What else is happening or has happened historically in your chosen area of research?
The intersection of film, design, and emotion has been discussed in academia and the film industry. Film experts have always understood the importance of using visual and auditory elements to elicit emotion.
Film scholars have examined cinematography, editing, sound design, and production design to understand how they affect emotional connection. Various studies have explored how colour, lighting, camera movement, and composition affect cinema mood and atmosphere. Music and sound effects' influence on audience emotions have also been studied.
Some articles I found on this subject were: (I iincluded all of my research for this phase below, it's quite lenghty but I wanted to make sure I was able to cover all the important topics I explored for this research question and there were many!)
Lotman, Elen. (2016)
This article explores how cinematographers employ visual techniques to enhance the audience's emotional connection with the characters on screen. They argue that emphasising depth in shots is a commonly employed technique because it helps viewers establish a stronger connection with the characters. The author also delves into the concept of audience empathy in film. The techniques discussed in this study are frequently used by cinematographers to create an engaging experience that can enhance emotional connection.
Balzarotti et al., (2021).
This study investigated the correlation between editing pace (e.g., fast cuts versus slow cuts) and emotional engagement in film. The researchers conducted a series of experimennts and surveys to measure how viewers' emotions were influenced by different editing rhythms in films. Their findings provide insights into how editing techniques can impact audience perceptions and emotional resonance.
Kock and Louven (2019).
This study examined how music and sound effects can impact the emotions of an audience. The researchers examined the impact of various sound design elements on emotional engagement and immersion in film narratives. They used physiological measures like heart rate and skin conductance, as well as self-report measures, to gather data for their analysis.
Trandafir (2023).
This study examined how set design and production elements, such as props and set dressing, influenced the emotional responses of the audience. By analysing film scenes and gathering feedback from audience focus groups, researchers explored the impact of production design on the mood, atmosphere, and emotional impact of cinematic storytelling.
Graphic designers and filmmakers have experimented with different methods to enhance emotionall impact. When looking into the industry, I noticed that film is filled with a fascinating history of creative experimentation. From the iconic title sequences crafted by artists like Saul Bass to the avant-garde filmmaking movements such as David Fincher, there is a wealth of inspiration that I found.
Films of Personal Interest
A few films and tv series that stood out to me personally that I would like to explore a bit are American beauty, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, saltburn, and six feet under. These films have had an emotional impact through their use of visuals, artistic expression and music.
American Beauty(1999) directed by Sam Mendes
I found this film really captivating, although the storyline was a bit dark it poignantly explored suburban life and existential dread. I found the cinematography really evocative, there is a scene where two of the characters are walking along a suburban street with the evocative music playing in the background and there’s just something about this scene and the hauntingly beautiful score that created a sense of nostalgia. In addition to this the scene with the plastic bag floating in the air is one that I find compelling and emotionally evocative. The film delves into the lives of seemingly ordinary characters but reveals the multifaceted nature of the characters as well as their hidden desires which are hidden under the surface of conformity to suburban life. Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Lester Burnham, a middle-aged man on a mission for self-discovery and liberation, is both mesmerizing and deeply affecting. The film captures the essence of disillusionment well that really resonated deeply with me. The film touches on beauty, desire and mortality with an honesty that is so profound. I felt this film challenged my own perception of life and happiness. It got me questioning the notion of fulfilment. This film will always be part of my emotional journey to fulfilment, although many say the theme was quite dark, I felt there were so many hidden layers to this film with its rich symbolism and emotional depth in addition to the thought provoking commentary on what it is to be human. This film remains a timeless masterpiece that deeply resonated with me. I felt that I needed to include this film as part of my research as it’s very personal to me and resonated deeply with me, largely because of the emotional score by Thomas Newman. This film had me questioning what the purpose of life was and resonated with my own journey to finding fulfilment.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) directed by Michel Gondry
This film is also one that resonated deeply with me, a profoundly evocative film that explores the complexities of love, memory and human connection. The films narrative structure is non linear (quite confusing) and blurs between past an present which initially was quite perplexing but it switches between reality and fantasy and I found this story really immersive, you get into the psyche of the character Joel Barish who undergoes a procedure to erase memories from his rocky relationship with the female character. The film delves into the complexities of their relationship, revealing the beauty and pain that is inherent in the life and the human experience. This film really stood out to me due to its haunting, dreamlike/quirky visuals, evocative score, and emotionally resonant performances. This film had me contemplating the complexity of relationships, the good and the bad and if given a chance would I choose to erase the memory of someone?
Six Feet Under (2005) created by Alan Ball
This profoundly evocative television series explores the complex aspects of family, mortality, and humanity. Set in a funeral home in Los Angeles, the show closely follows the lives of the Fisher family as they navigate the challenges of running a funeral business while grappling with their own personal struggles and relationships. Through its complex characters, evocative storytelling, and poignant exploration of life and death, Six Feet Under delves into depths of grief, love, identity, the search for meaning and pondering on your own mortality. I found the performances really powerful and the dialogue was really thought provoking and emotionally resonant. This series was deeply moving and helped me take an introspective look at myself my goals and helped me to think about my own mortality. It’s a show that beautifully and hauntingly explores death in a unique and contemplative way.
