Date

4-18-2025

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Master of Arts in Professional Communication (MA)

Chair

Marie Mallory

Keywords

movies, encoding, decoding, reception theory, interpretations, personal beliefs

Disciplines

Communication

Abstract

The purpose of this study, “All Movies Have Messages: A Qualitative Research Study on How People Interpret Messages in Movies,” was to analyze the relationship between an individual’s personal, political, or religious views and the way that individual interprets messages and agendas in film. Using Stuart Hall’s model of encoding and decoding, the researcher discovered how an individual’s personal beliefs affected the way a person interprets messages in movies. Focus groups and a survey were used to collect data. This study served to fill the gap in literature available on Hall’s model and reception theory. Most research conducted has not been contemporary, uses quantitative methods, or is difficult to find. The findings of the study sought to establish reception theory as a viable way to understand the producer-viewer relationship in film.

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