Spectatorship

Spectatorship refers to the different ways in which audiences engage with and experience films.
It involves both the theoretical analysis of spectator interaction and understanding the actual practices of viewing.
Spectatorship has been influenced by technological advancements, including developments in cinema, home entertainment systems, and online streaming platforms.
Example: The switch from 2D to 3D, such as in “Avatar” (2009), has significantly altered the experience of spectatorship, providing a more immersive viewing experience.

The concept of active and passive spectatorship addresses the level of audience engagement with a film.
Active spectators analyse, interpret and scrutinise film elements, while passive spectators consume a film without much critical thought.
Filmmakers use various strategies to encourage active or passive spectatorship, such as complex narratives requiring active decoding, or high-octane action sequences promoting passive sensory immersion.
Example: Films like “The Big Short” (2015) demand active spectatorship with its use of complex financial jargon, non-linear narrative and characters breaking the fourth wall.

Audience pleasure and identification involves the aesthetic, emotional, and intellectual response of spectators to a film.
It considers how audiences identify with characters, empathise with their situations, or derive enjoyment from visual and narrative elements.
This concept also includes ‘scopophilic’ pleasure, where audiences derive pleasure from looking or observing.
Example: In “La La Land” (2016), the vibrant mise-en-scene, nostalgic music, and the romance between the lead characters are aimed at evoking pleasure and identification from the spectator.

This involves understanding how films can reinforce or challenge prevailing cultural beliefs and social systems.
Propaganda films, for instance, aim to manipulate the spectator into accepting certain political ideologies.
Many contemporary mainstream films attempt to subtly influence spectators’ opinions or beliefs through implied ideologies.
Example: “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) is known for its ideological undertones, raising questions about wealth inequality and societal structures, thereby influencing spectatorship.

The digital age, with the advent of streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, has significantly impacted how spectators engage with films.
Aspects like binge-watching, user reviews, recommendation algorithms, viewer analytics and Online Participatory Culture (OPC) have profoundly altered the landscape of spectatorship.
There is also debate about the impact of digital viewership’s convenience and choice against traditional communal cinema experiences.
Example: The Netflix film “Bird Box” (2018) sparked massive online discussion, demonstrating how spectatorship now includes communal interaction within digital forums.