Industrial Revolution Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Industrial Revolution - Term Paper Example The revolution was mainly governed by several important innovations that came into being around that time. These new methods and ways of doing things promoted greater efficiency and productivity, thereby incurring larger profits for manufacturers and yielding the manufacturing industry to become, for the first time in history, a more valuable asset to the economy than the agricultural industry (Olson, 2002). One of the major innovations of this kind was the invention and improvement of the steam engine. Previously, America had employed man- or horse-powered machinery, but was now shifting towards the use of water to run machinery, a feat that saved capital and time, thereby greatly increasing productivity and reducing cost. While most of the revolution did still rely greatly on horse and man (because of the lack of knowledge and know-how), uptake of use of water and steam engines to run machinery by several important factories paved way for many smaller ones to do so as well. Thus, c reating a somewhat chain reaction that moved towards use of the steam engine on a much larger scale (Grayson, 2010). ... This situation benefited both parties, the consumers and the producers. Because of consumer attraction, many factory owners enjoyed large profits because of the increased consumer spending and activity in the economy, leading to growth of these trades and factories in the cities of America. Another major implication of this revolution was the increased GDP per capita than had been seen ever, and the effects of the increased exports to other countries could not be ignored. In fact, for the first time after 1812 and the restrictions that followed the Embargo, America was found to be active in trading with other countries, a feat that ameliorated the national funds. Moreover, because of the complete transformation of the production system and the introduction of machinery, many jobs opened up for workers thereby increasing employment in this sense. Naturally, a revolution of this scale was to have great effects on the infrastructure of cities, and this was made very evident in America. Because of the large number of people moving into cities to work, numerous buildings were made to house these people. Buildings got taller, more modernized but the living spaces became more compact. Furthermore, because the manufacturing industry is one that greatly relies on transport and movement of parts and goods between cities, one demanded major changes in infrastructure of the cities. Firstly, the need for better roads and bridges was felt to expedite delivery of goods, and so better roads, such as the Crumberland Road, came into being. Moreover, America saw the creation of the Erie Canal, which helped simulate the economy of New York thereby helping it

Conflict management and negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conflict management and negotiation - Essay Example In almost every task,preparation spells the difference whether the task has a big chance of being a success or coming out as a failure,A good plan means that the communicator is able profile the other person to acquire as much information as possible on how to interact with that person that would bring about the best results Furthermore, during the course of a conversation for negotiation or conflict management, a good communicator should be aware of the reaction of the other person. Just like Newton's Third Law of Physics, â€Å"for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction† (Bonito, 2004, p. 705). Reactions could range from verbal to non-verbal cues. After a conversation, the communicator should be able to reflect on the ways he or she is able to converse with the other person (Gross & Alberts, 2004, p.252). What went wrong? What was good? How can things be improved? Furthermore, a deeper reflection would have the communicator realize the many possibilities of how the words would be absorbed by the other person (Bonito, 2004, p. 706). Completing this process would eventually result in better communication skills for the person, particularly in terms of negotiation and conflict management. This paper aims to analyze the responses from the questionnaire and come up with a reflection on improving the weaknesses in the cognitive communication competence of the respondent. COGNITIVE COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE 2 Summary of Responses Planning Cognitions Questionnaire answers show that planning cognition is not the strongest ability of the respondent. However, it is also not weak. Diction, tone of voice, and facial expression appear to be the primary concern in approaching another person. â€Å"What the others are thinking or talking about?† appears to be the key question in the planning process. This is a safe approach because it shows that the respondent considers the other person before starting a conversation. The downside here is that the respondent could be considering the other person too much, which could affect the planning process. Modeling Cognitions Upon review of the responses, this appears to be one of the strengths of the respondent. The respondent shows a sharp skill in sizing up the situation and the reactions and responses of the people involved in the conversation. This is obvious in group conversations, where the respondent shows a great ability to detect whose approval to immediately gain in the group. There is some sort of a political sense at play during this process, where the respondent is smooth in the subtle skill of â€Å"divide and conquer.