The document discusses several theories related to how audiences consume media: - Passive consumption refers to audiences consuming media without interacting or questioning it. The hypodermic needle model assumes audiences passively accept media messages. - Active consumption means audiences interact with media texts to make their own interpretations. - Uses and gratifications theory suggests audiences consume media to fulfill identity, social, educational, and entertainment needs. - Reception theory examines how media producers encode messages and audiences decode them in negotiated, oppositional, or preferred readings.

1. Audiences & Products
Francesca Hall

2. Task 1

3. Passive Consumption
• Passive consumption is where the audience does not interact nor
question the media text they consume and therefore they do not
have an influence over the media outlet and their message.

4. Hypodermic Needle Model
• Definition
This theory is the concept that the audience whole heartily accept and believe the media text they are consuming. This
means that a mass media outlet can 'inject' or influence a large audience with their own opinion to get the desired
response from the audience. It is an linear communications theory that relies on the audience being passive.
• Strengths
1940s and 1950s was used as a way to explain mass media and their affects with behavioural changes.
• Weaknesses
It gives the impression that audiences just believe everything they see and insinuates that the audience does not have an
opinion of their own and will just accept what they see and that we are all the same.
Outdated (originating in the 1920s)
• Example
Facebook – Fake News is a prime example of this model in practice today.
Radio broadcast about aliens – This is on of the first examples of the model in practice.

5. Active Consumption
Active consumption is the concept that suggest that the audience takes
in the media text similar to passive consumption however they interact
with the text to create meaning.
The audience engage with the media text they are consuming and
make their own interpretations about what they are seeing without
outside influence.
Active consumption can include things such as forming opinions,
starting discussions. It can even be playing/participating within a game
rather than watching the game.

6. Uses and Gratifications Theory• Definition
It is thought that the theory can only be used in practice within a media text by fulfilling one of the four components which are Identity, Social Interaction, Education and Entertainment. This theory is more
popular than active and passive as it can be used to target more of a mass audience in terms of communication. This is the opposite of Hypodermic Needle Model theory as it believes that the audience ahs no say
in how they consume the media.
Personal Identity – This is where the audience watch media texts that have similar view points and views as their role model. They watch films due to an actor present within the film that they aspire to be.
Social interaction – This is how we extend our experince with the media text that we are consuming whether this be before, during or after we have consumed said text. It can lead to debates, discussions and
even spark protests and movements.
Education – Through the use of the media being able to find out more information to get a better understanding but to also acquire more information and knowledge about something that interests the
audience.
Entertainment – We as an audience consume some form of media text due to the fact that we know that we are going to like and therefore enjoy this, it also allows for escapism for the audience as well to
escape from their mundane routine.
• Strengths
The theory places more thought and acknowledgment on the audience rather than the what the message is that the media text wants to them to think/believe. It assumes that the audience are active in how
they consume the media and are engaging and integrating the media as a part of their daily life/routine rather than an overall passive consumption.
• Weaknesses
The theory believes that the audience are constantly watching and consuming the media due to them wanting to meet their own personal gratifications and that they as an audience member are solely
responsible for how they consume said text. (Due to the internet not all the media we see is the whole truth nor is it 100% equal and therefore their will be bias and the media should take responsibility as well
for what they publish/distribute). All the subsections within this theory interchange and link together so you can never really when using this theory as part of research be able to exactly separate each part as
whole.
• Example
As mentioned before hand all the uses and gratifications merge and link together and this example is a prime source to highlight this. The example that I am going with is the internet and while this is a broad
term I will break it down. For example with personal identity if the audience wanted to find out more about there role model they can just type and search their name into google this will give them a huge variety
of links to website that can tell them anything from the clothes they were wearing last night, to the film that is out in cinemas next week and it allows for them to consume this information on a much faster and
wider scale. Linking this into Social Interaction on the same topic as a role model the internet allows for the audience to join forums and groups to talk about their role model and products related or the film they
were last in online. Not only that but it allows for people to start petitions to another film or sequel for the character/actor. This then links into Entertainment as you will go watch their film, which you found the
information out about tickets and times online, you might even book the tickets online as well. It doesn’t even have to be a film it can finding a link to a podcast and then downloading the app or going on
YouTube and watch previous interviews. Finally the last use and gratifications is education and this links into this as well because the audience may intertali type in the name of their role model but after looking
them up on social media or even watching an interview they may find something that interests them to further research into that more, this could be more about the production company of the film and if there
are any more movies coming out if it is part of a franchise, it could also be supporting and wanting to find more information out about a cause or a charity that their role model is currently supporting and then
want to find out more information then the short snipit they are being given with the current media they are consuming.
This was lot more in-depth and not everything someone does related to a media text mean that every uses and gratifications will be used however this was just an example of how they are used and how they are
linked.

