Over the course of this semester, we have been required to live screen a variety of science fiction films and apply these in a future sense to our society. The films in question were 2001 a Space Odyssey, Her (2013) and Ghost in the Shell (1995). Live screening to me was something that has always been a bit daunting, mainly because it’s something I’ve never done before and it can be hard to simultaneously analyse a film and begin engaging with and producing critical content on the spot. As a result of this, I began screening these movies a few days prior, so I could take notes, generate ideas and then post this critical information on the live discord channel.

When critically reflecting on mine and others’ posts, I observed a notable shift towards more in-depth discussions about the films and their impact on our perceptions of future worlds. For example, the first film we analysed, 2001: A Space Odyssey, I perhaps engaged a lot with the plot without linking to how it can affect our future cultures. As the semester went on though, I steadily began to do this and improve contextualising these films in a future context. A lot of my posts revolved around sharing factual information about the films we watched and drawing connections to my own experiences and perceptions of future worlds.

I think picking out key themes in the films we analysed helped me to break down my exploration of these films and construct more of an argument when writing up my posts.

I then began to find a process when analysing these films, I’d first introduce the film by briefly describing the plot (As shown above) and then highlight how the key themes and motives that are portrayed within the film relate to a future culture’s context within the 10-post limit.

It also helped me when partaking with other students’ content and posts, as by engaging with meaningful discussion with my peers on their views and ideas of the films, helped open my mind up to new ideas and concepts that perhaps could’ve been worth discussing in my posts. It was intriguing and highly motivating to witness peers actively engaging in conversation through posts and replies to gain their perspectives of the topics in which we were discussing. As the semester progresses, I aim to become more adept with these live screenings, allowing me to allocate more energy towards commenting and fostering meaningful conversations with my peers.

Additionally, another integral aspect of our live-screening was the ability to demonstrate comprehension of the Future Cultures subject material by linking these insights to the films we were watching. Initially, I acknowledge a deficiency in this area during the early weeks of the course, but I am actively working towards improvement as the semester progresses. With each subsequent screening, I found myself delving deeper into the themes of the films and establishing more frequent connections to the concepts discussed in class. This ongoing evolution in my grasp of the subject matter’s relevance to the films is a journey in which I aim to continue and improve on during future live-screening exercises.

Overall, through reflecting on the live screening sessions we have had so far, I’ve observed a journey of personal growth and learning. Initially, live screening was daunting, as it required simultaneous analysis and critical engagement. To cope with this challenge, I adopted a strategy of pre-screening films to gather insights and prepare critical content in advance. This allowed me to gradually transition into real-time engagement and contribute more meaningfully to discussions on our perceptions of future worlds.

As we progressed with more screenings, I witnessed a shift in my approach towards more in-depth discussions about the films and their implications on future cultures, drawing connections to key themes and motives portrayed in the films. Additionally, by actively participating in my peers’ discussions on others’ views and ideas, I gained insights that enriched my own understanding and provided fresh angles to explore in my posts.

I feel my live screening has gotten better and am excited to see how it progresses over the rest of the semester. Moving forward, I am committed to further honing my skills in live-screening exercises, leveraging the lessons learned and insights gained to deepen my exploration of the intersection between film, future cultures, and societal dynamics.

All live screening posts can be found at the following links:

https://discord.com/channels/1179652660769607730/1214742213377130567

https://discord.com/channels/1179652660769607730/1219813156164210689

https://discord.com/channels/1179652660769607730/1224882678910812320