Theorists:

Narrative Thriller

Introduction:

*made use of linear structure, where events in film were told in a chronological order of B.M.E

Propp:

*Character types ‘Villain’ and ‘victim’.

*Audience deploys knowledge of character types in order to decode the meaning of the text.

*Use of MES, arbitrary helps to construct the Thriller connotation.

Todorov:

*Linear structure of Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and New equilibrium.

Barthes:

*creating enigma, 5 narrative codes which audience use to decode texts.

*’Objective POV’ viewer is treated at the observer.

*’Invisible editing’ used in Hollywood, created shots that supported the narrative rather than dominating the narrative enabling the storyline and characters being the main focal point.

*motivated edits.

MES:

*technical codes- visual and aural. (camera shots, voiceover?)

Levi-Strauss:

*Binary opposites. GD vs Evil.

Conclusion:

To conclude, I believe that I successfully met the important aspects that create a strong narrative relating specifically to the genre of a ‘Thriller’ mainly because I was able to connect my ideas well to the theorists I have mentioned

GENRE: MUSIC VIDEO

*Audience- Abercrombie ‘boundaries between genre are shifting and are becoming more permeable’. Hybrid genre, attracts a wider audience. Useful ‘Hook’.

*Codes & Conventions- Mittell- used genre to sell my product through stylistic approach which also represented ideologies of the artists representation of ‘role model’.

Symbolic- MES, lighting, costume etc what did this effect create?

Uses & gratifications- Bulmer and Katz – potential pleasures genre includes. Empathy of escapism, hyper-real state representing freedom.

Altman: ‘set of pleasures’ emotional, visceral and intellectual. Emotional pleasure relates to mine because of the response it receives from the audience.

Conclusion:

I believe my work has successfully met genre conventions through maintaining the theorists that I feel had a good relation to my production. I would however criticise the uses and gratifications theory of the audience being able to chose the media that we consume from what is available to watch as on television such as music channels the audience are given no choice or control over what videos are shown.

AUDIENCE:   music video

Introduction-

*Specific genre my music video appealed to

*Mulvey- ‘the Gaze’ (voyeurism).

Uses & gratifications- McQuail- two reasons  ‘personal identity’ models our behaviour (identifying with characters or artists). ‘Entertainment’ watch for enjoyment, pleasure.

Hartley- institutions understand what the audience want because trends and styles and preferences, I wanted to create a stylist more aesthetically pleasing video. Use of location etc.

‘Two step flow theory’: ‘Opinion leaders’ influence media has on our behaviour (whether it controls or changes us). More likely to be affected by media if we discuss it.

Hall:

*adopt one of three readings: preferred, negotiated or oppositional. Producer encodes and audience decodes.

Ang:

*difficult to distinguish a specific target audience, thorough research into existing fan bases, social networking etc.

Hyperdermic needle theory:

*audience is passive and powerless to resist. This idea was used to control audiences equalling to benefitting capitalism and the government. In my production, I aimed to achieve the effect of power and a method promoting the artist through exciting visual content and the hyper real state in which the artist is presented in the video.

Representation: Music Video

Intro:

What is being represented within your music video?

A form of reality?

The lyrics of the song?

The music?

The artist?

A theme within the narrative? A movement – feminism?

Paragraph 1: Stereotypes/Audience

*Young, powerful women, role model. Done this through, costume

Paragraph 2:

Paragraph 3: Genre

Hall- *adopt one of three readings: preferred, negotiated or oppositional. Producer encodes and audience decodes. Representations becoming established through ‘repetition’ and a ‘common sense status’ through the ‘performative nature’ of texts (we know what a car chase feels like because we have seen in within a media text).

Mulvey: The ‘male gaze’.

Paragraph 3:

Media languageà

semiotics, genre, narrative, design, structure, codes and conventions, time and space, aesthetics, spoken, written and visual language.

POST PRODUCTION

*Introduction:

From studying media studies from AS level to A-level, I believe that I have developed and honed my research and planning skills for my future career in Media. This is because I have made two different successful productions which were a Thriller opening which was based on the concept of a suspenseful ‘stalking’ and ‘moral conflicts’ type. In contrast to a music video which was the advanced production where I created this based on a conceptual/performance type video, where it focussed on one main artist representing her image of being a strong, independent powerful women.

*Pre-production:

Through the course of the two years I encountered vast and thorough research in order for my productions to be a success. In both years I carried out very similar research however, the research I performed in A2 was more defined and effective as I was working as if I were in industry. I carried out primary research which included creating mood-boards, which were to capture inspiration and develop my ideas. In AS my mood-board was specific to a film called ‘Train Spotting’ which as a class we used an influence for ideas, further on in A2 the mood-board I created was more flexible in ideas as the song choice I had chosen was a bricolage of different genres therefore this enabled me to be more creative and incorporate ideas that I had learnt about ‘hyperreality’ from theorists such as Baudrillard.

Important research that had the most impact on both productions was gaining audience feedback. I found that when creating the music video, I was searching for a varied target audience, therefore I used existing artists profiles who had a similar identity and sound to my chosen artist as they would already have an existing fan base that I could feed my production details and videos out to them to gain the right audience feedback that would be valid and reliable seen as the music video would attract the same audience. To do this I used social networking sites such as ‘MySpace’ as this is where the most popular music orientated form of web2.0 for getting music noticed, I also used Facebook to create a fan page for friends of my own (who are of a similar target audience) to ‘like’ the fan page and become involved in this, similarly to Twitter however this method was not valid as I was not able to benefit from it as much as I had hoped because the video was only seen on a small scale where I just gained peer feedback for those who had time and showed an interest. Although this was the case it was not completely useless as I did manage to gain little feedback which I used to develop my music video further to ensure that it was successful. At AS level I uploaded my video to YouTube to gain views and feedback but I only managed to gain feedback from peers in my class. The feedback I gained I did not develop my idea further on from this, I just used it to evaluate the success I had made from that.

Throughout the pre-production process it was crucial that I was organised. From learning this in AS, when it came to A2 my organisation skills were much improved as I was learning industry standard process that I should/could have used in AS. Such processes were production schedules, location recees, call sheets and risk assessments. In AS I had created a production schedule that was very basic, it had only included details of location and a shot list, although I had created a detailed shot list, it is also important to have had a detailed description of locations, which is where in A2 I learnt about a Location Recee and a more detailed and professional production schedule that listed everything needed on set for each day that I spent filming. I also realised the importance of a Risk Assessment as it is a requirement that is very crucial when filming.

*Production/Post-production:

For both productions researching into the ‘genre’ was key in the contribution towards making my production a success, as knowledge on know the correct codes and conventions that resemble the genre would help establish the purpose of each production. 

03/06/12 Genre essay

Genre: Music Video (2)

Genre is a critical tool that is used to categorise different texts from one another through forms and conventions such as style and audience responses. What help to familiarise a genre is the instant recognisable patterns, techniques and conventions that include setting, mise-en-scene, plot, technical features, characters and format. I will be talking about how the music video I produced has successfully met the key concept of genre.

Audience: The track I used for my music video has range of sub-genres such as hybrid ambient sound with electro and Dubstep creating a new hybrid genre. This attracts a wider audience. Genre is a useful ‘hook’ for an audience, trailers for example will clearly indentify the genre along with the establishing of enigma which will draw the audience to resolve, this genre attracts an audience. However, Abercrombie (1996) suggests that ‘the boundaries between genre are shifting and becoming more permeable’ which I agree to some extent as the music video I created is a bricolage of several sub-genres which is becoming more common in music production in recent years which enables to audience more choice in taste of likening more than one genre for one type of artist.

Codes and conventions: Mittell has argued that genres are cultural categories that surpass the boundaries of media texts and operate within industry, audience and cultural practices as well. Being familiar with codes and conventions I believe that I was able to use genre to sell my product through the use of stylistic approach to the music video and the representation that the video offers through ideologies and the way in which the artist was presented. This meant that the target audience were more like to consume the music video because it was fulfilling their particular pleasure. I used symbolic does through the representation of the artist who is presented as a young, powerful independent woman who has a ‘role model’ figure which the target audience would feel more likely to identify themselves with thus developing an emotional release from this. I found that when it came to using genre to sell my product through research on existing artists that have a very similar sound to the artist I created I was able to reference and achieve the right genre through looking at the already given audience and fan base where I was able to learn more about the genre in which they like and what the characteristics are that the audience define them with making them recognisable. Such symbolic codes that include of mis-en-scene that had relation to genre were the costume that the artist wore which was black and sparkly which also represented energy. I used a lot of ways to incorporate lighting which was enhanced through extra lighting objects such as ‘sparklers’ and ‘fairy lights’ which gave a soft lighting effect to emphasise the ambient music style.

