1) Graham Burton's grouping theory suggests that audiences are grouped based on their relationship to and tastes in certain media genres, such as fans of horror movies or rap music. 2) Uses and gratifications theory proposes that audiences use media to fulfill needs like diversion, personal relationships, personal identity, and surveillance. 3) Richard Dyer's utopian solutions theory posits that audiences are drawn to media that offers compensation for inadequacies in their own lives by portraying idealized versions of social interaction and problem-solving.

1. Media audience theories and
their link to my audience
By Thomas Hall

2. Graham Burton’s Grouping theory
His theory says that media grouped people in the audience are those who
share (and can be identified by) their relationship with the media or their
media tastes, such as horror movie enthusiasts, rap music enthusiasts etc.
John Hartley added onto Graham’s theory by looking into greater detail of
the audience groupings, these include;
Self – What ambitions or interests do my audience have?
Gender- Is my audience mostly male or female?
Age group – What is the main age group of my target audience, what
things appeal to different ages?
- (These groupings are sometimes portrayed in things such as music video
in order to appeal to the media groupings for that specific band etc. and I
will add this into my own music video to appeal to my target audience.

3. Uses and Gratifications
• This theory suggests that media consumers do so to fulfil at least on of
the four needs; These are…
• Diversion/ escapism – The need to escape from normal life and to relax
more.
• Personal Relationships – People use the media to fulfil their need for
companionship and company (also to join social groups)
• Personal Identity – Use the media to find things out about
themselves, how people are presented/ treated that somehow reflect
us.
• Surveillance – People watch the media to see what the census is on
things or to see what is going on with celebrities etc.
• - (I will be playing mostly on the personal relationships - but as this is
a story-driven music video it will also play on escapism also – as the
story will be focused on a teenage relationship.)

4. Richard Dyer’s Utopian solutions
theory
• This theory states that people will respond more and want to try
and audience to a media text if it offers them compensation for
the inadequacies in their own lives. Through the media
audiences can live their lives and fulfill their wants and
needs, leading them to strive to a utopian life. Views on the
“high-life” and social interaction can help to appeal to those who
lack such and will help them in dealing with their life's own
inadequacies.
• (This theory will play on the darker turns of the music videos
story as the character offers a simple - albeit illegal – problem
solver for people that cheat on others in relationships, and may
offer dark fantasies to those who have (or are) in those
situations.)