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Major Research Project/Papers (MRP)

Media production facilities featuring multiple monitors with a live broadcast

Students in the Media Production MA program create either a Major Professional Project or a Major Research Paper that focus on variety of aspects of the media industry.

Feel free to explore project titles from the previous years below. Full abstracts can be found at the bottom of the page via the Media Production MRP Catalogue link. 

Monica Brighton

FROM SETBACKS TO BREAKTHROUGHS: Resurrecting Untold Stories: Breathing Life into Narratives with LED Virtual Environments

Supervisor: Dr. Kristopher Alexander

Negin Khodayari

NEWS IN THE DIGITAL AGE:
HOW TO KEEP YOUTH ENGAGED WITH CURRENT EVENTS

Supervisor: Dr. Charles Davis

Alexandra Steffler

TIKTOK'S IMPACT ON GEN Z'S MEDIA CONSUMPTION & REGULATION

Supervisor: James Nadler

Matthew Glynne

SPECTRUM: EXPLORING IMMERSIVE SOUND IN ABSTRACT IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Supervisor: Mark Argo

Cristina Nikolic

BREAKING THE SOUND CEILING: ALGORITHMIC AND PROMOTIONAL GATEKEEPING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND ITS IMPACT ON FEMALE REPRESENTATION

Supervisor: Salman Rana

Robert Kemp

GENERATION Z AND THE MODIFICATION OF COMEDIC TELEVISION

Supervisor: James Nadler

Jose Rosales

THE RESURGENCE OF SALVADORAN FILMMAKING: A MODEL FOR CO-PRODUCTION IN SALVADORAN MEDIA

Supervisor: Laura Nencyh

Maria Armstrong

The Forgotten 

Supervisor: Dr. Laura Nenych 

Jonathan Bradley

Wrongthink 

Supervisor:  Karyn Pugliese 

Philip LeMoyne

An Examination of Cinematic Naturalism in the Digital era

Supervisor: John Tarver

Joseph Richelle

Territory: Commonalities Between the Reclamation of the Kalinago Language and Connection to Land

Supervisor: Lila Pine

Isak Vaillancourt

Collective Resistance: Exploring Indigenous and Black Injustices and Solidarity Efforts on Turtle Island

Supervisor: Dr. Lila Pine

Lawernce Wilford

From Stage to Screen: Exploring The Remediation of Classical Vocal Music Performance In Canadian Visual Broadcasting and Distribution.

Supervisor: James Nadler

Alysha Bauer

Toxic Paradise: A Study of Constructed Femininity in Love Island

Supervisor: Steven Ehrlick

Doran Brooks

Grassroots Filmmaking in the Digital Age

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

Ona Pluciennik

The Role of Tik Tok in Creating Engagement, Virality and Reach for Generation Z and How Tik Tok Can be Used As a Marketing Tool for Web Series Targeting Canadian Youth

Supervisor: James Nadler

Alexis Stackhouse

Marginalization, Socio-Cultural Systems, & The On-Screen Horror Genre: A Cross-Demographic Exploration / "On the Other Side"

Supervisor: Laurie Petrou

Christopher Vo

Off the Bench: Asians in Basketball

Supervisor: Laurel Walzak

Noah Baum

Showrunners & Streamers: The Shifting Balance of Power in the Age of Peak TV

Supervisor: James Nadler

Matthew Emmons

Where is the Album?: An Analysis of the Connecting Potential of Transmedia Music Promotion

Supervisor: Dr. Kathleen Pirrie Adams

Yanjiao Qian

TikTok in the dissemination of sports media after the COVID pandemic – A case study of the Chinese Men’s Professional Basketball League account on “Douyin” (TikTok) during the 2021-2022 season.

Supervisor: Laurel Walzak

Olivia Tharme

Taking Back TV: Developing Female Auteur Comedy in a Postfeminist Televisual Landscape

Supervisor: Dr. Laurie Petrou

David Weisz

Press Start: Why Canadian Media SHould Embrace Newgames To Build Digital Audience

Supervisor: Dr. Kristopher Alexander

Amina Bejtic
Amina Bejtic

A Canadian Perspective of Community Through Co-Viewing

Supervisor: Lynda Rinkenbach

Blake Cameron
Blake Cameron

Staging the Biopic: Production Design and Genre in Art Cinema

Supervisor: Dimitrios Latsis

Emily Duncan
Emily Duncan

The “Sentimental Regret” of Teen Dramas and Television: How Female Characters are Stereotyped on Gossip Girl and Riverdale

Supervisor: Lia Langworthy

Jamie Hurcomb
Jamie Hurcomb

Capturing Reality by Employing Virtual Production: A Creative Practice-Based Inquiry of Machinima as a Democratizing Medium for Filmmaking.

