2. In the second stage, the similarity matrix is subjected to mathematical processing to uncover the underlying factors or clusters. This typically entails using various techniques such as factor analysis, multivariate scaling, and cluster analysis. It is important to note that mathematical processing does not generate new content but allows for the presentation of raw data in a concise and well-structured format.
3. In the third stage, the selected structures are interpreted by searching for semantic invariants that unite the objects grouped within a factor or cluster. Competent experts are involved, and reference objects are introduced to formulate hypotheses about the content of the factors.
PSYCHOSEMANTICS IN CINEMA: A CASE STUDY
The application of psychosemantics in cinema assumes a crucial role as it uncovers the genesis, structure, and functioning of individual and collective systems of meanings portrayed in cinematic images and reality. Each viewer, immersed in the events on the screen, identifies with specific characters, and different scenes evoke distinct emotions in each person. Cinemalogy highlights fundamental codes that foster free strategies and imagination to enhance humanistic values like personal worth, responsibility, cooperation, evolution, freedom, and spirituality (Strelkova, 2009; Yanovsky, 2010). Numerous studies have explored the psychosemantics of film art, including analyses of movies such as “Stalker,” “The Barber of Siberia,” “Rashomon,” and others (Petrenko et al., 2014).
To provide a clearer illustration of this approach, let us turn to V. F. Petrenko’s work, “Psychosemantic Analysis of the Feature Film The Barber of Siberia’” (Petrenko, 2005).
Experiment Procedure. After collectively watching the film, the respondents were asked to formulate bipolar constructs that contrast the characters (using G. Kelly’s Triadic Choice methods)[2 - In order to form a construct, the experiment should involve both similarities and differences among the objects (for instance, Ivanov and Petrov are brunettes, and Sidorov is not). Hence, in order to identify a construct, it is essential to establish correlations among a minimum of three objects using the method of triadic comparison, which is a modification of the scaling method. This involves considering two objects that are similar (the emergent pole) and one object that is different (the implicit pole).].
Figure 2. Semantic space depicting the relationships between characters of the feature film ‘The Barber of Siberia’ by Factor 3 and Factor 4
The experiment involved 100 students from various universities in Moscow, both males and females. As a result, the respondents formulated 1,038 constructs, averaging about 10 constructs per person.
Objects of analysis (characters): Tolstoy, Jane 1 (upon her arrival in Russia), Jane 2 (after falling in love with Tolstoy), Radlov, Mokin, Tolstoy’s Mother, McCracken, Dunyasha, Alexander III, the Grand Duke, Polievskyy, Terrorist, Sergeant, and Andrew. Considering that the film takes place on the border between Russian and American mentalities, two additional virtual role positions were introduced to highlight this mental borderland: “Russian” and “American.”
Through factor analysis, the initial character oppositions were grouped into six factors, which were interpreted as artistic constructs according to the authors’ terminology:
• Factor 1 – “Passive obedience ? Inner independence and ability to act and fight”
• Factor 2 – “Inherent Dignity ? Unprincipled”
• Factor 3 – “Unbalanced Impulsiveness ? Common Sense”
• Factor 4 – “Proud Superiority ? Pleading Dependency”
• Factor 5 – “Openness to Diversity ? Inner Limitation”
• Factor 6 – “Devotion to the idea ? Immersion in everyday life”
These factors were used to construct the characters’ semantic spaces, as shown in Figure 2.
In Factor 3, Tolstoy emerges as the most prominent character, significantly differentiated from the others. Additionally, characters such as Tolstoy’s Mother, the Terrorist, and the Grand Duke exhibit traits that prevent them from asserting themselves and instead lead them to be immersed in an illusory world. Conversely, characters like Mokin, Dunyasha, Jane 1, Jane 2, and Andrew embody balanced practicality and common sense (Fig. 2).
On the other hand, Factor 4 highlights the most polar positions held by characters such as Dunyasha, Tolstoy’s Mother, McCracken, and the Terrorist, who possess lower social status. They contrast with characters like Alexander III, Radlov, Polievskyy, and the Grand Duke, who wield power and experience a sense of superiority over others.
By analyzing the semantic space, we gain valuable insights into the underlying meanings and interactions among the characters in “The Barber of Siberia,” shedding light on their roles and dynamics within the film. By identifying the main lines of opposition among the characters, the researchers formulated a system of constructs for the film. To gain a more precise understanding of how viewers perceive the personalities of the characters, an additional psychosemantic technique called “motive attribution” was employed (Petrenko, 2014).
The application of psychosemantics in cinema assumes a crucial role as it uncovers functioning of individual and collective systems of meanings portrayed in cinematic images.
