Film Production Commons^™

Danger! Ai Art Directors Ahead: An Analysis Of Text-To-Image And Text-To-Video Ai Integrations In Production Design For Film And Television, Katherine Gaylord, Charles Howard, Richard Rohrer

Honors Thesis

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom in the last decade has sparked exponential excitement, especially in white collar industries, for the possibilities of cost-cutting and streamlining tasks across industries. However, creative industries which were historically driven by human artistry report majority fear regarding copyright/fair-use, legal protections, and job security.

Production Designs and Art Departments in particular question how, or even if, their talent and creativity will fit into an AI powered entertainment industry. Since the inception of filmmaking, Art Departments have brought fantastical visions to life through set design, props, art, costumes, and beyond. Yet, in the age of AI, Text-to-Image …

Beyond The Mic: A Documentary Of Kaor’S Voices & History, Sydney M. Kolln

Honors Thesis

The University of South Dakota’s Media & Journalism Department celebrated the 40th anniversary of KAOR, the university’s student-run radio station, on Oct. 2, 2025. The celebration recognized generations of students whose creativity, leadership, and dedication contributed to the station’s growth and continued legacy on campus. This thesis explores the history and growth of KAOR through research, historical documents, and personal accounts from former and current KAOR students. By examining the station across multiple decades, the project highlights how student radio has adapted to changing technology and campus culture. This written thesis accompanies a 30-minute documentary focused on key eras in …

The Design Of Time: Envisioning The Future Through Science Fiction Production Design In The Alien Franchise, Josephine Spanier, Charles Howard

Honors Thesis

In filmmaking, the production designer works closely with the director and cinematographer to ensure cohesion and uniqueness in the film’s visual design. This collaboration often provides the designer with a strong degree of influence on the film’s final look, thus shaping the thematic and visual impact of a film on the audience. In highly stylized and fantastical genres, such as science fiction, production design plays an especially important role in creating worlds that may be entirely different from the one we currently live in, while still reflecting the real-world context in which the film was made. This phenomena can particularly …

Robotic Rhythm: A Contemporary Look At Ai-Driven Editing Tools’ Efficacy In Understanding And Replicating Creative Rhythm Editing Techniques., Alexander Selby-Lara, Charles Howard

Honors Thesis

It is undeniable that artificial intelligence (AI) has made its way into the film world. From AI-generated imagery and sound design in two 2025 Oscar nominees — The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez (Pulver) — to weekly updates and monthly beta releases of existing and new generative image and video models, AI-driven filmmaking tools are here to stay. But what does this mean for the post-production workflow? Much like camera development, editing technology has come a long way from flatbed film editors to Adobe Premiere Pro v. 25.0. Yet, despite each technological leap from system to system, the delicate task of …

Artificial Creativity: How Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Creativity Via Post-Production, Nicole Dwyer

Honors Thesis

My thesis lives in the world of Post-Production, and it contains both a creative and written component. I was the editor for four Undergraduate thesis projects. Seeking to gain experience in editing various genres, I worked in drama, sports, period piece, coming of age, and adventure. My biggest takeaways from these projects are the importance of organization, communication, time management, and editing with a sense of imagination. I became a more confident, resilient, and prepared editor through these experiences.

Along with the hands-on filmmaking element of my thesis, I also conducted research on how artificial intelligence will impact conceptions of …

Video Art In The Gallery Space, Juliet Wang, Matthew Thompson

Honors Thesis

The gallery space poses several challenges for incorporation of audiovisual or video elements, including offset entrances, lack of time investment, sound bleed, and light bleed. In order for an audiovisual work to be well optimized for the gallery space, ideally the artist should not only find ways around as many of these “challenges” as possible but also to embrace them and have the work be stronger because of these challenges.

Beyond Film School: A Producer's Guide To Navigating The Film Industry, Emily Kelly

Honors Thesis

This honors thesis serves as a roadmap for aspiring producers as they navigate the transition from film school to the film industry, pulling insights from seasoned producers in the industry. It breaks down a producer’s journey into four key steps: identifying producing preferences, mastering the concept of pitching, balancing work and personal life, and solving financial challenges. The paper concludes with an important reminder to stay true to yourself in this new phase of life.

The Television Showrunner: A Case Study Analysis Of Insecure And Fleabag, Haley Bulen, Charles Howard

Honors Thesis

In light of the rise in video-on-demand (VOD) services, television has exploded in popularity on an international scale, eclipsing its predecessor of movies. This phenomenon has been further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic as audiences flocked to their television screens during Stay-At-Home orders. Specifically, Netflix received 15 million more subscribers since mid- March, 2.3 million more Americans subscribed to Netflix since March, and broadcast television viewing has jumped by 8.3 million viewers (Fitzgerald). With the demand for high-quality entertainment, the role of the television creator/showrunner has become increasingly important, as this individual or pair of individuals is tasked with maintaining …

Do It Yourself: Women And Lgbtq+ Musicians And Promoters In The Diy Midwest Music Scene, Morgan W. Matzen

Honors Thesis

In certain parts of the Midwest “DIY,” or the underground/alternative music scene, there is not enough representation of women, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals in music, whether onstage as a band or musician, or in venue ownership and leadership. This study looks at where these diverse people are, and the setbacks they’ve faced along the way of becoming a musician, promoter or venue owner. Three emerging themes through this journalistic research include all-ages venues and music scenes as integral to getting people involved in music; a “DIY” attitude or ethos as a push for these musicians and promoters to …

Production Design In The Film And Television Space: An Analysis, Kaitlyn N. Ryan, Charles Howard

Honors Thesis

Due to the differences between film and television production, the methodologies for doing production design in film and television are necessarily different, as both can fall victim to a number of disparate constraints and limitations that affect the art department. However, a large part of the difference also comes down to the individual designer, as well as the intentions of the film or TV show. To further explain this conclusion, I will give a brief overview of the history and general methodology of production design as a whole. I will then dive into my research on the subject, which includes …

Free Views To Pay Per Views, Andrew York

Honors Thesis

The purpose of this research was to analyze three different narrative web series that were adapted into traditional television formats within the past ten years. Delving into how the creators marketed themselves, created the content, and distributed the content allows the reader to notice strategies that worked in the past to sell stories to production companies.