Theoretical research By Saskia tidey

Genre theory Hypodermic model Genre means categories of different kind of things, in media this is to do with magazine or film. This is the way it is categorised by the setting, theme and audience. Genre will definitely be important for us as we need to characterise the right genre to the right audience so we know what the audience wants so a product sells well. By this I mean that I will follow the layout of what a regional magazine looks like as I want people to recognise this. Some people may buy this magazine because they recognise the convections from the magazine, so for this reason it is important that you do not subvert from convections too much otherwise your magazine might not sell. However I may change some conventions to suit my magazine genre the best as there might be something that will be different like the layout, this is because I want a unique product to stand out from competitors. Hypodermic model This model suggests how mass audiences are affected by the mass media. This shows how the media are influenced by what they see and that the audiences behaviour is manipulated by what they see. It is clear in our magazine that we will not be swaying the audiences opinions too much as it is only a regional beauty magazine, however we will be giving tips and advice so certain people might listen and act on this. As a group we want to create a fun, modern vibe to our magazine that anyone can pick up and enjoy reading. There wont be many controversial subjects in this magazine that will create a discussion or offend any readers as we are trying to promote Leicester as being light and having a positive atmosphere overall.

Uses and gratifications theory Uses and gratifications theory. Uses and gratifications theory is an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. UGT is an audience-centered approach to understanding mass communication. ... It assumes that audience members are not passive consumers of media. This theory suggests that audiences may choose to use a text for any of these listed options – Diversion (from everyday problems and life) Personal relationships( for interaction) Personal identity (finding reflections of yourself in the text) Surveillance (useful information) In my production I will most likely use personal relationships on all forms of my products, for example of the website I will include various comments from social media pages, pushing more Interaction between the readers and the magazine, hopefully meaning they will interact with other issues of the magazine. Another section I will use is the surveillance one, as our magazine is going to be a regional one, it needs to include the relevant information for the area (Leicester) as this is the point of the magazine to give the useful information people will want to know about. As I will be starting my production soon it will be vital I use this theory properly as I want to make sure I still appeal to my audience. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uses+and+gratifications+social+media&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft

Auteur Theory Two step flow This suggests that media products doesn’t pass straight through the minds of the audience, it travels through social leaders that change and include their opinion that influences certain audiences which changes their ideas and opinions. This shows that social factors are important to consider when looking how media products are interpreted. In my production, this will quite clearly be out of my control as everyone interprets certain things differently, so I just need to include things that shouldn’t upset any readers, therefore I just need to make sure I create a product that meets the audiences expectations to appeal to them. Auteur Theory Auteur is a French translation of the word for ‘author’ and refers to the author being the major force and influence in the creation of an production (mostly a film). This is because the author is the main person that oversees the main event allowing them to add a personal touch to certain parts where they can. The theory also suggests that some Of the most popular and successful creations are the ones where the makers add a special touch. I think I will be doing this in my magazine as I am creating it myself so I am overseeing every major event and each small element too. This way my magazine will be different and unique house style and creating a fun atmosphere, also by doing this 360 degree branding may occur as more readers will be influenced to read it due to the uniqueness of the magazine or website as they have include their own personal touch and they will be able to recognise that it is written by the same author and part of the same campaign.

Representation Theory Narrative theory This theory isn’t really necessary in my production as it is all going to be factual information and wont need any storylines, actual narrative or any sort of theme. This means the convections of Propp theory and Todorov are not required for my billboard, magazine and website. Representation Theory This theory is a version of reality that isn’t really reality, representations allow people to judge them and interpret them in a different matter, depending what aspect they are looking at (gender, age, ethnicity and social class. This will most likely take place when I am deciding where to take photos for my photo-shoot and when I want to plan the shoot. This means that by doing this I will be able to connote the right connotations through my images, so I can portray to the audience the right message. Combining all of these different elements together to all of my media products it should mean that it is a more successful campaign because they will all be accepted and consumed better by the audience. I will take all of these theories into account and beware of them throughout making all 3 of my products.