Revision: how does Humans target a niche audience?

The 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner also uses the iconography of an extreme close up of an eye to draw attention to themes of identity and humanity. This exact shot has been used by many science fiction shows featuring AI, including Humans (2015). Ultimately, this intertextuality is a great way for producers to engage with fans who are enthusiastic about the science fiction genre.

There are two broad questions that could be asked for an audience question:

• How can audiences respond/interact/be fans of/ to Humans?
• How can producers target/construct/position their audiences?

Humans fact file

• Genre: science fiction
• Conventions: robots, robot freedom, speculative ethics, themes of robots vs humanity, AI, green eyes of the synths, the word synth
• Produced by channel 4 and AMC. US UK coproduction. Allows targeting of an international audience
• Channel 4: famous for edgy, alternative TV shows such as Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat, My Mad Fat Diary, Skins, Misfits
• AMC: Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Preacher
• Target audience: Niche audience, diverse audience

T block 

To what extent does Humans target a niche audience?

Knee jerk: Humans targets a niche audience to a massive degree

Plan 

• Synth soundtrack
• Evolution of robot 
• Binary opposition robot human
• Complicated representations
• Complicated themes
• Robot becoming human 
• USP - what is humanity?
• Flickering lights
• Intertextual reference to Blade Runner
• Dark themes
• Low key lighting
• Challenging themes
• Chess - themes of games
• High key lighting 
• Low key lighting of brothel
• Use of red as symbolic code
• Polysemic
• Different audience responses
• Diverse synth representation
• Themes of vulnerability and sexual exploitation
• Allegory: where a media product uses narrative to draw attention to a real social issue
• Allegorical issues: racism, sex work, gender inequality, segregation, slavery, sexual slavery, immigration
• Complex issues, complex audiences

DAC

A niche audience refers to a small, targeted yet more enthusiastic and involved audience. In this essay, I shall argue that Humans deliberately targets a range of niche audiences in order to maximise profit and minimise risk. Humans is a science fiction TV show co produced by AMC and Channel 4, and first broadcast in (2015)

One way in which Humans targets a niche audience is through numerous intertexual references to other sci fi media products, most notably the 1982 film Blade Runner. For example, the very first shot of Humans is an extreme close up of an eye, which is almost exactly the same as a reoccurring shot used in Blade Runner. Another theme which is taken from Blade runner is the theme of robot prostitution, with the character Nishka, who also seeks to be released from sexual slavery. Intertextuality is important to target a niche audience, as it targets a pre-existing audience who are not only familiar with the themes and ideas of the robot subgenre, but are also already interested and excited by these ideas. 

Another way in which Humans deliberately targets a niche audience is through its use of uncomfortable, challenging and adult themes. One theme which is extensively dealt with in an uncomfortable way is female objectification, sexualisation and the sex industry. The preferred response of the brothel scene is clearly for the audience to feel extremely uncomfortable, which challenges our conceptions of how the sex industry works. In the brothel scene the audience are positioned with Leo. This is accomplished through a slow and deliberately tracking shot, that winds through the brothel. The feeling of discomfort is emphasised through the eerie synthesised soundtrack, and the emphasised bass, which has symbolic connotations of danger and aggression. A montage of POV shots shows a range of highly sexualised representations of women clearly coded as prostitutes, and this is anchored through the aggressive, sexualised delivery of the phrase: "come over here big boy", positions the audience as a user of prostitutes, and places them in a deliberately and deeply uncomfortable position. These elements of media language combined present a clear ideology to the target audience: that prostitution is wrong, unethical, and deeply dangerous to the women involved in it. This is an example of an allegory....

Use of science fiction conventions, synth soundtrack, MES of green eyes, themes of humanity

Themes of humanity, "I was born to feel pain"

Mysterious and confusing narrative

R block

To what extent does Humans target a niche audience?

Knee jerk - to a massive extent!

Plan

• Metanarrative - dystopian and satirical 
• Use of dark humour: toby's sexual reaction to Anita
• Capitalism: Joe buys Anita, a woman
• "I hope she's pretty"
• The 18+ card: metaphor for sex slavery 
• Complicated themes
• Hermenutic codes, highly mysterious 
• Gender roles switched
• Different representations of synths: friends, sex slaves, house servants, lovers...

DAC

A niche audience refers to a small, targeted yet more enthusiastic and involved audience. In this essay, I shall argue that Humans deliberately targets a range of niche audiences in order to maximise profit and minimise risk. Humans is a science fiction TV show co produced by AMC and Channel 4, and first broadcast in (2015)

One way in which humans targets a niche audience is through the significant number of mysterious hermeneutic codes it uses. This allows a niche audience to engage with it. For example, the extreme close up of Leo's wound bleeding creates a powerful sense of intrigue for the niche audience. By constructing such mysteries, the producers are actively encouraging fans to go online and to participate in online fan discussions as to the deeper meaning of the show. 

P - use of science fiction conventions

E - Heavy use of electronic retro synth music makes intertextual reference to German synth artists Kraftwerk. Highly conventional for the sci fi genre

A - by using science fiction conventions, it allows Humans to effectively target a pre existing fan audience, and guarantees profit

P - Controversial and challenging themes, including themes of sexual violence

E - Zooming close up of Niska's face as she is raped positions the audience in an uncomfortable mode of address. Anita is frequently sexualised, and her buttocks are emphasised through a closeup as she is walking away. Highly uncomfortable shots of an attractive East Asian woman being bought by a middle class white family

P block 

To what extent does Humans target a niche audience?

Yes! It totally targets a niche audience to maximise success

Plan

• Stereotypical genre conventions
• Allegory of mential health problems
• Society
• Representation of women 
• Representation of minorities
• Prostitution 
• Slavery
• Sex and consent
• Racism 

DAC

A nice audience is a specific and often highly participatory audience audience. I shall argue that Humans deliberately targets a niche audience in order to maximise profit and to engage this audience fully. Humans is a 2015 US/UK coproduction science fiction TV show that focuses on AI, robots, and the notion of humanity. 

One way in which Humans deliberately targets a niche audience is through the use of controversial and deliberately upsetting concepts. For example, the character of Odi is a clear allegory of disability, and helps the show to deal with a difficult and troubling concept. Odi is represented through an establishing mid shot of him lying on the floor of a typical UK shopping centre. He is surrounded by the MES of broken glass and jam, which reinforces the symbolic nature of his 'death'. This is further anchored through Odi's endearing appearance. He is dressed in a stereotypically innocent fashion, for example a big chunky orange sweater, which has symbolic connotations of childishness. This is further anchored through his floppy blonde hair, which reinforces the preferred reading that a niche audience should identify and feel sorry for him. By allegorically representing mental health issues, Humans deliberately makes reference to challenging and controversial topics that will only resonate with an educated and niche audience. 

Another way in which Humans deliberately targets a niche audience is through the use of postmodern themes and hyperreality. Postmodernism is a concept that argues that nothing is real and nothing makes sense in our society. Hyperreality refers to a representation that is better than reality. Anita is a clear example of a hyperreal, postmodern construct. The second Anita emerges from her box, she disrupts the reality and normality of the stereotypical Hawkins family. Anita is extremely hegemonically attractive, and this is reinforced through the sound and performance of gasping when she is 'unwrapped' from her box. In the promotional monologue, it is announced that Anita can cook, clean, raise the child, and even, through the proaietic code of a sly wink and a closeup of Anita buttocks, it is inferred that she can also function sexually. This is enhanced through Anita's total lack of emotions, which makes her simultaneously compelling, and also upsetting and creepy. Anita's hyperreal status is a clear allegory of societies attitudes towards the representation of women. This complicated and challenging ideology will clearly only appeal to a niche audience.

Planned obsolescence George is an old man stuck in his ways...criticism of consumerism/capitalism

A final way in which humans targets a niche audience is through using well recognised science fiction conventions. For example, the MES and concept of synths will be familiar to fans of the science fiction genre. When Anita is pulled out of her box, this is greeted with an electronic start up sound effect, which reinforces the conventional science fiction paradigms to the target audience. This is further anchored through her costume and piercing clue eyes

This provides fans many opportunities for participatory culture, as they can go online and discuss the nature of the synths, and the many complex themes that this show introduces.

Revision: Humans and audience identity

Thanks T block for your hard work on this toughie of a question!

To what extent can audiences use Humans in a variety of ways to reflect their identity?

Identity refers to the sense of belonging that audience members have. Identity can refer cultures, interests, sexuality, gender and many more aspects. The science fiction community has long had a strong identity, and Humans is clearly targeting this audience. There are many opportunities for audiences to use and to respond to humans, which I will identify in this essay. Humans is a scifi/drama released in 2015 on Channel 4 and AMC.

