Acting as an audiovisual vector of catharsis, film has proved an innovative and effective tool in the process of reconstructing collective memory in the aftermath of traumatic events. This thesis focuses on the emergence of filmmakers and their movies in the post-dictatorial periods in Argentina and Chile as both nations sought to confront their violent pasts. A general overview of the process of memory construction is included to provide background for the subsequent analysis of film as a vector of collective memory following trauma. An examination and comparison of various films produced for both domestic and international audiences detail each country’s engagement with the political and cinematic process of dealing with ideas of truth, memory, and identity. Central themes include the reconstruction of the identity of the desaparecidos and the challenges of producing films of a faithful, factual, reconstructive nature that also result in commercial success and appeal.

This paper unpacks the franchise system and the often-tumultuous relationship between Producers and Consumers, especially around the release of new films by the Producers. Star Wars represents far more than just a corporate product. There is a thriving ecosystem around pieces that have touched fans lives personally. The reaction of fans to new media texts in existing franchises is in constant flux. Tumultuous emotions of betrayal come in waves from fans immediately following the release of new content. Specifically focusing on reception to prequel films, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), reveals how both generational differences and technology affect fan interaction and reaction across iterations of the franchise. Fans attempt to remediate the differences in cannon and their own interpretations of the franchise through fan creation. Fans have historically been early embracers of new technologies and have used increasingly available editing software and cameras to express their passion for the franchise. A digital world has created ever expanding platforms of interactivity in which Producers/Consumers can reach one another. The spaces in which these interactions occur have evolved from personal fan websites to social media sites. The amount of online information available to consumers, from reviews to fan content, has diminished the power of official franchise content. The release of Solo revealed a dangerous level of apathy from consumers. As opposed to the fervor surrounding powerful media texts at the time of The Phantom Menace, the diversified media landscape has undoubtedly affected Star Wars.

Anxiety disorders are some of the most prevalent mental illnesses in the United States, and young adults have developed a variety of coping mechanisms to deal with their symptoms. One of the most common is escapism, or the act of escaping reality by delving into alternate stimuli, fantasies, or media content, but this often leads to social or emotional isolation. Cooperative roleplaying games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, can alleviate symptoms of anxiety disorders while facilitating social interaction through escapism, creative thinking, play, and community building. The companion piece to this paper, Reflections of Fate, is a D&D 5e quest specifically designed with challenges and storylines to further these potentially healing effects.

In 2016, Disney animation studios released their newest princess film Moana. The film follows a seemingly feminist plot line of a young female heroine who saves the world from destruction. This study examines Moana (2016) in relation to the views on feminism in the U.S. Disney’s large social and economic influence provides rich grounds for this research. Using an ideological rhetorical criticism, I uncovered the presented and suggested elements of the film. These elements combined with research on U.S. feminist ideology allowed three ideological themes to emerge: ecofeminism, power feminism, and post-feminism. The three themes are threaded to create a seemingly feminist patchwork ideology. I argue that the patchwork ideology that is created is a result of the political and economic conditions present around the production of Moana. Furthermore, I argue that this patchwork ideology is ultimately harmful to current feminist ideology in the U.S. This study adds insight into how feminist ideology is used in popular media.

This thesis examines the evolution of gaming criticism (specifically ludology and narratology) and games as a medium of expression through the use of case studies. These case studies look at some of the core aspects of four major titles (The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, various BioWare games and Journey) and survey how these games work to effectively employ a narrative while maintaining an immersive, intuitive system for the player to interact with. Through these titles, the thesis suggests that in order to gain a full scope of a game’s intentions, studies should analyze more than the base story or gameplay, but rather the correlations between them as well as the ways that the visuals and audio aspects interact and enhance the narrative. Furthermore, it suggests the importance of creating gameplay that works with the story in order to ensure that the player always feels as though they have a stake in the outcome of the game, regardless of the nature of the narrative.

This thesis examines narrative representation of female characters in video games and how game narratives and representations contribute to socio-cultural discourse. First, this thesis explores and defines the cultural background for female representation in video games. It then defines video games as a type of text and describes the features that are unique to games, such as the use of avatars, and what impacts these features have on game narratives. The thesis attempts to establish evidence of an evolutionary arc of comprehensive female representation in video games by first exploring historical female narrative tropes, and then comparing them to narrative case studies of female characters within five recent game titles (Tomb Raider, Bayonetta, Dragon Age, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and Horizon: Zero Dawn). In these case studies, the implications for their representations of female characters are analyzed in the context of socio-cultural discourse. Furthermore, this thesis argues for the importance of diverse representation within video games as a form of media, and as cultural objects that contribute to social discourse.

This Senior Thesis is intended to provide a new perspective about New Media as its own medium and discuss the implications of having one world-wide medium by which to communicate with others.

This thesis examines the ways in which Reddit, a social news aggregator, functions as a tool that allows users to give and receive support and information during times of crisis. By exploring how Reddit was used in the aftermath of the Aurora shootings of July 2012 and the Boston bombings of April 2013, this thesis argues that Reddit has the potential to be a powerful and useful tool in times of crisis.

In 1974, decades before foreign terrorists became a fixture in the American consciousness, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), an American domestic terrorist group, abducted nineteen-year-old media heiress Patricia (Patty) Hearst. The abduction kicked off a four decade multi-faceted media spectacle. The media and public raptly followed Hearst’s imprisonment as a hostage, apparent conversion to SLA revolutionary and criminal, eventual rescue and arrest, trial and conviction, presidential pardon, marriage to her bodyguard, half-hearted career as an actress, and ultimate withdrawal from the public eye. Along the way, the media portrayal of Hearst twisted and turned. She was the heiress, the hostage, the criminal, the victim, depending on the moment in time. The varying depictions of Hearst reflected evolving events, but also specific images of Hearst that captured the attention of the American public and the media. Resonant images of Hearst from her kidnapping, arrest, trial, and release – spanning the five years from 1974 to 1979 – demonstrate that the heiress’s case became a magnification of American anxieties of the time concerning celebrity, feminism and gender, the radicalization of youth, and terrorism. In a time dominated by print, radio, and television media, Hearst’s portrayal showcased the media spectacle as cultural parable for a controversial time.

This thesis studies the explanation for the media fascination surrounding domestic violence criminal cases of professional athletes, and the reality of the power that the media has on the criminal justice system.