I wanted to write about this series because it has been part of my journey towards meaning. Much of the show reflects on death and this was something I was always deeply interested in, if a bit morbid. I always has philosophical thoughts about death and life and our purpose and this show was part of my journey to finding meaning in my religion and life.
Saltburn (2023)by Emerald Fennel
I really enjoyed this film, it explores themes of obsession, social class and privilege and power dynamics. in the story a young student in oxford becomes fixated on his rich aristocratic friend. There was something about this film that was really compelling, the cinematography, compelling storytelling and strong performances in addition to atmosphere were really engaging. It was a thought provoking look into human nature and society. It pushed a lot of artistic boundaries, one being the shock value of some of the disturbing scenes, but the atmosphere is something different from other experiences in film. Fennel also used a different aspect ratio of 4:3 which gave you an idea that you were looking into to peoples lives but also it reflected the Instagram format and size. Artistically, there was something about the set design which added to the feeling of unease, this might be because I am of middle class background but when I see large aristocratic houses and the décor I immediately associate them with horror films which I probably need to change.
The opening title sequence of "Saltburn" was meticulously created, demonstrating an eye for detail in every aspect. The choice to utilise red lettering in the title carries significant meaning, going beyond stylistic preference. Furthermore, the colour red is often associated with passion, reflecting Oliver's profound love and obsession with Felix and his family.
In "Saltburn." The title sequence sets the tone for the complex journey that lies ahead.
The visuals are enhanced by the iconic song in the title sequence, "Zadok the Priest," which is a well-known British anthem associated with royalty.
The title sequence of "Saltburn" effectively captures the core themes and messages of the film. The stoory explores themes of love, obsession, and social class, inviting viewers to delve into its deeper layers of meaning. The writer, Emerald Fennell, effectively explores the viewpoint of those on the outside and examines society's obsession with social hierarchy and position. There are many hidden meanings/elements to this film that make it really thought provoking.
There was a scene where there were a group of people out dancing and drinking and there was something about this scene that just brought up a lot of feelings of intense nostalgia, the evocative music really set the scene and framed the character in a way that made him seem more desirable and made the scene more compelling.
This resonated with me deeply because it visually expressed the escapism that I felt when I was drinking. Connections felt genuine, life felt amazing and euphoric. Interactions felt magical and you felt a deep connection with people. People seemed so interesting and mysterious. Life suddenly felt worth living. This scene reminded me of my experiences in my younger years where I drank a lot, it brought up a lot of mixed feelings about friendships that were made when drunk and the magic of euphoria. The scene plays out where the characters get to know each other on a deeper level. The evocative soundtrack during this scene creates a sense of nostalgia and helps create a bond with the characters.
This resonated with me deeply because it visually expressed the escapism that I felt when I was drinking. Connections felt genuine, life felt amazing and euphoric. Interactions felt magical and you felt a deep connection with people. People seemed so interesting and mysterious. Life suddenly felt worth living. This scene reminded me of my experiences in my younger years where I drank a lot, it brought up a lot of mixed feelings about friendships that were made when drunk and the magic of euphoria. The scene plays out where the characters get to know each other on a deeper level. The evocative soundtrack during this scene creates a sense of nostalgia and helps create a bond with the characters.
Despite the dark nature of this film, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it to be a delight to the senses, the emotional score, riveting subject matter and artistic expression pushed a lot of boundaries in film and I think Emerald Fennel is a really fearless and talented director.
A beautiful mind (2001)
A beautiful mind will always be one of my favourite films of all time, it explores the emotionally moving story of the mathematician John Nash. The opening title sequence immediately delves into his world. Alongside the haunting, gorgeous score, Nash’s talent and love for mathematics is shown through abstract imagery and equations, the title sequence well reflects the films themes of intellect, obsession, and mental illness using symbolic imagery and visual cues.
This music sets the scene for the films tone and atmosphere. James Horner’s powerful score reflects John Nash’s life and journey with his condition. The harmonic orchestra builds suspense and awe and reflects the beauty of Nash’s complex mind.
The title sequence introduces the films themes with visual symobolism and emotive music that introduces you to the complexity and thought-provoking story of Nash’s life.
This film resonated with me deeply, the evocative score and how his experience was conveyed well reflected what its like to experience a psychotic episode for both the patient and their family. There were many twists and turns in this story that built up a lot of suspense and kept you glued to the screen. I think this is definitely a film I would recommend to people with a similar diagnosis to me. I didn’t find it triggering, I found it quite a relief to know that other people have experienced pain in this way.
