Effects on Audience Theories Research

Audience Theory Research 

In order to generate an interest among audiences of my short film, I needed to understand the effects my film could potentially have on the audience. I researched audience theories and identified if my film could potentially harm audience members based on theory.
There are three theories of audience that I can apply to the short film and aid my understanding of how the audience receives the media.

• The Hypodermic Needle Model
• The Uses and Gratifications Model
• Reception Theory

Hypodermic Needle Model/The Effects Model

The Hypodermic needle theory suggests that the information from a text passes into the mass consciousness of the audience. The information is injected into the audience, in which they are powerless to it. This theory suggests that, as an audience, they are manipulated by the creators of media texts, and that our behaviour and thinking can be changed by the media, for example my short film.

Evidence of the model
The Bobo Doll Experiment 

In the experiment children watched a video where an adult violently attacked a clown toy called a Bobo Doll. The children were then taken to a room with attractive toys that they were not permitted to touch.The children were then led to another room with Bobo Dolls. 88% of the children imitated the violent behaviour that they had earlier viewed. 8 months later 40% of the children reproduced the same violent behaviour.

The Bobo Doll experiment. 

The conclusion of the experiment was that children will imitate violent media content and that if presented with highly violent scenes in films, they may emulate it and enact it on other children/adults.
There have been various media that supports both the hypodermic theory and the Bobo doll experiment as there were reports of children and adults copying a violent portrayal in games and films. For example:

• Child's Play Three
• A Clockwork Orange
• Severence
• Manhunt

In each of these cases there was a media and political outcry for the texts to be banned. In some of the cases, the extent of the crime in relation to the film or game caused it to be banned and newspapers claiming it should be burned. However, despite such controversy, there was no evidence to demonstrate a link between the films and the violent acts. 

1. Child's Play Three

Child's Play Three caused some controversy in the media due to the fact it had been indirectly linked to the brutal murder of James Bulger. The killers, who were 10 years old at the time, were said to have imitated a scene in which one of Chucky's victims is splashed with blue paint. Although these allegations against the film have never been proven, the case has led to some new legislation for video films. The film was also banned for a short time due to the extent of the media coverage, however, there was no link to be made as the killers had not viewed the film.

2. A Clockwork Orange
The film sparked outrage in Britain as the press attacked director Stanley Kubrick for the scenes of rape and violence, claiming that the film was responsible for an increase in crime throughout Britain. The film was banned due to the scenes of violence and emulation of violence.















3. Severance 
On 28 April 2009, the BBC reported that the murder of a 17-year-old student from Norfolk was allegedly based on a scene from the film. According to the BBC news report, Norwich Crown Court was told how Simon Everitt was tied up and had petrol poured down his throat before he was set on fire. Simon's body was found in woodland at Mautby in June 2008. Jurors at the trial of Jonathan Clarke and two other co-defendants were played a scene from Severance and told that, when Mr. Clarke had watched the DVD, "he made a comment to this effect: 'Wouldn't it be wicked if you could actually do that to someone in real life?'" On 29 May 2009, the trio were convicted of Everitt's murder.


4. Manhunt
The video game caused controversy when the game was linked to the murder of 14 year old Stefan Pakeerah by his 17-year-old friend Warren Leblanc in Leicestershire, England. Media reports claimed that police had found a copy of the game in Leblanc's bedroom, which police had seized as evidence, and Giselle Pakeerah, the victim's mother, stated "I think that I heard some of Warren's friends say that he was obsessed by this game.  The way Warren committed the murder is how the game is set out, killing people using weapons like hammers and knives. There is some connection between the game and what he has done police reported Reports have stated:  If these games influence kids to go out and kill, then we do not want them in the shops." A spokesman for the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers' Association (ELSPA) responded to the accusations by stating "We sympathize enormously with the family and parents of Stefan Pakeerah. However, we reject any suggestion or association between the tragic events and the sale of the video game Manhunt. The game in question is classified 18 by the British Board of Film Classification and therefore should not be in the possession of a juvenile. Simply being in someone's possession does not and should not lead to the conclusion that a game is responsible for these tragic events."


There is a lack of evidence to suggest there is any link between the consumption of violent media texts and violent imitative behaviour as it is  clear the theory is flawed in that many people do watch violent texts and appear not to be influenced by it.


The Uses and Gratifications Model

 The uses and gratifications model is the theory that the audience uses the text for their own gratification or pleasure and are in control of what they wish to be influenced by and view. Audiences therefore use media to gratify needs for:

• Diversion
• Escapism
• Information
• Pleasure 
• Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one’s own 
• Sexual stimulation

The audience is in control of the consumption of their media and find that media can help with education as they can learn from films and equally seek entertainment from them. The media can also offer role models and help with socialisation as films can give people a means to talk and interact with others.

The theory suggests that the consumption of violent can be helpful rather than harmful as they can act out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence. It also suggests that the audiences inclination towards violence is sublimated and therefore they are less likely to commit violent acts.

Reception Theory
The reception theory was proposed by Stuart Hall. He believes that their is a relationship between the text and the audience and catogorises this as the encoding and decoding model. The belief is that the text is encoded by the producer of the text whom can encode a message they want the audience to receive and is then decoded by the reader. The reader may or may not accept the message that was encoded by the producer. Hall identified three types of audience readings of a text:

1. Dominant 
2. Negotiated
3. Oppositional 

Dominant Reading
The dominant reading is where the audience decodes the message the producer wants them to do and agrees with the message. For example, Watching a political speech and agreeing with it.

Negotiated Reading
The negotiated reading is where the audience accepts or rejects elements of the text despite previously held views.

Oppositional Reading
Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons.