Audience Theory 1: Blog Tasks :)

Hypodermic needle model

1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of video games. How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model?

The hypodermic needle model suggests that media injects information into an audience like a hypodermic needle into the brain and therefore can have a dangerous effect on us- this particular article can be seen to "inject" the image that video games make children violent and this can give parents the image that all video games are bad and will make your children violent 

2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case (see Daily Mail front page below) link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? 

This front page links to the hypodermic needle model because the use of  the phrase "is a violent video game addict" in the subtitle stereotypes all children who play video games to be violent and will end up doing something as drastic as this child- it "injects" the idea that children who play video games and don't leave their rooms very often will end up doing something as dramatic as this child 

3) What do you think of the hypodermic needle theory? Do audiences believe everything they see in the media?

I think that the hypodermic needle theory is real and relevant even nowadays because people tend to believe what they read online because it is considered the most reliable source of information so they tend to blindly believe the news without questioning- especially because this is a newspaper article, people may believe this more

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?

The two-step model is the theory that suggests that we are mainly influenced by people called 'opinion leaders' and I think this gets more and more relevant as time goes on because the dependency on social media is increasing which means that people are following social media influencers more and adopting their opinions because they believe that those opinions are facts those influencers determine how their media consumers react to other media products 

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?

This YouTube blogger fits into the two-step model because he has a large following which means a lot of people look up to him and when he voices his opinions, a lot of people adopt the same opinion. Especially with this YouTube blogger, he is a man who wears make-up which many people think is wrong for men to do but because he is doing it he is allowing his followers to know it is okay to do so and therefore encouraging his male viewers to wear make-up of they want to. This is a demonstration of the two-flow model being used in a positive way to allow acceptance towards things that people may generally not accept 

3) Read this BBC profile of Jamal Edwards. How does Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model?

I think Jamal Edwards links to the two-step flow model because he could be considered to be an 'opinion leader' that the two-step flow model places emphasis on. This is because as his following grew, more people started looking up to him so when he shared his opinions or advice, more poeple started to believe it and he was spreading motivation through his fan-base 

Uses and Gratifications theory

1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text (e.g. film, TV programme, newspaper etc.) that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points. 

Diversion: Parks and Recreation --> an entertaining show that is very light-hearted and provides an escape from everyday problems due to its comedic nature 

Relationships: Brooklyn 99 --> a funny show about a group of detectives where the light-hearted nature of the show allows the audience to develop attachments to the characters 

Personal Identity: Bad Education --> a British comedy programme about a school in Britain and the trouble that the teacher and students get into which may be relatable to some viewers 

Surveillance: Our Planet --> a documentary by David Attenborough that provides us with information about the planet that might be hard to obtain otherwise 

Dependency theory

1) Do you agree that audiences have become dependent on the media? What evidence or examples can you provide to support your view?

I wholeheartedly believe that audiences have become much more dependant on the media- especially recently with the spread of Covid-19 that caused lock-downs and resulted in everything becoming virtual which definitely increased the reliance on social media 

2) How has the growth of new and digital technology in the last 15 years changed people's dependency on the media? Is this a new problem?

The development of new technology has undeniably increased the dependency on media and this is because 15 years ago, technology was limited so there was also limited media but now that technology has been developing over the last 15 years, media has also developed. This means that we have gone from black and white silent films to very high budget movies like the Marvel movies that have a very large fan-base with high expectations that an older generation would not have 

3) Reflecting on your own media use, how does your media consumption impact on your emotions? Does the media have an overall positive or negative impact on your health and well-being? Why?

I think that the media has a relatively positive impact on my emotions because I have been able to find movies and shows that I really enjoy which has led me to find friends who enjoy the same things. However, I don't think that I get invested in media to the point where it starts to have an impact on my health and well-being 

MIGRAIN Assessment 1: Learner Response :)

MIGRAIN Assessment 1: Learner Response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW: A very good effort. Strengths are having the ability to complete textual analysis, in particular with Q2

EBI: Naturally, Q1 may have been difficult as I missed the start of the course. Go back and revise narrative theory. Also, try not to explain the theories in your responses but apply them through your analysis instead 

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

Q1: Use the theoretical framework (media language & narrative theory) to analyse how the poster uses narrative 

Q2: Excellent and accurate understanding of the theoretical framework that is demonstrated by consistently appropriate explanation and comparison of the connotations in the products 

Q3: Excellent knowledge and understanding of the influences of genre on media audiences and industries that is consistently supported by highly appropriate and effective examples 

Q4: Judgements and conclusions regarding the application of reception theory are perceptive and fully supported with detailed reference to specific aspects of the set product 

3) Read this exemplar response from a previous Year 12 (an A grade). Identify at least one potential point for each question from this student's paper that you missed out on in your assessment. 

Q1: I should have included Barthes and Todorov in my answer because they explain the narrative theory

Q2: I should have explained how their gender has an influence on the meaning of the media products 

Q3: I should have mentioned the theorists used for genre like Abercrombie and developed by answer based on that 

Q4: I should have written a thesis at the beginning and elaborated on it in each paragraph and then consolidated by answer with a conclusion at the end. I also should have elaborated on my negotiated reading more at the end as well 

4) Did you get any media terminology or theory wrong in the assessment? Make a note of it here for future revision, including theories/terminology that you could have used but didn't.

I wasn't sure about Todorov's theory about equilibrium and disequilibrium so I couldn't use this theory in my answer

I also wasn't sure about Abercrombie's theory about genre and how genre maintains loyal audiences 

I also didn't familiarise myself with Barthes' theory about enigma and action codes that link to the last question of the paper 

5) Identify your weakest question and write out a new response or plan that would improve on your original response. Use the mark scheme and exemplar paper to identify anticipated content you can add to your response and make sure your re-draft or plan would be a top-level answer.

Q1:

From figure 1, we are able to make the confident assumption that this film poster uses key elements of the narrative theory- including Todorov and Barthes. 

We can see a tagline that reads "some environments are just harder to live in" and this allows the audience to wonder what sort of narrative may develop in this film. The man on this poster, who seems to be the protagonist, is holding a prop gun which presents the connotation of violence or conflict. This raises the question for the audience to whether there will be disequilibrium that the hero (based on Propp's character theory) needs to resolve using the weapon. Through the use of Todorov's theory of equilibrium and disequilibrium, we can make the assumption that the film starts in equilibrium but after a tragic event, there is disequilibrium that this protagonist has to resolve in order to create a new equilibrium. 

We can also see elements of Barthes' action and enigma codes in this poster because of the prop gun that the protagonist is holding. The use of the gun creates enigma for the audience as questions are raised about why he is in possession of a weapon and why life is harder for this particular character. This successfully supports his theory that enigma codes are key in engaging an audience because it creates an inclination to follow the narrative in order to gain answers for these enigmas. 

Audience Classification :)

 1) Make sure your psychographics presentation is uploaded on your blog with all details of the couple and their media consumption (it needs to be on everybody's blog individually but can be a duplicate of your partner's post).

Presentation

2) Which psychographic group do you feel best fits YOUR lifestyle and personality? Explain how and why you made your decision and provide evidence justifying this.

I believe I fit best into the mainstreamer psychographic group- this is because I tend to consume the same media that I see people around me consuming (e.g. Marvel movies or Netflix shows). I tend to watch movies and shows as soon as they come out. I also tend to stay loyal to media that has meaning to me which links to the sentimentality that mainstreamers have. I also do tend to prefer mainstream films that are economically successful and widely spoken about within people around me- mainstreamers do tend to prefer the 'family brand' type of media and this is also what I lean towards when I pick what I want to watch. 

