This article addresses the fundamental concept underpinning Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest, which recognizes selective empathy and extraordinary empathy dissonance within our contemporary cultures as a continuum, not a moment. The article uses Michel Serres's philosophical process to provide an ontological and epistemological framework within which The Zone of Interest can be understood analogously as a warning about darkness enveloping the world. Glazer has emphasized the axiom of his film is focusing upon the present. The Zone of Interest asks questions about humanity's contemporary cultural sensibilities, which determine how societies engage with diversity, difference, and the multiplicities of perspective that are an inescapable part of the global geopolitical landscape. Serres's process is inherently analogical, recognizing patterns of knowing and being that recur isomorphically across space and time. This article brings together the immersive sensibility mediated through the screen – situating The Zone of Interest as a cinematic experience that elevates sound over vision – with Serres's assimilation of Lucretian atomism, which links materialism and ethics; the importance of noise as a source of knowledge within Serresian thought; and a topological approach to time and space, which shapes the analogical, qualitatively relational, processes characteristic of Serres's philosophy.
This is a philosophical rumination on Shawn Loht’s important extension of “film as philosophy” into a Heideggerian phenomenological account of the philosophical response that cinema can engender. After considering the importance of these kinds of approaches, I turn to Loht’s phenomenological engagement with Terrence Malick’s early masterpiece, Days of Heaven (1978). After sympathetically reviewing his “interpretation”, I expand upon its delineation of “earth and world” to include the “fallenness” of the world as well as the possibility of a metanōetic awakening to the vocation of “mud doctor”, that is, to heal the rift between earth and world, a rift made more exigent by world war, economic exploitation, and the ecological catastrophe of the Anthropocene.
In this paper, we demonstrate a fully automatic method for converting a still image into a realistic animated looping video. We target scenes with continuous fluid motion, such as flowing water and billowing smoke. Our method relies on the observation that this type of natural motion can be convincingly reproduced from a static Eulerian motion description, i.e. a single, temporally constant flow field that defines the immediate motion of a particle at a given 2D location. We use an image-to-image translation network to encode motion priors of natural scenes collected from on-line videos, so that for a new photo, we can synthesize a corresponding motion field. The image is then animated using the generated motion through a deep warping technique: pixels are encoded as deep features, those features are warped via Eulerian motion, and the resulting warped feature maps are decoded as images. In order to produce continuous, seamlessly looping video textures, we propose a novel video looping technique that flows features both for-ward and backward in time and then blends the results. We demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our method by applying it to a large collection of examples including beaches, waterfalls, and flowing rivers.
To tackle obesity, upgrading the image of healthy food is increasingly relevant. Rather than focusing on long-term benefits, an effective way to promote healthy food consumption through visual advertising is to increase its pleasure perception. We investigate whether implied motion, a popular trend in food pictures, affects food perceptions through anticipated consumption pleasure. Prior research shows that motion affects food perceptions, but these studies focused on limited food categories, using experiments with a single food stimulus, and mainly showing unhealthy food effects. Therefore, we aim to (1) replicate prior findings on the effects of food in motion on appeal, tastiness, healthiness, and freshness perceptions; (2) examine whether these effects differ for healthy and unhealthy food; and (3) investigate whether anticipated pleasure of consumption drives the effects of implied motion on food perceptions. Three between-subjects experiments (N = 626) reveal no evidence for the effectiveness of motion (vs. no motion) across a large variety of food products. We further show no differential effects for healthy versus unhealthy foods. Moreover, implied motion does not increase appeal or taste perceptions through anticipated pleasure. Considering the current replication crisis, these findings provide more nuanced insights into the effectiveness of motion in visual food advertising.
It is well known that natural images possess statistical regularities that can be captured by bandpass decomposition and divisive normalization processes that approximate early neural processing in the human visual system. We expand on these studies and present new findings on the properties of space-time natural statistics that are inherent in motion pictures. Our model relies on the concept of temporal bandpass (e.g., lag) filtering in lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and area V1, which is similar to smoothed frame differencing of video frames. Specifically, we model the statistics of the differences between adjacent or neighboring video frames that have been slightly spatially displaced relative to one another. We find that when these space-time differences are further subjected to locally pooled divisive normalization, statistical regularities (or lack thereof) arise that depend on the local motion trajectory. We find that bandpass and divisively normalized frame differences that are displaced along the motion direction exhibit stronger statistical regularities than for other displacements. Conversely, the direction-dependent regularities of displaced frame differences can be used to estimate the image motion (optical flow) by finding the space-time displacement paths that best preserve statistical regularity.
The work is devoted to the formation of sociocultural and linguocultural competences of foreigners studying Russian as a foreign language (RFL) through work with modern feature films.We describe the linguodidactic potential of authentic video materials designed to work in the classroom in Russian as a foreign language; selection criteria are presented. We point out that motion pictures are a valuable source of both linguistic and extralinguistic information. We conclude that it is advisable to use authentic full-length feature films in RFL lessons; the recommended level of language proficiency is B1. We offer a methodological development for the Russian film “Moscow Romance” (2019). We substantiate the criteria for choosing this film, we have developed a system of tasks, some of which can be completed during extracurricular hours. We prescribe such stages of work with the film as: “Pre-demonstration. Preparation for viewing”, “Demonstration. Understanding Test” and “Post-Demonstration. Discussion”, as well as offer the fourth stage “Continuing work outside the classroom”. This system of work has been tested by the authors of the work in three groups of different nationalities studying at Russian universities.
