A movie producer sent the following memo to the head of the movie studio.
"We need to increase the funding for the movie Working Title by 10% in order to ensure a quality product. As you know, we are working with a first-time director, whose only previous experience has been shooting commercials for a shampoo company. Since the advertising business is notoriously wasteful, it stands to reason that our director will expect to be able to shoot after take, without concern for how much time is being spent on any one scene. In addition, while we have saved money by hiring relatively inexperienced asssistant producers and directors, this savings in salary will undoubtedly translate to greater expenditures in paying the actors and unionized crew overtime for the extra hours they will spend on the set waiting for the assistant directors and producers to arrange things. If we don't get this extra money, the movie is virtually assured to be a failure."
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
The argument made by the movie producer reaches the conclusion that the movie studio must increase funding for the movie 'Working Title' by 10%, to ensure that the end product is of high quality. This conclusion is based on the premise that the movie's director does not have much prior experience, and that increasing funding would help compensate the actors and crew for their overtime work. However, in reaching their conclusion, the movie producer makes three assumptions, the validity of which could drastically affect their argument's validity.
First, the producer makes an assumption that the first-time director's experience in advertising will impede their ability to decide timeframes for takes. This assumption is based on the producer's belief that the advertising business is wasteful. It may be the case that the director has trained prior to this movie, and has improved their skills since their previous job. In fact, there is a possibility that the advertisements directed by them were done systematically, without being 'wasteful,' as the producer hypothesises. In this case, it is possible that the crew would be able to get work done in a streamlined manner, in a way that does not require them to work overtime. This would mean that the 10% increase in funding would be unnecessary for the movie's production.
Second, the argument seems to assume that hiring inexperienced staff would translate to higher expenditures in paying the actors in overtime. However, there is no evidence to substantiate this claim. Even if we assume that the previous assumption works out in the argument's favour, the inexperienced staff may still demand higher wages. It may also be the case that the actors do not care to negotiate a higher salary; they may already be content with their salary without this increase. It may be possible for the actors and unionized crew to engage in other events or movie gigs during the time taken for set adjustments. If any of this were the case, then the demands of the producer are unwarranted, and the 10% increase would be unnecessary.
Finally, the producer assumes that existing funds are insufficient for the success of the movie. But they have not put forth any evidence that proves this. If anything, the movie may flop due to its contents, plot, camerawork, soundtrack, or a number of other reasons not directly related to actors' salaries. Perhaps, the extra funding is unnecessary for this, and the existing funds can be reallocated towards improving aspects of the movie that could potentially fall apart. In failing to display the insufficiency of current funds for the movie's success, the producer has not made a strong case for their claims. The head of the movie studio would not be persuaded by this, and would probably simply request the producer to reallocate funds. Hence, if no attempts were made to make do with the existing funds, then the argument breaks down, making the funding increase unnecessary.
In conclusion, the argument, in its current form, considerably fails in its ability to address the claims made, by paying no attention to the stated and unstated assumptions. If the movie genuinely needs more funding, the producer must strengthen their argument using a stronger foundation - with explicit specification of evidence. They could compile a sheet of all the expenses, and make a more informed decision about how to move forward. While absence of such evidence raises questions about the argument's intentions, proper evidence can base those intentions on logic, hence making the argument dramatically more persuasive.
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Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 244, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'movies'' or 'movie's'?
Suggestion: movies'; movie's
...lusion is based on the premise that the movies director does not have much prior exper...
^^^^^^
Line 3, column 187, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'producers'' or 'producer's'?
Suggestion: producers'; producer's
... takes. This assumption is based on the producers belief that the advertising business is...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 600, Rule ID: IN_A_X_MANNER[1]
Message: Consider replacing "in a streamlined manner" with adverb for "streamlined"; eg, "in a hasty manner" with "hastily".
...the crew would be able to get work done in a streamlined manner, in a way that does not require them to...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 757, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'movies'' or 'movie's'?
Suggestion: movies'; movie's
...in funding would be unnecessary for the movies production. Second, the argument see...
^^^^^^
Line 7, column 543, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'movies'' or 'movie's'?
Suggestion: movies'; movie's
... insufficiency of current funds for the movies success, the producer has not made a st...
