Empathy In Film | Screenwriting & Cognitive Science

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Cognitive Film Theory: Models of Empathy Pt 1

1 Comment 27 September 2011

What governs a viewer’s empathetic connection with characters in narrative film? In this series of articles I explore the contributions of a representative selection of Cognitive Film Theorists to this debate. In addressing this question Cognitive Film Theorists adopt a Constructivist approach (i.e. that the spectator is actively engaged in ‘constructing’ the narrative and that [...]

Film Theory

Cognitive Film Theory: Models of Empathy Pt 2

2 Comments 26 September 2011

In my previous article I surveyed Torben Grodal’s theories regarding the processes that govern viewer empathy with a character in narrative film. Grodal’s work is extensive and impressive, and lays a substantial foundation for anyone wishing to investigate this area. But his model of empathy raises a crucial question: When presented with several characters with [...]

Film Theory

Cognitive Film Theory: Models of Empathy Pt 3

0 Comments 25 September 2011

In the previous articles in this series we looked at the models of viewer empathy proposed by Cognitive Film Theorists, Torben Grodal and Murray Smith. We explored Grodal’s model and found that it failed to offer any substantial explanation of how a viewer chooses between characters when multiple potential points of empathy are offered by [...]

Cognitive Science

Cognitive Neuroscience of Empathy: Introduction

2 Comments 25 September 2011

Film Theorists do not generate theories in a vacuum. The distinguishing feature of Cognitive Film Theory is that its models are constructed upon the findings of the cognitive sciences, particularly cognitive neuroscience. Any researcher seeking to evaluate the models of viewer empathy proposed by cognitive film theorists is thus obliged to review the current state [...]

Cognitive Science

Cognitive Neuroscience of Empathy: Perception

0 Comments 25 September 2011

Much has been written about perception and film spectatorship. Little of it has been concerned with what contribution immediate, automatic perception might make to the establishment of viewer empathy with a character. That is the aspect of perception that I shall concern myself with here. There are a number of theories of human perception, and [...]

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What Screenwriters Know About Empathy

Added on 25 September 2011

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Richard is good looking, motivated by a compelling goal, honest and concerned for his daughter’s health and happiness – and he gets a major share of the screen time. According to the theorists, we should empathise with him more than anyone in this narrative. Yet we don’t. Does screenwriter Michael Arndt know something the theorists [...]