Audience Theory and Laura Mulvey

Audience Theory

Reception Theory:
This considered how texts were encoded with meaning/messages by producers and then understood, (deeded) by audiences.
The academic Stuart Hall developed an approach for audiences and their problems and limitations, whilst Hall was at Birmingham University in the 1970's.

Reception Theory is based on the idea that there is no single meaning for any media text.
It focuses on what people see in the media and the meanings they produce. It says that messages from media texts can have a preferred meaning but anyone can have an individual interpretation. Audience readings are affected by variables of age, gender, social status and social context and thus they might not accept the preferred meaning.

Audience Decodes

Producer encodes meaning in the text

>>>>   Dominant or Preferred

>>>>              Negotiated

>>>>            Oppositional

Suture

Classical Hollywood narrative, editing, sound and mise-en-scene 'sutures' or positions the audience in certain ways making only one preferred reading (reception theory) possible, however unconscious the audience is of that position. The theory stems from the literary and film theories.

According to these theorists, the audience 'stitches' itself into a film by relating to characters or world views expressed in a film, and the filling in the temporal and spatial gaps between scenes with our imaginations. This is made all the easier when means, techniques, codes and conventions of film are made 'invisible' by the filmmakers.

Feminist film theory and audiences.

Laura Mulvey published a theory called 'Visual pleasure and narrative cinema' in 1975.
The theory laid out in the article develops as a logical argument from two assertions:

1. Cinema reflects society
2. Society is patriarchal

Patriarchy is a social system in which:

• Males hold primary power
• Males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property
• Males dominate in the domain of the family, father or father-figures hold authority over women and children
• It implies the institutions of male domination and entails female subordination
• Many patriarchal societies are also partrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the male lineage.

The Gaze

Laura Mulvey's argument is based upon the assertion that:- 

'the 'gaze' of the camera is the male 'gaze'.

The male gaze is active, the female passive. Within the narrative male characters direct their gaze towards female characters

The Triple Gaze

The spectator is made to identify with the male gaze, because the camera films from the optical, as well as libidinal, point of view of the male character. Thus three levels of the cinematic gaze - camera, character and spectator - that objectify the female character. (TRIPLE GAZE)

Examples

Triple Gaze in Die Another Day

Audience > Camera > Pierce Brosnan > Halle Berry

Triple Gaze in Dr No

Audience > Camera > Sean Connery > Ursula Andress

Triple Gaze in Transformers

Audience > Camera > Shia LeBoeuf > Megan Fox

The Audience

The audience is constructed in such a way that they are compelled to 'gaze' from a male point of view. Women are forced to look at the text as though they were a male member of the audience. This occurs through the process of suture.

Agency

In Classical Hollywood cinema the male protagonist has agency - he is active and powerful. He is the agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds. the female character is passive and powerless - she is the object of desire for protagonist and audience. 

Examples - 

Ripley - Aliens

Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games

Tris - Divergent

Mulvey applied to modern music videos.

In Rihanna's Shut Up And Drive,we can clearly place Mulvey's theories and ideas on the video. We see from Rihanna's clothing she is the product of the male gaze, as it reveals ALOT of skin. We see how Rihanna is the embodiment of the submissive female, as the video shows women cleaning cars; which Mulvey may argue is not a skillful task and it would be expected for a woman to do this job. Through much of the video the women are positioned in very sexual positions that can be considered as part of the male power over women.

The History of the Pop Video

The History Of The Pop Video

In our day and age we accept the pop video as 'normal', but up until the 1960's the pop video was did not exist. So, what lead up to the making of the 'pop video', which made things like this key images of the pop video?

 

 

 

In 1940, Bing Crosby was the biggest star in the world. He was a ver y popular  singer, and in order for fans to see him perform it would be in either film, such as 'High Society',(which features Frank Sinatra) or in television specials.

 

High Society - 'Well, Did You Evah'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then in the 1950's Frank Sinatra, came onto the scene, who unlike Crosby, was the first of many stars, to have girls screaming at them. Sinatra was, also, only seen through television shows, films and concerts. This was the only way his fans, 'The Bobby Sockers' were able to see him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon after, in the late 1950's, the world was struck with the 'indecent' hip thrusting of Elvis Presley. Presley was nothing like Crosby nor Sinatra, which appealed to the 'rebels' and the young girls, as this is considered the birth of rock and roll. However, like Bing and Frank, Presley could be watched on television, in films and concerts, but he only ever had concerts in USA, so the fans from across the globe would have to see him on their televisions, or at the cinema.