Uses and gratifications: Uses and gratifications’ Blumer and Katz has identified many potential pleasures of genre that include ‘pleasure’ from particular genres because of our familiarity with it and the sense of emotional pleasures of empathy of escapism. In the music video that I created the audience definitely will achieve the sense of ‘escapism’ because of the ‘hyperreal’ state in which the video visuals provide to the audience, where I have used locations such as London at night time with the energetic lighting and freedom. I also believe that the audience when watching the music video will gain aesthetic enjoyment because of the creativity of the simulation of the performer singing in the hyperreal state.

Further on, a similar approach I also believe that my production offers what Altman has argued as ‘a set of pleasures’, he explain three type of pleasures, ‘emotional’, ‘visceral’ and ‘intellectual’ pleasures. The one pleasure that my production relates best to is having an emotional pleasure, as the audience generate a strong response to my music video. In order to successful meet the emotional principle, I found that by using certain shot types such as close ups and the use of mise-en-scene would help support the genre. The close-up shots provided the ambient genre creating the more personal appeal to the audience allowing the audience to feel empathy and build up emotion towards the artist.

I believe my work has successfully met genre conventions through maintaining the theorists that I feel had a good relation to my production. I would however criticise the uses and gratifications theory of the audience being able to chose the media that we consume from what is available to watch as on television such as music channels the audience are given no choice or control over what videos are shown.

GENRE essay

Genre: (Music Video)

Genre is a critical tool that is used to categorise different texts from one another through forms and conventions such as style and audience responses. The production I will be talking about is the music video I produced where I challenged genre conventions through the bricolage of more than one genre, which attracts a larger audience. Therefore I found it very hard to distinguish the exact genre of my music video. My music video was a hybrid of genres as it had a mixture of ambient sound, with a Dubstep and electro instrumental. The concept of our music video however, was conceptual which held very little narrative structure, yet through the use of ambient sound it ensured that the video had a personal appeal. To represent dubstep and electro which is very energetic and exciting the use of location of London achieves this.

‘Uses and gratifications’ research has identified many potential pleasures of genre that include ‘pleasure’ from particular genres because of our familiarity with it and the sense of emotional pleasures of empathy of escapism. In the music video that I created the audience definitely will achieve the sense of ‘escapism’ because of the ‘hyperreal’ state in which the video visuals provide to the audience, where I have used locations such as London at night time with the energetic lighting and freedom. Similarly Chandler defines a genre.....

Mittell has argued that genres are cultural categories that surpass the boundaries of media texts and operate within industry, audience and cultural practices as well. Being familiar with codes and conventions I believe that I was able to use genre to sell my product through the use of stylistic approach to the music video and the representation that the video offers through ideologies and the way in which the artist was presented. This meant that the target audience were more like to consume the music video because it was fulfilling their particular pleasure. The artist is a presented as a young, powerful independent woman who has a ‘role model’ figure which the target audience would feel more likely to be interested in. I found that when it came to using genre to sell my product through research on existing artists that have a very similar sound to the artist I created I was able to reference and achieve the right genre through looking at the already given audience and fan base where I was able to learn more about the genre in which they like and what the characteristics are that the audience define them with making them recognisable.

Further on, a similar approach I also believe that my production offers what Altman has argued as ‘a set of pleasures’, he explain three type of pleasures, ‘emotional’, ‘visceral’ and ‘intellectual’ pleasures. The one pleasure that my production relates best to is having an emotional pleasure, as the audience generate a strong response to my music video. In order to successful meet the emotional principle, I found that by using certain shot types such as close ups and the use of mise-en-scene would help support the genre. The close-up shots provided the ambient genre creating the more personal appeal to the audience allowing the audience to feel empathy and build up emotion towards the artist.

