by stefanie.weber -

#01 Critical Evaluation of a thesis

(Disclaimer: For this Blog-Post ChatGPT was used to find translations from German to English and for synonyms and languagetool.org to check my grammar)

Title: Musikalische Darstellungsprinzipien in Tanzfilmen: Am Beispiel der Filme mit Fred Astaire und Ginger Rogers
Author: Veronika Stöber

Date: Vienna, 2013
Institution: University of Vienna
Study Degree: Diplomstudium Musikwissenschaft
Source: https://permalink.obvsg.at/AC10766476

Abstract

(This abstract was translated with the help of deepl.com)

This thesis deals with the principles of musical representation in dance films and approaches the subject by looking at various aspects, such as the use of leitmotifs, quotations or the translation of texts into song and instrumental music. As a basis for further examination of the musical sections of the films Top Hat and Follow the Fleet, an analysis of the content is first carried out on the basis of the characters, plot structures and scenery. This shows that the differences between the two films are primarily plot-related. This is followed by the musical analysis, which, after describing the forms of the arrangements, is primarily dedicated to the realization and further processing of the various motifs. Although singing is also used as an expression of language in the films analyzed, rhythm as an expression of dance is at the heart of the development of the musical themes. It is the most important representational principle in both films and finds it’s way into all of the areas worked on.

1. Level of Design

The thesis is methodically structured, with a clear design focused on comparative analysis. It integrates detailed sections on film narrative, musical arrangements, and theoretical perspectives, each supported by visual aids like charts and tables for clarity. This structure exemplifies a well-thought-out design level.

2. Degree of Innovation

The thesis innovatively approaches the intersection of musicology and film studies, particularly by analyzing the music in dance films from a cinematic and musically structural perspective. This approach is unique and provides an insightful contribution to the study of film music, as it diverges from more typical narrative-focused or purely musical analyses.

3. Independence

The thesis reflects a high degree of independence, showcasing Stöber’s initiative in analyzing specific films and her decision to emphasize auditory analysis due to the lack of accessible scores. This choice demonstrates her adaptability and willingness to employ unique methods.

4. Outline and Structure

The structure is coherent, beginning with an introduction to the dance film genre, moving through film narratives and musical analysis, and concluding with findings. Each section logically progresses into the next, which aids the reader in understanding complex analytical processes.

5. Degree of communication

The communication is effective and clear, especially in conveying analytical findings in both music and film. Stöber’s language is accessible yet technical, making the analysis understandable for readers familiar with music or film studies without sacrificing depth.

6. Scope of the work

The scope is thorough, as the thesis examines the music’s interaction with narrative elements, the history of RKO productions, and character analysis across two films. This comprehensive approach provides a rich context that supports her conclusions.

7. Orthography and Accuracy

The orthography and grammatical accuracy appear strong, with professional language and technical terms used correctly throughout the text. There is clear attention to detail in citations and references, contributing to the thesis’s credibility.

8. Literature

The literature review is extensive, referencing significant works on American musicals, RKO history, and film music theory. This thorough selection enhances the thesis’s academic rigor by situating it within established scholarship, though it might benefit from including more recent analyzes to balance classic and contemporary perspectives.

I specifically picked Veronika Stöber’s thesis for this blog entry and research, because of it’s detailed exploration of how music structures and enhances dance within film, a foundation that closely parallels the role of camera movement. By analyzing how music shapes narrative and complements choreography, this thesis provides a framework for understanding how another core visual element—camera movement—can be used to amplify emotion, emphasize motion, and contribute to storytelling in dance films.

by katharina.mundigler -

#Computer Grafik – Bewertung einer Diplomarbeit

Für meine Bewertung habe ich die Diplomarbeit mit dem Titel “Semantic-Aware Animation of Hand-Drawn Characters” von Thorsten Korpitsch ausgesucht. Die Arbeit wurde am 6. August 2023 an der Fakultät für Informatik der Technischen Universität Wien eingereicht zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Diplom-Ingenieur.

(1) Gestaltungshöhe
Die Arbeit ist anhand des technischen Aspektes sehr schlicht gehalten und folgt den Kriterien und Vorlagen der TU Wien. Da es um ein Thema im Rahmen Visual Computing geht, ist die simple Gestaltung sehr förderlich für den Lesefluss und das Verständnis. Große Zahlen auf der rechten Seite repräsentieren die verschiedenen Chapter, was der Arbeitsgliederung mehr Struktur gibt.

(2) Innovationsgrad
Die Arbeit behandelt eine sehr zeitgemäße Thematik, da es sich mit der Implementierung von handgezeichneten Charakteren in Animationen beschäftigt, die als Hilfestellung von audio geführten Touren (Beispielsweise Museen) dienen sollen. Durch die Ausarbeitung und Fertigstellung eines Prototypen und die verschiedenen analysierten Rechenmodelle schafft Thorsten eine gute Grundbasis für die zukünftige visuelle Verbesserung von öffentlicher Wissensvermittlung. Anhand der Verknüpfung von bestehenden Arbeiten zur Thematik und der Erweiterung von selbstgezeichneten Charakteren, die den BesucherInnen Wissen leichter heranbringen soll, wird so der Innovationsgrad der Arbeit maßgeblich gesteigert.

(3) Selbstständigkeit
Die Diplomarbeit zeigt ein hohes Maß an Eigenständigkeit. Dies wird besonders durch die selbstständige Strukturierung und Aufarbeitung des Themas sowie die eigenverantwortliche Auswahl und Anwendung detaillierter Methoden deutlich. Die intensive Auseinandersetzung mit der empirischen Forschung und die Integration von Theorie und Praxis verdeutlichen das eigenständige Vorgehen nochmals. Erkenntlich wird dies auch bei der genauen Analyse der hervorgebrachten Prototypen. 

(4) Gliederung und Struktur
Die Gliederung der Arbeit ist sehr genau und übersichtlich. Beginnend mit dem Hintergrund der Arbeit, zu den definierten Zielen über Recherche, verwandte Arbeiten zu den technischen Aspekten und Implementierung sowie die Zusammenfassung und Ergebnisse. Die Arbeit ist so aufgebaut, dass kein großer technischer Hintergrund für das alleinige Verständnis und Überblick der Thematik (ausgenommen Rechenmodelle) vorhanden sein muss.

(5) Kommunikationsgrad
Die Arbeit ist klar und präzise verfasst, sie ist in englischer Sprache, was bei dem Themengebiet aufgrund des Vokabulars auch naheliegend ist. Komplexere Rechenmodelle werden insofern erklärt, um die Ergebnisse zu verstehen, nicht aber die Ausgangslage, warum und wie man zu diesen Berechnungen kommt. Aufgrund der gewählten Fragestellung/Praxis, kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass bei Interesse an dieser Arbeit, ein Grundwissen der LeserInnen bereits vorhanden ist.