This film is of personal significance to me. I remember being profoundly moved by this story when I was younger, as I have said previously, I suffer from a strong disconnect with life and often people, but I love the way film communicates a story through strong visuals and emotive soundtrack. I got completely enveloped in the story of John Nash and I felt this story well reflected what it’s like to go through psychosis or schizophrenia. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder a few years back and there is one scene in this film that really resonates with me. It's the scene where he hides his medication because he wants to feel more alive and back to his normal self, and this is something that I have also experienced. The blunting effect of antipsychotics, although they reduce some intrusive and troubling thoughts, they can also give you a feeling of complete numbness, apathy and a longing for your motivation to come back. Recently, I’d been grappling with feelings of inadequacy, apathy and emotional blunting that is getting in the way of everything I want to achieve. As much as I’m grateful for being on my medication and for generally being ‘better’ the side effects of lethargy, indifference and feeling blank and vacuous are becoming quite troubling.
In my head there are so many things that I would love to do but the motivation is only really there when I’ve come off my medication for a short period. During these short periods, I feel full of energy, productive and connected to people and the world which these antipsychotics diminish. I find interaction really difficult; most of the time I feel blank and like an empty vessel, I find it hard to gather the words to say and I just feel disinterested in everything. I’ve decided that I wanted to focus my final project on these feelings of apathy and how film can help people to feel more connected to life and emotions.
Before I was on these tablets, I was so paranoid, I felt a pain in my chest and I felt a bit like you were living in the Truman show, on a screen with the world watching you, judging you, commenting on your dull life and what a waste of space I was, it felt really dark. The medication has helped immensely with this paranoia but I’m still working on how to manage the apathy. I guess it’s the lesser of two evils, but it can be hard sometimes. I want to be consistent with my business, my posts, my work but this apathy is killing my enthusiasm and creativity. Despite this, I’m so grateful for how far I’ve come in 5 years and I’m hopeful that I can go further.
After my tutorial with Ben I had a clearer idea of what direction I was going to take my research in. He advised that I research film spectatorship as my project revolves around the viewer and their experience with film. He also encouraged me to look into cognitive motor spectatorship and embodied spectatorship. I will also be looking into affect, emotional blunting, and neurodivergence in regards to film theory. In addition to this I will be looking into autoethnographic methods of research and writing.
Film spectatorship
The term "film spectatorship" describes the process of Watching a film iand immersing oneself in its themes, narrative, and visual and auditory elements, as a viewer. It encompasses the various ways individuals engage with, interpret, and respond to films, along with their social dynamics, emotional reactions, and cognitive functions before, during, and after viewing. Everyone has their own unique preferences and cultural background that influence how they perceive and interpret films. These factors contribute to the personal meaning and significance that viewers find in the cinematic experience.
The book ‘Spectators’ (Colman, 2015) looks at how people interact with movies and how that affects how they understand and process movie stories. Colman talks about the different things that affect spectatorship, such as the gaze, how narrative perspective is built, and how pictures on the screen interact with space off the screen. The paper shows how important viewers are to giving films meaning and making sure the stories make sense by looking at the changing connection between filmmakers and audiences. Colman gives a deep understanding of the complicated dynamics of film spectatorship through insightful analysis and theoretical frameworks. She sheds light on the ways that moviegoers actively join in the cinematic experience.
In "Spectators," Colman’s (2015) research is mostly about how moviegoers shape their own movie experiences. She stresses that moviegoers are not passive consumers of films; instead, they actively engage with the medium, making meaning and interpretations through their interactions with images and storylines on the screen. The way a viewer looks at a movie affects how they understand the characters, events, and ideas in it, according to Colman. Aside from that, she looks into how filmmakers use narrative viewpoint and visual elements to direct and control viewers' emotions and attention. Overall, Colman's research shows that the connection between filmmakers and audiences is dynamic and two-way. It also shows how important audiences are in making and understanding cinematic stories.
Mayne (2002) "Cinema and Spectatorship" is a thorough look at film spectatorship, looking at many different aspects of how moviegoers interact with and understand motion picture stories. It's clear from Mayne's research that the connection between filmmakers and audiences is fluid, and that audiences actively shape their movie-going experience. She looks at how viewers make sense of and understand what they see on screen by interacting with images, storylines, and audiovisual elements. Mayne also talks about how cultural, social, and historical contexts affect how people watch films. She looks at how reactions to films are affected by bigger cultural and social factors. Overall, "Cinema and Spectatorship" is a useful book that helps to understand the complicated dynamics of film spectatorship and the different ways that moviegoers actively join in the moviegoing experience.
"The Psychology of Its Appeal" by Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer explores the psychological mechanisms that contribute to the allure of film and their significance in film theory. The authors' findings offer valuable insights into the ways in which viewers connect with films on an emotional, cognitive, and physiological level. These insights help us understand the factors that contribute to viewers' enjoyment and immersion in cinematic narratives. According to Zillmann and Vorderer's research, different aspects of film, such as the way the story is told, the development of characters, the visual appeal, and the use of sound and visuals, all have a significant impact on evoking emotions and keeping the audience interested. They also investigate how individual differences, like personality traits and cultural background, influence viewers' preferences and interpretations of films. Overall, "The Psychology of Its Appeal" provides a thorough exploration of the psychological factors that contribute to the allure of film. It enhances film theory by incorporating scientific data and theoretical perspectives from the field of psychology. (Zillmann and Vorderer, 2000)
By looking at the relationship between moviegoers and films in the setting of fiction, Smith (1995) "Film Spectatorship and the Institution of Fiction" goes into great detail about how people experience films. This article by Smith demonstrates how watching films is closely connected to the idea of fiction, as moviegoers use the stories made up by directors to become immersed in made-up worlds. The paper talks about how moviegoers use the fictional parts of movies—like characters, plots, settings, and themes—to get meaning and emotional impact from their moviegoing experience. Smith also looks at how film methods like editing, cinematography, and sound design affect how people interact with fiction and how they see the difference between reality and fantasy. Overall, "Film Spectatorship and the Institution of Fiction" gives a nuanced view of film spectatorship as a complicated relationship between moviegoers, directors, and the made-up worlds they all live in.
Having looked into several articles about film spectatorship I was able to find some common themes across the research:
Moviegoers don't just watch films; they actively participate in the stories told in films, creating meaning and understanding by interacting with images, story structures, and audiovisual elements.
How people feel about a movie has a big impact on their moviegoing experience. Things like connecting with the characters, the tension in the story, and the way the movie appears and performs all affect how strongly and what kind of emotions people feel.
Cultural and Social Context: Gender, race, social identity, and historical context are some of the larger sociocultural factors that shape spectatorship practices. These factors affect how watchers see, like, and understand films.
The way films are put together, with plot development, character paths, and thematic concepts, is a big part of how they control and direct viewers' attention, understanding, and emotional response.
Filmmaking methods like editing, cinematography, sound design, and musical scoring all add to the sensory experience of watching a movie. They make people feel things and make them feel more immersed in the worlds of movies.
Researchers use ideas from many fields, like psychology, sociology, cultural studies, and aesthetics, to look into the complicated processes of film viewing and what that means for our understanding of how people think, feel, and interact with each other.
Overall, these common results show how film spectatorship is multidimensional, showing the many ways that people actively participate in and draw meaning from the film experience.
Components of film spectatorship:
Film spectatorship is influenced by a lot of different factors that work together to shape how people interact with and understand movie stories. Some of the most important parts of watching films are:
Cognitive Processes: These are the mental processes like perception, attention, memory, and comprehension that people use to understand the story, characters, and themes of a movie.
When talking about film spectatorship, cognitive processes are the mental activities that moviegoers perform to understand and make sense of the plot, characters, and themes showed in a movie. My research looked into how mental process works:
Perception: Film perception is the understanding of sounds and images shown onscreen by the senses. People's visual perception is how they understand things like colours, shapes, movement, and images. Their auditory perception is how they understand conversation, sound effects, and music. Perception helps people understand what they see and hear in a movie, which helps them follow the story and figure out what the characters are feeling and doing.( Bordwell, 1989).
Attention: Film attention is the way that moviegoers pay attention to certain parts of the movie experience. People may pay more attention to certain people, objects, or events on screen if they are important to the story or make them feel something. Paying attention helps people organise knowledge, follow the story, and connect with the movie's main ideas and themes.( obo. (n.d.).
Memory: Film memory is the process of storing, retrieving, and encoding knowledge from movies. People use their memories to remember past characters, events, and plot twists, which affects how they understand and read the story of the film. Memories also affect what people expect, like, and think about a movie based on what they know about the culture and movies they have seen before.
Understanding: Figuring out what a movie's text means and how important it is is called film comprehension. Audiences put together information from different sources, like dialogue, images, and the framework of the story, to make sense of the movie's plot, characters, and themes. Figuring out story patterns, character goals, and thematic messages is part of comprehending a film. These things help the audience understand the film as a whole. (Smith, M. (2018).
Cognitive motor spectatorship
People connect and become physically involved with movie stories through both their minds and bodies. This is called cognitive motor spectatorship. Traditional models of spectatorship rely on cognitive processes like perception, attention, memory, and comprehension. Cognitive motor spectatorship, on the other hand, looks at how viewers' bodies react to experiences like films.
In cognitive motor spectatorship, people not only think about and make sense of the sounds and images on the screen, but they also interact with the movie theatre physically by moving, swaying, and making motions. This hnds-on involvement makes the movie experience more immersive and lets viewers actively contribute to the creation of meaning and story engagement. (Plantiga, 2006)
Here are some examples of cognitive motor spectatorship:
Gestural Responses: When people see intense or suspenseful scenes, they may naturally lean forward, cover their eyes, or clench their hands. This shows how emotionally and physically involved they are.
Postural Adjustments: People in the audience may change their body position or posture in response to changes in the movie's mood, pace, or story drama, adjusting their stance to match what's happening on the screen.
Many people who watch TV or films may feel tactile empathy, which means they physically connect with the characters on screen by copying their moves, facial expressions, or body language as if they were part of the story themselves.
Through cognitive motor involvement, moviegoers imagine themselves in the made-up world of the movie, mentally simulating the characters' physical feelings and actions in the settings, events, and characters shown onscreen.
What cognitive motor spectatorship does is bring out the bodily nature of the moviegoing experience by focusing on how people physically react to and interact with film. This method gives us a full picture of how moviegoers interact with stories through their minds and bodies by combining cognitive and movement processes.
