ABSTRACT THE CREATION OF THE FEATURE SCREENPLAY: RAILMASTER By Patrick Van Slyke This report details the writing of Railmaster, a feature-length historical fiction film script. It is a story of how industrialization was used in repression of the Nativ . . .

This paper is a reflection and analysis of my journey writing, acting, and producing my short film, <italic>14 Hundred 40</italic>. I discuss not only the evolution of the script and my character, Birdie, but also the inspirations behind the project. . . .

Tambatajá de Marrí is a movie that represents a desire to create, through an original cinematic language, an authentic portrait of Colares - a remote island that exists in the Amazon region of Brazil, my home. As the movie's narrative unfolds a true s . . .

The intention of my thesis work is to communicate the cultural and sociopolitical environment that existed in the later1960s Czechoslovakia and the function and relationship between the concepts of paradox and memory in this environment. My investigat . . .

The thesis I set out to accomplish is one that I had envisioned long before I decided to pursue a Master's Degree. The goal was to write a filmmaking textbook, as well as shoot a narrative film to accompany the book. The film will serve as interactive . . .

Mujeres de Maiz Herstory in Los Angeles is a raw experimental documentary short that is composed of personal testimonies, archival footage, animation and the herstorical power of female unity to create a space for women’s voices, resistance and social . . .

My culminating project to complete my Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Television, Film, and Theater in Acting was playing the role of Lucy, in my independently, self-produced production of Mr. Marmalade by Noah Haidle. Mr. Marmalade is a dark comedy ab . . .

The purpose of this project report is to outline my roles as producer, writer, and actor on the short film, <italic>Little Treasure</italic>, which was produced to fulfill the thesis requirements for the MFA in Television, Film and Theatre at Californ . . .

In order to serve a community that has been rattled by gang violence, bombarded with graffiti and has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the city, I aimed to inspire social change while educating the youth on the importance murals serve . . .

Trying to connect what seemingly is unrelated, I use juxtaposition in my work as a tool to address subjects of war, patriarchy, consumerism, marriage, capitalism, violence, motherhood, feminism, and rituals. This concoction is a monstrous circus fille . . .

The Device is a science-fiction, feature-length screenplay set on a post-apocalyptic, futuristic Earth. The main protagonist – a geo-biologist named Chaya Maat – is forced to locate the Earth’s damaged cloaking device after Earth is invaded by aliens . . .

In this report I reflect on my journey as Leontes in the California State University, Los Angeles production of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, directed by Dr. Theresa Larkin and performed in the State Playhouse February 21 through March 3, 2 . . .

My thesis project was to write the first draft of a full-length play, The Happy Slave. What follows is a report of my experience conceiving, researching, and writing the play. The Happy Slave is set in the fictional Texas town of Slippery Slope, as th . . .

Chuck and Nancy is a fictional, single-camera comedy pilot for television based on the friendship between two women in their thirties - one straight, one gay - who become roommates after failed relationships. CHUCK (32) is an androgynous, charming, ta . . .

Artistic integrity is defined by my values and the process that formed this project. It is where my inner artist is nurtured with the power to transform my desires to be stronger then my fears to become whole, or at one with my art. Without integrity . . .

For my thesis project, I wanted to incorporate different aspects of filmmaking and film theory that I had learned and developed a passion for during my time in the MFA Program at CSULA. Namely, I wanted to combine my passions for Film Noir, web media . . .

<italic>Little Treasure</italic> is a low budget musical comedy short film that examines several contemporary issues in women's lives today through the life experiences, memories, fantasies and expectations of our protagonist. The film was a collabora . . .

‘Something Old, Something New’ is a short film adapted from a 10-minute theater play, ‘Something Borrowed, Something New’ by Joshua Archer. On their wedding day, Michael declares he is not ready to walk down the aisle, only to have Amber, the bride, t . . .

My interest lies in the complicated relationship between fine art and the applied arts. In this paper I intend to shed light on the meanings generated by my art practice and how they are applied in my thesis exhibition "Universal Gym Machine." The tit . . .