7. Reception Theory
This theory can be broken down into two different parts and that is the consumer and the producer.
The theory is that the producer creates a media text that has an encoded message for the audience and that text is then decoded by the audience.
Due to the huge variety of the ways that audience can access media texts and the how different the audiences are due to this it means that the text
can be decoded in a variety of different ways. However this is broken down into there different ways that the message can be decoded and that is;
• Negotiated Reading
This is a mix between the other two readings where the audience accepts what the producer is telling them and their message but could also
extended and further develop this into their own idea or concept. Essentially they do not disagree nor agree with the message because they can see
and make arguments for both sides. Similar to preferred reading this is a good response from the audience from the producers perspective as the
audience has engaged well with the product and talking about it but they may not buy the product nor further interact with this media text due to
their own opinions.
• Oppositional Reading
When the audience receives and views the media text they consume it however their interpretation of this and the meaning of the message that the
producer is trying to convey is the opposite of what the producer wants/intended. This can mean that the audience can reject the message overall and
therefore not agree with anything the producer wants to convey through their message. For a producer perspective this is bad response from the
audience, yes while they are engaging and actively consuming the product they aren't doing so in a way that benefits the producer and therefore will
not buy/further consume the media text. This then immediately cuts the cycle.
• Preferred Reading
This is where the text is interpreted by the audience in the way that the producer intended for it to happen. This also typically leads to the audience
believe the ideology and message that the producer is telling the audience. When this happens it usually means that the audience will by and
consume the product and therefore it usualy works well for the producer and the audience.

8. Reception Theory
At the end of the film, his totem keeps spinning before it starts to wobble and then it cuts
out leading the audience to wonder whether or not he is dreaming or not.
• A potential encoded message
You could as that the producers made the totem wobble to make the audience be more self-
aware and though you are awake, are you actually paying attention to what is going on in
your life. The whole film is about implanting ideas into peoples dreams and I believe the
message is that if you keep implanting these ideas is it going to become your dream or your
own dream. Or easilier explained if you keep following other peoples ideas for yourself when
does it become your life or theirs? But I think the message at the end is that he is not
dreaming.
• A potential decoded message
The audience could decode the message to a much simpler tone which due to the top still
spinning it means that they are still within a dream and the reason it is still spining is because
the character so desperately wants his wife to be alive that he images it to keep spinning and
that's why it cuts straight away when the it starts to wobble.
The audience could also look into it deeper which people have, I found on a few websites a
fan theory where they have decoded the end message where the reason the totem keeps
spinning and them wobbles is because the totem isn't his and as stated earlier in the film
they only work for the person they are made more but in the film it is stated that the
spinning top isn't his and many fans believe that his wedding ring his is and when he is
wearing it he is dreaming and when he isn't wearing it he is awake. At the end of the film he
is not wearing a wedding ring so therefore he is awake and in reality. Which agrees with the
encoded message however it is interpreted and they got the message in a different way than
the film intended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGiAQ8dnbS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQPy88-E2zo

9. Reception Theory
• Preferred reading
An Example I have shown for this is to do with politics, this example can also be used on
oppositional reading as well. People seeing this poster/image on social media for example will
heavily believe that Labour is the right choice to vote for and the opinion stated within this image is
correct, whether they are or not is up to personally opinion which again is how this image ties in
nicely with oppositional. While a group of people will believe what this media text says another will
completely disagree and it doesn't matter if you try to argue your side they have their own facts and
believes that they won't be talked around or even negotiated on the matter.
• Negotiated reading
An example of this could be the ending of the film Snow piercer which has caused debates with
audience members about the meaning of the ending. The director himself said that the films ending
is meant to optimistic and for himself it has a very hopeful ending, which many fans agreed with
because if the polar bear survived so could other humans. However others argued that it would be
told cold for other humans to have survived and that they would have died and become food for the
polar bear just like the two children in the ending scene will be.
• Oppositional reading
An example of this using a different form of media to convey their message would be Kendall Jenner
and the Pepsi advert. This caused a lot of backlash due to the message that the audience interpreted
rather than the message that Pepsi was trying to convey. This was reinforced even more by events
that were happening at the time which were used in peoples arguments for this immense dislike for
the advert which got the advert removed.

