FTM Senior Seminar

Option #1: The Forgotten Actors

In my exploration of The Forgotten Actors, I would conduct research on the actors that have been lost to time. Finding out the stories and people that went into iconic movies, the ones that haven’t been remembered as fondly as their main character, would be the main goal. Throughout much of history, movies have been centered around one main protagonist, with many of the ensemble that support the plot being vastly overlooked, whether that be the supporting roles or the antagonists that they fight against.

This is also apparent in mainstream animated films, where the actors voice is the only aspect, the audience remembers. Actors such as Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who starred as Simba in The Lion King, but also in Home Improvement and I’ll be Home for Christmas, or Rick Moranis, whose iconic roles are still seen in Spaceballs and Honey: I Shrunk the Kids, stand as examples of people who have escaped public eye, and become lost relics of time. Understanding the film industry and how people leave whether willingly or forced, can help people reflect on the extraordinary works these actors have dedicated their lives to throughout their career.

Potential Films and Shows

The Princess Diaries

Director: Garry Marshall

Honey: I Shrunk the Kids

Director: Joe Johnston

Lifeboat

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Option #2: Diversity in Children's Media

For a long time, children’s media was surrounded by stereotypical films that seemed to be made from a cookie cutter rather than a writer’s room. However, in the past few years, these films have changed completely, focusing more on the variety of diverse cultures present through our communities. We all have iconic shows from our childhood, whether that is Ed, Edd and Eddy, SpongeBob SquarePants, or Tom and Jerry. These shows all aim to be general crowd pleasers, never talking much about the culture and politics behind the scenes, but of course why would you want them to? This is a common response to criticism towards these shows, however, now more than ever do we need children’s shows incorporating a diverse culture, so when kids start to encounter these themes or ideals in real-life, they are accustomed to it and understand it as a normal thing.

One show that is pushing this incorporation of culture and diversity is The Owl House, having a main character that is both Latina and a lesbian and showing it as something that is normal, not outrageous, or abnormal. This is also similar to new Pixar films, with casts that are from a variety of background and incorporating that into the characters that they portray. I believe that this new wave of media can be a great project to explore.

Potential Films and Shows

The Owl House

Creator: Dana Terrace

Soul (2020)

Director: Pete Docter

Coco

Directors: Adrian Molina, Lee Unkrich

Option #3: The Effects of Blaxploitation on Modern Culture

Throughout the Blaxploitation era of filmmaking, we were often encountered with a multitude of films that sought to merely appeal to the widest set of people, while also drawing in black audiences to increase viewership rates. While this era did create some memorable films like Shaft, we are forced to wonder if the stereotypes that these films upheld damaged the black community and aided in drawing further racial divides through our country, or if the era was just a decade that is worth forgetting.

The Blaxploitation era gave many prominent black actors a first shot into acting, while also inspiring many to pursue careers in film and other creative industries, similarly to Tupac’s journey through music, deriving from Blaxploitation films. In many other ways however, these films have helped solidify stereotypes for the black community, potentially helping in the creation of modern-day white supremacy, which aims to undermine the black community through generalization and picking and choosing battles to die on. This project would aim to find how blaxploitation has affected this culture, and if it is worth cherishing these films for the people and projects it was able to create, or look back with anger, knowing that this genre sparked a culture of hate that has continued to this day.

Potential Films and Shows

Shaft

Director: Gordon Parks

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Director: Melvin Van Peebles

Baad Asssss Cinema

Director: Isaac Julien

Summary

After reviewing the following options for my film project, I believe that the dive into diversity in children’s media will be my final choice. For so long children’s media has suffered from an industry full of people who stifled creative ideas in turn for shows that fit the mold for what kids “want to watch”, according to business executives. However, as the animation and children’s media industry has developed, films from extraordinary producers, directors, and writers, have been able to bless the silver screen, giving kids more than just a stereotypical white American perspective, and instead diving into the cultures that many people don’t get to experience.

I believe this option is the right way to go as this culture is ever present in our, and most importantly, our kids live. Understanding the kind of media that goes into the shows that our future kids watch and knowing the messages that these programs try to preach is important for any parent or guardian. The way that studios like Pixar, or TV networks like Disney have switched to providing compelling stories featuring a diverse cast is crucial to giving a future generation a wider perspective and point of view, all the while also telling stories that even adults flock to theatres to see. I’m glad to start researching and learning more for this project.

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