This post is so overdue it's ridiculous but I'm going to write it anyhow! In this post I'll be talking about the things I did and the places I went on my first ever trip to New York City back in July 2016. It's always been my dream to visit this city and now that it's finally happened I can give an insight into what it was like and some tips that I learnt. We didn't end up doing every single thing we had planned as some of them were too far to travel to, but we got the main things we wanted done!
Time Square (West 42nd to West 47th Street)
This was, naturally, the first place we went and I just remember feeling like I was in a movie looking up at the huge billboards and standing on the top of the red stairs taking in the view. Honestly, after we went there once we avoided this at all costs (apart from passing through it). It was just so busy and with the heat it was all too much. It gets especially busy leading up to 9pm and after which was to be expected.
Rockefeller Centre (Top of the Rock Observation Deck) $32
We decided to do this instead of the Empire State due to the fact that you get a view of the Empire State Building itself from the Rockefeller. The view from the observation desk is absolutely amazing and definitely worth the money! I went up at around 11:45am-12:00pm but I would suggest going around 7/8 to catch the sun setting.
We decided to do this instead of the Empire State due to the fact that you get a view of the Empire State Building itself from the Rockefeller. The view from the observation desk is absolutely amazing and definitely worth the money! I went up at around 11:45am-12:00pm but I would suggest going around 7/8 to catch the sun setting.
Central Park
I absolutely loved this park and was definitely one of my highlights. We began at the entrance closest to the Plaza Hotel (we did go inside) and just worked our way through. We didn't go through the whole entire park as we were walking and it was way too hot! Places we visited within the park included Gapstow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain, Dairy (mid park at 65th street), The Mall, Boating Lake (all of which were used to film the movie "Enchanted."), and the Alice in Wonderland statue.
I absolutely loved this park and was definitely one of my highlights. We began at the entrance closest to the Plaza Hotel (we did go inside) and just worked our way through. We didn't go through the whole entire park as we were walking and it was way too hot! Places we visited within the park included Gapstow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain, Dairy (mid park at 65th street), The Mall, Boating Lake (all of which were used to film the movie "Enchanted."), and the Alice in Wonderland statue.
Big Bus Tour (Uptown and Downtown) $55
Definitely worth the money as it took us through Uptown, Midtown and Downtown via 2 different buses (we had to change). Also the guides were amazing as they provided us with so many facts about the places we passed.
Brooklyn + Brooklyn Bridge
We ventured over to Brooklyn twice as loved it so much the first time we just had to go back. I loved the vibe there and it was definitely more chilled than in the city. DUMBO is a really cute neighbourhood within Brooklyn that we walked around and explored. The second time we went we decided to visit Windsor Terrace which is Peter Parker's house they used to film 'The Amazing Spiderman' and it was so surreal seeing it in real life.
Other notable places we went:
Brooklyn + Brooklyn Bridge
We ventured over to Brooklyn twice as loved it so much the first time we just had to go back. I loved the vibe there and it was definitely more chilled than in the city. DUMBO is a really cute neighbourhood within Brooklyn that we walked around and explored. The second time we went we decided to visit Windsor Terrace which is Peter Parker's house they used to film 'The Amazing Spiderman' and it was so surreal seeing it in real life.
Other notable places we went:
→ High Line
→ Grand Central Terminal
→ Madison Square Garden
→ Bryant Park
→ Greenwich Village
→ 9/11 Memorial
→ Greenwich Village
→ 9/11 Memorial
Thank you for reading!
1. Lindos
This is an absolutely stunning town on the Greek island of Rhodes that I visited once - it took around an hour to get there via boat from our hotel beach. We explored the villages of Lindos, walked past all the small cute souvenir shops, relaxed on Lindos beach for a while which had very clear water and incredibly soft sand, as well as the clifftop acropolis which was incredibly hard to walk up (especially in the heat).
2. WaterPark (website)
A really fun water park located in Faliraki, a resort village in Greece. There are so many big (and little) water slides, as well as a wave pool and a lazy river to be experienced. It costs only €24 for a ticket and is most definitely worth it for everything they have to offer.
3. Paddle Paradise: SUP Adventures
This was my first time trying paddle boarding and it was honestly so much fun (and a little scary). Me and my dad booked it through our hotel and they picked us up from there and took us to the location. The package we got with Paddle Paradise was really good as it included all of the necessary equipment and gear we needed, a few snacks and some water, and the use of a snorkel and mask. It lasted around 4 hours and was pretty easy to get the hang of - it was so scary falling in though.
4. The Palace of the Grand Master (also known as the Kastello)
This is a medieval castle built at the highest point in the city of Rhodes and is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece. It costs €6 for entry and was all in all quite interesting to see.
5. Kallithea Springs
This is a very popular beach resort at the bay of Kallithea - it was only a 5 minute drive from our hotel. We didn't spend the whole day here but it was so beautiful, there were so many different paths leading to the beach, bars, restaurants, and even hall area that is used often for weddings and other events.
Thank you so much for reading!
Critical Approaches: Cinderella (2015) Trailer Analysis
By Jamey Rowsell - Tuesday, May 09, 2017
Walt Disney, being the producers and distributors for Cinderella, have a well-known wide target market. It can range from 7-year-old children right up to 21-year-old young adults, depending on what the content and the product is. However, for this particular product, Cinderella is aimed at young girls and teenage girls ranging from ages 8-17. Young girls are all connected by the characteristic and trait to believe this film is about true love between a princess and her prince charming, therefore would share the same social category. Teenagers themselves would also be a social category as they are all within a specific age range and share certain characteristics that would be different from younger girls. In terms of the BBFC certificate (British Board of Film Classification), this film is rated U for Universal meaning that it is suitable for all and according to the official website, it should be “suitable for audiences aged four years and over.”
