The Cinema Of Short Films

The Cinema Of Short Films Cinema is one of the few mediums which have managed to successfully depict the true reality of society in general and our lives in particular. As like other art forms, it depicts the multiple realties that one is faced with. It explores one of the most discarded yet eternal truths which every individual experiences and that is isolation. Each individual longs for social ties despite belonging to organized societies; it is what each one of us is ultimately reduced to. A Short film is a technical description originally coined in the Indian film industry and used in the North American film industry in the early period of cinema. The description is now used almost interchangeably with short subject. Although the North American definition generally refers to films between 20 and 40 minutes, the definition refers to much shorter films in Europe, Latin America and Australasia. In New Zealand, for instance, the description can be used to describe any film that has duration longer than one minute and shorter than 15 minutes. The North American definition also tends to focus much more on character whereas the European and Australasian forms tend to depend much more on visual drama and plot twists. In this way, the North American form can be understood to be a derivation of the feature film form, usually acting as a platform for aspirant Hollywood directors. Elsewhere, short films tend to work as showcases for cinematographers and commercial directors. (Short Film) A short film manages to tell the same tale as a full length feature film, but in a shorter duration of time. It is characterized by the directors reflection of the existing social, political and economic conditions. A short film narrative is one which can easily be created by people from all walks of life, it has universal applicability. It enables directors functioning on a small budget to tell their stories to the world. The talent in creating a short film lies in communicating the message of the film to the audience in a very limited period of time. The transitions in a short film are of critical importance. What I find intriguing is how any person imbibes from their existing social conditions and produce work which is effectively communicable to most individuals. Another reason to dwell into this topic of research is that many youngsters and amateurs start by making short films and use it as a path to grow. As Daniel Wiernicki states, Short films are often popular as first steps into the film industry among young filmmakers. This is because they are cheaper and easier to make, and also their length makes shorts more likely to be watched by financial backers and others who want some demonstration of a filmmakers ability. Many things can be achieved by creating a short film so are an ideal opportunity to get recognized and get into the industry. (Wiernicki) Through this dissertation, I aim to explore the world of short films in the context of movies which have won the Cannes Short Film Palme dOr (French: Palme dOr du court mà ©trage), which is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. These short films are a representation of different cultures, ideologies, people, religion, economic background, and political thoughts and history from across the world that come together on one platform and showcase their art. The cinema is not an art which films life: the cinema is something between art and life. Unlike painting and literature, the cinema both gives to life and takes from it, and I try to render this concept in my films. Literature and painting both exist as art from the very start; the cinema doesnt. Jean- Luc Godard LITERATURE REVIEW Throughout our history, humans have looked for different forms of expressing themselves. These expressions were in the form of poetry, literature, songs, plays, dancing, etc. films are one of the latest forms of expression that has been adopted by the people around the world to portray their views on their surroundings, any event, or moment that captivates them and they want to show it to the world. The beauty of the films nowadays is that you can detract from reality and present something beyond the human imagination at the same time one can present the harsh realities of life that some dont know about. Films as a medium of communications can be used to spread ones message or view across the world. History of Cinema (History of Film) The birth of the films happened in 1878, when Eadweard Muybridge recorded a horse running in fast motion using a series of 24 stereoscopic cameras. With the development of technology came of the Silent era. Till the 1920s movies were silent, though at times they were accompanied by musicians, sound effects, or even commentary at times. 1940s to 60s- War and Post War Cinema The wartime saw immense change in the cinema as more focus was given to propaganda and patriotic films. Films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Citizen Cane were pieces of this period. The cold war era brought movies filled with paranoia such as Invading Armies of Evil Aliens and anti- communist movies such as the Manchurian Candidate. The onset of television in the post war era also threatened the cinematic industry as a medium of watching films. During this Period, Asian Cinema specifically saw a golden age. Some of the greatest masterpieces of the Asian cinema were produced during this period. These include works like: Yasujiro Ozus Tokyo Story (1953), Satyajit Rays The Apu Trilogy (1955-1959) and The Music Room (1958), Kenji Mizoguchis Ugetsu (1954) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954), Raj Kapoors Awaara (1951), Mikio Naruses Floating Clouds (1955), Guru Dutts Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), and the Akira Kurosawa films Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954) and Throne of Blood (1957). 