Richard Dyer Theory - Representation

Representation theorist, Richard Dyer, studied representation in the media generally and looked at how media texts represent themselves to society and an audience. He studied closely the ideological and historical significance of film stars and media in general.

"How we are seen determines how we are treated, how we treat others is based on how we see them. How we see them comes from representation."

When studying representations Dyer created a set of questions that are considered during the study process, these included:
- What sense of the world is it making?
- What does it imply? Is it typical of the world or deviant (unusual/different)?
- Who is it speaking to? For Whom? To Whom?
- What does it represent to us and why? How do we respond to the representation?

Representation enables us to understand a media text, allowing us to be albe to categorise the ideology of the text to give us meaning. A text would be meaningless without representation as they would give no messages to the audience. Also texts would not be able to translate a narrative to an audience as there is no denotation.

A news report found on the voice-online confirms Dyers theory discussing:

The representations in my music video are perceived through the use of my shots in relation to the music lyrics being heard at the time of the shots being shown. Throughout my music video there will be lights seen in the shots that represent the stereotypical idea of transportation through teleport. As this sense of travel is not physically possible it can only be represented and without the representation the video would not be as effective. Also representations are shown through the silhouette shot of female curves to show how the artist "wants her body" along with a shot were the female character waves her hair as long hair is known to clear represent a female.