Lesson Powerpoint
Click above to look again at the class presentation.
“Today's audience knows more about what's on television than what's in life.”
Click above to look again at the class presentation.
“Today's audience knows more about what's on television than what's in life.”
Why are audiences important?
Without them - why would media texts be created?
1. The Target Audience..
A producer always needs to assess what the target audience is for the text that they are producing.
The target audience is seen as a collective but an individual who is stereotypical of a person from this collective is always in the back of producers mind. (See class presentation)
Try and think of a stereotypical member of the target audience for the text you are studying.
What are the social positions of the audience members?
Consider how the following may effect the way an audience interact with a media text and why it is important that media producers are aware of their audiences demographic.
Self image: How does the audience member feel she or he is viewed, as a result of identifying with and even buying into an identity that is linked with a media text, or series of texts?
ie; being a trekky, a goth, an emo etc;
Gender: Does being a male or female mean you are attracted to particular genres?
Are people drawn to texts that they feel their gender should be drawn to?
(For example, men and war films or women and heat magazine)
Who decides that particular sexes should be attracted to particular texts?
Do media producers aim specific texts at specific genders?
Age group: Should age make a difference? Think about the questions stated above and relate them to age..
Family: What is a family audience?
What type of texts appeal to family audiences?
As far as producers and marketeers and advertisers are concerned, why are 3,4,5 people even 6,7,8 better than 1? (Just ask the CEO of Disney)
Class: What's class got to do with it? (Refer to table below)
Does being part of a certain class mean you are attracted to particular genres?
Are people drawn to texts that they feel their class should be drawn to?
(For example, The Telegraph or the Sun) Have a look at the final section of the movie below...
Who decides that particular classes should be attracted to particular texts?
Do media producers aim specific texts at a specific class?
Nation: Does nationality make a difference, have a look a the questions posed for class and gender, do they apply to nationality?
Why does US television travel so well?
Do producers try and appeal to our national and cultural identities?
Why are period dramas so popular in Britain?
Why are wacky game shows so popular in Japan?
Do producers have to concede that audiences can be xenophobic and racist?
Ethnicity: Once again, consider the questions posed in earlier questions when related to ethnicity.
Religion: Why must producers be aware of the different religous denominations that are present in their target audience?
How might the glorification of sex and violence be received by certain factions of different religions?
It is only recently that on screen kisses have become part of Bollywood films!
The media often tackles the difficult task of representing religion and people who are intrinsically linked by religion, why is this a risky process?
Why was Borat not released in some cinemas in the Southern states of America?
Why did Spielberg have to think carefully about the production, content and advertising of Schindler's List?
Education: Does your education play a role in the way you receive and interact with media texts?
Do media producers shape texts to be aimed at educated, or less educated people?
Politics:
Without them - why would media texts be created?
1. The Target Audience..
A producer always needs to assess what the target audience is for the text that they are producing.
The target audience is seen as a collective but an individual who is stereotypical of a person from this collective is always in the back of producers mind. (See class presentation)
Try and think of a stereotypical member of the target audience for the text you are studying.
What are the social positions of the audience members?
Consider how the following may effect the way an audience interact with a media text and why it is important that media producers are aware of their audiences demographic.
Self image: How does the audience member feel she or he is viewed, as a result of identifying with and even buying into an identity that is linked with a media text, or series of texts?
ie; being a trekky, a goth, an emo etc;
Gender: Does being a male or female mean you are attracted to particular genres?
Are people drawn to texts that they feel their gender should be drawn to?
(For example, men and war films or women and heat magazine)
Who decides that particular sexes should be attracted to particular texts?
Do media producers aim specific texts at specific genders?
Age group: Should age make a difference? Think about the questions stated above and relate them to age..
Family: What is a family audience?
What type of texts appeal to family audiences?
As far as producers and marketeers and advertisers are concerned, why are 3,4,5 people even 6,7,8 better than 1? (Just ask the CEO of Disney)
Class: What's class got to do with it? (Refer to table below)
Does being part of a certain class mean you are attracted to particular genres?
Are people drawn to texts that they feel their class should be drawn to?
(For example, The Telegraph or the Sun) Have a look at the final section of the movie below...
Who decides that particular classes should be attracted to particular texts?
Do media producers aim specific texts at a specific class?
Nation: Does nationality make a difference, have a look a the questions posed for class and gender, do they apply to nationality?
Why does US television travel so well?
Do producers try and appeal to our national and cultural identities?
Why are period dramas so popular in Britain?
Why are wacky game shows so popular in Japan?
Do producers have to concede that audiences can be xenophobic and racist?
Ethnicity: Once again, consider the questions posed in earlier questions when related to ethnicity.
Religion: Why must producers be aware of the different religous denominations that are present in their target audience?
How might the glorification of sex and violence be received by certain factions of different religions?
It is only recently that on screen kisses have become part of Bollywood films!
The media often tackles the difficult task of representing religion and people who are intrinsically linked by religion, why is this a risky process?
Why was Borat not released in some cinemas in the Southern states of America?
Why did Spielberg have to think carefully about the production, content and advertising of Schindler's List?
