The Detailed Study of Films: Adjusting Attention

A special issue of Arts (ISSN 2076-0752). This special issue belongs to the section "Film and New Media".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 3 October 2025 | Viewed by 2550

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CEIS20-Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of History, European Studies, Archeology and Arts, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Coimbra, Largo da Porta Férrea, 3004-530 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: film and television studies; philosophy; religious studies; theology; working-class studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the detailed study of film style and form. It welcomes articles that consider and integrate the critical role of conscious attention in the practice of film analysis and interpretation. Additionally, it expands on the film criticism work of John Gibbs, Andrew Klevan, Douglas Pye, and others. The detailed study of film works is not a study of details but seeks and follows a movement of abstraction to understand these works in the social and cultural web in which they are historically inserted as objects of production and reflection. In Style and Meaning: Studies in the Detailed Analysis of Film (Manchester University Press, 2005), Pye and Gibbs follow Terry Eagleton in recognizing that artistic media, their forms and senses—perceptions, emotions, and meanings—are inherently social systems (p. 8). Therefore, studying the art of film in detail requires attention that is conscious about this social context and adjusts to it. Adjusting attention is doing justice to the work under scrutiny. It is, simultaneously, a disposition and a concern—an attentive state of mind able to notice significant details and care to be rigorous in studying films.

Given this, I propose a broad distinction between two types of attention that organizes and systematize the study of films, as follows:

  • Intensive attention describes a methodology that concentrates on the analytical and interpretative study of a single film;
  • Extensive attention designates a methodology that differs from the previous because it aims to analyze and interpret a set of films, grouped by filmmaker, genre, country, theme, or other specific categories.

These methodologies are active research processes that highlight concrete elements and relationships and evoke multiple aspects that influence these relationships. Of course, in the course of interpretative analysis, it may be necessary to extend intensive attention (e.g., briefly consider other films) or to intensify extensive attention (e.g., briefly concentrating on a single film) in order to develop an argument. There is no opposition between the two types of attention but a difference in the approach to attention—in which both assume the importance of concentrating on films, as well as the significance of placing them in precise contexts. Generally, contributions to this Special Issue should choose between one or the other for methodological clarity. In each case, the purpose is to find patterns and account for them within the complexity of films, single or grouped.

Dr. Sérgio Dias Branco
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • analysis and interpretation
  • art and context
  • attention
  • conscience
  • film studies

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 6637 KiB  
Article
IP Adaptation Strategies in Film: A Case Study of Ne Zha 2 (2025)
by Aixin Chen and Haodong Gu
Arts 2025, 14(4), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14040085 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 988
Abstract
Ne Zha 2 (Ne Zha: Mo Tong Nao Hai, 哪吒之魔童闹海, 2025) is a prime example of the modernization of traditional literary intellectual property (IP). It has achieved the highest box office gross in Chinese cinematic history and ranks among the top [...] Read more.
Ne Zha 2 (Ne Zha: Mo Tong Nao Hai, 哪吒之魔童闹海, 2025) is a prime example of the modernization of traditional literary intellectual property (IP). It has achieved the highest box office gross in Chinese cinematic history and ranks among the top five highest-grossing films globally. This article uses a case study approach to examine the adaptation strategies of Ne Zha 2 (2025), offering strategic insights for future film adaptations. The analysis focuses on four key dimensions—character, plot, theme, and esthetics—to explore how these elements contribute to the film’s adaptation. The findings reveal that the film strikes a balance between intertextuality and innovation, achieved through multidimensional character development, narrative subversion, contemporary thematic reinterpretation, and sophisticated esthetic techniques. By maintaining the emotional connection to the classical IP, the adaptation not only delivers stunning visual spectacles but also provides a culturally immersive experience, revitalizing traditional mythology with contemporary relevance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Detailed Study of Films: Adjusting Attention)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop