Mass Audience & Communication PDF

## Mass Audience Millions watch a big event like an IPL Cricket match at the same time. That forms a mass audience, and attracts advertisers to sponsor the event and the telecast. Even though all these people can be reached simultaneously, they do not exist in the same social space. They are in diff...

## Mass Audience Millions watch a big event like an IPL Cricket match at the same time. That forms a mass audience, and attracts advertisers to sponsor the event and the telecast. Even though all these people can be reached simultaneously, they do not exist in the same social space. They are in different cities, localities and are spread over a vast geographic area, different time zones and are NOT in communication with each other. This is unlike the audience for the same match at the stadium, where the match is being played. There they form a compact mass and can react in unison. ## The Various Other Functions of Mass Media Mass media can be used for various purposes: - Advocacy, both for business and social concerns. This can include advertising, marketing, propaganda, public relations, and political communication. - Entertainment, traditionally through performances of acting, music, and sports, along with light reading; since the late 20th century also through video and computer games. - Public service announcements. ## News Reporting and Information Journalism Journalism is the discipline of collecting, analyzing, verifying and presenting information regarding current events, trends, issues and people. Those who practice journalism are known as journalists. Journalism refers to the production and distribution of reports on recent events. The word journalism applies to the occupation (professional or not), the methods of gathering information and organizing literary styles. Journalistic mediums include print, television, radio, internet and in the past: newsreels. ## Screen Entertainment There are some media, which are primarily considered as art media like music and painting and there are some media which are considered as communication media such as the television and telephone. Film combines both these properties and therefore is such a complete medium. ## Chapter-Aspects of Mass Communication ### Forms of Communication All living things communicate, but in human beings the process is far more complex than it amongst the animals. This has been an important part of human evolution. To communicate is a very basic need for human beings, next in importance to the primary necessities of life food, clothing and shelter. Communication is an individual as well as a social need. In our everyday life we go through the various possibilities of communication such as individual to individual, individual to group, group to individual and groups to groups. Any interaction, interchange, transaction, dialogue, negotiation, sharing, communion, feeling of commonness is communication. We express our needs, thoughts and emotions. ### Aspects of Mass Communication There are three stages of interpersonal communication: - **The Phatic Stage** - **The Personal Stage** - **The Intimate Stage** #### The Phatic Stage This word is derived from the Greek word 'phasis' meaning an utterance. This is the formal stage of conversation and begins with the usual salutation like Hi! Hello! Namaskar! Salaam Aleikum etc. the salutation would be more or less the same, whether the persons meeting and greeting each other or are meeting for the first time. It is warming up stage, that may or may not lead to the next i.e personal stage. #### The Personal Stage In this stage we are prepared to open up a bit more with our feelings and thoughts and would talk about one's job, profession, family, friends, etc. Reciprocal response is expected during this conversation..Like's what i told you about me, but hey, I would like to know more about you similarly. This stage also means that we are willing to go beyond the formal stage with a new acquaintance. #### The Intimate Stage It is reserved for friends and relatives, whom we trust and look to for listening to, sharing our personal feelings. The degree of intimacy depends upon the closeness of relationship. We tend to share our anxieties and ambitions during these conversations. ## Chapter-Barriers to Communication Communication is not always smooth and clear. There are many reasons for this. They are identified as barriers to communication. Barriers are difficulties that come in the way of communication. They may be physical, mechanical, psychological, cultural or linguistic in nature. ### Physical barriers The major environmental / physical barriers are Time, Place, Space, Climate and Noise. Some of them are easy to alter whereas, some may prove to be tough obstacles in the process of effective communication. These factors may just cause distraction leading to inattentiveness or totally alter the message, causing miscommunication. Ill health, disturbed condition can cause subjective stress and obstruct communication. ### Psychological Barrier/Self Image Each of us has a frame of reference of our own. The psychological barrier of communication is the influence of psychological state of the communicators (sender and receiver) which creates an obstacle for effective communication. Communication