Education: Does your education play a role in the way you receive and interact with media texts?
Do media producers shape texts to be aimed at educated, or less educated people?
Politics:
| Lawless Britain: Hoodie Hell | |
| Brand new documentary series investigating the alarming increase in violence and crime on UK streets, beginning with a look at the groups of young people whose lives centre around anti-social behaviour. | |
People of what particular political persuasion might be interested in this documentary? Is this linked to class?
If you knew this documentary was being broadcast on Bravo would it effect your answer?
What about if it was being broadcasting on BBC 4?
Why is it important for some media institutions to be apolitical?
Location (geographical & local): Is where you live important in the eyes of media producers?
If so why?
Is it linked to gender, family, age, class, ethnicity, religion, education, wealth, politics?
The world is a smaller place because of the advancements in technology, how does this effect the make-up of audiences and all of the categories above?
2. The audience as a market place...
Media producers and marketeers think beyond the initial consumption of a media text by an audience.
Media organisations aim to build relationships that last, encouraging audience members to buy into the product, both mentally and physically.
Disney are the masters at building this type of relationship with their audiences, this is sometimes known as disneyfication.
‘High School Musical’
Movie – DVD-stage show – ice show
CD - Stationary – Karaoke
Sticker Album – lunch boxes
Dance Mat – Dolls – clothing
Sing a long showings - competitions
Marketing is a big part of the media industry and to market to an audience, organisations must know their audience.
How do the producers of your media text, know their audience? And how do they create an interactive relationship, that could have some longevity?
Think about: Websites, blogs, posters, radio programmes, tv programmes, DVD's, singles, albums, live albums, special editions, directors cut, making of, fanclubs, clothes, toys, ornaments, memorabilia, interviews with the star vehicles, documentaries, theme parks, lunch boxes, bed spreads........................
3. Counting Audiences
Film:
Figures based on box office receipts. [tickets sold, then DVDs bought/ rented
[Subtract production costs to find profit = success] Box Office Figures
Print:
Circulation [copies read]
Audit Bureau of Circulation http://www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=nav/abc&noc=y
Radio / TV:
Viewing figures. Sample of population, viewing/listening habits monitored for 7 days.
Broadcast Audience Research Board BARB
Radio Joint Audience Research: BARB
Music: Traditionally always measured by singles/album sales. The internet has had a big impact, there are now download charts which can be monitored but there are also many files sharing sites, which cannot be monitored. Music Sales
New Media: Monitored through number of subscriptions to specific websites, or by the number of hits on websites. Again difficult to monitor but important to advertisers who want to know the size of their audiences. Monitoring Hits
4. Audience Theories
There are many theories which try and understand how audiences interact with the media but they are all only theories. They seek to try and understand the types of relationships the media has with its audiences and how they are formed.
Hypodermic Needle Effect
Suggests media is capable of ‘mass manipulation’
Audience believe what they see
Gullible audience:
War of the world s (1938 radio broadcast)
April fools – BBC Panorama spaghetti tree!!!
Two Step Flow Model
Paul Lazarsfeld & Elihu Katz
Mass media information is channeled to the "masses" through opinion leadership. The people with most access to media, and having a more literate understanding of media content, explain and diffuse the content to others.
They pass on their opinions and interpretations.
Uses & Gratifications
Jay G. Blumler and Elihu Katz
Audience has a set of needs that are met by the media.
Diversion
Surveillance
Personal identity
Personal relationship
Reception Analysis
Text is not passively accepted - audience interpret meaning based on individual cultural background or life experience.
Programme is encoded by the producer and decoded by the audience.
Opositional / negotiated readings
Stuart Hall – CCCS (Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Birmingham)
Audience Theories
Audience Readings:
Dominant / Hegemonic:
Reader recognises and agrees with preferred reading.
Oppositional:
Reader recognises but rejects preferred reading (for cultural/political/ideological reasons)
Negotiated:
Reader accepts, rejects or refines elements of the programme due to previously held views
5. How do the media represent us?
Representation:
Do the media suggest to large audiences that x or y character is typical of that group, and therefore that the whole group should be viewed in certain ways?
Stereotypes
Negative / Positive
Coronation Street / Eastenders
Cultures - corner shop owners
Sean – Camp
Battersby family.
Hugh Grant:
Notting Hill, 4 Weddings & a Funeral, Love Actually.
Representation in the media
Studying represenataion
Audience Readings:
Dominant / Hegemonic:
Reader recognises and agrees with preferred reading.
Oppositional:
Reader recognises but rejects preferred reading (for cultural/political/ideological reasons)
Negotiated:
Reader accepts, rejects or refines elements of the programme due to previously held views
5. How do the media represent us?
Representation:
Do the media suggest to large audiences that x or y character is typical of that group, and therefore that the whole group should be viewed in certain ways?
Stereotypes
Negative / Positive
Coronation Street / Eastenders
Cultures - corner shop owners
Sean – Camp
Battersby family.
Hugh Grant:
Notting Hill, 4 Weddings & a Funeral, Love Actually.
Representation in the media
Studying represenataion
See what Stuart Hall makes of reprsentation...
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