Digital Commons Network^™

The Reanimation Of The Zombie Genre, William Engel

Capstones

The following piece is an examination of the evolution of the zombie in popular media. It begins with a brief recap of the zombie’s history, beginning with its roots in 19th century Haitian folklore, followed by its usage in the format of film. The most notable and enduring entries in the zombie film genre served as scathing critiques of contemporary human issues, encapsulating all of the fears and insecurities of its audience. In recent years, however, due to the way the international film market has changed, the zombie film has lost its emotional power and edge. Contemporary zombie filmmakers are …

The Cobbler And The Diamond, Jacob M. Hoyson

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper will provide a comprehensive account of the making of the University of New Orleans Graduate Thesis film The Cobbler and the Diamond. The first part will cover the filmmaker’s intentions, the development of the story, and the screenwriting process. The second part will break down the preproduction and planning phase, with an emphasis on the collaborations between the director and other members of the film’s cast, crew, and other concerned parties. The third part will describe the seven-day shoot of The Cobbler and the Diamond, the fourth will cover post production, and the fifth and final …

Fathers And Sons: A Journey In Creating A Personal Work Of Cinematic Art, Samuel D. Hopson

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This document gives an account of my artistic efforts in creating my thesis film Fathers and Sons. This document includes sections that cover the writing, casting, production design, principal photography, and editing of my film. I give special attention to the writing process in Chapter 2, because of its personal significance to my growth as a filmmaker. This chapter details the evolution of my original story concept from a drama to a comedy. The ultimate goal of my film was to create a personal work of art. This document self-reflects on how well I was able to achieve this goal, …

Faust On Film: A Hegelian Modern Art, Sarah Kathryn Murphy

Philosophy Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between German Expressionist film and Hegel’s system of aesthetics. Through an analysis of the aesthetic qualities of Hanns Ewers’ The Student of Prague (1913) and F.W. Murnau’s Faust, I believe we have evidence to believe that the subjectivity that German Expressionist film sought to capture is aligned with the ‘interiority’ that Hegel believes Romantic art expresses. Further, I will consider whether these two films indicate that film as an artistic medium falls within Hegel’s characterization of Modern art. I believe that because both Student of Prague and Faust use …

A Couple That Fights Together Stays Together: Romance, Marriage, And Divorce In British Home Front Films Of The Second World War, Idit Kolan

History Theses

The impact of total war on the British home front from 1939 to 1945 was profound. In particular, military and economic mobilization disrupted gender relations. Men and women of different class and national backgrounds encountered each other, sometimes forming romantic relationships that strained the institutions of marriage and family. This disruption was heavily depicted in wartime British cinema, especially in feature films devoted to the home front experience. Differences of class, gender, and nationality were downplayed in order to construct a solidaristic meaning for wartime social experience, fitting for “the People’s War.” My thesis examines romantic relationships and marriages depicted …

The Cauldron, 2015, Issue 14, Elissa L. Tennant, Abraham Kurp, Abby Burton, Morgan E. Elswick

The Cauldron Archives

The Cauldron issue 14 covers Engineering students senior proposals, MSA fundraiser for Syrian refugees, students voice concerns to President Berkman, Berkman hosts annual holiday reception, November crime watch, CSU Vikings start new era at Quicken Loans Arena, Browns season over, Rule 5 Draft may hurt Tribe, Winter break checklist, must-see holiday performances, senior project collab, "A Head Full of Dreams" album review, best and brightest albums of 2015, "Victor Frankenstein" review, "Creed" review, misconceptions about Planned Parenthood, praying for Paris, disadvantages of taking the bus to class.

Active Critical Engagement (Ace): A Pedagogical Tool For The Application Of Critical Discourse Analysis In The Interpretation Of Film And Other Multimodal Discursive Practices, Sultana Aaliuah Shabazz

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a pedagogical framework for applying a critical discourse methodology in the analysis of film as a multimodal, narrative construct of social discourse. This orientation is grounded in a cultural studies perspective that recognizes the significance of popular culture and allows me to situate film as a discursive practice, pedagogical resource, and (re)producer of social knowledges. Once situated, the need arises for a systematic method of critical analysis that controls for the rich, discursive landscape of multimodal artifacts without succumbing to over-reduction. My original contribution - the Active Critical Engagement (ACE) framework – …

Legacy - December 2015, South Carolina Institute Of Archaeology And Anthropology--University Of South Carolina

