THE ROLE OF SCENE FUNCTION MODEL IN VIRTUAL REALITY FILMS

Abstract

Virtual Reality films seem to differ from traditional films in that they provide the viewer with an unrestricted angle of view of a scene at any given point in time, whereas in traditional films, the director/filmmaker has full control over what the viewer sees in traditional films. As a result of this difference in a person’s angle of view, the understanding of a narrative may differ if the same narrative is told in both VR and traditional films, since all VR films have an unrestricted angle of view unlike traditional film. In this study, we have tested for differences in viewers’ narrative comprehension between VR and non-VR films, using the Scene Function Model (SFM) as a measurement tool. Our results show that there are no significant differences in the comprehension of narrative in both cases which may lead to the conclusion that both groups of viewers understood the story in the same way. Therefore, there seems to be no major difference in the way viewers understand a narrative in both traditional and virtual reality films despite the difference in the angle of view. There are three explanations for this. Firstly, the kernel scenes in the film could have captured participants’ attentions, ensuring that participants of both groups followed the same pattern of viewing. Secondly, even if participants who watched with unrestricted angle of view did miss certain kernel scenes, the plot was common enough such that they could still comprehend the narrative without having seen all six kernel scenes. Finally, with the Resolution scene placed last in the film, most participants had enough time to understand the story and make sense of it.