Audience and Reception theories - active and passive

Theories include:

Hypodermic needle model

Encoding/Decoding
Two-step flow
Uses and gratifications
Preferred/oppositional/negotiated/abberant readings


These apply to the horror/supernatural genre because...

Narrative theories:

Propp's character theory - Propp suggested that narratives tend to have all or most of the following character types; hero, villian, hero, helper, doner, dispatcher, false hero and princess.




Todorov's narrative theory - Todorov suggested that there were 5 stages to a narrative; Equilibrium (happy start); A disruption of this equilibrium by an event (problem); A realisation that a disruption has happened; An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption (problem is solved); and finally, a restoration of the equilibrium (happy ending).




Bordwell and Thompson - Offer two distinctions between story and plot - relates to the narrative that the audience are positioned to accept and that which the audience actually see - based on the Russian film theory:
Fabula - This is the story - It is defined as the chronological series of events that are represented or implied.
Syuzhet - This is the plot - an employment of narrative



Levi-Strauss - Proposed a theory of 'binary opposites' which entails that the majority of narratives in media forms contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to intensify the plot and further the narrative