Left-Right Position in Moving Images: An Analysis of Face Orientation, Face Position, and Movement Direction in Eight Action Films

Bode, Carole ORCID: 0000-0003-1804-8910, Bertamini, Marco ORCID: 0000-0001-8617-6864 and Helmy, Mai S (2016) Left-Right Position in Moving Images: An Analysis of Face Orientation, Face Position, and Movement Direction in Eight Action Films. ART & PERCEPTION, 4 (3). pp. 241-263.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22134913-00002053

Abstract

<jats:p>There are compositional biases in works of art that have been documented in <jats:italic>static</jats:italic> images. This study extends the analysis to moving pictures. We examined eight films by four different directors (Ford, Leone, Kurosawa, Chahine), each with a male actor in the major role. These directors are also from different countries (USA, Italy, Japan, Egypt). The analysis focused on three compositional aspects: a) the orientation of the face of the actor (which cheek was visible), b) the position of the face within the image (positioned either to the left of the screen showing the left or right cheek or to the right of the screen showing the left or right cheek), and c) the movement of the actor within the scene (moving to the left or to the right). Unlike in paintings there is no evidence that the left cheek was visible more often than the right. However, we confirmed that position and facing direction are related, i.e. the actor tends to face toward the centre of the screen. With respect to the analyses of movement, there was a greater frequency of movements from left to right, and this may explain the lower than expected frequency of the left cheek. Interestingly, we found a cultural trend in that the pattern of results from Western directors did not extend to the films by Chahine, which may be influenced by reading direction.</jats:p>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Film, visual aesthetics, laterality, composition, reading direction
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	11 Jul 2016 08:10
Last Modified:	14 Mar 2024 17:53
DOI:	10.1163/22134913-00002053
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3002230