Unit 26: Task 4

I choose to watch a film depending on who has made it – Disney or who is in it, if I like an actor who is in I am more likely to watch it. I will also choose to watch a film if my parents are interested in it or suggest it. I take note of trailers and reviews as I am not interested in wasting my money on a rubbish film. I will quite often read reviews before and after, before to determine whether I should go and watch it, I don’t always take them into account if I am very interested in watching a particular film. I will read reviews after to see if what I thought about it is similar to what critics thought. I am more of a TV person so to watch a movie that I have not already seen is going out of my way, I prefer the cinema however I don’t go frequently, I like that I am forced to not go on my phone and I am in a dark room. I believe 3D is not a necessity I have seen some movies where the 3D was good, not needed, but good – The Jungle Book, however I have seen some films where the 3D was a novelty and unnecessary, it is often used for kids films as they will think it’s amazing. I am both an active and passive viewer, if I am in the mood for a film which requires active viewers and allows me to make interpretations I will, I enjoy asking questions about the characters and situations. However sometimes I will just watch a film for what it is and the message it gives out, this is often the case of if I am watching a rom-com. I am not a fan of a particular actor or director, there are some that I prefer the work and will be influenced to go see their work however I do not partake in comic cons or cosplay or fandoms for films (I am more of a TV person). I am influenced by particular actors and directors because I know I will not be disappointed by the film as I am aware of the standard they have set with previous work and obviously they will not want to change that.

Films have a huge effect on audience and genre plays a big part in, romantic comedies effect audiences in a positive and different way to a thriller/horror film which would create tension and fear. But audiences affect films and the length of its popularity and status in culture. Since audiences are made up of individuals it is not possible to predict that the film will have the same impact on everyone as each viewer will read and understand a film differently this is called active spectatorship and means that they will question and react to the film/genre. Active spectators don’t just consume what they are told to watch by marketing but instead choose to watch different films for different reasons, filmmakers encourage active viewers by making their films open to interpretation. On the other hand passive spectatorship suggests that the audience is all the same and that life experiences, intelligence and other things do not affect our reception of the films we watch.  Filmmakers try to turn the audience into passive viewers by including obvious and explicit preferred readings. A preferred reading is the meaning the producers want people to have; they will use various codes such as music, lighting and cinematography relating to the genre of the film so that there is agreement over the meaning. Filmmakers make it clear how the audience should feel about the characters, story and events in the film; most blockbusters have a clear preferred reading as producers know that they will make more money as it will attract passive and active viewers. An example of this is Titanic and the scene in which the protagonist Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) dies. The film has a slow and sad song played in the background and uses close ups of the pair to show to the audience that it is sad that Jack has died. Opposed to this is the film Tarantino film Pulp Fiction which is told non-linear meaning that active viewers have to piece together the chronology of the events, the film doesn’t have heroes and villains meaning the audience can choose how they feel about the characters instead of being forced to like/dislike them with how they are portrayed. There is very little in the film to dictate therefore the audience has the ability of how they want to feel at certain times or for certain characters.

There are numerous reasons as to why people watch films. The uses and gratifications theory is a model thought up by Blumler and Gurevitch as an approach to understanding mass communication. The theory focuses on the audience rather than the meaning and assumes that the audience are active viewers interpreting and integrating the media into their lives. Probably the most common reason why people watch films is that films entertain and viewers watching want to get away from the reality of their own lives. When watching for escapism typically viewers watch stories that are easy to understand and where good overcomes evil; many times fantasy films are watched as they are set in completely different lands allowing viewers to completely escape. Another reason why people watch films is to be educated, by watching documentaries they acquire information, knowledge and understanding that will help them in life and social situations. Leading on from this is watching for social interactions meaning that viewers watch as it provides a topic of conversation between people and can spark debates. Finally, being able to identify with the film is a reason to watch the film, viewers may see themselves or their situations reflected in the storyline or characters resulting in the viewer learning something about themselves or their values. Other times the viewer may see a character as a role model and makes them aspire to be like them. Similar to this is people watching films as a substitute for personal relationships for example a person watching a romantic-comedy because they are single and like the idea of a relationship.

Media literacy is major factory of the viewer as it impacts on their enjoyment and interpretation of the film because they are aware of how media texts are constructed and how the text is positioning them meaning they are less suggestible to the message of the film. They are more aware of the preferred reading therefore will resist the ideology or messages of the film seeing through sensationalistic techniques and stereotypes that producers may use to make money.

Intertextuality is where a film references another piece of media, spoof films for example Scary Movie deliberately references other films in the horror genre and parodies them, making viewers aware of the films being referenced and laugh at the imitation . People who have seen Scream will be more likely to watch to enjoy Scary Movie as they will be familiar with what is the target of mockery. Intertextuality can also be less deliberate, this is sometimes the case when a particular star is being used. By using a star the viewers will be reminded of previous films or be more influenced to watch the film because of who is in it.

Films can have effects on audience, both positive and negative however it is often the negative effects we hear about and are reminded of. The majority of people will believe that audiences are passive therefore not taking in the film in a way that could affect the as a person and their actions but people and events in the past disagree. Clips from films have been blamed in the past because of their violent content that was copied by people; news reports are the first to blame films and video games for their effect on individuals when people have committed crimes. There have been a number of occasions where violent and terrible acts have been carried out linked to films. For example the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado on July 20^th 2012; the event took place in cinema during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. The assailant set off tear gas and opened fire on the cinema killing 12 people and injuring another 70 (largest number of casualties in a shooting in the US). The assailant was arrested minutes later outside the cinema and charged with 24 counts of murder and given 12 life sentences and 3,318 years for the attempted murders and rigging his apartment with explosives. The shooting prompted an increase in security at cinemas across the US that was showing the same film. It is believed that films can make audiences feel that violence is an acceptable part of life and being violent is an acceptable way to behave, suggesting that if people see a character solve their problems with fights and killing the enemy people might follow. If people see a lot of violence they might become desensitised from violence in real life therefore people do not empathise with people in pain causing them to become dangerous humans. The BBFC does its best to prevent people seeing things that are deemed unsuitable for children at particular ages; even cutting or banning films that are too dangerous or offensive for adults to watch.

On the other hand, films have positive effects on the audience with the audience having an effect on the films this is very clear in fandoms. Fans are people who love a particular film, genre, character or star, fandoms of franchises will typically have a name that people identify them as such as in the Harry Potter fandom, fans are called Potter Heads. There is a range of activities that fans can take part in, the most common is a Twitter or Tumblr account which they use to meet and talk to other fans, other things consist of attending conventions, dressing up, writing fan fiction, collecting merchandise, writing fan mail or creating videos based on what you love. Fans prove that films clearly have an effect on the fans as they get obsessed and become emotionally involved.

With the increase of how much social media is in our lives filmmakers and marketing strategies are made to comply with this. The best marketing plans include advertising the film before its even began filming, this works exceptionally well in the Marvel franchise. They will announce a new film and the cast involved which attracts the fans to start talking about it, they will release a teaser trailer while the film is still in production giving fans a sneak peek. Then the official trailer will be released which will detail more points about the storyline. The trailers will be released on YouTube and then posted on Facebook and Twitter and other social media. In a negative view films have an online presence because people illegally upload films to the internet for people to watch free of charge meaning that cinemas have to compensate with the loss of income by charging more which then means people go to the cinema less. It is also means that people who may not be old enough to watch a film in the cinema can find it online subjecting them to something that is not appropriate for them possibly affecting their view on life and the effects of their actions.

In conclusion, we all read different films differently and genre can play a big part of this. Films have a huge impact on the world around us affecting people both positively and negatively proving that not everyone is a passive viewer and that people will actively take in what they are watching and interpret it however they see fit. Because of social media films have a bigger online presence than ever which is what is keeping the film industry alive and thriving.