1970s: Post-classical cinema This term is used to describe the period following the decline of the studio system during the 1950s and 1960s and the end of the production code. During the 1970s, filmmakers increasingly depicted explicit sexual content and showed gunfight and battle scenes that included graphic images of bloody deaths. The 1980s were filled with movies releasing with sequels like Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones. The audience also started to watch movies on their VCR at home during this period. 1990s to present: Contemporary Cinema The 1990s saw the development of the independent cinema with commercial success. Special effects also ruled during this period as it was being heavily used by the successful movies of the period like: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Titanic (1997). During the 2000s, documentary genre of film making also rose as can be seen with the success of movies such as March of the Penguins, and Fahrenheit 9/11. Increase in the problem of digital distribution due to infringement of copyrights, and piracy also has reached heights during this period. Cinema as a whole during this decade has become more global with foreign-language films gaining popularity in English-speaking markets. Films such as City of Gods (Portugese), Lagaan (Hindi), and the Passion of the Christ (Aramaic). Some have described the prevailing style of the period as postmodern because many contemporary films are apolitical, ahistorical, intertextual, and less tied to the conventions of a single genre or culture. The transnational circulation and genre hybridity of contemporary films is exemplified by the increasing global popularity of non- English speaking cinema. (Film Studies, 2009) Major Genres of Films: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime Gangster films, Drama, Epic/ Historical films, Horror, Musical, Science fiction, War (anti- war), Western, and Eastern films. They are broad enough to accommodate practically any film ever made, although film categories can never be precise. By isolating the various elements in a film and categorizing them in genres, it is possible to easily evaluate a film within its genre and allow for meaningful comparisons and some judgments on greatness. Films were not really subjected to genre analysis by film historians until the 1970s. All films have at least one major genre, although there are a number of films that are considered crossbreeds or hybrids with three or four overlapping genre (or sub-genre) types that identify them. (Dirks) History of Short Films Short subject a name initially given to Short Films came into existence in the 1910s when the majority of the feature movies were being made into loner run-time editions. The name short subject is an American film industry term, which was assigned to any film within 20 minutes long or running two reels. Short subject films could be comedy, animated, or live action. One of the best known users of short subject was Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin. In 1930s came the slowdown of the short subjects, basically produced by Warner Bros and Famous studios that owned their own theatres to showcase the films. By 1995s, the rise of television led to the strangulation of the live action- short and at the same time the fall cartoon short. Since the 1960s, majority of the directors of short films have been special studio projects or independent film makers. Since the 1980s, short film term was being used for short subject. Short film as a term describes the non- commercial film that is much shorter in time length than a feature film/ an analogy that can be drawn for short film to a feature film is that of a novella and a novel. The short filmmakers heavily depend on the short film festivals and art exhibitions to showcase their short films. At the same time, these film makers have more freedom to take up more difficult topics than normal feature films as the risks are lower. Short film making is now a growing as more and more amateurs, students, common man, and enthusiasts are taking this up because of the affordability of the technology to make such films. At the same time one can showcase his work to the world by uploading it on web portals and sharing it with others. It is an area where people are turning to as a hobby, as an art, to achieve their form expressions. (Wiernicki) Festival de Cannes The Festival is an apolitical no-mans-land, a microcosm of what the world would be like if people could contact each other directly and speak the same language. Jean Cocteau Being first large international cultural event after the World War II, the Festival de Cannes opened on 20th September, 1946. The Palme dOr was created in 1955. Palme dOr became the enduring symbol of the Cannes Film Festival, awarded each and every year since to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition. At present, Festival de Cannes invites film makers from around the world to present their work in one place and exchange cultural experiences. The selections for the awards are done from a nomination of films from all over the world, from different socio-economic backgrounds, different cultures, and different historical backgrounds. Cannes offers an opportunity to determine a particular countrys image of its cinema. Festival de Cannes is a melting pot of global cinema and filmmakers. This is the reason why I have undertaken the study of the award winning short films at festival de Cannes. (Festival History) KNOWLEDGE GAP Looking at the current literature review, we see that there is a knowledge gap regarding the study of Short Films in the contemporary cinema as a communication medium. This subject requires an in-depth analysis and more research to come up with some perspectives in this area. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To take selected works of Short Films of contemporary cinema, last ten years winner of Cannes Palme dOr du court mà ©trage (1999-2009), and analyse the context and form of Short films. Content of the winners of the Cannes Short Film awards (1999-2009) in context of political, sociological, economical, and historical backgrounds. To study the narrative codes in the films to arrive at a deeper understanding of the short films. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The Qualitative research methodology is used in this study. The method would involve content analysis (Roland Barthes), text/narrative analysis and semiotic analysis of the movies. The Sample: The Short Film award winners of Palme dOr du court mà ©trage (Cannes Short Film Palme dOr) in Festival de Cannes in the last 10 years (1999-2009). The following Short Films have been selected for the study: Arena Megatron Ver Llover Sniffer Podorozhni Trafic Cracker Bag Eso Utan Bean Cake Anino Why the above Sample? The above following sample has been chosen for the reason being that the Festival de Cannes (le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1946, is one of the worlds oldest, finest and most prestigious film festivals which has a very good representation of directors from across the world from different cultural, political, historical, religious, economical, and sociological backgrounds. This provides us with a variety of content for our study. The above movies are selected also on the basis of them being a part of contemporary cinema. How to Study Short Films Some of the salient points/ questions that will be used to do this study of short films are as follows: Who is telling the story? Why is it being told? Does it appear to have a purpose? (media agencies, authorial voice, writers and auteurs, marketing, economics, ideology) How is it experienced? Who consumes it, where and in what way? (readers and media audiences- private and public experience, narrative structures) How is it made? (film technology, publishing and episodic publishing-the differences they make to the production process as well as to the finished product) How does it construct meaning? (film language and written language-expectations of audiences and readers, codes and conventions, narrative structures) How does it represent its subject- especially with reference to period? (representation, use of stereotypes, representation of the past) (FILM STUDY GUIDE FOR TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, 2003) Three Ways of Thinking Talking About Films (Wilder, 1997) Literary Aspects Dramatic Aspects Cinematic Aspects Who are the characters in the film? Did the actors make you forget they were acting? How? What vivid visual images did you note? What did they make you feel or think about? What is the films setting? Were costumes, make-up, and set equally important to the success of the film? What sounds or music do you remember? What did they make you feel or think about? What are the main plot elements? In what scene was an actors voice (pitch, volume, expression) particularly effective? What scenes can you understand even without dialogue? Why? From whose point of view is the story told? Select a scene that must have been difficult to act. How did the actor make his or her body movements appropriate and convincing? What scene has very effective or unusual editing? What is the theme of the film? Describe a scene in which facial expression was important. What feelings were developed? Were words necessary? If the film uses special effects, do they add to or detract from your enjoyment of the film? What is the mood of the film? Did the actors establish their characters more through dialogue or through movement and facial expressions? . What symbols did you notice? How is this film like or unlike other films by the director? Does this director have a recognizable style? . . Was there anything about the acting, set, or costumes that bothered you or interfered with your watching of the film? EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION Given that the art of making Short Films is on the upward trend it is necessary to analyze the current trends, narratives, and the context of the Short Films genre in our contemporary cinema. We have enough knowledge on feature length movies but we lack information on the Short Films of our age. The study of this medium is important as Short films are a highly effective medium of communication and will gain importance going forward. As more and more people are turning towards Short Film making due to accessibility to technology, it is one field that needs attention in our world of cinema. A study of its content will give us a better understanding of the Short Films and world around us through their camera scope is imperative.