^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, finally, first, hence, however, if, may, second, so, still, then, while, in conclusion, in fact
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 23.0 19.6327345309 117% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 22.0 12.9520958084 170% => OK
Conjunction : 12.0 11.1786427146 107% => OK
Relative clauses : 18.0 13.6137724551 132% => OK
Pronoun: 51.0 28.8173652695 177% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 64.0 55.5748502994 115% => OK
Nominalization: 21.0 16.3942115768 128% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3015.0 2260.96107784 133% => OK
No of words: 584.0 441.139720559 132% => OK
Chars per words: 5.16267123288 5.12650576532 101% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.91590194646 4.56307096286 108% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.79518490627 2.78398813304 100% => OK
Unique words: 274.0 204.123752495 134% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.469178082192 0.468620217663 100% => OK
syllable_count: 931.5 705.55239521 132% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 9.0 4.96107784431 181% => OK
Article: 13.0 8.76447105788 148% => OK
Subordination: 7.0 2.70958083832 258% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 8.0 1.67365269461 478% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 10.0 4.22255489022 237% => Less preposition wanted as sentence beginnings.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 22.0 22.8473053892 96% => OK
Sentence length SD: 35.434329625 57.8364921388 61% => OK
Chars per sentence: 115.961538462 119.503703932 97% => OK
Words per sentence: 22.4615384615 23.324526521 96% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.07692307692 5.70786347227 71% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 5.0 5.25449101796 95% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 10.0 8.20758483034 122% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 10.0 6.88822355289 145% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.67664670659 128% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.28328178674 0.218282227539 130% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0840619944355 0.0743258471296 113% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0887937165025 0.0701772020484 127% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.173069853412 0.128457276422 135% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0965049197676 0.0628817314937 153% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.1 14.3799401198 98% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 49.15 48.3550499002 102% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.9 12.197005988 98% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.94 12.5979740519 103% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.54 8.32208582834 103% => OK
difficult_words: 141.0 98.500998004 143% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 13.5 12.3882235529 109% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.8 11.1389221557 97% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 244, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'movies'' or 'movie's'?
Suggestion: movies'; movie's
...lusion is based on the premise that the movies director does not have much prior exper...
^^^^^^
Line 3, column 187, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'producers'' or 'producer's'?
Suggestion: producers'; producer's
... takes. This assumption is based on the producers belief that the advertising business is...
^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 600, Rule ID: IN_A_X_MANNER[1]
Message: Consider replacing "in a streamlined manner" with adverb for "streamlined"; eg, "in a hasty manner" with "hastily".
...the crew would be able to get work done in a streamlined manner, in a way that does not require them to...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 757, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'movies'' or 'movie's'?
Suggestion: movies'; movie's
...in funding would be unnecessary for the movies production. Second, the argument see...
^^^^^^
Line 7, column 543, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[2]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'movies'' or 'movie's'?
Suggestion: movies'; movie's
... insufficiency of current funds for the movies success, the producer has not made a st...
^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, finally, first, hence, however, if, may, second, so, still, then, while, in conclusion, in fact
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 23.0 19.6327345309 117% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 22.0 12.9520958084 170% => OK
Conjunction : 12.0 11.1786427146 107% => OK
Relative clauses : 18.0 13.6137724551 132% => OK
Pronoun: 51.0 28.8173652695 177% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 64.0 55.5748502994 115% => OK
Nominalization: 21.0 16.3942115768 128% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3015.0 2260.96107784 133% => OK
No of words: 584.0 441.139720559 132% => OK
Chars per words: 5.16267123288 5.12650576532 101% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.91590194646 4.56307096286 108% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.79518490627 2.78398813304 100% => OK
Unique words: 274.0 204.123752495 134% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.469178082192 0.468620217663 100% => OK
syllable_count: 931.5 705.55239521 132% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 9.0 4.96107784431 181% => OK
Article: 13.0 8.76447105788 148% => OK
Subordination: 7.0 2.70958083832 258% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 8.0 1.67365269461 478% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 10.0 4.22255489022 237% => Less preposition wanted as sentence beginnings.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 26.0 19.7664670659 132% => OK
Sentence length: 22.0 22.8473053892 96% => OK
Sentence length SD: 35.434329625 57.8364921388 61% => OK
Chars per sentence: 115.961538462 119.503703932 97% => OK
Words per sentence: 22.4615384615 23.324526521 96% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.07692307692 5.70786347227 71% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 5.15768463074 97% => OK
Language errors: 5.0 5.25449101796 95% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 10.0 8.20758483034 122% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 10.0 6.88822355289 145% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.67664670659 128% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.28328178674 0.218282227539 130% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0840619944355 0.0743258471296 113% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0887937165025 0.0701772020484 127% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.173069853412 0.128457276422 135% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0965049197676 0.0628817314937 153% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.1 14.3799401198 98% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 49.15 48.3550499002 102% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.9 12.197005988 98% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.94 12.5979740519 103% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.54 8.32208582834 103% => OK
difficult_words: 141.0 98.500998004 143% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 13.5 12.3882235529 109% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.8 11.1389221557 97% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.