A Taxonomy of Thrills and Frissons & White Blurs
Beth Emily Richards
A Taxonomy of Thrills and Frissons is a Youtube channel created by artist Beth Emily Richards for From the Field, a series of online commissions devised as a response to the worldwide pandemic in 2020. Beth watched with interest and admiration as fans of roller coasters responded to the local lockdown restrictions by recreating rides in their homes, gardens and online. Her resulting video work White Blurs drew together conversations from her encounters in coaster chat rooms and the sounds of thrill and frisson synonymous with the experience of rides. Beth also put together a companion playlist to platform and attempt to categorise some of the different genres of online coaster videos shared by fans from across the world. Scroll down to watch the videos and read Beth’s notes on her selection.
A Taxonomy of Thrills and Frisson - Playlist
For a pastime that is inherently an immersive, embodied, and hyper-physical experience, it's fascinating that there is such a wide spectrum of screen-mediated work exploring this. These videos are made by the coaster fans for a number of reasons: it may be to showcase the extreme nature of the coasters; to platform the fun and/or fear the rider may be having; to give the viewer a sense that they are riding the coaster; to connect with coaster fandoms online; and to provide a physical effect of excitement, of tension, and of exhilaration, mediated via the screen. Can these videos give pleasure and a sense of freedom ‘second hand’? Can they convey feelings of risk and danger? How do they offer access to activities and locations that we are unable to engage with due to the pandemic? Can they offer stimuli which can excite, humour, or calm? What affect(s) can the mediation of an immersive and embodied experience create? What are the most common tropes in moving image practices within this digital fan community and digital folk culture?
The first video shows one of the most common coaster video genres, the first person POV ride on coaster videos, sometimes filmed from the front seat of the coaster train. Often these video makers will encourage viewers to use the full screen function and set the volume loud, to create an immersive effect. I chose this video as Tron is one of my favorite coasters - the theming is incredible, and it's not too scary (I’m a coaster noob really, and not within this fandom, just an appreciative observer)!
The second video is the stats or information video - often listing the top 10 scariest, fastest, weirdest coasters etc. These can also be used by coaster fans to list their coaster ‘creds’ - how many coasters they have ridden around the round. As of writing this (Sep 2020), George from the UK is topping the charts at Coaster Count with 2890 coasters ridden.
The third video genre has gained popularity hugely since the pandemic - the ride reenactment. Theme park and coaster fans flex their DIY and creative skills to recreate a ride within their home and garden; this one shows a recreation of the iconic Disneyland ride Pirates of the Caribbean. This is one genre which relies slightly more on the viewer knowing the original ride, but even if you don't, the level of imagination and sheer amount of work this takes is pretty impressive.
The fourth video genre shows roller coaster POV ride ons within coaster video games. Many of the coaster and theme park fans I spoke with for this project said that video games such as Roller Coaster Tycoon, Theme Park, or Planet Coaster got them into ‘real world’ coaster fandoms. This one depicts an Alien themed coaster made in Planet Coaster; it has become notorious amongst coaster fans for its imagination and skill. There is even a ‘making of’ video available here.
The fifth genre is a bit of a YouTube crossover - the ASMR/coaster fan hybrid. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, which is often described as a ‘low-grade euphoria’ characterized by ‘a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin’. It can be triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, which some YouTubers create videos specifically to stimulate this response. There were so many ASMR coaster videos to choose from, I could have collated a playlist just from this niche, including - ASMR ‘play throughs’ of theme park management video games, ASMR coaster sound effects, even a 10 hour continuous looping ASMR wooden coaster ride on video. I selected this video as it uses many of the classic ASMR tropes - clicking, tapping, speaking softly. Not all ASMR/coaster videos may be made by coaster fans, as with this one, it may be made by an ASMRtist.
The sixth is a more recent video trope with the ascendance of the TikTok platform. Within TikTok, ‘aesthetic videos’ encapsulate a video style embracing hyper-feminine filters, sparkles, pastels, and ‘bling’. More often shared on TikTok, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest, a few ‘roller coaster aesthetic’ videos such as this one can be found on YouTube, along with hundreds of ‘how to make aesthetic videos in TikTok’ tutorial videos.
Finally, I couldn’t not include the coaster video that spawned the slogan that seems so appropriate for 2020. This video shows two executives from Japan’s FThis video shows two executives from Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland theme park riding the terrifying Fujiyama coaster in complete silence. This video demonstrates one of the rules that a consortium of Japanese theme parks developed in order to reopen safely in the pandemic. The rule is shown at the conclusion of the video: ‘Please scream inside your heart’.
FUNDERS AND PARTNERS
From the Field was a programme of artist commissions produced by Field Notes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of 2020 from the first lockdown onwards, ten artists were commissioned to create something quick and reflective to be shared online. We had worked with nearly all of the artists prior and therefore chose to reach out to them as a barometer for the times. Each artist also produced a small physical edition to sit alongside their digital work.
From the Field was made possible by a grant from the Arts Council England Emergency Fund.![]()
From the Field was made possible by a grant from the Arts Council England Emergency Fund.
GET IN TOUCH:
info@fieldnotes.org.ukThe development of this website was supported by Cultivator Cornwall
