Enjoy!
Introduction to the Genre
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| Promotional Poster for Captain Marvel |
In the subsequent decades, the popularity of the genre severely declined. It was only in 1978, when the first major big-budget superhero feature film (Superman, directed by Richard Donner) was released, that the genre rose to prominence once more and recaptured the attention of the world. Since then it has thrived, with some of the film industry's biggest film companies such as Marvel and DC rising to fame. Funnily enough, it is these two companies that I will be discussing later in much more detail.
It is a well-known fact that superhero films are perhaps one of the most successful combined branches of the sci-fi and action genres to exist. These films are known for their good music and scoring, their fight and chase scenes, their violence and gore (where appropriate) and even some developing romances. But why is this? And why do audiences become so invested with what is going on in them?
Pre-Release: How Are Audiences Involved?
Before a film, any film, is even released, there are many ways in which audiences can become involved with it. Film-makers ensure that this is possible in order to maximise the successes of their productions. Some of the biggest methods are detailed below, but other, smaller ones include focus groups, questionnaires and surveys, reading blogs and embedded adverts.
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| Avengers: Age of Ultron |
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| Captain America: The Winter Soldier |
Perhaps one of the most prolific forms of involvement with films before they are released, done again by members of the public, is the use of social networking sites or forums online to discuss the film and by doing so improve public awareness of its release. Although not a superhero film, the third instalment in the Hunger Games film quadrilogy, Mockingjay: Part 1¸is due out later this month and has already been widely discussed online despite its limited marketing campaign. Speculation is still relatively high, but now that posters and the main full-length trailer have been released, discussion about these has also begun with impressive results. This form of involvement is so effective and well-known due to the various social networks which are utilised by fans and potential fans alike as part of it. As examples of sites used for discussion purposes, Twitter is predominantly used for passing comments and for having short, spontaneous conversations, whereas Tumblr is, on the whole, a base for the more dedicated fans to pass around their ideas and predictions and for widespread, detailed discussion of elements of the film.
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| McDonalds' 'Happy Meal' logo in 2014 |
As mentioned above, Age of Ultron is Marvel's closest-to-release upcoming superhero film. Over the past few months tension and excitement has been building up, and quite recently at San Diego Comic Con the biggest announcements about the film and (on a wider scale) Marvel's line-up of future superhero films have been made, causing fans to go absolutely crazy. Marvel is well-known for its successful viral marketing - and this film is no different. The first step of their viral marketing for the film was to get fans to piece together the promotional poster, composed of eight separate character-oriented pieces. These were released slowly, limited to two per day, building trepidation and excitement for the full art. Other marketing measures, including released clips (such as this one, and this one on a different YouTube channel, giving Marvel's reach an even wider scope), promotional images and set pictures (here), news coverage of official speculation (here) and even cast interviews as mentioned above (Chris Evans' interview from SDCC is here) are still being used now, giving fans have a lot to think about and discuss online before the film is released on May 1st 2015. Social media is integral to a good viral marketing campaign and it is easy and obvious to see that Marvel as a company is aware of this, updating its Twitter page, Facebook page and YouTube channel regularly.
Where Audiences Watch Films and Media Types
Audiences are able to watch films in a variety of places, and through a variety of means. Obviously the most common places for people to watch films are at the cinema on the big screen or at home when the DVD or blu-ray has been released, but there are others, such as on YouTube, through illegal downloading and on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and on-demand services.
DVDs and blu-rays, as mentioned before, are the other common method of viewing films that people use. They can be played using specialised players, in laptops, in some gaming consoles (such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) and in computers – making them a highly popular and universal method alongside digital downloads and rentals. They can be used in either individual or in group situations; they can be watched alone for personal enjoyment, together with friends to socialise, or with family members as a bonding experience. This means that DVD viewings are not just limited to fans – others can also be a part of the viewing experience, willingly or not. Again, fandom mentality and the existence of collectives is a huge part of the success of the DVD and blu-ray format; huge groups of people are motivated to buy the film in one of these formats after seeing it and enjoying it, allowing for endless replay value for a (relatively) small amount of money. Fandoms promote the sale of DVDs and eagerly await the release dates, perhaps even organising small parties for the films to be watched again communally. Film clubs and groups also endlessly benefit from the existence of DVDs and blu-rays, as it means that a huge number of existing films can be discussed as well as the ones currently being shown in cinemas and on television. This success exists throughout every genre, but in the superhero genre especially; it is very common to find film enthusiasts within this field excitedly posting about the upcoming releases, promoting the films and ensuring that as many fans as possible are aware.
