Film and Media Studies Commons^™

Man.A.Machine.Txt, James H. Pardue

ELO (un)supervised 2026

man.A.machine.txt is an audiovisual composition generated in real time through a real-time multimedia system that remediates the words of Julien Offray de La Mettrie’s Man a Machine, a foundational text of eighteenth-century materialist philosophy. The system produces cut-up poetry and a particle cloud, transforming the original text into a shifting field of language and data. In Man a Machine, La Mettrie argues that body and soul are inseparable, proposing sleep as the moment in which their unity becomes undeniable. By remediating this text, I seek to reactivate its materialist concerns within our present technological condition—one increasingly defined by …

Archival Storytelling: Remembering Our Digital History, Dene Grigar

ELO (un)supervised 2026

In When We Are No More: How Digital Memory Is Reshaping Our Future, Abby Smith Rumsey argues that memory is required for survival and impacts not only the survival of a species but of that species’ culture. Needed in this “Age of Matter,” as she calls it, are documentation practices that address the way in which physical and digital memory systems can be combined and harnessed to preserve human experience (13).

This paper addresses Rumsey’s challenge. Using the physical and digital archives held in The NEXT’s collections, it introduces archival storytelling as a method for documenting and, thus, remembering …

(Un)Supervised Translation: How Fans Fill In The Gaps In Visual Novel Localization, Sara Raffel, Mónica G. González Burgos

ELO (un)supervised 2026

A translator must consider multiple cultural contexts when translating a work of electronic literature; no longer concerned only with the text, they might need to examine images, platform, interactivity, and the code itself. As identified by Przbyszewska, translating works of e-lit can require attention to the code and platform of a work, with the extent dictated by “the interaction inherent in the semantics of the text” (28). Meanwhile, Marecki and Montfort differentiate e-lit translation from its traditional literary counterpart because the translator is no longer “invisible” where e-lit is involved (90). This presentation extends this discussion of e-lit translation to …

Electronic Literature In Ai Data Work, Mihai Bacaran

ELO (un)supervised 2026

This paper is based on my personal experience of working as a transcriber for AI projects between 2023 and 2025 in a Business Process Outsourcing company located in Eastern Europe. The job of transcribers is to listen to audio recordings provided by The Client (a major tech company whose name cannot be mentioned due to nondisclosure agreements) and either transcribe them from scratch or correct an AI generated transcription. The recordings are gathered from users of digital devices, many of whom appear unaware of being recorded.

During the transcription work, probably due to the excruciating boredom of performing the same …

Compressed Cinema As A Study In Llm Latent Spaces, Mallen Clifton

ELO (un)supervised 2026

In his article “Spec Acts” (2021), Matthew Kirschenbaum analyzes the AI-generated novel 1 the Road to develop his titular concept of the spec act, “the future in its multitudes collapsing into an actionable present.” With the proliferation of texts produced by generative AI and subsequent critical analyses of them, one element in particular calls for further theorization: “the future in its multitudes,” or more directly, the latent space. This echoes arguments by critics such as Antonio Somaini, who offered his own “Theory of Latent Spaces” last year. However, where Somaini’s attention is towards visual culture, I turn mine to the …

(Un)Easily Writing The Future, Stuart Moulthrop, Judith Pintar, John G. Mcdaid

ELO (un)supervised 2026

General Abstract: This panel brings together three experienced digital writers who have recently begun to explore Language Models and transformers in creative and academic practice.  Each of us will comment on recent experience and projects, reflecting on how these technologies alter the way we think of ourselves as writers and teachers.

[1] Judith Pintar, "The Non-applicability of Wishing due to Lack of Capacity".

Pintar will discuss her experience of facilitating Gemini AI in a Rogerian therapy session with an Eliza bot written in the Inform programming language. The session is occasionally interrupted with a meta-conversation with Gemini regarding its responses. …

Making The Writer’S Project, Alex Calderwood

ELO (un)supervised 2026

The Writer’s Project is a series of playful text editors which intervene in the act of writing in unexpected, challenging, and unusual ways. Some of the editors are conceptual experiments in user interface design: What if the editor asked you if you were sure before committing to each word? What if the delete key was not functional? Others editors are provocations that take aim at the conditions and AI-mediated writing, built to create a tension between writerly agency and system resistance. These involve placing writers into different configurations with text streams, for instance by turning prior writings into a Tetris-like …

Reframing Narratives: Remedies For Improved Human Trafficking Coverage, Stefanie Henriques