One way in which Humans cultivates a sense of identity in it's target and secondary audience is through its innovative advertising campaign. The Persona Synthetics trailer. The advert positions the audience in the world of the TV series. In this sense, it can be argued that the advert situates the audience diegetically. Crucially and bafflingly, this trailer makes absolutely no reference to the TV show Humans, but instead makes reference to a robot one can buy to help them out. However the advert is a hoax. This style of advertising is extremely subversive, and positions the audience directly in the world of the TV series. It will appeal in particular to fans and participatory audiences, who may may go online to discuss the show and to speculate on what it is about, Finally, fans may also share the video on social media platforms, allowing it to go naturally viral. 

Additionally, the Persona Synthetics trailer intriguingly raises many key themes that will later be raised in the TV show, constructing a compelling and multimedia narrative. One theme that is introduced is the idea of robots invading parental responsibility. The alarming closeup of a synth's emotionless face functions as a proairetic code, suggesting the idea that synths can revolt against their owners. Another theme which is introduced is the idea dependency on technology. A shot of a crying child is followed by a closeup on an unconcerned mother, followed by a surprising low angle shot of a synth leading the child upstairs to bed. This idea is allegorical of the concept of using technology to shut children up when in need, and draws attention to real world event s and issues. By using complex and engaging ideology, this trailer challenges the identity of the audience, and challenges the need for instant gratification. 

Another way in which Humans appeals to the identity of it's target audience is through use of a stereotypical white, middle class, British family. The Hawkins family are constructed through their regular and relatable clothing, as well as their dark hair and their middle class home. While in the original Swedish version everyone is dressed up and blonde, in the British version, the Hawkins family are a hyperreal representation of British life. Because this is so relatable, it means it will engage a wider audience, and appeal to lots of different identities. It also reinforces that the target audience for this TV show are predominantly white and middle class.

A final way in which audiences can reflect their ideology through humans is through the use of science fiction conventions. For example, the MES of Anita, the synth can appeal to fans of the sci fi genre. Anita represents the perfect woman, through being both a housewife and also hegemonically attractive. Once more, this raises an important and fascinating themes for the target audience, the representation of women and their expectations in society.

Revision: WaterAid and how representations position audiences

Possible questions:

• How does the WaterAid advert appeal to different audiences? 
• In what ways does the WaterAid audience categorise its audiences
• How does the WaterAid advert attract/target it’s audiences? 
• How does the WaterAid advert construct its audiences? 
• How does the marketing of the WaterAid advert appeal to its target audiences?
• How can audiences interpret the WaterAid advert in different ways? 
•  what ways can audiences use the WaterAid advert, and how does this reflect their identity and cultural capital?
• How do audience responses to the WaterAid advert demonstrate sociohistorical circumstances? 

Possible arguments:

1 - The WaterAid advert uses subversive representations and challenges genre conventions to appeal to a range of audiences

2 - The WaterAid advert uses a range of stereotypical representations to present a straightforward ideology to its target audience: a generalised, stereotypical representation of Africa

How does the WaterAid advert appeal to different audiences? 

• Typical and conventional charity adverts often position the audience as 'the cause' of whatever issue they are promoting. For example, a famous NSPCC advert uses leading cinematography to controversially position the audience as a child abuser, which is highly manipulative. These shocking adverts are eventually ignored by the audience due to desensitisation. The creators of the WaterAid advert use a more positive mode of address to position the audience as 'heroes' who are able to solve the situation. 
• Additionally, the WaterAid advert uses bright, saturated colour throughout. This functions as a symbolic code, suggesting to the audience positivity, happiness and a sense that the world is in good working order. This may well appeal to audiences who have become disillusioned with depressing charity adverts.
• Furthermore, the WaterAid advert uses a popular pop song that was released in 1990 in the UK, which will resonate with and appeal to middle age audiences
• Claudia is hardworking, happy, and a good singer. Claudia is a teenager, but she subverts expectations of teenage girls by being happy and hardworking. The MES of her pink polo shirt also suggests she is a schoolgirl, and is therefore hardworking at school and in carrying water around. She is doing chores, such as ringing cloths, cleaning
• The sound of laughing children may appeal to older audiences

How does the WaterAid advert attract/target it’s audiences? 