(6) Umfang der Arbeit
Der Gesamtumfang der Arbeit ist mit ihren 85 Seiten (exklusive Literaturverzeichnis) sehr hoch und wird dem akademischen Grad eines Diplom-Ingenieurs meiner Meinung nach sehr gerecht. Sie beinhaltet von technischen Grundlagen, Theorie bis hin zur Implementierung und Analyse wichtige Punkte, die für eine gute Balance der Arbeit wichtig sind.

(7) Orthografie/Sorgfalt/Genauigkeit
Die Arbeit ist meiner Meinung und Englischkenntnissen nach, fehlerfrei und wurde sehr sorgfältig geschrieben. Abbildungen sind klar dargestellt und gut nachvollziehbar. Aus grafischer Sicht hätte man diese schöner in das Gesamtkonzept einarbeiten können. Da dies aber nicht der Anspruch und der Hauptaspekt der Arbeit ist, kann dieser Punkt vernachlässigt werden.

(8) Literatur
Die verwendete Literatur ist mit seinen 7 Seiten sehr umfangreich. Thorsten Korpitsch bezieht sich auf viele verschiedene Artikel/Bücher und anderen Quellen, die zum einen zeitgemäß und aktuell sind, zum anderen werden Grundkonzepte der Computer Grafik analysiert. 

Aus einem technischen Aspekt ist die Arbeit sehr gut aufgebaut und wichtige Themen werden entsprechend aufgeteilt und analysiert. Eine gründliche Recherche bieten eine gute Basis für ein sehr spannendes Thema was meiner Meinung nach sehr hilfreich für zukünftige Wissensvermittlung sein kann. Die praktische Ausarbeitung des Prototypen und Ausarbeitung der entstandenen Problematik sowie nächste Schritte für weitere Forschungsmöglichkeiten machen dieses Werk zu einer sehr interessanten und wichtigen Arbeit.

Quelle:

  • Korpitsch, Thorsten. 2023. „Semantic-Aware Animation of Hand-Drawn Characters, Technischen Universität Wien.
by elisa.kroiss -

21 // Evaluation of a master’s thesis

The master’s thesis I chose is from the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg and was written by Aylin Celebi. The title of this thesis is “Alles nur Show?: Eine Analyse über die (Selbst)Präsentation deutscher Rapperinnen in ihren Musikvideos.” The thesis was submitted in 2019 and was supervised by Ass. Prof. Mag. Dr. Thiele.

1 // Level of design

The thesis has a very plain design. It uses only white pages and one font style throughout, with no creative layout or design elements. This simplicity might be due to university guidelines. Adding small design elements (if allowed by the guidelines) could have improved its readability and appearance.

2 // Degree of innovation

The thesis topic – examining female German rappers’ self-presentation in music videos – addresses a kind of new area within media studies, but making it relevant. The research provides new insights into how these women show their independence in a male-dominated genre by focusing on their clothing, movements, and eye contact with the camera.

3 // Independence

The author shows independence by choosing a distinct group of artists and clearly defining a unique research question. The analysis of each video also shows independent thinking, though deeper interpretations could further highlight their unique insights.

4 // Outline and structure

The outline is clear and logical, moving step-by-step through theory, methods, analysis, and conclusion. The clear separation of each artist’s style and background helps to maintain focus on the central research question, showing thoughtful structuring.

 5 // Degree of communication

The author communicates their findings effectively and the writing is formal and fits the scientific style. The language is clear and descriptive, making complex concepts like ‘objectification’ and the ‚gaze‘ accessible.

6 // Scope of the work

The scope is appropriate for a thesis, focusing on five German female rappers and their music videos – it covers each artist well. This limited selection allows for an in-depth look at each rapper’s unique portrayal choices without overextending.

7 // Orthography and accuracy

The work appears well-edited and precise and integrates Objectification Theory effectively, with its focus on sexualization and self-presentation. The language is consistently professional, and the sections logically follow each other. Minor grammatical inconsistencies do not detract from the quality of the text.

8 // Literature

The thesis uses relevant literature, and the bibliography seems quite extensive and covers a wide range of sources related to the research topic. It includes a mix of books, journal articles, online articles, and reports.

by bernadette.poessnicker -

03/01 Evaluation of an external Master’s Thesis

The master’s thesis I am evaluating is called „An investigation of Realism in Animation“ by Dott. ssa Flavia Montecchi. The thesis was supervised by Mag. Dr. Claus Tieber, Privatdozent.
She submitted it in 2020 at the university of Vienna to obtain the title Master of Arts (MA).

(1) Level of design

The layout of the thesis follows the guidelines of the university and shows no additional effort, the author had to put into layouting the work.
The text is easy to read with a fair size of the font as well as enough line height.
However, I sometimes find the use of the photographs in layouts following university guidelines difficult. The lack of space between the pictures and the text has a negative effect on the layout. Other than that, I can’t find any negative points regarding that matter.

(2) Degree of innovation

I find the degree of innovation in Flavia Montecchi’s thesis to be high due to her contributions to the fields of animation studies and cinematic realism.
She bridges diverse fields, such as animation studies as well as film theory. She also uses case studies.

Her comparative analysis of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man Trilogy” highlights the techniques each medium uses to establish realism. This methodology demonstrates how animated realism has evolved to parallel cinematic realism while still respecting animation’s unique qualities, such as exaggeration for narrative or comedic effects.

Montecchi’s discussion of animation’s use of „codes of realism“ like the realism of motion and psychological continuity offers a framework that future studies can apply to other works. This theoretical approach allows animation realism to be studied in its own right, not merely as an offshoot of film realism.

(3) Independence

Montecchi combines ideas from cinematic realism, animation studies, and psychology to argue that animated realism has its own unique methods, separate from the photographic focus of live-action film. She compares the techniques used in „Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse“ and the live-action „Spider-Man trilogy“ to show how each medium, animation as well as live-action, uses different approaches to make their worlds feel believable. This comparison highlights her independent approach by emphasizing the unique strengths of both art forms.

(4) Outline and structure

The work seems well structured and is divided into three chapters.

Realism in Live-Action Cinema: Discusses various forms of realism, including naturalism, social realism, and photorealism, within the historical context of film theory.

Realism in Animation: Examines animated realism through theories on hyperrealism and perceptual realism, focusing on techniques that support believability.

Film Analysis: Compares the Spider-Verse and Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, analyzing how each of them uses realism.

The table of contents is laid out logically and makes it easy to see through the structure of the work and follow the thoughts of the author.

