This document provides information on several media theories and key concepts. It discusses Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory, which explores how women are objectified in film for male pleasure. It also covers Stuart Hall's audience positioning theory, which examines how audiences decode meanings from media. Additionally, it outlines the hypodermic model of direct media effects, two-step flow theory involving opinion leaders, and uses and gratifications theory of active audiences. The document also defines several key terms and concepts, such as hegemony, ideologies, and semiotics. Finally, it briefly discusses five phases of media production and different types of media ownership models.

1. AS Media Studies
Theories

2. Overview
• This lesson we will explore the range of theories that have
been covered for both question 1 and question 2.
• We will re-explore what will be be needed for the case
studies.
• Re-explore what you will need for question 2.

3. Laura Mulvey
Male Gaze

4. Male Gaze
• A theory that explores how women are objectified in film and
treated as objects for male pleasure.
• Laura Mulvey in her essay “visual pleasure and narrative
cinema” in 1975 identified that women are often treated by
the camera in cinema as objects of desire and shown for the
visual pleasure of the viewer heterosexual males. The male
gaze is the way in which the visual arts and literature depict
the world and women from a masculine point of
view, Hollywood women characters of the 1950s and ’60s
were, according to Mulvey, coded with “to-be-looked-at-ness”
while the camera positioning and the male viewer constituted
the “bearer of the look.”

5. Stuart Hall
Audience
Positioning

6. Audience Positioning
• What we understand when watching / viewing a media product and
how we decode the meaning of that product and what we take from it.
The decoding of the product includes the verbal messages spoken but
also the visual messages conveyed through e.g. body language or for TV
/ Film the cinematic visual language used. This theory also excepts that
the individual based on there background and views can decode a
message within a product differently than another person. The decoding
can fall into three categories;
• Dominant reading – the viewer full accepts the preferred reading of the
product, within the intentions of the creator / writer.
• Negotiated reading – The viewer broadly accepts the preferred reading
of the text but may make small changes to this to reflect their own
views and opinions.
• The Oppositional reading – The viewers own views will put them in
direct opposition with the views being represented within the Media
product and therefore will completely reject the views being
represented.

7. Hypodermic
Model

8. Hypodermic Model
• This theory is set up to identify how Media products effect the
viewer and their opinions and views.
• This is the most straight forward of the theories this theory
suggests that audiences are passive and whatever message
they are given by the media they except and believe. This
theory is also called the Magic Bullet Theory and that it
suggest the mass media has a direct,
immediate and powerful effect on its audiences.

9. Two Step Flow

10. Two Step Flow
• This theory follows on from the previous theory and agrees
that we can be impacted by the views expressed in the Media
product however we are only affected by the opinions of
people we trust Opinion Leaders.
• This theory considers how we are given the media. It suggests
that opinion leaders select the media and the way to present
that media and because we trust the view of the opinion
leader we except what we are being told. The way the opinion
leader gives their views has coined the term “personal
influence”. The opinion leaders are very influential and are
able to change are opinion and views to mirror theirs through
these media products which the individual excepts because
the opinion leader has similar views to those of the individual.

11. Uses and
Gratification

12. Uses and Gratifications
• This assumes the audience are active in their consumption of
the media. The audience will seek out the selected media to
satisfy their desires and needs. The viewer is engaged in
finding chosen media products to enhance ones knowledge or
for social interactions, diversions or escapism. This theory
unlike the others below does not consider the impact of the
media product on society / individual rather what ‘people do
with the media’.

13. Key Terms
• What do these mean?
• Hegemony
• Ideologies
• Socophilia
• Voyeurism
• Semiotics

14. Key Terms
• Hegemony - This word refers to a dominant set of ideologies represented by the
Media that are presented as normal / status quo and are therefore accepted by
society. These ideologies are often used as a form of control as a power
structure so the structure could enforce status of the middle class over the
working class.
• Ideologies - these are a system of ideas and ideals, these could be social or
political and could be conscious beliefs or unconscious beliefs. These beliefs are
established by the dominant class and are accepted by low classes often used as
a form of control.
• Socophilia - A pleasure derived from looking / viewing will imply a sexual
context.
• Voyeurism - The act of a viewer watching an event / individual for pleasure or
obtaining gratification. This term can be used when referring to sexual
connotation of viewing a subject / material or could be used by someone who is
taking pleasure from violence.
• Semiotics - the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.

15. Question 2
Theories and Key
Terms

16. Five phases of production
• Explain what happens through each of the identified phase of
production.
• Production
• Marketing
• Distribution
• Exhibition
• Exchange

17. Media Ownership
• Explain the following terms:
• Synergy
• Conglomerates
• Technological convergence
• Horizontal Integration
• What are the three types of types of production companies
making films?

18. Media Ownership
• Synergy – a strategy of linking products together either different medis products
or can be linked to other products – product placement endorsement deals i.e
happy meals.
• Conglomerates – a company that has bought a variety of different media
companies to help develop
• Technological convergence – when technology links to the same method of
access throughout – digital technology filmed shot and distributed range of
devices to access this.
• Horizontal Integration – complimentary businesses working alongside each other
producing elements of a project
• What are the three types of types of production companies making films?
• Hollywood Studio(conglomerate), Independent, UK Production company
(partnered).

19. Audience Segmentation
• How can you identify a target audience? Explain the following.
• Age
• Gender
• Socio-economic grouping
• Rubicams four C’s
• Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs