You are on page 1of 5

Assembled spectators, listeners, viewers

etc of people.
For a film you have to think about the
audience your film will cater for, you
need to consider what age group you
are targeting, what the genre of your
film is and specific themes and scenes
that will be shown on screen.

What is reading? The way the viewers interpret a media


text.
Preferred Reading: The people who produce media texts
have a certain meaning in mind when they create it. They
hope the audience will decode their text in a specific way
(especially when it comes to advertisement).
Dominant Reading: The way the majority of people in
society interpret a text.
Oppositional Reading: Audiences can chose to read a
text in anyway that pleases them. Frequently when an
audience (for whom the text was not originally targeted.
e.g. girls looking at boys magazine etc.) will interpret it in a
completely different way to how the producers intended.
Negotiated Reading: When the audiences interpretation
of the text both accepts and rejects the meanings the
producers were trying to emphasise.

Lasswell suggested (in 1948) that the media texts had specific functions
for individuals and society.
- Surveillance, Correlation, Entertainment, Cultural Transmission

Bulmer and Katz later expanded in 1974, when researchers Bulmer and
Katz published their own theories, stating individuals might choose and
use texts for
- Diversion/Entertainment: Audiences can use media texts as a form of
escapism as well as relaxation. They can also be used as a means of
filling time and as an emotional release or, even sexual arousal.
- Personal Relationships/ Social Interaction: Media texts can help people
identify with others and gain a sense of belonging and provide a basis
for conversation and social interaction. It can also act as a substitute for
real life companionship. Texts can also help others gain an insight to
other peoples lives and share a sense of social empathy.
- Personal Identity: Media texts can help people find reinforcement for
their personal values and models of behaviour. It can also help the
audience gain an insight to them-self
- Surveillance/Information: Audiences can use media texts to educate
themselves about relevant events/conditions (e.g. the weather) or look
to it for advice about practical matters or assist in decision making. It
helps to satisfy viewers curiosity and general interest and provides a
feeling of security throughout knowledge.

Bulmer and Katz:


the Gratifications theory assumes we actively seek out
media to satisfy individual needs. The uses and
gratifications theory looks to answer three questions:

1.What to do people do with the media?


2.What are their underlying motives for using said media?
3.What are the pros and cons of this individual media use?
It is the integration that the audience does for the media
that helps sales, for example buying of the product,
cinema ticket sales. e.g. linking to the horror genre as this
would change screening times.
Therefore you would consider these questions when
looking at the horror genre, the questions can be applied
to any genre and therefore you can use it with the horror
genre.

You might also like