Supervisor: Dr. Henry Warwick

Meagan McAteer
Meagan McAteer

Accessibility and the Apocalypse / One Day Day One

Supervisor: Lila Pine

Hajer Mustafa
Hajer Mustafa

Colour Me Happy: Immersive Art Experiences, Colour and Emotion

Supervisor: David Colangelo

Ethan Ralph
Ethan Ralph

Practice makes Podcast: A Review of Common Effective Practices used to Foster Engagement amongst Podcast Audiences

Supervisor: Dr. Charles Davis

Keith Bennet
Keith Bennet

MASC'D UP: LGBTQ2S+ Representation in North American Professional Ice Hockey

Supervisor: Joe Recupero

Dylan Cunanan
Dylan Cunanan

Putting Your Best Face Forward: Dating App UX/UI Design and its Influence on Relationship Values and Practices

Supervisor: Henry Warwick

Mark Freelander
Mark Freelander

An Inch Wide and a Mile Deep: Developing and Retaining Audiences for U.S.-Based Niche Over-The-Top Streaming Video Services

Supervisor: Dr. Charles Davis

Kysan Kwan
Kysan Kwan

Digital Love: Surveying Fan Engagement in Virtual Concerts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Supervisor: Cintia Cristia

Sarina Mohan
Sarina Mohan

Fantasy, Glamour and Unattainability: A Video Based Exploration of Online Fashion Communities

Supervisor: Ramona Pringle

Jedidah Nabwangu
Jedidah Nabwangu

Unrequited: The Myth of the Independent Black Woman

Supervisor: Marusya Bociurkiw

Winston Sih
Winston Sih

Staying Alive: Ensuring business sustainability and relevance of Canadian local news through strategic representation in digital content

Supervisor: Ramona Pringle

Sarah Blackmore
Sarah Blackmore

Understanding the link between Children and Comedy; Exploring Participatory Culture in Digital Spaces for Youth

Supervisor: Charles Falzon

Chelsey Devito
Chelsey Devito

Assessing Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry

Supervisor: Donna Gall

Sameer Gilzay
Sameer Gilzay

The Danger of Deepfakes 

Supervisor: Dr Charles Davis

El-Tahry Malak
El-Tahry Malak

Reading the Game, Playing the Industry: An Exploration of the Subversive Potential of Text-Based Narrative Games Within the Heteronormative Video Games Industry

Supervisor: Dr. Daniel Harley

Ross Minichiello
Ross Minichiello

Trauma Porn as Unethical Content; An Exploration of Social Media Motivation, Creation and Consumption

Supervisor: Dr. Adam Miller

George Varvatsoulis
George Varvatsoulis

Media Neuroscience & Audience Engagement: Targeting & Producing Audience Emotional & Neurobehavioural Fear Responses

Supervisor: Dr Charles Davis

 

Ahmed Shireen
Ahmed Shireen

"We Are The Movement": Sports Media, Social Media, and the effect on Young Muslim Sportswomen

Supervisor: Laurel Walzak

Jiaao Lu
Jiaao Lu

A Study of the Effects of the Censorship System on Chinese Social Media

Supervisor: Dr. Henry Warwick

Allan Magee
Allan Magee

Notes on Notes: Co-creating The Feedback Process Between Commissioners and Creators of Canadian Television Content

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

Gregory Breen
Gregory Breen

Finding Marks, Seducing Rubes, and Killing the Gullible: Ride and the Evolution of the Patsy in Neo-Noir

Supervisor: James Nadler

Alexis Perikleous
Alexis Perikleous

Canadian Immigrants and The Second Generation

Supervisor: Lori Beckstead

Adriano Rivera
Adriano Rivera

A Trial Concerning the Representation of Mental Health in Film and Television: A Guideline to the Ideal Portrayal of Mental Health

Supervisor: Lori Beckstead

Enitan Oyesile
Enitan Oyesile

Beautiful Dreamer 

Supervisor: Lia Langworthy

Rodrigo Skazufka Bergel
Rodrigo Skazufka Bergel

VR as a Collaborative and Embodied Experience

Supervisor: Ali Mazalek 

Jessica Schmidt
Jessica Schmidt

Alchemical Storytelling: Synthesizing Niche and Popular Devices in the Tarotable Relationships Podcast

Supervisor: Lori Beckstead

 

Geoffrey Lachapelle
Geoffrey Lachapelle

Metagaming Misconception

Supervisor: Dr. Kristopher Alexander

Cindy Wu
Cindy Wu

An Examination of Screen Media Genre Preferences and Content Consumption Habits using the Big Five Personality Dimensions

Supervisor: Dr. Charles Davis

Inga Breede
Inga Breede

“Alexa, Open the Messlins”: Using Smart Technology to tell Interactive Stories in a Family Home

Supervisor: Alex Bal

Mahogani Harris
Mahogani Harris

The Cost of Being an Athlete Activist: Case Study Analysis of African American Sport Activism 

Supervisor: Dr. Steven Ehrlick

Nimra Tariq
Nimra Tariq

Home

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

Daniel Freed
Daniel Freed

The Same But Very Different: Glocalizing the Canadian Reality Television Format

Supervisor: James Nadler

Rory Clark
Rory Clark

A Meta-Exploration of the Æffect of Digital Society & Culture: Braiding a Web Series with a Dedicated Social Media Platform

