Audience and Production

L/O: Identify the key differences between passive and active audience theories.

Who are he Audience?

Audiences for mass media products are always discussed as if they are some kind of mass themselves- in fact an audience is composed of individuals.

The importance of audience
-Understanding the audience is very important to media institutions and everyone involved in making media products.
-Most media texts (film, newspapers, DVD, video games, TV programmes) are made with a TARGET AUDIENCE in mind.

What about not making media for an audience?
-Many artists may say they don't make their work for any particular audience
-REGARDLESS
-It's important to understand how audiences feel about, receive and understand the proliferation of media around us and them.

Moral panics and the audience

-Since the start of mass media in the 19th century there have always been PANICS about the audience and the effect that the media will have on them.
-When an audience is deeply effected by an issue in the media this is known as a 'moral panic'.
-'A moral panic is an intense feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order'. The term first appeared in the English Language in 1830 in The Quarterly Christian Spectator.

A moral panic ca be...
-Created by the media- such as a newspaper story that causes hysterical reaction from the public.

Effects Theory

Effects Theory argues that the mass media has a profound effect on its audience- so much to that people will believe and copy everything they see in the media Effects Theory is also called 'hypodermic syringe' and sometimes 'bullet theory'.

The effects/hypodermic model
-This model owes much to the supposed power of the mass media- in particular film- to inject their audiences with ideas and meanings. Such was the thinking behind much of the Nazi propaganda that was evident in Triumph of the will and similar films.

Passive Audience
-Totalisation states and dictatorships are similar in their desire to have complete control over the media.

2 Step Theory
- The 2-Step theory argues audience are only convinced or 'sold' via the media when there are 2 steps.
-The first step is the media product itself
-The second step is a 'celebrity', well respected person, well respected politician etc- endorses the media product or idea.

Active Audience / Uses and gratification Theory

-Suggests that there is a highly active audiences making use of the media. In this model the individual has the power and she selects the media texts that best suit her/his needs. The psychological basis for this model is the hierarchy of needs identified by Maslow.

An active audience wants:

a) the need for information about our geographical and social world (news and drama)
b)the need for identity, by using characters and personalities to define our sense of self and social behavior (film and celebrities).
c) the need for social interaction through experiencing the relationships and interaction of others (soap lives and sitcom, sports) and discussing media events with friends/ work colleagues.
d) the need for diversion by using the media for play and entertainment (game shows and quizzes).

Active Audience and De-coding

-Stuart Hall's theory that the audience De-codes media texts reading signs , particularly visual signs, but also creating OPPOSITIONAL reading to the dominant reading intended by the makers. IN the other similar to Barthes theory on audiences- the meaning is in our interpretation.

-In this model, the audience accept or agree with the encoded meanings, they accept and refine parts of the text's meanings or they are aware of the dominant meaning of the text but reject it for cultural, political or ideological reasons.

Labels

Labels for the blog

-Key Concepts media language institution genre representation ideology narrative 

-Semiotics- annotate a film poster and advertising poster 

-annotate CD covers
-Narrative Theory- propp todorow Levi strauss    binary oppositions
-Continuity- Storyboard, for your continuety sequence

Jungle book-essay on technical codes and genre
Marketing of jungle book- analysis of the trailer
Posters for Jungle- annotate a poster-----------------------

Music Video
-Notes on music videos and key words
-Textual analysis of a music video (Taylor Swift)
Editing
Cinematography
Your story board and the clip uploaded and evaluate it


TO  Do

Representation

                                                               Representation

What is representation?
-Representation is how a person a place is portrayed thorough media.

One of the key points about  representation is the process of mediation

What is mediation?

-Mediation is when you keep on changing something by manipulating it, but at the same time keeping it realistic.



Task:

What, if anything, are the following people used as symbols of?

Nelson Mandela-Freedom, Justice, equality and Dignity           

Britney Spears-Singer

Madonna-Singer, Rebellious image 

David Beckham-Football Player,model, fashion icon


Key Words form the Representation

Reflective representation: is trying to make it as realistic as possible down to the last detail.
Intentional representation: is when the maker has a  definite point of view  they are making through a story or documentary.
Constructionist view: tries to look at a subject or person from many points of view rather than having and intentional stereotype or reflective view.
Stereotypes: categorizing people with specific characteristics rather than seeing them as individuals on the whole tends to be negative.
Hegemony:dominant or ruling class retain their power through representation in the media.
Pluralism: wide range of voices and opinions being heard-diversity.
Selection:is important because a specific story or photo is chosen and many are left out.

Representation is how person or place is portrayed through media, but also it is a mix of opinions and views  of other people.

How do you think the concept of representation relates to the music video?

Which types of representation do you think we see in the music videos?
-Stereotypes- limited or generalize characteristics (such as country and western singer in a cowboy hat).
-Hegemony- music videos could  represent dominant classes or ideas (such as presenting the singer as wealthy and powerful).
-Diversity- and pluralism- there could be a wide range of artists and music represented in a music video.
-Intentional representation- music videos always have an intention.
-Music videos can also be realistic and be reflective of reality.