In-Depth Notes on Media Theories and Concepts
Reception Theory
Stuart Hall's Encoding/Decoding Model: Communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by the audience.
Three Hypothetical Positions:
Dominant-Hegemonic Position: Audience fully understands and accepts the encoder's intended meaning.
Negotiated Position: Audience acknowledges the legitimacy of the encoder's message but adapts it to fit their own individual experience.
Oppositional Position: Audience rejects the encoder's message, reading it in a contrary way.
Fandom Theory
Henry Jenkins: Argues fans actively participate in the construction and circulation of textual meaning, sometimes appropriating texts in unauthorized ways.
Cultural Identity: Fans construct their social and cultural identities through engagement with media.
End of Audience Theory
Clay Sharkey: The internet and digital technology profoundly affect relationships between media and individuals. Audience members are no longer passive consumers but active participants capable of engaging and responding to media.
Media Effects Theory
Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory: Media can implant ideas directly into the audience's minds, influencing attitudes and behaviors.
Cultivation Theory (George Gerbner): Repeated exposure to media representations shapes audience perceptions over time, reinforcing mainstream values and ideologies.
Feminist Theory
Liesbet van Zoonen: Gender is constructed through discourse and varies based on socio-cultural contexts. Media often objectifies women while constructing gender norms.
Media Industry Theories
James Curran & Jean Seaton: Media is driven by logic of power and profit; it is controlled by a few companies focused on profit maximization.
Narrative Theory (Todorov)
Todorov's Narrative Theory: Most narratives function through a structure of equilibrium, disruption, and a return to equilibrium.
Key Elements:
Equilibrium
Disruption
Recognition
Attempt to resolve the corruption
Return to a new equilibrium
Genre Theory
Steve Neale: Genres are characterized by repetition of cycles and conventions but must incorporate differences and changes over time.
Structuralism (Claude Lévi-Strauss)
Texts can be understood through underlying structures and opposing pairs (e.g., good vs. evil). The resolution of these binaries can have ideological significance.
Postmodernism (Jean Baudrillard)
Postmodernism blurs the lines between the real and the fabricated. Signs can signify without reference to a real counterpart, leading to hyperrealities where the simulation is perceived as reality.
Sound Theory
Diegetic Sound: Sound originating from the story's world (e.g., dialogue, footsteps).
Non-diegetic Sound: Sound added in post-production that characters cannot hear (e.g., score, voiceovers).
Sound Mixing: Layering and adjusting audio elements to enhance the overall soundscape.
Camera Techniques**
Camera Angles: Different angles (e.g., low angle, high angle, Dutch angle) affect how viewers perceive characters and the tension in a scene.
Shot Types: Various shots (e.g., close-up, medium shot, wide shot) convey different levels of intimacy and information about characters.
Lighting**
Types of Lighting:
High Key: Bright and soft, often used in comedies.
Low Key: Dark and harsh, creating a mysterious atmosphere often seen in thrillers.
Three-Point Lighting: Uses key light, fill light, and backlight to create a balanced lighting scenario.
Color Psychology**
Different colors evoke different emotions (e.g., red for passion, blue for tranquility).
Editing Techniques**
Continuity Editing: Maintains consistent time and space to make the narrative clear.
Non-Continuity Editing: Disrupts chronological order to create different experiences for the viewer.
Production Design and Sound Design**
The production designer shapes the visual elements of the film to match the narrative and character development. Sound criteria include diegetic and non-diegetic elements that enhance storytelling.
Genre Hybridity**
Mixing genres to appeal to broader audiences and create novel narratives.
Conclusion**
Understanding these theories helps in analyzing and critiquing media, contributing a richer perspective on how media engages with audiences and shapes societal norms.