ANALYZING SPECTATORS’ ATTRIBUTION OF THE MOTIVES FOR CHARACTERS’ ACTIONS
The researchers carefully selected specific actions performed by the characters as behavioral indicators for motive attribution. For each character, they chose the actions and deeds that vividly characterized them. After viewing the movie, the respondents were presented with a list of 54 motives, including love, desire for approval, and acting out of a sense of duty. They were asked to rate the extent to which each motive from the provided list could serve as a reason for a particular action, on a scale of 1 through 6.
It is widely acknowledged that actions can be driven by multiple motives of varying significance. To capture this complexity, the respondents assigned points to complete a comprehensive matrix attributing motives to actions.
By employing factor analysis on the collected data, distinct motivational patterns emerged for each character. The strength of each motive cluster represents the prominence of specific groups of motives in shaping the characters’ behavior, as perceived by the participants. It is important to note that not all listed motives necessarily underpin the behavior of every character. For instance, in the case of Tolstoy, motives such as “material interest,” “career aspirations,” and “thirst for knowledge” do not align with his behavioral motives (Petrenko, 2014).
Equally promising are the avenues related to assessing the impact of cinematic works.
THE VAST FRONTIER OF PSYCHOSEMANTICS IN CINEMA: EXPLORING BOUNDLESS POSSIBILITIES
A comprehensive review of scientific literature from the past decade reveals the extensive utilization of psychosemantic analysis in the realm of film studies. This approach has been applied to various aspects of cinematography, ranging from the examination of texts produced by diverse linguocultural communities (Vinnikova, 2008) within an intercultural context (Baranskaya, Vershinina, 2010), to the exploration of cinema as a manifestation of national consciousness and an integral part of national culture. Additionally, studies have focused on determining the subjective appeal of positive and negative characters (Korobova et al., 2018; Korobova, 2019), interpreting characters’ behavior during conflicts (Markina, 2010; Sobkin et al., 2007; Kirakosyan, 2007), investigating media violence and its connection to viewers’ personal characteristics (Dorfman & Zubakin, 2013), as well as exploring the viewers’ ego-identity (Askerova, 2017). These examples represent only a fraction of the wide-ranging topics that have been explored through the lens of psychosemantics in recent years.
Equally promising are the avenues related to assessing the impact of cinematic works. The sophisticated and remarkably precise tool of psychosemantics enables the reconstruction of individual meaning systems and provides a nuanced description of the viewing experience, surpassing the capabilities of traditional survey methods, including in-depth interviews.
These endeavors signify that Viktor Petrenko, along with his colleagues and collaborators, have an abundance of research ahead and numerous prospects for new discoveries.
Lastly, we would like to share a personal anecdote. On one occasion, Viktor Petrenko delivered a lecture to students at a renowned South Korean university as a visiting professor. The lecture was delivered in Russian, with Natalia Gladkikh, who taught a course on advertising effectiveness evaluation, translating it into English. Following the class, Professor Petrenko presented some of his books to the most enthusiastic students, one of whom eagerly sought an autograph. Upon receiving the book adorned with the coveted signature, the student exclaimed, “I am destined for prosperity! I firmly believe Professor Petrenko will win a Nobel Prize soon, and I will have a book bearing his autograph.”
Once again, this anecdote underscores the profound impact of Petrenko’s persona and the psychosemantic methodology he has developed. They transcend linguistic and cultural barriers, resonating with anyone willing to wield the tools of psychosemantics.
REFERENCES
1. Askerova, A. T. (2017). Psychosemantics of “Harry Potter” characters and the peculiarity of the ego-identity of the audience. In Psychology in a Changing World: Problems, Hypotheses, and Research (pp. 155–162).
2. Baranskaya, L. T, & Vershinina, T. S. (2010). Psychosemantics of Heroism in Historical and Linguistic Intercultural Context. Ural State University News. Series 1. Issues of Education, Science, and Culture, 6 (85).
3. Vinnikova, T. A. (2008). Peculiarities of perception of a film by a foreign-speaking audience. Linguistic Reality of Man and Ethnicity, (14), 34–39.
4. Gaivoronskaya, A. A. (2018). Psychosemantic approach to the phenomenon of extremism: theoretical justification. Psychology of Cognitive Processes, (7), 35–42.
5. Gladkikh, N.Yu. (2017). The use of psychosemantics methods in research on the effectiveness of social advertising. In Perspectives on Psychological Science and Practice (pp. 210–213).
6. Gladkikh, N.Yu. & Vainer, V. L. (2018). Evaluating the effectiveness of social advertising. Methodological Guide.
7. Dambaeva, E. A. (2017). Psychosemantic methods for studying gender stereotypes. In Theory and Practice of Teaching Oriental Studies (pp. 113–117).
8. Dorfman, L.Ya. & Zubakin, M. V. (2013). Individual’s perception of feature films with scenes of violence. Psychology. Psychophysiology, 6(2), 13–24.
