The impact of virtual reality in the motion picture industry regarding brand coolness, emotional responses, and WOM

The main goal of the present dissertation is to understand how virtual reality impacts the motion picture industry regarding the constructs of brand coolness, empathy, sympathy, and word-ofmouth in comparison with the traditional 2D screens, while also considering the importance of the movie content. Thus, the study consists of a quantitative research which is based on a factorial research design, considering the interactions between the two technological formats (2D and VR) and the two movies (“Crow: The Legend” and “Is Anna Ok?”). The chosen methodology allows us to determine that a movie experienced in VR has more positive scores regarding brand coolness, emotional responses (empathy and sympathy), and WOM, than when the same movie is presented in 2D screens. However, the Two-Way ANOVA analysis also determines that the movie content itself affects brand coolness perceptions and sympathy responses more than the technological format. Meaning that the story content has a higher influential power on how the movie is perceived by the audience when considering these constructs than the technological format. On the other hand, regarding empathy responses and WOM, the technological format proved to have a higher impact than the story content. Additionally, further analysis allowed us to understand how brand coolness is perceived regarding movies and how emotional responses to movies influence the audience’s attitudes and coolness perceptions. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are also explained.O principal objetivo da presente dissertação é compreender como a realidade virtual tem impacto na indústria cinematográfica no que diz respeito à construção de brand coolness, empatia, simpatia e word-of-mouth em comparação com os tradicionais ecrãs 2D, considerando também a importância do conteúdo do filme. Assim, o estudo consiste numa pesquisa quantitativa que se baseia numa pesquisa factorial, considerando as interações entre os dois formatos tecnológicos (2D e VR) e os dois filmes ("Crow: The Legend" e "Is Anna Ok?"). A metodologia escolhida permite-nos determinar que um filme experienciado em RV tem pontuações mais positivas em relação a brand coolness, respostas emocionais (empatia e simpatia), e WOM, do que quando o mesmo filme é apresentado em 2D. Contudo, a análise ANOVA bidirecional determina também que o próprio conteúdo do filme afeta mais as perceções de brand coolness e as respostas de simpatia do que o formato tecnológico. O que significa que o conteúdo da história tem um poder de influência maior na forma como o filme é percecionado pelo público relativamente a estes conceitos do que o formato tecnológico. Contrariamente, considerando as respostas de empatia e WOM, o formato tecnológico provou ter um maior impacto do que o conteúdo da história. Adicionalmente, uma análise mais aprofundada permitiu-nos compreender como brand coolness é percecionado em relação aos filmes e como as respostas emocionais aos mesmos influenciam as atitudes e perceções de brand coolness do público. As implicações teóricas e de gestão destas descobertas são também explicadas

Twilight of virtualities: Imagining and playfulness in an ambiguous virtual reality

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.This thesis aims to challenge current critical visions of virtual reality and their drive for immersive experiences. Academic literature and popular culture are predominantly interested in how the technology of virtual reality can convince users they are in a different world. This steers contemporary technological design, improving the VR experience, as that it supports futuristic fantasies of for instance the Metaverse, with Mark Zuckerberg being one of its latest advocates. To virtually exist elsewhere. This thesis argues that the immersive goals of virtual reality rely on a problematic conceptual leap of the imagination: virtual realms and experiences are persistently imagined to be somewhere else, completely disconnected from being here. This separative thinking, which is shaped by modern ideas about technology and the imagination, creates a rift between virtual experiences and everyday experiences. To address this discrepancy, this thesis looks to reconceptualise virtual reality and ask what virtual technology can do for imagining in everyday life. Its conceptual analysis uses the historical framework of modernity to show alternative modes of virtual thinking. It presents the idea of a phenomenological virtual reality, which, based on the philosophical definition of the virtual, describes the ambiguous way consciousness and everyday surroundings interconnect with each other. To virtually exist here. Through the novel concept of aspersion, an alternative to immersion, the thesis argues for a cognitive sprinkling, in which imagining fleetingly overlaps with memory and sensory impressions. Virtual technology can playfully support such an aspersive experience and help us becoming closer to our everyday surroundings. This conceptual approach is furthermore strongly transcultural: Japanese technological, cultural, and philosophical perspectives are used to reconsider virtual reality. They help to deepen the conceptual language of this thesis’s alternative virtual framework, as that they bring about a better symbiosis of cognition and virtual technology in modern everyday life.University of Wolverhampto