Katz and Lazarsfeld (1995)

Also known as the Multistep Flow Model is a theory which is based on a study of social influence which says that the media is unintentionally influenced by the "Opinion leaders". It says that most people receive the majority of their information secondhand through the influences of their "Opinion Leader". The "Opinion Leaders" interpret the media based on their own opinion then will communicate what they interpret to the individuals. That information will then be communicated through the general public who then become the "Opinion Followers".

An example of this I believe to be Newspapers, like The Sun. That newspaper will only communicate to the general public what they want them to know, which is influenced by their own opinions. Eventually the information from the newspaper is filtered through the general public and suddenly everybody is talking about what the newspaper has printed, which isn't necessarily factual.

Roland Barthes

Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher and semiologist. He developed schools of theory which included semiotics and social theory.

Barthes suggested that narrative works with five different codes which activates the audience to make sense of it. These five narrative codes are:

• Action Code - the action code builds tension, this means something else within a story is used that indicates to the audience something else is going to happen which caused the audience to guess what happens next, this is what keeps the audience interested.
• Enigma Code - this is any element in a story that is not explained which leaves the audience asking questions. Most stories hold back some information to increase the effect of the ending. He believed audiences were not satisfied with a story unless all the "loose ends" are tied at the end of a story.
• Semic Code - This code involves connotations within the story which gives the story that extra meaning.
• Symbolic Code - This is similar too the Semic Code, this code organises semantic meanings into deeper meanings. This code is where new meaning arises out of conflicting ideas.
• Referential Code - Referential code is where something within a text refers to the culture, religion, or background of an audience. For example, films which involve religion. Such as "Bend it Like Beckham", this may appeal to a certain audience because they can relate to the religion of the main character.

Vladimir Propp

Propp was a Soviet formalist from Russia who analysed Russian Folk Tales too discover the simplest narrative elements. Propp had thirty-one narrative functions. These are:

Functions
After the initial situation is depicted, the tale takes the following sequence of 31 functions:^[2]

1. ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue.
2. INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed to the hero. The hero is warned against some action.
3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance  The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information. They may seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
4. DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim.
5. TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise.
6. COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon) to actively working against good people.
7. VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc., commits murder)
8. MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known. The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
9. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain.
10. DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home.
11. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper.
12. HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future helper.
13. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent.
14. GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search.
15. STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat.
16. BRANDING: Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf)
17. VICTORY: Villain is defeated.
18. LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved.
19. RETURN: Hero returns.
20. PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero)
21. RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit.
22. ARRIVAL: Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country.
23. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero presents unfounded claims.
24. DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero.
25. SOLUTION: Task is resolved.
26. RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized.
27. EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed.
28. TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance.
29. PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished.
30. WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne. (Reward)

Films such as Star Wards fit Propp's theory precisely, this theory is helpful as it highlights the similarities between seemingly quite different stories.

Claud Levi-Strauss

Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist. He said that stories unconsciously reflect the values, myths and beliefs of a culture. A lot of these stories are usually expressed terms of "Binary Oppositions."

He said that in a story there is always Binary Oppositions, for example:

• Male/Female
• Young/Old
• Black/White
• Tall/Short
• Large/Small
• War/Peace
• Weak/Strong
• Happy/Sad
• Left/Right
• Salt/Pepper
• Right/Wrong
• Civilised/Uncivilised

For my own coursework music video, I could not really relate this theory as there were hardly any opposites I could use. However the ones I did come up with were; Ugly/Sexy, Young/Old and Male/Female.

Narrative Theory

Narrative is a structure of a story or plot, it is the art of story telling whether it be fictional or non fictional. The narrative theory explores the conventions of:

• Genre
• Character
• Form
• Time

The way I think of a narrative theory is as a circular formation, the outer circle contains the "Story" which includes information not shown and the inner circle is the "Plot" which includes the Key events of the story.


A Linear Structure is,

1. A Beginning (Audience introduced to characters and the story)
2. A Middle (Key events)
3. The End (Closure)

An Open Structure which I believe my A2 coursework falls into the category of. The audience are left to wonder what happends next and they have to make sense of it themselves. My coursework is not a story as such, so it makes it difficult to relate to a narrative theory.

A Closed Structure is when there is a definite ending too a story. There will be a clear conclusion for the audience.

The Circular Structure, the narrative begins at the end event, (often with the climax.) The audience are taken on a journey arriving back to where the characters started. An example of this structure could be "The Hangover" films.

An Unrestricted Narrative, this is what the audience are assumed to know. For example in a thriller movie there will be a crime, so the audience expect it.

Restriced Narrative, this is when information is witheld from the audience. I thought of this narrative to be what "Shutter island" the movie is classed as. At the end of this movie there is an open ending with makes the audience think they have not been shown or told of all the information of the story.

Creativity

During a lesson, we discussed our creativity during our coursework. We had to individually stand up and present how we think we have been creative. At first I believed I was not creative at all, but after the classes feedback I started to think differently.

For my coursework in the past two years I have created two magazines, one school magazine and one music magazine. For this task I used publisher on a Windows computer. Throughout the two years I have used iMovie for my A2 music video, I have gained ideas through using Mindmaps and storyboards, I have used Blogger, youtube (which helped me gain inspiration) and various technology such as the Mac computers, my iPhone 4 and a range of video cameras. Throughout the two years I think I progressed in using technology. At first I tried too avoid the Macs, which is why my magazines were created on Windows computers and Microsoft Programs.

SAGEL - Audience Theory

To define an Audience, we came up with an acronim which would help us remember. This is called SAGEL.

Socio-economic group

The image below explains the different socio-economic groups. For my target audience, I want them to be in the same

Age

Gender

Ethnicity

Lifestyle

Why are audiences important?

A media text, or your media text has no meaning until it is read or watched by an audience. They are what make you your revenue.

Socio-economic groups