The Relationship Between Audiences and Films

Active Spectatorship

Active spectatorship is when the audiences actively gets involved with determining the meaning of something they are being shown. Meaning the film spectator is an active participant in the reconstruction of meaning, for example when having seen of similar genres to next time knowing what to expect from that genre. Other areas within the relationship can help influence the meaning that is created. For example if you have an experience such as if you have been paintballing, and you watch a film about paintballing, your then getting actively involved due to knowing how you feeling and emotions of doing so, such as being shot you know it hurts, then they get shot in the film, you know how it feels. Ultimately we look for familiar patterns to make sense of a new situation.

Pleasure

Pleasure is simply the audience delights in what the film offers and they get pleasure from it. For example when you watch dog soldiers which is a horror film you get the feeling of empathy towards the characters, knowing thank god its not you being hunted and eaten by giant werewolves, also the pleasure at the end of the film for example when the house explodes and knowing the werewolves are all dead.

Frameworks of Interpretation

Framework of interpretation means the logical, social, or cultural frames of reference that a critic applies to a film in order to create there own meaning.

For examples if there is a social situation you can relate to, you can create an interpretation from that relating it to your own experiences.

Media Literacy

Media literacy is when you use your media knowledge and ability to access, enjoy, interpret, analyse, produce and evaluate messages in all varieties and combinations of print, visual, and digital formats. For example a media student is going to get more out of a film and understand the how and why better than someone who doesn’t have any media knowledge.

Intersexuality

Intersexuality is the process by which one film refers either explicitly or implicitly to another, it doesn’t matter if it is on purpose or not. For example marvels the avengers; throughout the film the avengers are trying to retrieve a cube, which originally came from the film captain America.

Preferred Readings

Preferred readings are what the filmmaker intends the audience to derive from a film. However sometimes this is not always possible because the meanings are not always clear.

Effects

Visual effects are now expected by the audience to be seen in a blockbuster. This relationship has developed and changed over the years and has now become very important because audiences want to see the biggest explosions, the best CGI and now they want it all in 3D.

Fandom

This is the term for fans and what they can do to express and share their appreciation for their favourite, comic books, TV, films, etc. For example the new film ‘man of steel’ has an official fan websites, an events fan made Websites, and fan comic websites.

Social Networking

Social networking is a big way to promote a new film. It’s a place dedicated people-communicating, critiquing and recommending with other members, by posting messages, photos, etc. for example les miserable, had their own fan page on Facebook and many of the actors/actresses during the production tweeted to their thousands of followers.

Interactivity

Interactivity is when the audience gets actively involved with the stories content. On a DVD menu sometimes you can choose between different endings. For examples ‘paranormal activity’ DVD menu lets you choose different ways for the person to be killed at the end of the film.

Pre-Post Viewing Experiences

Pre-post viewing experiences are the most important things to consider when making a film, TV program, etc. its the experience an audience has before for example the trailers have to be eye catching and make the audience want to go watch it, if their were any previous films or if you are a fan of a particular actor etc. and also it is the after of the film, so the all in all experience and opinion on the film you have just watched.

Conditions of Reception

How and where the film is being viewed is very important because it can have a different affect on you in different circumstances, for example if you watch a film at the cinema with a giant screen, sweets, the smell of popcorn, surround sound, the whole atmosphere is completely different to if you just watch at home on a 30 inch TV.