SCIAA Newsletter - Legacy & PastWatch

Contents:

UofSC Archaeologists Raise Trio of Civil War Cannons.....p. 1
Archaeologists Pluck 3 Civil War Cannons from River Site.....p. 1
Director's Notes.....p. 2
Arkhaios Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival.....p. 2
Recovery of CSS Pee Dee Armament from the Great Pee Dee River.....p. 4
Parris Island Canoe and Exhibit Reconstruction.....p. 10
In Search of Yamasee Indian Villages in Upper Port Royal Waters.....p. 12
Chicasa: Searching for de Soto in Mississippi, June 2015.....p. 15
Fort Motte Research-2015 Update.....p. 18
Trench Maps: Military Cartography on the Western Front, 1914-1918.....p. 21
Santa Elena Foundation Opens History Center.....p. 22
Early Archaic Settlement Along the …

El Paseo By Harold Trompetero: Approaching Popular Film From Colombia In A North American Classroom, Matias Martinez Abeijon Ph.D.

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

This article explores the manner in which popular films from Colombia—

specifically comedies, such as the movie El paseo, directed by Harold Trompetero in 2010, which has been the highest grossing movie to date in the history of movies produced in Colombia–may be used in the classroom in the context of a World Language, Literature, and Culture department in the United States. It is the contention of this study that such a choice is far from common due to diverse issues, which include the limited access to international distribution of the majority of the so-called “national film” or, in …

Understanding Arab Culture Through Cinema, Abed El-Rahman Tayyara Ph.D.

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

The article examines the use of cinema as a tool for teaching about Arab culture and assesses the process in which learners acquire a higher level of intercultural communicative competence. The essay draws primarily on multilayered class activities and students’ responses to pre- and post- screening surveys related to eight Arab films. The article reveals that the evaluation of the learners’ intercultural competence and their familiarity with Arab culture in particular is a long process that filled with misunderstandings, gaps, inconsistencies, and contradictions on the part of the learners. To successfully conduct this type of teaching, the article also points …

The Lens That Sees Itself: Fruitful Interactions Of Film And Philosophy, Travis Wheeler

Cinesthesia

Much of film theory holds that film is primarily an act of communication, whose message the audience understands. While this allows us great insights into the ideological and subconscious functions of a great many films, it falls short of this success with more enigmatic films. In instances such as these, where films are not easily understood, a different paradigm is necessary. Using philosophical texts as comparative tools in film analysis provides the answer to this "blindspot" in film criticism.

Retrograde Returns Of The American Housewife: Reimagining An Old Character In A New Millennium, Ruth Emelia Wollersheim

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the immensely popular return of the housewife character in the twenty-first century. From films like The Stepford Wives (2004), to television dramas like Desperate Housewives (2004-2012) and The Good Wife (2009- ), to reality shows like Wife Swap (2004- ), Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise (2006- ), Basketball Wives (2010- ), Mob Wives (2011- ), and most recently on the blogosphere with personalities like The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, the housewife character has reentered our imaginations on a mass scale. This anachronistic character trend is in stark contrast to the urban, working superwoman ideal of the 1980s …

Reject Or Redemptive Fathers? A Content Analysis Of Father Portrayals In Top Box Office Family Films, Cassidy Jo Wadsworth

Theses and Dissertations

More research is needed to fully understand the way in which parents, particularly fathers, are portrayed in family films and the effects those portrayals might have. Viewers, particularly parents, need to understand how the material their children view presents reality and how it may shape their children's perspectives of the real world, particularly where the family unit and parenting role are concerned. By exploring these portrayals through the lens of Cultivation Theory, this study sought to answer this overarching question: How are fathers portrayed in family films as opposed to television? This quantitative study explores the top twenty films from …

Institutional Influence On Documentary Form: An Analysis Of Pbs And Hbo Documentary Programs, Mark Joseph Irving

Theses and Dissertations

INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCE ON DOCUMENTARY FORM - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PBS and HBO DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMS

by Mark Irving

The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 2015

Under the Supervision of Professor Michael Z. Newman

Beginning in the 1980s, the documentary genre has undergone a transformation to accommodate modes of stylistic expression and subjective thematic exposition previously not evident in the genre. This deviation from the form’s traditional modes of expression typically associated with fact-based, journalistic pursuits can be attributed to the institutional underpinnings of media outlets that exhibit documentary programming. These institutional factors, a consequence of an evolving marketplace and shifts …