10. Spectatorship
Spectatorship is where the audience watches the film for example and builds a relationship
up through emotional connection either through the what is visually being shown or what
is morally being told. The whole concept of spectatorship is everyone who engages in a
media text will have a different experience and thoughts on the film during it and when it
ends and this is because of their own personal experiences that link to the media text. This
can be down to anything from representation to watching characters getting a divorce. The
more repesaition wether this be down to race, religion or sexual orientation is important
within media text because the more that is included the more that product can connect
with the audience to create an emotional connection and this connection will create a
much better response after.
• Example
A young adult is more likely to engage and respond better to Ready Player One film due to
the context and the references they are more likely to get not to mention the nostalgia
they feel. Where as a much older generation will not respond as passionately towards the
film as they won't have the emotional connection to the characters.

11. Framework for Interpretation
• List 2 very different frameworks for interpretation;
1
• Age: 19
• Gender: Female
• Social status/Class: C2
• Ethnicity: White British
• Education: Ongoing currently at college
moving on to university for degree.
2
• Age: 37
• Gender: Female:
• Social status/Class: C1
• Ethnicity: White British
• Education: College grade level

12. Framework for Interpretation
Deadpool 2016
1
Liked the film and enjoyed it.
Thought it was funny and really
enjoyed the story.
Understood the reference and
jokes better as has more
understanding about other films.
Would watch again.
2
Did not enjoy the film at all.
Thought the violence was to
graphic.
Did not understand the references
and therefore did not understand
the jokes.
Hated the humor and the comedy.
Would not watch again.
They did like the effects though.

13. Task 2

14. Genre/Franchise
Fast and Furious is a franchise worth over £4 billion. The action
franchise is based around illegeal street racing and heiest. There have
current 8 films been released however there will another 2 films
released. Vin Diesel released on Instagram and Facebook that there will
be two more films released in 2020 and 2021. The last film will be
released in 2021 because it will have been 20 years since the first film
was released. For the ninth film Justin Lin who directed the majority of
the films in the franchise will be directing the film.
In total revenue so far the films have made over $5 Billion
( $5,125,098,793)

15. The Fast and The Furious.
This film came out in 2001 and is the first film within the franchise. Not
only is it the first film to be released but it is the first film in terms of
chorological order.
The film had a budget of $38 Million and at the Box Office made
$207.3 Million.
The director for the film was Rob Cohen.
The cast within the film were: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle
Rodriguez, Matt Schulze and Jordana Brewster.

16. 2 Fast 2 Furious
This film is the second film of the franchise and also the sequel to the first
film making it in terms of chronological order the second film.
The film was released in 2003 two years after the first film.
The director of the film was: John Singleton
The cast present in the were: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges
and Devon Aoki.
The films budget was $76 million and it made 236.3 million in the box
office.
Vin Diesel was offered $25 million to appear in this sequel but he declined
due to the fact that he wasn't happy with the script. This is the only film
within the franchise that did not feature Vin Diesel. After making a deal
with Universal Studios he agreed to stay on as his pervious role as
character Dom Toretto and even make a cameo appearance within Tokyo
Drift (The next instalment ) for free if Universal Studios gave him and his
production company the rights to 2004's The chronicles of Riddick as well
as the character Riddick from 2000S Pitch Black.

17. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
This is the third film to come out in the franchise in 2006
but it is actually the sixth film in the chronological order.
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Lucas Black, Nathalie Kelley, Sung Kang
Box Office: 158.5 million USD
Budget: 85 million USD
This is the first film that is directed by Justin Lin.
Lin was also the person to help with negotiates to get Vin
Diesel to consider signing back to play his role within the
franchise and even have a cameo at the end of this film.

18. Fast & Furious
This is the fourth film to be released in 2009 and it is the
third feature film as part of the franchise in chronological
order.
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gal Gadot,
Jordana Brewster
Box office: 363.2 million USD
Budget: 85 million USD
This is the second film directed by Justin Lin.

19. Fast Five
This is the fifth film in the franchise and also the fourth film as part of
the franchise in chronological order. The film was released in 2011.
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana
Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Gal Gadot, Sung Kang and Matt
Schulze
Budget: 125 million USD
Box office: 626.1 million USD
This is the third film to be directed by Justin Lin.
Critics argue that this is the best film within the franchise.

20. Fast & Furious 6
This is the sixth film to be made in 2013 but is the fifth film as part of the
franchise in terms of chronological order.
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Luke Evans, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne
Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Gal Gadot, Sung
Kang and Michelle Rodriguez
Box office: 788.7 million USD
Budget: 160 million USD
This is the fourth film to be directed by Justin Lin, it is also the last Fast and
Furious film to be directed by him as of 2018. It is also the second film
that third film that Michelle Rodriguez is in as she wasn't present within
the previous film.
During early stages of development, Furious 6 was going to be split into two
instalments shot simultaneously with the first entitled The Fast and the
second entitled The Furious. The tank sequence would have been the
end of The Fast and therefore the plane sequence will have been the end
of the final film instalment. However due to storyline and script writing
the storyline was whittled down enough to fit into one whole film.