Psychographics: Pair Presentations :)

Psychographics: pair presentations

Structure

Who I am working with: Sade 

Psychographic group: Explorers/Mainstreamers 

Introduction to our couple: 

• Names: Maya and Amelia
• Introduction to them: They are a gay couple with the same taste in shows and music so they never argue about what to watch 
• Work/study: They are both university students- one studies psychology and the other studies art. The one who studies art works at a small coffee shop and does latte art and the one who studies psychology works at a bookstore 
• Spare time: They collect crystals and read and do yoga and hike together 

Media Consumption

Print: They don't buy or read newspapers or magazines because they tend to find all of their news online but they do read fantasy books and romance novels (paper books)

Broadcast: They watch shows like 'Sex Education' and 'YOU' on Netflix. They also watch the old Disney movies a lot but not Marvel movies. They prefer niche films over mainstream films though because they are different to what is common in media. They listen to podcasts a lot about new things so that they can educate themselves about new topics. They also prefer streaming services over freeview 

Online: They both have Nintendo Switches but they don't have Play Stations or Xbox's. They tend to visit websites about astrology and zodiac signs as well as visiting websites like 'Goodreads' for book reviews. One of them has a blog where she shares new things that she has recently learned. They both use Tumblr and Pinterest to find new interests 

Narrative Blog Tasks :)

Narrative: Blog Tasks

1) Give an example from film or television that uses Todorov's narrative structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. 

In 'Avengers Age of Ultron', there is equilibrium when all of the Avengers are at a party and all of the protagonists are happy and laughing with each other. The disequilibrium is when the artificial intelligence that Tony Stark created creates a physical form and is set out to cause destruction and kill all of the Avengers. This robot was called Ultron and he recruited Wanda and Pietro Maximoff as an attempt to try kill the Avengers. The new equilibrium is when Wanda and Pietro decide to team up with the Avengers and defeat Ultron and kill him so that he won't e a danger to earth anymore. 

2) Complete the activity on page 1 of the Factsheet: find a clip on YouTube of the opening of a new TV drama series (season 1, episode 1). Embed the clip in your blog and write an analysis of the narrative markers that help establish setting, character and plot.

Temporal marker: you can see that most of the scenes are at night because you can see the contrast between the light of the fire compared to the darkness of the night time and because the fires tend to be in buildings with windows, you can often see the time of day through the sky that can be seen from the windows

Geographical marker: in this opening, the Seattle Space Needle is shown which is a very famous landmark in Seattle so by showing this, the location in which this show will take place becomes very evident to the audience 

Historical marker: in one of the scenes of the opening, we can see a fire truck and part of the fire station which look fairly advanced which indicates that this show is likely to take place in modern day society

Character marker: all of the characters shown in the opening have fire gear on and in some of the shots shown, they are carrying fire equipment like hoses and they are wearing fire helmets. all of these aspects of their uniform contribute to the audience's understanding of the fact that these characters are firefighters 

Generic marker: The use of fast-paced music in the background of this opening scene suggests that this will be a drama show and when this music is paired with the serious facial expressions on each character's face, the fact that this will be a drama show is further emphasised 

3) Provide three different examples from film or television of characters that fit Propp's hero character role.

Agatha Harkness- Wandavision

• She was initially presented the nosy neighbour of Wanda (the protagonist) and she was always laughing and joking around with her
• In the last few episodes of the show, it was revealed that she was actually a false hero who had been evil all along but pretended to be nice so that Wanda would trust her 

Tony Stark- Iron Man

• Whenever there is a conflict/disequilibrium, Iron Man is always first on the scene to help save the people in danger and try make a new equilibrium 
• This makes Tony Stark/Iron Man the hero as well as the protagonist of his movies 

Bucky Barnes- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

• In this show, Sam Wilson has taken over for Captain America and he now has to play as the protagonist and the hero because it is his responsibility to restore disequilibrium
• This means that Bucky Barnes is the helper of Sam Wilson because he is helping him restore the conflict without being the hero himself

4) Give an example of a binary opposition.

One example of binary opposition could be the sharp contrast between hero and villain 

5) What example is provided in the Factsheet for the way narratives can emphasise dominant ideologies and values?

The example provided is when policemen capture the criminal in a crime drama- the ideology of the value of law and order is emphasised 

6) Why do enigma and action codes (Barthes) offer gratifications for audiences?

Because the viewers become curious as to what actions will occur and how any problems will be resolved- the climax provides the emotional high spot while the resolutions provide comfort and reassurance for the audience 

7) Write a one-sentence summary of the four different types of TV narrative:

Episodic narrative (the series): fictions with many components but the narrative arc tends to be resolved within the same episode- this is very common in sitcoms 

Overarching narrative (the serial): a resolution isn't achieved within individual episodes but it is resolved by the end of the series- common in US TV and require a loyal audience 

Mixed narrative: uses both episodic and overarching narratives in order to reward loyal viewers but also allows casual viewers to enjoy each episode individually 

Multi-strand overlapping narrative (soap narrative): have a continuous narrative and tell a number of different stories at the same time but there is no final resolution as a way to maintain an audience 

8) How does the Factsheet suggest adverts use narrative?  

By setting up a problem that is instantly offered a solution that creates a swift resolution 

Genre: Blog Tasks :)

 Media Factsheet 03- Genre: Categorising Texts

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

Somebody sitting behind a desk- this isn't a specific genre but the elements of modern mise-en-scene and high-key lighting and the choice of media language combined creates an image of a news broadcast. 

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

The example how it isn't unusual for soap operas to have a storyline that follows a family dealing with some sort of domestic situation. Although this may also appear in sit-coms, sit-coms often tend to have a lighthearted nature which is the opposite of soap operas where they take on a much more serious tone in which the storyline continues over a long period of time (in contrast to sit-coms that find a solution to the problem by the end of the short episode). 

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?

In action, the 'lone wolf'action hero usually tends to be the most common stereotype - especially with characters such as James Bond that depend on a character's individual strength. Meanwhile in disaster movies, the heroic role is often placed within a group of people and they all have particular strengths that help solve problems and often work using teamwork- like the Avengers. 

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? 

According to Bordwell, films can be categorised through Period or Country (US films of the 1930s), Technical Process (Animation), Style (German Expressionism), Series (Bond), Audience (Family Films).

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

• Prior knowledge of the genre to anticipate their enjoyment of the text
• Shared characteristics with another show or movie
• Reject a text which is when someone actively dislikes a genre and avoids texts that they assume contain those characteristics 

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

• Follow rules or paradigms of the genre to make writing easier for producers based on other successes and failures
• Loyal fan-bases to certain genres to minimise potential of failure 
• Clearly define the genre of the film and show as many codes and conventions in the trailer to attract fans to set up expectations of the film

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

The film genre used the example of gangster genre- the films mentioned were Scarface, Resevoir Dogs and The Sopranos while the conventions (genre that focuses on groups of criminals and often romanticises the gangster lifestyle) were the texts within the genre that are violent and deal with conflict between the police and criminals.

Media Factsheet 126- Superheroes: A Genre Case Study

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

• Superman
• Batman and Robin 
• The Flash 
• Arrow 
• Agents of Shield 

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

Superman (1940)- WW2 began in 1939 and the people from the US saw this as a European issue and the US government thought they might have to get involved despite most of the population not wanting to and this was reflected in Superman as he would have to battle Europeans despite not wanting to. Another example of this is X-Men (2000) and this movie was about mutants who were believed to be freaks by so-called 'normal' people. Some of the mutants reacted to the discrimination with violence whereas the others tried to work with the humans to try fit in. As this movie came out in 2000, it can be said that the mutants are metaphors and representation of the intolerance for racism and homophobia.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

