Dr Alexandra Leaney

Alexandra graduated from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota with a BA in Economics and Studio Art. At Macalester Alex became interested in cultural studies through the diverse programme offerings, and the college's special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. During her MA in Film and Television Studies at the University of East Anglia (UEA), this interest in cultural studies was furthered during her dissertation research on the representation of African Americans in hit Hollywood films. Alex's second MA is in Creative Writing: Scriptwriting, which she also completed at the UEA. During her study of creative writing, Alex engaged with the long and short form in film, television, radio and theatre. However, her main focus was on genre writing for film.

Alex went on to complete her PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the UEA. The thesis takes a research-led approach, drawing on narratology to develop a communication model for the screenplay. This model is then used to examine how focalization can be a key tool for both scholar and screenwriter. As illustrated in two major case studies in the critical component, the model permits a detailed analysis of screenplays, enabling more nuanced interpretations and a better understanding of how they function. The focus of the thesis then narrows to examine child protagonists in screenplays and films targeted primarily at an adult audience, focusing on films with a ‘child witness of trauma’ such as Pan’s Labyrinth. This 'niche genre' of films is explored further through the creative component of the thesis.