theoretical research

1. Kyra-Mai
Green
THEORETICAL
RESEARCH

2.  Auteur theory relates to a producers influence over a
production or media text. It was introduced in the 1950’s in
film, when it was still developing into an accepted art-form by
French film directors. One director in particular, Francois
Truffaut, introduced the idea that some directors are able to
have such a distinctive style that they can be considered an
auteur.
 Relating this to magazines- VIBE magazine has a distinctive
style to it in which makes it obvious who produced it and
published it.
AUTEUR THEORY

3.  As we can see here; VIBE’s distinctive styled conventions
include a big bold masthead with bold cover lines in a sans-
serif font. A big image being fierce and distinctive from other
magazines is also what makes the magazine stand out in its
own style. Every one of their magazines has a plus sign on it
making a brand visual motif being distinctive to the brand.
The producer of VIBE magazine is Quincy Jones that
specialises in R&B and hip hop styles. His unique style is one
of the things that makes VIBE magazine so popular and well
known.

4.  When creating my piece I would like to have my own
style added to it so it feels original, despite using the
majority of typical conventions. I plan on doing this
by using a certain pastel colour palette throughout
and having a brand visual motif. I haven’t decided
what I want as my visual motif but will explore this. I
will choose a unique pastel colour that isn’t normally
used so makes my brand stand out from the rest on
the shelf.

5.  Genre Theory relates to the study of media platforms to
categorise them into different recognisable genres. The genre
of a magazine in particular can be defined by its narrative
structure, typical model types, producer and audience
expectations among others. Its repertoire of elements can
also be a defining factor for which genre it is in.
 Producers often follow conventions set by other magazines,
and if this becomes a far too prevalent trend, it can damage
the genre. This suggests that when magazines differ and
break conventions, they are able to vary the genre and keep it
interesting for the viewer base.
 I will be making my magazine a distinctive genre as I will
follow the conventions of the genre in a general pattern but
will stray slightly if I have to, this then relates back to the
point of always updating a genre and making it unique and
controversial.
GENRE THEORY

6.  Audience theories relate to the study and understanding of
how various audiences receive and react to media. These
theories is very widely used, as it allows companies to target
specific demographics and understand how this group is most
likely to view their media. It is applicable to TV, Live Shows,
Print, and many more. In fact, understanding how your
potential audience likes to view media is nearly as important
as understanding how to create the media itself.
AUDIENCE THEORY

7.  The Hypodermic Needle model dates back to the 1920s, and
was the first attempt to explain how mass audiences react to
mass media. Media platforms usually use it for moral panics
to create a panic over something that is either untrue or on a
much smaller scale than what they are implying. Although this
is morally wrong, it is what makes these media forms sell as
the audience is passively accepting that they must find out
the solution. The hypodermic needle theory allows the
audience to be fed information without realising it and to an
extent believing it. A criticism of this theory is that it
presumes that all audiences just accept the media they have
been informed without questioning it which is becoming less
and less the case as times move on.
AUDIENCE- HYPODERMIC NEEDLE
THEORY
Passive and
unaccepted
media interpreted
Media
platforms

8.  This theory is that the information from media does not flow
directly from the text or media platform into the minds of its
audience unmediated, but goes through an opinion leader
first. These opinion leaders communicate their views to their
less active associates, over whom they have influence. These
opinion leaders come in the forms of celebrities, fashion
icons, influential people and bloggers. These are employed by
the media groups to entice audiences in by these leaders. I
will be applying this to my work as I will use ‘influential
figures’ in them that become the opinion leaders for my
media platforms.
AUDIENCE- TWO STEP FLOW THEORY

9.  This study was made during the 1960's. During this time it became
apparent to media theorists that audiences made choices about what
they did when consuming texts. An early suggestion in 1948 by lasswell
said that media texts have the following four functions: Surveillance,
Correlation, Entertainment, and Cultural transmission. This then
developed into the following;
 Diversion/entertainment- out of their every day routine
 Social solidarity- personal relationships centre around the media. We
might chat to people about what we watched on the TV the night
before, or become friends with people who enjoy the same music or
films… Chatrooms and social media brings people together (in a virtual
way) and provides them with a space to discuss/debate and
communicate about things that matter to them.
Personal identity – we use the media to create or maintain a sense of
who we are. Lifestyle magazines; seeing role models in the media;
seeking help from manuals, self-help books and magazines.
Surveillance – using the media for information which could be useful
for living (e.g. weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains, local
and global news) and for personal education.
AUDIENCE- USES AND GRATIFICATION
THEORY

10.  Applying this to my work, I will be using these four strategies
to draw my target audience in. The diversion of the magazine
creates a fairy tale effect and attracts the reader into it, the
social media links create a social solidarity aspect that
connects the viewers together. Because weddings are
personally catered, it gives a sense of personal identity and
so the magazine feels like its purpose was for the reader. The
most important aspect of uses and gratifications that I will be
using is the surveillance. This is because the reader will feel
like the magazine is essential for creating their own wedding
and so feel like they must buy it if they want the perfect
wedding.
AUDIENCE- USES AND GRATIFICATION
THEORY

11.  Representation Theories are the theories in which it explains
how and why characters or genders are represented in the way
they are in the media whether that be film, magazine or
Television. There are two main theories that revolve around
this and they are the “Mulvey Theory” and the “Gauntlett
Theory”. Both of these theories talk about how the role of
genders are represented in the media.
 Other representation considerations in magazines would be
the use of:
• Stereotypes
• Hegemony/Pluralism
• Ideology
• Mediation
REPRESENTATION THEORY

12.  In wedding magazines the models used are usually white
middle class couples and so this has become the
representation and stereotype. I would like to subvert this if I
can slightly, so I can produce an original magazine without
copying others.