Psychology in Cinema: Creating Characters 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, reinterpreted from the perspective of screenwriting. Among them are the theories of Freud and Jung, which... have had a tremendous impact 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, the knowledge of which will allow for the creation of stories relevant to the modern viewer.
Each psychological theory is adapted to the goals of screenwriters and integrated into key script structures. Thanks to this, the reader will learn to understand how different forms of art influence the psyche of the viewer, how to create deep character profiles and psychologically authentic stories, what plot twists and personal characteristics of characters engage the viewer in what is happening on screen, making them empathize with the characters, embark on a journey of transformation 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.