Institution and Audience.

Audience = the people who would watch it
Institutions = the production companies who make/ fund the production

Blumer's Audience Theory - (early form)

• Audience comes from "all walks of life"
• Mass audience members are anonymous - they don't know each other
• The audience don't share their experience because they don't know each other
• Mass audience is not organised and they can not act as a crowd

However, his theory doesn't work because not everyone will want to watch the same film - that's why there are different genres and plots. Also, if people go to watch a film they usually go with someone and are most likely to talk about the film after - whether to say they liked and would recommend it or to say it was not as good as they thought it would be and not worth seeing again.

Most media texts appeal to a certain group in society or type of person. However, some films would be watched by  For example, an animated comedy is aimed at kids however there may be some teenagers or adults who like to watch less serious films.

Some media texts seem to have audiences from all different type of people:

• Avatar - because it was the first film designed for 3D and a different world - unusual setting
• Toy Story 3 - aimed at kids, but teenagers and adults would watch because they saw the original, wanted to see if it changed

Consumption of media texts has changed. Now watching and downloading films online is more popular than going to the cinema, because it is cheaper and more convenient. However, people will still go to the cinema to see popular films that have been highly recommended or have their favourite actor in. Also, people will go to see 3D films at the cinema because it is a different experience and better quality on the big screen than at home.  

Personally, I watch new films that I really want to see and when I have the time at the cinema, if not I wait for it to come out on DVD. I sometimes watch old films on the internet if I can't find the DVD version - however if it's a film I really want to watch I'll buy it because it's better quality on DVD.

Ways people share their film experiences:

• Facebook - join fan pages, status
• Twitter - follow and tweet to actors/ directors etc involved in making it
• Comment on trailer on Youtube
• By word of mouth
• Rate on cinema website