the grand scheme of things than taking the easy route and exploiting the market for the sake of money. This is a lesson that Hollywood will hopefully realize in time, but until then, we must look to those who continue to pour their love and care into the industry so that they may shine on for years to come.”
Part 2:
Paragraph 1:
I decided to split this body paragraph into two, as I felt it was too large and naturally moved on to a new idea. I also added a few words here and there to give a bit more imagery and description.
“Although it may seem as such, I’m not saying that it’s bad to shut your brain off and enjoy a fun big-budget film, but it could become a problem when we no longer desire to consume anything else. Powerhouse franchises such as The Avengers and Harry Potter use a formula of storytelling that forces fans and their wallets to always come back and find out what happened to their favourite on-screen heroes. Although this is not bad in and of itself, it can lead to a vicious cycle of lazily written cash-grab films, as the producers know that fans will flock in the thousands to come and watch regardless.
Independent films don’t have this privilege, forcing them to put all of their efforts into making a piece of art that will speak for itself. A smaller budget will often lead to greater creativity and more genuine intentions when it comes to spreading a message or idea. For example, CGI is an expense that most low-budget films simply can’t afford, so they will resort to using practical effects and other creative techniques which are often far more memorable then some flashy, obnoxious special effects. This boosted creativity leads to a film that holds more artistic merit than your average Hollywood blockbuster, and one will still be discussed and examined for decades to come. I think that as fans of cinema, it is our duty to encourage independent films and help them get the recognition that they deserve. If we continue to support only what Hollywood spits out, we will just be encouraging them to continue their efforts and showing filmmakers everywhere that making formulaic blockbusters is the only way to survive in the industry. “
Paragraph 2:
I decided to rewrite my lead anecdote by removing myself and focusing on the video that I watched.
“It is a dark and misty night. The streets lay abandoned and silent, engulfed by a harsh moonlight. All of a sudden, you see something creeping along the dark and dingy alleyway in front of you. You hear the pitter-patter of claws against concrete as it rushes towards you, pouncing out of the shadows. Before you stands a creature the likes of which belong only in your worst nightmares. The being in question, half cat, half human, stares at you with vacant, soulless eyes. Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, more of these monstrosities begin emerging from beyond. You begin to panic as they sing and dance around you, chanting as if they were performing some sort of sacrificial ritual. Have you died and gone to Hell? No, you’ve just watched the trailer for 2019’s Cats.”
In recent decades, the film industry has undergone a dramatic shift and fallen from the heights that it once soared. As the industry has grown larger and larger, films have become more and more profitable. Hollywood routinely spits out millionsto make a film with the sole intention of earning billions. The majority of the time, the intentions of these corporate fat-cats are completely transparent, and they will gladly dish out millions of dollars on big names and flashy CGI that assaults the senses, because this is the winning formula that continues to earn them money. To date, the most expensive film ever made was Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, costing a whopping $379 million. The fourth installment in the series, it went on to make an estimated $1.04 billion despite its abysmal rating of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the film probably hasn’t been spoken of since it was released in 2011, the sweet smell of that $1 billion lingered in the air long enough for executives to churn out the even worse Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge a whole 6 years later. The film performed even worse than its predecessors and failed to hit the $1 billion mark, making only $794.9 million at the box office. Most people would be quite content making such a profit, but once Disney had hit $1 billion with their previous installment, they wouldn’t settle for anything less. This franchise is just one of dozens that will continue to beat a long-dead horse just to squeeze out the last few drops of cash before moving on to their next operation. This is quite worrying, as it shows that Hollywood execs really couldn’t care less about whether their films have any merit, as long as they make money. This leads to a gross over-saturation of mediocre, formulaic movies that tread all over genuine films made by talented visionaries and steals the recognition from them that they deserve.
