Master’s Thesis
Research Study

Who decides how you perceive a story?

Do you believe you are able to make an accurate judge of character when presented with only the information that the storyteller gives you?

In this study, I created two short films with the same exact plot and characters. In the first film, I framed a one person as the protagonist (“Good guy”) and antagonist (“Bad guy”). In the second film, I switched their roles using filmmaking techniques.

According to the research taken from the participants who viewed these short films, each film was successful at getting them to root for one character over the other. You may choose to watch either film first to get a different first impression.

You only get one chance at your first impression