On October 20-22, 2016, Master of Fine Arts candidate Robert Glen Decker presented the play Barrymore by William Luce as his thesis project at California State University, Los Angeles. In performing this dynamic theatre piece, he demonstrated versatil . . .

For my thesis project, I produced, directed and choreographed a production of The Toxic Avenger Musical, which was part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, June 2016. The Toxic Avenger Musical ran for four weeks, twelve performances. This introduction w . . .

Broken Landscapes is a sculptural work that invites the viewer to rethink their relationship with nature. Using porcelain topographic reliefs supported on paraffin, the work addresses the topic of land and the tensions produced by the artificial separ . . .

Girl in the City is a single-cam, half-hour comedy from the point of view of Aliya Sharma, an Indian girl who moves to LA to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. I have been working on this idea for quite some time now and have workshopped it in a . . .

Mythic Landscapes is a multi-component sculptural installation of ceramic objects that operate together as imaginary environments. The sculpted forms within the work range from abstract plants to quasi-architectural geologic structures. The objects ar . . .

My Voice No Longer Quivers is a short experimental stage performance. The play is based on a personal biographical incident, which happened to my father. This piece is created to promote social and political change by highlighting inequalities of race . . .

This thesis project explores the process of writing The Wedding Present, an original full-length play, and the production of a staged reading of it. The play tells the story of an organic farmer in Minnesota who, on the eve of his wedding, discovers t . . .

Libraries are evolving communities that encourage collaboration. People from diverse demographics gather around these centers for various purposes, making connections between those who serve the library and those who attend the library in the process. . . .

This thesis gives a written account of my short documentary Catchers in Beijing from its inception to completion. It is a documentary about a group of young, educated people living in Beijing, chasing their dreams – or about to give up on them. The ti . . .

In this paper, the author will provide a comparative analysis of Beijing and Traditional Western opera. The rest of the paper is structured as follows: Chapter two highlights the origins and development of the two operas, Chapter three is an analysis . . .

This paper is in partial fulfillment for the requirements for the Master’s Degree of Fine Art in Dramatic Writing. This paper is a self-analysis of the process and purpose of writing and producing my full-length play, American Conspiracy. It will serv . . .

Often, I get caught up in having control over everything, especially when it comes to photography. Line 33 is all about letting go of control and experiencing the process and result that comes with it. Even though I chose which bus and route to take, . . .

<italic>SCRIPTED.<italic> is a fictional dramedy pilot for television based on Underdog, a struggling Reality TV production company. Once at the top of their game, they've fallen from grace since their founder, Robert Pup, passed away. Brothers Jake a . . .

Me and My Good Times is a video series which glimpses an era. In this work I examine experience, from the scope of the meditative, to the confessional. During this time of my life- as a dancer in Hollywood living in near downtown Los Angeles, I sought . . .

This thesis gives a written account of my short documentary Catchers in Beijing from its inception to completion. It is a documentary about a group of young, educated people living in Beijing, chasing their dreams – or about to give up on them. The ti . . .

I have completed a script for a one-act theatrical work which I can produce and perform in the Los Angeles theatre community and nationally. My ambition was to creatively incorporate my background in Latin American Studies (B.A.), along with oral and . . .

Juba is a screenplay and a thesis or report about the discovery and writing process of writing the screenplay. The protagonist, Juba, is a fictional Louisiana slave who upon Emancipation sets out to find her daughter who was sold away as a child. The . . .

Blind Justice is a short film based on a full-length feature script, which in-turn was derived from the classic Greek play, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. The film uses F. Storr's century old English translation of the original Greek text, which dates to 430 . . .

I explore the relationship of culture and technology in my painting practice. I use the imagery from communication devices to underscore our daily interaction with analog and digital circuitry. Technological innovations and devices such as radio frequ . . .

Working Curls offers a humorous look at the movement in the Black hair community to return to their natural hair. This web series introduces misconceptions that both African-Americans and non-African-Americans have about black hair. Working Curls usin . . .

A report on the writing, producing, and performing of The Helenas, a one-act, one-woman play by Callie M Prendiville Johnson. The Helenas follows a young woman named Helena in modern day Los Angeles who examines her namesakes in Shakespeare's A Midsum . . .