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

Aya Alsayed Ahmad
Aya Alsayed Ahmad

Immigrant Stories

Supervisor: James Nadler

Samuel Nowicki
Samuel Nowicki

Goners of Gold Creek: Adapting Depictions of Mental Health Education in Cinema

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

Alexander Dwight
Alexander Dwight

Contextualized Narrative Model- Delivering Simplified Education Through Passive and Interactive Media

Supervisor: Dr. Richard Lachman

 

Kristen Lambie
Kristen Lambie

The Space Between Worlds: An Auto-Ethnographic Study of Cultural Disconnect Between Members of Diaspora, their Homelands and their North American Homes

Supervisor: Dr. Laurie Petrou

 

Dana Seif
Dana Seif

Running head: On Coming Out, Orientalism, and their Interlink 1

Supervisor: Alex Bal

Kevin Rapose
Kevin Raposo

Kphoto and Video Production

Supervisor: Joe Recupero

Ryan O'Connor
Ryan O'Connor

Creators: The New Storytellers

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

 

Deborah Smith
Deborah Smith

Indigenous Hollywoods: Bridging Two Worlds of Storytelling

Supervisor: Dr. Laura Nenych

Mackenzie Parrot
Mackenzie Parrot

The Ride-or-Die Test: A Re-Evaluation of the Bechdel Test and Female Friendships in the Age of #metoo

Supervisor: James Nadler

Mohammadmilad Monavvarian
Mohammadmilad Monavvarian

Visualising Artifacts as 3D Models in Augmented Reality (Synaesthetics Media Lab: Tangible Cultural Analytics)

Supervisor: Ali Mazalek

Nicole Dawe
Nicole Dawe

Seven Generations: The Unheard Stories of the Chippewas of Georgina Island

Supervisor: Marion Coomey

Jacob Blum
Jacob Blum

Stage Voices: How Podcasts Can Help Theatre Meet the Needs of Today's Audience

Supervisor: Marion Coomey

Rose Mergler
Rose Mergler

Identity and I Don't: The Impact of Social Media and Genealogy Services on Identity Formation and Sense of Belonging Within Transracial Adoptees

Supervisor: Dr. Laurie Petrou

Karim Rostom
Karim Rostom

Diver: Encouraging Audience Political Engagement Through Conceptual Music

Supervisor: Michael Murphy

Victoria Wiley
Victoria Wiley

Wi Can Relate: Fifth Year, Millennial Audiences and the New Sitcom

Supervisor: James Nadler

Keziah Okosodo
Keziah Okosodo

Selfie Manipulation Associated with Body Dissatisfaction among Coloured Women

Supervisor: Laurel Walkzak

Tarek Alward
Tarek Alward

PROJECTAR: Augmented Reality as a Bridge Between Print and Digital Media

Supervisor: Dr. Laura Nenych

 

Eileen White
Eileen White

The Click Me Classroom: Interactive Multimedia Tool Prototype to Support Early Learners of Language, Science and Social Studies

Supervisor: Dr. Laura Nenych

Victoria Bajer
Victoria Bajer

Distant Eden

Supervisor: Michael Coutanche

Madison Sieger
Madison Sieger

A New Moneyball: Economies of Gender in Baseball

Supervisor: Laura Walzak

Lucas Hrynyshyn
Lucas Hrynyshyn

Tangible Axis Sequencer: Towards the Creation of an Adaptable and Comprehensive Tangible Step Sequencer and Gestural Controller

Supervisor: Ali Mazalek & Dr. Steven Ehrlick

Assem Kroma
Assem Kroma

Embodied Soundscapes: Augmenting Spatial and Environmental Awareness Through Haptic Wearables

Supervisor: Ali Mazalek

Student Showcase

Jeanette Kong

Documentarian Jeanette Kong not only tells the personal story of her family’s migration experience, which eventually takes them to Canada but also spotlights the history and culture of the Hakka people. Told using archival footage (external link)  and pictures, as well as footage captured from more recent family visits, A Brief History of My Father’s Time At Sea is a rumination on Jeanette's own identity, while “typically Canadian” is also rooted in her Jamaican-Chinese heritage. 

Jael Joseph 

Vielle Case native and Master of Arts in Media Production alum ('21)  Jael Joseph is a well-known marketing guru, media personality, and media entrepreneur in the Caribbean and Canada and soon, she will be known by another moniker- director; as she debuts,” Territory,” her documentary on Dominica’s Kalinago people, at the annual Caribbean Tales International Film Festival (CTFF) in Toronto which runs from September 6-22, 2023.

Rebekah Miskin

NIGHT OWL (external link)  is a comedy series about the weird night time events in a 24 hour grocery store, the staff who work the graveyard shift, and a regular shopper who can’t sleep and has no real friends...yet. You can view more of Rebekah's work here (external link) 

Hanmin Yang

After a plastic surgery disaster turns him Asian, a white Hollywood rom-com star must overcome the industry’s prejudices and break out of the rice-eating, math-loving, kung-fu-fighting stereotypes to become a star again. Animated Sitcom for Adults. Winner of Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI)'s The Big Pitch competition in November, 2018.