Audience

There are three theories to to concept of audience. The theories are The Hypodermic Needle, Uses & Gratifications and The Reception Theory. They all have very different uses and goals within them. 

The Hypodermic Needle Theory:
This theory is about how the media has power over the mass population and is influencing them by injecting information into their heads for them to believe so they can get the desired response they want. The audience is seen as powerless and cannot withstand the effect of the information given. The audience would then start to believe it because different platforms of media are giving the same information. Many think this is the reason that there is a link between the violence seen on TV, films and video games and the violence in real life.
Children seem to be influenced most from the media as they are not fully developed to know what is right or wrong. They would imitate and copy what they see. For example, Jamie Bulger was murdered by two 10 year old boys. Apparently the boys had watched a Chucky film called 'Childs Play 3' before they had murdered the boy. They may have been influenced by the film because his death was quite similar to one within the film. 

Uses & Gratifications Theory:
This theory is quite different to the the Hypodermic Needle theory as the media see the audience as normal people and let the audience make their own decisions on the media and interpret it how they like. The audience chose what media meets their needs and how they use with in their lives.
- Identity - Be able to identify the person or product you are being shown. Also to help form certain behaviours and values to you.
- Surveillance - Receive information that would be suitable and relevant to living. (Weather, finance)
- Education - Being able to receive information, have knowledge and understand the information in order to self educate.
- Entertainment - The media should be able to entertain so you enjoy it and you should be able to escape your worries for a short amount of time.
- Social Interaction - Media helps create friendships and communication with others. 
The internet lets us do all of these things. It allows us to be entertained via youtube because the audience are able to chose what they want to watch. This applies to films because the audience can chose whether they want to watch the trailer to a film. They are not forced to watch it. It helps the audience escape their worries of reality for a period of time.

The Reception Theory:
media texts are encoded by the created/producer and decoded by the audience. The media text may have a message to get across to the audience. They then interpret it in different ways. The audience are and it is understood that they can react in different ways. Many think that the reactions are caused by their cultural background and how they were brought up.
Dominant - The intended reaction that the media wanted. Audience believe and agree with the media. Not much different to the hypodermic theory.
Negotiated - Questioning the information received, but gives it a chance.
Oppositional - Completely against the information.
This comes into the film industry when there is a trailer for a film or the film itself. The audience are given choices whether they like it or not.
This also comes into film because the audience are given the chance to have their own opinions on them. They could either be Dominant and react to the film how the media want them to, Negotiated and give the film a chance, or oppositional and be totally against the film.