The aim of this thesis project is to inspire future students to push the boundaries of visual effects techniques through using consumer personal computers in order to expand the stories produced by university film students. I will explore how a short . . .

This work is the visual exploration of identity through memory. The project embraces the notion that the mind is the creator of our identity and the force behind the body; it is what drives the body. It has the power to alter our perception, create me . . .

This is the story of a comedienne who goes on a journey one summer driving her dad, who has dementia, from Kentucky to California. In the process she reflects upon the lessons she has learned throughout her life from her father, especially the fact th . . .

This MFA film project was produced utilizing digital production tools for the three primary phases of its production, i.e., pre-production, principle-photography and post-production. Production utilized digital tools including scripting, scheduling an . . .

My thesis performance project, entitled, Being an American, was a one-woman, autobiographical, devised theatre piece that was inspired by my experiences living in America as an international student. The performance was staged for an audience on Novem . . .

I have produced visual artworks to analyze and interpret the notions of Reality, Truth and Self. Flower Power is the product of my project that consists of seven artworks including paintings and drawings. Each piece is developed independently that sta . . .

Vestigiality is an evolutionary concept developed by Charles Darwin to explain the presence of non-functional human traits, essential for establishing a link with our ancient ancestors. Centuries later, vestigiality was proven to occur at the molecula . . .

The purpose of this project report is to evaluate my role as producer, writer, and actor on the short film, Intervention X. The film was produced to fulfill the thesis requirements for the Master of Fine Arts in Television, Film and Theatre at Califor . . .

This paper looks at the creation of a sustainable collaborative theater practice through the development of Hold Me Tight, an original theatre-dance performance devised with the ensemble. Developed over a ten-month period, Hold Me Tight is inspired by . . .

In this thesis report, I chronicle the production process of my film, The Dancing Class, for the completion of the MFA thesis. The Dancing Class is a fictional short film that depicts a dancer who studies at a top dance school and her intense desire t . . .

“Chicana feminism is in various stages of development...It is recognition that women are oppressed as a group and are exploited as part of la Raza people. It is a direction to be responsible to identify and act upon the issues and needs of Chicana wom . . .

This paper presents an exploration of my role as director for the show Bus Stop by William Inge presented in the Arena Theatre at California State University, Los Angeles in Winter 2015. The focus of this paper will analyze my work as a director, from . . .

The Unexpected Guest is a fictional Asian original short film that features the fictional character Wei Jing Lin as a Taiwanese national residing in Los Angeles. Disaster strikes Wei Jing when his former music industry job rejects his working visa and . . .

I directed and collaborated with performance artist John Fleck on a performance piece entitled Blacktop Highway, which I directed for Redcat's NOW Festival in August, 2014. Using the structure of classic horror films, we explore mixing cinematic narra . . .

My thesis project consisted of revising the pilot episode of “Getting Bi,” a one-hour television high school drama series and writing the storylines for the 10-episode first season of the show. “Getting Bi” is the story of a teen girl who searches for . . .

Beginning in January of 2015, I had the privilege of working with Deaf West Theatre and California State University, Los Angeles on a co-production of David Mamet’s critically acclaimed play, American Buffalo. After three years of intense actor traini . . .

The Device is a science-fiction, feature-length screenplay set on a post-apocalyptic, futuristic Earth. The main protagonist – a geo-biologist named Chaya Maat – is forced to locate the Earth’s damaged cloaking device after Earth is invaded by aliens . . .

The title of my Thesis, ‘Re-Membering Us: Faces of the Unconscious,’ is inspired by a passage of the book, Projection and Re-collection: Reflections of the Soul, by M. Von Franz (169). The intention of this project is to materially and visually explor . . .

For my culminating thesis project towards completion of my MFA in Television, Film and Theatre (TVFT) Acting Option, I performed three separate roles in Loft Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of the swashbuckling comedy Long Joan Silver by Arthur . . .

<italic>Trick Answer</italic> is a cross discipline work and that utilizes with videos, performances and three-dimensional elements occupying a single space synchronously. The central piece of <italic>Trick Answer</italic> is <italic>Detritus Hall</it . . .

