Media Term Thursday #11

Poster Art

Originated in France in the late 1800’s. Posters were a new, low cost method of advertising for theatrical productions and department store merchandise, and at the time attracted a lot of aspiring painters who needed to earn a living.

The huge popularity of posters meant great commercial success for the artists, widespread use across Europe and the US and before long they began to be exhibited in galleries.

The arrival of the movie theatre opened up the market for mass produced poster art.

Excerpt from Media Key Terms and Concepts

Media Term Thursday #2

Mass Audience

The concept of mass audience began in the early days of cinema, radio and television. It is the notion of something being communicated to an enormous number of people from all walks of live with diverse values, beliefs and attitudes and the impact or influence it has on them.

It is commonly acknowledged that the theory of mass audience is in decline, our lives are more media-rich (we have more choices) and we are increasingly interacting with media on a one-to-one basis.

Excerpt from Media Key Terms and Concepts