The final three methods which I mentioned earlier I shall combine into one single paragraph, as they all involve the same premise – digital viewings, without the need for any physical product or movement. YouTube is the biggest video-sharing website on the internet, and often, even though mostly illegal (with the non-illegal exception films being those in the public domain), people will upload films to the site so that they can be viewed by anyone who searches for them. This is mostly for the benefit of the individual, as it is most likely that a single person will search for a film online to watch it themselves, though it is a particularly successful viewing method in educational environments such as schools, colleges and universities. This is therefore one of the most limited of ways in which superhero films are viewed, as they are not very educational unless used in classes such as media studies (media-ception right here...!), film studies and English language for analysis. Illegal downloading is very much the same as the above – primarily used by individuals to watch films at home, and educational establishments to access content without the need to have to pay. Finally, streaming services. These have to be paid for by the user, and often have a fixed monthly fee in exchange for access to as many films (or a large set number of films). These again are methods which bring together huge numbers of fans and allow fandoms to pursue their interests – by having the films available to watch at any time, people can easily catch up on anything that they’ve missed and then discuss and converse afterwards about what it is they have watched. Due to the vast number of superhero films on the market, this is perhaps one of the most popular viewing methods after the cinema and DVDs and blu-rays, as people do not have to spend a lot of money going to the cinema to see each individual film or on buying each individual disk set – they can have the films all in one place to be viewed anytime. Perhaps the most prominent disadvantage of this, however, is that not all films are added due to copyright and other restrictions, and it can take a long time even after the release of the DVDs and blu-rays for the films to be made available for streaming.Where audiences watch films often changes how they are viewed, with each style of viewing corresponding to one of the three main media types: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary media is that which requires your undivided attention, such as a film or a TV show series – and as such, it is received primarily in places such as cinemas and theatres where the audience’s only purpose is to see that work as it plays out. In terms of films, the effects will be exciting, bold and bright, trying to capture and retain the attention of those watching them. The plotlines will also be considerably more complex, as a lot of information has to be packed into a very short space of time – meaning that the audience must keep watching to follow the story. Secondary media is more relaxed, such as a soap opera or a radio show, which plays in the background on the TV or the radio as an accompaniment to other tasks such as cleaning or cooking, predominantly when at home, though some kinds of secondary media can be enjoyed in other places – such as music through earphones, downloaded films on public transport (where it is being used to just pass the time etc) and YouTube videos being watched on the go. Secondary media is not the main focus of attention, but it is being enjoyed all the same – and doesn’t require as much thought, as a vague grip on the action is all you need. Finally, tertiary media is the sort that audiences are not even aware of the fact that they are viewing – such as advertisements on the side of a bus or in shop windows, or pages in something printed, such as magazines or newspapers. This is media that you are unlikely to knowingly pay attention to, subconsciously taking in the information rather than having to think about it. This is due to the overwhelming amount of tertiary media in today’s world; we obviously know that it’s there, but we don’t pay as much attention to it as we think as there is simply too much, which would take too much time.
How Are Audiences Affected By Watching Superhero Films?
Whilst watching films, audiences are renowned for their active involvement. Many sympathise with characters, pay close attention to the storylines, and overall form a judgement about each aspect of the film which composes it (e.g. the visual effects, the music, the lighting). Outside of the viewing itself, individuals may respond throughout, perhaps commenting on their social networks about what they're seeing or talk to those around them, either in-person (if they are there) or through digital means such as texting, phone calls, emails and other apps like Snapchat, Instagram and Skype.
Denis McQuail is one theorist who has developed ideas regarding the purpose of films and what audiences use them for. His research largely contributes to the above ideas about what they are used for – for pure entertainment value, for social interaction, to ‘escape’ from reality, and for other purposes such as finding out information and educational research and value. In particular his research has now developed into varying strands, one of which could arguably be said to be the ‘uses and gratifications’ model, which speaks about what audiences get from films and the benefits they receive from them.