Abercrombie (1996) ‘the boundaries between genre are shifting and becoming more permeable’ I agree to some extent with Abercrombies theory because many media texts are shifting and tend to meld, as with my music video production I believe to have mixed different aspects of electro/dubstep/ambient within the video through the visuals relationship between the music and visuals of the sound mixing with the style.

I believe my work has successfully met genre conventions through maintaining the theorists that I feel had a good relation to my production.

F.A.I.R - KEY CONCEPTS

EXAMPLE ESSAY:

Introduction:

Over the two years of Media Studies I have constructed to major productions which were a Thriller Opening and a Music video, which consisted of using different digital technologies in order to complete the productions to highest standard.

Main paragraphs:

Throughout the course including AS and A2 I used Blogger to document each section of my work. Blogger functions not only as a way in which I can display and write up posts regarding anything of interest or importance but also a type of social networking site, as I was able to interact with other pupils and individuals on the internet through connecting with them and commenting on their blogs. This was a great way to display all the work that I had created throughout my AS project as I was able to get constant feedback from others. However, in A2 I used another way to document the work I had produced through using a website called WIX. WIX was not only a way in which I documented majority of the work; I also used this as a marketing method for the Music Video that I created. The website I created went live, which meant that any person around the world was able to access my website and visualise it. I was able to access my website and Blogger from any computer that I had access to because I was using the Internet.

Premiere PRO for AS was relatively easy to learn how to use, whereas Final Cut Pro was more advanced but it did however have similarities to Premiere Pro. I had to spend longer getting to know how to use it. I was able to pick up the tools and develop my skills quickly ready for the post production of my music video where I completed preliminary tasks which offered me the opportunity to test and practice before my final production. Both programmes allowed me to use a variety of effects and transitions which enabled me to be very creative and explore different styles to make my work more aesthetically pleasing especially for my Music video.

Photoshop was used to edit and manipulate photos taken throughout the process of A2 especially for the professional photographs taken of the music artist I created. This is a professional editing software that has enabled me to hone my skills for further and also create the professional and stylistic photographs that are attractive to the target audience.

* Social Networking (FB, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube)

As part of the A2 course I was required to find an unsigned artist, therefore the best place to look for this was on the music social networking site MySpace, where it is bombarded with artists and bands who are unsigned and are wanting to be. This technology was beneficial as it meant I could search online for an artist and even find an already existing fan base which helped me out when it came to creating the fan base/target audience for my music video. Through the use of FaceBook, YouTube and Twitter, I was able to reach out to many different individuals with different taste and expectations. This benefited me as I was able to gather plenty of feedback and constructive ideas about my music video for development and improvement. I was also able to see the type of standard I needed to in order for my work to be on the professional scale.

What were the technical pros and cons of the hardware/software?

In what ways was technology used to create the production?

In what ways did the technology constrain or enable the production?

You might make some observations about how easy it is to get used to technology these days, particularly for young people who have access to it outside of an educational setting. Refer specifically to how you used the technology in particular tasks.

Now open up the question of creativity: what does it mean to you, and where have your ideas about creativity come from? What do other people say about what creativity might mean? How have the tasks themselves encouraged creativity? Refer to examples from what you have done.

(Note - Tripods are not digital! Sounds obvious but there's always someone who puts it in!)

Conclusion

Finally, try to bring together these strands - technology and creativity - to answer the question. Here you might refer to ways in which the technology has also allowed you to develop other skills - teamwork, organisation, planning, research, negotiation. You might finish by opening up to a wider conclusion - that digital technology has given media consumers the opportunity to become media producers too -particularly via web distribution, and that this, in turn, has allowed creative comment in wider communities such as YouTube.

How is Gorillaz pomo?

