Applying Encoding and Decoding to AS COURSEWORK

We used the negotiated code of Hall’s model theory, this accepts some aspects of the encoded representations, i.e. the idea of a hostage/kidnapper situation is used to make the film interesting for the audience, and this is very stereotypical to the thriller genre and crime in particular. In broad terms, the encoded meanings may be endorsed by the audience, i.e. the character in white being tied up is the hostage, and the character in black wielding a chainsaw and threatening to kill him portrays him in a negative light, but at the end of the short opening sequence, the dialogue between them establishes that actually the character in white did something wrong in the past and is paying for his mistakes. But on a local level these meanings being encoded may be dismissed as it is filtered down to the audience and individuals consider some parts of the opening sequence as exception to the general rule that getting one’s revenge balances the score. This is also linked to Stuart Hall's reception theory about audience in particular. The professional code as Producer was to show to the audience that maybe crime can be justified if the person deserved it, i.e an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and at the end the everyone is even, then the crime will stop. But by the end of the opening sequence, we wanted to show that as always, crime doesn't pay, for example in Goodfellas, the audience decoded the message that crime never ever pays and in the end, all the bad characters get arrested. So in the end, the dominant code will prevail, i.e the message that all crime is bad and it will never end well for those to end up using crime to justify anything.

Here are examples from our AS Opening Sequence

Audience will decode the message of hostage type situation looking at the above and below pictures;

 Audience will look at the tools and probably think of imminent death for the character that has been tied up in this hostage situation.

The pit in the middle of the shot will make the audience fear what will happen to the character that has been tied up, will the kidnapper kill him then shove his body down the pit. We are never shown what is actually in the pit, the audience might think of some nasty things already down there, dead bodies, maybe things i.e insects or snakes that will torture him and eventually kill him slowly but painfully.