Terminology to learn and Apply

Audience Engagement - Describes how an audience interacts with a media text; different people react in different ways to the same text.

Audience Expectations - The audience advance ideas an audience may have about a text; this particularly applies to genre pieces. Dont forget that producers often play with or deliberatly shatter audience expectations.

Audience foreknowledge -  definate information (rather than vague expectations) which an audience bring to a media product.


Audience identification- this is the way in which audience members feel themselves conected to a particular media text, in that they feel it direectly expresses their attitude or lifestyle.

Audience placement - the range of strategies media producers use to directly target a particular audience and make them feel that the media text is specifically for them.

Audience research - measuring an audience is very important to all media institutions. Research is done in all stages of production of media text, and, once produces, audience will be monitored.

Star Theory and Analysis of how a star is constructed

Richard Dyer thought up the concept of 'Star', he thought of a variety of subgenres which linked to the actual concept of creating and adapting what we know as a 'star'.

A star is a real person - The star depends on a sense of the stars qualities and talents, it also relies on the fact that they have a life alike others, the everyday living similar to us 'normal' people, they can communicate with people just like us. They could potentially be parts of our lives and how when they die, we feel the loss as if we knew them as a real person; for example the loss of Micheal Jackson.


A star is a public performer of roles - Encounter with a star is the roles they have the roles, their bodies, their characteristic features such as voice, look, gesture. Through their roles we can associate them with particular attiduedes and ideology - Iconically Marilyn Monroe and her dress and bodily features.

A star is a persona - The merging of a real person and the roles they play in life, particularly where the star takes on the sae type of role regularly. This role and figure is constructed by fans, publicists and media, or all combines. Their persona may represent significant elements of the real person but it isnt necessary.

 A star is an image - They can become a significant cultural, sign or figure in life, they create popular concentration of qualities admired by the mass audience, but most often these link to the gender and sexuality. The star may represent a particular image or model they wish to be noticed and recognized by; these stars may turn into objects of desire or embody values and respect which are fashionable or personal. This image can shift over time, but it can portray different things and meanings in different roles of society. A great example of the star image and the portrayal is Lady Gaga.



Analysis of how a star is constructed
I do agree, that the theory and approach of the 'Star' is valid, I am a strong believer in the artist being a 'normal' connotated human, they have an everyday life. I like to believe in the idea that the reason they are created is through their personal drive and ambition combined with talent and luck. I believe Richard Dyers approach is correct, but similarly think that the ovbious has been pointed out, and there are so many more elements involved with a star that is involved with the construction of the star.

New/Revised terminology

Revised Terms

Denotation - What is literally in the picture
Connotation - the different interpretations which might be associated with the picture
Font - Appearanca of size of lettering
Colours - and their connotations
Layout - Appearanca of the page, combination of images and text and their positions
Vocabulary - Choice of words
Puns - Plays on a multiple meaning
Metaphor - A verbal image, making association between the object and something else, in order to deepen perception of the original object
Phonemes - Units of sound, in this context, mispelling (wot instead of what)
Lighting - high/low key; high/low contrast.
Composition - how the content of the shot is planned and placed
Framing - What is included and excluded, to balance the shot.
Cropping - Cutting off sides of the picture to strengthen framing choices.
Sight lines - Where are the eyes looking, why?
Sex appeal - to whom? How? Why?
Dress codes - Meanings conveyed through clothing choices
Design - The overall artwork and use of graphics - album covers are often highly designed

New Terms

Position signs - The position of the camera in relation to subject and viewer - and its significance
Treatment signs - The detail (type, angle, strength of lighting, colour, focus, composition, framing) and how it affects our understanding of the meaning of the image
Content signs - The mise en scene and how it communicates a message
Anchoring - text or explanation of the image
Archetypes - Typical versions of, for example, masculinity or feminitity, or any sorts of peron.
Symbols - A picture that has a significance of meaning beyondthe literal, usually following a pattern that is learned as part of cultural competence - a flag symboling patriotism.

These terms can be applied to studies with Music Videos and Media.