• An oppositional reading to traditional charity adverts is that they are often extremely exploitative and manipulative. In older WaterAid adverts, children are shown drinking dirty water in a way that surely hurts them. The justification is that this raises awareness, but all audience members will agree. The Claudia advert takes a deliberately different perspective, and is able to engage viewers more effectively. 
• Use of Lexis: text 'SUNNY'. Use of language here is overwhelmingly positive, and positions the audience in a positive, helpful and powerful position
• MES of group of smiling villagers around the water pump reinforces the ideology that water is a source of happiness. This emphasises the idea of positivity and helpfulness for the target audience
• Sunny, blissful setting is emphasises through high key natural lighting filtering through trees. This functions as a symbolic code, suggesting freedom, happiness and autonomy
• MES of colour becomes brighter and more saturated as advert continues. This is symbolic of the impact of water on the community of the villagers
• Claudia sings an African tinged version of a 90s pop song. This song will appeal in particular to middle aged and older audiences who may have more expendable income or money to spend on charity campaigns. The song itself is positive, uplifting, and also sung in English.
• By singing in English, Claudia is more relatable to the target audience. Claudia is hardworking, is interested in the same ancient pop songs as the target audience, and is wearing bright, optimistic. Claudia is a relatable name that is easy to pronounce, and speaks clear, easy to understand English 

How can audiences use the WaterAid advert to reflect their identity?

• Stereotypes work! They are a straightforward way of reinforcing the producer's ideology, and they ensure that the audience will hopefully donate money
• Generalised and stereotypical representation of 'Africa'. No country in particular is mentioned.
• A stereotypical representation of African people presented here is that they are always happy, are musically talented, dancing, and signing. MES of African villagers dancing happily in the sunset presents a positive but stereotypical representation
• Poor and deprived. There is an inference that Claudia only has water due to WaterAid's intervention. Additionally, the MES of Claudia's blue bucket is positive, yet a reminder and a proairetic code that she is traveling a long distance to take water home
• Africa is represented as bright, sunny and idyllic and heavenly 
• Stereotypically, life is based around water for African people... or at least this is true in charity adverts!
• England is represented through a stereotypical binary opposition, as being cold, wet and dreary. This emphasises the stereotype that 'Africa' is a magical fantasy land, that also has significant economic issues
• Othering - when a separation is made between two different groups of people: us and them
• This advert, makes extensive use of othering in order to position and to construct its audiences!
• Paul Gilroy and postcolonial theory. After the English colonised other nations, there exist racial hierarchies of importance.
• This advert reinforces a hierarchy that exists between privileged, wealthy England, and poor, vulnerable Zambia. The advert reinforces the ideology that it is up to the privileged audiences to help the vulnerable 'Africans'. This reinforces the stereotype of the 'white saviour' 
• Perhaps the advert will encourage more white working class people to donate, as they feel more sympathetic to the 'poor African' stereotype, and more willing to give money 

In what ways can audiences use the WaterAid advert, and how does this reflect their identity?

• In this advert, the audience are positioned in a position of privilege. They are positioned in a way that they have the means and the finances to donate money. Therefore, the WaterAid advert sells a lifestyle of being a good and charitable person.
• The WaterAid advert deliberately uses a process of othering to position the target audience in a position of privilege, but more importantly, to position 'African' people as vulnerable and in need of charity. This is a highly stereotypical representation. 
• The Claudia advert uses stereotypical , postcolonial representations of Africa in order to create sympathy for its target audience. 
• Claudia and other villagers are represented as stereotypically poor/ Claudia is establishes through an establishing montage that shows her walking down a hot and dusty path to collect water. This is a highly stereotypical representation of life in rural central African countries. 
• The advert is set in a remote rural location, and not is Lusaka, Zambia's capital city. This is in order to further other Claudia, and to represent her as being vulnerable and in need of help. This hyperreal representation allows the audience to better understand Africa, through the use of stereotypical representations
• Dry and dusty MES, and in particular the red sand is highly stereotypical of representations of Africa
• Claudia's shoes are extremely important, and are established in a close up, low angle tracking shot. As the audience a positioned 'in her shoes' , we are also confronted with another stereotype. Claudia's footwear us cheap and flimsy looking , which emphasises that she is poor
• The advert makes extensive use of binary oppositions. We are initially positioned in a stereotypical representation of the UK. It is raining, and the desaturated colours connote that it is cold and miserable. However, we cut from a comparatively wealthy country to a comparatively, stereotypically poor country. Producers use Binary oppositions here to emphasise the relative poverty that is experienced in many parts of Africa