Importance of College Essay

When I think of my college search, I think of a lot of stress and a lot of time. It was a very stressful time in my life and put a lot of pressure on me to get into a good school. Education is the most important part of one’s life. Not everyone goes to college right after high school, and college is not intended for everyone. For example, some people decide to work right after high school rather than go straight into college. College is quite expensive, and some may even say it is hard. However, college is not a bad thing. It has many good qualities. For instance, college is a time where students can venture out and meet new people. I knew without a college degree I would probably be going nowhere in my life. So, I decided to go to college. There were many reasons backing my decision to go to college: I wanted to make a better life for myself. I waneted to find a job where I would not be living paycheck to paycheck, like my parents have had to. I wanted to encounter things that I never realized could even exist, and to take classes taught by passionate instructors. But most of all, I wanted to prove that I could be successful. I did not do the whole â€Å"high school experience† thing at all. During my four years in high school, I was antisocial, and spent most of my time at home. But now that I am in college, I can experience so many things that I skipped out in in high school. It was a huge dream of mine to have friends, to be social, and to really be a teenager (or a young adult). I am hoping by being in college, I will be able to experience that. Being at such a young age, I literally hold my future in my own two hands, just as my other peers do. What I decided to do now with my life is what will affect my future, my family’s future, and the outcome of my life. Without a good head start on life, I don’t see any possible way for me to truly succeed. This can be compared to how one would construct a building. If you build a foundation out of sand and sticks, and try to build a skyscraper, the entire structure will topple. But, if you start with a solid foundation, such as cement, you can build a mighty tower. In the same sense, should I make something of myself while I am young, I will be able to continuously flourish throughout my lifetime. If I am able to do that, then I will have succeeded in my own eyes. After high school, many people do not consider going to college. But not going to college was not an option for me. My parents never went to college, and watching them struggle to make ends meet was awful. I just knew that I did not want to be in their situation.. Therefore, I do not want to live my life, paycheck to paycheck, and worrying about whether or not I am going to have enough money to pay to keep a roof over my head. The reason for going to college is that I wanted to have a better life. Not everyone can go to college to better themselves, but I am lucky, and truly blessed that I am getting a opportunity to better myself. In fact, college is extremely important to me. I am the first one in my immediate family to go to college so it is a big deal to everyone that I not just go, but to also graduate. Being in college, and getting a degree in whatever my heart desires, will open up so many doors for me. It would help me get a job that I not only like, but one that I look forward to going to everyday, and one that will make me feel like I am actually accomplishing something with my life. College is going to be a great thing for me, not just because it says â€Å"Oh look at me, I went to college†, but because I am doing something to make myself become a better person. My dream for my life in the next ten years is simple; to be happy and successful. I’m sure there are a lot of people who want to be successful in their life, but I don’t need to be making tons of money to be happy. I want to be happy with my job/career, and be able to support my family and I. My family had a big part in my choice of going to this school in particular. I didn’t have any ideas of what I wanted to do with my life or what kind of job I wanted. That was my major reason for coming to college; to figure out my life for the future. I would want my peers and teacher to remember me how I am today. I like to believe I am a nice, outgoing, and very open person. Someone you could come to for help and be able to talk to, or someone to make you laugh when you need a laugh. I was raised to treat everybody with respect and kindness, and I want to be remembered in that way. For people who have already finished high school, one of the choices they will have to make is whether to continue to higher education, which means going to college, or to start working and planning their life right away. Different people will have different choices of their own, but for me, I think there are a couple of reasons why I should attend college. I decided to go to college to get a bachelor’s degree in restaraunt management. A college degree will make me more competitive in the job market, and give me a better opportunity to receive a higher paying job. In order to maintain and promote your position at a company, you must have the knowledge and experiences that come from attending college. A person with a bachelor’s degree will earn, on average, almost twice as much as workers with a high school diploma. People with a master’s degree can earn up to $31,900 more per year than a high school graduate. And those who attend a two year college are able to earn up to $250,000 more than someone who does not. Going to college not only helps me better my life, but it also gives me a wider range of job opportunites. In todays society, more and more jobs are requiring that you have more than just a high school education. Attending college will help me gain skills that I will use in the workplace. In the past, workers were required to do very simple tasks which didn’t require complicated skills. but, a`s time passed, these kinds of simple tasks have been replaced by machines. Therefore, large corporations and even small  companies want a person who is capable of completing somewhat more sophisticated jobs, the skills for which can be obtained from a college education. Also, taking college courses in English will help me improve my reading and writing skills, which are essential for any job. So, college is the best place to increase my knowledge and skills before I move on to the real world. College is important to me. I am the 1st one in my immediate family to go to college so it’s a big deal to everyone. So far, I love college, it has been a great thing for me, and I know in the end, it will really pay off, and turn me into someone that I want to be.