The thesis I set out to create is one that I wished to make during my first semester in the MFA program here at California State University, Los Angeles, while in my ‘Directing for Stage’ class. This film was adapted for the screen from a theatre prod . . .

My thesis paper examines the entire procedure involved when composing and presenting a punk rock opera/musical to the audience. It explores the simple steps practically used in the composition of a punk rock opera through a case study of personal expe . . .

This MFA thesis project, entitled Chess & the Stranger, is a short dramatic surrealist film. It is a story that uses magical realism and turns into a psychological thriller. Chess & the Stranger focuses on the unstable emotional or mental states of it . . .

The concept for this thesis, supported by the paintings in my graduation exhibition, is the remarriage of the portrait and environment. Taking up where some of the modernists left off at portraiture’s decline, the exhibit combines traditional skill wi . . .

This thesis gives a written account of my short documentary Catchers in Beijing from its inception to completion. It is a documentary about a group of young, educated people living in Beijing, chasing their dreams – or about to give up on them. The ti . . .

On October 20-22, 2016, Master of Fine Arts candidate Robert Glen Decker presented the play Barrymore by William Luce as his thesis project at California State University, Los Angeles. In performing this dynamic theatre piece, he demonstrated versatil . . .

Shooting an Elephant is a film that depicts the surrealistic fantasy of a man running from his troubled past. For the protagonist and author alike, it answers the question "If you could go anywhere, where would you go?" This thesis report describes th . . .

College Ruled is an adult, animated television series. The show is a social satire. I discuss my journey developing this television series and how present day adult, animated television shows inspired me to create this animated series. Chapter one exp . . .

I am a marginalized person. As an Asian American, I was deemed "too Asian" by others and not "Asian enough," "white-washed," or "too American" by other Asians. A marginalized person born from two/more different cultures might experience an internal co . . .

Apperception is a sculptural work that engages viewers to connect the object presented. This transpires through their reflection of its meaning based on their own experiences in relation to the object. Philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) distinguish . . .

This project report covers much of the process that went into making my Master’s thesis film Copy Control. The short film and following paper mark the culmination of my work as a production student in the Television, Film and Theatre MFA program at CS . . .

Silenced Screams is a play that shows how Mexican drug cartels, government and media companies have been annihilating of free speech and the indifference of the society to this social and cultural catastrophe.

This project report explores the process of writing Life Line, an original play, and the production of the play for the John Lion New Plays Festival. The play originated from a traumatic incident from the playwright’s past and this project report expl . . .

ABSTRACT Gila: One Hour Drama TV Pilot By Marie-Françoise Theodore My culminating Thesis project to complete my MFA in Television, Film and Theatre, Dramatic Writing Option is Gila, a one-hour drama Television Pilot. The central character, Gila, is a . . .

Based on a true story, the film Dawn portrays one woman’s transition from cancer surgery to cancer survivor. Dawn returns home after emergency cancer surgery to recuperate, but is forced to confront the harsh consequences. The cancer has destroyed her . . .

My paintings serve as contemporary interpretations of casta paintings and explore the impact and transfer of the Colonial class system in Mexico, as documented by the casta paintings, to contemporary class systems in the United States, specifically in . . .

The following thesis describes and delineates the creative process of taking an original source material, Valor, from inception, to written play, to produced play, to adapted screenplay, to finished film. Valor chronicles a moment in the life of Bill . . .

I developed a story simultaneously as a comic book and as a play in order to examine how the differences between the mediums affected the development of the story. The story I told is called "Lately Something's Changed" and follows the last two males . . .

In the Name of Love: Absolving Criminals Through the Work of Sabreena Ahmadi documents the research, writing, and revision process while writing The Absolved— a one-hour television pilot that looks into the life of an Iranian-American lawyer as she re . . .

This project report explores my collection of paintings. I have been influenced by a number of literatures that I have encountered in my adult years. A few of the ones that I will be discussing include “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, “T . . .

