Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Interior Design

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Interior Design

Advisor/Mentor

Tracy, Torrey

Committee Member/Reader

Fitzpatrick, Lynn

Committee Member/Second Reader

Kranis, Andrew

Abstract

As a student of design, I take inspiration from everything around me. The media I consume, the places I visit, and the people I meet.By choice or not, I and my generation are subject to the various forms of pop culture, film is one of them. Film is one of few art forms which combines several methods and elements of design to produce a cohesive result, as opposed to a singular medium. This forms the connection to design thinking and is the foundation for the study.

Another critical component to pop culture is the ability to reach the masses. Due to their wide reach in America, I have chosen to study popular live-action Disney films which are representative of different cultures. First by studying Marvel’s Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler, and continued by screening Disney’s recent live-action adaptations of Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie, and Mulan, directed by Niki Caro. By taking a closer look at these movies to gather a deeper understanding of their use of color, composition, and rhythm, I will be identifying a methodology used in designing for different demographics.

Isolating elements within key stills will generate a comparative analysis of the selected films. However, this comparison highlights within each film how the different cultures are coming to light through these tools of representation. These films were selected not as prime examples of the cultures featured, but as a study of how the mainstream media is portraying those cultures and the tools they are using to create them. This is a study of the intersection between pop culture and the representation of various demographics using design tools.

Keywords

film; culture; design; color; composition; rhythm

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