Perceptions in movies are defined as the sensory and cognitive processes that are employed when watching. They are presented through image editing. The primary purpose of most films is to tell a story. Therefore, when developing a movie, the primary focus for most directors is how the narrative perception appeals to the audience so that they are fully immersed in the storyline. The aim of the research was to explore ways in which filmmakers can engage the audience further in their work through manipulation of the movie scenes to create the desired perception. The research also focused on examining how our perceptual framework operates in terms of dealing with the differences between the experiences of the real world and those resulting from mediated visual experiences. The research used a desk study whereby various databases were used to retrieve books, articles and reports on films and they influence perceptions. The findings suggest that various cinematographic techniques are used by filmmakers to influence the perceptions of the audience.
Key words: Cinematography, perceptions, movies, films, filmmakers, viewers.
Introduction
Background
For decades, movies have been used as a form of entertainment. The film and movie industry is among the rapidly growing globally showing even a healthier projection of the coming years. According to The Statistics Portal (2016), the revenue collected from movies is expected to double up by the year 2010. The US and the UK are the third and fourth largest markets for film in the world after China and India respectively. These statistics show that the film and movie industry is likely to attract even a larger audience in the future. The last decade has contributed to a seismic shift in filmmaking with the introduction of digital technology. Consequently, the changes have essentially disrupted the century old history of film and has become the standard of cinematography. For instance, the industry has introduced visual effects beyond post-production. Compared to the past years, it is now possible to mix on-set actor performance with materials generated through the computer in order to improve the film visual effects.
Smith (2010) defines perceptions in movies as the sensory and cognitive processes that are employed when watching. They are presented through image editing. The primary purpose of most films is to tell a story. Therefore, when developing a movie, the primary focus for most directors is how the narrative perception appeals to the audience so that they are fully immersed in the storyline. This implies that in order to engage the audience or the viewer in a specific movie scene, attentional manipulation is critical. Also, viewer engagement and control of visual momentum of the scene can be achieved through particular activities such as scene complexity and film cutting. Through such control, it is possible to govern the attentional direction of the viewer. The movie director’s ability to manipulate the cues as a strategy to control the attention of the viewer’s further controls the perception of the visual elements in a scene. Part of the processing of making a movie is to ensure that the viewer does not overlook critical information in a given scene.
Objectives
The research is based on the following objectives:
i. The following paper examines ways in which filmmakers can engage the audience further in their work through manipulation of the movie scenes to create the desired perception.
ii. To understand how our perceptual framework operates in terms of dealing with the differences between the experiences of the real world and those resulting from mediated visual experiences.
Literature Review
According to Wilson (1976), the film dictates the ways in which a storyline is understood meaning that the stotyline is based on the perspective of the filmmaker. While the writers of a film often buy the idea that that the film presents the audience with an imaginative vision of the filmmaker, the directorial vision is the most important influence in shaping the perceptions of the audience (Wilson 1976, p. 119). Based on Wilson’s view, it is prudent to state that films represent the events and characters of the fictional world directly as a creation of the director's' visual imagination. In a related study, Fayolle, et al. 2014) examine the emotion and time perception in movies as a result of film-induced mood. The study was based on the hypothesis that watching neural movies does not affect an individual's perception of time. On the other hand, after watching movies of high arousal, the presentation time will be perceived as longer while movies of low arousal lead to a perception of the presentation time as shorter. However, Fayolle, et al. (2014) found that watching either neutral or sad film does not alter the perception of time. On the contrary, viewing frightening movies led to longer stimulus durations as a result of the increased emotion of fear (Fayolle, et al. 2014, p. 251). Thus, the study confirms that the type of film, depending on the director's intention influences the perceptions of the viewer significantly.
Fayolle’s findings also reflect on our everyday life whereby the perception of time tends to change depending on the individual’s experience of an emotional state. For instance, sadness and depression lead to a feeling that time passes more slowly. On the other hand, the feeling of fear seems to accelerate time. Over the years, the history of art and culture, in general, have witnessed an evolution in terms of content creation as well as how it is presented to the audience. Some of the aspects of art such as cubism, impressionism, constructionism and favusm were initially viewed as controversial (Ryan and Lenos 2012, p. 151). However, most of them have now been integrated into the mainstream of art (Amendola, et al. 2015). Some of these aspects of art are increasingly being adopted in the film and movie industry.
According to Smith (2010), dynamic visual media including film and television have become an integral part of our lives. Therefore, it is important to understand how the real world and the perceved world integrade and the mediated visual experiences. In this regard, Smith (2010) notes that asa result of the rapidly presented images, fimls creare an illusion of motion. Films also represents the scenes and events through series of edited shots that are normally recorded in different places and times. Another illusion created by films is that of continuity across a cut (Smith 2010, p. 1). Movies are made up of series of still images projected whereb in every second, 24 frames are projected. The rapid replacement of one frame with another following momentarily blanked scenes creates the illusion of continuous images that have real motion. According to Smith (2010), the persistence of vision and apparent motion present the two perceptual phenomena that contribute to the experience.
A continous light perception after an image is projected is as a result of the continous vision. The light is regulated by the opening and closing of a shutter that projects one frame after another. Compared to the earlier films, the modern films are much advanced whereby the flicker rate has been increased in order to ensure the audience perceives the light as being continuous as a result of the persistence of vision. Smith (2010) further states that films are usually apparent in terms of the perceived motion. Based on the conditions of perception, two types of apparent movements are obtained: long-range and short-range motions. The long-range apparent motions are perceived after presenting two objects in alteration around two times a second in two different locations. On the other hand, short-range motions follow depiction of static images as having a slight difference in object location.
Another important area of perception in movies is centred around editing and the illusion of continuity. There exists a mismatch between the visual information’s dicontonous structure and the psychologically perceived continuity. According to Smith (2010), classical editing convention has an advantage in that it can help the viewer to comprehend the depicted space. Oldham (1992) compared editing and painting whereby changign one thing in a painting affects everything ealse in the painting. In filmmaking, there is a 180 rule whereby when filming, all the scenes are shot from the same side of the axis of action. On the other hand, failing to adhere to the rule leads to removal of landmarks including background features used to identify the relationship between shots. Another outcome of failure to adhere to the 180 rule that it interferes with the viewers’ expectation regarding the direction of the on-screen objects.
Fiorelli (2016) suggests that movies consist of projections that are either in 2-D or 3-D formats. The projections are however perceptual because they consist of an array of images. Hence, films show a lot of specific and fine-grained properties including determinate shapes and colours. Also, there is a rich array of relations among the properties highlighted (Fiorelli 2016, p. 3). Fiorelli (2016) further states that both film-viewing and the 3-D experience are are causally similar because they call on processes involving gathering information perceptually.
In future, movie editing, encoding and detail monitoring will require more sophistication in order to eliminate the current errors. In a study to examine the ability of the audience to pinpoint error in a film, a scene with two people holding a conversation was shown to a group of people. A continuity error was introduced everytime a new shot occurred. While 90% of the audience failed to spot the errors, 10% of them did (Smith 2010, p. 6). In another similar experiment, 34% of the audience noticed several continuity errors in a scene in the cause of the film (Smith 2010, p. 6). On the other hand, the high rate of failure to notice errors indicates that the viewers focus on a very smm percentafe of the depicted vidsual information.