Superhero films, in this respect, are no different, and his findings are applicable to them as much as any other genre. Why do people watch superhero films? Their content is often so unrealistic and surreal that many would not see the point, especially if they are the kind to try and find some kind of ‘value’ in all films made. However, others will see that they can be viewed for enjoyment, for a sense of community, and for more, such as escapism and maybe even, to some degree, sexual satisfaction. In terms of ‘uses and gratifications’, the same superhero film may be able to gratify the different needs of different individuals. Different needs are associated with individual personalities, stages of maturation, backgrounds and social roles, and all of these are certainly seen to play a part when considering how fandoms develop – different age ranges, genders and sexualities band together over different films. Superhero films such as those made by Marvel may not only be able to fulfil the entertainment needs of some people, but also the needs for escapism of others – proving an unrealistic world that people can become deeply involved in as to ignore the troubles of their own lives and instead focus on the brilliant stories and occurrences within the fictional one.
A superhero film which can explain this concept very well is Marvel's The Avengers; this film is all about a team of very different people who come together to save the world from Loki. This film gives out positive messages about accepting the differences of others, caring for each other, and working together towards something good rather than fighting each other and getting nowhere. The 'team' spirit of the film is also very inspirational - getting across to young people good moral values such as friendship, responsibility and resilience. Audience involvement and the provocation of audience empathy for the characters are two of the most obvious signs of a successful superhero film. If the audience wants to the heroes to succeed in saving the world (or whatever it is that they are doing) then they have been successfully motivated by the film to invest in its world and the people they are watching. Developmental factors also seem to be related to some motives for purposeful viewing; Judith van Evra, for example, argues that children may be particularly likely to watch TV in search of information as they grow, hoping to explore their world and everything going on in it.
A second theory is the hypodermic needle theory, which suggests that the mass media has a huge and powerful influence on audiences, causing them to think in certain ways. It was first thought of in the 1920s and implies that the media 'injects' ideas and ways of thinking into passive individuals, who then all respond in the same way to whatever they are told - there is no individuality. In the past, examples of this have included an audio dramatisation of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds; when broadcast, many of those listening were actually fully convinced that martians were invading Earth - clearly showing the profound effect the media can sometimes have. This theory has long since been discredited, however, as it has a very limiting perspective on the responses audiences give to media. As such, it hardly applies to superhero films - as it is now clearer more than ever that what we are witnessing is fiction, and that nothing occurring on-screen is actually a representation of what is going on in real life. One superhero film that could, under this theory, potentially have an effect is Captain America: The First Avenger, purely because of the advanced fictional technologies it shows. If not educated on such manners, potentially people could believe that the treatments and medical science exhibited are actually being used on real people - thus the ideas could be 'injected' into the individuals.
Another audience theory which has been developed is the two-step flow theory, which refers to the active involvement of audiences in the communication process between the mass media and individuals. It says that we as humans are more influenced by each other than the mass media which we experience - hence the creators of 'opinion leaders' who direct our thoughts on specific topics after sharing their own opinions with us. This is therefore a 'two-step' process (hence the name): from the media to the opinion leaders, and from the opinion leaders to the individuals. In terms of the film industry, and in particular with regard to superhero films, this process refers to how a small group of individuals hear the plot of a film (e.g. if they heard the plot of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy 2) and then share what they have found out with their friends. Those friends then go on to tell their friends, and from there the process continues without end, with each person's group of friends learning from them what that person's friend has told them beforehand. Once the film is in the cinemas, this process begins anew; the original few people share their opinions on the film, which then prompts their friends to go and see it and afterwards share their opinions - and so on. The scope of the process is unlimited, as inevitably there will always be someone who has not already heard the information before. Because of this, often people's opinions on films can change over time; the 'flow' can reverse or change direction. This is particularly evident with regard to the recently-released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. Initially, it seemed to look like a huge disappointment from the clips and teasers which were released, but one seen in one full film in the cinemas, the reviews have actually been largely positive.
