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Empathetic Space on Screen: Constructing Powerful Place and Setting
In this book we learn that there is a clear but complex relationship between setting and character on screen. Certain settings stand out above others―think of the iconic gooey dripping tunnels that Ripley stumbles through in Aliens , Norman’s bird-decorated parlour in Psycho or the dark Gotham of certain Batman movies. But what makes these particular settings so powerful and iconic? Amedeo D’Adamo explains why we care about and cry for certain characters, and then focuses on how certain places then become windows onto their emotional lives. Using popular case studies such as Apocalypse Now, Amelie, Homeland and The Secret Garden , this original and insightful book is the first to really explain what makes some settings so effective, revealing an important but as yet uncovered machinery of empathy in visual narrative space. An invaluable resource for students, academics and indeed young filmmakers designing their very own narratives for space on screen.
289 pages, Paperback
Published December 27, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2022
Es un documento bastante interesante, me gustó la manera en que fue abarcando los diferentes conceptos y cómo se tomaba el tiempo para darles forma y hacerlos más comprensibles; Desearía que mi reseña fuera más detallada y objetiva, sin embargo es el primer libro que leo de este tipo de temas.
Lo obtuve de manera gratuita cuando la editorial Springer los regaló a inicios de la pandemia.
Lo obtuve de manera gratuita cuando la editorial Springer los regaló a inicios de la pandemia.
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August 29, 2025* **Space is never neutral**: every location on screen conveys emotion and influences how audiences empathize with characters.
* Filmmakers should treat place and setting as **active participants** in storytelling, not as static backdrops.
* “Empathetic space” is achieved when the design, framing, and use of setting **align the audience emotionally** with the story’s characters and themes.
---
### Key Techniques
* **Space as Emotional Mirror**
* Locations should reflect or contrast the protagonist’s inner state.
* Example: isolating wide shots in open landscapes communicate alienation; cramped interiors heighten tension.
* **Spatial Symbolism**
* Recurring settings can symbolize themes or foreshadow developments.
* Example: returning to the same room at different stages in a relationship, altered subtly in lighting and staging.
* **Embodied Interaction**
* Characters must physically interact with their environment (touching, rearranging, breaking objects) so space feels “lived in.”
* **Transitions Between Spaces**
* Shifts from one environment to another (light → dark, urban → rural, crowded → empty) signal character transformation and narrative movement.
* **Production Design Details**
* Texture, light, and objects should carry psychological resonance.
* Example: peeling wallpaper signals decline; polished surfaces suggest repression.
* **Sound as Spatial Dimension**
* Ambient noise and acoustics extend the sense of environment, making space palpable and empathetic.
---
### Examples from the Book
* *Rear Window*: the apartment courtyard is both literal setting and a metaphorical extension of Jeff’s voyeurism and isolation.
* *The Shining*: the Overlook Hotel becomes a character, echoing Jack’s mental collapse.
* *Pan’s Labyrinth*: the underground world contrasts with fascist Spain, embodying hope vs. oppression.
* *Lost in Translation*: Tokyo’s neon urban spaces emphasize alienation and cultural dislocation.
---
### Tone and Writing Style
* **Analytical but practical.**
* Written for filmmakers, film students, and critics who want concrete tools for thinking about place and setting.
* Balances theory with accessible film examples, avoiding heavy jargon while still grounded in scholarship.
---
### Author Qualifications
* **Amedeo D’Adamo** is a professor of film and screenwriting, teaching at Università Cattolica (Italy).
* He has extensive experience in film education and media analysis, with a focus on narrative design and visual storytelling.
* His expertise in both film practice and pedagogy enhances the book’s emphasis on **how space and place can be deliberately constructed to guide audience empathy**.
* Filmmakers should treat place and setting as **active participants** in storytelling, not as static backdrops.
* “Empathetic space” is achieved when the design, framing, and use of setting **align the audience emotionally** with the story’s characters and themes.
---
### Key Techniques
* **Space as Emotional Mirror**
* Locations should reflect or contrast the protagonist’s inner state.
* Example: isolating wide shots in open landscapes communicate alienation; cramped interiors heighten tension.
* **Spatial Symbolism**
* Recurring settings can symbolize themes or foreshadow developments.
* Example: returning to the same room at different stages in a relationship, altered subtly in lighting and staging.
* **Embodied Interaction**
* Characters must physically interact with their environment (touching, rearranging, breaking objects) so space feels “lived in.”
* **Transitions Between Spaces**
* Shifts from one environment to another (light → dark, urban → rural, crowded → empty) signal character transformation and narrative movement.
* **Production Design Details**
* Texture, light, and objects should carry psychological resonance.
* Example: peeling wallpaper signals decline; polished surfaces suggest repression.
* **Sound as Spatial Dimension**
* Ambient noise and acoustics extend the sense of environment, making space palpable and empathetic.
---
### Examples from the Book
* *Rear Window*: the apartment courtyard is both literal setting and a metaphorical extension of Jeff’s voyeurism and isolation.
* *The Shining*: the Overlook Hotel becomes a character, echoing Jack’s mental collapse.
* *Pan’s Labyrinth*: the underground world contrasts with fascist Spain, embodying hope vs. oppression.
* *Lost in Translation*: Tokyo’s neon urban spaces emphasize alienation and cultural dislocation.
---
### Tone and Writing Style
* **Analytical but practical.**
* Written for filmmakers, film students, and critics who want concrete tools for thinking about place and setting.
* Balances theory with accessible film examples, avoiding heavy jargon while still grounded in scholarship.
---
### Author Qualifications
* **Amedeo D’Adamo** is a professor of film and screenwriting, teaching at Università Cattolica (Italy).
* He has extensive experience in film education and media analysis, with a focus on narrative design and visual storytelling.
* His expertise in both film practice and pedagogy enhances the book’s emphasis on **how space and place can be deliberately constructed to guide audience empathy**.
June 26, 2020
I got this book for free on springer during the Covid-19 lock down and what a fascinating read it turned out to be. The definitions and classifications of characters, the detailed analyses with examples, the space breakdowns are quite well arranged. As a cinéphile I admire the research work put into collecting the information and presenting it with a very technical approach.
Highly recommended!.
Highly recommended!.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews