Audience Research Task

Audience research is important as without the audience media texts would not be created. The size and reaction of the audience measures the success of the film.The people (audience) who buy the film provide income for the production companies, it is therefore important that films are advertised.

The audience are categorized by characteristics, the characteristics of people and these criteria often used when identifying the characteristics of the target audience for particular media text.

Three Key Audience Theories

Audience theories is used to understand the relationship between the media and it's audience.Here are some key audience theories

Hypodermic needle effect

A key audience theory is the hypodermic needle effect.This theory suggests that the media is capable of mass manipulation.This is based on assumption that the audience believe what it see, People are therefore gullible. The Hypodermic Needle theory or model suggests that the information from a text passes into the mass consciouness of an audience, examples such as experience and intelligence and also the opinion of an individual are not relevant to the reception of the text. This theory suggests that the audience are manipulated by the creators of media texts.

Use's and Gratification

Another key audience theory is the uses and gratification theory.This theory suggests that the audience has a set of needs and that them needs are meet by the media.Uses and Gratifications theory places more focus on the consumer and audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people".This theory suggests that the audience watch the films to get away from their own lives.

Reception Analysis

Another key theory is the reception analysis.The reception analysis suggests that the audience interpret the meaning based on a individual cultural background or life experience.

Two-step flow Model

The two-step flow suggests that the ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them to a wider population.

Bibliography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience_theory
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=audience