As was the case with the previous presentation into four topics, I once again created a presentation prompt to have with me when I was standing in front of the class. This would give me additional talking points to bring up or to include more information for my audience.
I must note that creating a prompt for a PowerPoint presentation is quite difficult, as it usually takes more time than constructing the presentation itself.
First, you must create the presentation so that you can number all your slides before correlating those numbers with the right pieces of information on the prompt. I forgot to do this digitally because the presentation took longer to make than I anticipated, and I needed the prompt to be printed out before Friday the 1st of November. This is why the slide numbers on the prompt are marked down as '###', a common placeholder I use for missing numbers. When the prompt was printed out, I added the numbers in with a pen.
Secondly, you must take into account both what is being shown on the screen and what you are talking about in the script. There's no point putting a duplicate set of information in the script if it's being shown on the screen, so you must think of additional information to voice when standing up.
This selection process does take up most of your time here, but it is truly worth it if you can appear confident, knowledgeable, well-spoken and get your information clearly across during your presentation, which is the whole purpose. It is for these reasons that I use prompts, to boost my confidence, to jog my memory of the subject and to engage my audience more with additional, useful information.
As was the case with my prompt, however, I included most of the speaking parts after printing with a pen because I ran out of time to digitally write them in. Therefore, the prompt underneath may look threadbare but please be aware that on the physical copy in the yellow folder, there are a lot more speaking parts and additional information. Now my physical prompt looks like it's been scribbled on by a maniac.
A prompt can go far in improving your presentation, not only for yourself but for your audience, whom you don't want to bore. When people get bored, they stop listening.
I must admit that this time, the prompt worked much better for me than it did previously. I suspect that this was due to my having more time to structure both it and my presentation better. I had more to say, and could easily divide my information between my presentation and my prompt.
As a result, I believe I gave a much better presentation. I implore you see the fully written version of this prompt in the yellow folder.
Here is the (digitally unfinished) prompt:
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Slide 1: Title Slide: Phase 2 – The American Frontier
NEXT SLIDE
Slide ###: Origins and Definition
“Origins and definition”
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Slide ###: Untitled (Definition of the American Frontier)
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Slide ###: ‘Manifest Destiny’
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Slide ###: Untitled (Definition of ‘Manifest Destiny’)
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Slide ###: General Lifestyle in the Frontier
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Slide ###: Untitled (Life of the Pioneers)
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Slide ###: Town Life
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Slide ###: Untitled (More Town Life)
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Slide ###: Romanticism and Misconception
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Slide ###: Untitled (Some Misconceptions)
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Slide ###: Untitled (More Misconceptions)
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Slide ###: A Still from Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (2013)
This is a still from Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, a game about an old gunslinger by the name of Silas Greaves as he recounts the tales of his life in a saloon in exchange for free drinks. The game is surprisingly educational, informing the player of the legends and stories of numerous outlaws of the Old West including Billy the Kid, the Dalton brothers and Jesse James.
The game mainly deals with the difference between legend and truth, which was a huge part of the Old West.
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Slide ###: The Western Genre (In Film and Other Media)
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Slide ###: Untitled
Read from slide.
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Slide ###: Some Chief Examples
List examples (“Classic Western, Modern Western, Spaghetti Western, Space Western, Horror Western, Quasi/Neo Western, Comedy Western and Martial-arts Western”)
“When studying the genre, it is important to be able to define what kind of Western you are talking about. These subgenres are often misinterpreted”
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Slide ###: Images of Classic Westerns
Classic Western (1960s):
“The purely American variety that had its heyday in the 1950s with films like High Noon, (1952) Gunman’s Walk (1958) and The Searchers (1956).
So many Westerns were released during this time that both decade and genre became synonymous, with the greatest classic Western titles being released.
However, this sub-genre was notorious for portraying the time through a romanticised lens. Certain realistic attributes and elements were often omitted entirely to comply mostly with audience interest and the film administrator rules of the time. The bad guys would wear black and the good guys would wear white or bright colours.
For example, mud, trail dust and blood on characters would not be seen since the sight of blood was considered obscene for the time. Even extensive violence was toned down in these films to not lose audience and producer appeal. Characters, when shot, would tumble to the floor almost comedically with barely a scratch visible.”
NEXT SLIDE
Slide ###: Images of Spaghetti Westerns
Spaghetti Western (Mid-1960s to mid-1970s)
“Spaghetti Westerns are typically defined as Westerns created with entirely Italian influence, often shot cheaply in Europe. When people think of the genre, their minds automatically spring to this subgenre because of the cultural impact of Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, the most famous film of which being The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. However, it is important to remember that it as from the Classic Western that this subgenre stemmed from, and the Spaghetti Western truly served to revitalise the Western genre as a whole. These films were always slightly bloodier and grittier than their 1950s counterparts.”
NEXT SLIDE
Slide ###: Images of Modern Westerns
Modern Western (1990 -):
“A modern Western, although not concretely defined, is usually a Western that has been produced after 1990. Such famous titles include Dances with Wolves, (1991) Unforgiven (1992) and Rango. (2011)
You can tell the difference between a good Modern Western and a great one if the film manages to encapsulate the real harsh, violent and bloody nature of the American Frontier despite stepping so boldly into a genre considered past its welcome whilst retaining excellent filmmaking quality. Unforgiven excels at this.”
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Slide ###: Images of Space Westerns
“A classic hybridisation of old verses new, the Space Western merges both Science Fiction with any type of Western, be it Classic, Spaghetti or Martial arts.
These hybrids typically include an obvious advancement in technology, such as laser guns or alien prosthetics, whilst being set in a volatile, desert-like environment, reminiscent of that of the landscapes of the Old West.
They can either be the greatest or the worst things you ever see.”
“Some great examples include the Matt Smith Doctor Who episode A Town Called Mercy and…”
NEXT SLIDE
Slide ###: Knights of Cydonia, Muse (2006)
“…the music video for MUSE’s Knights of Cydonia, in which cowboys wield laser guns and holograms of the band are frequently shown as part of story progression and world building.
The name ‘Cydonia’ refers to a region on Mars discovered by scientists, which gives the setting for the music video a desert-like environment akin to both Mars and the Old West.
Both the Sci-Fi and the Western genre are seen as enemies, considering that the Sci-Fi genre stole a lot of the Western’s thunder back in the 1950s, and ultimately became the new focus for cinema-goers. The Western was not replaced, but it did suffer badly from this new, emerging genre.”
End of Phase 2
Week 4: 21/10/2019 - 27/10/2019
Week 5: 28/10/2019 - 03/11/2019