Examples of how the band is pomo?
- Four cartoon characters, two puppets, two choirs, dancers, backing singers, stars including De la Soul, Roots Manuva and Shaun Ryder, and most importantly a group of musicians in the mysterious anonymity of shadows, recently played a string of one-off gigs which reportedly will never be repeated. (HYPEREAL- branding)
- dub reggae, pop, hip-hop and rock, no new genres however, (combined genres to create their own unique sound)..they want to make their music more dynamic fitting into other genres therefore rejecting the idea of one genre and moving forward within that genre makes them pomo.
- Featured a lot of artists
- The Gorillaz a fan base that has, as he has himself, matured from Britpop, Hewlett brought his own fanbase, from 90s’ cult comic strip and film, Tank Girl, and if there’s one thing cult fans are willing to do to illustrate their fandom, it’s spend money. Far from being original, The Gorillaz simply cut up the pieces of established styles and genres, to create something new, a technique known in postmodernism as ‘bricolage’.

Postmodernism is at once both an aesthetic style, something we can recognise in media texts, and also a state of cultural being, the way we are. Culturally, postmodernism is a three-pronged fork:

• sociologically it describes the way society is increasingly characterised by consumerism, information technology, and globalisation
• psychologically it describes audiences’ increasing ability to navigate and communicate in the technologically driven modern world, but also the resulting changes to our sense of identity
• philosophically, it suggests that ‘absolute truths’ are non-existent, and questions the concept of ‘reality’.

'High concept' - The Gorillaz are a collection of musicians, making music in a generically ecletic style, almost anonymously. But that doesnt sell? not even in a media market where music snobs reject 'manufactured' pop and pseudo-individualised music is the music alone 'enough'.




How they challenge existing media by being pomo?
- Performing live shows as 'Viral personalities' (simulations of the real band). This separates the band from outside / reality of the 'cult of celebrity' so in reality the audience become fans of the fictional characters; the 'high concept' (marketing of the band) shifted their interest into the profitable realm of cult fandom. This shows that hyper-reality can capture an audience and people will pay to go and see characters which can be re-created on their own computers at home.


How you could argue that they are not pomo?



http://joechamberlaina2media.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/post-modernism-essay.html


key pomo words:
- Holographic Technology
- Pseudo - individualised (simulation)= partly individualised
- Bricolage
- Ecletic style (blurring & jumble) = hybridity
- Virtual personalities (simulation)
- Fragmentation (split into other bits)
- Celebrity (hyperreal)
- Superficial (shallow / lack in depth)

POMO – GORILLAZ & TOWIE

Introduction

Why do you consider them (Gorillaz, X-Factor, TOWIE) to be postmodern?

TOWIE- blurs between fact and fiction (stereotypes? A lot of it is staged but then we get flashes of reality of genuine emotions that go beyond the script which make us the audience wonder what the hell we are watching!?)

It’s extremely self-reflective.

The characters are extremely over the top, they are constructed to act that way.

Hybrid genres- docu-soap

Gorillaz- hybrid genres – dub, rock, pop, bricolage

characters

Which 'forms and style conventions' of Traditional Media do they challenge?

To what extent do you agree and disagree they do challenge?

Arguments for

1. Point - why PoMo, apply theory 

2. Example, 

3. Explanation of how this challenges traditional Media forms/conventions

Arguments against

1. Point - why PoMo, apply theory 

2. Example, 

3. Explanation of how this doesn't challenge traditional Media forms/conventions

Conclusion

To what extent does Gorillaz & Reality TV challenge traditional forms?

What aspects do you see as influential in developing Media Futures - where is our Media Culture headed?

TOWIE VS GORILLAZ

Essex…‘s most bemusing aspect is that it seems to straddle the very thin line between fact and fiction. A great deal of it is quite obviously staged and the delivery of lines is wooden at best. Every now and again however raw flashes of real, genuine emotion push past the script and cause the viewer to question what they are watching. The programme is extremely self-reflective. Cast members (characters?) frequently break the fourth wall and reference the fact that their lives are essentially staged, bickering over the importance of their individual roles in the performance. Much like in the novels of postmodern godfather Thomas Pynchon, in which characters break into songs regarding their situation at random intervals, Essex…simultaneously accepts and resists that it is a work of fiction. In this sense, it’s quite clever. I might go so far as to say it recognises the falseness in our own lives and presents an example of this going a bit too far, staging actual scenarios and waiting for real emotion to come through.


