AUDIENCES INTRO

Audience Explained

'Audience' is a very important concept throughout media studies. All media texts are made with an audience in mind, ie a group of people who will receive it and make some sort of sense out of it. And generally, but not always, the producers make some money out of that audience. Therefore it is important to understand what happens when an audience "meets" a media text.

Constructing Audience

When a media text is being planned, perhaps the most important question the producers consider is "Does it have an audience?" If the answer to this is 'no', then there is no point in going any further. If no one is going to watch/read/play/buy the text, the producers aren't going to make any money or get their message across. Audience research is a major part of any media company's work. They use questionnaires, focus groups, and comparisons to existing media texts, and spend a great deal of time and money finding out if there is anyone out there who might be interested in their idea.

It's a serious business; media producers basically want to know the

income bracket/status

age

gender

race

location

of their potential audience, a method of categorising known as demographics. Once they know this they can begin to shape their text to appeal to a group with known reading/viewing/listening habits.

One common way of describing audiences is to use a letter code to show their income bracket: This is called the NRS (National Readership Survey) categorisation.

A	Top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other highly salaried professionals
B	Middle management, teachers, many 'creatives' eg graphic designers etc
C1	Office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff etc
C2	Skilled workers, tradespersons (white collar)
D	Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers (blue collar)
E	Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers

They also consider very carefully how that audience might react to, or engage with, their text. The following are all factors in analysing or predicting this reaction.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT	This describes how an audience interacts with a media text. Different people react in different ways to the same text.
AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS	These are the advance ideas an audience may have about a text. This particularly applies to genre pieces. Don't forget that producers often play with or deliberately shatter audience expectations.
AUDIENCE FOREKNOWLEDGE	This is the definite information (rather than the vague expectations) which an audience brings to a media product.
AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION	This is the way in which audiences feel themselves connected to a particular media text, in that they feel it directly expresses their attitude or lifestyle.
AUDIENCE PLACEMENT	This is the range of strategies media producers use to directly target a particular audience and make them feel that the media text is specially 'for them'.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH	Measuring an audience is very important to all media institutions. Research is done at all stages of production of a media text, and, once produced, audience will be continually monitored.

Audience reaction to even early versions of a media text is closely watched. Hollywood studios routinely show a pre-release version of every movie they make to a test audience, and will often make changes to the movie that are requested by that audience. Read about test screenings here.

Creating Audience

Once a media text has been made, its producers need to ensure that it reaches the audience it is intended for. All media texts will have some sort of marketing campaign attached to them. Elements of this might include

posters

print, radio, TV and internet advertisements

trailers

promotional interviews (eg stars appearing on chat shows, information leaked to Internet bloggers)

tie-in campaigns (eg a blockbuster movie using McDonalds meals)

merchandising (t-shirts, baseball caps, key rings)

Marketing campaigns are intended to create awareness of a media text. Once that awareness has been created, hopefully audiences will come flocking in their hundreds of millions.

Counting Audience

Different types of media texts measure their audiences in different ways. The easiest way is to count the number of units sold e.g. for a video game or a downloaded song.

Film	Figures are based on box office receipts, rather than the number of people who have actually seen the movie. Subtract the production costs of a movie from the box office receipts to find out how much money it made, and therefore how successful it has been in the profit-driven movie business. Be aware that a film which does not cost much to make and takes even a modest amount at the box office can be considered a greater success than a big action movie which cost more, has a bigger set of box office receipts (ie lots more people went to see it) but has a smaller profit margin. Also be aware that film companies are very coy about publishing production costs of a movie, and that they rarely include the cost of a film's marketing budget, which is probably at least a third again of the production costs, and is frequently more. in some cases, the marketing budget may exceed the cost of originally making the film, especially for an indie hit that is picked up for mainstream distribution You can find details of the box office of more recent movies at IMDb and Box Office Mojo.
Print	Magazines and newspapers measure their circulation (ie numbers of copies sold). They are open about these figures - they have to be as these are the numbers quoted to advertisers when negotiating the price of a page.
Radio/TV	Measuring the number of viewers and listeners for a TV/Radio programme or whole station's output is a complex business. Generally, an audience research agency (eg BARB) will select a sample of the population and monitor their viewing and listening habits over the space of 7 days. The data gained is then extrapolated to cover the whole population, based on the percentage sample. It is by no means an accurate science and you can find about some of the techniques used here . The numbers obtained are known as the viewing figures or ratings.
Internet	Internet sites measure the hit rate of a page or site. Code inserted into the site collects information on the number of visitors, whether they are visiting for the first time or returning, and how many other pages they visit within a site. This information is used to measure the success of a site or page, and to calculate the rates charged for

