Neurocinematics and Cognitive Studies Group

Experiences cued by audiovisual narratives in spectators have been widely studied in audience studies, psychology, and cognitive neurosciences. However, less is known about how the creators of cinema themselves experience the narratives. To access the creative process of professional filmmakers, we apply a multiperspectival approach that addresses three mutually time-locked representations of their experience: (1) subjective first-person reports, (2) neurophysiological observations, and (3) annotations of contents. Due to the fact that a great part of the creative process is hidden in the involved minds they are difficult to capture retrospectively. However, by innovatively combining micro- phenomenological interviews made during the act of filmmaking with established methods of cognitive sciences and film studies we envision new insights to the cinematic minds behind the screen.

The research group is lead by Research Professor Pia Tikka. 

Externally funded project:

Cinematic minds behind-the-scenes: A neurophenomenological window to filmmaker's enactive cuing of expectations, Funded by Estonian Research Council, team grant PRG2109 (2024-2028)
 

Recent Key Publications: 

  • Kaipainen, Mauri; Tikka, Pia (2024). Towards triangulating epistemology of narrative experience. Gramma: Journal of Theory and Criticism, 30 [ilmumas].
  • McNamara, Robert; Tikka, Pia (2024). Empathic Nuances of Machine-Mediated Asylum Seeker Narratives: An Empirical Study. Projections: the Journal for Movies & Mind, 18 (1), 112−131. DOI: 10.3167/proj.2024.180107.
  • Sham, A. H.; Tikka, P.; Lamas, D. R.; Anbarjafari, G. (2024). Synthesizing facial expressions in dyadic human-robot interaction. Signal Image and Video Processing, 1−8. DOI: 10.1007/s11760-024-03202-4.
  • Yilmaz, Mehmet Burak; Lotman, Elen; Karjus, Andres; Tikka, Pia (2023). An embodiment of the cinematographer: emotional and perceptual responses to different camera movement techniques. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1160843.
  • Sham, A. H.; Tikka, P.; Lamas, D. R.; Anbarjafari, G. (2023). Automatic Reaction Emotion Estimation in a Human-Human Dyadic Setting Using Deep Neural Networks. Signal Image and Video Processing, 17 (2), 527−534. DOI: 10.1007/s11760-022-02257-5.
  • Tikka, Pia; Kaipainen, Mauri; Salmi, Juha (2023). Narrative simulation of social experiences in naturalistic context – a neurocinematic approach. Neuropsychologia, 188, 108654. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108654.
  • Kauttonen, Janne; Paekivi, Sander; Kauramäki, Jaakko; Tikka, Pia (2023). Unraveling dyadic psycho-physiology of social presence between strangers during an audio drama – a signal-analysis approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1153968. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1153968.

Editorial work:

  • Special issue on "Cinematic minds behind the screens" to be published by the International Journal of Film and Media Arts (IJFMA), Vol. 10 No. 2, first semester 2025.
  • Special Issue on Cinematic minds in making, Baltic Screen Media Review, (Editors Pia Tikka, Elen Lotman, Maarten Coeëgnart) Dec 21, 2023