Habiburrahman Zulfikri, M. Koenis, M. M. Lerch
et al.
Switches that can be actively steered by external stimuli along multiple pathways at the molecular level are the basis for next-generation responsive material systems. The operation of commonly employed molecular photoswitches revolves around one key structural coordinate. Photoswitches with functionalities that depend on and can be addressed along multiple coordinates would offer novel means to tailor and control their behavior and performance. The recently developed donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) are versatile switches suitable for such applications. Their photochemistry is well understood, but is only responsible for part of their overall photoswitching mechanism. The remaining thermal switching pathways are to date unknown. Here, rapid-scan infrared absorption spectroscopy is used to obtain transient fingerprints of reactions occurring on the ground state potential energy surface after reaching structures generated through light absorption. The spectroscopic data are interpreted in terms of structural transformations using kinetic modeling and quantum chemical calculations. Through this combined experimental–theoretical approach, we are able to unravel the complexity of the multidimensional ground-state potential energy surface explored by the photoswitch and use this knowledge to predict, and subsequently confirm, how DASA switches can be guided along this potential energy surface. These results break new ground for developing user-geared DASA switches but also shed light on the development of novel photoswitches in general.
Many aspects of market structure are embodied in the pattern of similarity between products. This paper studies a similarity network of the movies released in the last decades. The network exhibits substantial clustering and a community structure with large blocks. I develop a structural model for the evolution of the network, in which risk-averse firms make go/no go decisions on candidate movies based on the performance of the past similar movies; candidates are either novel or creative combinations of previous movies. The estimated model is capable of reproducing several important patterns of the data. I use the model to study the tradeoff between innovation and imitation, the causes of large blocks, and the life cycle of blocks. In particular, it is found that large blocks are mainly a result of firm learning rather than risk aversion. I discuss the implications for managers and policy makers.
BackgroundFor the last two decades, there has been a surge of major motion pictures dealing with the topic of dementia. This trend reflects and at the same time informs and shapes an increasing public awareness of dementia as an individual ethical and sociopolitical issue.Main bodyThis contribution examines from an ethical perspective how contemporary motion pictures deal with the topic of dementia and thus contribute to forming our moral awareness of the phenomenon as such and our ways of dealing with those affected. It focuses on an analysis of the conceptual premises and aesthetic imagery relevant in the cinematographic representation of dementia. As the analysis will show, viewing a film as a film about dementia may presume a medicalizing perspective. Furthermore, cinematographic images and metaphors are powerful devices for articulating thoughts and feelings about the elusive and ultimately ineffable experience of dementia. At the same time, however, they can also have problematic implications.ConclusionsGiven the lack of knowledge and widespread fear, stigmatization and exclusion, health policy can and should use cinematographic approaches in order to enhance public understanding of dementia and empathy with those affected. At the same time, however, public health agencies and educational institutions making use of the persuasive power of film need to pay closer attention to the images and messages constructed, their aesthetic functioning and their ethical implications and social consequences.
Within the context of the ERC Advanced Grant Filmcolors I investigate subjectivity, affect and aesthetics from an historical perspective, drawing on ideas developed within the field of the history of emotions. However, while most of this research is of a synchronic nature, my work contains a strong diachronic component, based on Fernand Braudel’s concept of the ‘pluralité des durées’ (La Méditerranée, 1966). Following Braudel, I distinguish three layers: 1. the layer of slowly changing affects and connected ‘topoi’; 2. the foundational layer of culture and discourse; and 3. the film under investigation. In this essay, I lay out my theoretical and methodological reflections by focusing on colour patterns used in films that represent hallucinations. I will lay out several examples of hallucinatory scenes (level 1) and explain their common (biological) grounds. Further, I will zoom in on 1960s psychedelic culture characterized by hallucinating drug use as entertainment and as therapeutic tool (level 2). The film of interest (level 3) is The Trip (Roger Corman, 1967), which precisely represents this culture. A combination of the analyses of the three levels brings interesting new perspectives on the 1960s, its psychedelic film culture, and how this relates to the topos of colourful hallucinations.
L. Hatzithomas, Panagiotis Gkorezis, Athina Y. Zotou
et al.
Purpose This paper aims to empirically examine how atmospherics affect word of mouth (WOM) about the brand. The authors focus primarily on uncovering the causal mechanism in which such effect is serially mediated by both perceived positive emotions evoked by atmospherics and attitude toward the brand. Design/methodology/approach To test the research hypotheses, 314 Greek moviegoers were drafted to participate in a survey. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS) and the SPSS macro (PROCESS tool). The model was applied to motion pictures, as they provide a particularly good example of short life-cycle products. Findings Findings indicate that atmospherics are related to WOM about the brand through perceived emotions evoked by atmospherics and, in turn, attitude toward the brand. Research limitations/implications The present study extends the relevant literature by providing both direct and indirect links between atmospherics and WOM about a brand. Practical implications The model of the present study could be applied to other short life-cycle products that share key characteristics with motion pictures. Moreover, the present study increases movie producers and exhibitors’ understanding of the effects of theatre atmospherics on WOM about the movie and leads to practical suggestions and implications. Originality/value WOM is one of the key variables that can affect the profitability of short life-cycle products. To date, there was no evidence that atmospherics can influence WOM about a short life-cycle product.