Thinking about your
Audience
Foundation Production
All media texts are made with
an audience in mind and
your production should be
no exception
All media texts are made with
an audience in mind and
your production should be
no exception
Do you think there
would be an audience
for your film?
If not no one would
finance the production.
You must know and find
your audience.
You must know and find
your audience.
As a media producer you
need to know things
like the…
• age
As a media producer you
need to know things
like the…
• age
• gender
As a media producer you
need to know things
like the…
• age
• gender
• class
As a media producer you
need to know things
like the…
• age
• gender
• class
• ethnicity
As a media producer you
need to know things
like the…
• age
• gender
• class
• ethnicity
• location
As a media producer you
need to know things
like the…
• age
• gender
• class
• ethnicity
• location
• income bracket
This is called the audience
Demographic
Once you know this you
can make sure your text
is going to appeal to
your audienceDemographic
You also need to
consider how your
audience is going to
react to or engage with
your text
You also need to
consider how your
audience is going to
react to or engage with
your text
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
• audience expectations
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
• audience expectations
• audience foreknowledge
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
• audience expectations
• audience foreknowledge
• audience identification
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
• audience expectations
• audience foreknowledge
• audience identification
• audience placement
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
• audience expectations
• audience foreknowledge
• audience identification
• audience placement
• audience research
We can try to predict
reaction by considering…• audience engagement
• audience expectations
• audience foreknowledge
• audience identification
• audience placement
• audience research
A text has no meaning
until it is read or
decoded by an
audience
A text has no meaning
until it is read or
decoded by an
audience
Encoding & Decoding
There are many theories
which attempt to explain
how an audience receives,
reads and responds to a
text.
There are many theories
which attempt to explain
how an audience receives,
reads and responds to a
text.
Audience
Theory
Foundation Production
These theories help us to
deconstruct the relationship
between audience and text
The Hypodermic Needle Model
Sometimes referred to as the Silver Bullet
Model (Schram1982), this is the idea that the
mass media are so powerful that they can
'inject‘ their messages into the audience.
The Hypodermic Needle Model
Sometimes referred to as the Silver Bullet
Model (Schram1982), this is the idea that the
mass media are so powerful that they can
'inject‘ their messages into the audience.
The Hypodermic Needle Model
Sometimes referred to as the Silver Bullet
Model (Schram1982), this is the idea that the
mass media are so powerful that they can
'inject‘ their messages into the audience.
The Hypodermic Needle Model
The Hypodermic Needle Model
The Hypodermic Needle Model
The idea that an audience can be precisely
targeted by a “magic bullet”. Then they
irresistibly fall down when hit by the bullet.
The Hypodermic Needle Model
The idea that an audience can be precisely
targeted by a “magic bullet”. Then they
irresistibly fall down when hit by the bullet.
In brief - it is the idea that the makers of media
messages can get us to do whatever they want
us to do.
The Two Step Flow Model
The Two Step Flow Model
• A more sophisticated idea...
The Two Step Flow Model
• A more sophisticated idea...
• Ideas are filtered through opinion leaders
The Two Step Flow Model
• A more sophisticated idea...
• Ideas are filtered through opinion leaders
The Two Step Flow Model
• A more sophisticated idea...
• Ideas are filtered through opinion leaders
• This waters down the message
diminishing the power of the media
The Two Step Flow Model
• A more sophisticated idea...
• Ideas are filtered through opinion leaders
• This waters down the message
diminishing the power of the media
What is the third theory?
Please review these theories and research this for
yourself.
Make sure there is content on your blog to show that
you have thought about your audience and understand
these theories