Dr. Julia J.C. Blau will give a talk, “An Ecological Film Theory,” at University Galleries in Uptown Normal on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at noon. Blau earned her Ph.D. in ecological psychology from the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on the fractality of event perception, as well as the ecological approach to film theory and aesthetics. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Ecological Psychology and has published two books through Routledge in addition to editing their Resources in Ecological Psychology book series. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut.
Blau states that filmmakers’ efforts are typically geared toward advancing film as an art form; but at the same time, they also provide insights about perception. Perceptual scientists’ efforts are typically geared toward advancing the study of perception; but at the same time, they provide insight into what “works” in film making. This is true for the most fundamental aspects—why you need a certain number of frames per second in order to see smooth motion, for example—but it is also true for issues usually labeled as “artistic choices.” Understanding the fractality of event perception can help to understand why certain editing structures work better at evoking certain emotions. Appreciating the personal nature of affordance can help storytellers craft more coherent narratives. The presented research will demonstrate that careful perception-informed alteration of these elements has consequences for emotions, memory, and aesthetic appreciation of film as an art form.
This event is sponsored by the Harold K. Sage Foundation and the Illinois State University Foundation Fund, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Psychology, the School of Theatre and Dance, and Wonsook Kim School of Art. If you need a special accommodation to participate in this program, please contact the Department of Psychology at (309) 438-8651. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