† Presence Cognitions This appears to be one of the respondent's strengths in communication and negotiation. The respondent is able to proactively think of the next step even before everyone else has moved forward. This stems from the respondents ability to size up the environment and the people involved in the conversation. Rebuttals to arguments are almost non-existent, because they are answered before they are even expressed. The respondent also knows how to inject his/her COGNITIVE COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE 4 position by subtle control of the flow of conversation. Reflection Cognitions The respondent shows a need for improvement in this area. After every conversation, a thorough reflection of what occurred should immediately follow. This would ensure a better interaction the next time he or she encounters the same people, especially if about the same topic. Moreover, the respondent should also reflect on the image he or she is able to portray to others. No process is perfect as it is, and a constant desire to learn from what has transpired is a good characteristic for continuous development. Consequence

The Introduction of Buddhism to Ancient China Research Paper

The Introduction of Buddhism to Ancient China - Research Paper Example That was how the religion began, and it has since moved and spread to all parts of the world although it is more concentrated in Asia. Buddhist believes in fundamental principles in which they operate. They include understanding universality of suffering, abandoning the desire in controlling things and causing suffering, making visible supreme truth and liberation of nirvana achieved through eliminating suffering as well as bringing the truth of eightfold ariya path that leads to the ending of suffering (IDCNJ Para. 2-4). It is the fundamental principles that this religion stood for that made it gunner more followers world wide. It was found in India, and latter found it way out to China and other parts of Asia. Therefore, this paper will discuss how Buddhism spread from India where it originated all the way to China and examine its impacts in the life of Chinese. History of Buddhism Movement to China Buddhism is mostly concentrated in the central Asia where its founder came from. Bu ddhism spread to central Asia under Ashoka. Different kinds of Buddhism got different influences from other religions, for instance Mahayana Buddhism was influenced by Iranian religions. On the hand, it had much appeal to the Chinese across the social spectrum. This made it gain more adherents to Chinese leading to the growth of Buddhist monastic movement. It attracted both men and women and had a tremendous impact on the Chinese arts. Despite its widespread in China, not everyone was a receptive to Buddhist teachings (Holt Para. 4). Most traditional account attributes that Buddhism was introduced in China in the reign of Han Dynasty (206 BCE -220 CE). This came after an emperor dreamed of flying golden man was thought to be Buddha. Although there are many evidences that Buddhism reached China during Han Dynasty, it did not have much influence or flourish until 220-589 CE during the time of six dynasties. After the fall of Han Dynasties, Buddhism emphasized on personal salvation and rejection of worldly ties which leading to its popularity. Most of the Chinese Buddhism has their beliefs pegged on Indian Buddhists beliefs which missionaries, traders, and diplomats who had traveled through the silk roads got (Saylor Para. 9). The golden age of Chinese Buddhism happened at the time of Tang Dynasty of 618-907. Buddhism was very popular among many societies at all levels. Despite many Tang emperors being Daoist, most of them favored Buddhism, and they were patrons to the temples and monasteries which Tang government controlled (Welter 63). Because of this, temples and Buddhist monasteries grew by acquiring more land. At Tehtiem of Tang Dynasty, many scholars also made several pilgrimages to India, and they returned with Buddhist texts making several Buddhist schools systemize large corpus of Buddhist texts as well as teachings. Due to social and economic factors in 845, Emperor Wuzong (840-846) resorted to persecuting Buddhists as many of their temples and shrines were destroyed and nuns and monks forced to start living a normal life (McKay Chapter 6). It is evidenced that Buddhism came to spread to China at the time of Tang Dynasty (618-649) due to the culture which they embraced. For instance, Tang culture led to the unification of south and north Asia hence creating conditions for revitalizing Chinese culture. There was consistent flow of people from outside China as they came with new ideas,

Sense Making and sustainability in Petroleum industry Dissertation