Characters are over the top to the point of ridiculousness, uncannily real yet utterly constructed at the same time


Gorillazz

POMO – GORILLAZ & TOWIE

Introduction

Why do you consider them (Gorillaz, X-Factor, TOWIE) to be postmodern?
BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN AUDIENCE, TEXT AND PRODUCER

TOWIE- blurs between fact and fiction (stereotypes? A lot of it is staged but then we get flashes of reality of genuine emotions that go beyond the script which make us the audience wonder what the hell we are watching!?)

It’s extremely self-reflective (aware of its own structure) docu-soap to show style as they are aware of being filmed.

The characters are extremely over the top, they are constructed to act that way.

Hybrid genres- docu-soap/reality show?

Gorillaz- hybrid genres – dub, rock, punk, bricolage LYOTARD
NO, the audience arnt involved all they do is consume the music.

Simulacra (BAUDRILLARD)
TOWIE- produced/use a script not real like a documentary
GORILLAZ- Their a simulated band,

Vacuous Narratives (empty, superficial, fame for fame's sake - no 'Grand-narrative')

characters


Self Reflexive (being aware of its construction/making the production process apparent
GORILLAZ- might be? they dont know they are simulated


Voyeurism
TOWIE- stars are always being watched by the audience, they are objects..
GORILLAZ- Performance is visual through animations of the characters, (image over music) 


Style over substance (Celebrity culture, superficial, vacuous, fame for fame's sake - no 'Grand-narrative'




TOWIE- Its more style over substance because the stars are famous for fames sake, theres no talent, its more about teir appearance and stereotype.
GORILLAZ- 


Intertextuality (think about how other Media & Celebrity Culture re-enforces the Show
TOWIE- 
GORILLAZ- Anime


Consumerism (music, culture, relationships become a commodity or product)
TOWIE- 
GORILLAZ- not only buying into their music but also their identity 


Hyper-reality (obviously this is crucially important: 'Reality TV?')

The characters are extremely over the top, they are constructed to act that way.
Gorillaz- 




GORILLAZ AND AUTHENTICITY!!!!!!!




Which 'forms and style conventions' of Traditional Media do they challenge?

To what extent do you agree and disagree they do challenge?

Arguments for

1. Point - why PoMo, apply theory 

2. Example, 

3. Explanation of how this challenges traditional Media forms/conventions

Arguments against

1. Point - why PoMo, apply theory 

2. Example, 

3. Explanation of how this doesn't challenge traditional Media forms/conventions

Conclusion

To what extent does Gorillaz & Reality TV challenge traditional forms?

What aspects do you see as influential in developing Media Futures - where is our Media Culture headed?

How do post modern media texts challenge traditional text-reader relations and the concept of representation?

Flow & Immersion- 
flow- (is a modern view on going where there is a clear structure and although the individual becomes involved and enjoys the challenge, they are able to shut the device off and understand the boundaries between real and virtual). (state in which people are so involved in an activity that 'nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it'.


Time distortion (no sense of time passing- real time), game time ans real time  become parallel realities.


immersion- (those who become so involved within the game, that they believe they are the game and they are the character and the actions they are doing is what they would do in society if they were allowed believes more and more members of society are becoming immerse gamers.  


Hyperreality-
able to create my own avatar and environment.


Fluid Identities- 
avatar: change body, skin, movement (animation overrides)
Movement: walk/run, swim, fly!!!!, drive, teleport!!!!




How does it challenge traditional forms and conventions?
communication: chat (like IMs), voice chat, notecards
Community: groups, group chat, notices
allows user to abandon the constraints of reality and enter a hyper real virtual world where anything is possible for example, the ability to be able to fly and teleport.


Unlike traditional games Second Life does not comply with rules or objective-riven game.
Does not comply to the conventions of genre, 3D movements and actions of avatars make it similar to video gaming, yet it also has the technology of being a social networking/chat room type that is globalised and allows users to talk to people from anywhere. 


Second Life still involves money in order to purchase a better standing and status. For example, at the beginning stages of creating your avatar you have very little choice in how you can change your appearance therefore in order to become more fashionable and to someone more 'attractive' you have to purchase the 'Linden Dollar'. Style vs Substance (Strinatis theory). 


Although Second Life is a virtual world where anything is possible, users still need to earn or have money as a reference to 'reality'. This creates the unavoidable link between a 'Second Life' and your own 'First life'.


Intertextuality: Starwars theme rooms, Robert Pattinson in the 'Vampire World'.
Lyotard- break down of meta-narratives = challenging the boundaries of human beings abilities e.g. flying or being able to change appearances automatically.

AUDIENCE essay

AUDIENCE: (MUSIC VIDEO)

Before producing the music video, finding the right target audience was fundamental. In order to find this audience, I had to look at the different categories and stereotypes of the type of audience the concept of my music video would fit in to. For example, the for the representation of the artist I created had a 'role model' figure who would be looked up to by those in their 'teen ages' such as 15+, however, due to her appeal of being attractive and of her own age, young adults would also relate to the artist. Another area we looked at for our target audience were 'gender', what particular gender would it appeals to? Well from research and personal opinion I found that from both male and female would be interested for different and similar reasons. For example, The 'Gaze' which is argued by Laura Mulvey as the female body is displayed for the male gaze in order to provide erotic pleasure for the male (voyeurism). Women are seen as more of an object; therefore men are likely to be more interested in the video and artist because of this. In order for this to be achieved, the artist was objectified by the camera lens for the audience to view the artist in a masculine point of view. Women and girls would be more interested because of the 'role model' fact, and also through the sense of identity and relation between the artist and their experiences.

According to uses and gratification theory as an audience we all have different uses for media and we make choices over what we want to watch. For two of the reasons that McQuail has identified that relate to the uses and gratifications that target the audience of my production are ‘personal identity’ which is regarding the fact that we use may watch something for models for our behaviour (identifying with characters or artists). For example, the background narrative to our artists life may be similar to an ordinary member of society therefore through watching our music video that member may feel that they can relate also through the use of lyrics. This is where the audience can build up emotion and identify themselves. The second is for ‘entertainment’ where the audience watch for enjoyment, relaxation or to fill the time. In particular the music video would be very appealing for the audience because of the choice of music/song along with the visuals and lyrics. The effect which these both have on the audience is the way in which we interpret the media and how we act upon it. From a personal view seen as the target audience was from my age range of eighteen, I was able to understand and relate to how the music video would make me feel and what I would particularly enjoy from the video. This was also done through Hartley’s idea of institutions and the consumers being able to understand what the audience want by looking at existing trends, style and preferences. Also I wanted to create the idea of escapism and making the music video more visually appealing with the use of locations and ‘hyperreal’ effect becoming absorbed with the media text and its way of escaping reality.

There is a such thing as the ‘Two step flow’ theory that suggests we are more likely to be affected by the media if we discuss it with others, our opinions are affected by the way our friends etc have viewed the media (known as ‘opinion leaders’ and the influence media has on our behaviour (whether it controls and changes us).

As a whole an active audience will adopt one of three readings whether it be a preferred reading (understanding and accepting the ideology offered), negotiated reading (understanding ideology offered, accepts some aspects but rejects other aspects) or the oppositional (audience interpret the ideology offered in an opposite way than it intended). Hall’s theory is based on how a producer will encode a text for the audience to decode it.  Their reading is affected by many contextual and personal factors such as age, social status, gender, current mood and personal experiences. To achieve this, I used a female artist who was young independent, attractive women who is represented as powerful; she was seen is in many locations of London at night with the lights and energy. This would suggest to the female audience that women are powerful and can be independent.

From Ang’s view, being able to select a specific target audience is getting harder because of the diverse categories in which audiences is segregated and differentiated from others. So when it came to distinguishes the target audience of my production I had to partake in thorough research on age, gender, social class and the possible stereotypes.

Lastly, in the idea of Frankfurt and the Hypodermic needle theory ideas, attitudes and beliefs are injected into audience’s minds. This theory shows that the audience are completely passive and powerless to resist. This idea was used to control audiences equalling to benefitting capitalism and the government. In my production, I aimed to achieve the effect of power and a method promoting the artist through exciting visual content and the hyper real state in which the artist is presented in the video.

As a whole I believe I successfully achieved the right target audience through approaching the theorists and applying them to my work.