Digital Commons Network^™

The Universal Story: Coming-Of-Age In Contemporary Animation, Christina Christie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Cycles is a 3D animated short film about a father who struggles to keep up with his daughter as she races through life. Whereas most coming-of-age films focus solely on the journey of the adolescent, Cycles subverts the expectations of the genre by exploring the impact growing up has on both the parent and child in tandem. As a film, Cycles relies on the careful and deliberate use of tropes, informed character and environment design, and established cinematic devices to support the story's theme of accepting change. Though my personal experience inspired this film, it evolved into a contemporary and …

How Citizens Want To "See" The State: Exploring The Relationship Between Tranasparency And Public Values, Sabina Schnell, Jiho Kim, Greg Munno, Tina Nabatchi

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

Although transparency is recognized as an important public value, few studies examine how citizens see the relationship between transparency and other public values. To empirically investigate this relationship, we distinguish among five types of transparency and explore their associations with different views of “good” government and other public values. Using survey data and Q methodology, we find that citizens see transparency as an important value, albeit not the most important one. We also find that people give different weight to different kinds of transparency and that this depends on individual characteristics and on their overall value orientation or conception of …

Greenpeace In Germany And The U.S.: A Case Study In Non-Profit Web Design, Maximilian J. Weirauch

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis draws on Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model, connects it to basic principles of web design, and applies it to a website analysis of the global non-profit organization Greenpeace. This case study of cultural dimensions in web design utilizes Hofstede’s framework from 1974 throughout all its chapters and focuses on the cultural differences between Germany and the U.S. My hypothesis that successful marketing materials such as websites must communicate differently with their U.S.-American and German audiences is partially borne out. But it is important to note that Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model cannot fully account for certain intercultural dimensions of …

Masochistic Drive & Horror, Anne Farley

CMC Senior Theses

Human nature is inherently masochistic, meaning we self gratify through the means of some type of self-harm. The term masochism usually refers to sexual tendencies, but in this paper, it will be used as a reference to some sort of self-infliction of pain whether it be mental or physical. It is rare that we, as individuals, do not partake in masochism on a daily basis. When we engage in an activity or task that inflicts a type of pain, or stress on our bodies and mind, we are rewarded with gratification. This can be observed in gym-goers, individuals who thrive …

The Jazz Archive: Theorizing A Relationship Between Jazz Improvisation And Standard Repertoire., Toby Wren

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

The jazz standard remains an enduring part of the tradition of jazz performance and pedagogy. Contemporary jazz scholarship has tended to focus on improvisation as a practice and jazz-as-lived-experience and, while the jazz standard repertoire has occasionally been the subject of study the relationship between the standard repertoire and the ‘language’ or style of jazz has not been theorised. In this article I argue that the distinctive style of jazz improvisation is at least in part, determined by the characteristics of its shared repertoire and the statements that have accrued around that repertoire. I borrow Foucault’s conception of the archive …

Femme Ex Machina: Sex Robots, Embodiment, And Posthuman Subjectivity, Julia A. Empey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Andrea Dworkin warned in her 1974 book Woman Hating that men would soon develop the technology to “create the sex objects that will gratify them” (199). This dissertation investigates one of those technologies: sex robots, as mediated through science fiction film and literature. While the sex robot is still an emerging technology, its embodiment, particularly when female-rendered, has been imagined and negotiated for centuries. Men creating women in a specific, desired image is not new, but the sex robot is currently being transformed from imagined representation to embodied subject. This dissertation traces a pattern of representation that has allowed us …

A Strategic Audit Of A24, Jackson Bartak

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

A24 is an independent film production and distribution company founded in 2012. The company performs both duties for independent films as well as television programs, and a small portion of company revenue comes from merchandise it sells in an online kiosk. As of 2021, A24 had around 300 employees while maintaining a large catalog of movies and shows. Using a focus strategy, the company targets a more cultured audience for its unique (and sometimes outright bizarre) subject matter. To achieve this, A24 attempts to cast top B-list personnel both in acting and technical roles in order to corner its market. …

Cinematic Practices: An Evaluation Of Production Theories In Service Of Micro-Budget Feature Film-Making, Andrew Myerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Bottom of a Glass Blues and its accompanying dissertation, Cinematic Practices are the basis of research into production practices used by independent and micro-budget filmmakers in the Central Florida community. The research presented in this dissertation is used to satisfy the academic requirements for the University of Central Florida's Master of Fine Arts in Feature Film Production. Cinematic Practices evaluates production theories used in studio and independent film-making in the present day in addition to practices popularly embraced by local filmmakers in Central Florida. The research found that there is no shared knowledge on how to organize film crews for …

Different Versions Of Myself, Anya Smith

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This is a research-informed screenplay exploring the relationship between religion and recreational pole dancing. While the popularity of recreational pole dancing has grown over the last two decades, it remains a controversial topic in some circles. This study employed interviews, autoethnography, and a literature review to examine the tensions between pole dancing and religion. Creative Analytic Practice was employed as a method of evaluating and presenting the research, which culminated in a fictional screenplay.