9. Kirakosyan, A.Kh. (2007). Psychosemantic analysis of how teenagers perceive cinema. Retrieved from: http://psy.msu.ru/science/conference/lomonosov/2007/thesis/Kirakosyan_ AH.pdf.(accessed: 05.06.2023).
10. Korobova, S.Yu. (2019). The impact of cult films on the process of identifying with positive and negative characters. In Social Psychology and Society: History and Modernity (pp. 43–46).
11. Korobova, S.Yu., Dmitrieva, Yu.A. & Askerova, A. T. (2018). Psychosemantic analysis of the appeal of characters in a cult film. Psychology. Psychophysiology, 11(4), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.14529/psy180404
12. Kshenina, N. N. (2006). Word and Image in Advertising Text: Psychosemantic Analysis. Abstract of Thesis for Candidate of Philological Sciences. Moscow.
13. Kyshtimova, I. M. (2014). Psychosemantic analysis of the influence of precedent texts in advertising, with a focus on classical music as an example. Bulletin of the Moscow State Regional University. Series Psychological Science, (2), 25–35.
14. Markina, O. S. (2010). Socio-psychological aspects of perceiving and comprehending a feature film, illustrated by the example of R. Bykov’s Scarecrow: Abstract of Thesis for Candidate of Psychology, 19(05)
15. Mitina, O. V. & Petrenko, V. F. (2018). Utilizing the psychosemantic approach of the “Image of a Political Leader” method to explore and compare the perception of politicians’ images: an experiential perspective. Yaroslavsky Pedagogichesky Vestnik, (5), 256–269.
16. Petrenko, V. F. (1982). Experimental Psychosemantics: Studies on Individual Consciousness. Voprosy Psychologii, (5), p. 23–35.
17. Petrenko, V. F. (2014). Psychosemantics of Art.
18. Petrenko, V. F. & Mitina, O. V. (2017). The Psychosemantic Approach to the Reconstruction of Political Mentality: Methods and Examples of Research. The Russian Academy of Sciences Newsletter, 87(1), 50–64.
19. Petrenko V. F. & Sapsoleva O. N. (2005). Psychosemantic Analysis of the Feature Film The Barber of Siberia. Voprosy Psychologii, (1), p. 56–72.
20. Petrenko, V. F. & Suprun, A. P. (2017). Methodological intersections of psychosemantics of consciousness and quantum physics.
21. Petrenko, V. F., Gladkikh, N.Yu. & Mitina, O. V. (2016). Psychosemantic Analysis of the Perception of Political Leaders (Using a Sample of Students from South Korea). Bulletin of the Moscow University. Series 14. Psychology, (2), 64–87.
22. Petrenko, V. F., Kucherenko, V. V. & Vyalba, A. P. (2006). Examining the psychosemantic aspects of altered states of consciousness in the context of hypnotherapy for alcoholism. Journal of Psychology, 27(5), 16.
23. Petrenko V. F., Suprun A. P. & Kodirova Sh.A. (2020). Psychosemantic Analysis of Akira Kurosawa’s Feature Film Rashomon. Psychology. Higher School of Economics Journal, 17(4), 737–756.
24. Sobkin, V. S. & Markina, O. S. (2007). The attribution of motivations to film characters in the movie “Scarecrow” and its implications on the concept of self-identity. Bulletin of Practical Educational Psychology, 4(3), 49–58.
25. Strelkova, N. V. (2009). The significance of cinema and the utilization of the cinemalogy approach in fostering the personal and professional enculturation of students. “Media Education and Media Competence.” All-Russian Scientific School for Youth, 185.
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27. Chebakova, Yu.V. (2010). Psychosemantic analysis of gender identity. In Experimental Psychology in Russia: Traditions and Prospects.
28. Yanovsky, M. I. (2010). The challenge of examining cinematography within the field of psychology. Journal of Psychology, 31(5), 79–88.
29. Yanshin, P. V. (2006). Psychosemantics of Color.
Экспертные мнения / Expert Opinions
Импакт идет в кино. Оценка эффективности инвестиций в российский кинематограф
На отечественное кинопроизводство выделяются большие объемы грантов и субсидий – возвратных и нет. Финансирование российского кино – как из государственных, так и из частных источников – стабильно увеличивается, данные о победителях и суммах, охвате и кассовых сборах выкладываются в открытом доступе, растут прозрачность и требования к отчетности, вошли в практику открытые питчинги сценариев. Но в то же самое время в том же самом инфополе начинают появляться озвученные экспертами мысли, что эффективность – это не всегда про цифры. Так про что же?
