ABSTRACT
Here we break down what qualities of a film experience make it a comfortable and satisfying watch for the audience as well as when it’s appropriate to veer away from the “rules” of filmmaking to effectively increase a film’s appeal. Beginning with an exploration of Thomas Stellmach’s Virtuos Virtuell and its inherently watchable interplay between sound and visuals, we move on to The Comfort of Discomfort which examines how perceivably “negative” traits such as horror elements, anarchic edge and dark humor can paradoxically translate to a satisfying viewing experience when handled correctly; examples from the independent sphere including Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling’s Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, Pierre Mousquet and Jérôme Cauwe’s Wind of Share and the author’s firsthand experience revisiting an early project to make it more audience-friendly. This is explored further in Odontophobia which specifically focuses on Daniel Gray and Tom Brown’s teeth, an enormously popular film that takes the viewer to the edge of their comfort zone while compelling them to watch on.
