Audience theory - Audiences and Audience theory

Laura Mulvey created this theory and that it develops as a logical argument:

1. Cinema reflects society
2. Therefore cinema reflects a patriarchal society 
3. How does a patriarchal society manifest itself in cinema?

• Men are still in charge
• Women still earn less than women
• Unrepresentative in the government and parliament. 

The Gaze

The 'gaze' of the camera is the 'male gaze.'

The male gaze is active, the female passive.

Within the narrative male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. 

The spectator is made to identify with the male gaze because the camera films from the optical, as well as the libidinal, point of view of the male character. This three levels of the cinematic gaze, camera, character and spectator - that objectify the female character (the triple gaze). 

Therefore the audience are constructed in such a way that they are forced to 'gaze' from a male point of view. 

Women are forced to look at the text as though they were a male member of the audience. 

This occurs through the process of SUTURE.

Agency 

In the classical Hollywood cinema the make protagonist has agency because he is the active one and all powerful where the girl gets kidnapped or is in trouble and it's his duty to save her. The female character is passive and powerless, she is the object of desire for protagonist and audience.

Mulvey argues that women have two roles in films:

1. As an objet o erotic desire for the characters
2. As an object of erotic desire for the audience

However, this theory doesn't apply to mine because the camera doesn't focus on the girl though the male's gaze because they're always together. The camera focuses on both of the actors to show they're sad story. 

Audience theory- Reception theory

The Reception theory was developed by Start Hall at Birmingham University in the 1970's. When a producer constructs a text it is encoded with a meaning or message that the producer wishes to convey to the audience. The audiences will correctly decode the message or meaning and understand what the producer was trying to say. However, sometimes the audience may reject or fail to correctly understand the message.
Stuart Hall identified 3 types of audience readings (or decoding) of the text:

• Dominant or preferred
• Negotiated
• Oppositional

Dominant 

• Where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do and broadly agrees with it

Example: in my music video I wanted the audience to feel sad as the actor did when she lost her boyfriend. So I'm sure that since there are sad scenes in my music video, the audience will feel sad as-well, and grieve with the girl who has lost her boyfriend. 

Negotiated

• Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held viewers. 

An example of this can be used in my music video because the audience can choose whether to feel sad or not. My encoding of my message is to make the audience feel sad though, some of them may not see that and therefore decode my message. 

Oppositional 

• Where the dominant meaning is recognized but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons. 

In my music video I believe that this doesn't happen because i don't believe anyone would decode my message and oppose it because it's a sad video of someone close who has died. The audience may also, relate to that to someone who they have loved and has passed away. 

Audience theory - Suture

This theory comes from the theorists; Roland Barthes, Stephen Heath, Laura Mulvey, Kaja Silverman but was formulated by Daniel Day in 1974. This theory is when a film is made of a classical Hollywood narrative, editing, sound and mise-en-scene where the audience know what will happen and are ready for it. Films are 'stitched' together to force the audience to look at the film in a certain. This is made easier when means, techniques, codes and conventions of the film are "invisible" by the filmmakers. 

For my music video I've done the same by making sure that there are sad scenes in the video because I want the audience to grieve with the girl and be upset when they watch it because someone has passed away. 

Audience theory - The Uses and Gratifications Model

No one is sure whether these theory are actually true since many people watch violent texts but don't appear to be influenced by them. This theory explores the reasons as to why people consume media and what they hope to gain from it. When it comes to the uses and gratifications model, the audience are active when they watch media texts including horror and violent ones because when the watch it they use the text and are not used by it. When the audience use the text they use it for their own gratification or pleasure. They are not helpless or duped, they watch these types of texts because they enjoy it and may want to gain something from it.

Here the power lies with the audience and not with the producers and directors of the film. The audience is free to reject, play or use with media meanings as they see fit. 

The audience can use media texts to gratify needs for: 

• Diversion
• Escapism
• Pleasure
• Information
• Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one's own
• Sexual stimulation

Since the audience are now in control, consumption of the media therefore, helps those with issues such as:

• Learning
• Relaxation
• Emotional satisfaction
• Help with issues of personal identity
• Hep with issues of social identity
• Help with issues of aggression and violence 

The theory suggests that the consumption of violent images might even be helpful rather than harmful since, the audience act out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence. The audiences inclination towards violence is sublimated therefore, they would be less likely t commit violent acts. 

