Proposal for an Individually Adapted Video Viewing System Linked to the User’s Feeling of Fear

Abstract

In recent years, watching movies and videos have become increasingly diverse. Some movie theaters offer aromas and vibrations in addition to sound and 2D/3D images that accompany the movie. However, most movies provide a single same experience to all the viewers. Another way to watch movies is through video distribution services that allow users to enjoy them anywhere without having to specify the location. In this study, we proposed to automatically modulate the video playback speed according to the user’s feeling of fear estimated from pulse-rate variability measured with a smartwatch. Ten subjects watched a 10-minutes horror short movie in the standard way and with feeling-controlled playback speed modulation. After each viewing, they answered an impression evaluation questionnaire. The responses revealed that the modulation of playback speed amplified subjects’ feeling of fear.