Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Fantasy And Reality In The Films Of Terry Gilliam, Andrew J. Myers, Dr. Darl Larsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My ORCA project was a study of the films of director Terry Gilliam. I found that the most accessible angle to begin to understand his body of work was by looking through a lens of Peter Wollen’s structuralist auteur criticism. This approach entails looking at the binaries common to many of Gilliam’s films—such as fantasy vs. reality, birth vs. death, individual vs. society, organic vs. machine—and carefully examining how these binaries shift alignment from film to film. The complex interweave of these binaries throughout the structure of a director’s films is, according to Wollen, what establishes a filmmaker as something …

Western Short Film, Vanessa Barney, Dr. Darl Larsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was to produce a short film on 35mm while providing practical field research opportunities for many students in the Media Arts program, including myself. I was initially responsible for writing and directing the film, but also ended up producing the film as well. There were many expectations that were fulfilled and there were also many expectations that changed during pre-production along with unexpected challenges that occurred during production.

Unleashing The Potential Of Film, Allan R. Staker, Stanley Ferguson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

When I applied for the ORCA Grant last year, I wanted to distribute a film project outside the boundaries of BYU and the University’s “FINAL CUT Student Film Festival.” In order to do so, I began to adapt the ideas pre-selling feature films to major studios that Professor John Lee taught in “TMA 389: Producer’s Practicum” to my own hypothetical process of selling a documentary series to a national cable network.

Little Women: My Vision Of Alcott’S Great Literature On Stage Commences, Alisha Watts Christiansen, Dr. Robert Nelson, Dr. Tim Slover

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In October of 1995 I approached Robert Nelson and asked him to be my faculty mentor as I applied for this ORCA (Office of Research and Creative Activities) grant. I proposed to him that for my creative project I would like to adapt Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Little Women, into a stage play. As we discussed it further and I shared with him my ideas of how this project would be accomplished, he said he would happily support me if I would take Tim Slover’s playwrighting class (TH & F 378R). I wasn’t sure I had time to take the …

Center For Art & Theater News, Georgia Southern University

Center for Art & Theater (Archived)

• ‘Rena Leinberger: Zero Panorama’
• ‘Elisabeth Condon: The Seven Seas’

The Book Of Esther As A Theatrical Text, Wendy Simmerman, Dr. Eric Samuelsen, April Chabries Haws

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project was divided into two areas of emphasis: first, a research project examining the possibilities that the Book of Esther was written and included in the Bible as a dramatic performance text, and second, the development of a script based on the Book of Esther. Each of these two areas offered unique challenges and problems, but each part also became a fascinating undertaking.

Summary Of Research And Writing The Screenplay “Cora Chattering” Based On Terrie Petree’S Award-Winning Short Story “Eating The Old Thoughts”, Ethan L. Vincent, Stan Ferguson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Research and writing “Cora Chattering” was an interesting process. Terrie Petree’s seven page short story “Eating the Old Thoughts” offered enough material for a 21 page script, translating into approximately 20 minutes screen time – the ideal length for a student short film. Although the script diverts somewhat from Terrie Petree’s original story, these necessary changes made the characters and their relationships to each other more animated and accessible. As a result, I learned a great deal about the compromises of short story adaptations.

Tma Historic Clothing Collection: Present And Future, Mary Ann Perkins, Cathie Mcclellan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

When I submitted the proposal to catalogue the Theater and Media Arts Department collection of historic clothing, I had no idea what was ahead of me. Of course, I didn’t know the size of the collection, the content, or the relative value of the pieces included. Additionally, I wasn’t sure how to set up the organization. I knew I wanted to create an organization system that would be easy to access and add to. Over the intervening 8 months since my proposals acceptance, many ideas, solutions, and goals have been put before me by my mentor and other faculty regarding …

Of Separation: Beginning The Journey Of Making A Film, Lance Kammer, Stan Ferguson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of my project, funded by the ORCA grant, was to produce a short motion picture film entitled Of Separation. In the beginning I had only a script written, that I submitted to ORCA, from which I was to make the film. I also had a Theater and Media Arts Capstone class in which to workshop this script. Now, at the end of the eight months during which I have workshopped and researched this project, the original goal has changed and I have had a successful and worthwhile ORCA experience.

Making Family History, Rebecca Potter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This year I was awarded an ORCA grant to make a series of commercials promoting family history. The commercials are targeted to teenagers and young adults in hopes of showing them different ways they can use their skills to take part in the vital work of family history. From film, to blogs, to photos, youth can use their technological skills to contribute to the work and come to know their heritage.

