A scientific study has clarified that horror films rely on studied visual techniques to direct the viewer's attention and hide details in the background of the scene, taking advantage of the human limitation in processing all visual elements simultaneously, and of the difference between noticing something and recognizing its nature, which enhances feelings of tension and fear.
The scientific website "The Conversation" stated in an article published the day before yesterday that Aren Robbins, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Richmond in the US and a specialist in visual perception, explained how horror film directors utilize these characteristics in building scary scenes by directing the viewer's gaze to a specific element, while leaving disturbing details in the background that may only be noticed later.
Robbins clarified that the brain does not process all details of a visual scene to the same extent simultaneously; it focuses attention on specific elements, while other elements may pass without being noticed. This phenomenon is known as "inattentional blindness," and filmmakers take advantage of it by hiding scary characters or shapes in shadows or behind main characters, so they appear suddenly to the viewer or are discovered upon rewatching the shot.
The article pointed out that directors also use cinematography and editing techniques to direct the viewer's gaze, such as showing a character looking fearfully in a certain direction, then cutting to a shot revealing what they are looking at. This drives the viewer to follow the direction of their gaze and enhances anticipation and tension. Peripheral vision also plays another role in these techniques, as it helps detect movement and changes at the edges of the visual field, but it does not provide the same level of detail as central vision. The viewer may sense movement in the dark before being able to identify its nature, creating a moment of ambiguity and anticipation that horror filmmakers exploit to increase the feeling of fear.
The article also highlighted a psychological phenomenon known as "pareidolia," which refers to the human tendency to see familiar faces or shapes in ambiguous patterns, such as shadows, tree branches, or irregular shapes. Filmmakers take advantage of this phenomenon by including ambiguous images that viewers may interpret as faces or scary characters. These techniques illustrate how controlling attention, using movement and shadows, and leaving some details ambiguous can transform an ordinary cinematic scene into a thrilling fear experience, without the need to clearly show the source of danger from the beginning.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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