Proxemics

Cinematography and Social Psychology

• A popular psychologist, Edward T Hall, has written a couple of books, “The Hidden Dimension’ and ‘The Silent Language’ on what he calls a theory of proxemic’s.

• It purports to be a study of how peoples behaviour are affected by the physical distances between them.

• Hall suggests that these can be divided into four categories: Intimate Distance, Personal Distance, Social Distance and Impersonal/Remote Distance.

• The camera always takes what could be construed as a psychological attitude to what it is filming, an attitude that directly affects the story being told.

• By using different shot sizes and placement of camera, a director is able to make a clear statement about his thoughts and feelings concerning the story’s characters and the situations they find themselves in, thoughts and feelings concerning

Remote Distance

Remote Distance

• The individual person is not identified as a particular person. Figure is recognised only by costume of because of the situation or context.

Public Distance

Public Distance

• This distance will be maintained by people who have to establish a ‘public status’, who are ‘unapproachable’ as individuals

Social Distance

• At fifteen feet to ten feet, deportment and dress are on display. In a social environment manners are likely to be self-conscious

Social Distance

Social Distance

• Speech and gesture are apt to be fairly deliberate, formal and still a little ‘projected’ if in the presence of a group of people.

Personal Distance

Personal Distance

• Reserved for close acquaintances or friends. A stranger who invades this ‘ Private Space” may be regarded as an intruder.

Personal Distance

Personal Distance

• Closer still implies that the relationship is ‘one-on-one’. The presence of others is ignored. Speech will be impromptu and the communication more ‘non-verbal’.

Intimate Distance

Intimate Distance

• Physical involvement. Acceptable in public if participants are ‘family’. It does imply exclusion of others, normally demands some degree of privacy.