This week’s theory session focused on developing a stronger research proposal by refining our research questions and understanding how to structure an academic thesis effectively. We explored the key stages of proposal development, including defining a clear research title, planning possible chapter structures, outlining research methods, drafting an introduction, and developing an example chapter before revising the bibliography and literature review.
Alongside the proposal framework, we also discussed the importance of critical thinking in academic writing. Rather than approaching research through surface learning and simply collecting information, the session encouraged a deeper engagement with sources by questioning ideas, comparing perspectives, and identifying meaningful gaps within existing research. This helped me understand that my FMP proposal needs to build a clear argument, rather than only describing the visual story I want to create.
Outside of class, building on the ideas identified last week, I continued developing my FMP concept around doomscrolling, media overload, desensitisation, and the way political speeches, war footage, advertisements, memes, violence, and entertainment are consumed together through the same digital feed. I started thinking more carefully about how the film could begin and end with the same image of a character scrolling on their phone, creating a loop that shows how difficult it is to escape this constant stream of content.
I also continued exploring how the main character could move through a normal daily routine while disturbing events happen around them. This includes background moments such as people filming violence instead of helping, emergency vehicles passing, fights in public spaces, and billboards or screens showing political messages. These ideas helped me think about how animation can represent emotional numbness, not only through facial expression, but also through body language, environment, sound, repetition, and the gradual breakdown of the city.
Rather than finalising every scene immediately, I am using this research phase to evaluate which parts of the concept are the strongest both visually and academically. I want the project to balance a clear animated narrative with a wider investigation into desensitisation, media consumption, and the contrast between political performance and real human suffering. To develop this further, I will continue researching visual references, practice-based animation projects, and academic sources before refining the final proposal and discussing the direction in tutorials.