(5) Degree of communication

I find the level of communication to be high. Montecchi uses clear language that bridges theoretical complexity with practical insights. The structure is well-organized, with subheadings and summaries that guide the reader through each part of the thesis. She provides a valuable resource for students in animation and media studies.

(6) Scope of the work

The scope of „An Investigation of Realism in Animation“ is interdisciplinary. She draws on film theory, animation studies and film analysis to find out how realism can be achieved with animation in real films. Her research contextualizes realism in animation in comparison to traditional film realism.

The thesis integrates technical and narrative aspects of realism in animation, expanding beyond traditional views of realism as inherently photographic.

(7) Orthography and accuracy

Unfortunately, when reading the german abstract, it is noticeable that this part of the text has not been corrected. In some cases, the chosen words do not seem appropriate compared to the english abstract. In addition, there were grammatical errors and colloquial expressions. I could not detect these errors in the rest of the work (written in English). I assume that these errors occurred due to a different native language. Regarding spelling and accuracy, the rest of the work seems thoughtful and error-free.

(8) Literature

I noticed that the bibliography has been divided into books and online sources. I don’t know what citation system the work is structured under, but I think it is unusual for the bibliography to be structured in this way also with citation rules other than those of our institute. The sources used seem to be either current (important in terms of online sources) or appropriate to the time the author is writing about. Perhaps the work would have benefited from the use of additional sources. It is 132 pages long, including the title page and table of contents. However, the bibliography, excluding the online sources came to only one and a half pages. This seems a bit too few for such an extensive master’s thesis.

by sarah.molinari -

# 01 || Evaluation of a Master Thesis

Animated Short Film: How to Become a Knight (Kratki animiran film: Kako postati vitez) by Kaja Kregar, dipl. obl. vizual. kom. (UN)

The master thesis I chose researches the topic of animation and creating a story with an environmental message. It is divided into two parts, the theoretical and the practical. In the theoretical part the author writes about animation, types of animation, modern environmental issues and how they affect our way of life. Her research questions are:

  • How to present the issue of pollution creatively with the media of animation?
  • Is art important for fixing said issues and how can it influence the viewer?

The author defines the meaning of used symbols and allegories and how they represent real modern day social issues. Specifically how they represent issues in ecology and how climate change effects the younger generation. The author explains her use of fairy tale themes and knights as well as touch upon pre-existing animated works with similar messages.

The practical part of her thesis consists of the animation process, from the inspirations to sketches, narrative and the storyboard. The author how they used the principles of animation to communicate the story and atmosphere, what digital programs they used and the analysis of the used colors and textures in the animation (the symbolical and allegorical meaning). They also talk/write about the use of music and sound effects for the animation.

1. Level of Design

The master’s thesis was created according to the faculty’s regulations, giving it the standard design of a master’s thesis. However, the thesis has a very good structure. The table of contents clearly shows how the author divided the individual chapters and systematically organized them. I appreciate that it starts with ecological issues and only later moves on to what animation is, and finally to the animation process. The appendix also includes all illustrations and sketches, which I find great, as it’s an excellent way to display individual parts of the animation in the book. The research question is clearly visible; unfortunately, a clear conclusion from the research is missing, as well as the methodology.

2. Degree of innovation

The topic the author addresses is not new; it’s a subject that many media designers engage with. The innovative part of the thesis is the connection between ecological issues and animation, as well as research on the theme and role of the knight in stories. The author explores how animation has been used throughout history and how certain animations have already included this theme. Her mentioned examples of animations are globally recognized animated films. The author discusses basic animation techniques and does not delve into new areas of animation. As mentioned earlier, the author speaks very little about the research itself and mainly describes how the practical work was created.

3. Independence

The thesis shows the student’s strong ability to work by herself, taking initiative and managing the research process with little outside help. The author also created an original animation by herself, showing both skill and creativity. This project adds a practical element to her research and highlights her commitment to bringing her ideas to life on her own.

4. Outline and structure

The master’s thesis is very well-structured, dividing into a theoretical and practical section. The author first discusses ecological issues in today’s society in general (from waste and recycling issues, corporate responsibility, habitat endangerment, to the consequent rising sea levels and how these impact young people), also providing an example of Mount Everest. After researching and writing about ecological issues, the author delves into the topic of animation, explaining what animation is and its basics. She also addresses social and historical issues of fairy tales, the influence of Walt Disney in the 20th century, and the significance of the knight in modern storytelling. The knight is the main character in the author’s animation. The last chapter of the theoretical part of the thesis is a study on how to create an animated film with an environmental message, where the author explores what animation as a medium can achieve and performs a comparative analysis of existing examples (Wall-E, Princess Mononoke).

In the practical section, the author begins by researching the target audience and then moves on to the analysis of story structure, sketches, and design (covering character design, environment, and a guidebook) and creating a storyboard. She then discusses her animation process, the animation technique used, the application of animation principles, software, visual analysis, editing, and post-production. The author has included the entire storyboard, character design, and background design as an appendix, so all work is visible in one place.

While I think the thesis is very well-structured, it seems to me that everything is somewhat superficially researched, and the author should delve deeper into certain topics. The research methodology is not clear in the thesis; I assume it is experimental since the author does not address it. In the conclusion, the author notes that she only supported her research theoretically.

5. Degree of communication

The author clearly explains various concepts and goes into specific areas of research. She describes the process of creating her work in detail, adding various technical details. Each step in creating her practical work has its own subchapter, where she professionally describes the process. The author also uses many examples to illustrate different areas of the thesis and includes images to facilitate understanding of individual topics.

6. Scope of work

The author explores the topic rather superficially, but places significant detail on the practical work. Although she writes about current ecological issues, provides examples, and discusses animation in general, this remains only a rough outline of individual subchapters, with the theoretical part covering only a third of the printed work. The rest of the thesis is dedicated to describing the animation creation process. The thesis lacks “research” where the author could present findings (if she has any) related to the stated question.

7. Orthography and acuracy

The thesis is well structured, it being divided into logical chapters and subchapters. It also includes an introduction, body, and conclusion, along with sources and an appendix with all the illustrations. The author also uses footnotes for citations and correctly lists sources in the bibliography. However, the thesis does contain spelling errors. The first spelling mistakes already appear in the abstract and in the English translation.

