<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Given the present proliferation of profilmic electronic screens in narrative feature films, it is of some interest to examine their role apart from that of denoting objects pertaining to everyday reality. Electronic screens within the European-type filmic diegeses – characterized by adhering to conventions of (hyper)realism, non-hypermediation and character-centered storytelling – in a digital era are used not only as props, but as frames that re-order and aestheticize levels of reality (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausfm-2018-0005_ref_010_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1ab1ac10Aa">Odin 2016</xref>), while focusing, in a hypnotic manner, the viewers’ attention (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausfm-2018-0005_ref_005_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1ab1ab5Aa">Chateau 2016</xref>) on traumatic memories related to usually female characters, and consequently to the collectivities they represent in the respective diegetic worlds. These electronic screens force the viewer to constantly shift between the actual cinematic screen conventions and the mental screen (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausfm-2018-0005_ref_010_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1ab1ac10Aa">Odin 2016</xref>) of smaller formats, training the film viewers for experiences of expanded and fragmented cinema (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausfm-2018-0005_ref_008_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1ab1ab8Aa">Gaudreault and Marion 2015</xref>).</p></abstract>

Given the present proliferation of profilmic electronic screens in narrative feature films, it is of some interest to examine their role apart from that of denoting objects pertaining to everyday reality. Electronic screens within the European-type filmic diegeses – characterized by adhering to conventions of (hyper)realism, non-hypermediation and character-centered storytelling – in a digital era are used not only as props, but as frames that re-order and aestheticize levels of reality (Odin 2016), while focusing, in a hypnotic manner, the viewers’ attention (Chateau 2016) on traumatic memories related to usually female characters, and consequently to the collectivities they represent in the respective diegetic worlds. These electronic screens force the viewer to constantly shift between the actual cinematic screen conventions and the mental screen (Odin 2016) of smaller formats, training the film viewers for experiences of expanded and fragmented cinema (Gaudreault and Marion 2015).

On the Role of Diegetic Electronic Screens in Contemporary European Films

Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"On the Role of Diegetic Electronic Screens in Contemporary European Films"}

Given the present proliferation of profilmic electronic screens in narrative feature films, it is of some interest to examine their role apart from that of...

On the Role of Diegetic Electronic Screens in Contemporary European Films

Published Online: Oct 16, 2018

Page range: 87 - 102

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ausfm-2018-0005

Keywords
cinematic screen, electronic screen, European cinema, diegesis, trauma representation

© 2018 Andrea Virginás, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

On the Role of Diegetic Electronic Screens in Contemporary European Films

Published Online: Oct 16, 2018

Page range: 87 - 102

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ausfm-2018-0005

Keywordscinematic screen, electronic screen, European cinema, diegesis, trauma representation

© 2018 Andrea Virginás, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
cinematic screen, electronic screen, European cinema, diegesis, trauma representation