One audience theory is the effects model. This is the idea that audiences are passive and that the power lies with the message of the text. The hypodermic needle model relates to the effect model. This is because it suggests that audiences are 'injected' with lots of information and just passively take it in, unable to resist. This model is supported by Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment that found that children who watched violent behaviour were likely to replicate that behaviour. Real life examples also support this - for example, the murder of James Bulger by children who had watch Child Play 3. A Clockwork Orange has also been associated with rape and other violent attacks. The simple idea of the effects model is that people see images and are likely to be influenced by them. This relates to my trailer and ancillary products. In the trailer, a silhouette of a knife is shown and a graphic image of an open wound is also shown. In my poster, a silhouette of a knife is also used. Based on the effects model, these could influence the consumer and lead to them carrying out violent activities. The trailer would be easier to restrain younger audiences from as it would be a 'Red Band' trailer. These are only shown before films that are age appropriate and Youtube only lets users over 18 access Red Band trailers. The poster however would be harder to restrict. The poster would not be able to be shown on the sides of buses or on billboards - an edited version with the removal of the knife may be able to be displayed in public places. However, the poster would probably be able to be shown inside cinemas. The whole theme of our trailer may be quite threatening as it is all about murder - the way the trailer is restricted will make sure that passive younger consumers do not replicate any of the behaviour. However, once the film has been released, it would be up to the parents or the individuals themselves for whether they see the trailer or film. The effects model also suggests that people can be sent into a moral panic - this could lead to films being banned. When creating our trailer, we can to make sure we weren't pushing the boundaries (violence-wise) too much or else the trailer wouldn't actually be allowed to air.Uses and Gratifications
Another audience theory is the uses and gratifications theory. This is almost the opposite of the effects model as it suggests that the audience is quite active. The theory suggests that the audience uses the text for gratification or pleasure. The theory also suggests that the power lies with the audience and they are in control - they can choose to reject or accept the media. This can be explained through films that are not financially successful - in 2015, a remake of Fantastic Four was released which received negative reviews and bad word of mouth. Before the film was released, lots of negative things were said about it and a very negative buzz was created. This led to the film underperforming during the opening weekend and seeing a very high second week drop which shows that audiences rejected the film due to it not satisfying their needs. We hope that our trailer is quite effective and that lots of anticipation will be created - the magazine feature is all about the theories based on who the killer is. This means that people will be talking about the film and hopefully, a buzz will be created which would lead to the audience accepting the film and paying to see it. Audiences can use media for diversion, escapism, pleasure, comparing relationships and lifestyles with their own and sexual stimulation. I would say that our trailer and film would be used for diversion and escapism. Audiences would also be satisfied by our trailer as they would be able to relate to the characters and their lifestyles - our audience would be a teen audience and our characters are of a similar age - the audience would relate to the school lifestyles and the types of dramas that occur at school. However, our plot is quite extreme so audiences would be able to compare themselves and may feel thankful that their drama isn't as bad. The film is set in quite a realistic, modern environment which makes it even more relatable and creates a diversion for the audience. The whole plot creates a sense of escapism as the audience can escape from their day-to-day lives and go into a world that is probably a lot less worse than theirs. The uses and gratifications theory also suggests that violent images can be helpful and can help audiences understand that being violent is bad.
Reception Theory
This theory was created by Stuart Hall and is another audience theory. The main idea of the theory is that the audience decodes the messages that have been encoded into the text by producers. However, audiences can't always decode the correct meaning which could lead to the text being rejected as audiences fail to understand it. The 3 main ways that texts can be decoded are dominant/preferred, negotiated or oppositional. Dominant is when the correct movie is decoded, negotiated is when the audience accepts, refines and rejects certain elements and oppositional is when the text is misread and therefore rejected. In our trailer, we have included an image of an open wound - the intended message is that the character has been murdered. However, this message could be misinterpreted or rejected by audiences.