is highly influenced by the mental condition that the communicators are in and is disturbed by mental disturbance. If the people involved in communication are not emotionally well, they won't be able to communicate properly. Every person's mind is unique and communication does not work like that in machines or in numbers. ### Defensiveness and Fear Defensive behaviors show up when a person doesn't feel physically or emotionally safe. Usually there is a perceived or real threat. When acted on - defensive behaviors are a barrier to effective communication. ### Linguistic and Cultural Barriers Effective communication is a necessary part of dealing with individuals. The inability to communicate using a language is known as language barrier to communication. Language barriers are the most common communication barriers which cause misunderstandings and misinterpretations between people. Cultural differences causes behavior and personality differences like body language, thinking, communication, manners, norms, etc. ### Mechanical Barriers Deficiencies of signal reception, mechanical communication barriers are technical sources of interference in the communication process. A mechanical barrier stems from a problem in machinery or instruments used to transmit the message. This is not limited to media forms such as radio and television; it also includes machines used by those with hearing or speech impairments. ## What is a shot? It is the length of the film exposed in one continuous running of the camera at the time of shooting. - Visual - Audio - Editing (transition) ### Visual aspects of a shot A cinematographic shot has many visual aspects to it. 1. **Image size – Long Shot/Medium Shot/Close up** - A shot can be taken from a long distance from the character showing him/her in full figure - [Long Shot] showing him/her in relation to the environment of the scene or, - Form a middle distance [Medium Shot] showing him/her in relation to his/her proximate things or, form a close distance [Close Up] that can show the facial expressions or physical and emotional nuances clearly. - See the first three sequences of Schindler's List to observe the use of varying image size. 2. **Viewpoint – Eye level/High/law** - The camera could be placed at the eye level of the character or above it or below it. - This is the normal position in a conversation, showing aparity between the characters. - However, when this relationship changes then the camera also changes position. - Watch the very first sequence after the titles in Godfather I. Initially, the whole scene is static and photographed from the eye level of the characters, while they remain seated. When the relationship changes and Don Corleone wants to dominate his visitor i.e. Amerigo Bonasera, the men stand up and the camera is looking from a lower angle at Don, giving him the dominant look. - Sometimes, the viewpoints of the camera are associated with psychology of perception. Generally, objects or characters who appear to be dominating are shot from a lower than their eye level point of view. Similarly, those characters that are made to appear powerless or dominated are often photographed from a point of view, which is higher than their eye level. [Although it is not a rule.] - Birds' Eye View - Psycho - The opening sequence of Psycho beings with a high angle panoramic view of the Phoenix city in Arizona, USA. We have seen this kind of an opening in so many films. Discuss the examples in the class. - Use of the low and high angle viewpoints are well combined in the very first action sequence i.e. the first fight takes place betweet the thief and the heroine. The fight begins on ground, when the camera is at the eye level of the characters. When it develops into a chase and shifts to the roof, we see that our [camera] viewpoints alternate between low and high angles. - See Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - As the chase begins Minutes 14.30 to 2.05 Minutes 3. **Static/Moving camera** - Camera becomes our eye while we watch a film if it is static, we see the shot accordingly from the same viewpoint. If it is moving then we see things from a mobile viewpoint. - Gabhricha Paus [The Damned Rain, 2009] by Satish Manwar is remarkable film on the issue of the suicide of the cotton farmers in Vidarbha. The film opens with a series of shots where the camera is moving and following the children, till the dramatic point of discovering the corpse of a farmer hanging from a tree. The second sequence, which follows is the scene of the tragedy with police panchnama being conducted and all the relatives and friends sitting around stunned by the tragedy. This entire sequence is shot in many shots and in all these shots the camera is static. The contrast between the first and second sequence is noticeable. - The camera movements are basically of the three types and they are called as Pan, Tilt, track. These are easy to understand if we can look at them as an extension of the way we see. - We move our heads in horizontal direction and so does the camera, and that is called the pan. - We move our heads in vertical direction and so does the camera, and that is called tilt. - We move bodily from one place to another and so does the camera, and that is called the track. - [The camera can be mounted on