The final two theories that I am going to mention work quite well together. There is the encoding-decoding model devised by Stuart Hall, and the preferred readings theory. The encoding-decoding model, in its most basic form, is the concept that the producers of media texts 'encode' meanings and ideologies into them (the 'preferred readings' of the producer), and then the audiences and individuals 'decode' meanings from those texts - and not everyone takes the same meanings from the same text. This also means that many people do not take the preferred reading of the text as perhaps intended by the producers - they instead either modify or completely change the messages. So essentially: if people watch enough films and take messages from them, in many instances, the messages encoded into texts will be completely different to those decoded by audience members - leaving quite a huge gap between what the producers were trying to convey and what the audiences actually got from the text.
These two theories ultimately relate to how audiences 'read' texts - how they decode the information within them, and whether they follow the preferred reading, whether they adapt it, or whether they change it entirely. A rather humorous example of a film which can be taken in two very drastically different ways is Spiderman. On the one hand, it is the story of a mutated teenager who was bitten by a spider and suddenly transformed into a superhero. On the other... could it actually just be a metaphor for the drastic nature of puberty? Just have a think about that. Factors which help to contribute to these assumptions, both of this film and others in the genre, include the plotlines, sub-plots, music, acting quality and character expression.
How Can Audiences Be Involved With a Film After Its Release?
Finally, the last thing I would like to address is the ways in which audiences and individuals can respond to films after they have been released. The most obvious is the fandom experience which I have repeatedly referenced throughout. These huge groups of fans often come together online to create works (such as fanfiction and fanart on websites such as Fanfiction.net and DeviantART) that tie in with their favourite films, filling in any gaps in the plot and even creating new lines of thought that other fans can experience and enjoy. This is particularly relevant when considering 'shipping' - the act of wishing for two characters to be together in a friendship, a platonic romance or a full-on romance. Fanfictions and fanart pieces are often created with the intention of changing the film 'canon' to suit the liking of their creators better - such is seen for all superhero films, including Guardians of the Galaxy; the 'ship' of Peter Quill and Gamora is particularly prominent and popular, with hundreds of works appearing within the first week of the film's release.
Large-scale conventions are often held which film buffs attend - with the superhero geeks and nerds rising to huge prominence. Events such as the San Diego Comic Con, the London Film and Comic Con and MCM Comic Con all regularly involve 'cosplay' (costume play) and prompt thousands of superhero fans to dress up as their favourite heroes for the events. The gatherings can also be film-specific; the Star Wars film series, for example, has a huge following with thousands (if not tens of thousands) of fans coming together to celebrate. These conventions often host a wide array of events, including (if big enough) signings with cast members, talks and panels with the creators of the films, competitions and a merchandise store.
On a smaller scale (yet still on a huge scale) other concepts which I have previously mentioned are also applicable to the post-film release period. Social networking, for example, is a huge part of the ways in which fans can be active after the films have been released. Marvel and DC are continually updating their social feeds, as well, not only provoking new conversations between fans but also sustaining old ones, such as the discussion of 'plot holes' and open endings - and, more often than not, those awful cliffhangers that you just don't know what to do with. Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook (on the film's pages) are again the main sites used for this purpose, attracting thousands of people and involving a wide variety of people from all ages, sexual orientations and genders.
And last but not least, fans may invest in writing lengthy reviews of the superhero films, in buying merchandise if they enjoyed the films, and in searching for any online extras and add-ons to the films that they can enjoy. These three pastimes serve to fill in the void until the next film as well as the previous acts (if there is going to be a next film, which in most superhero universes there inevitably will be). Anyone is able to write a review and buy merchandise, and often fans can be seen walking the streets in t-shirts, hoodies and costumes related to their favourite shows or films. Even bags and backpacks can now be dedicated to films - maybe check those who are walking in front of you or around you sometime, and see what they're wearing or carrying!
This concludes my analysis, therefore, of the purposes of superhero films and how they are received and interpreted by audiences. I hope that this (rather lengthy) post has been enjoyable and useful, and that you may come back for more!
Until next time!
- This piece of writing is for Unit 26 of Edexcel level 3 BTEC Media (Film Studies).
- A bibliography of all of the sources and sites I have used to write this article can be found here.
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