Татьяна Печегина
Журналист
ВПЕЧАТЛЯЮЩИЕ ЦИФРЫ
Для развития отечественной кинематографии в бюджете на 2023–2025 годы учтены дополнительные 5,5 млрд рублей ежегодно, с их учетом общая сумма поддержки составит теперь около 12 млрд рублей в год[3 - ТАСС. (2022). В России на развитие кино в 2023–2025 годах выделят около 12 млрд рублей ежегодно. Режим доступа: https://tass.ru/ekonomika/16528807. (дата доступа: 17.05.2023).]. Расширяется система поддержки региональных кинопроизводителей – программа рибейтов (налоговых возвратов), позволяющая компенсировать часть затрат по съемкам фильмов и сериалов из регионального бюджета. Например, в Санкт-Петербурге правительство выделило 200 млн рублей на субсидии организациям кинематографии для съемок национальных фильмов на территории города в 2023 году[4 - Гарант. ру. (2023). Постановление Правительства Санкт-Петербурга от 22 марта 2023 г. № 205 «О порядке предоставления в 2023 году субсидий организациям кинематографии». Режим доступа: https://www.garant.ru/hotlaw/peter/1617359/. (дата доступа: 17.05.2023).]. По информации Фонда кино, отечественные фильмы по итогам 2022 года впервые обеспечили больше половины киносборов[5 - Стогова, Е. (2023). Российские фильмы впервые собрали больше половины всей кассы года. 25.01.2023. РБК. Режим доступа: https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/01/2023/63cfbcce9a79 47e00227af1b. (дата доступа: 17.05.2023).]. Правда, нужно учитывать, что ситуация 2020–2022 гг. была в целом нетривиальной в мировых масштабах, а в 2023 году из РФ ушел голливудский контент и довольно серьезно упали сборы. Но, тем не менее, на государственном уровне предпринимаются серьезные попытки исправить ситуацию, вернув ее как минимум на уровень допандемийного времени.
Увеличение госфинансирования отечественного кинопроизводства и постепенное движение к росту кассовых сборов именно российских фильмов, безусловно, впечатляют.
Но интерес лишь к получению прибыли неизменно основывается на искусственном сохранении спроса и зачастую снижении качества ради развлечения публики. С точки зрения такого подхода фильм является товаром, что мешает учитывать его социокультурное значение. Британский социолог кино Энтони Тюдор еще в 70-х годах XX века задавал риторический вопрос, можно ли требовать избирательности от зрителей, которые никогда не получали лучшего продукта, чем тот, что им предлагают? (Жабский & Тарасов, 2012)
«ГЛОБАЛЬНЫЙ КИНОЗАЛ»
Кинопрокатчики крайне редко идут в изучении публики дальше статистики посещаемости и кассовых сборов – это равносильно тому, что зрительские потребности попросту не изучаются. Отсюда – либо откровенно зрительское кино без какой-либо социальной значимости, либо скука в кинозалах, логичный результат которой – финансовые потери прокатчиков.
Радует, что сейчас все больше людей, в том числе тех, от кого зависит ситуация на кинорынке, начинают понимать, что киноискусство – это фактически самый удобный канал для работы с обществом. А именно: продвижения новых смыслов, озвучивания проблем и их решений, интерпретации реальности, определения моделей поведения. Фильм воздействует на зрителя максимально комплексно, вовлекает его эмоционально через сопереживание или ассоциирование себя с героями. Все это имеет огромное влияние на формирование или изменение системы ценностей и поведения каждого конкретного человека.
Кинематограф является проводником определенной идеологии (в широком смысле этого слова, как понимал ее С. Эйзенштейн), то есть системы мировосприятия, целого сложного комплекса опыта, знаний, обычаев, традиций, нравов, норм, идеалов, морали, соответствующих конкретному обществу. Кинематограф во многом ответственен за ценностные ориентации, которые обеспечивают сохранение общества, его структуры и форм жизни (Михайлова, 2018). Эта индустрия давно стала фактором преобразования общества и социализации его членов. Современное общество, как метко отмечено в одном из исследований социальной роли кино в этом самом обществе, – это «глобальный кинозал» (Куртов, 2011).
Многие признают социальную роль кино, но успешность фильмов по-старинке измеряют привлеченными инвестициями и кассовыми сборами. Как отследить ситуацию дальше – мало кто озадачивается. С чем вышел из зала среднестатистический зритель? Долго ли задумывался над тем, что посмотрел? Повлияло ли это на его дальнейшую жизнь – хотя бы в первом, кратковременном приближении? А на жизнь и поведение многих других – тех, что сидели с ним в одном зале?
Много вопросов – ответов почти нет.
СПЕЦИФИКА СИТУАЦИИ РАЗВИТИЯ ОЦЕНКИ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ИНВЕСТИЦИЙ В РОССИЙСКОЕ КИНО