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The global rise in human trafficking is not receiving adequate media attention. While newspaper coverage of the topic has increased, current research argues that the issue is framed with a lack of diversity, limiting audience understanding of its complexity. Some researchers also note that coverage disproportionately focuses on sex trafficking, with minimal attention directed to other forms of trafficking such as the labor or organ trade. This paper conducts a narrative literature analysis of media research on human trafficking, drawing on framing theory to identify dominant frames in media messaging and synthesize cross-cultural factors that impact how the issue is …

Slay Her: The Rhetoric Of Violation In Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Lea N. Wright

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research draws on feminist theory and monster theory to perform a close rhetorical analysis of incidents in the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy) where female characters are violated physically, psychologically, and/or sexually. Buffy is one of the most-analyzed television shows of all time, with a particular emphasis on the show’s engagement with feminism; however, the issue of violation has received little scholarly investigation despite multiple instances of it within the show. Through examining the rhetorical elements (such as dialogue, camerawork, body language, and character response) that surround incidents of violation, this research reveals that Buffy …

Horror Film And Soviet Identity: The Specter Of Soviet Imperialism, Alex Dyatkevich

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The thesis looks at how Soviet imperialism–the extension of Soviet Russia’s power over the other Soviet republics—is reinforced and used as a source of terror in Soviet horror film. I argue that while Soviet Russian horror movies from the creation of the USSR in 1922 to the end of Brezhnev’s Era of Stagnation in the mid 80s reinforce an imperialist Soviet identity, the horror movies released by non-Russian Soviet republics after the increase in freedom of expression during perestroika position imposed imperial Soviet identity as a source of terror.

The first chapter examines how USSR-era horror cinema was used as …

Life In Laughter: Comedy’S Impact On Student Health And Success, Julia Weinstein

Honors Undergraduate Theses

College students face rising rates of anxiety, depression, and stress, highlighting the need for accessible, stigma-free wellness interventions. While comedy is often seen as entertainment, research indicates laughter produces measurable psychological and physiological benefits, including reduced cortisol and increased endorphins. Life in Laughter, a creative-research hybrid project, investigates how live and digital comedy experiences affect college students’ mood, stress, and sense of belonging. Using mixed methods, data were collected through anonymous audience surveys, app-based reflections via JoyScroll, and interviews, supplemented by a mini-documentary. Findings suggest humor functions as both an emotional regulation tool and a means of fostering …

To Print A Remake: An Analysis Of Hollywood Remakes And Their Cultural Value, Connor F. Seaton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In recent years, audiences and movie critics have expressed concern that Hollywood’s growing reliance on remakes, sequels, franchises, and similar adaptations has led to a broader worry that originality is fading from modern cinema and that the industry is instead focused on using adaptations to maximize profits. Although adaptation is often seen as a commercially driven framework for reproducing existing intellectual property in a new media format, this thesis argues that it should be recognized as an autonomous cultural category with its own artistic, historical, and social significance and merit. By analyzing adaptation scholarship and reviewing its complex historical development, …

Performing Brazilian Identity: The Cultural Politics Of Carmen Miranda, Nicole M. Pineiro Serrano

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This honors undergraduate thesis examines how Carmen Miranda’s performances shaped Brazilian national identity in both Brazilian cinema and Hollywood in the mid-twentieth century. Through film analysis, historical research, and cultural theory, the study examines Miranda’s public persona and the symbolic significance of the Baiana costume, with respect to Brazil’s Estado Novo regime, and Hollywood’s own depictions of Latin America. Overall, it argues that Miranda’s image functioned as a site of cultural negotiation, where Brazilian cultural expression met Hollywood’s exoticizing portrayals, but the encounter did not always stay as a fixed stereotype. The study also examines the tensions between authenticity, commodification, …

“How Far Do These Roots Go Down”: An Exploration Of Latinx And Latina Fans On Representation In Disney's Encanto, Noemi Nunez

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In this dissertation, I examine how Latinx and Latina audiences engaged with and interpreted Disney’s 2021 Encanto, an animated film celebrated for its representation of Colombian and broader Latinx culture. While scholarship on Latinx representation in media has expanded, less attention has been given to how Latinx audiences themselves respond to narratives that are meant to represent them, particularly within fan studies. Focusing on both a broader Latinx fan community and first-generation Latinas in the United States, this project explores how audiences negotiate representation and recognition using Encanto as a media text that centered a Latinx story. Drawing from …

