Psychology in Cinema: Creating Heroes and Stories

The book, written by the author of the unique course "Psychology for Screenwriters" Tatyana Salakhieva-Talal, introduces the concepts of some psychological schools and directions, rethought from the perspective of screenwriting. Among them are the theories of Freud and Jung, which have had a tremendous influence on cinema, the gestalt approach, to which special attention is paid in the book, as well as the latest global research in the field of sociocultural phenomena, knowledge of which will allow creating stories relevant for the modern viewer. Each psychological theory is adapted for the purposes of screenwriters and integrated into key script structures. As a result, the reader will learn to understand how different forms of art influence the psyche of the viewer, how to create deep characters and psychologically credible stories, what plot twists and personal traits of characters engage the viewer in what is happening on screen, making them empathize with the heroes, go through the transformation journey with them, and achieve catharsis. All this knowledge is undoubtedly useful not only for screenwriters but also for directors, producers, editors, film scholars, and anyone interested in cinema and psychology.