According to Kunkle (2016), scenes are the main building blocks from which the narrative of a film is constructed. In every scene depicted, there is a subset of relevant information depending on the director's intentions with the plot. Therefore, the information presented a given scene is important in terms of how the viewer perceives it as well as the entire film. Hochberg presents a definite model of scene perception. The windows of the perception are equivalent to that occurs in the perceptual organisation (Coates 2010, p. 36). Therefore, once the attributes are bound together using special cues, it is possible to accomplish overall perception. Hochberg’s model also accounts for the presence of ensemble perception in movies scenes. The low-level features including speed, the direction of motion, orientation and speed can be summarised using the ensemble perception (Ubersfeld, et al. 1999, p. 113). Through this summarised data, it is possible for the viewers to focus on the primary objects while at the same time understanding the the contextual information that is being documented in every scene even in cases whereby the contexts is in motion.
Aloimonos (2014) states that apart from the information being depicted in a scene, the camera angle also plays a key role in terms of the perceived depth of the scene. For instance, viewing movies scenes from obscurred angles of the depth cues hinders the illusion of a three-dimensional viewing especially in the traditional films. The objects at the edges of the frame are more perceptually salient. Hence, when using a wrong viewing angle, the appearance of the figure in these edges appear to be distorted. The visual systems have a way of completing the occluded figures using the symmetrical shapes because they are favoured by the perceptual systems. The completion errors at the edge of the framework can be exacerbated by the use of a wrong camera angle.
Another factor that can affect the perception of the viewers in a movie scene is the use of dominant colours. According to Wei, et al. (2004), colours are identified based on their categories rather than their shades. In traditional movies, colour categorisation is not dependent on the level of illumination of the scenes. Therefore, it is possible to use colour categories to associate different elements of a given scene visually. For instance, characters belonging to a particular group can be identified easily through the use of specific scene colours making it much easier for the viewer to comprehend the storyline without necessary having to recognize the individual characters. The two primary systems for organizing and mixing colours include additive and subtractive (Block 2008, p. 137). The additive system involves mixing of coloured lights, Colours can also be manipulated for the purpose of wonderment (Wei, et al. 2004). For instance, some films introduce foreign colour paradigms to meet the expectations of the viewers and help them open up to a new reality based on the intentions of the director.
Motion perception is another important feature of films. In motion perception, the main areas of consideration include the cutting techniques used and the scene perception. There are three levels of comprehension the science perception in movies. In the first level of comprehension, low-level sensory receptors respond to small displacements on the screen. The motion with respect to the local stimulus referred to as an induced motion. In most cases, this type of induced motion can be seen when the foreground appears to be in motion as a result of the moving objects in the background. The motion is significant because it allows the film directors to control the pace and the motion of the objects.
The perception of a given set of motions between global and local and can be changed depending on the distance between moving objects and primary characteristics. The aggregation and generalization of the moving objects is important because it can be used to explain the reasons why the chase scenes have more chase participants standing out compared to the rest of the crowd in the cast. While the extras are clustered together, it is possible to track the movement of the chase characters with ease. Some elements of the background can also be altered through motion perceptions. They have torsional effects on the eyes and therefore some objects may appear in the wrong parts of the scene. The perceived motion in a movie scene can be affected by the techniques of cutting and production. Therefore, filmmakers are supposed to preserve the establishing elements of motion in order to preserve motion smoothness in a film.
Audio is also a crucial part of films. However, studies by Anestis and Gousios (2015) and Wilkie and Stockman (2012) suggest that audio does not have a significant impact on scene perception. However, audio has effects in special scenes whereby it is the only contextual indicator of a given stimulus. In such scenarios, audio is required to distinguish some of the details in a setting or scene. There are other scenarios whereby the perception from the audion dominate the visual aspects of the film. For instance, activities such as synchronizations and use of high pitch during performance can be used to create particular emotional reactions among the viewers. The audio is a significant part of the films. Failure of the audion system can affect the entire film. For instance, synchronisation of audio as well as raising the pitch tends to reduce the perceived quality and the emotional content of a scene. Also, despite having little impact on the perception of the movies is important because the audience’s comprehension of the film is dependent on the synchronization of the sound.
