Overview

This book adopts a cognitive theoretical framework in order to address the mental processes that are elicited and triggered by found footage horror films. Through analysis of key films, the book explores the effects that the diegetic camera technique used in such films can have on the cognition of viewers. It further examines the way in which mediated realism is constructed in the films in order to attempt to make audiences either (mis)read the footage as non-fiction, or more commonly to imagine that the footage is non-fiction. Films studied include The Blair Witch Project, Rec, Paranormal Activity, Exhibit A, Cloverfield, Man Bites Dog, The Last Horror Movie, Noroi: The Curse, Autohead and Zero Day This book will be of key interest to Film Studies scholars with research interests in horror and genre studies, cognitive studies of the moving image, and those with interests in narration, realism and mimesis. It is an essential read for students undertaking courses with a focus on film theory, particularly those interested specifically in horror films and cognitive film theory.

Full Product Details

Author:   Peter Turner (Oxford Brookes University, UK)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.453kg
ISBN:  

9780367661847

ISBN 10:   0367661845
Pages:   190
Publication Date:   30 September 2020
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction: why found footage horror films matter Approaching diegetic camera horror The processing of point of view Developing a cognitive approach to diegetic camera horror Limits of psychoanalytic theories for diegetic camera horror Cognitivism and how we think about the diegetic camera Priming for point of view Engagement and empathy in diegetic camera films Attention and cognitive participation: activating the seeking system Alignment and allegiance with camera operators and charismatic killers Notes Bibliography Filmography 1 Genealogy Faked representations First-person point of view Real death on screen Developments in technology and the impact on aesthetics: cameras, surveillance, and the dominance of mediated reality The horror genre: history, aesthetics, and technology Mimicked forms: documentary, reality television, and home video Notes Bibliography Filmography 2 Narration and the diegetic camera The diegetic camera and point of view Issues of narration and enunciation Self-consciousness Tone and metatextuality Performance Sound and dialogue Personal imagining Realism Notes Bibliography Filmography 3 Priming the spectator and mediated reality Defining priming Viewer hypothesising Representing mediated reality with the diegetic camera Stylistic techniques Creating mood and emotion Conclusion Notes Bibliography Filmography 4 Camera operator interaction with viewers and profilmic subjects: The case of home movies Recognition of camera operators and cinematography as performance Alignment of information accumulation and cognitive and bodily response Interaction with the viewer Interaction between camera operators and profilmic subjects Empathy, affective identification, and allegiance with camera operators Allegiance with camera operators engaging in amoral behaviour Conclusion Notes Bibliography Filmography 5 Allegiance with Charismatic Killers: Man Bites Dog, The Last Horror Movie and Zero Day Recognition of killers and amoral fascination How the diegetic camera directs moral evaluations of characters Empathy, the killer’s face, and the close-up Moral Structure: Killers and camera operators Conclusion Notes Bibliography Filmography Conclusion: The future for diegetic cameras Re-definitions and classifications Conclusions The importance of priming Self-consciousness and camera operator interaction Allegiance with charismatic killers Further areas of exploration Notes Bibliography

Reviews

"""Violence in fi ction is admittedly a difficult topic. And while Turner’s book has a few shortcomings that are attributable to the complications involved in conducting empirical research on horror, his book is an admirable work of cognitive film theory. It should inspire subsequent, testable investigations of his intriguing claims and provoke researchers to devise ethically responsible means of acquiring data pertaining to audience preferences for various types of realist horror."" - Rikke Schubart, University of Southern Denmark."

Author Information

Peter Turner is Associate Lecturer in the School of Technology, Design and Environment at Oxford Brookes University, UK

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