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This is my finished microfilm. I hope you all will like it!

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I changed the bright-colored poster to a dark-colored one because the teacher thought the bright-colored poster didn't match the styles of the previous two ones 😄

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The posters currently under production

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The shooting and editing are both in progress…

Microfilm Storyboard: Digital Remains

Theme: Digital Legacy (The Afterlife of Our Online Selves) Style: Japanese-inspired / Fragmented Editing / POV + Observational Feel Duration: Approx. 3–5 minutes Language: English voice-over with bilingual subtitles (English & Chinese)

🎬 Structure: Three-Part Narrative

🌀 Part One: Introduction (with narration & on-screen text)

Purpose: To immerse the viewer in a familiar, everyday world of digital interaction—while subtly planting the core concept of “what we leave behind.”

📌 Visual fragments (fragmented editing, intermittent voice-over):

First-person POV: waking up, scrolling through social media, liking a friend’s post

Finger slides through old chats, a quiet chuckle

Reflected in the mirror: protagonist enters bathroom; picks up phone after washing face

Sneaky photo in class, a selfie by the library window, capturing beauty

YouTube open on laptop—commenting, liking; screen glow reflects in their eyes

Walking and chatting with friends, but replies stop coming… friends keep asking: “Where are you?”

📜 Voice-over (with subtitles):

“We leave traces—tiny, glowing footprints across timelines.” “Without knowing, we build a memory not just for now, but for after.” “A message here, a photo there. A laugh, a silence, a name.” “Every click writes a line in your unwritten obituary.”

🔕 Part Two: Emotional Shift (no dialogue or narration)

Purpose: Transition from warmth and connection to emptiness and absence—conveying the haunting residue of digital legacy through stillness, spaces, and digital remains.

📌 Suggested visuals:

An unsent draft message on a phone, timestamped days ago

No one in the mirror, just the faint imprint of a silhouette

A public school computer auto-logs out, leaving a frozen social profile

Earbuds left behind, music continues to play

Night falls. The screen turns black. The only light left: server LEDs blinking silently

🌀 Part Three: Conclusion (narration & on-screen prompts)

Purpose: Bring closure while opening reflection—posing questions around ethics, memory, and choice in digital legacy.

📜 Voice-over:

“Some moments vanish with a swipe; some linger beyond the fade.” “When screens go dark, who remembers the light we shared?”

📍 Closing question (white text on black screen):

“How will you shape the story that lives on when you are no longer here?”

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Research Highlights & Creative Practice

Core Inquiry: Emotional, ethical, and management challenges of digital legacy Each media output responds to a specific research-driven objective:

📌 Poster 1 — Ethical Dilemma

Topic: Who owns your digital legacy after death? Research Basis: Conflicts between user rights and family wishes; platform policies (e.g. Facebook memorial accounts) Creative Direction: Uses provocative questions to highlight ethical tension and prompt public reflection

📌 Poster 2 — Digital Traces

Topic: What digital fragments do we leave behind? Research Basis: Concepts of digital residue, such as birthday reminders or algorithmic resurfacing of content Creative Direction: Photographic approach + reflective text evokes a sense of presence and disappearance

📌 Poster 3 — Platform Practices

Topic: How do platforms manage digital death? Research Basis: Policy analysis from platforms like Google, Instagram, TikTok Creative Direction: Visual comparison of platform responses; clear, informative, accessible for public understanding

🎥 Microfilm — Digital Remains

Topic: Inviting emotional and social reflection on digital afterlife Research Basis: Synthesizes findings on memory, identity, and platform roles in digital legacy Creative Direction: Japanese-inspired aesthetic + POV narration

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Microfilm Storyboard: Digital Remains

Theme: Digital Legacy (The Afterlife of Our Online Selves) Style: Japanese-inspired / Fragmented Editing / POV + Observational Feel Duration: Approx. 3–5 minutes Language: English voice-over with bilingual subtitles (English & Chinese)

🎬 Structure: Three-Part Narrative

🌀 Part One: Introduction (with narration & on-screen text)

Purpose: To immerse the viewer in a familiar, everyday world of digital interaction—while subtly planting the core concept of “what we leave behind.”

📌 Visual fragments (fragmented editing, intermittent voice-over):

First-person POV: waking up, scrolling through social media, liking a friend’s post

Finger slides through old chats, a quiet chuckle

Reflected in the mirror: protagonist enters bathroom; picks up phone after washing face

Sneaky photo in class, a selfie by the library window, capturing beauty

YouTube open on laptop—commenting, liking; screen glow reflects in their eyes

Walking and chatting with friends, but replies stop coming… friends keep asking: “Where are you?”