Another factor that is important in the conveyance of identity and emotions in a film is the human face. Among the key strengths of human perception is the ability to recognize facial expressions and faces. The filmmakers, therefore, use different techniques including lighting and concealment to make it easier for the viewers to recognize a character when it is important to do so. Reading characters through their faces and facial expressions is vital to the audience’s understanding of the plot as well as connecting with the characters (Wilkie and Stockman 2012, p. 379). Some of the specific facial regions that contain the greatest power for character identification include the eyes, mouth, facial shapes and the hairline. Although gender is not easy for the audience to detect, it is possible to identify the facial expression in the periphery. Both occlusion and attentional manipulation are often used by filmmakers in order to conceal the identities of specific characters when a scene is presented. Apart from editing, the casting process can also affect the level of in which a character is recognizable. According to Hochberg and Peterson (2007), the use of famous faces on film usually elicits non-conscious priming because they are able to trigger target face representations. Thus, it is possible for the movie directors to control the perceptions of the audience through the selection of outstanding faces.
Emotions form a subset of facial expressions because small changes in facial expressions can significantly influence the non-verbal communicative power. The emotions of a character can easily be processed through the perceptual system. An extra source of dimensionality between characters can be obtained from their variability in terms of facial expressions. Both the principles of facial after-effects and facial priming are commonly used methods by filmmakers to decrease the angle between the subsequent views of the face.
The camera is also an important feature in creating a perception in films. For instance, camera wandering is important when creating another paradox in the perception of the audience. The concept gives the viewers an ability to see beyond the narrative by representing extra qualities in the movie. The goal of using wandering cameras is to keep the audience engaged.
Lastly, although the directors play a critical role in shaping the perceptions of the audience, it is important that the teams that they work with shared the directors' sensibilities (Rooney and Lou 2011). Secondly, the team should be able to bring inspiration, new and original ideas that will impact positively on the film. The team should also be able to communicate the ideas and be able to work a team rather than a collection of individuals (Rooney and Lou 2011). Furthermore, the team aiding the director should be able to work within the allowed budget limit.
Methodology
Key Definitions of Research Terms
The methodology is the foundation of the study. Therefore, it is important to understand the specific study requirements before settling on a given methodology. Since the present research is centred on a review of the literature, it was conducted as a desk study whereby secondary sources of data were analyzed in order to examine the current knowledge around filmmaking and perception in movies. Desk studies are critical in qualitative research because they can be used to describe the phenomenon and a particular social behaviour. Therefore the purpose of the present desk study is to examine ways in which filmmakers can engage the audience further in their work through manipulation of the movie scenes to create the desired perception. Secondly, the study focuses on understanding how our perceptual framework operates in terms of dealing with the differences between the experiences of the real world and those resulting from mediated visual experiences. Among the advantages of using desk studies in qualitative studies is the cost efficiency. The researcher does not need to travel and gather data from the field because of the reliance on primary and secondary data sources.
Research Approach
Studies have been conducted to assess the perception created in movies following adjustment of one or more aspects of movie-making. In the present study, the researcher sought to examine the specific perceptions in movies among the viewers based on specific areas such as the faces of the characters, camera angles, motion, colour, audio and narration. The study uses three categories of publications including books, journal articles, and documentaries. The essence of using a variety of sources was to improve on study validity and at the same time ensure that a wide range of materials are examined in order to understand perception movies from all dimensions. The information gathered from the sources was used with special attention to the current trends in the film and movie industry. From the gathered data, it was possible to make an informed analysis on the trends in film-making globally and how they have impacted on the perceptions of the viewers. The use of secondary data came in hand because it was readily accessible. Also, secondary data was preferred because there is a good chance the data has been simplified and used before making it easier to apply in the present study. Finally, some of the film-making techniques are under patents and therefore it was not possible to access the primary data on the same. Therefore, using secondary data was the only way to get the required information to use in the present study.
Research Design and Data Collection
As a secondary study, the study used a qualitative research approach to examine multiple sources of information including film industry reports, books and journal articles as the primary method of data analysis. Some of the factors considered when selecting the research design include the availability of the data. Various databases were used to access the materials for analysis including Google books, online dictionaries and peer-reviewed databases. Once retrieved, the studies were first examined for validity. The factors considered here included the date of publication, type of publication and study subjects. Only recently published studies were included in the analysis in order to capture as much current information as possible. Secondly, the search for the sources was based on specific keywords in order to ensure that only relevant materials were included in the survey. Once verified for validity, the sources were analyzed, interpreted and compared with other related studies. Reliable academic articles were given priority during the search process to improve the reliability of the research findings and ensure that a variety of arguments was considered before jumping to conclusions.
Findings and Discussions
The filmmakers' ability to manipulate the perception of the people is the primary determinant on the level of excitement among the audience. In this case, perception also refers to the ability of the audience to connect with the characters in the film from the beginning to the end. Most movies have a specific way of introduction in order to capture the attention of the audience early enough. A good example is an introductory scene in Iron Man 2 that is staged in the Monaco Grand Prix where Stark is competing. In the scene, Ivanca slices up the Formula 1 cars as a way of creating tension and building enthusiasm among the viewers. While such stunts at the introductory scenes of movies are viewed as quintessential. On the contrary, the represent the ways in which the directors and filmmakers access the viewers’ brain.
The mechanism of attention and perception is among the evolving and frequently debated upon subjects between scientists and filmmakers. Studies have been done to investigate how perception in movies impacts on watching behaviour. One such study was carried out by Tim Smith who is a vision scientist based at the University of London. In this study, Tim presented eye-tracking data that was collected from 75 people who were watching an action movie on flatscreen (Miller 2014). During the study, a camera was used to track the viewers’ eye movement and a software created a frame-by-frame heat map. The study findings indicated that the viewers focused more on the duelling superheroes including their features and props including weapons and car parts (Miller 2014). The findings indicate the role of science in influencing the perception of the viewers. Currently, most directors within the film industry are working together with scientists in order to intuitively understand the science behind visual perception and attention at a more mechanistic level.
Although visual perception when watching a movie feels like a continuous stream, scientific studies have shown that it is not. Instead, visual perception appears to be continuous because the viewers look at one thing at a time in a scene. After taking a bit of information from such areas, the viewers tend to move the eyes further to take another bit of information in the same scene. The brain, therefore, snitches the parts together interpreting the different parts as a seamless experience. The filmmakers have used this strategy for over a century.
Different themes in movies from Horror movies, Sci-Fi, Romance or action films are curtailed in a way to capture the attention of the viewers immediately. In essence, the filmmakers play with the mind, feelings and emotions of the viewer. The perceptions created by the filmmakers enable the audience to connect with not only the film itself but the storyline and characters as well. Despite the impact of the movies remaining the same over the years, technology in the film and movie industry has changed immensely as the directors and videographers develop new strategies to influence the perceptions of the audience in a bid to expand the body of viewers.
According to Guida (2015), films can act as a source of influence for the audience if they are able to relate to the storyline or any of the characters featured. The perceptions created by the filmmakers can help change the opinion that a group of people about a phenomenon, decision or policy. For instance, a study done by Dr Pautz among undergraduate students found that watching the movies Zero Dark Thirty
and Argo, between 20 and 25% of the students changed the opinions they previously held about the government (Guida 2015). The students generally indicated an increase in trust on the government and also indicated optimism especially on the direction which the country was taking. The findings confirm viewers, especially among the younger generations, are open to influences from the movies. However, it is difficult to determine how long such influences can last. However, it is evident that a combination of influence from the movies and other sources has a substantial impact on perceptions and opinion of the viewers. Guida (2015) suggest that movies play a key role in contributing to the political socialization of the people especially the younger generation. From the findings, Dr Pautz submits that the improved ability of filmmakers to shape the perceptions of the younger viewers has a substantial impact on certain institutions in future as a result of the influences from the films.