New Media Research And Development, Taylor Rose, Jeff Parkin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

New Media technologies are changing consumer engagement expectations. As media author and researcher Mimi Ito observed in the Transmedia Hollywood forum, the Pokemon audience—who grew up engaging with highly social, customizable forms of media—has now reached adulthood and has very different media expectations than previous generations.

The Art Of Adaptation, Jacob Schwarz, Thomas Russell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I am so glad that I was given an ORCA grant because it gave me an opportunity to create a very original and new piece of film within our film department. The film, which is still finishing in its post-production stage with visual effects, became much more of a learning project then I expected. As we attempted to put together this film, we encountered numerous problems that none of us as students at first knew how to conquer, but through research and a lot of effort we were able to make our deadlines and get it shot.

Two New Works In The Development Of A Playwright And Director, Zach Kempf, George Nelson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This Project was intended to produce and culminate in two public works of theater, One, written by myself, entitled ‘The Monster of Dr. Frankenstein” and Directed by David Lidell Thorpe; the other, written by Matthew Greene, entitled “for Dear Life” and Directed by myself. The former ran in late December of last year in the Margetts Theater on BYU campus, and the latter ran in mid January in the same.

Overcoming Limited Dynamic Range In Digital Recording Devices, Jacob Fenn, Thomas Russell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The current age brings with it a wealth of adaptations and evolutions in film-making, most stemming from new digital methods which slowly supplant the time-honored celluloid. I chose to focus in my research at the changing world of digital imaging acquisition and one of its primary shortcomings. Dynamic range, or the ability to capture a wide gamut of lights and darks, has long been a telling sign of digital photography. Film is generally cited as having a much larger dynamic range. My purpose in doing this research was to discover what methods, if any, the industry is implementing to widen …

Bread To Kill And The Future Of Filmmaking At Byu, - -

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Thousands of talented filmmakers have learned their craft while studying at BYU. After years of studying, talented seniors competed for limited resources to produce a 419 project – a senior film; an epic, industry-quality film that represents the pinnacle of this journey and launches the filmmakers into the professional world. This year a shift occurred in the way these films are made and why: the 419 program was redesigned to become the capstone program. With Bread to Kill paving the way, the new and improved capstone model offers students the perfect balance of resources and limitations to create world-class short …

Center For Art & Theater News, Georgia Southern University

Center for Art & Theater (Archived)

• Theatre & Performance Fall Auditions

Review: 'The Philosophical Aesthetics Of Dance: Identity, Performance, And Understanding', Aili W. Bresnahan

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Graham McFee is one of the few philosophers who can be credited with helping to pioneer and forge a path for dance as a fine art in the field of analytic aesthetics. His 1992 book, Understanding Dance, following Francis Sparshott’s 1988 book Off the Ground: First Steps to a Philosophical Consideration of the Dance, was a significant introductory step toward situating dance in a field that has traditionally focused primarily and nearly exclusively on painting, sculpture, literature, and (more recently) music.

In general dance has not been taken seriously as a legitimate art form by the philosophic academy; indeed, it …

Life, Love, And Hegemony On Daytime Tv: A Critical Analysis Of Three Popular Soap Operas, Elizabeth Ann Worden

Dissertations

This study examined the worlds of three popular soap operas: Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless. Someone who has not watched the three soap operas examined for this study might think that soap operas are all alike. Yet this study has demonstrated how different they really are. These soap operas are created by different teams of writers, producers, and editors—different real authors. Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless are really distinct and different from each other in a number of ways. These programs depict different classes of people with different …

Diurnal And Nocturnal Avian Antipredator Behavior In Thermally Challenging Conditions, Jennie M. Carr

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diurnal avian antipredator behavior has been the focus of much past research, yet the influence of the thermal environment on such behaviors is often overlooked. Far less is known about nocturnal avian antipredator behavior, including how these behaviors are influenced by challenging thermal environments. The first portion of my research focused on how the thermal environment influences the diurnal antipredator behavior of wintering birds while (i) exposed to high wind speeds, (ii) foraging in sunlit and shaded microhabitats, and (iii) when using thermoregulatory postures to conserve body heat. In addition to increasing convective heat loss, high wind speeds increase the …

Side Show: The Musical Direction, Morgan D. Hurd

Music

No abstract provided.

