"Dissin' Franchise" An Exercise in Entertainment Writing

Nicholson, Alex

Publication

"Dissin' Franchise" An Exercise in Entertainment Writing

Nicholson, Alex

Description

Fandom culture has increased exponentially due to the rise of social media. Due to this increase, entertainment journalism has transitioned from just focusing on new information as it is released, but also occasionally focusing on public reaction to not just large events but to smaller ones, such as reactions to 20-second teaser trailers released a year ahead of a film’s planned release. There is also an increased focus on film series, including sequels, prequels, remakes or even complete franchise reboots. While not inherently new to the medium of filmmaking, it does have an interesting effect on modern audiences, especially when it comes to the wider social connections in modern society. For my Honor’s project, I started a blog called Dissin’ Franchise where I could specifically focus on issues related to fandom culture and filmmaking. As a Journalism major, I tried to balance between an academic, journalistic and personable writing style in order to make it credible and entertaining. For part of the project, I am writing reviews of Western genre films in order to look at how popular perspectives of the American West have evolved over time. The other part is in-depth, research-based essays on specific topics in entertainment, such as the announcement of Ghostbusters 3, female-led superhero films such as Captain Marvel, and mythologizing and world building in Star Wars, particularly in the recent films.