The Minstrel Legacy: African American English And The Historical Construction Of "Black" Identities In Entertainment, Jennifer Bloomquist

Africana Studies Faculty Publications

Linguists have long been aware that the language scripted for "ethnic" roles in the media has been manipulated for a variety of purposes ranging from the construction of character "authenticity" to flagrant ridicule. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of African American roles in the entertainment industry from minstrel shows to present-day films. I am particularly interested in looking at the practice of distorting African American English as an historical artifact which is commonplace in the entertainment industry today. Dialogue which is clearly meant as an imitation of African American English still results in the construction of …

Fat Boy Can't Fly, Tianyu Yang

Theses

“Fat Boy Can’t Fly” is a 3 minutes 52 seconds long animated graduate thesis film. It tells an inspiring story about how a boy whose particular flaw prevents him from flying his sword to the mountaintop along with the others, but turns his weakness in to a strength to finally reach the peak of the mountain.

By combining 2D and 3D techniques, this film creates a relatively unique visual effect with vivid animation. It helps audiences go into the world to understand the characters and story.

This paper outlines the whole film creation process from the very beginning of an …

The Blue Sweater, Dhaneesh Kooliyath Jameson

Theses

‘The Blue Sweater’ is a journey through memories of a place and way of life that no longer exists. Memories that are now fading away and some I have already lost. I travelled back in my memory and gathered all that I remembered of living in my village. While we embraced development, we lost a lot too. Bridges sprung up connecting the islands of the coast to the city, machines began plying the land, and alongside, trees and animals started disappearing. My memories are now a mixed bag of vivid imageries of an actual tropical village that used to be, …

Open Up, Mahima Tuladhar

Theses

pen up is a graduate 2D animation thesis with a run time of 6 minutes and 27 seconds. It explores the strained relationship between a boy and his father. In amidst of a fight between the two the boy run’s out of the house following a light wisp. It leads him to a cliff where a woman in a black cloak stands. She gives the boy a very magical experience and a reminder of the love he once had with his family. He goes back home where he reminds his father about the love they once had and that they …

Viewing Film From A Communication Perspective: Film As Public Relations, Product Placement, And Rhetorical Advocacy In The College Classroom, Robin Patric Clair, Rebekah L. Fox, Jennifer L. Bezek

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Academics approach film from multiple perspectives, including critical, literary, rhetorical, and managerial approaches. Furthermore, and outside of film studies courses, films are frequently used as a pedagogical tool. Their relevance in society as well as their valuable use in the classroom makes them an important and pragmatic medium deserving further attention. The ability of film to be used in a socio-political way may sustain, challenge or change the status quo, which supports studying film as well as teaching students about the power of film. The purpose of this article is to share the development of a course which points out …

"Brother," Enjoy Your Hypermodernity! Connections Between Gilles Lipovetsky's Hypermodern Times And Post-Soviet Russian Cinema, James M. Brandon

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In prominent French social philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky’s Hypermodern Times (2005), the author asserts that the world has entered the period of hypermodernity, a time where the primary concepts of modernity are taken to their extreme conclusions. The conditions Lipovetsky described were already manifesting in a number of post-Soviet Russian films. In the tradition of Slavoj Zizek’s Enjoy Your Symptom (1992), this essay utilizes a number of post-Soviet Russian films to explicate Lipovetsky’s philosophy, while also using Lipovetsky’s ideas to explicate the films. Alexei Balabanov’s 1997 film Brat (“Brother”) is examined in the context of Lipovetsky’s work, along with other films …

Screen Production Enquiry: A Study Of Five Australian Doctorates, Susan Kerrigan, Leo Berkeley, Sean Maher, Michael Sergi, Alison Wotherspoon

Michael Sergi

Within Australian universities, doctoral research in screen production is growing significantly. Two recent studies have documented both the scale of this research and inconsistencies in the requirements of the degree. These institutional variations, combined with a lack of clarity around appropriate methodologies for academic research through film and television practice, create challenges for students, supervisors, examiners and the overall development of the discipline. This paper will examine five recent doctorates in screen production practice at five different Australian universities. It will look at the nature of the films made, the research questions the candidates were investigating, the new knowledge claims …

Mdocs Publication-2015-11-16, Stone Phillips Helps Center Celebrate Anniversary, Anonymous Anonymous

MDOCS Publications

"Stone Phillips helps center celebrate anniversary"

The Saratogian

November 16, 2015

Author:

Mdocs Poster-2015-11-11, Sixty Years Young, Michael Zhou

MDOCS Publications

In support of the 60th anniversary of the Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga, Skidmore students prepared a video and exhibition, Sixty Years Young, drawing on the Center's archives and interviews, documenting its past, present and hopes for the future.