Caught In The Net--The Development And Production Of An Original Playscript, Prince Duren

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Drama at the University of Arkansas provides students with the opportunity to take part in classes, workshops, stage readings, and productions as part of its new play development process. The purpose of this thesis document is to clearly and concisely track the process of developing, rehearsing, and producing the world premiere of Caught in the Net, a play involving an African American woman whose life is forever changed when she enters into an online relationship. The document also includes research information, the play's most recent draft, and production photos. The play was presented by the University Theatre …

A History And Analysis Of The Works Of Lynn Ahrens And Stephen Flaherty, Matthew Paul Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the history of musical theatre there have been several celebrated composer-lyricist teams. For over thirty years in the modern era the talents of librettist-lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty have been heard on stage, in movies, and on television, both in collaboration with others and together. When they formed their professional partnership in 1983 they made a team that would give modern musical theatre its most unique pairing. Their work is not easy to identify. Their source materials vary greatly from show to show and the musical style is never the same. With their level of output, talents, …

"My Words Fly Up, My Thoughts Remain Below": Community And Penance In Early Modern English Drama, Benedict John Whalen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines the vexed relationship between Christian doctrine, practice, and community in English Renaissance drama due to the abandonment of the sacrament of auricular confession during the Protestant Reformation. I argue that many English Renaissance dramatists were sensitive to the vast ramifications of the Reformers' theological understanding of penance, particularly in its emphasis upon a sinner's ability to accomplish unmediated contrition, and to be psychologically and emotionally satisfied thereby. By desacramentalizing and interiorizing penitential practices, the Protestant understanding of penance fundamentally changed the ways in which communities dealt with sins. As this dissertation demonstrates, many of the plays from …

The Process Of Bringing An Original Playscript To Production--Flamingo & Decatur, Todd Taylor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to present my play, Flamingo & Decatur, to the thesis committee, to illuminate the process of writing it, and to place it within the context of the entire body of dramatic writing I've done here at the University of Arkansas.

The dissertation opens with a narrative essay that details the process of bringing Flamingo & Decatur to production. It describes the germination of the idea for the play and follows the process through the initial drafts--detailing the ways in which the script was reshaped through its various iterations. Special attention is given to the …

Echoes: A Dance Composition And Performance, Jessica M. Vest

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Echoes: A Dance Composition and Performance analyzes the creative process of choreographing a dance with aerial elements to convey an emotional narrative. My experiences as a theatre and dance Fine and Performing Arts Honors student at East Tennessee State University from 2013-2017, culminated with my final senior capstone project as director, choreographer, and performer of The Echoing Effect, performed February 9, 2017 at the Bud Frank Theatre. The following research of the history and development of aerial dance as an art-form created a better appreciation of the artistic field and informed how I approached the daunting task of composing …

Stay In Time, Aug. 2013, San Jose State University, School Of Music And Dance

Upbeat (School of Music and Dance)

No abstract provided.

The History Of Shakespeare In American Education, 1620-1930, Joseph P. Haughey

Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes Shakespeare’s role in American education from colonial times through the Progressive Era. The history is divided into four overlapping historical periods, each represented in its own chapter and derived from four different sets of primary sources. The first chapter provides a synopsis of Shakespeare’s presence in American education in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and then, through case studies of the records of two nineteenth-century university literary societies – the Hasty Pudding Club of Harvard University and the Sherwood Rhetorical Society of Kalamazoo College – examines the role extracurricular activity played in first introducing Shakespeare at the …

Code-Switching In The Classroom: Teaching The Neutral American Dialect To The 21st Century Student, Hollis Louise Casini

Theses and Dissertations

Language is a personal process, a product of not only our development, but of one’s culture. Yet in the United States, an actor must be able to speak without a detectable dialect to be competitive in the entertainment world. How can voice teachers in a multi-cultural society, train students with more attention to the individuality of the students we educate? In this thesis, I present the information I have found important in my development as a voice teacher that has influenced my approach to training actors to use the Neutral American dialect. I begin by outlining human language acquisition and …

Summer Of Shrew, Part 4: Which End’S Up?, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner

Faculty Publications

In the last of a four-part series on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner explores how expanding the range of the titular Shrew to include male characters is actually a return to its original meaning. Pollack-Pelzner focuses on a long-forgotten Renaissance sequel to Shrew (John Fletcher's The Tamer Tamed) that takes the taming of men even further and turns its gender roles upside down.

Summer Of Shrew, Part 3: A Sly Conceit, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner

Faculty Publications

In the third of a four-part series on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner asks, what if Kate’s story isn’t the play’s only reality? Pollack-Pelzner explores how a drunken beggar and an earlier version of the script shift the brawling balances of the play and call into question who the real shrew is.