Buddhism and Christianity Essay

Thesis: While both Christianity and Buddhism were religions that encourages kindness and renunciation of wealth, Christianity caused a stir with Jesus’ hatred against the greedy rich and powerful and his alliance with the lower class, which eventually lead to his execution, whereas Buddhism’s leader, Buddha, spread a message that was not threatening to the high class, letting him live his life until his natural death at 80. This Venn diagram compares and contrasts Buddhism and Christianity. It represents my key knowledge and thinking skills by showing my ability to diagnose important similarities and differences between the two major religions, My Venn diagram is okay, but there is room for improvement. It lists some key similarities and differences, but they are worded in an awkward manner. Christianity Christianity * First Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire (because of the Christians’ refusal to worship the roman polytheistic religion) * By the time Theodosius was Emperor, Christianity became the preferred official religion of the Roman Empire. * Women’s role in church slowly deteriorated * The Great Schism split Christianity into two religions, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. * Saint Paul spread the small religion  * First Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire (because of the Christians’ refusal to worship the roman polytheistic religion) * By the time Theodosius was Emperor, Christianity became the preferred official religion of the Roman Empire. * Women’s role in church slowly deteriorated * The Great Schism split Christianity into two religions, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. * Saint Paul spread the small religion Changes Changes Continuities Continuities * Strong denial of gods of other Religions * The Bible stayed a constant Main religious text for Christianity * Extremely Monotheistic * * Went from worshipping Brahma to three deities (Vishnu, Siva and Brahma) * Women were not allowed to perform sacrifices anymore  * Went from having sacrifices of animals to personal sacrifices (fasting) * Changed from Brahmanism and lunar and solar lineages to Hinduism. * Went from worshipping Brahma to three deities (Vishnu, Siva and Brahma) * Women were not allowed to perform sacrifices anymore * Went from having sacrifices of animals to personal sacrifices (fasting) * Changed from Brahmanism and lunar and solar lineages to Hinduism. Changes Changes Continuities Continuities Hinduism Hinduism Open to everyone * Caste system * Intentional misinterpretation of Hindu texts To keep patriarchy Thesis: While Christianity and Hinduism both had continuities of (respectively) a strong sense of denial of other religions’ gods and a strong caste system, both had major changes such as going from a heavily persecuted religion to the Roman Empire’s official religion and switching from animal sacrifices to personal sacrifices. The two tables show changes and continuities for two  major religions, Christianity and Hinduism. The table shows my key thinking skills by being able to point out key continuities and changes. My Table is a little bit sparse on the continuities side, but the changes for Christianity are plentiful. I need to work on researching with more effort. Thesis: Although the four main religions, Buddhism, Brahmanism, Hinduism and Christianity affected the role of women, the poor social role of women outside of church was uniform in all the regions of these religions. Patriarchy is very much alive in all of them. My spoke diagram shows a variety of religions. The statements are also positive and negative towards patriarchy. It shows my key thinking skills by displaying quotes for all the statements. My spoke diagram could use more statements, five seems like enough, but more would be better. I think I did a great job on putting quotes for all the statements. Analyze similarities and differences in attitudes and treatment towards women in TWO of the following societies in the Classical period. Han China (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.