UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #379 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 379

Submission ID: 8156

Submission UUID: 841fd1a1-1d6a-49b3-aca3-349de9622a07

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=sRef349yWQa4AeVS1pH3FbSCEvzamAXZOgMvVRa8xFg

Created: Wed, 08/02/2023 - 11:17 AM

Completed: Wed, 08/02/2023 - 12:32 PM

Changed: Thu, 10/05/2023 - 10:15 AM

Remote IP address: 23.123.39.46

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Ryan Hope Travis

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns He/Him

When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? Professor

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) rht21@fsu.edu

Position Title Faculty

FSU College (if applicable) Fine Arts

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation School of Theatre

Headshot (optional) RHT Headshot - 9.22.jpg

Additional Research Mentor(s)

Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Overall Project Details

Title of the Project Cocoa in the Dark: Film Festival Strategy and Understanding the Film Market

Project Keywords Film, Festival, Filmmaking, Post Production, Pre-Production

Are you currently looking for research assistants? No

Number of Research Assistants Needed 1

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Open to all majors.

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? {Empty}

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): Partially Remote

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 5-10 hours per week

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)

Overall Research Project Description I am an actor, writer, director, theatre-maker, and filmmaker. Last summer ('23) I completed my debut feature film, "Cocoa in the Dark." The film is inspired by actual events, a composite of several stories. The film follows an 18-year-old who navigates fatherhood, high school, then eventually a 7-year prison sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. The film shines a light on the U.S. criminal justice system and how it grossly fails the working poor and most egregiously, people of color. As Research Assistant, you will participate in the film festival distribution phase of the project. The film will be compelling to festival organizers because of the urgency of the moment, the relevancy of the story, and the diverse composition of the filmmakers involved. I have written and directed 12 short films, many of which were accepted into film festivals in LA, NYC, Austin, Miami, Atlanta, and more.

Research Tasks There is one primary research task for this project: data collection. We will screen a film or two to determine the best path forward, but gathering information about film festivals, similar films, and market trends are our goals. *What does "Data Collection" mean for this project? We will gather data about various national and international film festivals and generate a flow chart of deadlines, application fees, etc. to be used in the spring semester. In other words, you and I will build a strategy for how and when the film ("Cocoa in the Dark") will be distributed to the film festival market.

The other component of this UROP project is pre-production. My sophomore film will go into production summer '24. Your supplementary research task will include "breaking down" the new script. You will identify the various elements needed to produce the film. This skill is one of the building blocks to successfully produce a film. (P.S. You will have a lot of support to complete the aforementioned research tasks. I got you!)

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended (basic) proficiency in MS Excel and MS Word.

Mentoring Philosophy Empowering students to be creators is important to me. The most influential people of our time are creators of their own content/products/ideas. When students are given the tools to generate and execute their own ideas, they become trailblazers of their artistic and professional paths, instead of passive participants. No matter what field a student prepares to enter, knowing their worth and value is vital. TIME is the ultimate currency, our most valuable resource. Being efficient, productive, and effective are especially rewarding when pursuing something that brings us joy. As a teacher, I seek to create safe, brave spaces where students are encouraged to be “wrong.” Lifting the burden of being “right” is the starting place for every classroom (and mentor/mentee relationship) I inhabit. Success in my effort to create such an environment enables students to tap into the well of their full potential. P.S. "Flow" is key.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://www.arcable.com/work#/cocoainthedark/

Please add any additional information here (if applicable): {Empty}

UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

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Year 2023

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