Week 4 explored auteur theory, abstraction and experimental animation. The discussion of authorship raised important questions about creative intention and emotional expression. In animation and games, emotional tone is often a deliberate result of design choices rather than spontaneous player interpretation.
The concept of abstraction was particularly useful for my research. Abstract forms, symbolic environments and non-realistic characters can allow players to project their own emotions onto the experience. This is especially relevant to emotional healing, where ambiguity and metaphor can be more effective than literal representation.
I reflected on how cooperative games often simplify or stylise characters to focus attention on emotional interaction rather than realism. This reinforced my belief that emotional healing in games relies on intentional abstraction, both visually and narratively.
Week 4 strengthened the theoretical grounding of my research by highlighting design intention and emotional authorship.