EMORSION Study: Film Audio Design Impacts Audience Emotion and Immersion

A new proof-of-concept study, dubbed EMORSION, investigates how specific elements of film audio design affect audience emotional engagement and immersion in a cinema setting. The research selected four film scenes from horror and drama genres and created multiple alternative audio mixes for each. These mixes systematically varied three core audio parameters: frequency (pitch), dynamics (loudness), and directionality (spatial placement of sound). Three distinct audience groups viewed the scenes, with each group exposed to a different manipulated audio mix alongside a control mix. Audience responses were comprehensively assessed using a multimodal approach, combining self-reported emotions and immersion via questionnaires, physiological data from heart rate monitoring, and video-based motion tracking. The study successfully captured quantifiable and interpretable differences in audience experience across the various audio conditions. Even minor adjustments in audio design were shown to significantly shape emotional perception and immersion. Notably, unconventional audio mixes tended to elicit a wider range of audience interpretations, whereas more conventional, immersive mixes resulted in greater consistency in responses across the audience. These findings validate the EMORSION protocol and pave the way for larger-scale studies to further delineate the precise role of audio parameters in cinematic experience.