1. THEORIST: Berger 1995, Hoynes 1997
THEORY: Magic Bullet
ARGUMENT: The idea that the media shoots
information at us in such a powerful way and we can
do nothing about this, it will have a direct effect on us.
Similar to the hypodermic needle model.
APPILICATION: Although our film was not sending out
a direct message as it was fictional the audience could
perhaps see this as a presentation of young people
and how they handle their relationships, being seen as
volatile and naïve.

2. THEORIST: Blulmer and Katz 1974
THEORY: Audience and Gratification Theory
ARGUMENT:
Escapism- Escape from everyday problems and routine
Personal Identity- Seeing yourself reflected in texts
Personal Relationships- Finding a connection with someone in the text
Surveillance- Keeping up to date with current events and information
APPLICATION: When creating both our film opening and our music video
we studied this theory and made sure our product met these as we want
our audience to connect with our film somewhat. For example personal
relationships as many teenagers may have been through a bad break up
and can identify with the emotions and feelings.

3. THEORIST: Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel
Gaudet (1994)
THEORY: Two Step Flow
ARGUMENT: Instead of receiving information directly, the
leaders send out the information they want us to hear through
the media and we hear about it through others, this is then
passed on through the audiences, then the audience will mediate
what they have.
APPLICATION: In terms of both the music video and the film
opening this could be watched by the audience than told to their
friends to watch then that is passed on and the cycle continues.
This could be seen in a way of presenting our message through
these texts to tell the audience what we want them to think e.g.
through the stereotypes ect.

4. THEORIST: Abraham Maslow
THEORY: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
ARGUMENT:
Self Actualization, Esteem, Love/Belonging, Safety and Physiological.
APPLICATION: Similarly to the audience gratification theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs refers to what the audience want to gain out of watching a text. In our film
opening we touched on a variety of needs but in particular love/belonging as our film
was based on a relationship that ends up going badly and when watching this the
audience know what to expect and will be gratified.

5. THEORIST: Denis McQuail (1987), James Lull (1990), Richard
Kilborn (1992)
THEORY: U&G
ARGUMENT: Similar to Audience Gratification theory, Use’s and
Gratifications theory. It is an approach to understanding why
people actively seek out specific media outlets and content for
gratification purposes.
APPLICATION: Very much the same as the audience
gratification theory, people will watch our texts wanting to gain
something from them whether it be diversion or surveillance.

6. THEORIST: Hans Robert Jauss
THEORY: Reception Theory
ARGUMENT: Based on Stuart Hall’s work of
Encoding/Decoding but by using recognised codes and
conventions the producer can position the audience
somewhat and create a general agreement.
APPLICATION: When producing our film opening we studied
the specific codes and conventions of a thriller and made
sure we tried to stick to these as by the audience recognising
these codes they are comfortable and satisfied as they know
what they are getting. Also as producers as said above we
can position the audience so we prepare them for what they
want and will get.

7. THEORIST: David Morley (1980)
THEORY: Nationwide Audience
ARGUMENT: Outlined three positions a member of the audience might take when
watching a program
Dominant (or 'hegemonic') reading: The reader shares the programme's 'code'
(its meaning system of values, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions) and fully accepts
the programme's 'preferred reading' (a reading which may not have been the result
of any conscious intention on the part of the programme makers).
Negotiated reading: The reader partly shares the programme's code and broadly
accepts the preferred reading, but modifies it in a way which reflects their position
and interests.
Oppositional ('counter-hegemonic') reading: The reader does not share the
programme's code and rejects the preferred reading, bringing to bear an alternative
frame of interpretation.
APPLICATION: In our film opening we wanted to portray a fictional relationship but
as it says in this theory the audience may take our portrayal at face value and think
all relationships end in this way, relating to a Marxist view of hegemony but the
audience can read the meanings sent out and mediate them.

8. THEORIST: John Fiske
THEORY: Genre Structure
ARGUMENT: Defines genre as ‘attempts to structure some
order into the wide range of texts and meanings that circulate in
our culture for the convince of both producers and audiences’.
APPLICATION: When creating our thriller film opening we took
into consideration the conventions and codes to make sure we
were creating something our audience would enjoy and the
producer would be comfortable making. Although we found
ourselves stemming towards a hybrid of a drama/thriller.

9. THEORIST: Stuart Hall
THEORY: Encoding/Decoding
ARGUMENT: Hall's essay challenged all three components of the mass
communications model. It argued that for one meaning is not simply
fixed or determined by the sender secondly that the message is never
transparent; and finally the audience is not a passive recipient of
meaning.
APPLICATION: Encoding/decoding allows the audience to mediate the
messages they receive through a text, in our film opening we see a
relationship break up take a sinister turn and the girl become obsessed
although we have to remember this is fiction and the audience can
choose whether to believe these messages or decode them for
themselves.