Joanna Traill BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production
Unit 26: Film Studies- Task 3
Relationship between Audiences and Films
Active Spectatorship
The theory of Active Spectatorship is when you want to watch a film, and you don't know what you are in the mood for, so therefore you choose to watch your all time favourite film. You know what to expect from this film and you know that you are going to enjoy it; it is your favourite film for a reason. This film that you have gone out of your way to choose, over all of the other films, gives you a certain emotional response that you want to experience again.
For me this film is 'The Parent Trap' (1998) directed by Nancy Meyers. 'The Parent Trap has been my favourite film every since i was aged 10. When i watch this film it lets me reminisce of my childhood, and this makes me feel happy.
'The Parent Trap' is about identical twins, who were separated at birth and, by chance, meet each other for the first time at a summer camp where they realise they are sisters, and their plan to reunite their separated parents begins.
Whenever i begin watching this film, i am always reminded of when me and my childhood best friend thought we were twins separated at birth ( we looked ridiculously similar) and we would re-inact parts of the movie with each other such as the 'secret handshake'. Whenever i watch these scenes of the movie i am reminded of my friendship and it makes me happy.
The heartfelt plan of reuniting their parents, and trying to split up their Dad from his horrible girlfriend gives me quite an emotional response. This is because, the first time i watched this film, was a few months after my parents separated and me and my siblings didn't like my Dads new girlfriend. We were young and devious and we played similar cruel pranks on her as the twins in 'The Parent Trap' do on Meredith.
This film makes me laugh, even now, because i can understand how and why the twins in the film behaved like they did towards Meredith. I can also understand their urge to bring their parents back together again.
The idea of the fairytale ending when the parents do finally reunite makes me feel mixed emotions. I am happy for the twins that their plan has worked and their family is back together again, but i can't help but feel a pang of jealousy swipe through me that my parents never settled their differences and reunited.
Framework of interpretation
This theory relates to your own personal connection with a movie. If you have had a life experience similar to the one in the film, then no matter where or who you are watching the film with, you will always feel that emotion.
'Marley and Me'(2008) directed by David Frankel is a film that always breaks my heart. The emotional connection between the family and their dog is very close to home for me, as i have two dogs. When watching it, it makes you realise how big a part of your life they are, and how unconditional your love towards your pets is, they are like one of the family. I am a massive animal lover and will always have a very strong connection to my pets.
Throughout the film, the family learn very valuable life lessons from Marley, their dog. The scene where Marley gets sick and he dies is very emotional and really makes me think of the emotional connection i have with my own dogs. 
The family throughout this film, witness many changes in their lives. Jennifer Anistons character, Jenny Rogan, lives her life by a set plan. That plan goes to tatters when Marley arrives on the scene, however it is for the better. She used to be a very uptight character who would only do things by the plan, and when they got Marley, she soon realised that life was not about sticking to the plan, it's about living, and Marley bought the family many adventures. 
Media Literacy
This theory refers to critical analysis, where a film is encoded by the Director and decoded by the audience.
For example, in the opening scene for 'Inglorious Basterds'(2009) a film directed by Quentin Tarentino about a group of American Jewish soldiers who plan to assassinate the Nazi leader Hitler; we see, what looks like a normal summers day for a farmer and his family in the countryside of France in 1941. However, the facade is shortly broken when the Nazi's come to raid his house as they suspect he is hiding Jews. We see the man shoo his daughters inside as he cools himself down on the hot summers day, acting very calmly as if he has nothing to hide.
The scene continues with Col. Hans Landa, a German Nazi, having a very calm conversation with the French Farmer about his passion for 'Jew hunting' and how he suspects that there are jews hiding in his house. The audience decode a lot of tension from this scene as the German Nazi, even though his body language is very calm, his appearance, with his black leather coat that creaks on every movement, says otherwise, and the audience know, that he is there for trouble and are waiting on the edges of their seats for him to finally break the calmness and shoot the jews that are hiding under the floorboard. The whole situation is also very juxtaposing as the two men sit their smoking their pipes in a very civilised manner, acting like mature men, while discussing a dark and twisted subject. What is more harrowing is that fact that they are drinking milk at the same time. Milk is suggested to be a child's drink, and for two grown men to be drinking it and smoking, and talking about such things at the same time makes the audience feel very uneasy.
Social networking
Many of us watch films due to others talking about them. Social networking promotes films to those who may not have necessarily heard of them and attracts a wider audience for the films.
When i went to see 'The Theory of Everything'(2014) by James Marsh, I knew very little about the movie, but was persuaded to see on an outing with a group of friends as they had heard 'great reviews'.
'The Theory of Everything' is a film based on the love life of Stephen Hawking and his wife. Before going to see the film, i had a general idea of who Stephen Hawking was and what he had done in life, however i wasn't sure if i really wanted to watch a film about it. It sounded a bit boring to me as i am not very interested in science and i know that is what he is famous for.
However, after watching the film, i was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting such a romantic and emotional tale of how he met his wife during his days as a student. It was a true 'childhood sweethearts' concept and it was heart-warming to watch. I also found myself very interested by his medical condition and how extraordinary it is that he is still alive with a superhuman intelligence. 
If it weren't for social networking i would never have gone and watched 'The Theory of Everything' which i now classify to be one of my favourite films.
Conditions of Reception
How you feel about a film when watching it, often depends on where you are watching it and why. This theory is called Conditions of reception as depending on your surroundings and your mood, the way you perceive the film can change.
One of my favourite movies is 'A little Princess' (1995) directed by Alfonso Cuaron. This is the perfect movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon when you have no responsibilities or obligations to attend too. It is also the perfect movie to watch when you are ill, which is what i do.
This film is about a young girl who is relegated to servitude at a boarding school when her father goes missing at war and is presumed dead. This is a very emotional film however, it has the happiest ending and leaves you feeling good. It is a very easy film to watch, you don't have to be fully concentrated on it to be able to understand it completely, so if you suddenly have to stop watching it for a moment and then come back to it 20 minutes later then it won't matter too much, the storyline is easy to get back to. It is also one of those films that will be a house favourite and has been watched many a time, so missing some scenes isn't crucial because, lets face it, this isn't the first time you have watched it.
Whenever i watch this film, i have to be either at my home or at my grandparents house, laying down on the sofa with a blanket sprawled over me, with snacks. This 'cosy and comfortable' environment really makes me enjoy the film a lot more as this is what i always used to do when i was a child and i watched it at my Nanny's house.
Similarly, the conditions of where you watch an action movie would change. Many people prefer to be in the comfort of a cinema when watching an action packed film such as James Bond: Skyfall(2012) by James Mendes. The intensity of the film is then shared with the masses and being in a dark room, munching on your popcorn makes the film a lot more enjoyable as the darkness of the room, intensifies the action on screen.
