Visual Continuity Revisited: Investigating the Effects of Edited Cuts, Long Take, and Cinematic Virtual Realty on Audience Emotional Response and Perception

Since the inception of cinema, narrative continuity has not only served as the backbone of traditional films but has also been at the forefront of exploration in cinematic virtual reality (CVR). Both traditional films and CVR manipulate the visual continuity of shots to engage the audience with intended narrations. In this study, we centered our exploration on visual continuity, investigating its effects in traditional films and CVR on audience emotional responses, as well as spatial and temporal perceptions. We conducted an experiment to compare participants’ experiences in viewing continuous edits, One-take, and CVR versions of a sample film. The collected data were statistically analyzed to discern the emotional responses and spatial-temporal perception towards the three viewing conditions. The results demonstrate that CVR shares interesting commonalities with long-take but retain subtle differences brought by its immersive and interactive features. This comparative study enhances our understanding of how manipulating visual continuity in different media can influence audience engagement, laying the groundwork for further exploration of related cinematic practices across traditional and emerging forms of visual storytelling.