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Netflix has positioned itself at the forefront of the future of television with its original programming, which has been rolled out in greater and more frequent amounts just in the last couple of years. The streaming service has already experimented with creativity in ways most other shows and creators haven't,

Netflix has positioned itself at the forefront of the future of television with its original programming, which has been rolled out in greater and more frequent amounts just in the last couple of years. The streaming service has already experimented with creativity in ways most other shows and creators haven't, playing with the pacing of overall seasons as well as the length of episodes. So, too, Netflix has been at the forefront of increasing visibility for minority characters on television. Many of its shows incorporate racially diverse casts and depict lots of LGBTQ characters, a refreshingly realistic view of the world that many of its viewers have always lived in but haven't yet witnessed on television. Visibility and representation are critical concepts for analyzing minority characters on television. It is important for diverse characters to be seen, first and foremost, but also to be seen in positive or at least realistic lights. Care must be taken to avoid fulfilling stereotypes or tropes, and attention must be paid to what has happened to other characters who have come before. However, many of Netflix's portrayals of these characters, particularly bisexual characters, leave much to be desired. With the original dramas House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Orange is the New Black, and Sense8, all of which include characters who identify as or behave bisexually, Netflix has been reluctant to use the specific word bisexual to describe characters, and many don't even identify their sexuality with a synonym for the term. Many of the bisexual characters that I identified died or were killed on the shows, and nearly all of them fulfilled stereotypes or tropes in some way. There were multiple scenes of threesomes or other distinctly kinky sexual encounters, which served to exoticize bisexuality and distance it from the more normatively viewed identities of heterosexuality and homosexuality. Ultimately, while Netflix's original programming has offered increased visibility to bisexual characters, it has yet to reflect the real community it seeks to portray. In particular, Netflix's refusal to label characters as bisexual is frustrating and limiting. It can be argued that this is a progressive move toward more ideas of sexual fluidity and a post-modern lack of sexual labels, but there are not enough depictions of identified bisexual characters on television yet for this to make sense. Until bisexual characters and their identities are not invisibilized or stigmatized, more work has to be done to ensure that bisexual people are represented fairly and accurately on television and in all media.
Created2016-05
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Description
This work examines three common practices—yellowface in Cloud Atlas (2012), whitewashing in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and absence in Firefly (2002)—employed in popular science fiction that represent Asianness and disregard the Asian body. Though the creators purport to have progressive ideals at the center of their production choices, their

This work examines three common practices—yellowface in Cloud Atlas (2012), whitewashing in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and absence in Firefly (2002)—employed in popular science fiction that represent Asianness and disregard the Asian body. Though the creators purport to have progressive ideals at the center of their production choices, their works call on Techno-Orientalist and Orientalist tropes and divorce them from the Asian body, implicitly continuing the Orientalist argument of Western supremacy even in representing Asianness.
ContributorsTse, Kassidy Laurane (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Rondilla, Joanne (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
The television industry has experienced major changes in the past decade that have affected our behaviors, expectations, and perceptions of the world. New services offer different methods of consuming media and shift the way the industry defines television. The following research reflects on past trends in television history and the

The television industry has experienced major changes in the past decade that have affected our behaviors, expectations, and perceptions of the world. New services offer different methods of consuming media and shift the way the industry defines television. The following research reflects on past trends in television history and the current landscape in order to understand how television will continue to evolve, adapt, or return to old practices as it reacts to audiences' needs. From the growth of binge-watching to the proliferation of connected devices and digital technologies, the television industry faces many new challenges and opportunities. Consumers have shifted from the post-network era of cable's dominance to the leading online, digital services that enhance consumers' desires to have television anywhere and everywhere. Although these changes threaten the industry's current advertising models, they also present new ways for networks to connect with quality audiences, and thereby, shape our identities and consumer culture. This study analyzes the influence of these changes and considers how the current state of the television industry may continue to change in the future.
ContributorsDorsey, Caitlin Renee (Author) / Himberg, Julia (Thesis director) / Haggins, Bambi (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Live action and animation crossovers are not a new concept, the two have shared the screen successfully for a quite a long time i.e. Mary Poppins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, Pete's Dragon, The Pagemaster, Lizzie McGuire. The lines between the two medium have blurred. This creative project will

Live action and animation crossovers are not a new concept, the two have shared the screen successfully for a quite a long time i.e. Mary Poppins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, Pete's Dragon, The Pagemaster, Lizzie McGuire. The lines between the two medium have blurred. This creative project will result in the complete production of a short live action film that has a 2D animated character who serves as a storytelling element, emphasizing the production and integration of this 2D character. This character aids in portraying the personality, feelings, and story of the main "real life" character to the audience.
ContributorsLocke, Regan Gabriella (Author) / Ralston, Laurie (Thesis director) / Westover, Chad (Committee member) / Graphic Information Technology (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
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Description
This paper analyzes the television show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine within the context of the other Trek series, especially the original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, with a particular focus on multiculturalism. Previous Trek series present an image of the United Federation of Planets that has evolved

This paper analyzes the television show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine within the context of the other Trek series, especially the original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, with a particular focus on multiculturalism. Previous Trek series present an image of the United Federation of Planets that has evolved into a peaceful, cooperative, post-scarcity, multicultural utopia, but gloss over the difficulties the Federation governments must have faced in creating this utopia and must still face in maintaining it. I argue that DS9’s shift in focus away from exploration and towards a postcolonial, multicultural, stationary setting allows the show to interrogate the nature of the Federation’s multicultural utopia and showcase the difficulties in living in and managing a space with a plurality of cultures. The series, much more than those that precede and follow it, both directly and indirectly criticizes the Federation and its policies, suggesting that its utopian identity is based more in assimilation than multiculturalism. Nonetheless, this criticism, which is frequently abandoned and even undermined, is inconsistent. By focusing on three of the show’s contested spaces/settings—the space station itself, the wormhole, and the demilitarized zone—I analyze the ways in which DS9’s ambivalent criticism of the success of multiculturalism challenges the confidence of the Trek tradition.
ContributorsPoterack, Vivien Eulalie (Author) / Free, Melissa (Thesis director) / Sandlin, Jennifer (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
TIME CLASH
by
Sam Gerkin

A Serialized Single-Camera Comedy for Streaming

For my Thesis, I wrote an original TV Pilot Script and a Series “bible”. In lieu of a defense, I wrote a paper about the process of writing the Pilot.

Defining Principle:
Though different people often have very

TIME CLASH
by
Sam Gerkin

A Serialized Single-Camera Comedy for Streaming

For my Thesis, I wrote an original TV Pilot Script and a Series “bible”. In lieu of a defense, I wrote a paper about the process of writing the Pilot.

Defining Principle:
Though different people often have very different beliefs, we all must fight for the beliefs that hold a society together.

Logline:
Extremely different individuals from the past, present, and future must find a way to work together to save the universe from evil creatures in present-day Phoenix, Arizona.
ContributorsGerkin, Samuel (Co-author) / Gerkin, Sam (Co-author) / Maday, Gregory (Thesis director) / Bernstein, Gregory (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
When you think of actors, you probably think of the glitz and glam of Hollywood. It is a career many desire to have because of this initial perception. Who does not want to live the lavish life of an actor? Who does not want to get paid to basically play

When you think of actors, you probably think of the glitz and glam of Hollywood. It is a career many desire to have because of this initial perception. Who does not want to live the lavish life of an actor? Who does not want to get paid to basically play dress up? The truth is acting is much more, and less, than that. In fact, there are almost no two actors with the same exact journey to where they are. The career itself is very subjective, which is quite the scary thought to many including myself. Since I was a kid, acting is all I wanted to do. However, I have also always been someone who enjoys stability and consistent next steps, which is why I have been terrified at the idea of pursuing acting for so long. It is not a career that guarantees success. It is not even a career that has one definition of success. What is not shown behind the flashing lights and the glamour is what it truly takes to “make it”. Like I said, there are different variations of “making it” as well. Because of this idea that a career in acting is not all one thing, I wanted to find the commonalities. Are there things anyone who wants to be an actor, whether it is theater, film, television, or commercial acting, can do to increase their chances for success? What are the steps necessary to be taken seriously in this industry? In this thesis, I am going to explore the intricacies of this career to try to answer these questions.
ContributorsBrook, Loza H (Author) / Collis, Adam (Thesis director) / Espinosa, Micha (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Educated is a single camera comedy developed as an adaptation of my and my friend Mazhar’s actual friendship through college into a 30 minute single-camera comedy show that attempts to portray a representative college experience in a way that has not been done before on television. I created a multi-faceted

