Film Analysis and Psychophysiology Effects of Moments of Impact and Protagonists

An interdisciplinary empirical approach that connects film analysis and psychophysiological measurement is used to investigate the effects of narrative structures and their combinations (moments of impact), and the effects of narrative structures associated with protagonists. The film The Piano by Jane Campion is employed in the assessment. The features of the film that are relevant for the reception process are determined on the basis of a film-analytic model. For 60 participants changes of heart rate as an indicator for attention processes were examined by adapting time-series strategies. An analysis of the individual processes demonstrates that narrative structures associated with protagonists cause significant reactions, whereas only few parameter estimations for reactions to moments of impact are significant. The parameter estimations differ to a high degree from person to person. The results of the analysis of the common process of all participants support the findings. The supported relevance of narrative structures perceived on a more subconscious level opens empirical access to a still unexplored level of media communication. Perspectives for future research using physiological measurement and time series analysis are discussed.