a crane or inside a moving vehicle or a train or an airplane or on rails or can be simply held in hand while walking... all these are varieties of the track.] - In addition, there are the other factors like - The use of Lenses - [wide angle/normal/telephoto] Lighting - Planes like - foreground/background aspect ration - Graphic quality - Colour/B-W - Lighting plays a very important role in creating, moods, depicting the moods of the characters, giving a feel of the environment and highlighting important objects. - Painters had gained extra ordinary proficiency in this art much before cinema began. - See beneath the painting - The Girl with a water-pitcher by Jan or Jhonner Vermeer van Delft. - Vermeer as he is popularly known was Dutch painter, who was born in October 1632 and died in December 1675. His work shows everyday life in the city of Delft in the Netherlands. - Vermeer's paintings are intimate and have a spiritual quality as seen by him in everyday life. His use of light is phenomenal. He has used the open window as a source of light in very many of his paintings. The light comes in through the window and diffuses through the room. The girl's crisp, white cloth is lit up, fragile, and still. The pitcher in her hand gleams in the light. The glass of the window reflects the sky. You can sense the texture of the smooth, dense tapestry on the table. The wall in the background is bright and the map on it adds further life to it, but without distracting from the character. The use of colour is masterly. The bright white is centrally composed and lends a certain brightness to the woman's personality. Her face is serene and she is looking outside in an interested manner. It subtly suggests a world outside the frame. It is not merely a picture frame, but a moment of a story captured in all its realistic, dramatic and spiritual essence. It is the whole picture as they say in every sense of the word. - Activity - FIND OUT WHAT THESE TERMS MEAN - The use of Lenses - [wide angle/normal/telephoto] - Planes like - foreground/background Aspect ratio - Graphic quality – Colour/B-W ## Audio aspects of a shot - Speech - Sound Effects - Music - Silence - Are the components of any film sound track. ## Editing transitions An editing transition is a way to change from one visual [shot] or sound to another. ### Cut A visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another. ### Dissolve A gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the beginning of the next one. For a while, we see both the shots on screen and the first one appears to dissolve into the second one. ### Fade A visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief interval with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in the next. Often used to indicate a change in time and place. The first shot fades OUT and the second one fads IN. ### Iris Visible on screen as a circle closing down over or opening up on a shot. Seldom used in contemporary film, but common during the silent era of Hollywood films. ### Wipe Visible on screen as a bar travelling across the frame pushing one shot off and pulling the next shot into place. Rarely used in contemporary film, but common in films from the 1930s and 1940s. Japanese director Akira Kurosawa used it a lot in action sequences. ### Bleach A visual transition between shots or scenes that is the opposite of Fade. The screen appears to get brighter and brighter and ultimately so bright that all the details of the shot are washed out and one sees a bright, harsh lit rectangle on the screen. ### Freeze. It is like a dramatic pause either within a scene or in between two scenes. The picture seems to freeze in an instant dramatically toshow a still pictue on screen. ### Morphing This an electronically generated effect wherein, the shape, colours, contours of the persons, objects change within a shot. This is mostly used in Ad films like the running Cheeta becomes a motorcycle. ## Editing Transitions are like the punctuation marks in written language. they make the flow of the story orderly and elegant. ## Chapter-3 Understanding T.V. ### Learning Objectives 1. To help a student understand the Specificity of Television. 2. To understand the distinction between Cinema and television. ### What is Television? Television (TV), to put it simply, is a medium that makes us run back from our outdoor activity at a particular time to catch one of our facourite show. It can update us through news bulletins and discussion programmes about what is happening in our and other societies. It is the medium that enthralls millions of people all over the world during the FIFA world cup, or the coverage of the elections or any popular entertainment programme. It is a medium of individual as well as family entertainment. This entertainment consists of a variety of items tailored to suit the needs of various age groups. Some people call it as the Idiot Box, whereas some others have called it as Tube of Plenty. ### Class Room Activity The statement given above expresses two diametrically opposite attitudes to television. Let the class be divided into two groups. Group 1 takes the attitude that TV is an idiot box and argues the points in support of this assumption. Group 2 takes the attitude that TV is the tube of plenty and argues the points in