COLLECTION NAME:
Graduate Thesis Collection
Record
Title:
Coming of a New Age
Creator:
Nixon, David Micheal, Jr.
Subject:
Thesis (M.F.A.) -- Film and Television
Subject:
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Film and Television
Rights:
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract:
"This thesis paper will serve as an exploration and analysis of the coming-of-age genre within the history of cinema and look to interpret where the film category now exists in contemporary cinema since its inception onto the big screen in the 1950s. As a current graduate Film and Television student whose thesis film is of the coming-of-age genre, I feel it is important for me to understand the history of this genre of filmmaking to understand its roots within the medium so that I can chronicle its past to define its foundation and evolution. Films that have been created within the diaspora of this particular style of filmmaking have always strived to be the voice of a generation that was once viewed as unheard or misrepresented; a fresh perspective that is often derived from youth and a quest for self-identity. However, as time has progressed the genre has become bogged down with stereotypes and predictable plot structures that are the very antithesis of what the genre represents within its characters. However, contemporary filmmakers have looked to take what was and push forward and expose further into the realities of misrepresented and unheard voices of a new generation. In these cases, however, the subject matters are rooted in more raw and uncensored circumstances that are centered around race, sexuality, and challenging social-economic structures; which previously were untapped stories. Coming-of-age films continue to lay the groundwork for filmmakers to find their identity within themselves as artists, and in doing so are finding new methods to fundamentally tell these stories through this classic genre of filmmaking in an exciting and challenging new way. In consequence, these efforts fuel the evolution and progression of the genre with the abundance of new stories and perspectives that possess a greater sense of relevancy in our modern-day culture which focuses on diversity and acceptance through various topics that impact our day-to-day lives." -- Abstract
Keywords: coming-of-age, Rebel Without A Cause, The Breakfast Club, Moonlight, Charm City Kings, filmmaking, genre
Keywords: coming-of-age, Rebel Without A Cause, The Breakfast Club, Moonlight, Charm City Kings, filmmaking, genre
Publisher:
Savannah, Georgia : Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta)
Date:
2021-11
Format:
2 online resources: 1 PDF (Thesis, 18 pages) + 1 mp4 film (Studio component, approximately 21 min., sound, color)