Man and Wife is a feature-length romantic dramedy set in present-day New Orleans, Louisiana, that follows couples and singles in different stages of their lives who cross paths as they deal with relationships, infidelity, and alternative lifestyles. M . . .

The project presented in this paper reflects my time directing and producing a production of Almost, Maine by John Cariani. The play was produced at California State University, Los Angeles on April 11-13, 2013. While directing this play I told a stor . . .

In this report, I will reflect on my work as an actor and fight director for Southern California Shakespeare Festival’s (SCF) production of Macbeth. This report will consider the coursework in which I engaged while at Cal State LA, including Fitzmauri . . .

This pedagogical portfolio presents a curriculum designed specifically for fifth through twelfth grade English Language Arts students. Story Circle is a writing program dedicated to encouraging students to find their authentic voices through storytell . . .

Literacy and the use of technology are essential skills for daily life. Students whose primary literacy medium is braille must develop reading and writing skills, use those skills to gain greater knowledge, and effectively use a variety of technologie . . .

The purpose of this project was to create a web-series about three different women who share the comedic happenings of their lives with one another. All the lead women are reflective of my personal life experiences. I address my inspiration for choosi . . .

The purpose of this project was to create a web-series about three different women who share the comedic happenings of their lives with one another. All the lead women are reflective of my personal life experiences. I address my inspiration for choosi . . .

Totems function as balance and invite the viewer to consider the broader concepts of beauty through surface manipulation and the juxtaposition of materials. Each form strikes an emotional balance between the beauty that surrounds us and the ‘ugliness’ . . .

Does society contribute to the creation of social predators? That question is the basis of my research and the underlying purpose for my thesis film project. The full-length feature film (co-written with Stevie Long), "Tiez of Violence," examines the . . .

This thesis project, entitled Love In Los Angeles, tells the story of a Chinese girl, Lila, who travels from China to Los Angeles with the goal of taking a sunset picture. In L.A., she gets help from her Chinese Internet friend, Manni. On her journey, . . .

My thesis short film tells the story of a young American realtor named Mike and his client, an elderly Chinese man named Mr. Chi, learning a lesson about life from each other through the time they spend together searching for houses. Mike and Chi repr . . .

For my culminating Thesis Project towards completion of my MFA in Television, Film and Theatre (TVFT)/Acting Option, at the California State University, Los Angeles, I performed the role of Jacinta in Lope de Vega’s Fuente Ovejuna. The production ran . . .

“Examining the Effects of Disease, Dying, and Death Emotionally and Psychologically Through a One-Woman Show” will explore, discuss, and share my experience(s) of these topics as a woman in her late twenties. This report will take you through my prepa . . .

The Device is a science-fiction, feature-length screenplay set on a post-apocalyptic, futuristic Earth. The main protagonist – a geo-biologist named Chaya Maat – is forced to locate the Earth’s damaged cloaking device after Earth is invaded by aliens . . .

Across the US and abroad, voice training for the actor is a mandatory study. The actor needs to learn proper breathing, articulation, projection, and at times, develop the tools for character dialects and regional accents. However, this training is tr . . .

Home is a feature-length film in the suspense/horror genre that takes the classic haunted house motif re-envisioned with an Asian Pacific American story and protagonists. The film was shot under the Screen Actors Guild Ultra Low Budget contract with t . . .

The Pirate Steals a Bride is a series of photographs that depict a unique relationship between nature and society in the context of a traditional romantic heterosexual relationship. I use the genre of romance books along with seeds/plants to explore t . . .

A report on the writing, producing, and performing of The Helenas, a one-act, one-woman play by Callie M Prendiville Johnson. The Helenas follows a young woman named Helena in modern day Los Angeles who examines her namesakes in Shakespeare's A Midsum . . .

ABSTRACT Something About Lucy By James Yi Something About Lucy is an original short film that follows a nonlinear narrative in the psychological thriller genre. While traveling abroad, I became very interested in the use of story structure and plot im . . .

This thesis gives a written account of my short documentary Catchers in Beijing from its inception to completion. It is a documentary about a group of young, educated people living in Beijing, chasing their dreams – or about to give up on them. The ti . . .