8. Literature

Considering the length of the thesis, it seems that very little literature was used. Many things are cited from the same source, so the thesis lacks comparative analysis. Altogether, 26 sources were used, half of which are online sources. Additionally, I was surprised to see how many of the sources were news articles, which were barely related to the topic.

by lea.haas -

Road to M.A. 1: Evaluation of a Master Thesis

Female Rage, Revenge, and Catharsis: The „Good for Her“ Genre Defined in Promising Young Woman (2020) by Tara Heimberger

!!! In this Blog post Chat GPT and DeepL are used for english translations, spelling and finding synonyms

DETAILS

Title: Female Rage, Revenge, and Catharsis: The „Good for Her“ Genre Defined in Promising Young Woman (2020)
Author: Tara Heimberger
Institution: Georgia College and State University
Date: 4-18-2022
Field: English
Degree Name: Master of Arts (MA)
Source: https://kb.gcsu.edu/english/10/

ABSTRACT

By analyzing relevant cultural contexts to the popularity of the “Good for Her” genre, such as the “#MeToo” movement, the Trump presidency, and the resurgence of conservatism in the United States, the development of the “Good for Her” genre and its impact can be made clear. Given the genre’s development through social discourse on social media, it has become a universal and collaborative representation of liberation from oppressive experiences under a patriarchal society. The lead women in these films give those who experience patriarchal oppression a reprieve and an opportunity for catharsis they would not typically get in a male-led, male-focused film. The genre reinforces and builds upon the works of feminist film theorists such as Carol Clover and Laura Mulvey by offering a more contemporary evolution of Clover’s “Final Girl” through the combination of slasher and Final Girl to create the “Good for Her” films’ “victim-villain” and Mulvey’s theory of the “male gaze” by subverting and satirizing the typical female objectification of the old-school horror genre. Promising Young Woman acts as a definitive example of the genre and a crucial representation of the reality of rape culture while depicting a sense of voyeuristic and vicarious revenge and catharsis against the systems of patriarchal oppression that exist within the United States.

WHY I CHOSE THIS THESIS

I chose this thesis for its vital exploration of how female rage is portrayed in film and how this contributes to and challenges patriarchal structures. Right now I mostly dwelled on how directors instruct female characters to express emotions, not how the viewers and audience perceive it differently. By examining the “Good for Her” genre through a theoretical lens, this work clarifies how cinematic depictions of female rage, in examples like Promising Young Woman, provide catharsis and critique. This insight is essential for understanding both the empowerment and limitations faced by women in film and the broader societal impact of these narratives.

1. Level of Design

The Level of Design in this thesis is quite low. There is not much emphasis placed on design possibilities or layout. The focus here is clearly on content. I’m certain that this faculty has specific guidelines that the students need to follow, and creative freedom in design is very limited. This, however, is completely legitimate, considering that it’s a scientific thesis for an English faculty. At our institute, a layout like this would definitely result in a lower grade. The author barely uses even pictures or statistics.

2. Degree of Innovation

This thesis has a high degree of innovation, as I found very few related works during my general research in this field. This is unsurprising, however, as it’s a relatively new area of research that has only gained popularity with digitalization and the influence of younger generations. In this case I think it’s really smart to support this phenomenon immediately with a concrete example as done here in this thesis.

3. Independence

The author demonstrates a high level of independence, especially because of her innovative approach to the relatively new field of the „Good for Her“ genre. She critically and thoroughly examines the cultural and societal contexts that contributed to the rise and popularity of this genre, thereby making an independent contribution to feminist film theory. I also like the linking of social movements like #MeToo and political events such as the Trump era with the cinematic portrayal of female liberation – even though this topic is really overplayed in 2024 (you need to consider that this thesis was written in 2022 – and therefore she was really going with the zeitgeist). The thesis develops an original perspective that is both theoretically grounded and creatively responsive to contemporary societal issues. I aspire to also include this much of societal background for my own work.

4. Outline and structure

For me the overall structure is really good. When I look at the table of contents it all makes really good sense to me – Especially contextualising the the socio cultural background is necessary for understanding the emergence of the „Good for Her“ genre. This section effectively sets the stage for the authors discussion by linking the genre’s popularity to broader societal movements.

Another section that stood out to me was where the author was defining and contextualizing the „Good for Her“ genre. It allows to clarify the characteristics that define this genre, situating it within the landscape of contemporary cinema. This foundation is crucial for readers who may not be familiar with the genre’s nuances. This way of contextualizing in my opinion is totally necessary in order to make sure that the reader and the author are on the same page. Particularly when we are speaking about pop culture or concepts that have a small target group

5. Degree of communication

As far as I can evaluate I think the author definitely has a way with words and also can play her way around which makes it actually fun to read. Is is noticeable that she is doing her Masters Degree in english – it seems really professional but also not to intellectualized. The words used fit the overall theme of the thesis and the topic.

6. Scope of the work

The scope of work appears to be appropriate for an academic paper. However, I would have preferred fewer direct quotations, as it would have been more beneficial to see a deeper analysis of the few visual examples mentioned. More emphasis on the author’s insights and interpretations rather than simply reiterating existing opinions would enhance the overall depth of the analysis. Many examples are revisited throughout the paper, even though I thought the topic had already been thoroughly explored. This repetition sometimes makes the discussion somewhat redundant and less engaging. It would be more effective to introduce new perspectives or analyses to keep the discourse fresh and compelling.

7. Orthography

Occasionally, the flow of reading is disrupted for me by the words set in quotation marks. It might be more effective to integrate these terms more seamlessly into the text, allowing for a smoother reading experience without compromising the clarity of the concepts being discussed. Other than the word repetitions stand out significantly, I don’t have much to criticize. I also don’t like the font that is used. It makes the text for me personally harder to read.

8. Literature

The literature used is very contemporary and includes very few sources older than seven years. Notably, it relies heavily on many online articles. Caution is warranted here, as it’s essential to assess whether these sources are reputable and credible. For this blog post I did not check every online source used but what I could find in researching three of them is that they seem to be based on credible sources.

by hanna.weichsler -

Evaluation master thesis „Alles nur Show?: eine Analyse über die (Selbst-)Präsentation deutscher Rapperinnen in ihren Musikvideos“

Author: Celebi, Aylin

Titel: Alles nur Show?: eine Analyse über die (Selbst-)Präsentation deutscher Rapperinnen in ihren Musikvideos

Publication: Salzburg, April 2019

Institution: Universität Salzburg, Kultur- und Gesellschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Study program: Kommunikationswissenschaft

Level of Design:

The master’s thesis has a very simple and minimalistic design. It appears to follow a predefined layout rather than a custom design.

Degree of Innovation: The topic is quite innovative, focusing specifically on the self-presentation of German female rappers in music videos. The introduction highlights the intention to explore gender representation, specifically in a German context.

Independence:

The author has shown great independence, especially in the development of a customised coding scheme for video analysis. It was important to the author that all videos were analysed according to the same categories, so she developed her own scheme that took the themes of the videos into account.

Outline and Structure:

The introduction uses many quotations and sources and was not written in own words. Only at the end does it become clear what it is about. The indirect quotations are given in brackets after the text passages. This disturbs the flow of reading.