Educated is a single camera comedy developed as an adaptation of my and my friend Mazhar’s actual friendship through college into a 30 minute single-camera comedy show that attempts to portray a representative college experience in a way that has not been done before on television. I created a multi-faceted survey about the state of current content set on a college campus as well as elements of what respondents define as representative of a true college experience. My survey featured sections assessing demographic information, collegiate involvement, ability to recall films and TV shows set on a college campus, evaluation of the reality level of existing college films and TV shows, and viewership preferences. Those that took the survey believed that college as currently presented in film and TV is inaccurate and focuses on aspects like party culture over the true complexity of life at a university. In addition, respondents could recall significantly fewer college TV shows than films, and consistently rated that they did not feel represented by the university-set content that they had dealt with. Based upon this information and my own experiences throughout my four years at a university, I developed the concept for my show and wrote concept paragraphs for three 10-episode seasons of the show, with each season representing one academic year at the university. The show focuses equally on the lives of Mazhar and Eli, two high school best friends going to their state university and capturing their experiences with a diverse cast of friends, romantic interests, and professors.
ContributorsBliman, Eli Joshua (Author) / Maday, Gregory (Thesis director) / Sopha, Matthew (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
This thesis interprets and discusses the concept of representation of marginalized groups on television. The focus is on the character of Piper Chapman from the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, and how her depiction is a unique kind of approach to the idea of The Burden

This thesis interprets and discusses the concept of representation of marginalized groups on television. The focus is on the character of Piper Chapman from the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, and how her depiction is a unique kind of approach to the idea of The Burden of Representation. This idea theorizes that where there is representation, there is a duty held by the creators to tell a story that will not damage the communities it represents, as those stories shape the way the people who consume them think about said communities in real-life situations. However, if the creators were to construct a character or narrative that is perfect and “to-good-to-be-true,” that narrative may not be true to what is experienced by people in day-to-day life. One approach to this problem of non-damaging representation vs. genuine representation, is to create a character or narrative that is imperfect, but still a positive depiction. Not all “good” representation has to be perfect representation.
Through the examination of Piper Chapman’s character development, the narrative structure of Orange is the New Black, and the historical context of its representation in comparison to previous iterations, this thesis analyzes the unique way in which the show approaches its characters, setting, and storylines. The main subjects of analysis are Piper, and her girlfriend Alex Vause, each representing the bisexual and lesbian communities, respectively, and the major tropes that will be discussed are “the experimenting bisexual,” “the criminal lesbian,” “the vampiric lesbian,” and “bury your gays.” Each trope plays a significant role on the show, but the way the show uses its narrative structure and character development creates a new approach to the subversion of said tropes. Orange is the New Black focuses on telling a more human story rather than creating a perfect representation, while it still maintains a positive image for its characters.
ContributorsMcdermot, Kathryn Lynne (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Descent is a modern television adaptation of Dante's Inferno, in which the main characters must navigate the levels of the Dark Web instead of Hell. This Creative Project includes the script for the first episode of this series, as well as episode summaries for each of the 10 episodes in

Descent is a modern television adaptation of Dante's Inferno, in which the main characters must navigate the levels of the Dark Web instead of Hell. This Creative Project includes the script for the first episode of this series, as well as episode summaries for each of the 10 episodes in the first season.
ContributorsSchroeder, Elizabeth Marie (Author) / Bradley, Christopher (Thesis director) / Himberg, Julia (Committee member) / Winters, Justin (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12