Final Year Research Project Proposal

The first phase of the Personal Research Project module is to write a 4000 word essay on an original research question. The essay will provide the background and context to the subject, evaluate relevant literature and works, and describe the methods and plans for the practice phase that will be used in the second phase of the module.

Research Question:

Can a film be designed with the primary function of being therapeutic? If so what would be the key issues when designing a format for this?

Below is my project proposal:

With this project, I will be expanding on the idea that art and music contain aspects of a healing nature. What I aim to show is that a film can be produced whereby the combination of the imagery and sound has a therapeutic effect on the viewer. The specific issue I will address is anxiety. Anxiety is a common complaint and will be easier to test than a more serious mental illness, for example schizophrenia. If this study is successful however, it will hold implications for similar alternative treatments for other mental illnesses.

I already know that the knowledge of sound’s healing properties dates back centuries. All over the world chants and music have been used for such things as, healing the wounded, speaking to the Gods, and gaining enlightenment. For instance, in Tibet they used different sized singing bowls, instruments that produce different frequencies, to aid spiritual growth and healing. Each is meant to react with one of the seven Chakras, and has a different effect on the mind and body. As noted in the book, Pulse: Art, Healing, and Transformation, “The role of visual and performing arts in healing has antecedents ranging from the creation of Buddhist tankas and Tibetan mandelas to the use of Navajo rugs and chants to treat mental illness.” This philosophy will be the basis of my project, however, it will be a modern form.

Already, as I read in the article Film Therapy, published in 2003 by The Press Democrat, Meg McConahey points out that psychiatrists are currently prescribing films to clients to help them understand things about their self and their illness. It also states, the reason for the films’ ability to help mental illness sufferers is due to the way the viewer identifies with a character, and that through seeing a character resembling them in some way they are able to see their situation from another angle. The films that are prescribed however, weren’t created with this intention. Instead they have been created to entertain.

By studying anxiety and its existing treatments through literature, journals, and studies that have been published, I will gain a better understanding of the issue and what might be an appropriate way to approach the illness. I will also deepen my knowledge of how various audiovisual elements can be used therapeutically and intend on developing a new way of presenting film language. Through researching the biological and psychological effects of sound vibrations, colour, shapes, narrative etc. on the viewer, I will be able to judge what combination of elements would be most effective in treating anxiety, and in what circumstances. For anxiety, the most influential elements will be those that have the power to calm and settle the mind.
I will also attempt to see how interactivity might increase the effectiveness of the treatment for anxiety. It may be the case that choosing various edits and sounds will offer the participant a greater ability to have their needs met at the time. This would also possibly offer an opportunity for sufferers of anxiety a way to express themselves to others, if for instance they have a hard time expressing how they are feeling with words or actions.

By using the knowledge I acquire, I will explore how a piece of multimedia could be created that would be used as a tool for treating anxiety and to what extent it would be able to facilitate the healing process. This will hopefully open the door to a new function for films and a new purpose for filmmakers.