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What is living, and what does it mean to be human? Analyze themes of existentialism through various anime series; this could include series such as Evangelion, Haibane Renmei, or Ghost in the Shell.

As soon as technology introduced the idea, movies have been wrestling with what to do with artificial intelligence. Once they are thinking on their own, do they have rights as a sentient being? This is seen very clearly with Data in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Series. It is also seen in animated films such as Astro Boy when the audience comes to see the robot more as a real child. The list goes on: AI, even Terminator 2 as the audience mourns the first Terminator's demise, iRobot, Dark Matter (a Netflix series) etc. Since this is a very real part of our future, the varying views on this would be interesting to consider.

Since before "The X-Files," was cancelled, there has been a steady rise and vested interest in TV programming focused on the supernatural and unknown. From the CW's popular line up that included "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Charmed," and the Buffy spin-off "Angel," to more recent shows like SyFy's "Being Human" and AMC's "The Walking Dead" and "Preacher," television has been pulling away from more common sci-fi programming that once focused and explored future and other realms. Why is there more attracting to exploring the unreal in the real world?

Discuss the history of CGI, it's greatest accomplishments, as well as comparing this method of filmmaking to more realistic props that were used in the older age, as well as today (Nolan films being a huge point of reference). As well as cosmetics (LOTR v The Hobbit Trilogy) and shooting on location or on set (The Revenant) and how each of these mediums have their ups and downs, and which one produces the better film for select genres. For example, could we even produce an Avengers film solely using real props and make-up? Or are big blockbuster films like that doomed to be plagued by CGI?

Clint Eastwood in five movies between 1971 and 1988 (Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, The Dead Pool) did what has to be seen as a guilty pleasure: Here was the law dispensing justice in a way that often bypassed the complexities of the legal process and in the end the problem was solved. Villains came across in these movies often as caricatures where the audience could easily get behind Harry as he did his thing. When looking at these movies from the present, in one way, they seem to come from a different era, a different time, yet, at the same time, the simplicity of justice seems to echo Donald Trump's approach to basically any policy he wants to address: There will be no consequences, we do something and suddenly the problem is solved and America is a better place. If only things were that simple, the Dirty Harry legacy lives on.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. While it won the prize in the Fiction category, the novel is based on the actual events at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) during the American Civil War. Shaara based his novel on what are known as After-Action Reports which various officers wrote after a battle. Ken Burns says the book influenced him, leading to his PBS series on the Civil War. Joss Wheldon also says the book influenced him, leading to his TV series, Firefly. How a novel can influence others in ways that extend well beyond literature is a topic to explore.

Classics Illustrated were comics that were produced from 1941 to 1971 and 169 issues were made. Hamlet, Moby Dick, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers were among the novels they made. Students going through high school in the 1950s and 1960s probably were able to make their way through many English classes and exams by using Classics Illustrated instead of reading the real novels. Forget Cliff Notes, these were on a standard well above them. Should we consider Classics Illustrated on a higher level than comics such as Detective Comics or Superman or consider them to be graphic novels.

As an avid watcher of cartoons and anime one thing I have noticed it that in the west if a movie or a tv show is animated it has to be driven by humour. Regardless if it's a cartoon directed to an older audience like Bojack Horseman, Archer or something like Bobs Burger these shows have to be laugh out loud funny. While as with Anime, it's easy to find series where humour is barely present yet that is directed to an adult audience like Death Note, Erase, Spychopass and many more. It's as if the west think that for something to be seen as serious it has to be live action, which would explain why someone would go out of their way to make a live action remake of Your Name, which is completely useless since is animated form is already perfection. Japan and anime has already proven that animated material doesn't need to have humour to be successful, why do you think the west is set on always linking cartoons with humour? Is it because of the word "cartoon" itself or is it because the medium will never be as respected as something live action, and why is that. Can an image or a voice actor not convey the same kind of emotions than a traditional actor? Will we ever see a mainstream tv show or movie that is animated that isn't a comedy but that gets the same kind of respect than a live action movie. Or do you think some animes are able to avoid the comedy title because of the different types of animes that exist (shonen, seinen, shojo, josei and kdomomuke). Should the west possibly follow these different types of categories in order to have more variety in the cartoon world?

A poignant scene in Django Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino, is when the free slave Django rides his horse alongside Calvin Candie's carriage and henchmen. The rap song complementing the scene -100 Black Coffins by Rick Ross – is a stark historical juxtaposition. The song is certainly attractive to the ear, but does this choice of music go deeper than aesthetic? Does it allude to both the enslaved plight of African Americans whilst also drawing parallels to their modern plight (one often expressed through Hip Hop culture)? Does this ring true for other films? If so, what films and why?