 

Blue Hawaii - 'Can't Help Falling In Love'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the early 1960's, The Beatles were achieving worldwide popularity, they were appearing on television shows all over the world, such as the american show, 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. The Beatles at every moment were greeted by screaming fans, anywhere they went. Soon The Beatles became fed up with all of the touring, across the globe, and the huge amounts of screaming fans they recieved. In order to promote two new songs (Paperback Writer and Rain), they made to videos for the songs, and sent the videos all across the world, to allow fans to see the songs. Which then became the very first pop video.

 

'Paperback Writer' 

 

 

In the video for Paperback Writer, we see almost the basis for modern pop video mannerisms. For example, we see three of the members pretending to play instruments, and miming to the song. Throughout the video, we see quite a few things that aren't really related to the song/lyrics. We see them just in a park-like area singing.

Things that they do in the very first pop video, we see in music videos throughout time.

 

 

Many things we see in the build up to the first music video, and things in the music video, have cemented ideas for videos for today !! 

Potential Tracks :)

Potential Tracks

So, after deciding that Christina Grimmie (zeldaxlove64) was my chosen artist. I had to decide a track ! 

I found that Christina has an album, 'With Love'. So, I listened to all the songs.

'With Love' Album Listing

1. Think Of You
2. With Love
3. Tell My Mama
4. Over Overthinking You
5. My Anthem
6. Make It Work
7. I Bet You Don't Curse God
8. Get Yourself Together
9. Feelin' Good
10. The One I Crave
11. Absolutely Final Goodbye

After listening to all the songs, I made a note of what I thought about each song. I did enjoy all the songs, and they were good. But I had to consider the songs from a coursework point of view, in that I had to make an interesting, and enjoyable music video. Here are just a few examples of my opinions;

'Think Of You'

I think this is too slow, the song would possibly be boring to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBQrv2lLyvQ&index=1&list=PLxoDQ-VIRfb_U0wY92EaXtYJACa_Tc22A


'Make It Work'
I like this song, it is of a good pace/tempo, but I just didn't enjoy as much as other songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZB8Ot2STH0&index=6&list=PLxoDQ-VIRfb_U0wY92EaXtYJACa_Tc22A&spfreload=1


'Feelin' Good'
I very much enjoyed this song, I felt that the pace/tempo was of a good speed. Basically i just enjoyed the song. PLUS - it's quite catchy, which is always a bonus !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTwdL6jp0C8&index=9&list=PLxoDQ-VIRfb_U0wY92EaXtYJACa_Tc22A 


SO, it's official !!
My chosen track is 'Feelin' Good' by Christina Grimmie (:

Looking For An Artist !!

Looking For An Artist

In order to produce a music video for Media Studies A2, i need to find an unsigned artist, with a good song, with a suitable pace to it. So, something that isn't too slow, as i believe it wouldn't be a particularly interesting video, with long boring shots.Typically of someone looking sad, and looking out of a window, with rain. Which i find horrendously boring.




Firstly, I went onto Youtube, and searched for unsigned artists.

<<<<<<



I then clicked around on different  artist, listened to various men, women, groups. i also found that i was listening to all types of music; pop, rock, alternative, r'n'b.










I found Tiffany Alvord !!

<<

I found Natalie Lungley !!

>>

I liked all the artists that I found, they were all really good.

BUT

I then came across Christina Grimmie, also known as zeldaxlove64(youtube), who I really liked !!

So, I decided, after ALOT of listening, i decided to select Christina Grimmie, as my artist. Now I've just got to decide the song !!

Wish me luck :)

Purpose Of A Music Video; with reference to Synergy

Purpose of a Music Promo Video with special reference to

Synergy

Purpose;

Promotion/Publicity

Make money - increase sales

Synergy (

the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.)

The music video exists as only one strand of a multimedia campaign, and is just one way in which a song is promoted.

The music industry as a whole has a relationship with a number of different media; Radio, Television, Print Media (articles etc.), Film, New Media( social media etc.).

There is often a clear sense of synergy across a number of platforms eg Film.

For Example;

Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves

Analysis

In this video, we see many scenes of the film intergrated into the video, along with parts of the singer, Bryan Adams. Also the video is on on the same, or similar, location to the film, 'Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves.'

  

  

 

 Adele - Skyfall, Skyfall

Analysis

In this music video, it is solely scenes from the movie shown. Never is the singer, Adele, shown, this could possibly be because Adele, a larger lady, does not fit the image of the 'Bond Girl' slim and attractive.

In both of these music videos the music videos, it very much promotes the film, particularly in 'Skyfall by Adele'.

Music videos can also promote television shows.

For example, the television show 'The Choir', arranged a choir of 'Military Wives' (women whose husbands serve in the Armed Forces). For this choir a song was written, and when the music video, consisted of clips from the programme, as well as including the choir singing.