Sense Making and sustainability in Petroleum industry - Dissertation Example The emergence of globalization along with a fast information exchange and cross cultural amalgamation has led business dynamics to incorporate several new aspects within it (Weiss et al, 2008, p.377). No doubt, the companies are making new ventures in foreign territories for optimizing their profit port folios, but the social and environmental aspects of international productions form a crucial part which forms the main trajectory of several new aspects as stated above. Relying only on maximizing profits and generating mammoth revenues will fetch only short run gains with dynamic decline. In order to become a dominant player in this globalised market with a goodwill establishment, the companies have to first of all become good corporate citizens. They have to incorporate the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with various codes of conduct which will ensure socially responsible business practices within the business and its overseas as well as domestic operations. But app lying the attributes of CSR is not at all an easy task. Several challenges are faced by the management of companies in its proper implementation and maintaining the proper code of conduct. Geographical, economical, legal, cultural and political barriers act as hindrances in the proper implementation of CSR policies. Adverse conditions like agency problems, moral hazard, corruption and malpractices creep into the system which results in non compliance of the rules and regulation implementation and leads to sub optimal results.... Geographical, economical, legal, cultural and political barriers act as hindrances in the proper implementation of CSR policies. Adverse conditions like agency problems, moral hazard, corruption and malpractices creep into the system which results in non compliance of the rules and regulation implementation and leads to sub optimal results. In case of non compliance the initiator will face negative customer sanctions, capital loss, damaged brand values and so on (Pedersen & Andersen, 2006, p. 228). The oil industry bears a historical trend of malpractices, corruption and violent activities (Beri & Sinha, 2009). The prime agenda with oil is that it is generally scarce and the companies have a tendency to explore it wherever it is available. Thus in the oil companies, there has been a natural trend in participating within a global business paradigm and the emergence of CSR practices becomes a more robust parameter in conducting business in an ethical manner (Spence, 2011, pp.59-60). Hi gh vulnerability comes in short term and long term ways. In the short term, there may occur natural hazards like that of oil spills as well as improper sewage of excess natural gas and so on. The long term vulnerabilities include social risks like poorly paid labor, inadequately maintained equipment and threat to the indigenous people at stake facing atrocities and negligence and in some cases they are even killed (Multiple uses of the coastal zone, n.d.). Thus the historical evidences backed by this obnoxious phenomenon have urged the oil and gas TNCs (Transnational Corporations) to play a pioneering role in developing strong leadership roles in the development of good corporate practices as well as rules of behavior in the place of work and engagements in diverse

Cultural Artifacts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Artifacts - Essay Example All these and many other aspects altogether represent our culture and its evolution over time. To prove my point I will concentrate on architecture how it is reflective of the culture. It not only represents the present but also has traces of the past. By observing architecture of any society over the years you can observe the evolution of their culture. It shows our values and beliefs. Architecture actually encompasses all three eras, traces of our past, needs of our present and aspirations of our future. Archeology In order to fully understand evolutionary process of architecture we need to develop sound understanding of archeology and dating methods. Crucially understanding of the past depends on the efficiency of the chronological dating methods employed. Indus civilization As we all know Indus civilization is one the oldest civilizations of the world. Some of the things found in excavations dates back to as early as 2800 BCE (McIntosh). A good understanding of their culture was developed through the literature found in some of the writings, pottery and remains of the buildings. The Indus civilization is distinctive in its indigenous development from the cotemporary civilizations. Its architecture does not bear any sign of warfare of that time. They had elaborate drainage system and well planned urban layout. Although scarcity of any building was observed, which could be identified as temple or monument? Architecture and Sculpture History According to historians large wooden houses, palaces and barns were being built in India from around 1700 BC. Although it does not have much creativity and durability was also questionable. (Subcontinent) Some stone architecture and sculpture started in India in 300 BC under the influence of Greeks and Persians. Artifacts are a good source of studying the economic and cultural conditions of any time. It was well reflected in the buildings of that era also. In fact the understanding we have developed about the older civiliz ations and their evolution and growth was achieved by studying the artifacts