Tags & Description
Levi-Strauss - Binary oppositions theory
A binary opposition is a pair of opposites, thought by the structuralists to powerfully form and organize human thought and culture e.g. light & dark, day & night
Propp's character theory
Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story, claiming characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story
e.g. hero, villain, donor, princess, dispatcher, helper, false hero
Blumer & Katz - Uses and Gratification Theory
an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs
e.g. Entertainment/Diversion, Social integration/Personal relationships, Personal Identity, Surveillance
Male Gaze Theory
When women are objectified and/or are oversexualised in media
Enigma Code Theory
suggests that a text (whether that can be television, film or a poster) portrays a mystery to draw an audience in.
Todorov's Narrative Theory
about how the narration in a story is created, there are 5 stages that a character will go through; Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition, Repair and New Equilibrium
Linear Narrative
Narrative that works in one line or strand, this means that the narrative works from start to finish & tells the story in one straight sitting without interruptions from the past or futures
Non-Linear Narrative
opposite of linear narrative with interruptions between / throughout the music video
Single Strand Narrative
focused around only one character as the narrative unfolds & finishes around that particular character - usually focused around the artist in the video.
Multi-Strand Narrative
focused around many other characters & unfolds in the hands of multiple ways through this. this narrative structure allows directors/ creators to write freely for their narrative because they have many characters available to convey meaning.
Media Intertextuality
Where one media product references others, to engage the audience
Conglomerate
A conglomerate is a corporation that is made up of a number of different sometimes unrelated businesses
Parent Company
A parent company is a single company that owns another company or companies
Subsidiary
A company owned by a parent company or conglomerate
Sister Company
Companies that are owned by the same parent company and do the same job
Horizontal Integration
The parent company that owns multiple companies at the same stage of the film industry
e.g. Marvel Studios, Pixar, Lucas-films
Vertical Integration
The parent company owns multiple companies across different stages of the film industry
e.g. Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Distributions, Disney+
Toxic Masculinity
A set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereo-typically, associated with or expected of men regarded as having a negative impact on en & society as a whole
Feminism
the belief that men & women should be equal and that there should be no patriarchy
Post-feminism
the belief that women have largely achieved equality with that of men but want more. It also believes that women should use their sexuality as a way of empowerment & that there is nothing wrong with traditional values
e.g. motherhood
Franchise
A collection of films or tv series that share the same fictional universe
Versimilitude
The constructed reality of a media text/product and how loyal or realistic the text is to that reality
Hypodermic Needle Theory
Also known as the “magic bullet theory” is the idea that the mass media has an immediate and powerful effect on the audience.
Assumes passive audience position
Reinforcement Theory
Assumes active audience position & reinforces ideas and beliefs through media products
Copycat theory
The media can influence people directly – human values, judgement and conduct can be altered directly by media modelling. Media representations of aggressive or violent behaviour can lead to imitation.
Hall’s Audience Positioning Theory
suggests every media text has a message that a producer wants to get across (encode) and the ways in which the audience might be positioned to receive (decode) that reading.
dominant reading – receiver fully accepts preferred reading, reading it in the way the author intended, making the code natural and transparent
negotiated reading – receiver partly believes the code and broadly accepts the preferred reading, but interprets it in a way which reflects in its own position,experiences and interests
oppositional reading – receiver’s social situation is placed in an oppositional position to the dominant code, thus they reject the reading.
Barthe’s Semiotic Theory
breaks down the process of reading signs and focusing on their interpretations by different cultures or societies.
Action Code
This code contains sequential elements of action in the text. Proairetic elements add suspense to the text, the codes allow audiences to interpret and identify what is to come.
Semantic Codes
refers to parts within the text that suggests or refers to additional meanings. Elements of the semantic code are called Semes. The semantics have a connotative function in the text giving an extra layer of meaning in addition to its literal meaning.