The story is about Louise, a young woman caught between two worlds. She feels pressured to conceal her recreational pole dancing activities in order to retain …

The Boy From 6b: How Only Murders In The Building Created Groundbreaking Television, Lauren E. Reitz, Monika Shehi Herr

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Non-disabled actors continue to be cast over disabled actors to portray disabled characters, and disabled storylines are told from an able-bodied perspective. This paper explores how Only Murders in the Building set an example for approaching projects featuring disabled actors and roles while maintaining a complex storyline in the episode titled "The Boy from 6B" (2021).

Analyzing this episode through the lens of the classical idea of anmut shows how it subverted the typical viewing experience of watching a storyline that features disabled characters from an able-bodied perspective. Anmut, as a rhetorical concept, recognizes that the value of physical …

The Reflective Age: Nostalgia At The End Of History, Zachary Griffith

Theses and Dissertations--English

This project investigates the ways in which nostalgic American media of the last decade reflects the sociopolitical conditions of the end of history. It begins with the assertion that the end of history represents a confounded, contradictory moment in which large-scale political change is relatively scarce, and belief in a progressive future has largely been abandoned, while cultural change has also accelerated at a pace never before seen––spurred on, in particular, by the constant return of dead styles and dormant IP. In other words, it seems as if nothing is changing and everything is changing simultaneously. The recent boom in …

Les Représentations Féminins Dans Le Cinéma Maghrébin: L'Expérience Des Femmes Et Le Rêve Féministe Dans Les Silences Du Palais Et Viva Laldjérie, Danielle Mills

Theses and Dissertations--Modern and Classical Languages, Literature and Cultures

It is evident that in the realm of gender studies concerning the Maghreb, many scholars have studied literary texts from prominent female Maghrebi writers such as Assia Djebar and Fatima Mernissi. However, certain forms of expression have been neglected, such as film. The purpose of this work is to analyze and evaluate how cinema has portrayed the situation of women in the postcolonial Maghreb. I will be examining two examples of Maghrebi cinema which include the Tunisian film Les silences du palais by Moufida Tlatli and the Algerian film Viva Laldjérie by Nadir Moknèche. Through the examination of these two …

Castle Of Unknowing: An Immersive Virtual Reality Experience, Damian Thorn-Hauswirth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Castle of Unknowing is a rendered virtual reality (VR) experience presented as visual poem. As VR is a nascent technology, content is still limited, and methods of storytelling are not yet formalized. My film seeks to expand the breadth of what types of narratives are being told with this medium. The project is an immersive, experiential narrative imbued with symbolism. The viewer moves through a fixed sequence as they are taken on a journey which mixes elements of sci-fi, fairy tale, and surrealism. It utilizes compelling visuals and sound instead of traditional narrative to evoke an emotional response within the …

Distributor As Tastemaker: Neon And The American Independent Film Sector, Lucie Boulet-Gercourt

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the role of independent film distributor NEON as a leading tastemaker in the American indie sector. Founded in 2017, NEON has distinguished itself from competing studios and streaming services by maintaining a commitment to the theatrical experience and to genres that Hollywood has been historically hesitant to embrace. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the ‘cultural intermediary,’ I analyze how NEON has demonstrated its viability within the indie sector through its promotional strategies, chosen avenues of distribution, and specific film products. While media industry scholars have recently revisited Bourdieu’s theory in order to study producers of cultural value, …

#Mentalhealthmatters: Mental Health Awareness Campaigns In Media And Its Effectiveness On Stigma Reduction In Third Culture Kids, Airi Sugihara

