2. Auteur theory:
• Auteur Theory is a way of looking at films that state that the
director is the “author” of a film. The Auteur theory argues that a
film is a reflection of the director’s artistic vision; so, a movie
directed by a given filmmaker will have recognizable, recurring
themes and visual queues that inform the audience who the
director is (think a Hitchcock or Tarantino film) and shows a
consistent artistic identity throughout that director’s filmography.
(source 1 in bibliography)
• Alfred Hitchcock is a staple example of a film auteur. Hitchcock
films are most often thrillers, pegged as such because of their
suspense, psychologically complex characters, and twist
endings. He is so well known for creating films of this genre that
he has been awarded the nickname ‘Master of Suspense’.
(source 2 in bibliography)
(Source 1)
3. Reception Theory
• Reception theory as developed by Stuart Hall asserts that media texts
are encoded and decoded. The producer encodes messages and
values into their media which are then decoded by the audience.
However, different audience members will decode the media in
different ways and possibly not in the way the producer originally
intended. (source 3 in bibliography)
• Stuart Hall developed reception theory, popularly known as Audience Theory or
reader’s reception theory, in 1973. His essay ‘Encoding and Decoding
Television Discourse’ focuses on the encoding and decoding of the content
given to the audience no matter the form of media such as magazines/papers,
television/radios, games. Today theorists who do the analysis of media through
reception theory often derive results from the experience of an audience
created by watching a cinema, game or books. (source 4 in bibliography)
(Source 3)
4. The hypodermic needle model
• The Hypodermic needle theory is a linear communication theory
that suggests that media messages are injected directly into the
brains of passive audiences. In this theory the media is seen as
powerful and able to ‘inject’ ideas into an audience who are seen as
weak and passive and could be influenced by a message. In Nazi
Germany in the 1930’s and during World War 2 films were used to
‘inject’ propaganda ideas promoting the Nazi cause to the German
audience. Today we still see party political broadcasts on television
during elections.(source 5)
• This theory of media effects is associated with neo-Marxists Theodor Adorno and
Max Horkheimer in the 1940s, who had managed to escape Nazi Germany and
resettled in America. They noted that there were similarities between the
‘propaganda industry’ in Nazi Germany’ and what they called the ‘Culture Industry’ in
the United States. Adorno and Max Horkheimer theorised that popular culture in the
USA was like a factory producing standardized content which was used to
manipulate a passive mass audience. (source 6)
(source 6)
5. The male gaze
The “gaze” is a term that describes how viewers engage with visual
media. Originating in film theory and criticism in the 1970s, the gaze
refers to how we look at visual representations. These include
advertisements, television programs and cinema.
When film critics talk about the gaze, they are often referring to the
“male gaze”. But what does that really mean? And is there a female
equivalent?(source 6)
Where did the idea of a ‘male gaze’ come from?
The “male gaze” invokes the sexual politics of the gaze and suggests
a sexualised way of looking that empowers men and objectifies
women. In the male gaze, woman is visually positioned as an “object”
of heterosexual male desire. Her feelings, thoughts and her own
sexual drives are less important than her being “framed” by male
desire. (source 7)
6. Chosen theory: Hypodermic needle model
This quote from 'An Integrated Approach to
Communication Theory and Research' explains how
humans almost always consider others' opinions. This
relates to film as when we watch a film, we subconsciously
trust whatever is presented, despite what we may already
know about the topic/ situation in the film. (source 8)
This quote from 'The SAGE International Encyclopaedia of
Mass Media and Society' vaguely describes how
sometimes audiences can't differentiate fact from fiction.
This is a big element to the theory as it was made popular
with war propaganda whereby filmakers would present
totally false info as true. (source 9)
7. Chosen theory: Hypodermic needle model
(Source 10)
(source 11)
The hypodermic needle model was commonly
seen in war propaganda in the 1920s and
1930's and this is when it became popular.
Despite its important nature originally, it can
now be seen throughout virtually all media, as
a way to increase future consumption of that
media.
The war of the worlds was a radio broadcast
that was fictional, yet styled in a way to seem
real. As the hypodermic needle model was a
fairly new tactic at this time, many people
believed it and took action. This shows how
effective the hypodermic needle model is, and
today its even more subliminal. It's used
commonly in factual content, to emphasise the
view of the doc as the right one.
8. Existing product: Shane smith
Shane Smith (born 28 September 1969) is a Canadian journalist and media executive. He is executive chairman of the international media
company Vice Media—originally joining a year after its founding—operating an international network of digital channels, a television
production studio, a record label, an in-house creative services agency, a book-publishing house, and a feature film division. Smith served as
CEO of Vice from its founding until March 2018. Former A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc was named CEO 13 March 2018. In his role as
Executive Chairman, "Smith will now be focused on creating content and strategic deals and partnerships to help grow the company." (Shane
smiths Wikapeia page)
Shane Smith is the founder and CEO of VICE, a global youth media brand. Smith is a critically acclaimed journalist and one of the Internet's most
respected visionaries.
Under Smith's guidance, VICE, initially launched in 1994 as a punk magazine, has expanded and diversified to become the world's leading youth
media company; operating an international network of digital channels, a television production studio, a record label, an in-house creative
services agency, a book-publishing house and a feature film division.
Anon . (n.d.). Shane Smith on vice news tonight . Available: https://www.hbo.com/vice/cast-and-crew/shane-smith. Last accessed 6th of oct
2021.
Twenty years ago Shane Smith set up a hip little Montreal magazine called Vice. Then along came the internet and Vice reinvented itself as the
edgiest, wildest online media brand in the world. It's staffed by twentysomethings and aimed at a global youth who have no interest in
mainstream media. Which is why he is courted by everyone from Rupert Murdoch to Google.
Vice has come an awful long way from its origins as a free and underground music magazine in Smith's native Montreal 20 years ago. He
created it with a couple of friends – having persuaded the city fathers to let them take over an earnest community title called the Voice. In
the two decades since Vice dropped its middle "o" it has grown from being a "hipsters' bible", given away on street corners and in record
stores, to a global brand with offices in 34 countries. The high-traffic online and documentary film incarnations of the Vice sensibility are
about to spawn a 24-hour terrestrial news channel available in 18 countries. A documentary series in partnership with august HBO will
include the Rodman and McAfee films. There is also a record label and an ad agency, Virtue, which numbers Nike and Dell among its clients.
Announcing some of those departures at an industry event in Abu Dhabi last year, Smith envisioned "a changing of the guard within the
media," and announced his ambition for Vice to become both the largest online media network in the world and "the voice of the angry
youth".
Adams, T. (2013). Shane Smith: 'I want to build the next CNN with Vice – it's within my grasp. Available:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/23/shane-smith-vice-interview. Last accessed 13th Oct 2021.
9. Existing product: Shane smith
Vice news...
Shane smith founded vice news in 1994 as a punk magazine, and it has now evolved into an internationally
recognised media company.
Vice targets young people and aims to provide media that’s much
more niche and controversial than what you find in mainstream
pubicatons. From vices media kit I found statistics that present
their success.
Above we can see that vices audience is mostly wealthy, with
39% of the audience earning over 100k annually. We can also
see that 44% of them are college graduates, and these two
statistics tell us a lot about vices audience. Vice prides
themselves in providing alternative media, for young creatives.
The fact that the majority of the audience at least attended
college/uni proves they are intellectual and probably broad
minded. Vice also promotes equality a lot, and when browsing
the home page you see various articles about women's rights
etc. The gender statistic shows that 64% of the audience is
women, and this could be due too the more accepting
approach. A big issue in current media is 'the male gaze' and
vice doesn’t use that whatsoever.
Some of these statistics show how vices audience is mostly young people. We
can see that 60% of them viewed via mobile, which suggests a young audience
and also the topics they cover, such as music and food. Also, the fact that they
had such vast youtube views suggests a young audience, as youtube is a fairy
new way to access media compared to conventional ways like newspapers.
This image shows the wide array of vices partners, and
presents what they cover in their articles. We can see
from the brands they endorse that its very modern and
alternative. By indorsing thrasher, a skate brand, we
can see they cover topics mainstream media doesn’t.
Skating is very under represented in the media, yet
there's regular coverage on vice.
(source 14)
(source 14)
(source 14)
10. Bibliography
1) Anon . (2021). What is Auteur Theory?. Available: https://indiefilmhustle.com/auteur-theroy/. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021 .
2) Alexander, S . (2015). Auteur: Alfred hitchcock . Available: https://www.sothetheorygoes.com/auteur-alfred-hitchcock/. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021
3) anon. (n.d). reception theory . Available: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/reception-theory. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021 .
4) anon. (n.d). reception theory . Available: https://www.communicationtheory.org/reception-theory/. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021
5) anon. (n.d). Hypodermic Needle theory. Available: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/hypodermic-needle-theory. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021 .
6) Thompson, k. (2019). The hypodermic syringe model of audience effects. Available: https://revisesociology.com/2019/09/04/the-hypodermic-syringe-model-of-audience-effects/. Last accessed 9th
Sep 2021 .
7) Simmons, A . (2016). Explainer: what does the ‘male gaze’ mean, and what about a female gaze?. Available: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-and-what-about-a-
female-gaze-52486. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021 .
8) Don W. Stacks, Michael B. Salwen (2014). An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research. unknown : Taylor & Francis . 4.
9)Debra L. Merskin (2019). The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society. unknown : SAGE. unknown.
10) brett lamb. (n.a). THE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE THEORY. Available: https://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-hypodermic-needle-theory/. Last accessed 15th Sep.
11) karl thompson . (2019). The hypodermic syringe model of audience effects. Available: https://revisesociology.com/2019/09/04/the-hypodermic-syringe-model-of-audience-effects/. Last accessed 15th Sep.
12)Anon . (n.d.). Shane Smith on vice news tonight . Available: https://www.hbo.com/vice/cast-and-crew/shane-smith. Last accessed 6th of oct 2021.
13)Adams, T. (2013). Shane Smith: 'I want to build the next CNN with Vice – it's within my grasp. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/23/shane-smith-vice-interview. Last accessed 13th Oct 2021.
14)Vice . (2016). Vice digital media kit . Available: https://upload-assets.vice.com/files/2016/01/15/1452894236compressed.pdf. Last accessed 13th oct. 2021.