MISE EN SCENE 24/3

Mise en scene 

Mise en scene - Positioning

·      How visual aspects within a frame create meaning for audiences

·      How the positioning of characters and objects can give us clues to relationships and narrative development

·      How lighting and colour can create atmosphere and meaning

In relation to the study of moving images, mise-en-scène translates as 'everything in the frame'.  

It is a French term which refers to:

§  Lighting and colour

§  Setting

§  Props, costume, hair and make-up

§  Character positioning within the frame

§  Body language, expression and movement

The given image is a still from The Core, a disaster film from 2003.  Look at the way the characters are positioned within the frame so all the important characters are visible and how different levels are created to add visual interest to an inactive scene.

Jot down answers to the following questions and then compare notes with a partner.

·      Which characters do you think are the most important in this scene?

·      What gives you this impression?

·      What do the props in the foreground and background tell you about what is happening?

·      What typical elements of the disaster movie genre are evident in this frame?

It is evident in this still that the group of men are having something explained to them. The man in the right hand side of the frame is holding a strange object and gesturing, as well as looking intently towards the group. All of the characters except one are looking towards the man with the object which also suggests he is explaining something to them. There is a man standing centre frame, away from the rest of the group, which suggests he may have a more central/important role in the narrative.

The props include a blackboard and two desks with lots of paper on them. These are typical props of a classroom of some sort, which also suggests that the character explaining something is from an academic background, or some kind of expert.

Often in disaster films there are scientific elements that need explaining, both to the characters and to the audiences, so this kind of scene is common.

REPRESENTATION 17.3.2014

Media gcse-representation from aealey

Waterloo Road - Representation of Age

Read this example adapted from a students response to the task you have completed. We will discuss this in class this week.

 Representation of Age Waterloo Road clip. 

 Within TV drama, age is often very stereotyped, with teenagers often being portrayed as disruptive and disrespectful ‘asbo’ types who go around in hoodies causing chaos. The elderly are often portrayed as being grumpy, weak, stubborn, shabbily dressed and unable to use technology. In this clip, the stereotype of typical teenagers is maintained and the characters have been constructed to fit this categorisation with the aid of mise-en-scene, sound, camera angles and editing.

The first indication of age in the clip is with the mise en scene of the setting, clearly that of a school; a place associated with children, the bright yellow walls and busy displays connoting the bright youthful environment as opposed to a boring black and white office block for adults. A confirmation of the children’s age is the fact they are dressed in school uniform with short ties and short skirts representing teenagers as being rebellious and disobedient.

Young people are often desperate to stand out as individuals and do this by breaking rules and disrespecting the authority of the teachers who can be said to be dressed smartly and in a boring way. For example Grantly in his tweed suit, an amplification of his old age through the stereotypical use of the dull colours and the symbolism that he too is now dull and stubborn and boring.

In contrast, one of the younger female teachers is shown as being more youthful by wearing a vibrant pink top. Depicting her as an adult and professional, with the formal clothing, whilst still incorporating an essence of her younger age. In later a scene where the fat teacher decides to have a new image and dressed in trainers and wild top, his older age is emphasized by the fact he appears so out of place and ridiculous. He’s presented to the audience in a humorous manner and this represents the idea of only the young being able to get away and fit with this ‘cool’ and casual image, also that adults just can’t wear this ‘ghetto’ style. The old and young are shown as being divided in the fashion world. The establishing shot of this clip is a close up low shot of some brown shoes walking past chair legs. The zoomed in approach amplifies the significance of the feet and allows the audience to establish the accentuated slow and almost suspicious walk.