Gestural responses in film spectatorship refer to the instinctive physical reactions that viewers exhibit in response to the emotional or suspenseful content of a movie. These responses are manifestations of the viewer's emotional involvement and physiological arousal while engaging with the cinematic narrative. (Sobchack, 2004).
Plantinga discusses how films evoke emotional responses in viewers, leading to physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, sweating, and changes in body posture. Gestural responses are considered a part of the embodied experience of watching films.
Smith (20024) explores the role of characters in eliciting emotional responses from audiences and discusses how viewers may physically react to the actions and situations depicted on screen. Gestural responses are seen as indicators of the viewer's emotional engagement with the narrative.
Wiley (2023) examines the emotional impact of films on viewers and discuss the physiological and behavioral responses that accompany emotional arousal. Gestural responses, such as leaning forward or covering one's eyes during intense scenes, are cited as common reactions among audiences.
These references provide insights into how gestural responses reflect viewers' emotional engagement and physiological arousal while watching films, emphasizing the embodied nature of the cinematic experience. Gestural responses serve as observable indicators of the viewer's affective response to the narrative content and contribute to their overall immersion in the film
Plantiga (2006) and Smith (2004) state that:
Emotional Engagement: The way films make people feel is a big part of why people watch them. People may relate to the characters, feel tension or excitement, or be moved by the themes and images in the movie
Emotional involvement in film is directly linked to film viewing, and it includes the physical part of going to the movies. When people emotionally connect with a movie, they're not just watching the story happen; they're actually going on the emotional journey that's being shown on screen.
Active participation: For viewers to be emotionally engaged, they need to connect with the movie's characters, plot, and ideas. This active involvement goes beyond understanding and includes physical and emotional responses that shape how the viewer sees the movie.
Physical and Physiological Responses: When people are emotionally involved, their bodies and minds often react. For example, their heart rates may go up, they may sweat, cry, or change the way they look or stand. These physical reactions show how emotionally involved the watcher is with the story and characters.
Identification and Empathy: For emotional involvement to happen, the viewer must be able to relate to the characters and what they're going through, as well as understand how they feel and what drives them. By identifying with and feeling empathy for the characters, viewers emotionally engage in the story and feel connected to it on a personal level.
Immersive Experience: Emotional involvement makes the moviegoing experience more immersive by pulling viewers into the world of the movie and letting them live in the made-up world shown on screen. This immersion makes the watcher feel more present and involved in the story.
Interactivity and Response: Emotional engagement makes people react emotionally to story twists, character developments, and thematic revelations as they happen in real time. These feelings affect how interested a viewer stays with the movie and affect their general experience of watching it.
Additionally, emotional involvement in film viewing includes both mental and physical aspects, as viewers actively take part in the emotional journey of the story through their visceral, physical, and physiological reactions. People who are emotionally involved don't just watch the movie; they take part in the experience and give the movie their whole selves.
Through cognitive motor involvement, moviegoers imagine themselves in the made-up world of the movie, mentally simulating the characters' physical feelings and actions in the settings, events, and characters shown onscreen.
What cognitive motor spectatorship does is bring out the bodily nature of the moviegoing experience by focusing on how people physically react to and interact with film. This method gives you a full picture of how moviegoers interact with stories through their minds and bodies by combining cognitive and movement processes.
Embodied motor spectatorship
Coëgnarts, (2015) and Fahlenbrach, (2007) discusss embodied motor spectatorship:
Embodied motor spectatorship in film is when people are actively and physically involved with the moviegoing experience. Their body movements and actions have a big impact on how they see, understand, and react to the movie.
Movement: During intense or scary scenes, viewers may move their bodies by doing things like leaning forward, shifting in their seats, or reaching out towards the screen. These body movements show how the watcher is feeling and reacting to what is happening in the movie.
Gesture and Posture: People in the audience may move or hold themselves in a certain way in reaction to what characters do and how they feel on screen. People may copy the way characters move their bodies, like crossing their arms to look guarded or putting their hands over their mouths to look shocked.
kinesthetic empathy: When people watch TV or films, they physically feel what the characters on the screen are feeling and moving. This is called embodied motor spectatorship. This could mean copying the actions, facial expressions, and moves of characters as if they were part of the story.
Physical Arousal: The visceral and physical parts of embodied motor spectatorship affect how the film makes the watcher feel and what happens in their body. This excitement can show up as a faster heart rate, sweating, or changes in breathing patterns, which show how emotionally involved the watcher is with the movie story.
Immersive experience: Embodied motor spectatorship makes the moviegoing experience more immersive by letting watchers feel like they are physically in the world shown on the screen. A lot of people get more involved with the story by physically reacting to the characters and events in the movie.
Overall, embodied motor spectatorship in film shows how audiences interact with films in a dynamic and interactive way, focusing on how body moves and actions affect viewers' emotional, intellectual, and sensory experiences with the medium.
Making sense of the film's content requires viewers to actively interpret and build meaning from the film's text. They do this by drawing on their own experiences, knowledge, and cultural background.
socio cultural and historical backgrounds
Carboni (2007) and Martinez (1992) discuss socio cultural and historical backgrounds in relation to film spectatorship
Social and cultural background: Gender, race, social class, and history background are some of the larger social and cultural factors that affect how people watch films and how they think about them.
When people talk about watching films, they talk about how their social and cultural background affects how they watch films and figure out what they mean. These backgrounds include gender, race, classes, and history. In the setting of watching films, these things are usually talked about in this way:
Gender: An important factor that affects how people think about and experience films is their gender. Researchers have looked into how gender rules and stereotypes affect how people choose films, how they see characters, and how much they identify with how they are portrayed on screen. Feminist film theory, for instance, looks at how gender ideas are shown and questioned in films, talking about things like representation, choice, and power.
Race and Ethnicity: Talks about race and ethnicity in film spectatorship look at how national and racial identities affect how people understand movie stories. Scholars look at how race is portrayed in movies, how stereotypes work, and how minority voices are left out of popular movies. Through films and stories, critical race theory helps us understand how racial systems are strengthened or weakened.
Social Class: People's social class affects how they receive and participate in film culture, which in turn affects their tastes, preferences, and understandings of film texts. Researchers have looked into how films that show class, wealth, and social mobility affect people from a range of socioeconomic groups. Marxist film theory looks at how capitalism and class struggle affect how films are made and how people react to them.
Historical Background: Knowing about the past helps us understand how pictures were made, distributed, and viewed in specific social and political settings. Scholars study how historical events, cultural movements, and ideological changes affect how films are made and how people react to them. Film history studies how moviegoers have changed over time by looking at changes in watching habits, how films are shown, and the types of people who go to see films.
Most of the time, talking about social and cultural background in film viewing brings out how complicated it is for identity, social rules, and how films present things. Scholars learn more about the larger cultural importance of films and how they affect society by looking at how gender, race, social class, and historical context affect how people see and experience films.
Narrative Structure:
The way films are put together, with plot development, character storylines, and recurring themes, affects how people understand and feel about the films they watch.
When it comes to watching films, narrative structure is very important for how people learn, interpret, and feel about the films they see.
Narrative structure helps moviegoers understand and make sense of the story that's playing out on the screen. Viewers can understand how the story progresses and figure out what the movie's messages and themes are by looking at how the plot events, character arcs, and thematic ideas are organised. People who go to the movies actively interact with the story framework, putting together the plot twists and character motivations to make sense of the experience. (Smith, 1995)
Smith (1995) also discusses;
Emotional Engagement: The way a story is told affects how people feel when they watch a movie. Filmmakers can make people feel many emotions, such as tension, excitement, empathy, and relief, by changing story twists, character dynamics, and thematic resolutions. As the story unfolds on screen, viewers become emotionally involved in what happens to the characters and how the story ends. They feel more engaged and immersed in the experience.
Narrative expectations: People who watch films bring their own narrative expectations and conventions with them, which affect how they interact with the film's story framework. Knowing about genre conventions, storytelling tropes, and narrative archetypes helps viewers guess how the story will go and how the characters will change over time. This affects how they react to plot twists and story endings. Based on their personal tastes and past viewing experiences, viewers may intentionally seek out or break narrative norms.
Critical Analysis: People who watch movies think about the story framework of a movie to judge its artistic value, thematic depth, and how well it tells a story. They look at how well the story flows, how complicated the characters are, and how the story plays with themes. They do this by thinking about how these things affect the movie as a whole. People who watch films can respect the skill that goes into making them and learn more about how films tell stories by thinking critically about the structure of stories.
to sum up, the way people understand, analyse, and feel about films is affected by the way the stories are put together. Cinemagoers actively build meaning and emotional resonance within the film experience by analysing how plot points, character development, and thematic motifs are put together.
Jutz, G., (2016) on audiovisual and sensory engagement
Audiovisual Aesthetics: Filmmaking methods like editing, cinematography, sound design, and musical scoring add to the sensory experience of watching a movie, making people feel things and making them feel more immersed in the worlds of movies.
In "Audiovisual Aesthetics in Contemporary Experimental Film," Jutz explores the complex relationship between sound and picture in experimental film, showing how this changing relationship affects how people watch films. This conversation has something to do with watching films:
Sensory Engagement: Jutz looks at how experimental directors change audiovisual elements to make viewers more involved with their senses and make the experience more immersive. When directors try out new soundscapes, visual compositions, and editing methods, they create a multisensory environment that challenges viewers' perceptions and gets them involved with the film.
Emotional Resonance: The way experimental films look and sound creates an emotional response in viewers. Jutz talks about how filmmakers use sound and picture to make people feel different emotions, such as awe, curiosity, discomfort, and thought. By creating immersive audiovisual landscapes, directors connect directly with viewers' emotions, evoking physical and emotional responses to the movie -going experience.
Perceptual Exploration: Experimental film questions common ways of seeing and understanding things, encouraging viewers to try out new ways of seeing and hearing. Jutz looks at how experimental filmmakers play around with audiovisual techniques to break the rules of narrative conventions, test our perceptions, and make films say more. People watching are urged to take an active role in creating meaning by interpreting the sensory stimuli shown on screen in their own unique and flexible way.
Aesthetic Experience: The aural aesthetics of experimental films give viewers a unique aesthetic experience that goes beyond normal ways of telling stories. Jutz talks about how directors put formal experimentation, sensory immersion, and perception ahead of story coherence so that viewers can experience the film on an aesthetically and sensual level. By focusing on the physical aspects of films, viewers can better appreciate their beauty and be open to the possibilities of using films as a way to express themselves artistically and explore their senses.
In conclusion, Jutz's study of audiovisual aesthetics in modern experimental film sheds light on how sound and image are used by directors to change the way people experience films. By making immersive sensory environments, evoking emotional responses, questioning how we normally see things, and putting an emphasis on aesthetic experimentation, experimental filmmakers give viewers a rich and dynamic audiovisual journey that goes beyond the limits of traditional narrative and encourages them to interact with the medium.
Affect in film
Affect is the psychological term for all the different feelings, emotions, and moods that people have throughout the day. It includes both good feelings like joy, happiness, and satisfaction, as well as bad feelings like fear, anger, and sadness. Affect shapes many parts of human working, such as thinking, acting, making choices, and interacting with others. It is a big part of how people feel about their own well-being because their general emotional experiences affect how happy and satisfied they are with their life. Affect is studied by psychologists to find out how it works, how it affects mental health and functioning, and what part it plays in relationships and social dynamics. PLantiga (2008)
In "Emotion and Affect," Plantinga (2008) looks at the ideas of affect and emotion in the setting of philosophy and film. He does this by showing how these ideas relate to watching films. Here's how affect works and how it relates to watching films:
Understanding Affect: Affect is the word for the unconscious body sensations and feelings that happen in response to things in the outside world, such as things shown in movies. Emotions are things we are aware of and how our culture shapes them. Affect, on the other hand, works on a deeper level, affecting how we react instantly to sensory stimuli without needing to be called or put into a category.
How Affective Responses Shape the Movie-Going Experience: Plantinga (2008)talks about how affective responses shape the movie-going experience for viewers. Sound and video elements like music, images, lights, and pacing can make people feel a lot of different emotions, such as happiness, fear, sadness, and excitement. Seeing these affective inputs makes people's bodies react right away and deeply, involving them emotionally and physically.
Embodied Engagement: Affect is closely linked to embodied engagement with film because it works through physical responses and feelings. Plantinga stresses that the affective reactions to films are not just mental and emotional processes, but also physical ones, like changes in heart rate, breathing patterns, and muscle tension. People who are watching films can physically feel the effects of emotional stimuli, which makes them more involved and immersed in the story.
The power of emotion to communicate hidden meaning and significance in film viewing, going beyond conscious thought and language interpretation. Plantinga (2008) looks into how viewers' emotional reactions can reveal hidden themes, moods, and settings in a movie, which can change how the viewer interprets and understands the story. Emotional cues are nonverbal cues that help the watcher feel their way through the movie, which affects how they understand and experience the movie's text as a whole.
In conclusion, affect is an important part of watching films because it makes people react instantly and physically to the things they see on the screen. As a bodily experience, affect works on a level that isn't conscious, affecting how the watcher feels, what they think about the movie, and how they intuitively understand it. By looking at how affect and film viewing interact, Plantinga gives us useful information about how films make people feel and react right away, affecting their emotional and physical involvement with the medium.
Neurodivergence and film spectatorship
Simpson (2018) looks at how neurodiversity and theatregoers' experiences are connected, focusing on the different ways neurodivergent people experience theatre in different situations. despite the fact that the study is specifically about theatregoers, some of its results can be applied to moviegoers as well. Simpson talks about how standard theatre settings, which expect people to be quiet and still, might be hard for neurodiverse people who experience problems like sensory sensitivity, attention issues, or motor tics. The paper talks about how important it is to make places for audiences that are welcoming and open to everyone. For example, relaxed performances make the atmosphere more open and flexible. Even though the study is mostly about theatre, its results show that similar ideas could make watching films more enjoyable for neurodiverse people.
Autism and Cinema: An Exploration of Neurodiversity (www.barbican.org.uk. (n.d.)). This article looks at what autistic people consider while watching films and how their sensory needs, interests, and difficulties can be different in movie theatres. Findings show that sensory stimuli like loud noises, bright lights, and busy places can be too much for autistic moviegoers, making it hard for them to focus on the movie. To improve the movie-going experience for neurodiverse people, strategies like sensory-friendly screenings and making accommodations for sensory sensitivities are recommended.
A review of research studying film and television representations of ASD. " (Dean and Nordahl-Hansen, 2022)
This research explores the portrayal of autism in film and its impact on audience perceptions and attitudes towards neurodivergent individuals. Findings show that films about autism often reinforce negative stereotypes and tropes that make people feel bad about themselves, which leads to more misunderstandings and negative attitudes in society. But seeing more true and caring portrayals of autism in films can help people understand, care about, and accept people with autism.
