Superhuman Audience Flashcards
what’s the target audience?
16-34, sport fans, those who desire to see more inclusive representation of social groups (may be a member)
how does personalisation engage the audience?
uses of real, human stories focusing on day-to-day struggles of being an athlete in training and disabled. the individual narratives are constructed to encourage the audiences to identify/ empathise with the athletes
how do technical codes engage the audience?
close up shots, some of which are uncomfortable (blister popping) to generate a reaction and response. gives the audiences access to views that may be unfamiliar (attaching of prosthetic leg) to hold attention.
how does the editing engage the audience?
cuts between athletes gruelling routine and clips of cartoon moments, lightening the mood and engaging the audience through humour
how do audio codes engage the audience?
soundtrack is a recognisable song from Bugsy Malone. the choice of upbeat, stirring tune grabs audiences attention with its connotations of struggles and hard work paying off. older audience will be familiar with the film. other audio codes suggest struggle, heavy breathing and grunting, juxtaposed with the sound of everyday life, women giving birth and baby crying.
how does the words ‘to be a paralympian, there’s got to be something wrong with you’ engage the audience?
encourage them to examine their own misconceptions of disability in the light of what they’ve just viewed
how successful was the video?
viewed by 20 million (1/3 of UK population). 22% were 16-34 years old
how successful was the marketing campaign?
reached 81% of the UK, the paralympics attracted 2.6 million viewers
what was Hall’s reception theory?
audience will adopt 1 of 3 positions: preferred reading - how the producers want the audience to view the text. will take this position if the meaning is clear. oppositional reading - audience rejects preferred reading and create own meaning, happens if text has controversial themes. negotiated reading - compromise between the 2 where the audience accepts part of the producers views but also have their own.
what is the preferred reading?
upbeat soundtrack, personalisation and positive representation encourages audience to accept Channel 4 ideologies and intended meaning. real people lets audience invest in their narrative.
what is the negotiated reading?
acknowledge the legitimacy but may feel more distanced from the sporting theme. they may be more open to the positive approach and examine their misconceptions of disabled people.
what is the oppositional reading?
people who don’t support Channel 4 and its ethos of giving a voice to the underrepresented. they may be older and not regular viewers or interested in sport.
what is Gerbner’s cultivation theory?
heavy media exposure will have significant influence on our perception of the real world. the more we see a version of reality being depicted on screen, the more we believe it’s an accurate reflection of society.
what was Gerbner’s 3 areas of research?
institution process analysis - the power role between the mass media and other organisations. message systems analysis - the prevalence and frequency of important symbols used by media text. cultivation analysis - the impact of common images on the audience and how they shape our attitudes and beliefs.
how does superhuman reinforce Gerbner’s theory?
audience have become used to the conventions of this subgenre of advertising which raises awareness of a particular social group. due to repetition of certain codes + conventions, they may have accepted this view of the world and immune to the advert’s purpose.
