Film and Media Studies Commons^™

Blood Night, Tasha Joi Henderson

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Finders Keepers, Nicholas Jay Thacker

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Bad Romance, Chad Edward Wellinger

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

For Want Of: A Punk Rock Short Film, Jonathan P. Kieran

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In light of the specific challenges of assessing a thesis film—a project which contains artistic and academic components—the author examines his own short film For Want Of as a prototype for future work in film and as an opportunity for introspective investigation into the nature of filmmaking and personal artistic process. Reference is made to specific episodes during the film’s conception and production, as well as higher-level insight gained from following the film through an 18-month production cycle.

The Horse And The Castle, Angela D. Roe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the production of my thesis film, “The Horse and The Castle.” I will explore the choices taken in each step of the production, from the writing process to post-production and finishing. Each area — writing, directing, production design, cinematography, editing, and sound — contained a multitude of decisions that helped to achieve my final vision for the film.

Confirmation Of Prophecy By Proxy: Audience Anticipation And Reception Of The 2014 Movie Left Behind And Its Relevance To The Dispensational Premillennialist Worldview, Andrew R. Burns

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Media has the potential to legitimize or spread a belief system to the general public. The 2014 movie Left Behind is an example of a deliberate attempt at promoting the belief system referred to as dispensational premillennialism (DPM), or belief in the imminent rapture of Christians. Producers of Left Behind (2014) sought to promote DPM to the general public, hoping for a mass conversion. Online discussion and interviews were gathered and interpreted qualitatively. Content analysis of audience anticipation and reception show believers were as concerned with the conversion of the general public via this movie than the movie itself. Differences …

Fame Gone Wild (2015: An Era Of Self-Invention), Stephanie E. Kang

Graduate School of Art Theses

Entertainment has become one of the fueling fires of society. In today’s world of nonstop broadcasting and streaming, many begrudgingly trudge through their 9 to 5’s only to live for their few post-work hours of leisure, which have been reserved for this week’s latest items on the viewing queue. Netflix and Hulu have become the opium of the masses. Consequently, this obsession with constant entertainment has now morphed into a shared yearning for the people that are watched and followed religiously through the screen – the celebrities. In this cultural moment, the concept of fame has become a vital element …

Clairvoyant Learning: The Strangeness Of Playing Games, Jeremy Shipley

Graduate School of Art Theses

In retelling multiple stories of my research, this document serves as a quest to archive my interest in games as evolved systems of play that continue to manipulate the way we view literacy. In describing the subtly of these terms while examining the folkloric histories that contextualize the language of this media, I have doubly manipulated the form of my paper to be like a choose-your-own-adventure tale, reflecting the estrangement of time and authorship unique to the narrative space in games. Unlike the formal structures found in literature or cinema, games animate collaborative and nonlinear systems that return the craft …

The Cuddle Club, Joseph C. Harmon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

With The Cuddle Club, I intended to make a film that sought to examine intimacy as it relates to the extremes; in the film I subvert expectations of intimacy to make the audience reconsider why we draw our physical boundaries where we do. And while everybody may need a little cuddle every now and then, men have no right to touch women without their express permission.

This paper will be an examination of the story behind the story. Of my thoughts on the process of creating my thesis film The Cuddle Club as it pertains to the screenwriting, preproduction, production …

Entrepreneurs, John A. Patton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will cover the process of making my thesis film, Entrepreneurs. Specific facets of this process include writing, directing, production design, cinematography, editing, sound, and technology. I will detail the goals initially set for each facet, the approach taken during production, and the results that led to the finished product. I will then evaluate the overall success of the project.

If Not Now: An Account Of The Challenges And Experiences Of Writing, Directing, And Editing A Graduate Thesis Film, Tylyn S. Anson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will catalog and describe my process involved in the creation of my thesis film If Not Now. In the main body of the paper I will cover the topics of Writing, Casting, Directing, Production Design, Cinematography, Editing, and Sound, as well as Technology and Workflow. Special emphasis will be placed on Writing, Directing, Editing, and Sound. The Analysis section will discuss the overall effectiveness of my goals to communicate a story about self-identity and community, as well as the film's artistic merit and quality.

Copper Kingdom, Eric J. Gremillion

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper thoroughly examines the production of the thesis film Copper Kingdom. From writing, directing, production design, editing, to cinematography, sound, and workflow, each aspect of the creation of Copper Kingdom is carefully detailed, with insights regarding the decisions made throughout the filmmaking process.