21. Furious 7
This is the seventh film as part of the franchise that came
out in 2015 and was seventh in terms of chronological
order of the films.
Director: James Wan
Cast: Kurt Russell, Luke Evans, Paul Walker, Vin
Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese
Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Michelle
Rodriguez
Box office: 1.516 billion USD
Budget: 190 million USD
This is the first Fast and Furious film to be directed by
Wan. It is the most successful film in the franchise in
terms of a profit and is also the best thrid highest
grossing film worldwide.

22. The Fate of the Furious
This is the latest film in the franchise that was released in
2017. It is the eighth film released and the eighth film in
chronological order.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Kurt Russell, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne
Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel,
Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren and Michelle
Rodriguez
Box office: 1.163 billion USD
Budget: 250 million USD
This is the first film directed by F. Gary Gray and is the
second most successful film in the franchise. It is also the
worlds fourth highest grossing film worldwide.

23. Other
There are two other videos within the franchise that are actually feature
films but they tie into the story. They are classed as short films.
The first short film is titled Turbo-Charged Prelude and is the prequel to 2
Fast 2 Furious. The short film is mostly mute but it helps to explain the
gap between the first film and the second film as well as explaining to
the audience why the only returning cast to the second film/schedule is
Paul Walker. This short film explains why Brian, Paul Walker's character,
was a street king despite in the last film being a wanted man. It also
explains how Brian was arrested and for letting Dom in the first film go.
Los Bandoleros is the second short film that was made and this is to
bridge together the second film and the third film. It brings the audience
up to date with the characters but also introduces them to characters
such as Han who was introduced in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift
however if the audience is watching the film's in chronological order
then they won't know who this character is and this short film fills them
in to what they will have missed.

24. Task 3

25. Your Interaction with Media
• Talk about why you like that film/genre and your relationship with it and
how audiences have responded to it, you cover the following:
• How audience engagement relates to the key theories you have outlined in section 1
• Outline and investigate all the different ways in which you and the wider audience
might respond and interact with the film (we’ve covered this at length with the
screenings for Star Wars related material).
1. Active spectatorship, fandom and preferred readings (how do audiences make
active responses to your genre)
2. Frameworks of interpretation, intertextuality and media literacy (consider the
effects of the film on other films/tv/etc and the way this is done, i.e. parody,
pastiche, homage, etc)
3. Social networking, conditions of reception and pre- and post- viewing experience
(how the audience interacts and responds as part of a community)
• Go over as many slides as necessary

26. My Relationship
I like this franchise and the films present within it due to the fact that it
doesn't take itself so seriously and the whole point of the films are to
be more extravagate and over the top then the last, I mean just look at
the last film where they grabbed a launched missile and throw it.
However I believe that for that reason it is why the films are so
enjoyable and you can escape for a few hours while watch the films.
I typically watch action films anyway so when watching these films it
doesn't stray to far away from the genre that I usually watch which
again is something that I enjoy because I know what to expect to a
certain extent but I feel like that at the moment where all big
blockbuster films are either sequels or remakes that is what is to be
expected.

27. Audience Relationship
One of the reasons that I believe that the film was/is so successful in the
wave of action blockbuster films that come out every year is due to the
multicultural cast and how by having the cast so diverse not terms of age,
gender and ethnicity it allows for the characters to be more relatable in
terms of social and person gratification. Not only that but because of the film
being such a huge blockbuster and it being on a wide platform by having a
multicultural cast and even incorporating this into the storyline but in the
locations that they film in and the different uses if language apart for English
allow for more people to relate to the characters and want to watch the film
as a point. For example Gal Gadot is an Israeli actor and therefore will have
more of fan base within the country compared to Dwayne Johnson who is an
American blockbuster staple all the way to Nathalie Emmanuel who is a
British Actor.

