Television Industry | Audience Homework

1A) Identify the main target audience of Madmen 
Madmen is a period drama series set in the 1960's and is aired on AMC, which is an American cable and satellite channel that viewers have to pay for. This text attracts a niche active audience. 

1B) Identify one way the text has been encoded to appeal to that type of audience. 
One way the text has been encoded to appeal to a niche active audience is the use of complex character representations. e.g females breaking away from their gender roles.
       
1C) Justify how this point/technique/convention would gratify your previously identified type of    audience.
By the show displaying a range of character and behaviour representations, it gives an insight to the viewers and helps them learn about the circumstances at this time. The audience of madmen would enjoy decoding the show, so the use of complex characters and complex narrative would gratify them, so they would be attracted to watch the show.

1D) Describe a narrative sequence where this point/technique/convention is present. 
In the episode Peggy, who has worked hard herself to work in a high position within the business, got offered a job working for another company in a higher-ranking job that earns more money. She takes this job and informs Don Draper that she is leaving his business. She opposes the gender role that women are controlled by men and proves that she makes her own decisions and has respect from her other colleagues.

2) Does Lost target a passive audience?
Yes, Lost does target a passive audience as the storyline is often explained for the audience and doesn't require the audience to work things out for themselves by closely watching the show.

3) Identify how Lost is encoded to gratify a passive audience?
The use of score helps gratify the passive audience as the score helps inform the audience about what might happen next in the show e.g if the score is tense it creates an enigma and the audience can decode the text and can anticipate what is going to happen.

4) Justify one point/technique/convention that would force Mad Men's audience to decode the text actively in order to gain gratifications. 
Mad men rarely use non-digetic sound throughout their episodes, which means that the audience would have to actively watch the show in order to be informed about what might happen next as their is no music/score to help them. The active audience would have to rely on the encoded text itself to help them decode it.

5) Explain and justify how Peaky Blinders has been encoded to gratify both passive and active audience. 
The use of historical context helps gratify the active audience. Peaky Blinders makes reference to WW1 and the king e.g When pictures of the king are being burnt in the fire as retaliation for the bad situation they are left to live in after fighting for the country, while the king lives in luxury. This would gratify the active audience as they would be interested in how it relates to the story and helps them understand the deeper storyline. The use of soundtrack helps to gratify the passive audience as they might need more help decoding the programme and the relatable soundtrack helps them to do so. It helps portray what emotions are being felt within the show and have a better understanding so they can be gratified.

6) Justify the statement 'Lost is encoded to be inclusive'.
Lost's target audience is a passive mainstream audience. Many conventions are used in show to help gratify these audience such as the use of an ensemble cast, the use of score, hybrid genres and relatable casts. Lost has encoded all of these conventions into the show so that their target audience can have a better understanding of the show and to be entertained so that they will be gratified.

7) Why does the use of score appeal to a more passive audience? 
The use of score appeals to a more passive audience as the score helps the audience to decode the show. The use of score helps to create enigmas which will keep the audience entertained but also helps portray emotions of the character within the show which the audience might find hard to decode without the use of score. An active audience might be able to decode the text without the need for the use of score which is why it is aimed towards the passive audiences.