An
audience is a
group of people who receive a media text, they receive these texts through a variety of mediums inclusing through Televison and Magazines. For our audience in our Advanced Portfolio, they will receive these through Youtube and Music Channels such as 4Music and MTV, MTV for its high status as a music channel and 4Music due to its pop based features which our video would be shown on.
All media texts are produced with an audience in mind, for the audience of my artist I have in mind a young, modern female aged around 15-25 whose interests include fashion, music and the media.
In order to research companies use questionnaires to find out about peoples life styles and viewing habits, I carried this out in order to find out about my target audience.I did this at the Demographic Group of Groups B and E
B- Creative and media people
E- Students
(these audience demographics are based on the National Readership Survey's socio-economic grades
http://www.nrs.co.uk/)
1. How often do you watch music channels?
a) Every day b) Every few days c) Once a week d) Once a month e) More
2. What music channels do you commonly watch?
3. At the weekend do you
a) Socialise with friends b) Stay in and watch TV c) Shop d) Visit family
4. What style of music do you like most?
a)Indie b) Pop c) Rock d) Alternative e) Dubstep f) R n B g)Other
Another form of Audience Reserach is Pyschographics. From looking at the 4 C's (Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation) I gave people the Pyschographics questionnaire and gained a response that my traget audience is made up of
Aspirers- Orientated to image and appearence, persona and fashion. Typically younger people. This demonstartes my target audience are fashion conscious and young which is what our artist Ruby Reigns is, indicating she is catering to her audience.
Hierarchy of Needs- Maslow
Maslow's theory suggests that we as individuals have basic needs, for example the basic needs to eat and sleep up to a higher level of needs such as self esteem and self respect. This theory can be linked to my media text due to it being relevant to audience consuming particulary media texts that boost self esteem. This can be supported as when viewing a music video an audience member may feel better about themselves seeing their insecurities shown in a video, or an artist that reflects their same beliefs.
Another theory surrounding Audience is the idea of audience being passive, with the media injecting ideas to them, with them having no choice. However, today, audience are a alot more aware of the media and these ideas that are injected into them, with their pre conceptions acting as a powerful filter of media messages. For example, in our video the audience is more aware of society and would understand Ruby's feminist views in manipulating Ken, and may oppose the metrosexual ending in which her and Ken live happily ever after, as in todays society unconventional ideas are more widely accepted.
Two Step Flow Theory
Katz and Lazarsfield assumes a slightly more active audience. It suggests media messages move in two ways;
-Information who are opinion leaders receive messages from the media and pass on their own interpreatations
- The audience mediate the information receieved directly from the media, being influenced as a result
This theory relates to our music video as with sites such as Twitter, trends are easily made with people discussing a text/product and leads to popularity on Youtube. These trends are also due to videos people may have watched on music channels, which is where our product is aimed to be shown on.
Active Audiences
This theory sees individuals as active individuals who interact and use media texts for their own purposes.
For example as individuals we behave differently depending on our different backgrounds; attitudes, experiences, ideas and values.
This theory is a more realistic way to talk about audiences .
Uses and Gratifications Model
This model is the idea that audiences select media texts that best suit their needs (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs). The model suggests that media audiences are active and make active decisons about what they consume in relation to their cultural and social setting and needs. Meanings are not fixed, they can be decoded or negotiated between the media producers intended reading and the audiences actual reading.
Blumier and Katz in 1974-
'Media usage can be explained in that it provides gratifications (meaning it satisfies needs) related to the satisfaction of social and psychological needs'
This quote illustrates that audiences choose to watch texts that make them feel good or to give them information they can use or learn from.
1.
Surveillance- Our need to know what is going on in the world. This relates to Maslows need for security. By keeping up to date with news about events we as individuals feel we have the knowledge to avoid or deal with dangers.
2.
Personal relationships/Social interaction- Our need to interact with others, this is provided by forming virtual relationships with characters in film,tv,drama and other media texts.
3
. Personal Identity- Our need to define our identity and sense of self, commonly found by making judgements about people and things for example TV characters as well as making judgements towards celebrities. Our expression of identity can relate from our choice of music, shows we watch and celebrities we like. This is
value reinforcement as we choose texts that hold similar beliefs to what we hold and an relate to them through their situations.
4.
Diversion- the need to escape, be entertained and relax.
When thinking about my own media text, our music video satisfys the audiences need for escapism as our video uses humour and quirky situations (Diversion). Our video also relates to Personal Identity as the audience may relate to Ruby Reigns and the relationship in the video, of taking control or having a disfunctional relationship. This allows the audience to identify with the artist.
