A2 Media, Television industry- Audience Homework

Section 1

A) Identify the main targeted audience of Mad Men.

Matthew Weiner's television series 'Mad Men' depicts one of New York's most acclaimed advertising agencies at the beginning of the 1960s. The target audience for this program is an 'active niche' audience. The consumers of this text are attracted to a specific area or subject; for example in Mad Men the audience would enjoy following the character driven plot.

B) Identify one way the text has been encoded to appeal to that type of audience

Mad Men has been encoded to appeal to a niche audience; through the mise-en-scene the audience may gain gratification from the program due to the attention to detail, as it shows clear representations of 1960s culture.
The target audience for Mad Men are middle class males and females, due to the highbrow nature of the text as well as the character driven plot.

C) Justify how that point/ technique/ convention would gratify your previously identified type of audience

In terms of uses and gratifications, the audience would fine escapism within the program as they're learning about another time. This links with 'retrophilia' where the audience enjoy watching and learning things about the past. Retrophilia also links in with information that the audience gain from the program as it gives them authentic information on the 1960s due to the amount of detail  captured through the mise-en-scene in the program.

D) Describe a narrative sequence where this point/ technique/ convention is present

With reference to Mad Men series 5, episode 11, you can see the attention to detail throughout.
Through the mise-en-scene you can see clear references to 1960's culture. Three characters from the program, Peggy, Kenny and Harry, are captured using mid-shots, wide shots and close ups revealing aspects of the 60's culture through the stylistic features that have been encoded within the program. For example a wide shot is used to capture Kenny and Peggy sitting on an orange couch in one of the offices at the company. The bright orange sofa reflects 1960's decor; orange along with dark green, brown and yellow were popular in furniture, carpets and wallpapers during the 1960's; through the attention to detail the program has been encoded to represent 1960's culture.

Section 2

2) Does 'Lost' target a passive audience? Justify your answer

J.J Abram's TV program 'Lost' targets a passive audience. You can tell this through the use of dialogue, as the audience members are being told everything, resulting in them being injected with the messages without questioning what they're seeing.

3) Identify how Lost is encoded to gratify a passive audience.

The dialogue has been encoded to tell the passive audience members everything that is happening within the program. This aspect results in the audience members sitting back and taking everything in, without questioning what they're being told/ shown. This gratifies the audience members as all they have to do is watch the program. Enigma codes have been encoded for the audience to follow within the program, which hooks them into the narrative. Passive audiences would gain gratification from this text through the use of its high production value and cinematography, as it resembles a movie.

4) Justify one point/ technique/ convention that would force Mad Men's audience to decide the text actively in order to gain gratification

The niche text gratifies its audience through the mise-en-scene as the attention to detail shows clear representations of 1960s culture. Joan Harris- portrayed by Christine Hendricks- was styled to represent a typical female in the 60s. Her hairstyle, make-up and the clothes she wears are typical to the time period as the clothes have been chosen to emphasise her 'hour-glass figure'; a body shape/ type women aimed for/ wanted in the 60s. The audience would have to have some knowledge of the 60s to link the style of Joan Harris to the time period.

5) Explain and justify how Peaky Blinders has been encoded to gratify both passive and active audiences. 

Steven Knights 'Peaky Blinders' is aired on BBC Two, and has developed a reputation for screening highly praised and prestigious 'high-brow' drama series, a text that is rich is intelligence and culture. Peaky Blinders has elements of a high-brow text but it also contains mainstream conventions, such as the music. The music would gratify the passive audiences as the soundtrack includes contemporary artists such as Nick Cave and The White Stripes's Jack White, this use of modern music intertwined within the program creates a post-modern program and also boosts the audience appeal/ gratification. The high-brow elements within the program, such as the concept and narrative would attract and gratify the active audience, as it is about soldiers returning home from WWI, who start up a criminal gang in Birmingham.
Unlike mainstream texts such as Lost, Peaky Blinders doesn't tell the audience everything through the narrative, Peaky Blinders uses enigma codes and a character driven plot which entice the active audience.
The text has been complemented for its high production value and cinematography. A passive audience would take gratification from this as (cinematically) it resembles a movie. The cast of Peaky Blinders are well-known actors who have starred in various well-known movies, which also boosts the appeal of the audience and makes the program appear more like a movie, which gratifies the passive audience.