support of this sumption. Students meet in groups in the class and discuss among themselves the points of arguments for about 10 minutes. Then Group 1 gets 10 minutes to argue out their points. That is followed by a session of 10 minutes for Group 2 to argue their points. The teacher picks up the principal points of both sides and sums up. Teacher will not give a verdict, but develop a perspective of looking at television by articulating and clarifying the points that have emerged from the experience of the students. But, before we pass judgments on TV as being useful or harmful, we have to ask the question -Do we sufficiently understand TV as a medium in its real form? And to do that we have to know as to how does it function on technical, commercial and other levels. ### Speaking technically... Cinema arrived before Television and both being audio-visual media exhibiting dramatic programmes, the comparison of the two in inevitable. - Cinema is often called celluloid, as the images that we see on screen are optical images. They can be seen physically with a naked eye. - Television unlike Cinema is the reproduction of Electronically transmitted moving images accompanied by sound from a distance to several receiving sources popularly called Television sets. The name of this telecommunication system is derived from Greek Tele, meaning for and Latin Visio, meaning to see. Our Doordarshan in Hindi means the same. Although this technology isalso used in several other applications like closed Circuit Television (CCTV), Television as a term is generally associated with Broadcast Television which evolved from Radio Broadcasting systems in 1920's, making use of High Powered Radio-Frequency transmitters to send signals to individual TV receiver sets. Now, how des TV do all this? All television content comes to our TV sets via broadcast signals. There are four broadcast signals, each of which, separately controls the following: - Brightness of the image - Colour of the image - Audio from the image - Synchronization of the transmitter and the receiver The central principle of all video equipment is that a focused image must be converted into broadcast signal, which is then transmitted by radio waves. These waves travel through the atmosphere at the speed of light, and can accommodate vast amounts of information. When the signal is received, it is reassembled on a screen as a visible image. ### Activity Watch a Television programme in the classroom on a television set with your classmates for ten minutes and write a note on the difference in your experience as compared to that of watching a movie in a cinema hall. Also write how different it is than watching TV at home. As you have noticed, the image on Television is smaller than real life, and not as visually rich as it is in a Cinema hall. Motion Picture is very often used to define Cinema and rightly so because a film comprises of a series of picture images put together in a way to create the semblance of movement on a Screen with the help of a projector which enlarges the small pictures optically onto abig screen for you to see in a space specially created for that purpose. It is larger than life two- dimensional image with illusion of three-dimensional depth. Television images as you know by now are transmitted as electronic signals in analogue and/or digital language, which is of low definition in comparison to cinema. While watching Television very often we are not secluded from our surrounding and the audio-visual experience is not as gripping as it is inside a Cinema Hall. The effort we make to go to a Cinema Hall once in a while makes it a social occasion unlike the daily intrusion of television right in our homes. ### Difference between cinema and TV - **TV** - TV is available in people's homes, can be viewed at an individual level. - TV uses video tapes. - TV images are virtual and erect on projection. - TV images are produced when video signals are transmitted with the help of radio or digital signals. - The number of picture frames running in one second in video is 25-30, depending. On the format. - TV has the scope of diverse content for entertainment through its various channels, at a time. - TV can be used to show films.  - TV is a multi-channel experience, the choice of changing from one to another is entirely in our hands. - **Cinema** - Cinema is theatre centric. Films on celluloid cannot be viewed in people's houses. - Cinema uses 'film' as a medium to capture images. - Cinema projects 'real' images on the screen, which are inverted on projection. - Film making includes developing the film roll(s) and printing them. - The number of frames exposed per second in films is 24, irrespective of the type of film used.  - At a given time, cinema can only show the content created by one person.  - Cinema can never show any TV programmes or show. - Cinema uniquely is a singular event. ### Non-Broadcast Video- As technology of television progressed over the years, apart from broadcasting of programmes live into our homes, it developed into recording and relaying of content specifically for this new medium. Visual and Audio put together created the term Video which got associated with recorded electronic signals of a feature film transferred from an optical signal or of an event like marriage or a football match onto a spool or cassette of magnetic Video phenomenon where videos were not necessarily generated for broadcast but done essentially for audiences wanting to watch them at their leisure at home on their TV set, played back on video players. It also made recording of programmes from telecast possible with recorders to television sets at home. This also led to a splurge of amateur and professional portable cameras with recording facility and several formats of recording tapes and playback systems leading to current DVD (Digital Video Disc/ Digital Versatile Disc) and Blue Ray formats. ### Class Room Activity Two groups will work on this exercise in the following manner- One group of students will select an event or a function that has taken place recently in the school. This group will gather facts and should write a report for a TV news bulletin the text of the item- not exceed 2 minute. One person from the group will read it to the camera like a newsreader and the same will be recorded using a Handycam. This group will keep in mind that this news story is intended for outsiders not familiar with the school. The second group of students will enact a 5-10 minutes scene from a short skit' or a play. This activity will be shot using a Handycam. The programme material thus generated is for internal use. After the exercise see and compare the results. Both the groups should discuss their approaches with each other to see as to how the experience varies. One of them was meant to be a news item for outsiders, while the other was supposed to be a compilation for school's own record. ### (II) Specificity of TV as a Medium #### Nature of TV Production and Consumption- Television depends upon specialized, modern and evolving technology for its production as well as distribution. Big commercial corporations come into play, involving large-scale operations and finance. In most open societies State-owned Television exists alongside and in competition with private, regulated, public-service Television. The structure of the TV Industry: The TV industry can be broadly divided into three parts: 1. The client (the channels like Star TV, Sony, Zee, Colors, etc.) 2. The producers 3. The sponsors (the various advertisers) #### Research: You must have heard of people who come to survey for the most watched programmes in your homes. Their data is thoroughly researched and studied by various research groups and passed on to the content providers of the television industry. This helps various networks to understand audience viewing patterns and they create and place content accordingly. This segmented viewership with specific target audience is unique to television and decides the fate of a programme.it is a judicious combination of several genres with specific time slots created for specific programmes. The target audience group helps a channel decide on these time slots of a day keeping in mind the possible revenue that can be generated from each of these slots. It is important to remember that although TV programmes are centrally produced and globally beamed, they are privately consumed in a domestic and intimate atmosphere. #### Logic of programming The carefully compiled research data is vital to the planning of day to day schedule of TV transmission. On a popular infotainment Channel like Doordashan, the day is divided into day parts, although the times have been blurred somewhat. Breakfast television air between 7-10 AM; on other television news channels these are usually long-form news programs featuring entertainment, light fare, and features aimed toward women. On entertainment networks they might be a rerun of a popular episode shown in the earlier night prime slot. After breakfast comes daytime television, which, like the pervious day part, targets women (and also notably college students), particularly older retirees and the ever- shrinking but still very large base of stay-at-home moms and housewives; the soap opera, tabloid talk show and (much more rarely since the 1990s) the game show are popular genres in this day part. The later part of the daytime slot can sometimes be targeted for children and teenagers who come home from school. Local news is usually coupled with a half-hour network newscast and possibly a syndicate news program. Unlike morning news shows, these are more generally targeted programs and feature more hard news stories. Private satellite channels usually air syndicated sitcom reruns or continue daytime programming during this day part. Following the news, prime time Prime time is the highest profile of television day-parts, from 7 or 8 pm to 10 or 11 pm, depending on the network and time zone. The highest rated programs on television often air during prime time, and almost all scripted programming (except soap operas) air during the prime time slots. Usually the main reason for the high profile of prime time television is due to the fact many people who come home from work and school tend to watch TV than any other activity. Following prime time, late newscasts often air, followed by late night television. Late-night show are predominantly targeted toward younger male audiences (also college students and people who suffer insomnia are a large audience of late night TV) and feature usually horror shows or crime thrillers. After the late night shows, programming varies. Some channels may do re-runs of popular shows. In some countries, programming aimed at adult audiences may also be aired during the late night hours. But in India, with a large diverse audience base, we have several regional language channels as well as News and Sports Channel dedicated to specific nature of programming. Television programmes today offer a variety which in totality defines what we call infotainment, Information with Entertainment. While film based and film like fictional stories form part of this package, it is the continuing stories called serials and soap- operas that form a major bulk of programmes shown these days on various channels. ### Genres of TV Programmes: TV programmes can broadly be categorized into Non fiction and Fiction formats: #### The Non-fiction formats: - **Television News:** A TV newscast is however ideal for presenting ceremonial events like coronations, swearing in ceremonies, arrivals and departures of VIPs, signing of treaties, parades, inaugurations and sports. - **News Bulletins:** Chat shows, panel discussions, news magazines are some of the popular formats within the bulleting genre. - **TV Documentaries:** The aims of the documentary are to enlighten, arouse, motivate or simply entertain. In a documentary, the story dictates the film technique and not vice versa. Film is used here as a tool to document reality, the way it is, and not to display gimmicks of the crew involved in shooting reality, even though the documentary is essentially a creative interpretation of reality'. - **Personality interviews:** These present the celebrities. These are content interviews in which the message rather than the personality is of importance and a variation of this can be a group interviews like a press conference. - **Quizzes and game shows:** These studio-based programmes are known for their audience participation of the studio audience and the viewers watching from home. - **Music and dance programmes:** Programmes like countdown shows, 'chitrahaar' and all the talent hunts, or dance competitions are part of this category. - **Reality shows:** these aim at hitting below the belt of a group of participants as it involves attractive pay offs. These shows capture the candid moments of the participants, which could be very private. These are designed around a game, which pitches the participants against each other, and the journey to the end of the game is what provides the 'reality'. MTV Roadies and Splitsvilla are popular examples. - **Travel and lifestyle:** travel TV includes visual travelogues and the lifestyle programming gives a roundup of all the latest happenings in the field of fashion, food, films and reflect on the latest trends in lifestyle. #### The fiction formats are as below: - **Soap Operas:** soap operas are long running stories. The Indian soap opera borrows more from the Mexican telenovela (television novel) genre and not the American soap. Humlog, Buniyaad started the journey of soaps in India. - **Mythologies:** Stories related to epics or any mythic character forms a part of mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata. - **Thrillers:** these are aimed at sending a chill down the viewer's spine. These require a lot of creative thinking and a specific kind of execution to entertain people. E.g. Aahat, Shhhh... Koi Hai?...., etc - **Childrens Programmes:** these include cartoons, suppet shows, educational shows, stories and fables with morals, quiz shows, etc. e.g, 'the jungle book', 'Chhota Bheem', etc - **MTV Roadies and Splitsvilla are popular examples.** ### Classroom activity IT IS EXPECTED THAT OUT OF THE LIST GIVEN BELOW [A AND B] ONE EPISODE EACH OF THREE FROM A AND THREE FROM B BE ANALYSED IN THE CLASS. - **A. Fiction-General entertainment programmes and genres** 1. Drama (Socials called soaps like Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, Balika Vadhu etc.) 2. Crime Thrillers like Farz 3. Detective serial like C.I.D. 4. Horror shows like Aahat 5. Science Fiction like Star Treak 6. Animated series like Jungle Book 7. Drama mini Series like Tamas, Mirza Ghalib, Swami of Malgudi Days 8. Sitcom-Situational Comedies like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Dekh Bhai Dekh 9. Docudrama series like Barat Ek Khoj - **B. Non-fiction programmes and Genres** 1. Documentaries like those shown on Discovery channel 2. Lifestyle shows like NDTV Good Times 3. Reality shows like Indian Idol, Kaun Banega Karorepati, Nach Baliye etc. 4. Talk Shows like Walk the Talk or RuBaru 5. Shopping shows like Tele Shopping 6. 24-Hour News and News Based, Current Affairs shows and discussions 7. Business News 8. Sports Proprammes and Games coverage 9. Music shows 10. Comedy shows like Laughter Challenge ### Projects 1. Make a chart with pictures of various elements which highlight the specificity of Television as a medium of infotainement. 2. Mention your favourite programme and give reasons as to why you like it. If the producer is to be given suggestions for its improvements, what would you like to suggest? 3. Mention your family member's favourite programme that you may not like or be interested in. explain it. 4. What is the programme that ALL members in your family like to watch/why?