Hypodermic needle theory

The hypodermic needle theory is theory that messages are directly recieved and wholly accepted by the reader. This view is seen as obsolete today as people now have much more choice and ways to consume media, have more opinions about media and are more aware of the ways media works.

Reception theory- Stuart Hall

Blumler and Katz- Uses and Gratification theory

People can relate to media texts based on their own experience

An audience may view My Sister's keeper as sad because they may have their own personal experience of the devastating effects of cancer, or they may feel sympathetic towards the characters in the film.

People make choices of what they want to watch

When a person watches the news they are being a PASSIVE AUDIENCE because they are just taking in information. When a person chooses to watch TV of different genres they are being an ACTIVE AUDIENCE as they are making choices based on what gratifies them.

People have different social and psychological needs

There are 4 different ways to categorise this theory-

SURVEILLANCE - 

People need to know what is going on around them for security, so they watch the news. They may watch the local news to find out what is happening in their area such as weather and stories of interest.

PERSONAL IDENTITY- 

People position themselves in society in regard to the media they consume. For example, the song 'All About That Bass' is about being comfortable in their own skin so people may relate to this.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS-

People use TV as a form of companionship. For example when characters in a soap die, those who have watched regularly often grieve for that character as if they have lost a friend. People also use TV as a way to start conversation with family and friends, for example who their favourite singer on The X Factor is.

DIVERSION-

People watch TV so they can forget about their own problems and lives for a while and think about something else. Furthermore, people may relate to characters on TV shows who are going through similar situations for example Ian coming to terms with the death of his daughter on EastEnders.

3 original ideas

Three original ideas

1.       A crime short film which sees a teenage boy stand up to his oppressor who supplies him with drugs to sell to his peers. His sister finds them and confronts him and subsequently destroys them which means he has to go meet the baron with no profit. The boy takes a gun to blackmail the man however the man runs him over as he pretends to get the money the boy asked for out of his car. The man thinks the boy is dead so panics and goes to leave however in a twist the boy shoots at the man and kills him. The injured boy rings his sister, however in a final twist she has been killed by one of the man’s contacts.

2.       My second idea was a horror short film in which a person is trapped in a haunted house and cannot escape from the many demons in the house however at the end it is revealed that the victim is actually a hallucinating drug addict and his vision has allowed him to begin his recovery.

3.       My 3^rd idea was a medical thriller which follows a man in a coma as he relives certain parts of his life that he regrets which allows him to fix his relationship with his girlfriend however in the twist at the end it is revealed that the man dies when we think he is waking up.

Props needed for my short film

My short film will require the use of some props to accurately tell my story.

Props needed include:
False drugs
A fake pistol
2 mobile phones
A car

Richard Dyer's star theory