The table of contents could be organised more clearly in some sections. There are many recurring topics. Instead of the heading “Definitions”, “hip-hop” could be chosen as the heading, as it is only written about. Another thing I noticed is that the Abstract is at the end of the master thesis.

Degree of Communication:

The thesis is well-written, with a clear and professional tone. Sometimes, especially in the introduction, it jumps around between topics a bit quickly.

Scope of the Work:

The scope is appropriate for a master’s thesis, covering relevant aspects of gender studies, hip-hop culture, and media representation within a German context.

Orthography and Accuracy:

There are Accuracy mistakes such as missing page references for some images in the list of figures and tables at the beginning. The orthography seems fine at first glance.

Literature:

This work has used a lot of literature for research (13 pages bibliography). Some sources are from the last century, such as the book “Sexualisierung der Körper” (Sexualisation of the Body) from 1983. Current literature would be desirable for this topic.

Source: https://eplus.uni-salzburg.at/download/pdf/5061226.pdf

by larissa.holweg -

„Was kaufen wir da eigentlich?“

Bachelorarbeit von Frau Helena Seel

Thema: „Beeinflussung der Kaufentscheidung durch den Einsatz von Bildbearbeitung im Bereich Lebensmittel“ 

  1. Gestaltungshöhe: Die Arbeit zeichnet sich durch eine klare Struktur aus. Die grafischen Elemente und Diagramme unterstützen die Analyse der Konsumentenentscheidungen, könnten jedoch visuell ansprechender gestaltet sein, um die Ästhetik der Forschungsarbeit zu erhöhen.
  2. Innovationsgrad: Die Arbeit bearbeitet ein relevantes Thema im Bereich Konsumentenverhalten und Bildbearbeitung. Auch wenn das Thema praxisrelevant ist, bleibt der Innovationsgrad begrenzt, da vorwiegend bestehende Theorien und bekannte Methoden zur Anwendung kommen.
  3. Selbstständigkeit: Die selbst durchgeführte Online-Befragung sowie die Auswertung mittels EFS Reporting zeugen von einem selbstständigen Ansatz und einem klaren Forschungsziel.
  4. Gliederung und Struktur: Die Arbeit ist logisch gegliedert. Der theoretische Hintergrund und die empirische Untersuchung werden klar voneinander getrennt und übersichtlich dargelegt.
  5. Kommunikationsgrad: Die Arbeit ist sprachlich gut verständlich und vermittelt die Inhalte anschaulich. Gelegentlich könnten Fachbegriffe weiter ausgeführt werden, um auch Leser ohne Vorwissen im Bereich Konsumentenverhalten anzusprechen.
  6. Umfang der Arbeit: Mit etwa 50 Seiten entspricht der Umfang einer typischen Bachelorarbeit. Die Arbeit behandelt alle relevanten Aspekte, könnte jedoch um weitere empirische Details ergänzt werden, um eine tiefere Analyse der Ergebnisse zu ermöglichen.
  7. Orthographie, Sorgfalt und Genauigkeit: Die Arbeit ist überwiegend sorgfältig geschrieben, weist jedoch einige Rechtschreibfehler auf.  Stellenweise könnten die Formulierungen jedoch präziser sein, um Missverständnisse zu vermeiden.
  8. Literatur: Die Literatur ist umfassend und deckt die zentralen Werke zum Thema Konsumentenverhalten ab. Einige aktuelle Studien hätten jedoch ein stärkeres Gewicht auf den neuesten Stand der Forschung gelegt.
by anna-katharina.hammerer -

IMPULS #1 – Welche Tipps uns Titelsequenzen für das Storytelling geben können

Bei der diesjährigen Adobe Max gab es etliche Vorträge online zum mitverfolgen. Mein erster Implus-Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit einem der Vorträge, nämlich Movies, Myth, Metaphor: Art of Film and TV Title Sequences. Vortragende dieses Talks war Karin Fong. Karin Fong ist eine Gründerin von Imaginary Forces und arbeitet als Director und Designerin. Sie hat unteranderem an etlichen bekannten Titelsequenzen für TV und Film mitgearbeitet, wie Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Lisey’s Story, oder Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In ihrem Vortrag auf der Adobe Max ging es darum welche Storytelling-Tipps uns Titelsequenzen geben können für die Arbeit an jeglichen kreativen Projekten. Mit Hilfe von Fallbeispielen erklärte Fong ihre Herangehensweise an Titelsequenzen und das daraus resultierende Storytelling. Da ging es vor allem um die Research-Phase, die Ideation-Phase und das Entwickeln von passenden Metaphern. Auch erzählte sie, wie sie Konzepte Kunden präsentiert und verkauft.

Titelsequenzen werden oft als Einladungen, Appetizer für die darauffolgenden Handlungen oder als Portale in andere Welten genutzt werden. Titelsequenzen können Emotionen erwecken, Ideen anschneiden oder ikonische Bildwelten vorstellen. Doch auf welche Aspekte muss man bei der Erarbeitung von Titelsequenzen achten?

Wichtige Bedenken bei der Erarbeitung

Die Integrierung von Metaphern zum Geschichten einzurahmen ist oft kraftvoller als wenn man sich buchstäblich am Ausgangsmaterial bedient. Trotzdem muss man einiges bei der Erarbeitung von Titelsequenzen beachten.

  1. Kreditierung des Casts und Crew
    • Die Nennung des Casts und der Crew ist das zentrale Element jeder Titelsequenz. Gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Parameter, wie die Zeitdauer der Sichtbarkeit eines Namens, die Reihenfolge oder die Größe müssen immer berücksichtigt werden. Doch Fong sieht diese Bindung eher als eine willkommene Herausforderung diese Qualitäten durch die Storytelling-Perspektive zu betrachten und daraus etwas zu formen.
  2. Stimmung festlegen
    • Main Titles sollen die Stimmung der nachfolgenden Handlung aufnehmen und behandeln. Es muss zwar nicht immer 1:1 die Stimmung der Serie/ des Films übernommen werden, doch die Stimmung muss zum Narrativ passen.
  3. Sei spezifisch
    • Wenn man eine Titelsequenz für eine Krimiserie, als Titelsequenz für eine komplett andere Krimiserie verwenden kann, dann ist die Titelsequenz nicht gut genug. Main Titles sollen in ihrer visuellen und inhaltlichen Sprache einen Wiedererkennungseffekt haben. Auch Reihen sollen durch das Main Title Design einheitlich gehalten werden. Die visuelle Sprache ist die Klammer. Beispielsweise wurde bei Spiderman: No way home beim Title Design darauf geachtet, dass der analoge Stil und die Anlehnung an den Mathematik/ Physikunterricht erhalten bleibt. Trotzdem haben sie sich überlegt, wie sie die Kerninhalte innerhalb dieser Richtlinien einbinden können.
  4. Das Handwerk bestimmt die Emotion
    • Die Wahl der visuellen Sprache, wie bereits erwähnt, hat einen enormen Einfluss auf die hervorgerufenen Emotionen des Publikums. Deshalb ist es wichtig, sich Gedanken darum zu machen, welcher Stil die intendierten Emotionen auslösen kann. Bei Lisey’s Story haben sich Fong und ihr Team dafür entschieden, den Vorspann mit echten Puppen zu drehen, da das reale Material der Puppen im Zusammenspiel mit echten Puppenspielern, dem Ganzen etwas viel rares und zerbrechliches verlieh, als wenn alles im Computer stattgefunden hätte. Essentiell dabei war es, dass im Spiel mit practical effects kleine Fehler entstanden, welche dem Ganzen etwas menschliches verlieh.
  5. Extrahieren
    • Es ist wichtig den Kern einer Erzählung ausfindig zu machen und seine Idee auf dieser aufzubauen.
  6. Mehr Fragen aufwerfen als Antworten beantworten
    • Um das Interesse des Publikums auf sich zu ziehen ist es wichtig, in einer Titelsequenz mehr Fragen in den Raum zustellen, als diese zu beantworten. Durch die Handlung hinweg, wird das Publikum die Fragen beantworten können.
  7. Höre auf die Arbeit
    • Es ist immer wichtig, sich die Frage zustellen: Was möchte die Titelsequenz erreichen? Was sind die Anforderungen und Erwartungen, die sie erfüllen sollte? Oftmals wollen wir etwas neuartiges – noch nie zuvor Gesehenes – in die Welt setzen. Doch in diesem Bestreben können wir leicht das Wichtige aus den Augen verlieren, nämlich: die Gelegenheit uns mit dem Publikum zu verbinden.

Gestaltung als iterativer Prozess

Die Erarbeitung eines Projektes ist immer ein iterativer Prozess. Es scheint, dass alles im Zusammenhang mit dem Thema steht. Deshalb ist wichtig, viele Möglichkeiten und Visualisierungen auszuprobieren. Es ist in Ordnung, ausgearbeitete Ideen zu verwerfen, wie es bei Fong und ihrem Team bei der Erarbeitung von Percy Jackson and the Olympians der Fall war. Das Team von der Serie hat ihnen vorgegeben, dass sie gerne etwas hätten, was die Verstrickungen der Familie der griechischen Götter symbolisiert. Dadurch hat sich das Team mit verschiedensten Visualisierungen von Stammbäumen und der Götter beschäftigt. Schlussendlich ist etwas herausgekommen, dass viel zu sehr austauschbar war – also, zu wenig Wiedererkennungswert gehabt hat. Doch durch die Reevaluierung ist das Team auf einen zentralen Aspekt gestoßen, welcher sie auf die Fährte zu ihrer finalen Titelsequenz brachte. In den Büchern ist der Transfer des Olymps in die oberen Etagen des Empire State Buildings von zentraler Bedeutung. In diesen Gebäuden gibt es viele Murals, was laut Fong, eine wichtige amerikanische Kunstform ist. Deshalb entschieden sie sich die Endtitel als riesengroßes Mural erscheinen zu lassen, in dem wichtige Momente in der Handlung dargestellt sind. Bei der Visualisierung haben sie auch darauf geachtet, dass bildliche Ebene die Charakteristika alter Murals und ihre Anlehnung auf den Jugendstil aufzeigt werden.

Gestaltung als kooperativer Prozess

Das Produzieren von Filmen ist ein kooperativer Prozess. Fong arbeitet gerne mit Menschen zusammen, die besser als sie sind. Auch ist es wichtig, auf die Vorstellungen anderer zuhören. Vor allem, wenn ein Regisseur oder eine Regisseurin bereits gewisse Vorstellungen oder Vorgaben hat.

Ideen verkaufen

Um Personen von der Idee zu überzeugen, sollte bei der Präsentation auf das Drama und die erzählte Geschichte geachtet werden. Man muss versuchen, einen essentiellen Aspekt aufzugreifen, welcher bei den Personen Emotionen auslöst. Beispielsweise hat Fong und ihr Team bei Lisey’s Story dem Regisseur eine Marionette geschickt. Die Idee vom Einsatz von Marionetten, war zwar die vom Regisseur selbst, doch dem Team ging es bei dieser Aktion darum, den Regisseur davon zu überzeugen, die Titelsequenz in live-action zu drehen. Durch das Zusenden der Marionette sollte der Regisseur die Haptik und Einzigartigkeit der Marionette spüren, was durch computergenerierte Bilder kaum möglich ist. Auch die Testfotos und Mock-ups im theatralischen halfen dabei.

Weitere Erscheinungsformen von Titelsequenzen

Titelsequenzen dienen nicht nur als Einleitung in das Gesehen des nachfolgenden Film oder der nachfolgenden Serie, sonder sind auch Teil des visuellen Erscheinungsbild. Losgelöst vom Film oder von der Serie agieren sie im viralen Raum. In diesem bekommen sie mehr Macht zugesprochen, als in ihrem eigentlichen Nutzen. Sie sind wie die verwendete Typografie oder die Titelmusik Gedächtnisstützen und können ihre Eigenleben durch memes etc. annehmen.

Erkenntnisse aus dem Vortrag

Wie schon Karin Fong in ihrem Vortrag gesagt hat, die Herangehensweise an Titelsequenzen kann universal auf alle möglichen Gestaltungsprojekte angewendet werden. Ich habe mich dabei vor allem dafür interessiert, welche wichtigen Aspekte des Storytellings ich für meine Erarbeitung eines kurzen Animationsfilms mitnehmen kann und ich bin zum Schluss gekommen, dass tatsächlich viele Punkte auch für mich anwendbar sind. Der Vortrag zeigt auf, dass nicht nur die Beschäftigung mit dem Inhalt, sondern auch Entscheidungen wie intendierte Stimmung, visuelle Sprache oder Beschäftigung mit dem Zielpublikum aussehensthenden Personen sowie dem Alleinstellungsmerkmal den Unterschied machen.