The Stars Of David, Eric B. Millman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Stars of David is based on the true story of a woman whose love of baseball stood above all. Set in the midst of the Great Depression, Jackie Austin, disgusted by the chauvinistic expectations of her impoverished father, sets off on her own to play for whatever team that will have her. That team proves to be the barnstorming House of David Baseball Club, an ascetic religious commune struggling to regain past glory after a decade of tragedy and shame. Outsiders and freaks to the rest of the world, these new "Stars" of David must learn to work together …

1st Place Research Paper: Moviegoers And The Moon In 1953, Hannah E. Gary

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

"By analyzing the complicated production of the sexually-provocative The Moon is Blue in the early 1950s, this essay seeks to isolate the perspectives of censorship groups, artistic authorities, governmental legislatures, and the Production Code Administration (PCA) in their respective appraisals of the Hollywood industry’s movie-going public. Referencing communications between studio personnel and the PCA, as well as court documents and scholarly research, this paper highlights how the various organizations’ differing conceptions are relevant with regards to their Cold War context. This period inspired containment ideology in narratives celebrating 'universal ideals and patriotic or sacred causes' through the awareness of a …

American Perceptions Of Iran, Avery Bissett

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

American foreign policy in regards to Iran has been among the most visible stories in recent years and will certainly continue to be as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continue. Although many factors influence how Americans view other countries, one of the most important factors is the media and how it covers Iran. In addition to investigating how specific media outlets shape our views of Iran, it will also investigate how the medium (print, TV, online, radio) influences our perception. It will use data from the 2012 American National Election Study, which asked participants whether they believe Iran is pursuing …

Fear And Media: The Relationship Between Crime Related Television Consumption And The Fear Of Crime Among Americans, Timothy Breitfeller, Tatiana Broukhim, Angelina Riccio, Leah Whitenack

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This paper explores the relationship between crime-related media consumption, shows about actual and fictional crime, internet-related problems, and the fear of crime. Our research proves that there is a direct relationship between crime-related media consumption, internet-related issues, and the fear of crime. The Chapman Survey of American Fears (Bader, 2014) identified fear of crime among various categories and included seventeen questions that were the subject of the key variables and were measured on a four point Likert scale. A series of questions directed at 1,573 respondents regarding the variables resulted in findings of positive correlations between crime-related media consumption and …

The Effectiveness Of Warning Labels And Subvertising On Reducing The Harmful Effects Of Media Exposure, Yasmin Akbari, Gaganjyot Sandhu, Terri Scott, David Frederick

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Women are routinely exposed to highly sexualized images of women whose bodies have been airbrushed into literally impossible standards of beauty, which can contribute to body dissatisfaction. Women who are more dissatisfied with their bodies report greater depression, social anxiety, and disordered eating patterns. This experiment examines the effectiveness of two approaches to reduce the negative effects of media exposure on body dissatisfaction: warning labels and subvertising. Some body image activists groups have proposed legislation that would require photoshopped images to include a warning label that the image has been artificially manipulated. Subvertising takes this a step farther, where activists …

How Disney Is "Kingdom Hearts?” A Comparison Between Disney Films And The Video Game, Andrew Vo, Kassidy Vo

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Disney is known for movies that often entail gendered morals for boys and girls. This research examines Kingdom Hearts, a video game developed by Disney and Square Enix, to show how the game has "Disney morals" that are progressive in terms of gender, race, and religion.

Media Representation Of Service Animals, Arthur Blaser, Beth Haller, Chelsea Jones, Sarai Urzua

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Through the Disability Studies minor courses, an interest in disability representation in the media is analyzed in multiple situations. Representations in the media are important forms of representation of our society, because it directly reflects the viewpoints and the assumptions that are being made. Service animals are known to provide support for people with a variety of disabilities. These disabilities include physical, mental, psychological, and other disabilities through support, physical guidance, and companionship. These animals are providing service for the individuals in a manner that an individual person would not be able to perform the tasks in the same time …

Film Not Found: Current Cinematic Representation Of Fat Females And Scripting The Self, Amy Pistone

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Multimedia Reporting: Creating Unique Content That Spans Multiple Platforms, Joshua Carl Holland