of those times. Indians moved from traditional wooden architecture to stone architecture and fine masonry work under the influence of foreigners. But the artifacts they produced had the Indian touch and were reflective of their culture. Rock Architecture History of Rock architecture in India dates back to eighth century. There are remains of a temple in Ellora in central Asia. (William J. Duiker) It was named after the holy mountains and it is beautifully carved out of a hill side. Traces of this form of architecture were also found in Africa. It is reflective of the technological advancement of that time because carving a mountain needed a lot of skill and equipment. It is also reflective of the religious beliefs of the time. Most of the religious architecture of that time consisted of Buddhist cave temples and monasteries. The next millennium witnessed impressive sculptures and paintings. Religious archit ecture evolved from caves to monumental structures. They were even decorated with ceilings, door frames, relevant paintings and other accessories which marked the welfare of the civilization. Islamic Architecture When India was conquered by Mughals Indian architecture took a large leap forward. Mughals were found of architecture. Magnificent buildings all over India are a proof of their taste and love for

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Essay Example for Free

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Essay Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) were the two great figures of the last quarter of the eighteenth century. They were not men of the same generation, but they were contemporaries in the sense that they influenced one another, and there is a kind of likeness about them which makes them belong together as the outstanding representatives of their own particular period. That period, known variously as the Age of Haydn and Mozart, the Viennese Period, or the Classical Period, is susceptible to two interpretations, depending upon whether the emphasis is placed on its relation to the preceding or to the succeeding period. If the relation to the preceding period is to be stressed, the age of Haydn and Mozart should properly be called the Classical Period because it marks the culmination of the principles of monophonic style and pure independent musical form, the growth of which had marked the period of Gluck, Stamitz, and C. P. E. Bach. If, on the other hand, its relation to the succeeding period is to be emphasized, it must be looked upon as a transitional period leading to, or forming the beginning of, the Viennese Period of Beethoven. In the firest case the formal and stylistic perfection of Mozart, and to a less extent of Haydn, is considered as a culmination, as an end in itself; in the second case that perfection is considered as a necessary but secondary step in an evolutionary chain leading to the achievement of a new expressive medium. (Sieghard Brandenburg, 1998) Franz Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, lower Austria, on March 31, 1732. As a child he went to live in the house of a relative, Johann Matthias Frankh, who gave him a thorough musical training. Between 1740 and 1748 Haydn was a chorister at St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna. During that period he earned his living by teaching, playing the harpsichord, and doing hack work, but all the while immersing himself deeply into serious music study. In 1755 he was engaged by Karl Joseph von Furnberg as conductor of his orchestra, for which he wrote various nocturnes and divertimentos. It was during this period that he also created his first string quartets. While employed at the palace of Count Morzin, between 1758 and 1760, he wrote his first symphonies. In 1760 he married Maria Anna Keller, a marriage that proved unhappy from the beginning and soon gave way to a permanent separation. In 1761, Haydn became second Kapellmeister for Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy at his estate in Eisenstadt. When the Esterhazys built a new palace at Esterhaz, Haydn assumed the status of full Kapellmeister (1766) and held this post for almost a quarter of a century. For the many concert and opera performances at Esterhaz, Haydn produced a vast repertory of compositions in virtually every field and form, arriving at full maturity as creative artist. He rarely left Esterhaz, except for occasional visits to Vienna where he met Mozart and became one of his most devoted friends and admirers. In 1790, Haydn withdrew from his Esterhaz post and went to live in Vienna. In 1791 and 1794, Johann Peter Salomon, impresario and violinist, invited him to London to lead orchestral concerts. For these performances Haydn wrote twelve celebrated symphonies now identified as the London or Salomon Symphonies. Back in Vienna after the second visit, Haydn wrote in 1797 a patriotic hymn which became the Austrian national anthem. Between 1798 and 1801 he completed two choral masterworks, The Creation and The Seasons, his first attempts at writing oratorios. He died in Vienna on May 31, 1809, and was buried in the Hundsthurm churchyard; in 1820 his remains were reinterred in the upper parish church of Eisenstadt. (Jay Parini, Brett C. Millier, 1993) HAYDNS CONNECTION WITH THE ESTERHAZY FAMILY Following the