We have been studying the impact of Reality TV on the audience through textual analysis.One of the Questions we have analysed is why the audiences find appeal in the concept of ,effectively, watching other people live their lives.
I think the appeal is easiest to identify in the modern world. For example, for the same reasons people take great intrest in Reality TV, the same mind sets and themes are what drives social networking. If you're on Facebook, you consume mass amounts of other peeoples lives. A portion of them is on the web, for all to see.
Both tend to be interactive experiences as well. If you dislike somone on a show like Big Brother then you can interact by voting them off. If you're on Facebook and somone posts content you disagree with, you can block them as a friend. Reality TV and Social Networking allow you to become a part of someones life that you don't know, without any consequences. We all have a nosy neighbour quality.
I have explored Audience Response theories in my textual analysis, which explain WHY the audience feel this way. I felt the best application here was the Uses and Gratifications theory, which explains how the audience get something out of the experience.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Week 5 - Censorship
The Media industry isn't free to produce and distribute products as they like. As with most industries, there are regulations that must be met. In the media industy there are strict rules on Censorship and Certification. Individual sectors of the industry have their governing bodies and all published media has to meet the requirements of the Obscene Publications Act.
While we know about organisations like the BBFC and PEGI, the question this yar is more about the relationship between producer and audience. Is it justifiable to make explicit movies and call them art. Who are they aiming this material at?
Often explicit material is good for creating media hype around a product. For example, when games like Grand Theft Auto are released, the medias scare mongering about the harmful effects of themes in the game could cause more people to want to buy it. The main hope of the powers that be is to protect children from explicit content. However, younger audiences have always wanted to see censored media and making a fuss about often helps with sales. We all want what we can't have.
Also we live in a desensitized society, were extreme, explicit content is everyday, on our news, in our TV shows and importantly, freely available on the internet. The question for both producers and distributors is, can anything shock the public anymore, and can we censor art?
While we know about organisations like the BBFC and PEGI, the question this yar is more about the relationship between producer and audience. Is it justifiable to make explicit movies and call them art. Who are they aiming this material at?
Often explicit material is good for creating media hype around a product. For example, when games like Grand Theft Auto are released, the medias scare mongering about the harmful effects of themes in the game could cause more people to want to buy it. The main hope of the powers that be is to protect children from explicit content. However, younger audiences have always wanted to see censored media and making a fuss about often helps with sales. We all want what we can't have.
Also we live in a desensitized society, were extreme, explicit content is everyday, on our news, in our TV shows and importantly, freely available on the internet. The question for both producers and distributors is, can anything shock the public anymore, and can we censor art?
Monday, 17 October 2011
Week 4 - Media Theories
We have been looking at 3 important Meida Theories this week. The theories are all about how Media Producers want us to consume and think about the Media they produce. The Three Theories, The Hypodermic Needle Model, Reception Theory and Uses and Gratifications.
Hypodermic Needle Model: This suggests that the Media text has a direct and immediate effect on the passive audience. It is quite a flat concept in that it is supposed to be that for instance, if a TV advert for Milk says "Buy Milk" the audience will immediatley want to buy some. The theory is the basis for propoganda and advertising, as you are trying to tell people what to think and feel. In a media savvy age, the majority of the audience won't be affected, but there is still the chance that someone will be affected strongly.
Reception Theory: This suggests that Media is upfor interpretation. The Producer Encodes the text with a message, through the visuals, sound, themes etc. It is up to the Audience to then Decode the message and take a meaning from it. Obviously the theory allows for people to take different meanings from the same visuals. However, Producers tend to have a point they are trying to make and will use familiar elements to attract the audience. As we have learnt in the previous sections of this Unit, you can use codes and conventions and genre to to create familiar elements for the aduience.
Uses and Gratification: This theory works on the idea that Media consumption is an interactive experience, and the Audience gets something out of viewing your media. For instance, a viewer could watch a Soap such as Eastenders to fill the need for real world relationships. The audience feels they know the characters, and so do their friends, as if they are real people with real lives. Another example of Gratification would be entertainment. For instance people watch horror for the entertainment factor in fear.
These are simplified to their core values, as obviously each piece of media has a different effect on each person. We can use these Theories to generalise when analysisng Media Texts. It can give us further ideas on how the audience thinks and feels, so we as Media Producers can create more content accordingly.
Hypodermic Needle Model: This suggests that the Media text has a direct and immediate effect on the passive audience. It is quite a flat concept in that it is supposed to be that for instance, if a TV advert for Milk says "Buy Milk" the audience will immediatley want to buy some. The theory is the basis for propoganda and advertising, as you are trying to tell people what to think and feel. In a media savvy age, the majority of the audience won't be affected, but there is still the chance that someone will be affected strongly.
Reception Theory: This suggests that Media is upfor interpretation. The Producer Encodes the text with a message, through the visuals, sound, themes etc. It is up to the Audience to then Decode the message and take a meaning from it. Obviously the theory allows for people to take different meanings from the same visuals. However, Producers tend to have a point they are trying to make and will use familiar elements to attract the audience. As we have learnt in the previous sections of this Unit, you can use codes and conventions and genre to to create familiar elements for the aduience.
Uses and Gratification: This theory works on the idea that Media consumption is an interactive experience, and the Audience gets something out of viewing your media. For instance, a viewer could watch a Soap such as Eastenders to fill the need for real world relationships. The audience feels they know the characters, and so do their friends, as if they are real people with real lives. Another example of Gratification would be entertainment. For instance people watch horror for the entertainment factor in fear.
These are simplified to their core values, as obviously each piece of media has a different effect on each person. We can use these Theories to generalise when analysisng Media Texts. It can give us further ideas on how the audience thinks and feels, so we as Media Producers can create more content accordingly.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Week 2 and 3
After doing an investigation on why media producers target their audiences, we are now moving onto how they target audiences. One of the ways companies do this is by producing products with familiar codes and conventions. These are identifiable elements for the audience, so they know what they are getting. For instance, a Horror film will always have the codes and conventions of things like blood, darkness, violence, scary music etc. Media producers can use these individual codes and conventions so that an audience can feel comfortable with new product.
We looked at Sit Coms (situation comedies), as an example of a format which has strong codes and conventions. Why is this? Producers are always making new Sit Coms as they are so popular. And how do you make something enitrely new intresting to an audience? You give it that genres codes and conventions so the audience knows the format already. Codes and conventions of Sit Coms include a "laugh track", a domestic settings, a small group of family or friend characters, 3 or 4 sets, exagerated characters. By comparing both traditional and new sit coms, you can see, where even in brand new, experimental products, producers keep familiar elements to keep it appealing to the audience.
We have moved onto looking at Meida theories, such as the Hypodermic Theory, looking at other ways producers target their products and campaigns.
We looked at Sit Coms (situation comedies), as an example of a format which has strong codes and conventions. Why is this? Producers are always making new Sit Coms as they are so popular. And how do you make something enitrely new intresting to an audience? You give it that genres codes and conventions so the audience knows the format already. Codes and conventions of Sit Coms include a "laugh track", a domestic settings, a small group of family or friend characters, 3 or 4 sets, exagerated characters. By comparing both traditional and new sit coms, you can see, where even in brand new, experimental products, producers keep familiar elements to keep it appealing to the audience.
We have moved onto looking at Meida theories, such as the Hypodermic Theory, looking at other ways producers target their products and campaigns.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Week One - Introduction
We have now spent our first week looking over Defining Audiences. Probably the most important factor to a media producer developing a product is thinking about a Target Audience. Why define an audience?
- It maximizes your profitability. Money isn't wasted trying to get the product to disinterested groups, and hopefully it will be successful with the Target Audience.
- You can create a Consumer Breakdown, finding out who's buying.
- And then with this further find out who to aim you product at.
- To become the market leader in a specific target audience.
There are many reasons but basically it gives you maximum potential success, and minimum potential failure.
The next step is to focus on the worksheet. For this I will be looking closely at the Audience rating bodies, BARB, and RAJAR as well as developing my own survey/questionnaire.
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