Media Theory

 Stuart Hall Reception

    The Stuart Hall Reception theory in media studies is the idea of "Encoding and Decoding Television Discourse" which I think is a great way to put it. This media theory has to do with creation from a production and then the analysis/interpretation from the audience.

- "Encoding- The encoded messages usually contains shared rules and symbols common with other people. So the (encoder) sender has to think how the receiver will perceive the message." 
- "Decoding- Would be a successful deliver only if the message sent by the encoder is understood completely to its content as it was intended."

    This media theory deals with an audience perceiving the content similarly or differently than the creator meant to. In this case, my partner and I would like to incorporate this media theory into our own film project since our plot may be somewhat confusing to some. We would love for people to catch onto the idea that the family being filmed (actors) is going through the stages of grief, starting with denial. The idea we had for our film opening isn't about the boy "Janus" it's about how deep grief can affect loved ones and the idea of what you have to go through for survival. However, an audience may perceive this idea differently based on their own life experiences, culture, age, beliefs, and even mood at the time of watching the film. 

    This theory will guide how we will choose to film particular scenes like the dinner table. As some may see it as a normal interaction between siblings others may pick up on the deeper meaning behind the dialogue between the characters. We want this film to showcase different viewpoints and show how every viewer can interpret this film differently based on their life circumstances.

Sources:
Revision World. (n.d.). Reception theory. Revision World. 
Media‑Studies.com. (n.d.). Stuart Hall’s reception theory.
CommunicationTheory.org. (n.d.). Reception theory.