• Innovation: visual codes for the superhero genre were largely established by the comic books. When film and TV used comic book characters, other codes and conventions regarding the presentation of the genre in moving images were set.
• Classical: by the 1950s, the superhero genre was seen to be in its classical stage with codes and conventions being replicated in film and TV programmes of the time. 
• Parody: Batman (1966) was intentionally funny and camp so that the audience would not take the superhero too seriously- the ironic tone indicates the playful nature of the genre and allowed the audience to enjoy the awareness of that. After Batman, the classical and parodic versions of the genre were largely in children's animation. 
• Deconstruction: Superman (1978) introduced special effects with technology to create more realistic visual miracles- the Superman series and Tim Burton's Batman franchise treated superheroes seriously but also used camp comedy to show how the genre has been deconstructed and changed to help the genre find a new audience- this brings the genre back to innovation which allows new ideas to be developed within the genre. 
• The Cycle Continues: if the film or TV isn't well received, the genre needs to be deconstructed and re-innovated 

Genre Analysis

Grey's Anatomy

General

1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I have chosen this text because it is my favourite show and it has 18 seasons so there is a lot going on and there are lots of plot twists that make the show very interesting and engaging for the audience.

2) In what context did you encounter it?

I used to see lots of people on social media talk about this show and I wanted to see what everybody was talking about but and once i started watching it, I realised that it actually talks about serious world issues and is not just a typical medical drama. 

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

I think I had a biased reaction towards the show because all of the posts I had seen about it were positive so I think that I was expecting it to be amazing and I matched my opinions to everybody else's.

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

I initially assigned this text to the medical drama genre but as I continued watching, I started to see that it also could be assigned to the drama and romance genres. 

5) What is your experience of this genre?

I to tend to enjoy drama shows a lot as they build suspense and leave the audience wondering what could happen next and especially with this show, there are a lot of plot twists.

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

The subject matter is medicine but also drama. There is constantly some sort of drama going on between the main characters but also there are about two or three medical cases covered in each episode.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

The elements of drama are very typical in that there are lots of affairs and relationship issues as well as family issues. The medical side of the show is also very typical as they tend to cover lots of unusual medical problems- which lots of medical shows tend to do. 

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

On the drama side, I expect lots of relationship problems and cheating and affairs because that is a typical storyline for drama shows and on the medical side, I expect to see lots of blood and organs which is also very typical with a lot of medical shows. 

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

I have found that this story text uses a lot of generic labels such as the forbidden love storyline and the "will-they-survive-or-not" storyline (cliffhangers which are not unusual for the drama genre). 

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

Other generic labels that have been given are the unpredictable plot twists as well as the use of comedy quite frequently.

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?

There is a convention of the men having a higher status than the women because often, the men were medical chiefs, it was only until the later seasons when they made a woman chief. 

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

Quite far because we don't see women as chiefs until towards the end of the show because primarily, men were the ones in positions of power. 

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

Towards the end of the show and this is probably because of a high number of female watchers who didn't agree with the fact that women were not in power and because the show first aired in 2005, it wasn't unusual for men to be in power but as the show progressed and is now taking place in 2021, women are given much more power then before. 

14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?

The comedic parts of the show seem like they belong in a comedy show itself because of the drama and medical cases that take place, it is unusual for comedy and humour to be taking place in a hospital which is where the show is based. 

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?

The forbidden love storyline takes place a lot, as well as cheating and affairs.

Mode of address

1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?

This text is likely meant for young adults or a mature audience because of the blood that takes place in almost every episode so I don't think this was intended for children or teens and this is very common for medical shows because all of them depict the gore that comes with medicine so it is not likely that any medical shows are intended for younger viewers. 

2) How does the text address you?

Although I typically don't like blood, this show really interested me as an A-Level student because I was considering different career paths so I was able to somewhat understand part of the medical field by watching this show and allowed me to decide what career I wanted to pursue. 

