PowerPoint Presentation

Applying Theories to Music Videos

Audience TheoryHow audiences read texts and how they interact with themAudiences are not mass now they are complex and sophisticatedThe social and cultural experiences of the audience allow the text to be questionedThere are three audience theories: Hyperdermic Needle Theory, Uses and Gratifications and ReceptionMedia audiences can be defined in terms of location, consumption, size and subjectivity.

Effects Model:Injected into audienceAudience powerless to resist Media acts like a drug

Consumption of media has an affect/influenceAudiences passive and powerlessPower lies with the message of the textNegative influence

Key examples:

Childs Play 3 supposedly caused the murder of James Bulger

A Clockwork Orange has influential themes of murder and rape

Uses and Gratifications TheoryGratify for: Diversion, escapism, information, pleasure, comparing lifestyle to someone else's

Audience is active and uses the text not used by it. Uses text for own pleasures.Power lies with audiences not producers, audience is free to apply their own meanings to textAudience takes from it what they need; filtering out the rest

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Audience in control and can use text for own benefits and to help with any issuesThe theory suggests violent images can be helpful, controversially, as it allows the viewer to release their anger though watching text rather than actually committing the violence.Ladder to self-actualisation:

Reception TheoryStuart Hall created three main readings:Preferred readings audience accepts intended view of media producersNegotiated readings you decide on how you want to see the text; you will agree with some aspects but not othersOppositional readings audience opposes views of media text..

Considered how texts were encoded by producers and then decoded by the audienceProducer wishes to encode a certain message and some audience members will successfully decode this meaning but others will not.

Magnets Disclosure ft. Lorde

Reception TheoryThe video follows Lorde, the protagonist, who acts as an assassin. It appears that the producer has encoded the video with the message that she has been hired to kill a womans husband as she is tired of his deceitful nature. Although most viewers will view this as a preferred reading (meaning that they accept the encoded meaning), there will be many others who only agree with some aspects. Some may interpret that she is an assassin, yet not hired by the wife (which is a negotiated reading). And therefore just kills the man regardless of the wife.However, some people may not even realise the encoded message at all. It could be interpreted that Lorde just wished to kill the husband because he was cheating on his wife with another woman.This video could correspond to the reception theory. This theory applies to the video as the producer has encoded it specifically to tell one story, yet the viewers are able to interpret in a manner of three different ways.

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Maslows Hierarchy of NeedsSome people who empathise with the wife character in the video, may see that violence is necessary to cope with adultery. As Maslows theory suggests, by watching violent crimes the viewer will be able to let out their anger in a safe manner without actually committing murder (like seen in the video). From the husbands point of view, those that empathise with this character may view the video as a warning. If someone watching the video was cheating on the partner, they may see that they ought to admit to their crimes rather than facing the consequences which in this video is presented through death.

The nature of this theory suggests that audience members take elements of ideas portrayed by the media to use for their own benefit. In this video there are some elements which the viewer may think beneficial enough to achieve self-actualisation the highest point on the pyramid.

Uses and Gratifications TheoryThe viewer may see this video and then compare the situation with what is happening in their own life. This may make them feel better about their own life as the video contains quite violent themes which an audience member would not want to actually experience. The audience may choose to watch the video to be entertained. The plot for this video may allow viewers to laugh at the husbands character, for instance, as they may think that he was rightfully killed because of his crimes against his wife. As this theory suggests, audience members are free to decide how they receive the information portrayed to them in the media. This video can apply to this theory in a manner of different ways.

The Effects ModelThe viewer will find themselves unable to escape the ideas presented to them in the music video. This may entail that the viewer picks up violent behaviour as they wish to act like the protagonist and start killing or abusing people who have done wrong.The viewer may otherwise interpret that cheating on your partner is a good thing. They may find that the glamorous life presented in the apocalyptic setting is worthwhile, and therefore might actually cheat on their partner hoping that life is just as good as the protagonists.

This theory, otherwise known as the hypodermic needle model, suggests that the audience is directly affected by the themes and ideas presented within a piece of media.The theory also applies to the Lorde music video.

Little Talks Of Monsters and Men

Uses and Gratifications TheoryAlthough the video is a narrative, the storyline is quite open to interpretation; this style of video then allows the audience to receive and accept the video in any matter they wish, which is typical of the uses and gratifications theory. The video shows the journey of five characters. They travel through a strange world on a journey and meet a new friend along the way, and as part of their journey, they help to return their new friend to her family.Others may disagree and say that the whole plan was just coincidence and it was not planned out nor was any thought put into it. This is why the uses and gratifications theory can be applied to it.The music video agrees with this theory as the audience is free to decide upon the true meaning of the video. The video is rather odd an has a mixed meaning, which ultimately gives the audience power to apply their own meanings to the video.

The Effects ModelIn this video, the viewer may become so drawn in to the storyline that they themselves wish to go on an adventure of some sort. They may take the idea of a journey from this video and use it in their own life by actually undertaking a new task or going on holiday.Viewers may, on the other hand, choose to reconcile with a family member or friend. Within the video, two characters are brought together and this idea may entice the audience member to do so (on a smaller scale) to rekindle a relationship of some sort.

The drug-like nature of the media, in this case, shows that the effects model can be used on almost any kind of media text.

Reception TheoryPreferred readings most viewers will agree that the video involves a journey across some kind of fantasy land, with the group of characters meeting friends and foes along the way. Negotiated readings this group of people will accept that they are on a journey in a fantasy land but may oppose other certain factors within the video perhaps it was fate that they met another character whom they ended up finding a home for.Oppositional readings - some viewers could argue that the group of people are lost, that maybe they have no real home and are trying to find somewhere new to settle down.

Stuart Halls three readings of this theory can usually be applied to any kind of media text. I have applied this theory to the video and it can be viewed on the right hand side.

Maslows Hierarchy of NeedsSome viewers may take the journey theme of the video and apply it to their own lives by perhaps taking a holiday, or doing something more outgoing than usual.Others may like the theme of friendship they may take inspiration from the characters who go on their journey, and decide that they ought to meet up with friends again. Maybe even link together the two themes and go on a group outing together.The viewer will take what they wish from this video to enable their own lives to become better.