Audiences and Audience Theories

The Uses and Gratification's Theory

The Uses and Gratification's Theory suggests that the audience view media and films and receive gratification and enjoyment out of it. Instead of the media using the audience its the opposite and the media is used by the audience for their pleasure. The theory believes that audiences view media as a way to get information, sexual stimulation, relationships, pleasure and comparison between characters and themselves.

The Reception Theory

The Reception Theory is the theory that producers hide messages and meaning that they are tryng to get across to the audience in their films. The audience member either understands the message or fails to understand the message trying to be put across to them. This therefore makes the film more interesting for the audience and keeps them hooked to the film. The audience can do three things in reaction to the message trying to be put across to them. Oppose the message which means they understand but totally disagree and reject the message, negotiate, which means that they understand the message being put across to them but fail to have an opinion on it or dominate, this means they have understood and agreed to the message they are receiving as the audience.

The Hypodermic Needle Theory

The Hypodermic Needle Theory is the theory that the audience viewing any form of media respond to messages in the same way. The Media 'injects' messages into the audience to get a response. This Theory is used to show the mental effect that film and media can have on audiences. The Hypodermic Needle Theory describes people as passive and easily influenced and are likely to copy actions seen in the media. The biggest example of people being effected by the  media would be the James Bulger murder in 1991 who was brutally murdered by James Thompson and Jon Venables at the age of 10. The boys admitted in court that the film Childs Play 3, which involves the murder of a boy a similar age, is what provoked them to commit the murder. This is a prime example as to how media and film have a major impact on audiences and also why certification is important.