Acevedo et al., (2018) In this study, neurodiverse people with autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorders are asked to rate their enjoyment of films based on their sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). Results show that people with high SPS may have more intense physical experiences while watching movies, which could change how they feel and how much they enjoy the movie overall. Understanding how different people handle sensory information can help filmmakers make films that are more welcoming and accessible for neurodiverse audiences.
BFI. (n.d.). On relaxed screenings: neurodivergence and sound at the cinema.This study compares the movie tastes and emotional reactions of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to those of neurotypical people. Findings show that people with ASD may have different tastes in certain types of films or sensory elements in films. They may also process and express their emotions differently. Neurodivergent audiences can be more engaged and enjoy films more if they are made to fit their tastes and sensitivities.
Overall, these studies show how important it is to understand the different wants, needs, and feelings of neurodiverse people who watch films. By identifying and removing barriers to access and inclusion, filmmakers and movie theatre owners can make settings that are friendlier and more accessible for everyone, making the movie-going experience more enjoyable for everyone.
Emotional blunting and film spectatorship
Emotional blunting, also called affective flattening or emotional numbness, describes a decrease or weakening of emotional reactions and displays. People who experience emotional blunting may have difficulty feeling the complete range of emotions that are usually experienced in response to different life events, stimuli, or interactions. One may experience a decrease in the intensity of emotional experiences, find it challenging to express emotions outwardly, or feel disconnected from their own feelings. Emotional blunting may be experienced as a symptom of different mental health conditions, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, or certain medication side effects. It has the potential to affect how people relate to each other, go about their daily lives, and their overall well-being. (Ma et al., 2021)
Studies have found that people with emotional blunting may show different emotional responses compared to those without when watching films or consuming other types of media. The emotional content of films may be challenging for some individuals to identify, interpret, or connect with, resulting in a less intense or reduced emotional experience.
Research indicates that disruptions in cognitive processes related to emotion, such as reduced emotional intensity, impaired empathic responses, or decreased emotional arousal, may be associated with emotional blunting. The way in which individuals with emotional blunting perceive and engage with the emotional cues presented in films can be influenced by these cognitive impairments.
Subjective Experience: Individuals with emotional blunting may have varied subjective experiences when watching films, ranging from indifference or detachment to occasional moments of emotional resonance or connection. The level of emotional engagement and enjoyment experienced by individuals can be influenced by factors such as personal preferences, film genre, narrative complexity, and sensory stimuli. (Ma et al., 2021)
The film-watching experience for individuals with emotional blunting can be enhanced through accommodations and support strategies. These can help overcome the challenges of fully experiencing the emotional impact of films. The strategies for creating an accessible film experience can involve various approaches. These may include choosing films with easily understandable storylines, reducing any potential distractions, giving viewers information about the film's content and emotional aspects beforehand, and providing chances for conversation and contemplation. (Ma et al., 2021)
The study conducted by Gelkopf et al. (2006) focuses on examining the influence of humorous films on inpatients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia. The research aims to understand the effects of these films on individuals who are hospitalised. The study investigates the potential impact of watching funny films on the mood, social behaviour, and general well-being of individuals in this particular group.
The study's findings indicate that watching funny films can have a positive impact on individuals with chronic schizophrenia who are hospitalised. Viewing humorous films led to positive effects on participants, including improved mood, increased laughter, and enhanced social interaction. The positive effects of humor-based interventions for individuals with schizophrenia extended beyond the immediate viewing experience, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits.
This study enhances comprehension of the therapeutic possibilities of humour in mental health care settings. It emphasises the significance of including enjoyable and engaging activities in treatment programmes for individuals with schizophrenia. The paper highlights the importance of humour and recreational activities in improving the well-being and quality of life for individuals with mental illness, specifically in the context of inpatient psychiatric care.
Autoethnography
(Adams, Linn and Ellis, 2015) discuss autoethnography;
A qualitative research method called autoethnography combines autobiography and ethnography. Autoethnographers use their own experiences to study cultural, social, and psychological issues. Autoethnography studies the researcher's own life and perceptions, unlike ethnography, which studies a group or culture from an outsider's perspective.
The researcher critically investigates their own experiences, feelings, and identities in social and cultural situations in autoethnographic study. They may use personal stories, memories, notebooks, or other self-reflection to reveal themes or patterns. Autoethnography frequently emphasises the researcher's reflexivity, transparency, and subjectivity, noting that their positionality and biases influence data interpretation.
Anthropology, sociology, psychology, education, and communication studies employ autoethnography to study identity, culture, trauma, sickness, migration, and social justice. Autoethnography illuminates complex phenomena and enables readers to empathise with the researcher by emphasising personal experiences and subjective perspectives.
Autoethnography helps researchers connect their personal experiences to social and cultural contexts, generating empathy, conversation, and understanding.
Refences
Dean, M. and Nordahl-Hansen, A., 2022. A review of research studying film and television representations of ASD. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(4), pp.470-479. "
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