Scripps Senior Theses

The recent amplified attention towards mental health and overall wellbeing has been accelerated by awareness campaigns in media, which are culturally and regionally tailored to encourage efficacy and positive attitude changes. Some of these mental health awareness campaigns are disseminated on the social media platform Instagram, which is contradictory to Instagram’s corporate lack of acknowledgement towards its addictiveness and negative impacts on user mental health. The aesthetic and influencer culture surrounding social media empowers its systemic problems, which is exacerbated by modern society’s media dependency. Within its discriminatory and oppressive algorithm, mental health awareness campaigns created by Instagram represent corporate …

The Importance Of Social Media When Developing A Business, Zalika Cuffy-Scott

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Social media is an important component when it comes to starting a business. It is essential because it provides new businesses with multiple cost effect ways to grow their brand without neglecting other aspects of usual company marketing such as SEO tactics, website development, and advertising through traditional channels. Social media platforms provides exposure for new businesses that don’t have access to a great deal of revenue. Presence on social media platforms allows brands to deliver valuable information to their potential customers. They will be able to reach potential clients easily, and also grow relationships with existing customers. Social media …

America's Next Top Model Magnified, Nina Violi

Capstone Showcase

America's Next Top Model was a reality television show that aired from 2003 to 2018 and the show gave women (and men in the later seasons) a chance to become models and be trained by the best in the business. While the show looked like a positive experience from the viewers' perspective, there were many situations when the models were put in uncomfortable situations. The show is related back to the feminism theory.

Goodbye, Mr. Marshall: The Dreamworld Of Francoism, Alejandro Yarza

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

This essay examines the symbolic use of dreams in Bienvenido Mr. Marshall (1953) by Luis García Berlanga. During Francoism, oppositional filmmakers strategically planted dream sequences such as those of Bienvenido to bypass Francoist censorship, smuggling through classical Freudian dream-work distortion—condensation, displacement, symbolization—subversive ideological and political contents. Despite their critical importance, Bienvenido’s dreams have never been adequately examined. The dreams, I argue, hold the key to interpreting a film that, due to its apparent ideological ambiguity—needed to avoid the sharp scissors of Franco’s censors—has been understood both as a conservative film, upholding Francoist fascist values, and as a subversive film, undermining …

Autorretratos: Autoimágenes De Directores, Guilherme Delgado

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

Resumen: Este artículo sugiere la utilización del concepto de autorretrato para reflexionar sobre los significados de la aparición del director, de cine o teatro, en escena. Apartándose de las tradicionales lecturas de la autoimagen como confesión biográfica y acercándose a la construcción simbólica que los artistas hacen de su medio y de su roles sociales, el ensayo hace un análisis de trabajos de José Celso Martinez Correa, Tadeusz Kantor, Alfred Hitchcock y Jafar Panahi.

Abstract: This article aims to use the concept of self-portrait to reflect about the appearance of the theater or cinema’s director in scene. Considering self-image as …

Seaglass: An Animated Rejection Of Narrative Permanence, Alejandra Louise Blackmore

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores how popular narrative structures imply that our reality should be stagnant, thereby leaving us as viewers unprepared for the notion of change. I introduce the term “narrative permanence” as a story structure that assumes the foundations of a narrative are absolute. These stories therefore consider structural change as a threat or abnormal. I analyzed examples such as The Simpsons and news coverage of the BP oil spill to demonstrate how popular media frames change as an unnatural occurrence that must be neutralized. My thesis then culminated in an animated short about a person living in a seaside …

Four Perspectives On A Sustaibable Future In Nosara, Costa Rica, Greg Munno, Alvara Salas Castro, Tina Nabatchi, Christian M. Freitag

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

The town of Nosara on Costa Rica’s Nicoya peninsula is home to a vibrant community of diverse residents and is adjacent to an important turtle nesting site. However, tensions between lifelong residents, more recent transplants, visitors, and developers have increased as more of the world discovers this once-isolated haven. Climate change, income inequality, and alienation from a distant government apparatus have further complicated effective land-use planning and fractured social cohesion. Using a mixed method approach of in-depth interviews (n = 67), Q methodology (n = 79), and public deliberation (n = 88), we explored residents’ priorities for the future of …

A Pedagogical Mystique?: Lessons Of Incorporating Feminism Into Skills-Based Communications Courses, Daniela Molta, Regina Luttrell, Christopher J. Mccollough

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

It is imperative that today’s advertising, journalism, mass communication, and public relations students are prepared to engage in corporate activism and corporate social responsibility communications once in the workforce. This article explores the need for incorporating equity-based pedagogy, using feminism as one of many approaches, into skills-based communication courses. The researchers conducted 20 qualitative interviews with academics to discuss various approaches, examples, and learnings. The findings suggest that using a feminist framework to teach skills: (1) enhances the skill being taught, (2) allows students to communicate more effectively, (3) builds life skills, and (4) comes in many forms. The article …