28. Fan Related Content
Fans use YouTube in relation to The Fast and Furious Franchise in a variety of different ways. This links into Uses and
Gratifications theory more so with social interaction and entertainment. People will post many different videos such as
reactions to the film itself and the trailers and as well as overall reviews about what they liked and disliked about the films.
People watch these posts from other fans because they relate/agree with their view point or than would like to like at the film
with a more open perspective. YouTube fan content also relates to active spectatorship as they take their love for the film
and/or characters to a different level and use social media or in this case YouTube as a platform of expression and use person
identity with the characters or even the actors themselves within the video to create a video and uploaded it as part of a form
of entertainment for themselves but as the related content is part of the franchise and therefore they have a following or a
fandom it also provides entertainment for those fans as well, who can access the content they post.
YouTube due to it being a major social networking platform also effects both pre- and post viewing experience for fans and how
they then respond to the film. This can either have positive effect on how they perceive the media text or it can have a negative
impact.
An example of both of these in context would be were the trailer is analysed compared to other trailers and people try to link
the footage shown within the trailer to rumours that are online to justify their opinion about the film and again this could be in
a positive light and make you want to watch the film even more or it can have a negative reaction as you might not want
something they predicted to happen and therefore go into the film with a negative mindset about a theory that you think might
happen.
An example of post viewing would be people over analysed the characters actions and how they acted within the film as well as
trying to find "Easter Eggs" within the film as well. Post viewing within the community after any of the films is very split as some
people think that the film they have just watched is the best within the franchise while others think that it is the worst and they
use clips from the film they have just watched to ones from pervious films to reinforce their opinion about said film.

29. Merchandise
Fans don’t always want to watch the films on DVD they want to fully
immerse themselves within the fandom and therefore they collect
merchandise such as collectors items and limited edition versions of the
film. Limited editions of the film more so with Blu-ray usually have
extended scenes or deleted scenes that won't be accessible on the
standard DVD version. This again is all about entertainment for the fans as
they feel that they are getting more for their money. With the merchandise
as well because we are in the era of instant gratification and wanting
everything now films also come with codes so you can get not only a
physical copy when you buy the film but also a digital one so that you can
take it and watch the film anywhere allowing you to have a much more
enjoyable experience as you as an audience member don't have to wait.
People also use social media as a way to not only connect with fans but to
access more, they use platforms use as Facebook, eBay to track, find and
collect special edition items of the films so that they can have more of an
interaction with the product and it gives them satisfaction in the sense that
they have a more valuable version.
As part of the merchandise you can also buy Pop Vinyl's for The Fast and
Furious Franchise, while I myself do collect these I haven't started to
collect any for these films, mine are for Game of Thrones and Marvel.

30. Social Media
Prior to making the fifth film within the franchise, arguably the best film within the franchise in my
opinion as well), Diesel reached out to fans (at the time 42 million people) on his
official Facebook page asking them for potential ideas of where the story could go, and someone
suggested writing a role for Johnson as the bad guy. During the writing phase the filmmakers
reached out to Johnson to play Hobbs (he was the only choice to play the role); he agreed to sign
on for more films.
People watch films more many reasons but one of those reasons could be the director, this links into
Personal Identity as part of Uses and Gratifications. Directors can have a huge following the same as
actors and people will watch their films regardless, more so with a director the audience are
usually of what they can expect more when they watch said film due to the fact that the director will
have mannerisms and styles that are unique to them and can be identified within their films as well
as the fact that typically a director will have films within the same genre as well (though not all the
time).
For the Fast and Furious there where many directors for each of the films however the main director
throughout was Justin Lin who directed four films within the franchise, we is also rumored to direct
the ninth film that is said to be released in 2020. Linking in again with Uses and Gratifications people
use Social Media to express and talk about how they feel about their role model, their director. It also
allows for them to speak and interact with other people who like the same director within a
community where people express the same view points as them but also can lead to discussions and
debates about which of his films are better and which director was better in terms of the different
films within the franchise.

31. Fast and Furious Live
You don’t have to limit yourselves as fan to just
experience the film/franchise as films you can also go to
Fast and Furious Live at arenas within the country. Again
linking this back into the uses and gratifications theory
this is a huge form of entertainment for the fans and a
way for them to immerse themselves even more within
to this created fandom. It allows for them to experience
the franchise on a different level but also experience it
with other fans as part of the fandom as well.
https://www.fastandfuriouslive.com

32. Music
The music is a key part of the films in my opinion.
They allowed for the film to be more accessible
on a wider platform so that different audience
members who wouldn't normally consider
watching the film or haven't seen the pervious
films would consider watching it due to the hype
and positive traction that it is getting.
For example if you are a fan of Florida then you
will know that he plays a heavy influence for the
soundtrack for the films within this franchise and
even if you aren’t a fan of the films you might
considering going to watch the film just because
of his songs, due to the fact that as part of his
music videos for said songs within the film they
included footage from the film itself. Not only
that but they might even download or buy the
album which again is providing money and profit
for the franchise even if you don't see the film.