A question of proximity: exploring a new screen grammar for 360-degree cinematic virtual reality

ABSTRACT Since around 2015, the 360-degree cinematic virtual reality (CVR) form has grown in popularity. Unlike traditional screen media, the narrative experience offered in the CVR format is not confined within a rectangular screen. As such there are no ‘close ups’ or ‘long shots’ in the sense of traditional filmmaking, and established notions of screen grammar are challenged. This article proposes that the study of Proxemics, as undertaken by Hall [1963. “A System for Notation of Proxemic Behavior.” American Anthropologist 65: 1003–1026; 1966. The Hidden Dimension. Vol. 609. Garden City, NY: Doubleday; 1973. Handbook for Proxemic Research. Washington, DC: Society for the Q2 Anthropology of Visual Communication], stands as one tool to reconsider screen grammar in this new context. By exploring Hall’s notions of intimate, personal, social and public distance, the author argues that the theory of Proxemics productively sheds light on viewer/character and character/character interactions within CVR environments. Moreover, Hall’s theory provides a system through which to map character position and to consider the viewer’s emotional response. To illustrate the usefulness of the theory, the author analyses the recent CVR work Dinner Party (dir. Angel Manuel Soto 2017), noting the impact of spatial relationships on viewer engagement.