Has an MFA, an M.Phil in ELT, learning about data analysis, strives to become a therapist, was a Managing Editor for Zelda Dungeon, and is a freelance editor and writer.
Contributor III
What Makes a Good Video Game to Film Adaptation?From Tomb Raider (2001, Angelina Jolie) to Sonic the Movie (2020, Jim Carrey), there have been quite a few games likewise adapted into movies, though to varying degrees of failure or success. Tomb Raider was somewhat considered a flop when it first came out, and it currently has a 5.8 on Imdb: (link) a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, and a 47% by audiences: (link) and a 33% on Metacritic: (link) though some consider it underrated: (link) By contrast, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie had a 6.5 on Imdb: (link) a 63% critic rating and a 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes: (link) and a 47% on Metacritic: (link) The success of the Sonic movie garnered it not one, but two sequels. The topic taker should analyze the trends of adapting a video game to a movie, including the history of it, and what makes so many of the adaptations fail. The topic taker should really dive into what made good video adaptations good and see what trends their analysis reveals. The topic taker may also consider the future of video game to film adaptations and whether they think there will be more successes or failures as well. To help the topic taker, consider looking into the following films to start forming trends based off their reception via reviews/to start forming the history of video game to film adaptation as they see fit: Tomb Raider (2018) in order to compare/contrast it with the 2001 film |
Shifts in YouTube and the Rise of Short Video Media Like TikTokFollowing the departure of the creator of channels The Game Theorists, Film Theorists, Food Theorists, and Style Theorists, MatPat, from YouTube, there has been discussion about the changes of YouTube’s platform and if viewers of the platform are going to see other long-standing YouTubers leave. In MatPat’s goodbye video, he references other YouTubers who have decided to leave the platform and notes that "the platform is changing". We have also seen the trend of short-style videos in the vein of TikTok rise in popularity. The topic taker should address what changes they see taking place, possibly using the host of recent goodbye videos as a jumping off point, for the web-video platforms and analyze what those trends might mean for others looking to get into the content creation space. The topic taker is free to include the psychological impact of content creation, especially with the constant stream of short-form videos, has on a person. In addition, the topic taker can compare and contrast the platforms of YouTube and TikTok on multiple levels, such as monetization strategies and algorithms if they wish in order to predict where the trends might be going and indicate what those trends suggest for viewers and creators alike. MatPat’s Farwell: (link) |
Pending | A Perspective on Banned Books in America versus Other CountriesRecently, a lot of books have been making it onto the infamous banned books list in America, due to containing such themes as "strong female leader" in the case of Wizard of Oz, "racism", especially with children’s books that tend to point to the systemic nature of racism in America, and of course, "sexuality and gender" that basically gets slapped on anything that even remotely hints at an LGBTQ+ relationship or gender expression outside of the cisgender spectrum. Most of these entries to the ever-growing ban list seem to be coming from conservative areas. It might be good to take a small sample of the banned book list from the past 2 years or so and see how it would compare to, say a European banned books list, if the idea of a banned books list isn’t something that is wholly limited to America in the first place, and see if there are any overlapping topics between the lists to see what trends might exist cross-culturally. If this cross-examination is not possible, the topic taker could instead talk about whether or not book bans should exist, and the reasons why they do, and could choose to take a few selections from the banned books list and make an argument as to whether or not the themes presented in the literature truly merit a spot on a banned books list. Banned Books list for America: (link) |
games Write this topicWhy We Play Video GamesI think it would be interesting to see why we play video games on an intellectual level. What do the mechanics of the gameplay influence in the player’s surroundings and what influence does the setting of the game have on the story that may teach the player through the immersion process games tend to have? Sure, video games are fun, but what more do they have to teach us? I recommend looking up Game Theory on Youtube to see what is out there on this topic, though I’m coming at this topic from a more philosophical nature versus a scientific one.
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writing Write this topicWriting and Health BenefitsI would like to see what writing does to people on a psychological, emotional, and mental level. I know of a study that suggests writing about an issue we are facing in life helps us heal, but I’m wondering about writing in the realm of fiction and creative nonfiction, rather than just journaling about the issues in life. I’m also wondering if other studies exist on this subject and encourage any takers to go deeper than the surface for this topic.
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Web-Videos Write this topicAre web-based cartoons/shows successful?I would like to see an article on whether or not web-based cartoons or shows like "Bee and Puppycat" and "Video Game High School" are successful, and if they will mean anything in terms of competition for TV cartoons and shows in the future as a result of their success/fanbase, etc.
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LIfetime and Featured filmsLately, Lifetime has been trending films about women and kidnapping. What I want to know is why is this a trend, and why would the network choose to focus on this genre? What is the writer’s opinion of the choice to air these films? Do the films really empower women, or are they sending a degrading message to the viewers?
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film Write this topicShort Film as StoriesThe idea kind of speaks for itself, but I think the thing I would like to know is: How does the short film allow for story to be told? What are the pros and cons of short films? Do they have limitations as a medium? A few examples of shorts to look into are Dark Tales of Japan, Escape (may be found under Princess in Another Castle), Luna, and, of course Pixar shorts. |
It was truly a pleasure to edit this article, and it is a truly great read! Thank you for the great work, and congratulations on the publication! I’m looking forward to a lot of these tropes ending.