Theory That Links To My Critical Investigation & Linked Production

Audience Theory . . .

* Audience theory is a basic point which needs to be considered when constructing a text or analysing it as this theory is based on what audience will be attracted to the text and how they will be targeted. This is a important point to be considered as when producing a text, the producers will need to know who they are intending to target and how they will do this. This theory links to my linked production and critical investigation as I will need to consider what type of audience is being attracted in the linked production and how they will be attracted. There are different audience theories that relate to my critical investigation and linked production.

1. 'The Hypodermic Needle Model'

- The Hypodermic Needle Model is a theory which believes that ideas and views are being injected in to the audiences mind as they are being persuaded to believe a certain view or idea. This theory was introduced in 1920's when the mass media was still fairly new and advertising had just been discovered to communicate with the audience.

- This theory relates to my critical investigation and linked production as I will be looking at the representation of teenagers in Hollywood productions, exploring how and why this representation has changed over the years which means that the representation has changed over the years as the audience has been injected different views on teenagers through the use of media. For example, teenagers are now stereotyped as trouble makers and immature which was not the case over the years as now teenagers are being represented negatively in films too. This connotes that the public is being injected ideas about teenagers which has caused teenagers to be stereotyped as a threat in the publics view.

2. 'Two Step Flow'

- 'Two Step Flow' is a theory that precisely explaining the relationship between the audience and the text. This theory is from Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazer Gaudet and their finding suggest that the information does not flow directly from the text into the minds of its audience straight away but is filters through "opinion leaders" and they then communicate it to their less active associates over who they have influence. The audience then mediate the information received directly from the media with the ideas and thoughts expressed by the opinion leaders which means that the audience is not being influenced by a direct process but a two step flow.

- This theory will link to my critical investigation and linked production as when researching for my critical investigation I will need to research different Hollywood productions which will involve looking at the way in which the audience is gaining the information and whether it is directly influencing the audience or if there is 'Two Step Flow'. This will involve me analysing how in different texts, the audience are getting the information and if they understand it instantly or they have to go through the 'Two Step Flow' theory.