1st Edition

Found Footage Horror Films A Cognitive Approach

By Peter Turner Copyright 2019
    204 Pages
    by Routledge

    204 Pages 35 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    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.



    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


    Biography

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

    "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.