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With the continued ease of access to the internet, it has become a vital medium to distribute news and sports information. This study documents the process of starting from a relatively absent online product to developing daily web content. Trial and error of different original content ideas for online as well as experimentations with translating broadcast content into a web product are coupled with interviews from professionals to create a framework of how to go about establishing an internet presence in an age of instant news. The case is generally focused on sports media due to the nature of my …

Seeing The Sacred, Emily Potter

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Seeing the Sacred is a multidisciplinary arts project exploring the purposes of sacred art and its relationship with community identity. The project highlights three common purposes of sacred art: to represent a worldview, to express identities as members of a community, and to connect with something bigger than ourselves. This Capstone Experience/Thesis Project developed through an intersection of three primary interests: visual art, community engagement, and religious studies. This project includes an overview of the CE/T’s origins and evolution, a written analysis of research goals and experiences, a review of relevant literature, a series of related artwork, and a collaborative …

The Assignment: How The Videographer's Role Is Shaped By The Job Assignment, Ian J. Dowty

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

I am a videographer. Yes, my degree will qualify me as a reporter, someone familiar with the inner workings of a news station. However, I posit that the School of Journalism and Broadcasting does not give you a career, but rather a skillset that prepares you for a range of jobs. My discipline taught me how to articulate my thoughts in a clear, concise manner, which translates well to script or track writing. In addition, I have technical abilities that enable me to handle video and audio equipment proficiently. Combining these capabilities with soft skills I honed over the past …

They're Watching Us: Conspiracy Theorists In Popular Media, Parker A. Hanna

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The term “conspiracy theorist” is often used in discussions as a rhetorical device to discredit a speaker on the basis of their opinions. The effect of this has been to turn attention away from the speaker’s stated opinions towards the speaker himself and his character as a “conspiracy theorist.” These negative connotations are recognized and understood by many thanks to archetypes of the “conspiracy theorist” character found in popular media, making the accusation an effective tool for muting the “conspiracy theorist’s” opinion in mainstream public forums, whether that forum is the news, politics, or real life. This paper examines stereotypical …

Gather, Katie M. Meek

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Food is both basic and multifaceted. It nourishes satisfies, levels, defines and gathers us. Food unifies and brings people together as part of the human experience. When people embrace food and make it their own, it can shape and define their lives in big ways.

Food can cultivate a lifestyle, preserve cultural identity, foster a small business, nurture relationships and serve a community.

This project is a documentation of five different groups of people that experience food in uniquely different ways. Through photo essays and written stories I strive to capture what how food brings people together in specific ways …

Launching And Maintaining A Wedding Photography Business, Shelley D. Owens

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With the popularity of the wedding industry in America perpetuated by social media, blogs, and other networking sites, thousands of self-employed photographers have set out to make a living documenting the most important day of some people’s lives. Digital photography appeals to many for its convenience, but having a camera does not make one a professional photographer. What separates the hobbyists from the professionals is the development of skills and creative vision and the proper legal and business licensing to make a profit off of their wedding photography. Shelley Owens provides her own experiences as a professional wedding photographer as …

Occupy The Future: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Dystopian Film And The Occupy Movement, Justin J. Grandinetti

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The anarchic Occupy Wall Street protests, which began in 2011, had an immediate impact on politics and the global lexicon. By introducing the terms “the one percent” and “the 99%” into the public sphere, Occupy was able to draw attention to growing global income inequality. This revolutionary spirit was not lost on popular culture, as a number of films that followed the protests were linked to Occupy. The Hunger Games (2012), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and Elysium (2013) represent films that were not only extremely successful in the box office, but were also connected to the Occupy Movement because …

A Miniseries Of Unfortunate Events: Realizing The Full Potential Of Lemony Snicket's Book Series Through Television Adaptation, Ryan T. Pait

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, a series of 13 children’s books, seemed like it had the potential to become a massive franchise in a similar vein to the Harry Potter film series. Snicket’s books feature three plucky protagonists, a sinister villain, and constantly-shifting settings—all elements that could make a successful movie series. A film adaptation, titled Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events was made in 2004. It adapted the first three books in the series, and became a moderate financial and critical success. Despite the success, no further films were made.

As a fan of Snicket’s …

Situating Urban Moving Images: Illuminating Place, Annie Dell'aria

Graduate Student Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Fest Winners, Ben Sweeney

Commentary

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Email from Ben Sweeney to Susan Werner and James Calitri about the film fest winners.

Friday, May 1, 2015