This can be applied to my music video because the audience may actually want to watch sad music videos because they enjoy it because they don't get upset about it. 

Audience theory - Two step flow theory

The two step flow theory discovered by Paul Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz say that when it comes to the audience being influenced by the media, they have direct influence through the personal influence of opinion leaders.

This is an example of how the opinion leaders are having an influence over the people who listen to them. The majority of people now receive most of their information from their opinion leaders since they are influenced by them and by the media second-hand. An example of this is twitter, where everybody can re-tweet something they've heard and agree on. Stephen Fry is an opinion leader because if he tweets something and someone re-tweets it then they are influenced by that opinion leader. James Cameron was influenced by Stephen Fry because Russia were holding anti-gay protests and therefore, Cameron agreed with Fry that that was wrong, so he decided not to go to the Russia winter olympics. The biggest opinion leaders are celebrities nowadays.

This fits into my music video because I want the audience to feel sad and upset because someone so close has passed away. I show this by adding scenes where the girl remembers her memories with her boyfriend. Though, when he disappears it's upsetting because she was only imagining him being there and what she sees now is just her by herself.

Audience theory - Cultivation theory

The cultivation theory by George Gerbner is a more refined version of the hypodermic needle because it says that if people watch the same sort of text then it will desensitize them. Some films which were banned once before have been released and when the audience had watched 'The Hills Have Eyes' and 'The Exorcist' they all said "what's all the fuss about".
It's said that the only way the audiences social attitude will change is by watching the same sort of text numerous of times. Overall, the audiences attitudes are shaped by what they watch on the television.

My music video can be applied to this because the audience can be upset at first when they watch it, though, as they get used to watching my music video numerous of times, they'll get used to the emotion and won't be upset anymore, they'll only pay attention to the music.

Audience theory - Moral panics

A moral panic is a feeling thats expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. Stanley Cohen believes that moral panic only occurs when "a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests."The media make sure to create film genres, such as; horror and violent film which have a negative effect on the audience that create, anxiety, concern or panic.

The effects model contributes to moral panics because if students watch these films then they become lazy and people who panic may not pass their exams. The media will also, go and create violent 'copycat' behaviour or mindless sopping in response to advertisements. 

Pokemon is a good example where the show is a bad influence on children because apparently it's a promotion of psychic abilities and evolution. The video nasties is another good example which create moral panic because there have been a set of movie which have been banned in the UK for supposedly causing immoral behaviour. My music video doesn't relate to this because my video is sad and it wouldn't create no panic. It may create some upsetting panic, if someone loses their loved ones and they wonder how they would have to cope with it after. 

Audience theory - The effects model theory

The effects model is based upon how media texts have an influence on the audience. Its said that the consumption of media texts has an effect and the audience is passive and powerless to prevent the influence. When it comes to the hypodermic model, there's a hypodermic syringe that's said to be injected into the audience and that's how they are influenced by the texts. That way the audience is powerless to resist. The hypodermic needle is like a drug to the audience where they are being drugged, addicted or duped.

Im going to apply this effects model to my music video which has an influence on the audience because the video is sad and I made sure to make it like that. I made sure to have the couple in this video be all in love and since the boy has passed away he disappears. This has an influence on the audience because its emotional to see how the girl is finding it hard to grieve and the fact that he wasn't really there and she's just imagining him being there from her memories.

Compare the meerkat.com is an example of where the effects model is used here. This is because everybody owns a television now and everybody who seen television has definitely seen this advert which was rated in the top 3 of the top 10 funniest adverts. Therefore, the effects model for this advert has worked and can be proven that it works because many people who hear about this advert will know what voice to use when they say 'compare the meerkat.com'.

Another advert which is the most annoying though, everyone knows about which proves that the effects model has worked for this advert because when everyone hears it they either sing to the music or they change the channel since, this advert 'gocompare' has been advertised on the television hundreds of times. They've even changed it by not making the opera singer sing because so many people have had an effect by him by being annoyed with the advert every time they saw it.