Imagine this: It’s a brisk Friday night. You just got off work and are heading to the theatre with a couple friends to see the infamously horrendous Cats. The pimple-faced sixteen-year-old at the counter gives you a look of shame and disgust as he hands you your ticket. You get in line to buy some snacks, the stench of butter flavour stinging your nostrils. As you sit down in your seat, popcorn in hand, a troublesome thought snakes its way into your mind. Did I really just pay $16 for this? You try to justify it to yourself. At least I can laugh at how bad it is, right? And then the guilt sinks in like a lead balloon with the realization that you have just directly supported this monstrosity. After two excruciating hours, the curtains close and the lights come on. As you leave the theatre with your friends, a homeless man on the corner asks you for some spare change. You wish you could give him some, but you’ve just gone and spent everything you had on the ticket. Was it worth it?
Imagine you wake up in the morning, feeling worse than you ever have before. Your head aches, your nose is blocked and your throat is drier than the Sahara. You can’t go to school feeling like this, and instead wish to curl up in bed like you did when you were younger.
What does stress feel like?
Stress is a feeling of mental and sometimes physical anguish. It can be caused by previous events or the anticipation of events to come. Your mind racing back and forth at a million miles an hour, a deep pit in your stomach. The more you try to not feel stressed, the harder it floods back in.
1. “As soon as I laid my eyes upon the abomination that was Sonic the Hedgehog, I knew fans of the franchise were not going to be happy.”
a) Abomination
Oxford definition: a thing that is hated and considered extremely offensive
Google definition: a thing that causes disgust or hatred.
This word works well for what I had intended when I was writing my brainstorm.
b) Franchise
Google definition: an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities.
definition: the right to vote.
1. “There was just something terribly off-putting about Sonic’s human-like proportions, furry human-like hands and worst of all, his creepy human-like teeth.”
2. There was something off-putting about Sonic’s proportions, hands and teeth.
3.
a) There was something terribly off-putting about Sonic’s proportions, hands and teeth.
b) There was something terribly off-putting about Sonic’s human proportions, hands and teeth.
c) There was something terribly off-putting about Sonic’s human-like proportions, furry hands and creepy teeth.
d) There was something off-putting about Sonic’s hands and teeth.
e) There was something off-putting about Sonic’s teeth.
f) Sonic
g) Off-putting teeth
h) Off-putting: unpleasant, disconcerting or repellant.
Thesaurus: off-putting, creepy, hideous.
i) There was something off-putting about Sonic’s proportions, hands and teeth; yet I couldn’t look away.
j) There was something incredibly off-putting about Sonic the Hedgehog’s human-like proportions, furry gloveless hands and pearlescent gnashing human teeth.
k) As soon as I laid my eyes upon him, there was something incredibly off-putting about Sonic the Hedgehog’s human-like proportions, furry gloveless hands and pearlescent gnashing human teeth.
l) As soon as I laid my eyes upon the abomination that is Sonic the Hedgehog, I could see that there was something horrendously off-putting about his disfigured human-like proportions, his hirsute naked hands and his pearlescent gnashing human-like teeth.
There was an elderly man who used to live directly across the street from me with his mother. The man, in his 60s, had lived as a recluse with his mother, in her 90s, for years and years. They never left the house and I had never spoken to them. I would only recognize them by seeing them looking out of their living room window, as they frequently did. Every Christmas Eve, my parents would go across the street with a bottle of wine to wish them a merry Christmas. They would stay for 15-20 min and chat with them before coming home. This Christmas was different. My parents went over as they did every year at around 6:00 pm. They were greeted by the elderly Mae, who looked visibly confused. “My husband isn’t feeling too well today” she said. My parents were a bit shocked, being that her husband had died nearly 20 years prior. My parents entered the house to one of the most shocking sights they had witnessed. In his armchair lay the 60-something year old Bill. Dead. It didn’t take a doctor to see that he was, and had been for a while, dead. My parents didn’t know what to do. They weren’t sure if Mae fully understood what was going on, and they certainly didn’t want to be the ones to break the news to her. My dad sat down with her and tried making conversation despite the horrifying situation. My mum ran back across the street, frantic, explaining to my sister and I what had happened. I got and looked out of our living room window and, sure enough, saw Bill in his armchair. Luckily, my mum’s best friend, who is a nurse, was next door. She had just had surgery a few days before and was still recovering. My mum called her told her she needed to come across the street with her urgently. When my mum and her friend returned, they called an ambulance. The paramedic on the phone was telling my mum’s friend that she needed to lie Bill down to check his pulse. My mum’s friend, being a nurse, knew that there was no way in Hell that they would be able to lay him down. There was also no need to check his pulse, it was obvious that he was no longer alive. While this commotion was going on, my dad was trying to comfort Mae, who was elderly, confused and in shock. Because they lived rather reclusively, their house was that of an extreme hoarder. Dirty dishes lay about everywhere, and nearly every surface was caked in dust or grime. Now that the paramedics were on their way, my mum and her friend had to try and find out if any relatives lived nearby, so that they could get help. Mae notified them that Bill had a niece somewhere near our house, but all she knew was the street name. So, my mother and her friend went door to door, trying to find the niece to break the news to her that her uncle had died. Keep in mind, this was Christmas Eve. Eventually they found her and told her what had happened. She was frantic but agreed to come help. Eventually, the paramedics and the fire dept. arrived to take control of the situation. My parents returned home a few hours after they had left. It was certainly a Christmas to remember.
A few years ago, on Christmas Eve, my parents went across the street to say Merry Christmas to the elderly mother and son who lived directly across from us. The mother, 90s, and her son, 60s, had lived a reclusive lifestyle together for many years and rarely left the house. My parents went over at around 6:00 p.m. to wish them a Merry Christmas as they did every year. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the elderly Mae, who was visibly confused. She mentioned that her husband, who had been dead for years, was “not feeling well”. This was quite a red flag, as my parents knew it was just her and her son who lived there. As my parents entered the house, they were shocked to find Bill, dead in his armchair. My parents weren’t quite sure how to react. My mum came back home and told my sister and I what had happened before rushing next door to get her friend, who was a nurse. They went back over together and called an ambulance. My mother’s friend, who was recovering from surgery from a few days prior, had an argument with the paramedics over what needed to be done. She was told to lay Bill down and check his pulse, which would have been an exercise in futility. While they waited for the paramedics to arrive, my mum and her friend then had to go door to door, in search of any relatives that lived nearby. They managed to find Bill’s niece, who despite her shock, was able to come and help. The paramedics finally arrived to take care of the situation, and my parents were finally free to come home and enjoy what was left of our Christmas Eve.
Many moons ago, on Christmas eve, my parents went across the street in the bitter cold to visit our neighbours. They were the ancient Bill and his even more ancient mother, Mae. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Mae, who had a stone cold look of confusion upon her face. She explained to my parents that her husband had taken ill, the very same husband who had perished years before. My parents, worried about her declining mental state, entered the decrepit house and witnessed the shock of their lives. Inside the grimy, unkempt house sat the stiff, cold body of Bill, upright in his armchair. My parents had later found out that he had passed away early in the morning, and had not been moved all throughout the day. Shocked to the core, my parents hadn’t any idea on what they should do. My mother rushed home, full speed ahead, and began to tell my sister and I what had gone down in the small house across the street. As quickly as she had come, my mother left to go next door. She grabbed her friend, a registered nurse, from next door and bolted back across the street. As my mother’s friend spoke on the phone to the paramedics, she grew more and more impatient with them. They kept insisting that she lay the stiff man on the floor to check for a pulse, an exercise that would prove to be futile. It didn’t take a coroner to see that the man was no longer with us. Once the paramedics were on their way, my mother and her friend went on a wild goose chase around the neighbourhood, in a desperate search for Bill’s niece. Once she had been found, they had the difficult task of breaking the news to her, on Christmas Eve no less. She agreed to come help, despite her shock and terror. They returned to the house and comforted the ancient, confused woman until the paramedics and fire department arrived. It was a Christmas Eve that we will never forget, despite how much we may wish we could.
Hello, I am writing normally. This is an interesting article about artificial intelligence.
Oliver Warne Nonfiction 