disbanding of Count Morzins musical establishment Haydn secured a post in 1761 with the Esterhazy family, thus forming a relationship which was to continue until the end of his life. First as assistant, and then as first chapelmaster, Haydn was given every incentive necessary to the realization of his genius. Prince Esterhazy was a capable amateur, and in such genial surroundings Haydn gradually developed a remarkable orchestra and a group of singers adequate for the performance of dramatic and religious music. (Ralph De Toledano, 1987) The Esterhazy family, at Eisenstadt and later at Esterhazy, maintained one of the most splendid courts in Europe. Music furnished there, as it did all over Germany, a large part of the entertainment. Almost daily concerts of chamber and orchestral music, interspersed with marionette operas and true operas, to say nothing of the regular use of music at religious services, kept the time of the princes musicians completely filled. Life for men like Haydn was a constant round of concerts, performances and rehearsals, for which most of the music must be composed in otherwise unoccupied moments. The routine was broken by the occasional appearance of troupes of traveling musicians and by the removal of the prince, sometimes accompanied by the whole musical corps, to the capital for the winter season. Fortunately for Haydn, the trips to Vienna furnished opportunity both for the dissemination of his own works and for him constantly to renew his acquaintance with the musical life of the city which had become the musical center of the whole of Europe. (James E. Perone, 1995) THE MUSIC OF THE ESTERHAZY PERIOD A list of the music composed by Haydn during the twenty-nine years of his active connection with the Esterhazy family would be far too long to be included here. His compositions ranged over every musical form characteristic of the time: symphonies, operas, Masses, string quartets, piano sonatas, concertos for various instruments with orchestra, and music for numerous other combinations of instruments and voices. The addition of a famous harpist to the musical forces brought forth a series of compositions for harp; having a famous cellist as a member of the orchestra necessitated concertos for cello and orchestra, which Haydn straightway produced; a ball attended by the emperor brought out the whole orchestra with proudly performed new ballroom music. Haydn stood ready to compose, genially and to the best of his lavish ability, music for any occasion. At the death of Prince Esterhazy in 1790, the musical establishment was disbanded, but Haydn retained his title of Kappelmeister, and although he was now free to devote himself to other affairs, he retained an income from his patrons. The story of the rest of his life recounts constantly increasing fame and honor. His works were performed throughout Europe; Naples, Berlin, Madrid, and London were all anxious to hear his latest composition. Pupils flocked to him, and contemporary composers were almost unanimous in acknowledging his greatness. (David Ewen, 2007 ) LONDON: SYMPHONIES AND ORATORIOS Haydns later life was rich in incident, but that aspect must be left to the biographer. The two journeys to London, in 1790-1792 and 1794-1795, during which he composed the twelve great London symphonies, and conceived the desire to compose oratorios, are most important from the historical standpoint. On his first return to Vienna he devoted himself largely to the two oratorios, the Creation, first performed in 1798, and the Seasons, first performed in 1801. In 1803 he made his last public appearance as a conductor, and from then until his death in 1809, in a Vienna conquered by the armies of Napoleon, his life was that of an honored old man gradually succumbing to his infirmities. (Robert L. Marshall, 2003) Work Cited David Ewen. Composers of Yesterday; Kessinger Publishing, 2007 James E. Perone. Musical Anthologies for Analytical Study: A Bibliography; Greenwood Press, 1995 Jay Parini, Brett C. Millier. The Columbia History of American Poetry; Columbia University Press, 1993 Ralph De Toledano. â€Å"Haydn, Beethoven Old Instruments†; National Review, Vol. 39, April 10, 1987 Robert L. Marshall. Eighteenth-Century Keyboard Music; Routledge, 2003 Sieghard Brandenburg. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven: Studies in the Music of the Classical Period; Clarendon Press, 1998

The Pioneers In Animation Animation Essay

The Pioneers In Animation Animation Essay Animation has its roots in traditional art. Its evolution over the years has been facilitated by not only artists but also visionaries and technically skilled experts. Presented below are the noteworthy pioneers and their creations that helped animation reach unprecedented heights as we see today. It was in 1895, three years after Emile Reynaud, inventor of the praxinoscope, an animation system using loops of 12 pictures, showed the first animated film in Theatre Optique system, devised by him, that two French brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumiere, presented the first authentic demonstration of what we now think of as cinema. Lumiere Brothers characters which were images of real people became a better alternative to the Emile Reynauds presentations of moving drawings. Georges Melies, a fantasy