–550 C.E.) Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.–476 C.E.) or Analyze similarities and differences in methods of political control in TWO of the following empires in the Classical period. Han China (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.–550 C.E.) Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.–476 C.E.) cause of the cast system and its traditions, India had more of a social code of conduct instead of rigid laws. Tradition of having local princes also was a cause of the fall of the Maurya Empire, because they made it easier to rebel against the main government China During the HAN dynasty, Confucianism came back into government with high sights on education, the tradition of using the mandate of heaven ensured that the Han Empire fell by 3rd century CE. And the Qin Empire fell in a mere 20 years since he lost his mandate of heaven Confucianism taught orderly society with relationships. The tradition of bureaucracy in the Chinese government kept power in the wealthy class. * So they traveled on the Silk road and also traveled to Spain and France * All the provinces conquered by the Roman empire now were influenced to become Christians * So he wrote the gospels * So he used the Roman Roads and traveled all across the Empire, spreading the word of Christ * So they traveled on the Silk road and also traveled to Spain and France * All the provinces conquered by the Roman empire now were influenced to become Christians * So he wrote the gospels * So he used the Roman Roads and traveled all across the Empire, spreading the word of Christ Cause and Effect of the spread of Christianity Cause and Effect of the spread of Christianity Cause Effect * Christians were expelled from the Roman Empire * Theodosius made Christianity the  Roman Empire’s Official religion * St. Paul wished to make Christianity A major religion * St. Paul wanted to spread the Religion throughoutCause and Effect of the spread of Buddhism Cause and Effect of the spread of Buddhism Roman Empire Effect * His word was spread in India, but not much more than the Ganges River. * Buddhism spread even more in India, to northern India even. * The monks made the Chinese believe in Buddha * He promised himself to make up for it by spreading Buddhism by erecting stupas Effect * His word was spread in India, but not much more than the Ganges River. * Buddhism spread even more in India, to northern India even. * The monks made the Chinese believe in Buddha * He promised himself to make up for it by spreading Buddhism by erecting stupas Cause * Buddha traveled in India * After Buddha’s death monks also traveled in India * Monks traveled along the Silk Road * Asoka was appalled by the bloody Battle of Kalinga Thesis: Although both Christianity and Buddhism spread along the Silk Road, Christianity moved along this trade network because of exiled Christians who were seeking a home away from the Roman Empire, whereas Buddhism spread voluntarily, with monks successfully trying to convert the Chinese. The cause and effect table lists the causes and the effects of the spread of two major religions, Buddhism and Christianity. It displays my abilities to  make connections to major effects and their causes. The table is okay. It has four causes and effects for both religions, which is not great. For Buddhism, it seems a little too focused on monks traveling to spread Buddhism. Thesis: Although both China and India’s political systems were influenced by tradition, India’s caste system created no need for laws, while the qin dynasty’s legalistic system created very rigid ones. The two flowcharts show a continual effect of tradition or religion on India and China’s political systems. It displays my abilities to connect separate events into one continuous lineage of facts. The flowcharts do point out main ideas I was trying to display, but they seem a little bit incoherent at times.

