Audience Positioning

Audience Positioning

Audience positioning in narrative:

The privileged spectator position

This is where the camera places the audience within a dominant position in the narrative. They are shown elements that the characters in the mise-en-scene cannot see. For example, a close-up shot shows one character taking a gun out of her bag, which only the audience can see. In sports programmes this is a common narrative convention, where the viewer, through action replay, sees the narrative more than once from a range of viewpoints. The aim is to make the audience feel in a more dominant position in the narrative in that they can then discuss what has happened with greater knowledge.

A flashback

The audience is given information about the narrative which enhances its understanding. Older media texts will use more contrived techniques to suggest movement back in time, for example, the hands of a clock moving backwards, pages of a calendar turning or misty filming. Today's audiences are assumed to be more media educated and able to decode signs in clothing and other iconography.

Point-of-view shots (POV)

The audience sees the action from different points-of-view that will change its perception and involvement in the scene. The camera may show the point of view of the murderer or the victim or move between the two. This will obviously change the audience's positioning and its response. It is often the case that the audience may be placed in an uncomfortable position by the camera, or one that positions the audience from a male or female perspective. POV shots also affect the way in which the audience relates to the characters.


 

Media Institutions

Media Institutions

 Definition - A media institution is an established, and often profit based organization, that deals in the creation and distribution of advertising, entertainment and information services. It helps in gathering information, and perceptions about different groups of people and their originality.



Cotemporary industry practises

 

- Production

- Distribution

- Marketing

- Ownership

- Synergy

- Proliferation

- Technology

Major Media Institutions

    

 

Media Concentration

 

 

 

 

 

 

Film Rating

Film Rating

All classification decisions are based on the BBC's published and regularly updated Guidelines. The Guidelines are the product of extensive public consultation, research and the accumulated experience of the BBFC over many years. They reflect current views on films, DVD and video games regulations.

http://www.cbbfc.co.uk/film-ratings/why-we-age-rate-films - As this website states...

Anyone can see a U or a PG, although you and your parents and teachers are encouraged to think carefully about whether a PG film will be suitable for you if you are younger than 8 or 9 years old.

With 12A films you must be 12 or older to go and see them, unless you have an adult with you. It is up to that grown-up to decide that you won’t be upset or disturbed by anything you see.

Anyone wanting to release a film, video or DVD for showing in cinemas or watching at home has to make sure that their film has a BBFC age rating symbol. It's against the law to try and sell videos and DVDs without this. Films that you see at the cinema also have to display the right rating.

Representation of men in Thriller

Representation of men in Thriller

In thriller films, men and women are represented differently due to the concept of the genre. Stereotypically, men are portrayed as the 'hero'/protagonists and tend to be the one to 'save the day' when it comes to thriller films, where as women are seen more of a hindrance and are more typically expected to die during the films.

 In this scene we see a subversive depiction of men and women in thriller as we see the equality between men and women throughout the 'shootout'. This is a subversive representation of women, as they are normally seen as feeble and weak, where as in this seen, we seen that the women is clearly as dominant as the male and in some cases even stronger than many males as they massacre through many security personal and escape death.

Research Methods

Research Methods

How do we measure media audiences?
- Sales
- Subscriptions
- Ratings
- Figures

Who measures audiences?

- NRS
- ABC
- BARB
- Bookseller

Some websites which measure audiences

http://www.nrs.co.uk - NBS
http://abc.go.com/ - ACB
http://www.barb.co.uk/ - BARB
http://www.thebookseller.com/ - Bookseller

New media:
There are few new ways in which we can measure audience:

- Facebook/other social sites
- Online forums-comment tools
- Views on YouTube
- Twitter trends

Within research there are two main types of research:

Quantitative - This is questionnaires and more number based research and they also use closed questions this is to make generate exact answers. They are also very factual

Qualitative - Is more reliable on focus groups and interviews, within this also analysis of existing products, also uses open questions to generate answers open to interpretation individual preferences

Considering Audiences

Audience engagement - this describes how an audience interacts with media text. Different people react in different ways to the same text.
Audience expectations - these are the ideas the audiences have in advance of seeing a media text. This particularly applies to genre pieces. Don't forget producers continually play with or shatter audience expectations.

Audiences

What is an audience?

An individual or collective group of people who consume any time of media text. All media context has the media in mind as they are the ones who will ultimately determine the successfulness of the text.

Why are audiences important?

Audiences are important as they bring in the income which will lead the film to be successful. No media product would be successful without an audience as they would have no way of bringing in money produced from the content. The mass media is becoming more competitive so producers strive to bring in the bigger audiences.

Katz and Blumler

Katz and Blumler proposed from their research into audience behaviour that audiences use media texts for a variety of reasons, these include;

Information - Finding out about event, satisfying curiosity gaining a sense of security through knowledge.

Personal Identity - Reinforced by personal values, finding models of behaviour, insight into ones self.

Integration and Social Interaction - Insight into circumstances of others; Social empathy, identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging, interaction, enabling one to connect with family, friends and society.

Impact Of New Technology On Audiences

Old media (TV, Print, Radio) which used to have high audience numbers must now work hard to keep up there high number of audiences with the new technology available, including Social networking sights such as Facebook and Twitter.

New technology makes it harder for these old media technology's to keep up the numbers and have now attempting to create the best coverage and texts in order to keep these audiences.

Demographic - Age, race, gender, class/status and nationality
Psychographic - Interests, beliefs,hobbies

Types Of Audiences

Mass Audiences - Often termed 'broadcast audience'. Those who consume mainstream or popular texts such as soaps or sitcoms. Media and communication that targets a very large group of people.

Niche Audiences - Much smaller but very influential. A niche audience is a small, select group of people with a very unique interests.

Audiences research is a major part of any media company's work. They use questionnaires, focus groups, pre-films screening and spend a great deal of time and money finding out who would be interested in their product.

http://www.thinkbox.tv/ describes how audiences are categorised

Group A - Lawyers, Doctors, Scientists, Well paid professionals

Group B - Teachers, Middle management, Fairly well paid professionals

Group C - Junior management, Bank clerks, Nurses, White Collar Professionals

Group C2 - Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, blue collar professions

Group D - Manual workers, Drivers, Post sorters