filmmaker- the maker of Voyage to the Moon (1902), was prided himself as stage-illusionist and used the medium of cinema as a natural extension of his magical arts with their transformations, and mysterious disappearances. Many of the visual tricks employed in his fantasy film Voyage to Moon were achieved by stopping the film, altering the image and photographing the new scene. This later became one of the basic techniques of 3-D animation films. Hence, arguably, George could be termed as the first filmmaker to use Stop Action {or Stop Motion}. Stuart Blackton, a Briton, is the pioneer in Chalk Animation. His work in Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, made in 1906, is based essentially on line animation. It is commonly known that the first animated work on standard picture film was Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) by Blackton. It features a cartoonist drawing faces on a chalkboard, with the faces apparently coming to life. Blacktons process of drawing a picture, photographing it, rubbing a part of it out and then redrawing it was the most basic use of the stop-motion technique. Blackton, along with Albert E Smith, had employed stop motion photography to create wonderful effects in his 1907 live -action film The Haunted Hotel. He is credited with the making of the first stop motion puppet film The Humpty Dumpty. British film maker Arthur Melbourne Cooper also claimed having made the first ever puppet animated film. Cooper is also perhaps the maker of the worlds first animated commercial film using stop -motion photography in his film The Matches: An Appeal, a film of moving matchsticks produced way back in 1899. Coppers other notable creations were Cindrella (1912), Wooden Athletes (1912) and The Toymakers Dream (1913). Another pioneering effort in stop-motion techniques was that of Parisian caricaturist and film maker Emile Cohl who in his film Fantasmagorie, depicting the adventures of a little clown, drawn as a rudimentary stick figure, used some two thousand drawings which ran for under two minutes. Those animators who used the puppet model (the other method being clay model) as the basis of their 3D Animation were Giovanni Pastrone {The war and the Dream of Momi} and Wladyslaw Starewicz { The Magic Clock, Love in Black and White}. Starewicz had enormous passion for drawings and sculpture and was influenced by Emile Cohls 1908 film The Animated Matches. He later became known as Ladislas Starevich (after he moved over to Paris) and is till date acclaimed as the pioneering puppet animator because he created the first puppet-animated film -The Beautiful Lukanida (1912). His cast of insect characters appeared in a series of modern fables viz. The Cameramans Revenge, featuring tiny miracles as a grasshopper on a bicycle and a dragonfly ballet dancer. Other well known puppet films of Starevich were Town Rat, Country Rat and the Tale of Fox. Charlie Chaplin is one of the several Hollywood -inspired performers in Love in Black and White (1927) by Ladislas Starevich. The Mascot'(1934) sh owcased Starevichs live action story with toys. Quirino Cristiani from Argentina is the maker of possibly the first animated feature film -El Apà ³stol, in 1917. He also directed two other animated feature films, including 1931s Padeopilis the first to use synchronized sound. None of these, however, survive to the present day. German Lotte Reiniger and French/Hungarian Berthold Bartosch were the directors of the earliest-surviving animated feature, which used colour-tinted scenes, in their silhouette-animated Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926). Jan Svankmejer brought to the cinema the theatrical skills of masks and puppets through his first film The Last Trick (1964) -he was clearly inspired by Ladislas Starevichs The Mascot, made nearly three decades earlier. Svankmejers films often combined animation with live action, as in Alice and his other feature film Faust (1994). Svankmejer is regarded as an undisputed renegade of animation art because he had a penchant for pixillating live actors or manipulating china dolls. Some of his macabre creations were joints of uncooked meat or as in Dimensions of Dialogue (1982) in which he formed two lumps of deathly-grey clay which form themselves into heads and then eat and regurgitate another! The heritage of Svankmajers animation films was the motivating factor behind many of the earliest puppet movies. The Russian animator Alexander Ptushko was yet another trend setter in 1930s. The New Gulliver made by him in 1935 includes scenes filmed in camera (unlike the usual method of creating through optical techniques in processing,) incorporating a live actor and some 3000 puppets. The other feature films made by Ptushko combining animation and live action were The Fisherman and the Little Fan (1937) and The Little Golden Key (1939). Yet another well known name in stop -motion animation was Hungarian born animator George Pal, maker of a classy film, The Ship of the Ether featuring the voyage of a ship made from blown glass. Pal worked in the biggest puppet -animation studio in Europe and created a series on fairy tale subjects and also produced short entertainment films for commercial sponsors such as Philips Radio, Unilever, and Horlicks. He is the creator of the theatrical shorts called Puppetoons from his studio in America. One of the most popular characters of Pal was a little black boy named Jasper who appeared in nearly twenty films such as Jasper Goes Fishing'(1943), Jasper and Beanstalk'(1945) and Jasper in a Jam'(1946).Those who followed Pal and made successful careers in puppet films were Joop Geesink and Ray Harryhausen. Some of the notable films made by them were Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Story of Rapunzel, and The Story of King Midas. Jiri Trnka, the Czech animator, was an illustrator beyond comparison who created what is known as Disneyfied characters in such folk tale films as Grandpa Planted a Beet'(1945) and The Animals and the Brigands'(1946). He later became the maker and operator of marionettes- animating the puppets. Arguably, The Emperors Nightingale was a masterpiece film made by Trnka based on Hans Anderson fairy tale. Trnks last film The Hand (1965) featured the central character with a typical impassive face and dressed to look like a pierrot. With an outsized head, a beaky nose and two large soulful eyes, he is clearly the comic tragedian. Trnkas creative heirs were Brestilav Pojar (Lion and Song) and the Japanese animator Kihachiro Kawamoto (Demon, A Poets Life, House of Flame). In recent times, the puppet animation scaled greater heights through the films made by BBC and the British and American television companies with makers like Jim Henson {Seasame Street and The Muppet Show}. Garry Anderson who made The Adventures of Twizzle and Torchy the Battery Boy is rated as a pioneer in puppet films on the television. Other successful puppet films of Anderson were Supercat (1961), Stingray (1964) and Thunderbirds (1965). There were many artists who advanced animation such as the brilliant American cartoonist Winsor McCay whose comic newspaper strip Little Nemo in Slumberland became an animated picture in 1911. Winsor was the man behind the creation of the interactive GERTIE, The Trained Dinosaur. Raoul Barre, whose film series The Animated Grouch Chasers featured a caricature album that came to life, was credited with several significant developments such as registration holes in animation paper, to stop the drawings from wobbling when filmed etc. J R Bray (creator of the comic character Colonel Heeza Liar) pioneered the technique of drawing the backgrounds on sheets of celluloid and placing them on top pf the animation drawings. This process was later refined by Earl Hurd (maker of Bobby Bump) by animating characters on celluloid sheets that were positioned over painted backgrounds. Some of the talents/ artists who dominated the early years of animation were as follows: Pat Sullivan (creator of Felix the Cat), his collaborator Otto Mesmer; Dave Fleischer (who made the series Out of the Inkwell) Paul Terry, the creator of Aesops Fables Walter Lantz- who made first Dinky Doodle and later Woody Woodpecker It is widely believed that Walt Disney, the genius who created Mickey Mouse, took animation to an entirely new level altogether. In 1928, with the premiere of Steamboat Willie, he became the first animator to add sound to his movie cartoons. Another milestone in Walt Disneys life was the first full length animated feature film, named Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs produced in 1937. Walt Disney, till date, is the synonym for the cartoon film. Flowers and Trees (1932) made by Disney Studios which won an academy award for this work was the first animation to use the full, three-color Technicolor method. Lou Benin made a version of Alice in Wonderland in 1948 using live and puppet players. Tim Burton is another pioneer in a negative sense, because he made the first ever horror animation film for children- Vincent. He also made the macabre film Frankenweenie in 1984 and became a Hollywood legend creating the new dark breed of Batman movies. Burtons A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) was the first stop motion feature film to receive worldwide distribution. BBC and the Moscow based group of animators, Christmas Films have been known, in recent times, for producing finest puppet animation series. Jim Hensons glove-puppets achieved international fame with Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Garry Anderson is considered yet another pioneer with his fantastic puppet animation shows on the television such as The Adventures of Twizzle, Torchy the Battery Boy, Super Cat Fireball XL5, Stingray and last but not the least Thunderbirds. Cosgrove Hall has the distinction of having achieved live movements animating his rubber moulded heads. His 3-D recreation of Toyland home of Enid Blytons Noddy and Okie Dokie is well known. American Willis O Brien is credited with pioneering work in clay animation. He made pre historic comedies through claymation such as Curious Pets of our Ancestors The Birth of Flivver'( both 1917) which featured dinosaur characters. He also created the special effects for Merian C Coopers classic fantasy King Kong-till date a powerful film for stunning animation sequences. OBriens work has been the inspiration for many, notably his protà ©gà © Ray Harryhousen who even surpassed his master in animation techniques. Might Joe Young (1949), The Animal World'(1956), The Beast 20,000 Fathoms'(1953), It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) boast of RayS memorable characters. Max Fleischer and his collaborator Roland Crandall are known for moving away from claymation and using cel-animation. Perhaps, it was Art Clokey who revived claymation with an innovative film based on stop-motion clay animation through his film Gumby (1955). The term Claymation was coined by Will Vinton who made Academy Award winning movies like Closed Mondays followed by Leo Tolstoys Martin the Cobbler, Washington Irwings Rip Van Winkle and Little Prince . Joan Gatz, who worked with Vinton and made claymation films A Claymation Christmas Celebration and the Academy Award winning film Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase'( 1992). Will Vintons classic creations included The Adventures of Mark Twain and Return of Oz. Vinton excelled himself through his advertising films in America which helped claymation to reach new heights of invention and sophistication. The renaissance in clay animation is due to the works of an animator from the age of 13, Peter Lord who has the reputation of having made his first animated film as a school boy. He has thus been involved with animation for more than three decades. Peter is credited with pioneering clay character- MORPH, a simple clay character developed by him when working with BBC that became a well known claymation character on television. It was a simple model yet displaying a personality and charm, a hallmark of Peters characters. Peter Lord and Sproxton focused on plasticine / clay animation, a medium rarely used in Europe. Peter along with Mr. David Sproxton, another pioneer in animation, founded Aardman Animations in 1976, named after a character in an early film of Peter. Peter and David were classmates in Working Grammer School for Boys. Over the years Peter and David, the cofounder of Aardman Studios, have produced many commercials, pop videos, childrens series and short films. Two of Peters own short films- Adam Wats Pig- have been nominated for Academy Awards. The other ground breaking films from Arrdman were Animated Conversations, Conversation Pieces, Confessions of a Foyer Girl and On Probation. The studio also specialised in giving human form to a variety of edible products such as singing sausage man, a fruit-and-vegetable man etc. Aardman have produced remarkable commercials using animation techniques -its characters like Douglas the Butterman for LURPAK are memorable. Peter has been working on a full length feature film with fellow Aardman animator, Nick Pick, son of a professional photographer and the most famous of the filmmakers who joined Aardman Studios. Nick Park completed A Grand Day Out for Aardman in 1989 featuring Wallace and Gromit which was nominated for Academy award-its sequel was The Wrong Tousers followed by A Close Shave which won Oscar and helped clay animation to scale unprecedented heights. Nick Park won his first Academy award for his fifth film in this series- Creature Comforts in 1990. Nick Park and Peter Lord produced the most ambitious project of Aardman Studios- Chicken Run in 2000. Chicken Run was perhaps the earliest of films that made significant use of computer animation techniques. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Peter, Aardman Animations has become the preferred destination to many talents in animation. Peter Peake who produced Pib and Pog, Richard Goleszowski who made Indent (Rex the Hunt series), Dinosaur and Dreams and Steve Box are the notable animators from Aardman. Peter Lord, along with Mr. Brian Sibley, has authored the much sought after book titled Cracking Animation- a book which is supposed to have opened up the vistas to the World of 3D Animation. Nick Park, in his forward to this book, has commended that Peter and David were the first animators he met with expert knowledge and technique in animation and this book is a pioneering publication to impart detailed information and insights into computer animation. Brian Sibley, as a writer and broadcaster, pioneered in publishing numerous books and programmes in arts and animation. His books include Shadowlands: The Story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman and The Disney Story. One of the pioneers in using computers and computer related technology in animation was an MIT student Ivan Sutherland who in 1951 created a computer drawing program, Sketchpad, further giving a boost to animation. Tron made in 1982 was a pioneering effort in computer animation. The rapid transition in the field of computer animation have seen innovative creators like Phil Tippet (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Jurassic Park), Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings). Pixar Animation Studios has the distinction of having produced the first full length feature film animated totally on computers. While Pixar made marvels of computer animation like Toy Story (1995), followed by A Bugs Life and the super hit Finding Nemo, the rival Studio Dreamworks created Shrek series. Aardman also pioneered Pixillation, the modern technique of computer animation through their films Angry Kid. Certainly, the days ahead are going to witness breathtaking visuals and special effects as more and more technological innovations are pioneered by the large studios across the world.