Audience research

This is my audience research which I sent to my friends on Facebook in order to fill out my survey monkey questionnaire and here above are some examples of what they said. 

Illustrate audience research findings using wordle

Analysing music videos

The music Halo has a typical narrative structure because it tells us a love story of a man acting out as an angel in order to protect his woman. At the beginning we see the man in bed, wearing white, as an angel would. At the dance studio, Beyonce is on the dance floor wearing black and we see a high angle shot of the man looking down at her wearing white. therefore, he acts like her guardian angel, looking over her, and we see shots that whenever, Beyonce is with him she's wearing white, which shows us that she's been converted to the good side. Also, when she sings about the light shining, it actually shines at her. Furthermore, she sings that your the only one i want, referring to her man, which proves that the lyrics follows the images.

The Pitch

This is my prezi presentation for my artists song; Rachel Rhodes, Heartland, that I will be using for my music video.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Madonna - Like a prayer - 1989

It was the most controversial video since, it was trying to provoke actions by upsetting religion. The Americans went ballistic due to the fact that Jesus was black and Madonna had made love to him. The publicity was huge and therefore, she also, lost her contract with Pepsi.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Robbie Williams - Rock Dj - 2000

For this video, Robbie Williams especially took it to the extreme due to the fact that in order to get the Dj's attention he not only took his shirt and pants off though, his whole flesh which definitely showed his outrageous personality in this video. It was banned because of taking his flesh off and for being provocative.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean - 1983


This video was officially the truly greatest video which, couldn't go on MTV due to the fact that Michael Jackson was black however, when people managed to see this video they were blown away. This video definitely captured his peak as a brilliant dancer and it stayed at number 1 on the US charts for 7 weeks.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Michael Jackson - Thriller - 1983



John Landis is the creator of this music video and was the most expensive video made at £700,000. Jackson himself choreographed the dance for this music video and made up his own dance while tracking his movements walking along the pavement. This video was too scary for the audience since, of the horror theme therefore, the viewers had to stay up until midnight in order to watch it. It sold 50 million copies and during the video it surprised everyone but Michael Jackson where he made sure to turn himself into a monster.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Peter Gabriel - Sledge Hammer - 1986



Peter Gabriel is against animation videos and this video of all was shown on MTV non-stop due to the fact that it was very inventive and in just 3 minutes we had a lot of things going on. It holds a repetitive way and won 9 MTV awards. Also, it was so famous that Peter Gabriel got annoyed of watching it himself.

Andrew Goodwin

- Andrew Goodwin in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992) has identified the following features of music videos.He believes that music videos demonstrate genre chracteristics (eg: stage performance in metal videos, dance routiness for boy and irl bands).

Guns n Roses - Sweet child of mine - it's a metal rock band and a self reflective video because you can actually see the camera filming the music video.
- There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illusttative, amplifying or contradicting).

The music video - The Script - The man who can't be moved, is a song that proves there's a relationship between the lyrics and visuals because it talks about how the man won't move from his spot at the corner, as he waits for his girl, which he does.


- The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
Michael jackson has a motif style; his glove. He wears a sparkly white glove on one hand or Jay-Z wears chains for his videos.Therefore, if we see those items we can automatically identify the artist.

- There is frequently reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatement of the female body.
The video Blurred Lines by Ribin Thicke shows 3 women dressed though, showing some skin therefore, Laura Mulvey says this video is voyeuristic because it uses the 'The Male Gaze' where males look at these women as sexual objects.

- There is often intertectual reference to films, TV programmes and other music videos etc.
The Wanted - Walks like Rihanna do this.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Eminem - Stan - 2000


This music video is basically telling a story to his fans where he says that he's just too busy sometimes to reply. He hasn't got anytime for signatures most of the time and how he's sorry for not fulfilling a fans dream, as we see Stan get angry. He talks about that its hard to be in a position with those kind of responsibilities.This caused a media outcry.

100 Greatest music videos of all time

Fatboy Slim - Weapon of choice - 2001


For this video they used a famous actor; Christopher Walkens where he danced during this video which, surprised many viewers since, they hadn't expected him to dance. He's usually an actor who acts in psychopathic films, therefore, was great to see him pull it off, as only he could do it.