Barcelona And Madrid, Joseph Holub

Joseph C Holub

Suggested readings for the Penn Alumni travel trip to Barcelona and Madrid. See the Library Guide for this bibliography here.

Mdocs Publication-2015-11-08, Tv Journalist Stone Philips, Jennie Grey

MDOCS Publications

"TV journalist Stone Phillips to serve as honorary chair at gala"

The Saratogian

November 8, 2015

Author: Jennie Grey

Genre, Justice & Quentin Tarantino, Eric Michael Blake

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The films of Quentin Tarantino have held a significant influence on modern cinema, and therefore on cinema studies. As such, studies on the social and philosophical implications of his work have appeared over the years, mostly in regards to content. However, with the exception of references to his use of cinematic violence, studies of his technique—i.e., his cinematic style—have been rare, and rarer still have been studies of the social implications that arise from the patterns of his style as well as those his subject matter.

The following thesis seeks to use the concept of Auteur Theory—specifically, that Tarantino …

Mdocs Poster-2015-11-03, Bill Daniel- General Poster, Zhiyu (Michael) Zhou, Sophia Baraschi-Ehrlich

MDOCS Publications

Bill Daniel, artist, photographer, documentary and Guggenheim Fellow (2008) visited MDOCS on November 3-4, 2015. A multi-disciplinary activist and self-described hobo filmmaker and phototramp, Daniel offers reporting from the margins in a film screening and pop-up exhibit, and lessons on how to build your own vision and opportunities with a workshop on DIY Touring & Exhibition Strategies for Visual and Media Artists.

Event details:

11/3 @ 7pm: Film Screening: Who is Bozo Texino?

11/4 @ 5:30-7pm: Discussion/Workshop: DIY Touring & Exhibition Strategies for Visual and Media Artists

11/4 @ 7-10pm: Pop-Up Photography Exhibit & Concert: TRI-X NOISE, with Zine Exhibition …

Mdocs Poster-2015-11-03, Bill Daniel: Who Is Bozo Texino?, Zhiyu (Michael) Zhou, Sophia Baraschi-Ehrlich

MDOCS Publications

Who is Bozo Texino? chronicles the search for the source of a ubiquitous and mythic rail graffiti— a simple sketch of a character with an infinity-shaped hat and the scrawled moniker, “Bozo Texino”— a drawing seen on railcars for over 80 years. Daniel’s gritty black and white film uncovers a secret society and it’s underground universe of hobo and railworker graffiti, and includes interviews with legendary boxcar artists Colossus of Roads, Coaltrain, Herby, and The Rambler.

Shooting over a 16-year period, Daniel rode freights across the West carrying a Super-8 sound camera and a 16mm Bolex. During his quest he …

Realizing The Witch: Science, Cinema, And The Mastery Of The Invisible [Table Of Contents], Richard Baxstrom, Todd Meyers

Cinema & Media Studies

Benjamin Christensen’s Häxan (The Witch, 1922) stands as a singular film within the history of cinema. Deftly weaving contemporary scientific analysis and powerfully staged historical scenes of satanic initiation, confession under torture, possession, and persecution, Häxan creatively blends spectacle and argument to provoke a humanist re-evaluation of witchcraft in European history as well as the contemporary treatment of female “hysterics” and the mentally ill.

In Realizing the Witch, Baxstrom and Meyers show how Häxan opens a window onto wider debates in the 1920s regarding the relationship of film to scientific evidence, the evolving study of religion from historical and …

The Cauldron, 2015, Issue 09, Elissa L. Tennant, Abraham Kurp, Abby Burton, Morgan Elswick

The Cauldron Archives

Boo! It's The Cauldron's Halloween issue. We take the reader inside a first-person journey into a haunted house and showcase CSU students' Halloween costumes and CAB's Day of the Dead event. Spooky Sports reports on CSU basketball's Hallo-Hoops event and A&E features Halloween movie picks and Halloween events around Cleveland. Finally, the OP section examined why it's ok to stay in on Halloween and why the holiday may not be as innocent as we think.