The cut to a two shot of some teenage boys links the separate frames and connotes that these boys are being shifty and are up to no good, hence the accentuated approach of the teacher. This represents teenagers as being trouble makers and likely to ignore the rules and act inappropriately. The close up of student and teacher's faces in two shot, emphasizes the boy’s youthful appearance and uniform, and acts as a direct comparison to that of the teacher clearly far older and more wrinkled. The mid shot of all three characters together allows the audience to determine the body language between them and we can see the two boys appear to be standing with their heads down avoiding eye contact, while the teacher has his hands casually in his pockets and head tilted to them in an authoritative and almost patronising manner. From this age is represented as the older population having authority and control over the younger characters, and that older people can enjoy the power they have and almost revel in it. The use of panning shots are used further in the clip when the large teacher is trying out a new look and the camera pans from his trainers up to his head. This shot is used to create momentary confusion and suspense as to who the shoes actually belong to and contradicts the audiences’ preconceptions of the expected character.

The trainers and clothing are items associated with that of a young teenager however it is the teacher wearing them. The use of this shot highlights how out of place the teacher is in his outfit, simply because of his age, and suggest there are socially acceptable difference and norms between age groups. The use of sound contributes to the representation of age with the use of dialogue. Within the first scene we are able to establish the relationship between students and teacher with the use of the term ‘Sir’ indicating a level of respect between the older and younger characters and the authoritative role the adults play. Age is represented as a hierarchy, the adults having the most control and importance with the children and students least.

The way in which the character Grantly uses the very direct order ‘Give it!’ also connotes his more powerful position because the students are forced to obey him. His subsequent ‘tuts’ at the kids in a patronising way also connotes his demeaning behaviour and his lack of respect for the children, emphasized with him saying ‘Oh did he hold your hair?’ The older age group are represented at this point as being disrespectful to the young and can sometimes abuse their position as authoritative figures.

The diegetic noise in the corridor scene sets an environment of liveliness and busyness, reflecting the vibrant and energetic age group. There is also the introduction of non-diegetic club like music in this scene, which is synchronous with the following fight that begins with two students. The upbeat and fast paced song is appropriate to the age of the characters as it is in a style associated with their age group and is also relevant to the building pace of the scene. The music also amplifies the significant of the fight and represents teenagers as being rowdy and aggressive. Slang is used by the student’s repeatedly throughout the clip and whilst reflecting background also relates to their youth and suggests that it is common place within a younger age group (e.g. d’ya hear me/ d’know) This can connote both their ignorance and determination to break rules and be individuals, whilst wishing to separate themselves from the adults.

Editing in this clip plays a vital role in the representation of age. In the first scene fasting cutting between the two teenage boys heightens the tension and anticipation and accentuates the boy’s sneaky behaviour. Representing the young as shifty and misbehaving. The use of shot-reverse shot between Grantly and the female teacher links their points of views and allows the audience to witness her reaction to the fact she forgot to buy insurance. From this we establish the similar roles and hierarchy even between adults and the guiding role the older age group play towards younger adults. The use of cross cutting between scenes such as that of the busy corridor, to the calm classroom and back to Amy and the fight creates a direct comparison of the parallel action. These two scenes contrast the teenagers behaviour while unsupervised where they appear raucous and start fights, and then supervised within the classroom where they are almost silent and composed.

This represents the young as unable to mediate their own behaviour, and that they behave in an inappropriate manner without the presents of an older person, it also suggests that the young look to the older age groups for guidance and support, as the teacher is asked to help

DUFFY CD COVER ANALYSIS

Textual Investigation

(400-850 words)

Title [make sure you have typed it at the top of the page]:

‘Investigate how genre conventions are used in the CD cover ROCKFERRY by Duffy’

This is for analysis of :

The album cover contains many recognized codes and conventions.

Main image

A large black and white image of the star Duffy dominates the text set against an out of focus background which includes the carriages of an old fashioned train. 

The photograph has been taken with a shallow depth of field. The image is typical of the soul genre of the Sixties and has connotations of that iconic period in popular music which includes the promotional images of The Beatles and models photographed by David Bailey. 

Duffy looks as though she doesn't want to let go of her youth, is she afraid of the journey she is about to take to adulthood?

