Issue 34
Vanishing Points

The Isolated Frame as Subliminal Factor: Analysis and Categorization

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  • Javier Sanz Aznar,
  • Juan José Caballero Molina
Javier Sanz Aznar
Universidad de Barcelona
Bio
Juan José Caballero Molina
Universitat de Barcelona
Bio

Published 2022-07-01

Keywords

  • Subliminal,
  • Cinema,
  • Film,
  • Conditioning,
  • Frame,
  • Spectator,
  • Psychology.
    • ...More
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Copyright (c) 2022 L'Atalante. Journal of film studies

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Abstract

Among the possible subliminal stimuli that a film may contain, the focus of this study is on those that are viewed for such a short time that they do not enter the spectator’s conscious mind. This occurs when the viewing time of the stimulus does not exceed the subjective threshold but is still long enough to have an impact on the spectator, triggering certain neural processes that influence the reception of subsequent supraliminal stimuli. The on-screen duration of this stimulus must necessarily be limited to a single still frame, as the subjective threshold will be exceeded if there is more than one. For this reason, it is not possible to speak of a “subliminal shot,” but only of a “subliminal frame.” This fleeting frame has no influence on the narrative of the film, as it does not have any time span, nor is it capable of influencing the narrative or dramatic development of the film; however, based on the cognitive and emotional impact it can have on the images that follow them, subliminal frames can be distinguished and categorised according to their nature and characteristics, with a view to determining their cognitive effects, and formulating useful parameters for their design, function, and location.

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