Reception Theory

This theory, constructed by Stuart Hall, takes the Effects model and Uses and Gratification model to eliminate their problems to give a new theory, the Reception Theory. This theory believes that a text is encoded by a its producer and then decoded by an audience. the theory is based on the concept that there is no single meaning for any media text. it focuses on what the audience interprets, but this isn't always the anticipated response, variables such as age, gender, social status can effect the interpretation of the intended message and can sway them from a correct decode. in some instances an audience will either fail to completely understand a message or reject the message.

Stuart Hall categorised the responses into three variables being; Dominant or Preferred, Negotiable, and  Oppositional.

Dominant or Preferred - this is the response the producer intends for an audience to have.

Negotiable - This interpretation means the audience partly understands but doesn't comprehend fully

Oppositional - This reading of the text is directly opposed to the intended message, and there is a clear confusion.

Taking this theory and applying it to my music video would consist of responses like...

Dominant or Preferred - an audience would read that the text consists of a struggling man, who is lonely but feels a level of compassion towards