Machine Credibility: How News Readers Evaluate Ai-Generated Content, Alexander Wasdahl

Human-Machine Communication

The advent of AI-generated news as a novel form of content demands renewed attention toward modes of understanding reader perceptions. This research sought to answer: What are the evaluative criteria used by readers in their perception of automated news content generated via natural language processing? A series of exploratory factor analyses (EFA) was conducted on results of a survey using items obtained in an initial survey phase to uncover underlying factors contributing to differences in reader article rankings. When compared with the results of factor analyses for human-generated news content, the findings offer new constellations of terms that reflect the …

Threading The Needle: Chinese American Adoptees And The In-Between, Annalee Johnson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Threading the Needle is a short documentary that investigates the relationships between Chinese American adoptees, their families, and their heritage. The film features two primary participants, Mia Nails and Annalee “AJ” Johnson as they reflect on their Asian American identity, experiences with racism, and their struggles with cultural estrangement. The similarities and differences in their perspectives shed light on both the wonderful and the heartbreaking circumstances of adoption. The contemporary value of the film lies in how it challenges popular representations of the Asian American experience: Though in recent years, Asian American media has become more present in popular culture, …

Echo, Ana Beltran

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Echo is a 3D animated short film rendered within Unreal Engine from Epic Games. The story is centered around a small child named Echo who has moved to Earth with her mom. The story follows her adventures through her first days at school and what can happen when a parent suddenly disappears from a child's life against their will.

Many of the story beats take direct inspiration from personal experiences of either myself, my family members, or stories of immigrant children who come to the United States (US) with their parents in search of a better future. There has been …

Spaced Out: Exploring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Through Animation, Alyssa R. Klapka

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Spaced Out is about a 16-year-old high school student named Penny, who arrives home from school after a long day. She has astronomy homework that is due, and she is determined to sit down and get it done as fast as possible so that she can have some evening time to herself. This all goes awry when Opal, a dragon who is a manifestation of her ADHD, shows up to distract her. Penny must find a way to finish her assignment, not by ignoring Opal and pretending she isn't there, but by embracing the fact that she is a part …

Lucas' Gift: Exploring The Importance Of Self-Care, Kevaun L. Gayle

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Lucas' Gift is a traditionally animated short film focusing on themes of selflessness and self-care. In an alternate world where magic exists, lives a young boy from a small community experiencing a drought. After being gifted a magical plant growing necklace from the Good Witch, Lucas works diligently to feed his community. After working himself to exhaustion, he learns the importance of self-care. The artistic direction is influenced by works such as Steven Universe and Craig of the Creek.

Campbell & The Cryptid: Mindfulness And Mediality, Elaina Buffkin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Campbell & The Cryptid is a short film that intertwines the bittersweet intensity of imagination with the nostalgic medium of hand drawn two-dimensional animation. Campbell is an eleven-year-old girl who loves adventure and spending time with her brother. But when he moves away, she carries on her explorations on her own. This leads her to discover a strange friend in the woods. The experience helps her understand that the unknown is not always as bad as imagined. Influences on the artistic direction include irreverent media such as Calvin & Hobbes, as well as more speculative works such as Over …

Latino Stereotypes In Hollywood: The Aesthetic, Artistic, And Art World Disobedience Of Mexican Cinema In America, Ashley J. Serrano

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the spirit of Guillermo Del Toro, “Disobedience is a virtue” in life and acts as an essential element in the art of cinema, which allows filmmakers to tell stories about their nativism and imagination. With disobedience, it is a theme that allows filmmakers to resist and rebel against traditional methods of film production and storytelling found in mainstream Hollywood films while breaking barriers of the Cultivation Theory in which molds such Latino stereotypes through the way the media paint the landscape of society. American cinema has utilized stereotypical Latino characters portraying Cholos, occasional sex symbols, indolent labor workers, illiterate …

Influencers Endorsement Advertising Methods On Different Social Media Platforms, Sophia R. Annaloro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Social media marketing has opened a unique spot for Social Media Influencers. With their fame comes a lot of power over their follower's actions. Many things are at play when an influencer works with a brand to create promotional content for a product. Flow theory suggests that an abrupt advertisement does not match the pace or aesthetic of the content they are currently consuming. When one's viewing is abruptly interrupted by an advertisement, the consumers are now aggravated by the product. Distinctive characteristics of different platforms are likely to develop flow differently. This study analyzed how passive versus active product …

Into The Activism: An Exploration Of Gen Z'S Political Participation, Nia J. Davis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Gen Z is a considerably politically active generation. However, Gen Z differs from previous generations in their methodology, campaigning for change through both in person and digital activism. While both forms of activism are effective in their own way, digital poses a unique challenge. When people can be activists from the comfort of their phone, they become “slacktivists”. People whose activism does not contribute to any significant action outside of the internet (Serup Christensen).