The trailer opens with an establishing shot of a wide field accompanied by blue skies and large green trees, which straight away gives a happy mood to the setting. In the foreground we see a family having a picnic on the grass and enjoying their time together, whilst we can see a manor house in the distance as part of the background. The trees are almost creating a path that opens up towards the house, which could suggest it’s where most of the story takes place and it’s also where they live creating happy memories with each other. In terms of mise en scene, I believe the scenery is quite idealistic and dream like for any family. As soon as the trailer starts playing, we are immediately greeted with some non diegetic sound – a piano instrumental, which was a popular instrument in those old days. As well as this there is a voice over and narrative from who we find out later is Cinderella’s mother, accompanying the shots and instrumental music. It’s also worth noting that the family appear to be sitting in the shade instead of enjoying the sunlight, which could foreshadow dark events that may happen later on. The scene as a whole is very green which all in all symbolises nature, growth and harmony and could perhaps be indicated towards a certain character e.g. Cinderella, as it’s a place where she is growing up in and surrounded by.
The following scene is a medium shot, introducing us to the character of Cinderella’s mother sitting in the field. Instantly I can point out that the setting is extremely colourful and dreamy, she appears extremely angelical and innocent. The main colour standing out is yellow – it being both the colour of her dress and in the majority of the flowers she is arranging – which suggest joy, happiness and an overall burst of energy. We get this confirmation from her facial features and expression as she looks ahead with a huge, carefree smile on her face. Also the fact that she is surrounded by a bed of yellow and lilac flowers indicates she is the source of light and happiness in the family and she holds them all together. The background is particularly dull in comparison – the edges of the grass in the distance almost frame the image and adds a considerable amount of attention to her character. The next shot (which we find out is the reason she was sitting there with a smile on her face) is a low/over the shoulder angle, making us as an audience feel as if we are there in the moment experiencing it with them. We are looking up at a young Cinderella in the arms of her mother, showing her importance to the film. The fact that she is smiling and laughing shows the relationship she has with her mother and how much they love each other. The blue sky in this shot is very bright and again, suggests an idealistic fairy-tale where everything is always bright and happy. 
Now we have a close up shot of Cinderella’s mother (which is shown throughout the course of the trailer) accompanied by a narrative of her speaking wise words to her daughter and giving her lifelong advice. The fact that this clip is shown throughout the trailer and not just once shows the importance of her mother to Cinderella’s life, we know they had a close relationship with each other and could perhaps show why Cinderella is as kind and forgiving as she is. Lighting appears much darker in this scene compared to how we saw her in so much light previously, suggesting something dark and gloomy is about to happen. Although this scene is darker, we can still see an element of light reflecting from her face showing that she will always illuminate such light. We are positioned at a high angle, looking down on her as she speaks and this could show that she is becoming less important to the story and to Cinderella’s life. The next shot incorporates a fading transition as we see Ella as a young girl walking across the field with her father, which then fades into her and her father walking in the same position but with her as a young adult – showing that nothing much has changed with their love for one another or where they once lived. It also suggests that it is just them two and the idealistic family notion is gone, however the brightness of the scene is a sign of hope for them and their future. Interestingly, we can see some of the flowers still planted in the grass from when her mother was arranging them. 
A low angle/track camera movement is what we see next as a new character is introduced to us. The camera follows the step-mother at a low angle as she steps out of the carriage, we are immediately looking up at the back of her demeanour –
Shot/reverse shot is an editing technique used next between Cinderella and the prince – having just met for the first time in the forest. We see them close up and looking longingly at each other, which could foreshadow a later romance between them both and this is the point where the target audience could possibly understand where the happy ending will come from. The light breaking through the trees in the background could suggest that there is freedom and they will find 
At this point the music appears to be getting faster and louder; showing the significance to the events waiting to happen whilst also adding intensity to the audiences’ mood. The next few shots show Cinderella receiving a magical new gown from her fairy godmother, which confirms the notion of an idealistic story as all of her dreams are coming true. We see the wand
After a few seconds of complete magic, we are now greeted with a high angle/over the shoulder shot of Cinderella looking over at everyone dancing at the ball – showing her sudden significance. The huge sparkly chandeliers show the prominence of the event and light up the whole room; she is back in the light again where she belongs and where she was in her
Disney have a well-known variety of typical codes and conventions that they love to incorporate into each and every one of their films. Some examples may be a plot involving a relationship (true loves first kiss) and/or family conflict, usually a lesson is to be learnt, and there’s typically always a happy ending. These conventions are perfect examples as it’s also what we see in the Cinderella trailer. We see Cinderella interacting with a Prince – stimulating the idea of a later romance and true loves kiss, and we can also tell there is some sort of family conflict between her and her step-mother. She learnt a very valuable lesson from her mother (which we heard at the beginning of the trailer), to “have courage and be kind” and we can see Cinderella applying this to all of her actions. Lastly, a happy ending – which we’re not entirely sure of from the trailer but can guess it happens nevertheless.
All of the points I have made above show significantly how Disney have selected content to meet with their chosen target audience. They have incorporated typical codes and conventions that young girls and teens expect to see from this type of film and apply it effectively, as well as sticking with the theme throughout. Comparing this to another trailer from a different genre – The Avengers: Age of Ultron for example – is interesting as they both grasp the young audiences contrarily. The Avengers have a young target audience, with ages ranging from 8-18, more towards young boys rather than young girls. When watching the trailer, it’s hard to tell what the story is about (everything is sort of a mystery) yet it’s obvious that the conventions of a typical superhero/action film are there. We see comic book strips, characters in costume, superhero style typography and action packed scenes. So although this is a complete different genre to Cinderella, they both capture their audiences in different ways and by using diverse techniques.
