Lost exam response

B4. 'Most media texts target a range of different audiences.' How true is this for your chosen texts?

'Lost' is a mainstream text and targets a popular and wide spread audience, which is know as a 'mainstream audience'. Conventions of a mainstream text can be seen repeatedly throughout Lost.
Conventions of this particular text can be seen specifically in the scene where a group of people go for a hike in search for a radio signal where they can send a signal for help. A high angle is used to capture the group walking through the jungle, non-diegetic sound can be heard quietly of a high pitched frequency creating uncertainty within the audience and also creating an enigma.

A non-diegetic 'boom' sound is then heard, the noise is exaggerated creating another enigma code, cuts to a tracking shot of this animal capturing the grass, implying that there is something running towards the group. Fast paced mid-shots and tracking shots are used to capture Sayid, Kate, Charlie, Shannon and Boone running away through the jungle. A mid-shot is then used to capture Sawyer pointing a gun towards the animal, the camera is positioned at a slight dutch angle creating uncertainty about what will happen next. Shot reverse shot is then used to capture Sawyer shooting towards the animal then to the beast running towards him and then back to Sawyer.
Through the use of a close-up and through the dialogue its established that the animal running towards them was a Polar Bear. This is another enigma, as the audience know that a Polar bear doesn't belong in that climate which leaves the audience questioning the text and being more entertained.

Within Lost various different enigma codes have been set up for the audience to follow. The enigma codes leave the audience questioning the text and also hooks them in to find out what's going to happen next to the characters.

The mainstream audience who view 'Lost' are taking a passive viewing of the programme, this is because they're being told everything (through the dialogue) which results in the audience just sitting back and taking the information they're being given. For example during the opening scene of Lost you're introduced to three of the characters, Charlie, Kate and Jack. A tracking shot is used to follow the three as they walk through a jungle- you can tell their location through the mise-en-scene. Through the dialogue you hear them talk about a plane crash, this tells the audience whats happened to them, resulting in a more passive audience as they're being told the action.

The program Lost is a mainstream text, you can tell this as on the production's website (ABC) they stock Lost merchandise. Where fans of the show can go and buy t-shirts, DVDs, toys of the characters and more. Also on the website you can find a section about Lost, which links to different bio's of the characters that appeared throughout the seasons. Whilst researching about the audiences response to Lost, I came across a website/ blog created by fans of the program. The site called 'LOST MEDIA' allows fans to post comments about certain episodes and to blog/ post about things that link with program and the stars. When looking at the articles on fan sites I have found that non of the fans post comments about certain episode posts, which shows/ confirms that the mass audience take the preferred reading and are being passive as they are not arguing with different scenarios that happen within Lost.