The internet provides a platform for indie artists and writers with limited resources to get their work out into the world. Webcomics were born of this freedom. Many popular webcomics choose to deliver their stories in a micro-serialized manner, often releasing only a single page of panels at a time. Additionally, many webcomics have no clear end in sight, but rather are stories that run indefinitely. Explore the strengths and weaknesses of webcomics as we see them today: the common formats and delivery approaches, the trends, how it relates to the quality of the stories being told, and what the future holds for creators and fans alike.

Although the idea of "winning" is complicated, the female cast of Ocean's 8 "win" in so far as they are successful in their heist (even beyond their original expectations), form a strong alliance and friendship, and, in the case of Debbie, get their revenge. Although the film originally foreshadows the heist plan backfiring due to Debbie's desire to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend by framing him, this expectation is not fulfilled as he is sent to jail. What does the film's conclusion mean in terms of the film's conception of feminism?

Throughout the technological evolution of modern video games, there has existed a prominent lineage of photorealistic pursuit, of aiming closer and closer toward a graphic image that resembles "the real thing." While one might argue that this lineage is just a natural progression in the utilization of increasing graphic capacity, such a progression doesn't necessarily have to go in a realist direction as there are other ways to achieve visual detail. My hypothesis is that it has to do with mimesis; the concept that an image is (metaphysically speaking) a representation/imitation of a "real" counterpart object, which has permeated Western aesthetic thought and culture since Ancient Greece. I would love to see an article that examines the lineage of realism in video game graphics through the context of mimesis, looking at the aesthetic theories of Plato and subsequent philosophers and how they have influenced Western visual culture. Or perhaps there are some other potential factors behind the lineage that I'm unaware of – nonetheless it would be a really interesting topic to explore!

I always looked at Dragonball Z as my "gateway drug" into anime. I kind of snowballed into watching Naruto, Bleach, Fairytale, and One Piece shortly after. These are the shows that were particularly influential to me, but I'm wondering if there are other shonen anime that were influential to a wider audience. I know Quinten Tarantino is a fan of anime and he incorporates some similar styles of anime into his fills. I'm thinking of Kill Bill where the film dives into the backstory of O-Ren Ishii.

Analyze why certain characters from certain anime appear to exist for no other reason than a shallow perception of diversity. Specifically when an african american character appears in an anime for no other reason than to show that black people exist in this particular anime.

When considering how women are viewed in film, I like to think of the Bechdel test. This test (and I am paraphrasing here) says that if a movie does not have two female characters in it that talk about something other than a man, then it fails. Unfortunately, not all of Marvel's movies pass. How do these depictions of women (ie, their lack of roles that include interactions with other women, the way that only men are discussed when interactions do occur, etc) affect real live ladies? How does it affect society? How does it support the systematic oppression of women and perpetrate the patriarchy?

In 500 Days of Summer, we see how Tom exalts Summer and puts her on a pedestal. From the beginning, she explains she isn't interested in a formal relationship, but he falls in love with her anyways, and he expects the feeling to be reciprocated. When she doesn't correspond him, he is devastated.

Many people get terribly hurt because they create an idealization of their significant other. We are all human, hence, none of us are perfect. However, we still strive to achieve what is best. Do romantic films shape us into thinking we have to find "the one"?

I'm not saying we should be conformists with any person that appears into our lives, but to an extent, what is –or should be — the limit to measure what is best or who is "the one"?

Bioshock was a revered and renown franchise but except for a remaster of the original 3 games, the series has been quiet since Irrational games closed. With the recent announcement of a secret new Bioshock project called "parkside", there is a chance we will see a new game from the series. What do you want to see out of a new Bioshock game? What new setting would fit a new game? What mechanics would you want to see?

Discuss the spectrum of realism in the media's portrayal of those in the world of computers, such as hackers or security experts in Mr. Robot, visionaries and coders in Halt and Catch Fire, all the way back to films such as Tron or War Games. Is accuracy as important as story, or even more desired in the past ten years? Perhaps speculate on how these shows impact people's views of computers and how important they are to society.

In High School Musical, the villain often identified is Sharpay Evans, but is she really the villain? We come to see her as the villain because she is constantly trying to win her place in the school's musical by ruining Troy and Gabriella's chances. But there are many things we don't think about till later on such as: Sharpay's dedication to her schools drama club, the unfairness of Troy and Gabriella's call-back when they didn't technically audition, and even the fact that the story is told from the point of view of the more popular characters. Sharpay fromt he beginning of the story was considered alike to a "mountain lion", something that can be cute but you definitely wouldn't pet. So, is she a villain?

Social networking platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have changed the way society and individuals view their self worth as the amount of likes and comments we receive on our posts can feel like validation some individuals don't receive in real life.
Do we agree that these platforms are changing the way we as a society as a whole and individually see ourselves and others?

Are the causes linked to 'social media celebrities' and 'influencers' online?