Genres and Audience

Genres

A Genre Is a categories of different texts. In film it is obviously categories of films.

For Example:

• Horror
• Comedy
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Romance
• Drama
• Action
• War

Along with these genres we have codes and conventions.

Codes are systems of signs which create meaning. Technical codes is when the equipment is used to tell the story. Symbolic codes are what are beneath the surface of the film.

Conventions are accepted ways of doing something; in other words in film it's what you expect to be included.

Audience

An audience is a group of people who engage in media texts.

Mass Audience- these are popular texts such as soaps.

Niche Audience- these are small, select groups of people with a unique interest.

Categories based on social class/grade

1. Group A- these are well paid professionals such as doctors.
2. Group B- these are fairly well paid professionals such as teachers. 
3. Group C1- these are the 'white collar' professions such as nurses.
4. Group C2- 'blue collar' professions such as plumbers.
5. Group D- manual workers such as drivers.
6. Group E- these are people such as: students, the unemployed and pensioners.

We measure media audiences by looking at: sales, subscriptions, ratings and figures.

What is NRS?

National Readership Survey provides the most valued audience research in use for print advertising trading in the UK.

Looking at audiences

Quantitative Research- for example questionnaires

Qualitative Research- for example interviews