Opossum Facts (Order Didelphimorphia)

The opossum (order Didelphimorphia) is the only marsupial found in the Americas. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the single species found in the United States, but at least 103 species occur in the Western Hemisphere. The word opossum comes from the Powhatan or Algonquian name for the animal, which roughly translates as white dog. Although the opossum is commonly called a possum, some marsupials in the Eastern Hemisphere are also called possums (suborder Phalangeriformes). Fast Facts: Opossum Scientific Name: Order Didelphimorphia (e.g., Didelphis virginiana)Common Names: Opossum, possumBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 13-37 inches plus 8-19 inch tailWeight: 11 ounces to 14 poundsLifespan: 1-2 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: North, Central, and South AmericaPopulation: Abundant and increasing (Virginia opossum)Conservation Status: Least Concern (Virginia opossum) Description Didelphimorphs range from the size of a rodent to that of a domestic cat. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), which is also known as the North American opossum, varies in size according to its habitat and sex. Opossums in the northern portion of their range are much larger than those that live further south. Males are much larger than females. On average, the Virginia opossum ranges from 13 to 37 inches in length from nose to the base of the tail, with a tail adding another 8 to 19 inches of length. Males weight between 1.7 and 14 pounds, while females weigh between 11 ounces and 8.2 pounds. Virginia opossums have gray or brown fur and white, pointed faces. They have hairless prehensile tails, hairless ears, and opposable thumbs on their rear paws. As with other marsupials, the female has a bifurcated vagina and a pouch, while the male has a forked penis. Opossums have prehensile tails and opposable thumbs on their rear feet. Frank Lukasseck, Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Opossums live in North, Central, and South America. The only species found in North America is the Virginia opossum, which lives along the West Coast of the United States, and from the Midwest all the way to the East Coast and throughout most of Mexico and Central America. However, climate change has been extending the Virginia opossums range into Canada. Although the opossum prefers a wooded habitat, it is highly adaptable and often lives in urban environments. Diet The opossum is a nocturnal omnivore. It is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carcasses, garbage, pet food, eggs, fruit, grain, and other plants. Opossums also eat insects, other small invertebrates, birds and their eggs, rodents, and frogs. Behavior The opossum is best known for playing possum or playing dead. When a possum is threatened, it initially responds by hissing and baring its teeth, but further stimulation triggers an involuntary response that puts the animal in a near-coma state. The possum falls onto its side with open eyes and mouth and expels a stinky fluid from its anus that basically causes it to smell like rotten meat. Its heart rate and breathing slow, but the animal remains fully conscious. The response repels predators that avoid carcasses. Playing possum isnt under the opossums control, so an opossum knows what is going on around it, but cant simply get up and leave when a threat has passed. The feigned death may last a few minutes or up to six hours. Playing possum is an involuntary response to a perceived threat. Joe McDonald, Getty Images Opossums do not hibernate in winter. Since they dont dig dens or build burrows, the animals seek shelter when temperatures drop. In cold habitats, they commonly overwinter in garages, sheds, or under homes. Reproduction and Offspring The average opossum estrous cycle is 28 days, but the number of litters they bear per year depends on the species. The Virginia opossum breeds between December and October, with most young born February through June. The female has between one and three litters per year. Opossums are solitary animals. The male attracts the female by making a clicking sound. The pair separates after mating. As marsupials, females give birth to numerous young (as many as 50) very early in development. The young climb from their mothers vagina to teats within her pouch. A female only has 13 teats, so at most 13 young may survive. Typically only eight or nine young, called joeys, emerge from the pouch after two and a half months. The joeys climb onto their mothers back and stay with her for four or five months before venturing out on their own. In the wild, an opossum lives one to two years. This short lifespan is typical of marsupials. In captivity, an opossum may live up to four years, but it still ages rapidly. Conservation Status The conservation status of the opossum depends on the species. Some species are threatened or extinct. The only type of opossum found in North America is the Virginia opossum, which the IUCN classifies as least concern. Although hunted, trapped, and accidentally killed, Virginia opossums are abundant and generally increasing in population. Opossums and Humans The major cause of opossum mortality is motor vehicle collision. Opossums are hunted for fur and food. Their fat is high in essential fatty acids and may be used in therapeutic skin salves. Although not aggressive, the opossum is not an ideal pet. First, its illegal to keep an opossum as a pet in many states unless you have a wildlife rehabilitation license or wildlife hobby permit. Even then, the creatures are challenging to keep because they are nocturnal animals that require a varied diet and have inherently short lifespans. Wild opossums are useful to have around because they control tick, rodent, and snake populations. Unlike many mammals, they arent susceptible to rabies. 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