Cultivation Theory

Cultivation theory was a theory composed originally by G. Gerbner and later expanded upon by Gerbner & Gross , they began research in the mid-1960s trying to study  media effects, specifically whether watching television has an influence on the audiences idea and perception of everyday life.  Cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. Heavy viewers are exposed to more violence and therefore are affected by the Mean World Syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place then it actually is.

Cultivation research is one that studies media effects (in my opinion one of the most controversial areas of media research). Cultivation theorists posit that television viewing can have long-term effects that gradually affect the audience. Their primary focus falls on the effects of viewing in the attitudes of the viewer as opposed to created behaviour.

Two step flow theory

Two-Step Flow Theory is about how KEY PEOPLE affect other people. This hypothesis was first constructed by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel Gaudet in a 1944 study which focused on the process of making decisions around the time of a Presidential election campaign called ‘The People’s Choice’. The expected result was that the mass media’s messages would have a direct influence of people’s votes however the researchers were surprised to find out this was in fact not the case at all.  It was the personal and informal contact that had more of an impact on voting behaviour as opposed to exposure to radio or newspapers. With the results of the research, they developed the two-step flow theory of mass communication.

Critics:

-Researchers found substantial evidence that initial mass media information flows directly to people on the whole and is not relayed by opinion leaders.

-The two-step hypothesis does not adequately describe the flow of learning. Lazarsfeld and his associates in the 1940 election study were unable to determine the specific flow of influence.

- Today most of the advertising researches are based on this theory. Especially opinion leader’s role in the society as well as in home to which helps to improve the market with less efforts.

Genre

Audiences develop an understanding that certain expectations my be fulfilled and they may find pleasure in predicting what will happen next.

Genres have characteristic features that are known to and recognised by audiences. This formula is produced again and again. For example, in a western we see similar characters, situations and settings.

A big example for horrors is in the film called scream. The film tells us the rules of the genre, shows what's going to happen and then the film shows it happening. This is also a prime example of postmodernism. Audiences recognise key elements of a genre and react differently to each genre. These key elements are known as paradigms.

There are two types of paradigms, these are called Iconographic paradigms and structural paradigms. An example of Iconographic paradigms are costumes and props in an action films like guns etc. An example of structural paradigms is how gender is represented in an action film.

Reception Theory

Stuart Hall came up with the reception theory. This considered how text were encoded with meaning by producers and then decoded (understood) by audiences. For an example, a director may try to get across a meaning of a song. The audience may interpret the song in a different way.
The reception theory is based on the idea that there is no single meaning for any text. It focuses on what people see in the media and the meanings they produce. It says that messages from media texts can have a particular meaning.

The Effects Model/ The Hypodermic model.

The effects model gives an explanation of what happens to an individual in terms of their behaviour as a result of their consumption of the mass media. The model shows is thought to have a negative effect on individuals. The model indoctrinates in audience making them powerless and passiive. The audience  would be figuratively poisoned by the message of the text. An example of this is rap music. Rap music supports this theory as many people argue that listening to rap music can lead to the individual becoming very violent and going against the police.

In relation to my music video the effects model would determine that people that listen to it or watch it will miss their girlfriend or want to break up with them because this is the message it would send to the audience in the viewpoint of the effects model.

A true to life example is with the video game grand theft auto. Through this violent game of people killing each other this this lead to a murder case because of the message of violence the video game gives.

Props which may be used

I will have people on there skateboards in the opening of the music video. I will also make it in slow motion to add effect and emphasis right from the start.





The Phone will be used for when the boy and the girl are taking pictures together, when he gets a text message from her and at the end when he sends a text back to her saying the title of the song "tonight I let you go".

The car will be used for the boy driving it and also singing. There will also be multiple times the video will cut to the boy driving the car during the opening of the music video.

There will be multiple times the music video will cut to a scene of the boy singing. The microphone and stand will add realness the the video.

The guitar and the drums will be used to fit in with the sound of the music. In simpler terms, the song involves musical instraments such as drums and guitars.

Feedback from Rough Cut of Music Video

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