There are three main audience theories: the hypodermic model, encoding/decoding model, and uses and gratifications theory. The hypodermic model suggests audiences respond the same way to media, while the encoding/decoding model says audiences decode meanings differently. Uses and gratifications says audiences use media to fulfill different needs. A survey of Fight Club audiences found most were young females, enjoying it for different reasons like plot twists or acting. Responses aligned most with uses and gratifications since audiences derived various meanings and fulfillments from the film.

1. Audience Theories
There are 3 audience theories which are: The Hypodermic Model, Encoding
and Decoding Model, Uses and gratification Theory.
The Hypodermic Model suggests thatan audience responds to a media text in
the sameway. This model is still relevant today because people buy new
products such as the iPhonewhenever a new one is released. Movie franchises
can also be a part of it, for example, Harry Potter.
In the Encoding and Decoding Model the producer encodes text or meaning
and the audience decodes the text or meaning. According to StuartHall, the
audience responds to a media text in different ways. 3 differentreadings might
be decoded by the audience dependant on who they are as people: Preferred,
negotiated and oppositional.
In the Uses and Gratification Theory it is suggested that the audience responds
to texts for different purposes. Thesepurposes can be:
Diversion – escape fromeveryday problems and routine. Glee and The Flash.
Personalrelationships – using the media for emotional and other interaction.
Personalidentity – finding yourself reflected in texts learning behaviour and
values fromtexts.
Surveillance – Information which could be usefulfor living.
Fight Club
Directed by: David Fincher
Written by: Chuck Palahniuk (Book) Jim Uhls (Screenplay)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter.
Released: 1999
Fight Club is about an office worker who has insomnia and he is
looking to change his life. While on a flight he crosses paths with a soap maker
and together they forman underground fightclub. This fight club is where
different men can fight each other recreationally.
Alexander Walker who was a critic of the London Evening Standard had this to
say about the film ‘A toxic experience, an admissibleassaulton personal
decency, and on society itself. Itresurrects theFuhrer principle. Itpromotes
pain and suffering as the virtues of the strongest, it tramples every democratic
decency underfoot.’ This is obviously a clear sign that Alexander didn’t like the
film at all.
When the film was sentinto the BBFC it was requested that it should be rated
an 18. Itwas seen by pretty much everyoneat the BBFC including the director.

2. Some felt that an uncut 18 rating was suitable for the movie,
however, theBBFC had concerns about the violence and the
encouraging an interest in organised bare-fistfighting.
Some scenes fromthe movie werecut by the BBFC becausethey
believed them to be too violent. The BBFC felt that the effect was
successfulin reducing the senseof sadistic pleasure in inflicting
violence. After these scenes were removed and the changes weremade, the
movie was given an 18 certificate and it was rated R in the United States.
In 2000 thecuts were exactly the samefor the video version. The BBFC were
looking at creating new guidelines but these were not introduced until
September 2000. In 2005 theBBFC had a new director and a new set of
guidelines and they still passed the movie as an 18 rating.
The new guidelines that werereleased stated that adults should be free to
choosetheir own entertainment and it was considered that there was nothing
in Fight Club that was a breach of the UK law or was felt to be harmful.
Survey Results.

4. By looking at my results you can see that most of my audience wereaged
between 15 and 17 and most of them were female. Only one person was aged
over 25. Itis quite surprising thatthe main gender of my audience was female
because you would think that as the film is about fighting, it would mostly
attract males. These results clearly show that the film attracts a younger
audience.
Pretty much all of my audience heard about the film through word of mouth,
only one person heard about the film through Social Media. This shows that
people could’verecommended the film because they enjoyed it and thought
that other people should know about it.
6 of the 9 people who did my survey had already heard about the film before
we studied it in class. 3 people had never heard of it before, this could be
because as the audience is of a younger generation and it is a film from the
90’s, they may not have really seen the film advertised.
Most of the people who took my survey thoughtthat the film was really good
and they really enjoyed it. By looking at the results one person rated the film
as a 3 which shows thatthey didn’t really enjoy it at all.
5 people believed that there was the right amount of violence for the subject
matter in the film. 2 people thoughtthat there was enough violence but they
didn’t like it and 1 person thoughtthat there was too much violence.
When I asked whatpeople liked about the film, I received lots of different
answers. Themain answer that I got was the plot twist at the end of the film.
Two people also enjoyed the narrative of the film. One person enjoyed the
acting and one person enjoyed the 3 actors who played the main characters.
7 out of the 9 people who took my survey had a preferred reading of the
movie and 2 people had a negotiated reading of the film. This shows thatmost
people enjoyed the movie and believed in what it was about.
6 people felt like they weren’tdiverted by the film at all becausethey think
that things like this happen in real life. 3 people felt like they were diverted by
the film because of the violence and the that performances of the actors who
play the main characters.
The elements of the film that my audience would usefor surveillancewas
mainly the music. They felt that the music changed throughoutthe film it got
happier and softer near the end. 3 people wouldn’tuse any elements as
surveillance.
The audience theory that would relate to my results is the Uses and
Gratification Theory. This is becausethe audience all had differentopinions on
the film. The questions that would come under this theory are the diversions
and surveillancequestions.

5. There could be lots of purposes why theaudience sees the film in different
ways. As the audience were younger the readings were preferred becausethey
may enjoy films with violence in it.
Alexander Walker’s review would come under The Hypodermic Model Theory
because he believed that everyonewould react to the movie in the sameway
and that everybody is going to become violent.