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Audience theory
- 1. Emma Sutton Audience Theory For thistask I will be talkingaboutthe different3differentaudience responsetheories.Iwill alsobe talkingaboutFightClub;what it’sabout,whyit wasbannedwhenitfirstcame out,a negative response itgotform a filmcritic,andusingresultsfroma survey,the audience responsestothe film today. HypodermicModel Datedfrom the 1920s this theorysuggeststhatthe audience manipulatedbycreatorsof mediatexts and that theyall respondtothe textthe same way withouttryingtochallenge the data. An example of thisis the Marketingof Technology.Todaypeople are buyinganew IPhone asthey are popularandtheylookgooddespite the factthat theyhave the same featuresastheirpast IPhones.People feel like theyneedtohave the latestIPhone. Encodingand Decoding(ReceptionTheory) The creator of thistheoryStuartHall arguedagainstthe HypodermicModel sayingthatthe audience readsthe meaningif the mediatextdifferentlydependingontheirindividualcultural backgrounds and life experiences. How itworksis: The Producerencodesthe meaningintothe mediatext. The audience decode itdependingontheirbackground. Thisincludesthingssuchas: Age Gender Social Background Cultural Background Political Views Circumstance of Exhibition The audience canthenstate theiropinionanditincludesthese three answers:
- 2. Emma Sutton Preferred-Whenthe audienceagreeswiththe mediatext Negotiated-Doesn’tagree butalsodoesn’tdisagree Oppositional- doesn’tagree withthe mediatext Uses and Gratification CreatedbyBlumlerandKatz in1974 thistheorystatesthat individualschoosetouse the textsfor differentpurposes,orusesand gratificattions. Diversion- escapefromproblemsanddailyroutines Personal Relationships-usingmediaforinteraction Personal Identity- findingoneselfinthe mediatextandlearningvaluesandbehavioursfromthe text Surveillance- Useful informationforliving.Example- weatherreports,holiday bargains. Fight Club FightClubreleasedon12th November1999 is a filmaboutabouta depressed insomniac(EdwardNorton) whomeetsastrange soapsalesman calledTyler Durden(BradPitt),he thenlivesinarun-downabandonedhouse withhim afterhisperfectapartmentisblownup.Theythencreate a strictlyruledclub that isn’tto be talkedaboutwhere menwhoare boredof theirmundane livesgoto fighteachother. The filmwasdirectedbyDavidFincherandhad a budgetof 63 millionUSD. AlexanderWalkerisawell-knownfilmcriticwhowenttosee the filmatthe Venice FilmFestival.He hadan oppositional readingof the filmcomparing the filmtoHitlerand the Jewsinthe deathcamps. The theorythat can be usedforthisis the HypodermicModel.He saysthat anyone whowatches thisfilmwill become violentthemselves. The BBFC have more of a negotiatedreadingof the film.Due tothe time FightClubcame outthe level of violence didn’tworktotheirguidelinesandtheythencouldn’tgivethe filmacertificate unlesstheymade majorcuts.The BBFC thengot a new directorand new guidelinesthe filmcould thengot a certificate of 18 whichit askedforuponrelease.Italsomentionsinthe case studythat ‘adultsshouldbe free tochoose theirownentertainment.Thissuggeststhe theoryUsesof Gratificationasitssayingthat theycan use the filmhowevertheywantandif theywantto watchit theycan. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/fight-club-BBFCCase study
- 3. Emma Sutton Survey Results I createda surveyafterwatchingFightClubaskingthe audience whattheirviewsof the filmwere, whetherthey enjoyedthe filmornot.I thenappliedaudience response theoriestothe results. The resultsof thisquestionare theymostly youngerpeople.Thiscouldpossiblymean there isa more preferred/negotiatedreading (Hall) of the film. There isone olderpersonso thiscouldmeanthat theyhave a different readingof the filmthisisbecause viewsof violence are differenttoyoungerpeoplethan older. Althoughmostof the respondentsare youngtheyare alsomostlyfemale so thiscouldmeanthat theyare more oppositionalreading (Hall) due tothe filmbeingviolentandmore male dominated.
- 4. Emma Sutton I askedthisquestionIwantedtoknow how they foundoutabout the filmasit couldinfluencetheir readingtheiropinions.Withthese resultsthis could determine whatthe audience thinkastheymight have readopinionsof the filmbefore theywatched it sotheycouldsway theiropinionscause if they were givenanegative opinionof the filmfroma friendthentheymightthinknegativelyof the film as theyhave beeninfluencedtothinklike that. The theorythat appliestothisisStuartHall’sReception theory. For thisquestionIaskedtosee if people have heardabout the filmbefore theyhadtostudyit inclass.From the resultsonly1 personhadn’t heardabout itbefore thismeansthatmostthe restof the respondentshave heardof the film. From this questionthe ratingsare different.Fromthe resultsmostof the respondentswere positive by givingthe filman8 -10 but howeversome gave ita lowerrating,the lowestbeingafour.Fromthese resultsthose thatgave it a highratinghave a preferredreadingandthose thatgave ita lowerrating are more oppositionalornegotiatedreading (Hall).
- 5. Emma Sutton Because FightClubwasbannedandhad to make lotsof cuts of the violence back whenitfirstcame outas the viewsof violence weredifferenttowhatthey are theynow.So thisisto see what audience’sviewsof the violence are today.From the resultsthe majority thoughtthat the violence wasrightfor the subjectandonlyone personthough that the violence istoomuch.The person whothoughtthe violence wastoomuch probablyhasoppositional reading (Hall) withfilmbeingpredominantlyviolent. For thisquestionIlikedtosee whatthe audience likedanddislikedaboutthe film.This appliestoHall’s Reception theorybecause noteveryone likedthe same part of the film. Eventhoughthe most of the respondentsare female theystillhada preferredreadingof the filmsothisprobablymeansthatthe younger female audience are likingmore violentfilms. ThisquestionappliestoHall’sReceptiontheory because theyare statingan opinionandthey have differentreadingsof the film.
- 6. Emma Sutton Althoughthe resultsfromthisquestion are mostlynotheywere still diverted by the filmbecause theyenjoyedit. The one that feltdivertedbythe filmis probablyolderastheyhave a better understandingof the views. The respondentmentionedthe political subtextwhichisrelatedtoHalls Receptiontheoryasthe respondent likedthe political side. For thisquestionIlikedtosee what the audience tookfromthe filmand the majoritylikedthe music.The theoryforthisquestionisUse and Gratification (BlumlerandKatz) asit isseeinghow theyuse the film.One respondentusedthe filmto introduce themtoothermediatexts fromthe screenwriter.