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

Somebody who enjoys drama as well as learning things because despite the dramatic storylines, there is a lot to learn about the medical field. 

4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

You can assume that I am working class because this show is not too fancy and you can also assume I am a female because of the drama that comes with the show which tends to attract females more often than males. You can also assume that I am either in my late teens or early twenties because that is mainly who watches this show recently. Regarding ethnicity, I don't believe this show was meant for a specific ethnicity so I don't believe that an assumption about my ethnicity can be made from the fact that I watch this show. 

5) What interests does it assume you have?

Interests towards medicine or problem solving as a lot of the time in this show, a cure can't be established right away so sometimes the audience has to pitch in and try think of alternative methods to try treat the patient. 

Relationship to other texts

1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)?

I believe there is a relation to a show called "Station 19" and this is because both of the main characters in the shows introduce the episode at the beginning through a voiceover and then summarise the episode at the end also using a voiceover. Both of the main characters also seem to have a lot of death surrounding them and a lot of their loved ones die. 

2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?

Maybe another medical drama like "The Resident" or "ER". 

3) What key features are shared by these texts?

The drama that occurs between the main characters but also the fact that they focus on medical cases in each episode as well.

4) What major differences do you notice between them?

Grey's Anatomy tends to be serious at times but is balanced out with funny moments whereas shows like "ER" are more serious in tone and a lot more fast-paced. 

Reception Theory :)

 Reception Theory

Preferred/Hegemonic Reading

For this advert, I believe that one of the hegemonic readings would be presenting this advert as a showcase for 50 Cent's success despite his past. Despite the fact that his past suggested that living wasn't guaranteed and promised, he still managed to make it and be one of the most successful artists in the music industry. Through the lessons he has learned, in this advert, 50 Cent is trying to encourage people to live life to the fullest because life is not always promised and 50 Cent is likely to be a role model for many so by spreading this message, this advert was probably influential for a lot of his fans.

Negotiated Reading

I believe that the negotiated reading for this advert is the fact that they are celebrating 50 Cent's career but simultaneously suggesting that they support gangs and criminals through the use of text that was used on the advert. 

Oppositional/Counter-Hegemonic Reading

I believe that there are many potential counter-hegemonic readings regarding this advert, one of which being the fact that this advert might be glamorising gang activities and criminals. By putting text that says "I am who I am" over a picture of criminal fingerprints, the idea of being a criminal is almost accepted and encouraged by 50 Cent because he isn't showing any regret towards what his life used to be like or giving any sort of message that shows that he is apologetic for his previous lifestyle. Additionally, it can be said that perhaps 50 Cent has intentionally been chosen as the focal point of this advert because the lack of female representation reinforced male domination in society. It could be said that because they chose a male as the focal point of the advert, women in crime shouldn't be accepted but males in crime should be. 

Preferred/Hegemonic Reading

I believe that the hegemonic reading of this advert is to show the importance of firefighters in Seattle (this advert specifically shows the Seattle Space Needle to show that this group of firefighters is based in Seattle). The fact that the characters take up a majority of the advert shows that they are very important to the city and they have high significance. The use of smoke in the background also reinforces how they put their lives in danger and this makes them even more significant because it makes our respect for them grow. 

Negotiated Reading

The negotiated reading of this advert would be that while the advert is emphasising the importance of firefighters in the city, perhaps they are giving the firefighters a sense of superiority compared to civilians and people with other jobs who still save people's lives- such as doctors, police officers, etc. 

Oppositional/Counter-Hegemonic Reading

Perhaps the counter-hegemonic reading of this advert could be the fact that firefighters think of themselves as superior to everybody else because they do a job that involves risking their lives every day. This could be thought due to there being no other civilians or people in this advert so this may give the audience the impression that firefighters believe they are too good to be on a poster with civilians because they have such a high self-image. Also, the fact that one of the only other things in the advert is the Seattle Space Needle, it suggests that they see themselves as influential and important as one of the most famous landmark in the state. 

