EVALUATING THE IMPORTANCE OF MY TARGET AUDIENCE

By Joseph Shepherd

BLUMLER AND KATZ Blumler and Kats suggest that audiences made choices about how and when they consumed media texts and other media products . They then categorized the ways and reasons why we read media texts. Now which ones apply to my promotional package for my artists “Ocean Rise”?

ESCAPISM Media audiences may decide to watch “Dreams” as a form of escapism and entertainment - What I have produced should entertain you, you should enjoy it. You should get some sort of 'escapism' which helps us forget about our worries or problems for a short period. 

My music video does this by showing a media audience a narrative for them to watch and provide characters for them to get involved with allowing them to forget their problems, what's going on and “escape”

SOCIAL INTERACTION My video creates social interaction that being the ability of media to create a topic of conversation between people. It can spark debates, enjoyment and creates new topics of discussion between people, by creating an enigma for the audience to figure out (Barthes 5 narrative codes). The enigma being if Luke is really there with Katie or not in certain scenes.

BARTHES FIVE CODESPart of Barthes' theory was a series of 5 narrative codes, integral to interpreting media narratives. He claimed that all media texts displayed at least one, if not more, of these 5 narrative codes. He described each code as follows:Enigma Code - a mystery or hook (or number of) to be solved for or by the audience. The ambiguity of the enigma code draws the audience in by invoking curiosity. Unanswered enigmas frustrate the audience.Action Code - action and suspense used traditionally for escapism to entertain the audience and immerse them in the text. Semantic Code - elements of the text which imply, suggest or refer to additional meanings in the media text. These are called Semes. Semes connote an extra meaning aside from the literal denotation. Commonly found in open meaning media texts.Symbolic Code - this code is about the eponymous symbols which can be found in media texts. Symbolic codes are called Signifiers are used to convey meaning through symbolism, as well as emphasizing character development, contrasts and tension.Referential Code - this code deals with references within a media text to an external body of knowledge, such as historic, scientific or cultural references. Can also consist of intertextuality and elements of meta-narrative.

ENIGMA CODE In my video, I present the audience with an enigma in the very first minute if Luke is really there or not. This served the purpose of drawing the audience in and to make then engage with the piece and want to watch on to see If the enigma is resolved.

SYMBOLIC CODE In my video, I used shots of text messages for two reasons. Firstly I was able to get across a lot of narrative in a short space of time and secondly it symbolically represented modern day relationships as many of modern day relationships are taking place online and through texts rather than face to face.

STRAUSS- BINARY OPPOSITION Strauss’s theory makes use of polar opposite e.g. hero and the villain , black and white. I planned to use this theory to help Katie come across as more sympathetic to the audience and to make Luke seem more despicable to the audience.

By dressing Katie in lighter clothing an have her act as a victim, Luke who is dressed in darker colours now seems more despicable and villainous.