Quelle

Adobe Max (15.10.2024): Movies, Myth, Metaphor: Art of Film and TV Title Sequences – S6000. Online unter: https://www.adobe.com/max/2024/sessions/movies-myth-metaphor-art-of-film-and-tv-title-s6000.html (zuletzt geöffnet am 27.10.2024).

by anna-katharina.hammerer -

#31 – Analysis of external Master thesis – Evoking Interest through Storytelling

The Master’s thesis titled „Evoking Interest through Storytelling: A Cognitive Narratological Investigation of Suspense, Curiosity, and Surprise“ was written by Michael Krendl. He submitted the thesis at the University of Vienna in 2024. The thesis was supervised by Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Paolo Petta. ​

Short summary of the thesis

The thesis explores how narratives evoke powerful responses/ emotions with a focus on suspense, curiosity, and surprise, which are termed the Universals of Narrative by Meir Sternberg. ​It investigates the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind these responses and how they can be systematically crafted in storytelling. ​

The key sections of the thesis are:

  1. Introduction: Establishes the theoretical position and fundamental concepts. ​
  2. Narratological Correlates of Interest: Discusses directive and propulsive concepts of interest, including erotetic narration and narrative functionalism. ​
  3. Psychological Theories of Interest: Explores the functions of interest, the appraisal theory of interest, and the distinction between interest and liking. ​
  4. Curiosity: Examines information gaps, perceptual curiosity, and epistemic curiosity. ​
  5. Suspense: Analyzes the interplay of hope and fear, the (Anti-) Goal Model of suspense, and related emotions. ​
  6. Surprise: Differentiates between types of surprise, such as mismatch-based surprise, astonishment, and insight, and discusses the expectancy-disconfirmation hypothesis. ​
  7. Interest & the Seeking System: Proposes the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, which combines learning potential and effect appraisal to explain curiosity and interest. ​

The thesis concludes with a summary of findings, emphasizing the importance of narrative coherence, the role of epistemic emotions, and the practical applicability of the proposed models in narrative design. It also suggests areas for further investigation, such as the role of boredom and defamiliarization in storytelling. ​

Level of design

On the design level, the master’s thesis is kept quite simple, yet it appears appealing. Michael Krendl did not use a „standard template“ for his thesis. Instead, he embedded his work in a custom layout. His layout employs a lot of white space at the margins and less line spacing (unlike what is typical for „standard templates“). The text is set in justified alignment, making his work appear more compact and visually appealing.

He chose a serif font in various weights. I couldn’t precisely identify the font, even with technical tools, but one thing is clear: it is not Times New Roman. The serif font is a classical Antiqua, characterized by strong main strokes, fine hairlines, and small serifs that are horizontally positioned and have square endings. The axis of the rounded letter forms is perfectly vertical.

Krendl uses bold, italic, and regular font styles in his thesis. The headings are set in bold. I did notice some kerning errors in the headings, but I cannot determine whether this is due to the font’s preset configurations or the document’s compression.

For the body text, the regular font style is used, while italic is used for highlights. This differentiation in font styles creates a hierarchy/structure within the text. The additional variation in font sizes and the use of color for highlights make the textual hierarchy more evident. Long quotations are indented.

As mentioned, various methods are employed for highlights in the thesis. Important terms, references to individuals, or examples are emphasized in italics by Krendl. Literature references and the first mention of authors are set in blue. Personally, I am not a fan of the blue highlights, as they immediately draw attention and distract from the actual content. My suggestion would be to set literature references and first mentions of authors in italics and to highlight important terms, references to individuals, and examples in bold.

The thesis contains only a few image sources, which are centered and integrated into the body text.

As an orientation aid, the chapters and subchapters are numbered. An additional aid is the header, which indicates the respective chapter in which one is located. Each part is also separated from the other by a divider page.

Degree of innovation 

The degree of innovation in the thesis can be considered high for several reasons:

  1. Interdisciplinary Approach: The thesis integrates cognitive science, psychology, and narratology to explore how narratives evoke emotions like suspense, curiosity, and surprise. ​ This interdisciplinary approach is innovative as it combines insights from different fields to provide a comprehensive understanding of storytelling. ​
  2. New Models: The thesis introduces new models, such as the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, which combines learning potential and effect appraisal to explain curiosity and interest. ​This model attempts to reconcile existing theories by Berlyne and Loewenstein, offering a fresh perspective on how interest is generated and sustained. ​
  3. Detailed Analysis of Emotions: The work provides a detailed analysis of epistemic emotions and their role in storytelling. ​ By distinguishing between different types of curiosity and surprise, and by proposing a five-factor model of suspense, the thesis offers nuanced insights that go beyond traditional narrative theories.
  4. Practical Applicability: The thesis aims to facilitate the narrative design process by providing practical methods and models that writers can use to evoke interest in their audiences. ​ This focus on applicability makes the research valuable not only for academic purposes but also for practitioners in the field of storytelling. ​
  5. Addressing Gaps in Existing Research: The thesis addresses the limited scholarly attention given to how stories should be crafted to evoke emotions. ​ By systematically exploring the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind narrative interest, it fills a significant gap in existing research (according to him). ​
  6. Future Research Directions: The thesis identifies areas for further investigation, such as the role of boredom and defamiliarization in storytelling, which opens up new avenues for research and contributes to the ongoing development of narrative theory. ​

Overall, the thesis demonstrates a high degree of innovation by offering new theoretical models, integrating multiple disciplines, and providing practical insights for narrative design.

Independence

As mentioned before, Krendl addresses the limited scholarly attention given to emotions. Furthermore, he states the lack of differentiation between conflict in real life (e.g. a dispute) and narrative conflict. Also, there is no clear concept of narrative conflict. By systematically exploring the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind narrative interest, it fills a significant gap in existing research (according to him).

His thesis combines different research fields (cognitive science, psychology and narratology) with each other, making it an interdisciplinary approach. He uses different theories and suggests an alternative in form of the Learn/Effect Model of Interest. 

All these aspects, let me to believe that his thesis has a high level of independence. 

