Emerson thesis -- Media art

"King of the Ring is a short drama following an in-over-his-head wrestling promoter as he manuevers to salvage his highly anticipated main event. Through anxiety-driven intensity, the film seeks to explore isues of workplace exploitation of independent pro wrestlers in a world that struggles to separate reality from fiction." -- Abstract

"Lola is a short hybrid documentary using a combination of live-action footage, animation, and archival materials to tell the story of my grandmother's experience living in the Philippines during World War II. The film explores essential facets of the Asian-American experience: migration, displacement, the price of assimilation, war, and intergenerational silence." -- Abstract

"Lost Roads is a twenty-two-minute fiction short film that depicts the memory of the last day between two friends, Iris and Noah. The film explores the feeling of being lost and stuck in a world that can only offer a bitter sense of freedom." --Abstract.

"Maestro is a 24 min film about the struggle in today's society to survive. The film is about getting the opportunity that life provides and making the best use of it. The outcome is all controlled by the main character. He is the Maestro, the conductor, who controls all the aspects of an orchestra, but there is no sound without the instruments and musicians." -- Abstract

"Milk & Honey is a fictional narrative short film. Focusing on a seven-year-old boy, it explores the fragmentation and separation of a family in a modern society. The film is a realist and poetic approach to personal memories, with the intention of presenting a sympathetic picture of a three-generation family in separation." --Abstract.

"Monsters Never Came is a 15-minute short film mockumentary sci-fi. In a slow and peaceful pace, the camera becomes an objective spectator to observe the life of the protagonist, Wang Yi. By capturing the process of the disappearance of Wang Yi's superpower and his attempts to keep the last bit of his powers, the short film reflects the various kind of gains and losses in the process of a person's growing up." -- Abstract

"Moonshot is a short narrative fiction film that operates in the world of a child's logic, with the primary driving force being a seemingly insignificant object going missing. The film studies the process of a child discovering their autonomy and decision-making, and the ways in which that can conflict with the rules of the world around them. It was made with the intent to demonstrate that even small stories can be significant, and deserve to be told." -- Abstract

"Nalb Noum is an animated short horror film that follows a young Black teen who is in love with African American folklore. After his father's passing, he sets out to prove that the folklore is real. While the film gives the normal elements of a creature horror film, at its core, the film touches on the underlying themes of systematic racism and cultural appropriation that plague our societies including our imaginations." -- Abstract

"The Negro Theater Project 1935 — 1939 is a 24 minute narrative documentary shot on video. The story is about the Negro Theater in Boston during the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The story is told through a series of interviews and archival footage with a voice over narrative to complete the story." --page 4.

"'Nodnarb Namztruk' is a nonlinear journey of a young women exploring her sexuality through a prism of fantasies and memories she is experiencing while dreaming in sleep. The animation follows a protagonist's dream in a fast edited paise with vivid visuals and symbolic references." -- Abstract

"Nomads (2021) is a cautionary tale that tackles subject matters such as human trafficking and homelessness. This exploration of the gritty landscape of the city at night highlights the importance of Social Darwinism when a homeless hustler meets traumatized sex worker. I hope this film also highlights the reality that people are still people. We all bleed red and have the same level of emotions; some people are just in extreme circumstances than others." -- Abstract

"NORO is a short narrative fiction film in the psychological horror genre. The film aims to subvert the stereotypically weak or helpless depictions of characters suffering from mental illness, create metaphysical representations of its symptoms, and emphasize the importance of professional help and speaking up." -- Abstract