📜 Voice-over (with subtitles):

“We leave traces—tiny, glowing footprints across timelines.” “Without knowing, we build a memory not just for now, but for after.” “A message here, a photo there. A laugh, a silence, a name.” “Every click writes a line in your unwritten obituary.”

🔕 Part Two: Emotional Shift (no dialogue or narration)

Purpose: Transition from warmth and connection to emptiness and absence—conveying the haunting residue of digital legacy through stillness, spaces, and digital remains.

📌 Suggested visuals:

An unsent draft message on a phone, timestamped days ago

No one in the mirror, just the faint imprint of a silhouette

A public school computer auto-logs out, leaving a frozen social profile

Earbuds left behind, music continues to play

Night falls. The screen turns black. The only light left: server LEDs blinking silently

🌀 Part Three: Conclusion (narration & on-screen prompts)

Purpose: Bring closure while opening reflection—posing questions around ethics, memory, and choice in digital legacy.

📜 Voice-over:

“Some moments vanish with a swipe; some linger beyond the fade.” “When screens go dark, who remembers the light we shared?”

📍 Closing question (white text on black screen):

“How will you shape the story that lives on when you are no longer here?”

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Case study

The two posters show the digital style and the combination of photography and text.

The two posters show the combination of characters and words and the way of photography to express the theme through props.

Steiner, S. (2025). Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin & Hansivoigt lesen: Meistgeklickt [Poster]. Typographic Posters. https://www.typographicposters.com/archive

Lee, J. (2025). Playlist-BOM: Sang Eunlee concert [Silkscreen poster]. Typographic Posters. https://www.typographicposters.com/archive

Kühnen, T. (2023). KULT - The film series [Silkscreen poster]. Typographic Posters. https://www.typographicposters.com/archive

Tamti, C. (2023). Stills [Poster]. Typographic Posters. https://www.typographicposters.com/archive

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Intended Media Outputs

This project will produce two main types of media: a short promotional film and a series of photography-based posters, both aimed at raising awareness about digital legacies.

Short Film

The primary output will be a short film that follows a character’s journey navigating digital afterlife concerns, exploring ethical and emotional dilemmas in an accessible way. Drawing inspiration from films like Zero, it will use cinematography, a compelling narrative, and an emotive soundtrack to connect viewers with the topic on a personal level.

Photography-Based Posters

The project will also include a series of posters, created using photography with post-production editing for enhanced visual impact. These posters will reinforce the themes of the film by incorporating symbolic imagery and thought-provoking messages, stimulating public discourse on digital legacy management.

Together, the film and posters will form a cohesive campaign, engaging the audience and prompting reflection on the challenges of digital legacy preservation in modern society.

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Production plan

Key Dates

April 28: Begin short film shooting and poster photography

May 7: Complete shooting and photography, start organizing materials

May 19: Final edit of the short film completed

May 21: Final confirmation of poster design

May 26: Final versions of the short film and poster completed, ready for submission.

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Ethical and Legal Dilemmas: Who Controls Our Digital Legacy?

As social media becomes deeply intertwined with our lives, a crucial question arises: Who owns and controls our digital presence after we pass away? Digital legacy management presents complex ethical and legal challenges, especially regarding data privacy, inheritance rights, and platform policies. This blog post explores these dilemmas and examines how different legal systems address them.

Ethical Dilemmas: Privacy vs. Family Access

One of the biggest ethical debates surrounding digital legacies is the tension between privacy and family access. Some key concerns include:

Should family members have the right to access a deceased person's accounts? While loved ones may seek closure or wish to retrieve sentimental content, the deceased may have intended for their private messages and data to remain confidential.

Posthumous digital footprints: Even after death, a person’s online presence can influence their reputation. Old posts, interactions, and shared content may continue to be visible or even misused.

Respecting user wishes: Many users do not leave clear instructions about their digital assets. Should platforms assume the deceased would want their family to take over, or should privacy be upheld indefinitely?

Legal Complexities: Who Owns the Data?

Laws regarding digital inheritance vary widely across countries, and social media companies often have their own policies that complicate matters further.

1. United States: Varying State Laws

The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) allows executors to manage digital assets in some states, but platform terms of service may still override these rights.

Tech giants like Facebook and Google offer legacy management options, but they limit access rather than granting full control.

2. European Union: Stronger Privacy Protections

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) prioritizes data privacy, meaning that even close relatives may struggle to gain access to a deceased person’s accounts.

Some countries, like Germany, have ruled in favor of granting heirs access to digital assets, treating them like physical inheritance.

3. China: State Regulations and Platform Rules

Chinese law does not explicitly cover digital inheritance, leaving it largely up to platforms.

Major social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo have no formal memorialization policies, making digital legacies harder to manage.

What Can Be Done?

As digital assets become more valuable, individuals should take proactive steps:

Use legacy features on platforms like Facebook and Google to designate digital heirs.

Include digital assets in wills and specify instructions for account management.

Advocate for clearer policies that balance privacy rights with the needs of grieving families.

Conclusion

The debate over digital legacy management is far from settled. Ethical concerns about privacy and legal inconsistencies across jurisdictions make it a complex issue. As our online lives continue to expand, it is essential for individuals, families, and policymakers to address these challenges to ensure a respectful and fair approach to digital afterlife management.

References

Uniform Law Commission. (n.d.). Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. Retrieved from https://www.uniformlaws.org

European Law Institute. (n.d.). Succession of Digital Assets, Data and Other Digital Remains. Retrieved from https://www.europeanlawinstitute.eu

Cleaver Fulton Rankin. (n.d.). Digital Assets on Death. Retrieved from https://www.cleaverfultonrankin.co.uk

Hatley Law Group. (n.d.). How Are Digital Assets Handled in an Estate Plan?. Retrieved from https://www.hatleylawgroup.com

The Tax Adviser. (n.d.). Estate Planning for Digital Assets. Retrieved from https://www.thetaxadviser.com

Reuters. (2019). Lack of Rules Leaves Experts Puzzled About Data Ownership After Death. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com

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Case Study: How Social Media Platforms Handle Digital Legacy

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, allowing us to connect, share, and document experiences. However, when a user passes away, their online presence—often referred to as a "digital legacy"—remains. Different platforms have developed various approaches to managing these accounts, ranging from memorialization to deletion. In this blog post, we will examine how major social media platforms handle digital legacies and explore their policies.

Facebook: Memorialization and Legacy Contacts

Facebook is one of the most well-developed platforms in terms of digital legacy management. It offers two main options for deceased users' accounts:

Memorialization: Once reported, a deceased user’s profile is converted into a memorialized account. The word "Remembering" appears before the person’s name, and the account remains visible to friends and family, preserving their posts and memories.

Legacy Contact: Users can designate a trusted person as a legacy contact who can manage their memorialized account, including updating profile pictures and posting tributes.

Deletion: The account can also be permanently deleted at the request of close family members or if the user preselected this option before passing.

Instagram: Similar to Facebook but More Limited

Since Instagram is owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), its digital legacy policies are quite similar:

Memorialization: A deceased person’s Instagram account can be memorialized, preventing anyone from logging in but keeping the profile visible.

Account Removal: Close family members can request the deletion of an account after providing proof of death.

No Legacy Contact: Unlike Facebook, Instagram does not allow users to appoint someone to manage their memorialized profile.

Twitter: A Strictly Controlled Deletion Policy

Twitter takes a stricter approach to digital legacy:

Account Removal Only: The platform does not offer a memorialization option. Instead, verified family members can request an account’s removal.

Limited Control: Family members cannot access or manage the account; they can only request deletion by providing necessary documentation.

TikTok and Other Platforms

TikTok and several newer platforms have less formalized digital legacy policies:

No Memorialization: Currently, TikTok does not offer a way to memorialize accounts.

Account Removal: Families can request account deletion, but they cannot access the deceased user’s content or messages.

Unclear Future Policies: As digital legacy concerns grow, platforms like TikTok may introduce more comprehensive solutions.

What Does This Mean for Digital Legacies?

These varied approaches raise critical questions about how social media platforms should handle digital legacies. Should users have more control over what happens to their accounts after death? Should family members have greater access, or does this conflict with privacy rights? As technology evolves, so too must the policies that govern our digital afterlives.

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Introduction of this project

Social media has become an essential part of modern life, shaping how we connect and communicate. However, it also creates digital legacies—“digital ghosts”—the online presence left behind after someone passes away. These digital traces, including social media accounts, posts, and interactions, continue to exist long after death, raising important questions about privacy, ethics, and digital afterlife management.

This project, “Digital Ghosts: The Afterlife of Social Media,” explores the complexities of managing the online presence of the deceased. It examines how platforms like Facebook and Instagram handle memorialization, the ethical issues surrounding digital legacies, and the role of family members and legal systems in managing these accounts. The aim is to raise awareness and provoke thought about how we should treat digital footprints after death through creative media such as videos, posters, and social media campaigns.

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Mind Map for Digital Legacy/Posthumous Data Ownership

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Topics Brainstorm for MEDIA220 Project

Digital Legacy & Posthumous Data Ownership

AI-Generated Digital Ghosts & Ethical Concerns

Virtual Inheritance & the Future of Digital Assets

AI-Driven Identity Theft & Deepfake Manipulation

Posthumous Social Media Engagement & Algorithmic Influence