Audience Theories

Vladimir Propp [1969]


Propp analysed fairytales and placed emphasis on looking at the role of characters, not as representing people as a whole, but as functions whose role is to move the narrative forward. He conclude that there are 8 broad character types, which can be applied to other genre's of film such as Horror:

• The Hero
• The Villain
• The Donor
• The Helper
• The Princess
• The Princess' Father
• The Dispatcher
• The False Hero

Todorov's Basic Narrative Theory

• Equilibrium
• Disruption
• Resolution
• New equilibrium

Todorov's Extended Narrative Theory

• Exposition
• Development
• Complication
• Climax
• Resolution

Hypodermic Model


This theory suggests that audiences are passive and that movies 'inject' thier ideas into the target market. This model is also called the Hypodermic Needle which implies that the media is an addiction for hungry audiences. Although this model explains the strong impact of media on consumers, the research is only applied to women and children, so as well as being biased, the theory came about when mass media was emerging and the only evidence we have of audiences being passive in the 21st Century is outdated.


Desensitisation


This thoery suggest that action on-screen can influence the behaviour of the viewer i.e. they may replicate a violent act seen in a movie. The theory implies that by constantly being exposed to violence results in audiences becoming immune to it's effects. Desensitisation may have occured due to the amount of violence shown in media and to descrease this amount, which is significant; however, the thoery fails to take into account that everyone is affected by varying factors. Because of this disadvantage, desensitisation cannot be applied to everyone.


Copycat Theory


This theory implies that if someone sees a violent murder or suicide in a movie, they will imitate it. An example of this is the kidnapping and murder of 2 year old Jamie Bulger, it is said that the way in which Jamie was murdered was infulenced by 'Child's Play 3'. A major disadvantage to the theory is that is ignores that other psychological factors could have/do influence this kind of copycat behaviour.


Uses & Gratifications Theory


This is the oppoiste of the Hypodermic Thoery, it states that audiences pick and choose forms of media to gain the most enjoyment/information out of them, therefore saying that forms of media compete with eachother to satisfy us and that we are not passive. The advantage this thoery has over the Hypodermic Theory is that the audience are perceived as intelligent and are able to distinguish between fact and fiction and that life experiences are stronger than media experience. However, some thoerists have used this model to add that the media has no affect on individuals at all. Here is a short powerpoint on this theory.

Final Girl Theory

This thoery supports the idea of a female character who survives and defeats the villain in a horror movie. The survivor usually is brunette, is intelligent, and sexually inactive, nevertheless, a final girl's name is usually masculine e.g. Laurie in Halloween and Sidney in Scream. The final girl is depicted as vulnerable and there is some sort of link between the killer and the final girl.