The cover reminds us of the sixties British white soul singer Dusty Springfield: (Fig 2).

(Fig 2)

Duffy is looking down and looks a little sad about the journey she is about to take.

The photo is taken at eye level and is a naturally lit mid shot taken in a realistic setting.

We can see from Duffy's body language, holding on to her coat that she may be apprehensive.

The symbolic codes of dress which include a bold black and white coat and bleached blonde hair. Again this reminds us of the Sixties and iconic singers like Dusty Springfield who is reknowned as one of the greatest white, British, female soul genre singers. Duffy's style of singing has been called Blue eyed soul.

The presence of the train could suggest the star is about to take a journey. Rockferry is a small working class town on the Wirral and a narrative of rags to riches is being constructed. 

There are connotations of the English North /South divide which exists today as it did in the Sixties when the Beatles traveled from Liverpool to London in the film A Hard Days Night.

Graphics

The title of the album is in capitals and the serif font STENCIL has been used.

Stencils are used by rail companies to identify their cargo, so the lettering has connotations of train travel.

Above the main image is the signature of the artist. It can be described as feminine This will appeal to the target audience who may feel they are buying something unique or collectible, like the autograph of Duffy the celebrity personalising the CD for fans.

CD Cover Analysis

Everything on your CD cover for production needs to be considered and based on your research.

Cd Cover Analysis 

Task: Choose three CD covers of different musical genres and analyse - post onto your blog.
Give consideration of the connotations of the visual codes on the covers and the intended effect on the target audience:
Costume.
Facial expression.
Colour.
Body language.
Graphics.
ALSO:
Note any links between the visuals ion the cover and the album content.
What are the creators inviting the target audience to do?

Cd covers from ealeya

Album cover analysis 

Codes and conventions of album covers

Animation _ Background

Animation is a very special media form. More than any other it allows the complete re-presentation of reality. It can be as simple as a stick drawing turned into a "flick book" or elaborate as a three dimensional landscape rendered in elaborate detail by computers. As we move into the 21st century, and computer generated graphics, animation and live-action filming merge, we can be less and less sure of the 'true' nature of what we are seeing on screen. Animation has never been so powerful - nor so widely used. From computer games, to TVCs, to blockbuster movies, animation is used to fill in the gaps when reality isn't enough. Often what we think is real on screen (e.g. rain, faces in a crowd) is an animation effect added in post-production.

Comics are the print equivalent of animation.

History of Animation

Animation is as old as the drawings done on rock surfaces by cavemen that tried to capture the sequential movement of animals' legs as they ran.

Namibia pic here

 Over the centuries various mechanical devices, often sold as toys, replicated movement by running a series of still images in sequence — the earliest version of the zoetrope, which moved thanks to the hot air from a lamp, was invented in China around 180AD. It looks like the images are moving because of a phenomenon called persistence of vision. This was first proved in 1829 by the Belgian, Joseph Plateau, and his discoveries paved the way for a slew of nineteenth century inventions (the phenakistoscope, praxinoscope) that eventually gave us the Lumière Brothers' Cinematograph (the foundation of modern cinema) in 1895.

You can see some beautiful examples of early Phenakistiscope plates here.

While some early pioneers of film (like the Lumières) experimented with the new cinema technology to record real life events, others explored ways of creating fantasy narratives. Georges Méliès accidentally discovered stop motion animation when his camera broke down in the middle of filming one day, and he used the technique to make some of the earliest sci-fi movies. However, although he used animation techniques, he relied mainly on live action footage. J. Stuart Blackton adopted the principle of stop motion by drawing on a blackboard, and photographing the subtle changes in the drawings as he erased and redrew. Émile Cohl was the first to transfer his drawings to negative film, in 1908, which makes him the first person to produce a hand-drawn animated film.

What is Animation?

Animation is the process of linking a series of slightly different drawings together to simulate movement. There are normally 24 frames per second in moving film, and the best animation (ie the most flowing and detailed) will use a different drawing for each of those 24 frames. Limited animation will move to a new drawing less frequently, and this results in a jerky image.

The same processes used for film are used for the animated GIFs you see on websites.

There are three different types of animation: