Film and neuroscience

The contemporary cinematic spectator is postulated as active also because of the advent of digital media that allow to manipulate text content, as well as to take part in the development of the narrative through concrete decisions or transactions. The spectator becomes a co-author of the text, he interacts with it, and sometimes s/he is involved in a real performance or in a game of apparently mutual exchange. With so called 'enactive cinema'—inspired to the paradigm of embodied cognition and the enactive account of human experience—, there has been a further change: compared to traditional interactive cinema, enactive cinema makes the spectator's physiological responses and emotional experience affect the narrative in real time. This contribution offers an overview of the theoretical background of enactive cinema and critically discuss two case studies.

In the 1970s, film language faced a change towards a more intensified relationship with the viewer. In my contribution, I consider the case study of “Yuppi Du”, a rock opera authored by singer Adriano Celentano in 1975, one of the most conscious attempts in Italy to follow the new trends in musical film. On the basis of recent researches in the psychology of rhythm and musical timing, I delve into the emotional qualities of a narrative and stylistic formula which is structured not by the plot, but by a succession of songs comparable with a concept
album, or a pop catalogue.

A 50 anni esatti dall’anteprima italiana, svoltasi l’11 dicembre 1968, Ca’ Foscari organizza un simposio su uno dei film che hanno cambiato la storia del cinema e, forse, la nostra stessa percezione del mondo. 2001: Odissea nello spazio ha infatti anticipato le trasformazioni tecnologiche nella corsa spaziale, ampliato la capacità del cinema di rappresentare l’immaginario e produrre pensiero (Gilles Deleuze diceva di 2001 che quel «viaggio nel mondo è un’esplorazione del cervello»), ridefinito radicalmente il genere fantascientifico, influenzato artisti e studiosi, e contaminato il quotidiano degli oggetti, suoni, luci, evocazioni presenti nel film. Il convegno si propone di capire se il capolavoro di Kubrick - a 50 anni dalla sua prima proiezione e già a 17 anni da quel ‘futuro’ 2001- continui ancora a parlarci del passato, del presente e dell’avvenire della nostra specie.

This essay offers a review of Powers of the False (Institut Francais, London, 18-19 May),  SCSMI Conference (Sarah Lawrence College/NYU, New York, 13-16 Jun.),  Film-Game-Emotion-Brain (University of Amsterdam, 14-21 Jul.), and Film-Philosophy Conference (Queen Mary – University of London/King’s College, London/Kingston University, 12-14 Sept.). It also offers a 'position piece' on why film-philosophy and cognitive approaches to film should seek links rather than rifts.

In the 1970s, film language faced a change towards a more intensified relationship with the viewer. In my contribution, I consider the case study of "Yuppi Du", a rock opera authored by singer Adriano Celentano in 1975, one of the most conscious attempts in Italy to follow the new trends in musical film. On the basis of recent researches in the psychology of rhythm and musical timing, I delve into the emotional qualities of a narrative and stylistic formula which is structured not by the plot, but by a succession of songs comparable with a concept album, or a pop catalogue.

One key feature of film consists in its power to bodily engage the viewer. Previous research has suggested lens and camera movements to be among the most effective stylistic devices involved in such engagement. In an EEG experiment we assessed the role of such movements in modulating specific spectators´neuralspectators´neural and experiential responses, likely reflecting such engagement. We produced short video clips of an empty room with a still, a zooming and a moving camera (steadicam) that might simulate the movement of an observer in different ways. We found an event related desynchronization of the beta components of the rolandic mu rhythm that was stronger for the clips produced with steadicam than for those produced with a still or zooming camera. No equivalent modulation in the attention related occipital areas was found, thus confirming the sensorimotor nature of spectators´neuralspectators´neural responses to the film clips. The present study provides the first empirical evidence that filmic means such as camera movements alone can modulate spectators' bodily engagement with film.

One key feature of film consists in its power to bodily engage the viewer. Previous research has suggested lens and camera movements to be among the most effective stylistic devices involved in such engagement. In an EEG experiment we assessed the role of such movements in modulating specific spectators´neuralspectators´neural and experiential responses, likely reflecting such engagement. We produced short video clips of an empty room with a still, a zooming and a moving camera (steadicam) that might simulate the movement of an observer in different ways. We found an event related desynchronization of the beta components of the rolandic mu rhythm that was stronger for the clips produced with steadicam than for those produced with a still or zooming camera. No equivalent modulation in the attention related occipital areas was found, thus confirming the sensorimotor nature of spectators´neuralspectators´neural responses to the film clips. The present study provides the first empirical...