Applying theory to an audience (Avatar)

In media studies audience refers to the groups and individuals addressed and often partly constructed by media industries. Research into audiences has been far from straight forward, and different models tend to get very different kinds of funding. However, two extremes tend to recur in a set of fascinating arguments: the effects model and the Uses and gratifications model.

(Branston, Gill and Stafford, Ray - Title of journal, The media students book, third edition - Date of publication 2003 by Routledge - Title of article 'Ways of thinking about audiences' chapter 6 'Audiences, pg. 148 -154 - Date of access 01/17/10)

Firstly, applying the effects model, also known as the hypodermic model to a film production such as James Cameron's Avatar. This requires looking at the mass media and mass communications that emphasizes the scale of its operation through advertising. Then i can look at theories that could be applied to analyze its audience structure.

Here is an example of how Avatar is being drilled into the audience, reinforcing its image across popular websites and links to make the product clearly recognizable.

...the high ranking and famous sites are very often indexed making them very viable for advertising your site both in the avatar and the signature. (Author, Paranoid87- published 5/31/2007, date of access 01/17/10 - Title of page, Avatar Advertising) (1)

"It may appear to be a bit much to assume that one film could influence the destiny of humanity, but Avatar has the advertising publicity befitting a film that cost approximately $237 million to make, along with its new filming and presentation techniques which have already established its status in cinematic history." Interview with James Cameron and 'Centuari Dreams'. This outlines Avatars support in the effects model through advertisement, in relation to incredible popularity.(2) (Author, Unknown - Title of page, Avatar-Film Making and Human Destiny - Date of publication (01/15/10) Date of access, (01/17/10)

Below is a clear representation of Avatars popularity through cross media and a variation of advertisement and marketing, used to captivate mass audiences by a "powerful syringe". Also as part of the effects model, below, shows how the company targets 'the weaker members of society', in this case children.

The studio teamed with Coke Zero and McDonald's for extensive promotions that gave fans access to the virtual augmented-reality world of Pandora. Consumers could download an AR application from AVTR.com and scan their Coke Zero can or 12-pack to take a virtual ride in the Samson helicopter featured in the film. McDonald's took a similar approach with its Happy Meal and Big Mac tie-ins, creating a virtual "Avatar" space called McWorld, where fans could interact with other aspects of the Pandora environment. Both marketers had large-scale media buys to promote the tie-ins, including general-market TV buys from Coke and multicultural TV, print and radio ads from McDonald's. LG and Panasonic pitched in for global tie-ins to cross-promote products with similar 3-D innovations, while Mattel partnered on the toy merchandising front. (3)

Author, Hampp Andrew, - Title page, Avatar soars of Fat Ad spending, Mass Marketing - Date of publication 01/04/10 - Date of access, 01/17/10

Secondly, applying uses and gratifications to Avatars audience, and looking more into the individual interests of consumers.

This study explores both the effects of avatar presence and customization on users’ attitudes toward social networking sites, as well as embedded Ad and PSA, (Public Service Ad). Based on ‘implicit egotism’ that human beings inherently “gravitate toward things that resemble the self” (p. 800), this study predicted that avatar users might have positive attitude toward their ‘self-resembled creature (i.e., avatar)’, and in turn, the positive affect is transferred to the evaluation of website and ads. Furthermore, this study found that avatar successfully increases self-awareness observing virtual self, and highlights the concept of self-preservation when encountering a message regarding a threat to one’s survival. Finally, this study firstly attempted to examine the effects of customization in the context of avatars and psychological mechanisms in order to connect their associations. (4)

(Author,Kim, Youjeong - Title of page, 'Me, Myself, and my Avatar: he effects of Avatar on SNW, users attitude towards website' - Date of Publication, 2008 - Date of access, 01/17/10)