How useful is the Reception Theory when analysing media products?

The Reception Theory is highly important when analysing media products because it allows us to understand how an audience could potentially interpret a product and this cal allow adjustments to be made in order to avoid misinterpretations by the audience. Hall suggested that all media products are polysemic and this is undeniable because everybody interprets things differently due to culture and society so producers of media products have to carefully consider the different interpretations that may come with certain aspects of the product. By using the Reception Theory, the possibility of a product being misinterpreted significantly decreases so I strongly believe that the application of the Reception Theory should be applied to all media products as it will also reduce backlash from certain products. 

Reading an Image :)

 Reading an Image

In this advert, 50 Cent is strategically placed on the left half of the advert whilst being surrounded by darkness with a serious expression on his face. This darkness successfully presents connotations of mystery and perhaps presents a symbolic code for his hidden past/secrets he wants to keep hidden. There has been a use of low-key lighting here which causes there to be a lot of shadows which successfully reiterates the connotations of mystery and perhaps even crime. The right side of the advert offers a different interpretation as it shows some fingerprints with some text over it. Fingerprints often have connotations of crime and due to the grey scale of the advert, a dull and mysterious perspective is given which allows us to wonder what criminal past 50 Cent might have. The text that reads "I am what I am" alludes to the fact that 50 Cent might have had a troubled past but he has come to accept it and due to the relatively large size of the text, we are able to infer that 50 Cent truly means it as he wants to make sure that it's one of the first things that can be seen on the advert and it juxtaposes the hiding that he used to do when it came to his past- his present is something that he isn't ashamed of. There has also been a 50/50 split on the advert where it can be suggested that as well as the darkness he has endured in his life, there is also a lightness that follows afterwards. There is smaller text on the right side of the advert which reads "Take advantage of today because tomorrow is not promised" and this was written on top of some fingerprints. This further develops the idea that he has a criminal past because it seems that he has figured out that lesson through personal experiences and suggests that although he may have has a troubled past, he is learning as a person and growing to accept what has happened. There are some props in this advert that have significance, such as the chain around his neck which successfully connotes wealth and perhaps this allows us to see that despite your hardships, nothing is impossible to achieve. Another prop that has significance is the cap that he is wearing because this has connotations of the hip-hop music genre that 50 Cent is notoriously recognised for having a huge impact on. 

This is an advert for a show about firefighters and we can see the main firefighters placed on the right side of the advert with the Seattle Space Needle behind them. We can see that each firefighter has a serious facial expression which emphasises the seriousness of their jobs and the fact that these characters are taking up a majority of the advert gives connotations to how significant they are in helping keep everybody in the city safe. The title of the show and the little bit of text that reads "First to respond. Last to surrender." has been written in red and red commonly has connotations of fear and danger which successfully corresponds with the danger that comes with their jobs. In this case, it can be said that the red of the text also has connotations of fire and because fire is such a significant aspect of their lives, it is reflected in the colour of text as well. We can also see a slight red hue on the left side of the characters and yet again, this offers symbolic code of both the danger and fire that goes hand in hand with their jobs. The Seattle Space Needle can be seen behind the firefighters which is an important landmark in Seattle so by putting the characters in front of it, it gives the impression that they are what keeps the city in tact, including its biggest monuments. This allows the audience to get a sense of how important these firefighters really are in keeping the city safe and allows us to gain respect for them for putting their lives in danger for the safety of others. We can also see dark smoke surrounding them which denotes the smoke they encounter on the job and isn't likely to have any underlying connotations. There has also been a use of high-key lighting in this advert due to the absence of significant shadows and this allows us to infer that there are no secrets and they put their entire lives on the line- they are completely invested in their jobs and have given it their all. Also, we can see that all of the characters are illuminated by some sort of light and none of them are in the shadows and this is significant because it allows us to understand how each character is significant and equal when it comes to their responsibility for keeping the city safe.