Through interviews and focus groups, my documentary explores how Gen Z participates in activism, and what that means for the future of activism. After these discussions, …

Subjectivity In Circulation: Jean Baudrillard And The Image As Objective Reality, Jacob Crawley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine Jean Baudrillard’s theory of the image in both historical and philosophical terms and propose that his understanding of the image as disconnected from any sort of objective reality is an important starting point for further discussion of the photographic image. This thesis seeks to answer the question – how does Baudrillard’s theory of the photographic image shape our contemporary understanding of images, and what are the implications of his removal of the referent to reality within photographic images on mass culture, society, and the current state of image creation? This paper seeks …

Na Our Cinema Be This: The Evolution Of Themes In Nigerian Cinema, Carol C. Merengwa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper examines the themes in Nigerian cinema, popularly referred to as Nollywood, and their evolution over time. This analysis will give indigenous and colonial context to the origins of filmmaking in Nigeria and illustrate how the societal events impacting the country influenced the subject matter being explored. Through research from scholarly journals, review of specific films, and input from filmmakers in the industry, we will gain an understanding of Nollywood cinema and the stories which Nigerian filmmakers decide to share.

Ruffled: Examining Feminism & Femininity Through Animation, Savannah Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The animated short film Ruffled confronts the subjects of Feminism and Femininity through the after-hour musings of a young seamstress. Sewing to patterns and working from their papered paradigms she discovers her unique voice that is both referential of the past while remaining distinctly modern. The struggle twenty-first century Feminists may encounter when determining their place within a history rich with prejudice, confrontation, and triumph is metaphorically represented in each of the character's attempts at garment creation. Within the film, not only does this clothing harken back to vintage apparel but whimsically transforms her surroundings to reflect three visually distinct …

Painting And Fear: The Creation Of Death's Visage, Mark A. Felbinger

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Death's Visage is a feature film that was created from an idea developed due to a personal relationship with an artist, who was a professional illustrator and painter. The film follows a young woman who becomes entrapped in a demonic sphere and time zone where her fear is the demon's gratification. She questions the events that are unfolding, which creates herpsychological turmoil, while taking place in the family home that is in an older established middle-class neighborhood.

Death's Visage was a micro-budgeted film produced for $20,778. The capital needed for this film meets the University of Central Florida Feature Film …

The Plight Of The Beautiful People: Sexuality And Death In Less Than Zero And The Doom Generation, Ariana M. Martinez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This essay analyzes how the films Less Than Zero and The Doom Generation intersect with their overlapping themes regarding sex, sexuality, and death. The intended goal of the readings in this essay is to examine how queerness was represented in film during the AIDS crisis, specifically through the feature of a sexually fluid trio of friends. It first identifies the common elements of both films, including the gender makeup of the friend group, ambiguous or unrealized queerness, the role of the car in sexual desire, and themes of death and demise. The essay then considers the context of the AIDS …

Easy Prey, Annika L. Norris

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Easy Prey is a three-dimensional (3D) animated action comedy short film about stereotypes, expectations, and portrayals of strength that follows a ballerina as she is cornered in an alley. The fight that ensues expresses women's empowerment, physically and emotionally, by challenging preconceptions of ballerinas and the performance of femininity. This expression is founded on the intentional inclusion and exclusion of common cinematic tropes to efficiently convey key information while undermining common stereotypes. The action and atmosphere utilize classic film techniques to heighten and release tension. Easy Prey is inspired by my personal journey in healing my relationship with femininity and …

Miss-Adventures: Fantasy And Friendship In The Context Of Animation, Nathaniel Shrage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Friendship is not always magical, as the protagonists learn in "The Miss-Adventures of Molly & Sage." In this buddy-comedy set in a magical fantasy world, the titular characters are two teenage girls who go on epic quests and cause mischief. Many aspects of the story went through changes during the production of this hand-drawn animated short film. However, the main characters and their chaotic friendship remained consistent throughout the animation process. While developing this film, I noticed that my peers responded positively when I referenced my Ashkenazi Jewish heritage in various story elements. The film's artistic style was heavily inspired …