The cinema lab: brain activity tracked to find secret to creating immersive films

Bristol University project aims to help directors make better movies and take greater risks – with one already onboard At first glance, it looks like any high-end cinema: booming surround sound, a razor-sharp 4K projector and rows of reclining seats. But instead of clutching popcorn, a headset records my brain activity and a heart rate monitor wraps around my arm while infra-red cameras capture every blink and fidget. I’m sitting in a one-of-a-kind cinema at the University of Bristol where researchers are studying how people respond to what they see on screen. By combining viewers’ physical reactions with verbal feedback on the parts of the film they found most compelling, the team hopes to understand which moments truly grip attention – and whether that insight could help film-makers create better movies and take greater creative risks. “It’s a cinema, but for me it’s also a research lab where the technology is turned on the audience to understand at what points are they completely immersed,” said Prof Iain Gilchrist, a neuropsychologist at the University of Bristol, who is leading the project. Audience members are wired up to sensors measuring brain activity and heart rate, while

Apr 23, 2026 → Apr 23, 2026