Another finding suggested by Guida (2015) is that from the perceptions created, films are a great mechanism for sparking off conversations especially on subjects that are regarded as contentious. The reason is that films are among the most intrusive and accessible forms of art. A single movie release, if well marketed can reach out to millions of viewers and if the filmmakers is able to shape the perceptions of the viewer’s it can contribute to policy changes and a change in perception especially on how the society has been handling certain issues. A good example of such as film is the documentary Making a Murder that was released in 2015. The documentary focuses on the true story of Steven Avery, a man from Manitowoc County who had been jailed for 18 years over alleged rape but later exonerated through DNA tests years later when the technology was developed (Making a Murderer 2015). A few years later, Mr Avery was accused and sentence for murder through controversial circumstances (Making a Murderer 2015). The director of the film shapes the perceptions of the viewers in this particular film by taking them through the evidence and court proceedings. Upon release, the film sparked protests across Manitowoc with people accusing the County police, especially the Sheriff’s department of corruption and coverup for the murder. The film is a good example of how movies act as good drivers of social conversations on controversial subjects.
Among the controversial issues in the world, today is racism or race relations. It is often a taboo subject that is rarely debated on despite the evident subtle forms of racism in the society. Therefore, movies provide, because the ability to reach to a wider audience present the best alternative to sparking off discussion on how to combat racism in the 21st
century (Hall 2009, p. 417).
As the film industry grows and evolves, it continues to gain the attention of people across cultures, worldwide. In the 21st
century, movies are becoming instrumental tools for shaping the societal culture primarily by transforming the views and perceptions of the viewers. Through various cinematography techniques, the opinion of the viewers is swayed to support or oppose certain beliefs or doctrines. Therefore, if used for the right reasons, movies can positively transform the society. On the other hand, creating wrong perceptions among the viewer's can adversely affect the society especially on social, moral and political grounds.
Films present the new generation mass communication strategies. Mass communication, in this case, refers to the reach and reception of messages across populations. Depending on the director's intentions and perception, viewers understand the meaning and receive the intended message. Therefore, filmmakers are able to highlight a particular issue and distribute information about it to a larger audience. Based on the revenues generated from movies, it is possible to tell the extent to which the message was distributed across populations. Currently, a single movie can earn an excess of 1 billion dollars depending on the level of promotion put in. The higher the revenue, the higher the number of viewers, and the higher the number of people reached by the message intended by the filmmaker.
While it is evident that movies do have an impact on the people, it is often not easy to understand the exact mechanism. Thus, one of the ways of assessing the strategies used by filmmakers to influence the culture is examining the filmmaking techniques themselves and how they influence the perception of the audience. According to Lotman (2016), there is a noticeable tradition in cinematography to highlight the elements of the film that accentuate space and spatiality. Among the frequently used aspect to shape perceptions of the viewer is empathy. Lotman (2016) suggests that empathy is among the growing fields in the area of neuroscience and psychology. Among the classes of empathy commonly adopted by the filmmakers include mentalising which is essentially a cognitive capacity to assume the perspective of the other person. The second class of empathy is experience sharing which addressed embodied simulation and emotional contagion (Lotman 2016, p. 90). It refers to an affectionate response to another person, especially when sharing their emotional state. The last category of empathy that filmmakers use to change the perceptions of the viewers is the prosocial concern which refers to the motivation to help others. Thes empathic reactions to the film are as a result of the filmmaker's ability to change the perspective of the viewers.
Another aspect of perception change is based on cinematography itself. In the regard, cinematography refers to all the aspects of the cinema work including lighting, camera movement, lenses, motion, colour among others (Sijl 2005, p. 61). As technology advances, these aspects of cinematographraphy have become more complex. It is now possible for directors and filmmakers to use them to influence the perspectives the viewers depending on the message they want them to get. Moreover, these aspects of cinematography are popular in most movies as strategies to capture the attention of the viewers
