Audience and Audience's Theory

Audience and Audience's Theory

So far..

We have studied three theories of audience:

• The Effects model
• The uses and gratifications model
• Reception model

Now we will be looking at "SUTURE" and "Feminist film theory and Audiences".

Suture: Classical Hollywood narrative, editing,sound, , Mise en scene 'sutures' or positions the audience in certain ways making one PREFERRED reading (reception theory)possible, however unconscious the audience is of that position.

Feminist Film  Theory and Audiences:

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist and a film maker. She is known as the "intellectual landscape of media studies. Laura Mulvey is best known for her essay which was written in 1973 but published in 1975 in the British Film theory journal screen. It was called the "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema".  Below  you will find a summary of what she mentions in her essay.



Cinema reflects society: 
Does it really reflect society? In class we had a discussion on whether the cinema does reflect the society, the answer was yes by all the students including the teachers.

Therefore cinema  represents a patriarchal society: 
This means that the society is male dominated, in real life the men are at the top of the hierarchy, For example in the UK women has been banned from being bishops as it has been said that the bible does not allow women to do so. In our government itself, there's only one woman who is important in the parliament and the rest are males. In the House of Lords or Courts, the judges and barristers are mostly men. This shows that the male has a huge impact on society and therefore they dominate.

How does a patriarchal society manifests itself in cinema?
In many movies, it is mainly the male that goes out to work and seem to have the power. This shows that the males do dominate the society and even on screens. It's a stereotype as men are often the "Bread winner", This could be controversial because women these days would refuse to agree because women can do what men can do nowadays so why do we differentiate? There are women out there working as the "bread winner" instead of the man.

The Gaze:
"The gaze of the camera is the male gaze", this means that the camera looks at a woman through a males point of view. As the camera "man" is most of the time males therefore even the camera sees things through a man's eyes. There is only 3% of female directors in Hollywood and the British Film Industry therefore women struggle to make movies however in IRAN the issue is different, most of the film makers there is mostly females.

-The male gaze is active, the female passive.

Within the narrative male characters direct their gaze towards female characters:

 Do women look at males the same way as males look at women? In the class discussion, we found out that males always look at a female character as an object that fulfills an erotic desire.

The spectator is made to identify with the male-gaze, because the camera films from the optical as well as the libidinal, point of view of the male character. Thus three levels of the cinematic gaze "camera-character-and spectator" that objectify the female character.In most movies, females are treated as an object  to be looked at as they're presented as an "object of erotic desires". A woman's role in most movies of seducing men and therefore the man is always the protagonist.

The triple gaze is seen in James's Bond's Dr No.

In this particular scene he camera uses the "male gaze", it begins with a close up shot of Bond's face and it jump cuts to a Long shot of Ursula, We are able to see the expression of Bond's face as he raises his eyebrows which shows he's seen "something interesting". We then switch back to a long, long shot of Ursula  which shows that he is still gazing at her fully. Bond says "Im just looking" which suggests that he is looking at Ursula as an "Object of desire" as if there is female audience watching this movie, they are compelled to watch what the men enjoy watching.

With this theory, the women are forced to look at the screen as if they're males, (preferred reading). Movies are constructed to suit the men's needs which ends up confusing the females, this occurs through the process of suture.

Mulvey's essay also consists of Agency, it's been said that the in classical Hollywood cinema, the male protagonist has agency:
He is powerful and active and is the agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds.

Whereas...
The women are passive and powerless and simply an object of desire for protagonist and audience.
-Mulvey argues that women has two role in films:

• As an object of erotic desire for  characters
• As an object of erotic desire for audiences

In this scene Hale Berry is an "Object of erotic desire" to both the protagonist (Bond) and the audience viewing this scene. Hale Berry uses her body language in order to seduce the audience and protagonist. Bond later says "What a spectacular view" which is obviously referring to her body as his eyes were on her. The fact that there was use of slow motion when she was coming out of the sea shows that it is all intentional, it is deliberately there so that the males can look at Berry as the object.

The completed Music Video.

After all those troubles we've faced, Finally we have the music video!!

Real Artist: Arjun ft Raxstaar

Music: Stargazer

Reception Theory

Give that the Effects model and The uses and gratification have their problems and limitations a different approach to audiences was developed by the academic 'STUART HALL' at Birmingham University in 1970's.

Stuart Hall.

Stuart Hall is one of Britain's leading academic and one of the very first black academic. Also known as founding the father's of media studies.

Stuart Hall has become one of the main proponents of reception theory, and developed Hall's theory of encoding and decoding. This approach to textual analysis focuses on the scope for negotiation and opposition on the part of the audience. This means that the audience does not simply passively accept a text, social control.

Reception Theory considers how texts were encoded with meaning by produces and then decoded by audiences.

Encoded: The original meaning
Decoded: What audiences interpretation was: What they've understood by it.

The theory suggests that:

• When a producer construct a text, it is encoded with a meaning and message that the producer wished to convey to the audiences. (Every text created has it's meaning and message to be sent across)
• In some cases, the audiences will correctly decode the message or meaning by understanding the message intended.
• Sometimes the audiences will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message.

Stuart Hall identified three types of audience reading (or decoding) of the text:

1. DOMINANT OR PREFERRED.
2. NEGOTIATED
3. OPPOSITIONAL

1) Dominant

This is where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to and broadly agrees with it. (The right message came across to the audience)

For example: While watching a political message and agreeing with what's been said.

2) Negotiated

Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views.(Don't really care or just on either side)

3)Oppositional: Where the dominant meaning or recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons.

E.g Neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested. 

A good example is the Song 'Born in the USA' which was played in support of Ronald Ragen to become president. Many listen to the song and "think" that he's just telling the audience that being an American is a proud and patriotic thing and the citizens of American are instantly drawn into thinking that he may be a good president since he shows much pride. BUT!

What is the actual meaning of the song? What's the singer trying to say?

Looking back at the lyrics, you will find that it's about a hard background of living and being in the USA, it looks back into this person's bitter life who had to go to Vietnam for the war.

This song is an example of Oppositional as many people will agree that being an American is a great thing to do whereas others look at the lyrics and disagree which is what the producer wants.

The uses and gratifications model.

The Uses and Gratifications Model is the 'OPPOSITE' of the Effects model.

It suits everyone different interests and temperaments, gender and age.

The audience are more:

• active and no longer passif
• uses the texts and NOT used by it
• uses the texts for it's own gratification or pleasure.- Your needs and wants are being satisfied.

The power lies with the audience, this theory emphasises what audiences do with media texts, how and why they use them. Audience are free to reject, use or play with media meanings.

Audiences therefore use media texts to gratify needs for: 

• Diversion
• Escapism
• Information
• Pleasure: takes away any stress or anger.
• Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one's own.
• Sexual stimulation.

The audiences is in control and consumption of media helps people with issues such as:

• Learning
• Emotional Satisfaction
• Relaxation
• Help with issues of personal identity
• Help with issues of social identity
• Help with issues of aggression and violence

Controversially the theory suggests the consumption of violent images can be helpful rather than harmful. This theory suggests that the audience acts out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence. The audience's inclination towards violence is therefore sublimated, and they are less likely to commit violent acts.