Whose Voices Count?: Sourcing U.S. American Television News About The World, David C. Oh, Omotayo O. Banjo, Nancy A. Jennings

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

The current study examines the extent to which U.S. coverage of world news events relies on White and Western sources as well as the role that journalists’ race, story type, and interview type have in the selection of news sources. Furthermore, this study examines whether such sourcing biases exist across commercial and public networks, namely ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS. Relying on a critical media effects approach, we drew connections between indexing theory and critical race and postcolonial studies to conduct a content analysis of more than 200 news stories and more than 600 sources in 2019 and 2020. The …

Filming Women: A Conversation With Alankrita Shrivastava, Anupama Arora, Sandrine Sanos, Gohar Siddiqui

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Audio Virology And Affect Contagion In The Times Of Preemptive Power And Sonic Futurism: The Sonic Warfare Of Fatima Al Qadiri, Aram Kavoossi

Media and Cultural Studies Honors Projects

This project examines the State’s use of sound technologies in particular to conjure affects facilitative of the maintenance and control of human bodies and political activities. In tension with this current, it will also study the subversion of sonic war machinery by cultural workers and musicians in the production of transnational political solidarities against the state militarization/securitization of life and preemption/commodification of death–a socio-economic paradigm fed by the (neo)colonial underbellies of capitalist modernity, from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the colonization and military exploitation of the ‘Middle East’.

Inner Martyrdom: Deconstructing The Sacrificial Female Subject In Post-Soviet Georgia, Gvantsa Gasviani

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This article analyzes the 2017 film, My Happy Family, and how it depicts the archetypical Georgian woman and the sacrifices she is required to make for the family and, by extension, the nation. In doing so, I explore the socio-historical construction of the ideal woman and the ways women resist gendered demands, often through unseen means. Scholars have explored the cultural politics of “postsocialism,” analyzing the “New Woman” archetype in relation to class, sexuality, and labor. Finding that many neglect issues of women’s own socio-psychic negotiation of the postsocialist terrain, I argue that we must investigate more closely the production …

India – Rape And The Prevalent Culture Of Silence In Indian Cinema And Television, Nidhi Shrivastava

English Faculty Publications

In this chapter, I explore two media texts, Imtiaz Ali's Highway and Alankrita Shrivastava's Netflix original series Bombay Begums (2021). I contend that recent filmmakers have begun to arguably reframe the narratives of rape victim-survivors and disrupting the cultural of silence described above. They offer progressive and multi-faceted representations of these experiences, such that there is an opportunity for a dialogue within both private and public spheres. What I mean when I say that they are ‘progressive representations’ is that the rape victim-survivors are not merely reduced to helpless women in distress, nor painted as vengeful, aggressive characters. Instead, their …

Aiming For The Trees: Random Access Information And Paik’S Video Study, Alexandra Juhasz

Publications and Research

Public lecture and paper presented for the 13th international symposium, The Gift of Nam June Paik, attending to his dreams of random access information and the inauguration of his Video Study.

The Gifts Of Respect (Shoes) And Home: Alanis Obomsawin In Conversation With Alexandra Juhasz, Alexandra Juhasz

Publications and Research

Alex: You must send me a picture of your blue ones. We just met in Berlin on the occasion of your retrospective, a comprehensive survey of your work as a filmmaker and also as a visual artist: The Children Have to Hear Another Story. Have you ever had a survey of this magnitude?

Alanis: Oh, no. I’ve had exhibitions sometimes of just of my etchings. Over the years, I’ve had a few retrospectives and it was very nice. But this, I’ve never had this kind of attention. And from so far away!

The Ableist Gaze And Disability Trauma: How Onscreen Representation Erases The Truth, Emily Brown

Departmental Honors Projects

This project critically engages with disability representation in the media through an uncensored autoethnography of everyday ableism. In particular, it focuses on how the Netflix series Special reveals the duality of representation: being seen is validating yet (re)traumatizing. As a queer woman with Cerebral Palsy, I’ve spent my whole life trying to find myself in TV shows and movies, latching onto the few disabled and disabled-coded characters available. I never felt fully seen until I watched Special: a show about a gay man with Cerebral Palsy gaining independence through a writing internship and romantic prospects. Special allowed me to acknowledge …