spectatorship and reception theory Flashcards
what is spectatorship?
- how films address spectators e.g. through shots, editing, music, narrative + genre
- the filmmakers choices (e.g. lighting, costume and props) can influence our understanding of individual scenes
what are technical codes?
- visual techniques to create meaning, mood and atmosphere
- camera angles + shots - positioning of the camera can create a specific mood or emotion
- lighting - creates atmosphere
- sound - emotion + meaning
- editing - tension or excitement
- special effects - fantastic or other wordly elements
- colour grading - create mood and tone
what are symbolic codes?
- culturally or socially associated with specific meanings or concepts
- colours - associated with emotions / concepts
- objects - symbolise a particular idea/concept
- costume - symbolise personality or status
- setting - symbolise concepts/ideas
- sound - symbolises emotions
example of symbolic code in film
captain americas costume is red, white and blue: aka colours of the USA flag - symbolises how he represents US values (freedom, power, patriotism)
what is an active spectator?
- engages, interprets and responds to media and is able to challenge encoded ideas
- spectators meaning and response to a film is more individual and influenced by personal experiences, values and social contexts
what is a passive spectator?
- accepts messages encoded in media without challenge
- dosen’t engage with media - do not question media and accepts the message
what does reception theory believe
- people are not passive
- the viewer is able to interpret meanings of the text based on their individual cultural background and life experiences
- the meaning of a text is not just within the text itself, but is created by the relationship between the text and the reader
reception theory readings
dominant/preferred - fully shares the text’s code and accepts the preferred reading
negotiated - partly shares the text’s code, but sometimes resists and modifies it to reflect their own experiences and interests
oppositional - understands preferred reading, but does not share the text’s code and instead rejects it
what is encoding?
- process by which the filmmaker uses various cinematic techniques such as camera angles, lighting, sound, editing and acting to convey meaning and tell a story.
- involves making deliberate choices about how to frame a shot, use music or sound to create atmosphere, and how to edit shots together to create a narrative
what is decoding
- process by which the audience interprets and makes meaning of the encoded message in the film
- involves the viewers previous knowledge of film language
- influences interpretations of film
- film can be decoded in different ways depending on the audience
factors that affect our readings of films
- life experience
- mood at time of viewing
- age
- culture
- beliefs
- gender
why might an audience member take the preferred position?
- clear messages in film
- audience member is same age/culture
- film relevant to modern society
- easy to follow narrative
- themes are relevant to audience
- likes the chosen genre
why might an audience member take a negotiated reading?
- likes the chosen genre
- is same age and understands some of the messages
- narrative is complex, which stops full understanding
why might an audience member take an oppositional position
- difficult or controversial themes
- disagrees with messages
- dislikes chosen genre
- complex narrative structure
- does not deal with modern society
- audience member has different beliefs
- different age/culture
- does not understand intended message
guardians of the galaxy readings
PREFERRED - a teenager raised on superhero movies and video games might see this as the perfect adventure - funny, exciting and full of loveable characters
NEGOTIATED - someone raised in a household critical of consumerism or big corporations might enjoy the characters but feel uneasy about how its clearly designed to sell toys, t-shirts and sequels
OPPOSITIONAL - a person brought up in a home that values serious, thought provoking cinema might dismiss it entirely as mindless entertainment - “just another superhero film with no real meaning”
pride readings
PREFERRED - someone from a working class background or a family involved in union activism might connect deeply with the story of solidarity and community struggle - seeing it as inspirational
NEGOTATED - someone raised in a more traditional or conservative household might respect the history but feel uncomfortable with the film’s strong pro-LGBTQ+ message or political slant
OPPOSITIONAL - someone raised in a household that holds anti-union or anti-LGBTQ views may reject the film outright, calling it political propaganda or feeling angry at the portrayal of these groups as heroes
