How do variable levels of visual detail in VFX impact emotional engagement in a virtual cinematic environment?
This dissertation project investigated the impact of varying levels of visual detail in visual effects (VFX) on emotional engagement within virtual cinematic environments. As immersive technology continues to advance and the demand for emotionally resonant virtual experiences grows, understanding the relationship between visual fidelity and audience engagement becomes increasingly significant. The research study examined how different degrees of visual detail ranging from hyper-realistic to minimalistic representations influence viewer responses, including emotional intensity, immersion, and perception of narrative elements.
The objective was to create two distinct animations in Blender – one realistic and one stylised, featuring complex emotional targets. This year I tried to have a sense of continuity with the first semester, so I decided to base the story on Dante’s Divine Comedy and used my 3D character model reconstruction of the historical figure.
The character has a linear motion on a plane, going from left to right, following the sequence: Obscure forest, Gate of Inferno, River of Blood, Frozen lake Cocytus. The obscure forest is a pivotal symbolic element. It represents Dante’s moral and spiritual crisis, his feeling lost and astray in his life’s journey at a point midway through his life.
The results of the study showed that the emotional impact of VFX within a virtual cinematic environment is intricately tied to both the level of visual detail and the coherence between visual style and narrative intent. While highly realistic effects were often associated with stronger immersive experiences and heightened emotional responses, stylised approaches proved equally powerful when thoughtfully integrated with the story’s thematic and emotional arcs. These findings affirm prior research suggesting that realism and stylisation serve different, yet equally valuable, roles in audience engagement.
