Space in Movies: an underappreciated concept of subliminal persuation

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2016-08-15
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en
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This study is an attempt to determine how the concept of space is used in movies to shape viewers’ perceptions and emotions. Previous studies on movies featuring terrorism have focused on the culprits only, while leaving the influence of the environment generally aside. Emotions of the audience, however, do not stem from the characteristics of these characters only, but are largely influenced by what is depicted in the background. Two Hollywood thrillers are used in this study to highlight these elements of space. The findings of this thesis indicate that 1) anchor points from the real world are shown in movies to create identification within the viewers, 2) there are different feelings related to public versus private spaces, 3) the various settings and angles are used to create different emotions, and 4) that the understanding of cultural spaces may change throughout the movies. These results suggest that space in movies is an underestimated concept, as it is capable of evoking emotions.
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