This document discusses theories of audience analysis that have been applied to a film production. It describes targeting an active A-B income bracket audience that will thoughtfully negotiate representations in the film rather than passively accepting them. The film is intended to provoke questions about how society portrays groups like women and those with mental disabilities. It aims to stimulate the audience intellectually by requiring their input to derive meaning from various elements and come to their own conclusions.

1. TEXTUAL
ANALYSIS OF
TRAUMA
P E T E R C O T T E R
Question 5!

2. The first thing the audience see is the universal logo, this here indicates that it has the
approval of a well known conglomerate. This here appeals to the audience as they know
they are getting a good film just because it passed the universal standard.

3. The BCU connotes emotion. This paired with the handheld shot that tracks with the
protagonist, connotes uncertainty. The camera tracks with him connoting that he is the main
character and currently he is all important, nothing else matters, like the surroundings….
This here represents male dominance, how a man is all important. Which appeals to my
target audience of males. He is He is wearing a suit, so my audience see him as
sophisticated. This here creates personal identity with the character. The character seems
more uncertain than scared and by the way he looks around a lot, it connotes exploration,
which highlights masculinity. Furthermore, my film is postmodern, so often, there are
stereotypes that are portrayed, but then undermined later on. So my character being
uncertain is also a subversion of masculinity.

4. • The XLS connotes isolation for the character, hes all alone in heaven. This here conforms to the
stereotype of masculinity once again as he is taking on this scary event without fear. The XLS
also evokes personal identity in my A – B income bracket, who having now become successful,
presumably had to chase their goals and life ambitions on there own. However, the fact that he
is looking out over this vast landscape, connotes insignificance. Which contradicts the ideology
of masculinity.
• The maze also highlights the success of my audience, as they too were faced with challenges
and overcame them.

5. • The woman takes up the bottom half of the screen, Connoting her importance to the film,. She wears white,
connoting her innocence and fragility. The male is in the background, close to her, but still out of reach.
Connoting how women need a man in their lives. It also conforms to the stereotype that women need a man
to protect them. However, my audience being more sophisticated, they are active and therefore will choose
to negotiate the traditional representations. Which fits in with the post modern nature of my film. There's no
movement except the camera shake. This connotes the overwhelming sadness felt by her dad, and the no
movement hyperbolises her death. Cameras a xls of the dad connoting his isolation and inability to help.

6. • The camera shows the mugger in a MS, in the middle of the frame. Hes centre framed, connoting his
importance to the film, His actions set the entire course of my protagonists life. . Furthermore the camera
tracks with him as he rises highlighting his importance even more. This attracts the A – B audience as,
according to Maslows higherachy of needs, they already get security in there everyday life, so this
representation of crime serves to excite them instead of getting them worried.

7. EDITING
Long take of the xls of heaven. This connotes the beauty of the shot, how one could literally look at it all day
without stopping. The fact that it is also long connotes how it is supposed to be thought provoking.
The quick cuts of the stabbing. Connotes how quickly my protagonists life can change. How in the space of a
few seconds his life falls apart.
The starting song is melodic, this connotes happiness, which heaven is supposed to be, I made sure to have
this contrast a lot in the reality scene as it was supposed to be dark and therefore the score was very ambient
almost.
My editing and score attracted the audience because it intentionally gave off connotations, meaning that my
active audience could question it and derive meaning. Giving them intellectual stimulus.
SOUND

8. AUDIENCE
THEORIES
APPLIED

9. MY AUDIENCE IS ACTIVE:
My audience is supposed to be active, part of the DRAMA genre is to “entice a response”
from the audience. To do this my production raises a lot of issues for the audience to
contemplate and formulate their own opinion, such as the representations of women or how
we treat those exposed to significant mental trauma. For example; in my film, the plot
continues on to people who end up bullying the protagonist for not being masculine enough
to face his fears/mental condition, leading to his suicide. The audience are supposed to
question what could have been done differently or whether they agree with the bullies/ his
response to the bullying. The film features suicide, alcoholism, violence and relationship
abuse. So clearly this is not for the passive audience which is why I targeted the more
sophisticated A – B audience.
My dominant reading on women is that society sees them as fragile. My audience will see
this reading and negotiate it, maybe coming up with a reading like, “yes women are fragile,
but that is because they are always told they are fragile, so therefore they accept it as the
truth.”

10. USES AND GRATIFICATION &
RECEPTOR THEORY
My audience from this product get self esteem, in the sense that they know that if this situation
happened to them, they may be emotionally stronger to not go down the route of my protagonist, further
more they get social interaction, discussing there views on the representation of heaven and women in
my piece. For example, do they agree with my representation that every woman needs a man?
Furthermore everyone should end up with a negotiated reading, do they choose to accept my reading
towards women? This should be true to all my readings, such as, do they agree with my representation
of heaven, and its effect on my protagonist, who after seeing it, wants to go back. Do they agree with the
influence it has had on my subject. Do they even believe in heaven?
I think the preferred reading is a comment on how society sees women. This fits the sophisticated
audience who recognise the difference between a representation of females and a representation of
what society says about females.

11. EXAMPLE OF RECEPTOR THEORY ON
THE REP OF WOMEN
• Preferred: women need a man to protect her, if she had listened to her fathers advice, she
wouldn’t have ended up dead, clearly her father was attacked first, and therefore he was
trying to protect her.
• Negotiated reading: yes the father was trying to protect her, but he failed, so therefore
women don’t NEED a man, they are just as capable of handeling a situation like a male,
however, clearly she was safer with a man by her side instead of being on her own.
• Oppositional: This woman would have probably been aright on her own, mugger rarely
ever choose to kill someone, maybe if the dad hadn’t tried to show off his masculinity they
both would have lived.

12. PASSIVE AUDIENCE
Hyperdermic syringe theory states that my audience will accept whatever they is shown
to them. For example, my production represents mental disability as weak, vulnerable
and a condition that should be curable, provided the subject is strong willed enough. The
audience would accept all of these readings without thinking about it. As these here are
typical stereotypes against the disabled in our community. Because these are typical
stereotypes, my audience may not choose to negotiate them, but simply accept them,
which shows that my product is hegemonic.
My audience gain intellectual pleasure from my piece. As their constant input is required
as they are an active audience and they are supposed to negotiate what the film is
stating. So the fact that they can derive a meaning and then form their own opinion is
very satisfying for them.