How does the WaterAid advert appeal to different audiences? (12)

• The Claudia advert presents a positive and uplifting mode of address that positions the audience with Claudia's community
• DAC
• Audience refers to the consumers of a media product. In this essay I shall argue that the Claudia advert presents a positive and uplifting ideology to it's target audiences in order to help them to engage with this serious issue. WaterAid is UK registered charity that provides drinking water to developing countries.
• Advert focuses on positive outcomes, and the effects of clean running water. This is encoded through fresh, pouring water. This is further reinforced through the use of high key natural lighting. The bright, soft, golden lighting functions as a proairetic code, suggesting the future is bright, and there is a clear and happy ending to this narrative. 
• The WaterAid advert presents a clear and easy to understand narrative to it's target audience. There is a clear three act structure, and a clear problem that must be solved. In this case, the disequilibrium of this narrative is a lack of water. However, this is quickly solved by the hero of this narrative. In this case, it is the audience themselves. The audience is positioned in a way in which they are gently obliged to give money. This is accomplished through the use of direct mode of address, which features in on screen graphics at the end of the advert: 'Text 'SUNNY' to help a person like Claudia'
• Charity adverts often target working class and older audiences. Charity adverts are often scheduled in daytime television which appeals to these audiences. These audiences are specifically targeted through the character of Claudia. The name Claudia is more relatable to English audiences, and Claudia herself is hardworking and an upstanding member of society. Teenage girls are often stereotyped as grumpy and violent in UK media products, but Claudia subverts this stereotype. Finally Claudia is singing a 90's pop song in clear English, which will appeal to older, working class British audiences.
• Africa is represented in a subversive and non-stereotypical way. There is a big focus on togetherness and community, which is encoded through, through the use of other actors arranged in groups and positioned and framed in long shots and mid shots. The cinematography emphasises exactly how many people are having their lives changed by the addition of water. This is further reinforced through the inclusion of an uplifting pop song, which is further anchored through the bright, cheery, saturated colour choices. Throughout the advert, the colours of 'Africa' become more and more intense, which symbolises positivity, and the fact that WaterAid and the audience are making things better
• In addition to the stereotypical target audience of charity adverts, the Claudia advert may also appeal to more diverse audiences, for example middle class black audiences. By including positive representations of black characters, the advert constructs a challenging and atypical representation of Africa
• Younger audiences: younger character of Claudia. Younger audiences are valuable for their disposable income

How do audience responses to the WaterAid advert demonstrate sociohistorical circumstances?

• Sociohistorical circumstances refer to the social issues of our time, and how they have changed over time. The reasons for people donating money have changed, and due to desensitisation, audiences have completely changed their ideologies and attitudes. However, despite presenting a more outwardly positive message, the Claudia advert still uses stereotypical representations in order to make the ideology of the advert easier for the target audience to decode. 
• The Claudia advert is set in Zambia. However, this information is never shared with the audience. This is because the concept of 'Africa' as a poor 'country' provides an easy to understand stereotype for the target audience, and allows audiences to be able to categorise this in their head. Zambia's capital city is a developed and industrial area. Ye this does not conform to the stereotype, and therefore the Claudia advert is set in a stereotypical rural 'African' setting
• The advert is set in a hot and dusty and highly stereotypical setting, which is highly conventional of many audiences expectations of 'Africa'. This is a highly hyperreal representation, which captures the imagination of the target audience, and imagines 'Africa' as a lush escapist paradise.
• Furthermore, this can be seen as a clear example of cultivation of ideology. Because this stereotypical representation has been represented so often, it now functions as a hyperreal expectation for audience members, and makes the ideology of this advert clear and easy to decode. 
• MES of flimsy shoes and bare feet
• Blue bucket of water
• Patterned cloths: traditional 'African' costume
• An issue with using stereotypes is that they are condescending and even potentially harmful to audiences. This would be a classic example of an oppositional reading, where the audience disagrees with the ideology of the product and the producer. In this case, the dominant, ideological, hegemonic perspective of 'Africa' could be rejected by the target audience, who may see it as being reductive and stereotypical .
• Criticism of the white saviour stereotype, and criticism of stereotypical representations of 'Africa'

U block countercultural magazine: TOBY