Rick Altman Theory (1999)
In Rick Altman's theory which he discussed in 1999, he argues that the genre offers audiences 'a set of pleasure' that we can see when watching an documentary like in Benefits street. Rick Altman talked about these three theories also called 'genre pleasures' that the audience would get from watching an documentary.
1. Emotional pleasures (Audiences emotional response)
2. Visceral pleasures (The audiences deep feeling and emotional reactions)
3. Intellectual puzzle (Gives an audience an thrill and offers pleasure of the unexpected)
What genre is your media text?
With my genre to do for my coursework which is observational but also could be an educational documentary as, benefits street we are observing the people that are a part of the benefits street documentary and try to get the audience to judge them. However, it is also has an educational aspect as, you can also look at what happens to people when they are living of benefits and could teach the younger demographic that may be watching the documentary to stay in education and get good grades so that they do not end up living off of benefits like the people in the documentary.
'White Dee from Benefits Street'
How does the genre make you feel?
My emotional response to my media text which is benefits street was that I fell sympathy for the people that live there as, they can not do that much to change it but I also feel a bit shocked that what has happened to the people that live there and how they have ruined there life by not staying in education and staying away from drugs and alcohol. The genre of reflexive, educational and expository makes me feel terrible that the audience that are watching the documentary are judging the people because of how they live even though it may not be their fault for them being in that situation but watching these people and how they live also has an educational factor as it can teach the younger generations that may be watching the documentary how to stay away from what has happened to these people and have an brighter future.
I have learn't a lot from watching the documentary benefits streets as the genre of observational and educational values made me want to stay away and not be like what the people are on the show as, they have ruined their lives by not staying in education or taking drugs and alcohol. However, some of the younger demographic may want to be like them because the people off of benefits street are becoming celebrities and people would want to be like them as the news article about an star from the show went on an 5 star break which the younger demographic may want.
What are the main codes and conventions of the genre?
One main code and conventions that has been used during the trailer of 'Benefits Street' is an voice over. This is an Participatory mode as, it is like someone is acting as god and is talking about what it going on during the scene and would try and make the audience feel an certain way towards the people that would live off of benefits if it was positive or negative. This would link to Stuart Hall's theory of 'audience positioning theory' and negotiated reading as, the director would want us to feel an certain way but we may also disagree with it as well. Another main code and conventions that has been used during the trailer is interview. This is Expository mode as, they ask the people that are in the documentary questions about their life and makes the audience gets an better understanding about what he people that live off of benefits is like.
Another main code and conventions that has been used in the trailer for 'Benefits Street' is sound. This is an Poetic mode as, they use the music that is playing during the trailer to make the people start to feel an certain way about the people that live on benefits street. This can also like to Stuart Hall's theory and they use negotiated theory as some of the audience that would watch this documentary would feel sorry fro the people that live off of benefits street but, some of the audience would hate this because they believe that they should not be on benefits and that they would just make money of of this which some of the stars of the show have such as White Dee who was the star of the documentary from series 1.
What demographics/sub-culture is your media text targeting? How?
The media text that I am covering which is 'Benefits Street' an Channel 4 documentary, they would target this documentary to the younger demographic but also at C2 (working class people)or above because the audience that would be watching this show would always judge the people that are on TV like in my media text we would have the people that would live on benefits as, most people that would watch it would judge them as stupid or disgusting compared to the way that the audience would live. The producer of the documentary would use this such as; Mise-en-scene, camera work, sound and editing to try and make the people that live off of benefits look bad.
Use the theories of Rick Altman to go into detail about the pleasures of watching your media text.
When watching my media text (Benefits Street) the pleasures that I have felt when I was watching it was, the emotional pleasures. When I was watching the people sitting on an sofa in the road smoking makes me feel sympathy for them as, they have nothing to live for so they sit on an sofa in the road. But I also feel angry because they have ruined their life's but just sit around all day and do nothing and this would also be most of the audiences reaction when the would of first seen this as well.
Another pleasure from Rick Altman's theory is that the audience would have Visceral pleasures. When the audience would see the scene when the people that live on benefits street and they are throwing the rubbish into the middle of the road, this would make the audience feel shocked about what they are doing but also make them wonder why they are doing it as it will just make their neighbor hood look even worse on TV.
Another pleasure from Rick Altman's theory is that the audience would have Visceral pleasures. When the audience would see the scene when the people that live on benefits street and they are throwing the rubbish into the middle of the road, this would make the audience feel shocked about what they are doing but also make them wonder why they are doing it as it will just make their neighbor hood look even worse on TV.
What are the most popular genres in the brief you have picked.
I think that the most popular genre that is used in documentaries is normally about animals or nature which is mainly shown on channels like BBC or the natural geographic channel. These are always narrated by the same the who is 'David Attenborough ' and that is why these documentaries are so well know. For example, the BBC made an documentary about the greater barrier reef with David Attenborough narrating about what is going on. BBC are known for their animal documentaries like; The ocean of giants and journey into the amazon.
Summary Looking at Rick Altmans theory, I would like to get my audience to have an emotional response (emotional pleasures) with my documentary that I am going to make as, it seems to make the audience get attached to the people that star within the documentary.
I think that the most popular genre that is used in documentaries is normally about animals or nature which is mainly shown on channels like BBC or the natural geographic channel. These are always narrated by the same the who is 'David Attenborough ' and that is why these documentaries are so well know. For example, the BBC made an documentary about the greater barrier reef with David Attenborough narrating about what is going on. BBC are known for their animal documentaries like; The ocean of giants and journey into the amazon.
Summary Looking at Rick Altmans theory, I would like to get my audience to have an emotional response (emotional pleasures) with my documentary that I am going to make as, it seems to make the audience get attached to the people that star within the documentary.
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