Outline and structure

  1. Titlepage:
    • Lists: title, author, degree, university, year and the supervisor.
  2. Table of Content:
    • All the adjacent chapters and sub-chapters are listed. The main chapters appear in bold, while sub-chapters are indented. The acknowlegdements and dedications, abstract, Kurzfassung and bibliography are not listed.
  3. Abstract + Kurzfassung:
    • Krendl summarizes shortly his thesis in an abstract (english) and also in a German version (Kurzfassung).
  4. Foreword
    • In his foreword he states his motivations and personal interest for the research. ​He already uses statements of others to underline his interest and the importance of this thesis.
  5. Part 1: Introduction
    • Krendl establishes the theoretical position and fundamental concepts required for the thesis.
    • Chapter 1: Interest & Cognitive Narratology ​ 
      • Discusses affect, emotion, mood, epistemic emotions, and cognitive narratology. ​
      • Introduces narrative functionalism and its components. ​
  6. Part 2: Narratological Correlates of Interest ​
    • Chapter 2: Directive Concepts of Interest ​ 
      • Explores erotetic narration and the universals of narrative (suspense, curiosity, and surprise). ​
    • Chapter 3: Propulsive Concepts of Interest ​ 
      • Discusses peripeteia, anagnorisis, conflict, and collision. ​
      • Introduces a model of narrative conflict. ​
  7. Part 3: Psychological Theories of Interest ​
    • Chapter 4: Interest & Aesthetics ​ 
      • Examines the functions of interest, appraisal theory, and the distinction between interest and liking. ​
    • Chapter 5: Curiosity ​ 
      • Analyzes information gaps, perceptual curiosity, and epistemic curiosity. ​
    • Chapter 6: Suspense ​ 
      • Discusses hope and fear, the (Anti-) Goal Model of suspense, and related emotions.
    • Chapter 7: Surprise ​
      • Differentiates between types of surprise and discusses the expectancy-disconfirmation hypothesis. ​
    • Chapter 8: Interest & the Seeking System ​ 
      • Proposes the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, combining learning potential and effect appraisal. ​
    • Chapter 9: Summary of Findings ​ 
      • Summarizes the key findings and theoretical contributions of the thesis. ​
      • Discusses the cognitive approach to narrative design and the primary aspects of narrative design. ​
      • Highlights areas for further investigation. ​
  8. Appendices
    • Appendix A: Memento (2000): An Example of Extreme Dechronologization ​
    • Appendix B: The Learn/Effect Model of Interest ​
    • Appendix C: Primary Aspects of Narrative Design ​
  9. Bibliography
    • Comprehensive list of references and sources cited throughout the thesis.
    • No differentiation between analogue or digital (but most of the references are books).

Krendl wrote of every chapter a mini-introduction and at the end of every chapter he summarizes the chapter shortly. Sometimes he also gives a sneak-peek for its relevance in adjacent chapters. In summary, his thesis is well structured and has a cohesive outline.

Degree of communication

The degree of communication in the thesis can be considered high based on several factors, of which many have been discussed earlier. 

The thesis has a clear structure and is well-organized into distinct parts and chapters, each focusing on specific aspects of the research. ​This clear structure helps readers navigate through the complex topics discussed. ​Another aid is the detailed table of contents. It provides a clear roadmap of the thesis, making it easier for readers to locate specific sections and understand the overall flow of the thesis. The personal foreword and the introduction help readers to ease into the topic. Also, the use of sub-headings helps the readers to break down the content into manageable sections. This makes it easier for readers to follow the arguments and understand the key points being made. ​

On theoretical basis the thesis deals with an interdisciplinary approach. The thesis effectively integrates insights from cognitive science, psychology, and narratology. ​ This interdisciplinary approach is communicated clearly, showing how different fields contribute to the understanding of narrative interest. ​Furthermore, the thesis integrates theoretical and practical insights. For example, it introduces new models like the Learn/Effect Model of Interest and provides practical methods for narrative design, making the content relevant for both academics and practitioners. ​The final chapter summarizes the key findings and theoretical contributions, reinforcing the main points.

Also the inclusion of additional resources (integration of appendices) and the bibliography helps readers who seek to research further into the topic. 

Overall, the thesis demonstrates a high degree of communication by being well-structured, clearly written, and effectively integrating theoretical and practical insights. This makes it accessible and valuable to a broad range of readers, including scholars, students, and practitioners in the field of storytelling.

Scope of the work

The scope of Michael Krendl’s thesis is broad and interdisciplinary, encompassing several key areas:

  1. Narrative Theory:
    • The thesis explores fundamental concepts in narrative theory, such as suspense, curiosity, and surprise, which are referred to as the „Universals of Narrative“ by Meir Sternberg. ​
    • It examines how these elements are used in storytelling to evoke interest and engage audiences. ​
  2. Cognitive Science:
    • The work integrates cognitive science principles to understand how narratives affect human cognition and emotions. ​
    • It investigates the cognitive processes that enable readers to comprehend and construct narratives, focusing on mental representations, coherence, and the need for sense-making. ​
  3. Psychological Theories of Emotion:
    • The thesis delves into psychological theories of emotion, particularly those related to epistemic emotions like curiosity, confusion, and surprise. ​
    • It discusses how these emotions are evoked by narratives and their role in maintaining reader interest. ​
  4. Narrative Functionalism:
    • The research introduces and elaborates on the concept of narrative functionalism, which states that narrative elements must serve a purpose within the plot to maintain coherence and interest. ​
    • It distinguishes between propulsive and directive functions of narrative elements. ​
  5. Interdisciplinary Approach:
    • The thesis adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from narratology, cognitive science and psychology to provide a comprehensive understanding of how narratives evoke interest. ​
    • It bridges the gap between theoretical insights and practical applications in storytelling. ​
  6. Models and Theories:
    • The work proposes new models, such as the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, which combines learning potential and effect appraisal to explain how interest is generated. ​
    • It also introduces a model of a five-factor model of suspense, providing frameworks for analyzing and creating engaging narratives. ​
  7. Practical Applications:
    • The thesis offers practical insights for writers and storytellers on how to craft narratives that evoke interest through suspense, curiosity, and surprise. ​
    • It discusses techniques like gapping and the use of mood cues to enhance narrative engagement. ​
  8. Empirical and Theoretical Contributions:
    • The research contributes to both empirical and theoretical knowledge in the fields of cognitive narratology and emotion psychology.
    • It suggests areas for further investigation, such as the role of boredom, defamiliarization, and the empirical validation of proposed models. ​

In summary, the scope of the thesis is extensive, covering theoretical foundations, cognitive and emotional mechanisms, practical storytelling techniques, and interdisciplinary connections. It aims to provide a deep understanding of how narratives evoke interest and offers valuable insights for both academic research and practical storytelling. ​

Orthography and accuracy

The thesis is written with a high level of accuracy. All the citations are stated. Every direct reference cites its page number. It was interesting to me that Krendl references indirect literature citations only by stating the author’s name and publication year. Also, I haven’t seen any mistakes in spelling or grammar.

The thesis is written in a language that is academic yet accessible, aiming to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively. The writing style is formal but not overly technical, making it approachable for a wider audience.

Literature

Krendl uses a wide variety of literature from different authors. As mentioned, the various sources relate to the fields of cognitive science, psychology, and narratology. Furthermore, Krendl does not focus on just one work by an author, but refers to multiple works by the same author on a topic that have been published at different times.

His literature sources are primarily books or e-books. He does not separately list internet contributions in a bibliography. Most of the sources are from the last century or the early 2000s, with only a few more recent books. I cannot assess whether this is due to a lack of research in this field in recent years, as I have not yet looked deeply into the topic.