MEDIA TEXTS & AUDIENCES Applying theories to audiences.
Today you will LEARN: To research and develop a focus on the importance of Audience in media studies. Why? To improve your research and presentation skills and reflect on your knowledge of a key concept relating to the games industry. Progress will be demonstrated by showing You can.research and identify the key features of audience in relation to contemporary video games. You can.evaluate the usefulness of your research into audience theory when selecting material to plan an essay response.. You can.evaluate the usefulness of your research into audience theory in creating your own sophisticated written response to the genre / games issue.
TEXT - TARGET AUDIENCE? Who do you think the target audience is for your chosen case study text? Jot down a quick profile of the audience. Consider gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic background, personality type. Consider the following Audience Theories, try to apply them and see if you can make your audience profile more sophisticated. As an extension think of an audience group who would dislike your text, this would be handy when considering who takes an oppositional reading to the messages embedded in your text?
MASLOW S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS Where does buying & watching media texts Fit into Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs?
AUDIENCE SOCIAL VALUE GROUPS Early Adopters Mainstreamers social value group self actualizers innovators esteem seekers strivers contented conformers traditionalists disconnected characteristics focused on people and relationships, individualistic and creative, enthusiastically exploring change, 'in a framework of non-prescriptive consideration for others'. self-confident risk-takers, seeking new and different things, setting their own targets to achieve. acquisitive and materialistic, aspiring to what they see are symbols of success, including things and experiences. attaching importance to image and status, as a means of enabling acceptance by their peer group, at the same time holding onto traditional values. wanting to be 'normal', so follow the herd, accepting of their circumstances, they are contented and comfortable in the security of their own making. averse to risk, guided by traditional behaviours and values, quiet and reserved, hanging back and blending in with the crowd. detached and resentful, embittered and apathetic, tending to live in the 'ever-present now.
AUDIENCE SOCIAL CLASS social grade % Pop. social status occupation A 4 upper middle class B 23 middle class C1 29 lower middle class higher managerial, administrative or professional intermediate managerial, administrative or professional supervisory or clerical, junior managerial, administrative or professional C2 21 skilled working class skilled manual workers D 15 working class semi and unskilled manual workers E 8 those at lowest level of subsistence state pensioners or widows (no other earner), casual or lowest grade workers
AUDIENCES & CONSUMERS OR MEDIA EFFECTS Hypodermic Needle Theory In the 1930s the Hypodermic model proposed that the mass media has a very direct and extremely immediate effect on the general public, who accept the injected messages without question due to their passiveness.
HYPODERMIC THEORY (CONT.) This theory tended to be applied to products such as day-time soaps, tabloid newspapers, rap music, men s lifestyle magazines, video nasties. These are produced by the mass media and can affect lots of people. Some people react strongly against this corruption and moral panics ensue about the effects on the unemployed, mothers at home, children, poorly educated etc.
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY More recently Uses & Gratifications theorists Blulmer & Katz argued that people's needs influence how they use and respond to a medium. The same media text may gratify different needs for different individuals. Different needs are associated with individual personalities, stages of maturation, backgrounds and social roles.
USES & GRATIFICATIONS (CONT.) This theory / model tells us that the audience is using the media rather than being used by it. The consumer selects a particular piece of media to satisfy a particular need, be it escapism in a game, find out information, form relationships or daily gossip. Some people consume particular media to be identified with peer groups, or they are fans of a particular film or product.
USES & GRATIFICATIONS: CATEGORIES OF AUDIENCE APPEAL Audiences tend to consume media for one, or more of the following reasons: Diversion / Escapism / Pleasure Surveillance / Information Personal Relationships (wasn t X good last night?) Personal Identification (oh that s like me!)
PICK AND MIX THEORY [DAVID GAUNTLETT] Life is like a box of chocoloates Gauntlett s Pick and Mix Theory is essential an extension of the Uses and Gratifications Theory. In it Gauntlett says that modern audiences can consume multiple media sources, filter them and pay attention when something actually engages their interest. Now audiences are much more active in their selection of media. Gauntlett states that Audiences are aware that their media consumption helps shape their image and will actively reflect on that consumption too.
UTOPIAN SOLUTIONS (RICHARD DYER) Media Academic Richard Dyer expands on the Uses and Gratifications theory and notions of escapism by suggesting that entertainment texts offer us Utopian Solutions. Utopias are perfect worlds. Through films and games we can experience an idealised world where we can see and do what we are denied in our real lives. Implicit in this is the notion that we all enjoy different forms of escapism.
RECEPTION THEORY (STUART HALL) Context is key to our understanding of the message. Different people react to different texts differently. A viewer s age, gender, social class, ethnicity, nationality all impact on our understanding. Dominant (Hegemonic) Reading the preferred reading of the film / text, or what the author intended you to take from the film. Negotiated Reading the viewer accepts much of what the film says, however, they negotiate certain elements of the text, not blindly taking all the message in. Oppositional (Counter-Hegemonic) Reading the viewer rejects the message or ideology of the text. This is usually the case when the viewer is from a different background to the producer of the text.
TWO STEP FLOW MODEL Katz and Lazarfeld developed a theory about Communications. First Step: Opinion Leaders (Film Critics etc) (media mavens) get information about a text from the mass media. Second Step: These people pass on the information and their opinion to others (often through the media). Word of mouth carries this on. Film Critics do this. YouTubers do this. Music Pundits do this. The internet facilitates this. Social media means we all do this. For many word of mouth endorsement from peers is the most powerful persuader.
AUDIENCES BY AGE (FILM) The classifications, as published in the BBFC guidelines, are as follows: U Universal, suitable for all. PG - Parental Guidance (general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children) 12 and 12A - Suitable for 12 years and older. No-one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. No-one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video or DVD. Responsibility for allowing under 12s to view lies with the accompanying or supervising adult. 15 - Suitable only for 15 years and over. No-one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video or DVD. 18 - Suitable only for adults. No-one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an 18 rated video or DVD. R18 Restricted. To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years.
AUDIENCES BY AGE (GAMES) PEGI 3 The content of games given this rating is considered suitable for all age groups. Some violence in a comical context (typically Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry cartoon-like forms of violence) is acceptable. The child should not be able to associate the character on the screen with real life characters, they should be totally fantasy. The game should not contain any sounds or pictures that are likely to scare or frighten young children. No bad language should be heard. PEGI 7 Any game that would normally be rated at 3 but contains some possibly frightening scenes or sounds may be considered suitable in this category. PEGI 12 Videogames that show violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy character and/or non graphic violence towards human-looking characters or recognisable animals, as well as videogames that show nudity of a slightly more graphic nature would fall in this age category. Any bad language in this category must be mild and fall short of sexual expletives. PEGI 16 This rating is applied once the depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. More extreme bad language, the concept of the use of tobacco and drugs and the depiction of criminal activities can be content of games that are rated 16. PEGI 18 The adult classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence and/or includes elements of specific types of violence. Gross violence is the most difficult to define since it can be very subjective in many cases, but in general terms it can be classed as the depictions of violence that would make the viewer feel a sense of revulsion.
TARGET AUDIENCE - RECAP After looking over these slides about a variety of audience theories, could you now give a more detailed profile of who you think the texts target audience is? Please write up your profile. Compare your thoughts on target audiences to the research you conducted about audiences. What similarities and differences did you discover?
MEDIA & AUDIENCE ESSAY Essay Question: Discuss the audience appeal of your media text in comparison to similar texts. When answering this question try to bring in points about the texts genre, the target audience, and include wider audience theories as possible. You may also want to consider any marketing strategies that you know your media producer has employed.