Audio-visual formal features of entertainment messages

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter examines the crucial role of non-content-related formal features in shaping the media entertainment experience. Formal features, which encompass low-level components such as light, color, image composition, shot scale, camera angle, and sound, are the building blocks that construct the content of a mediated message. While previous research has primarily focused on their effects on cognitive and emotional processing, recent studies have highlighted their potential to impact more complex responses related to media entertainment, such as character engagement and aesthetic appreciation. To provide a comprehensive view, this chapter surveys early film and media theories that sought to explain the role of specific formal features in film viewing for both adults and children. Additionally, it reviews recent empirical research from the fields of communication science, film studies, and psychology to examine the latest findings on the effects of formal features on media entertainment.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEntertainment Media and Communication
EditorsNicholas Bowman
PublisherDe Gruyter Mouton
Chapter5
Pages69-84
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9783110792881
ISBN (Print)9783110792812
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Publication series

NameHandbooks of Communication Science
Volume20

Keywords

  • Formal features
  • Media entertainment
  • Empathy

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