Conor Daly

U0ses and Gratification Theory

This theory was created by two people. Their names are Blumer and Katz. They suggest that everyone who uses the media choose to watch and/or use a certain type of media to meet their needs. The theory implies on that people know which media they watch/use and they do so for a purpose.

Media:

Media can be anything. From watching a movie to reading a magazine or even uses a phone and using instant messaging or the internet. These are all different types of media they everybody uses in our daily lives.

Four main reasons of why people use the media:

Knowledge/Information - People seek information from the media and they can use it for just general information

Relaxation/Entertainment - People can use the media to just relax and take a little time off from what they was doing and want to be entertained by some sort of media.

Social Interaction - People want to find/seek information and knowledge about their friends, family. So people may use the many different types of social networking out there such as, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and these places may provide information that they are looking for.

Escapism - People may want to use the media to get away from their own lives for a while and again use one of the reasons above to distract them and meet their needs of using the media.

Personal Identity - People may watch films or some sort of media to gain an insight into some people or someone’s individual life and by doing this they can find role models.

Filling Time – Some people may just want to have entertainment from media so that it does just pass the time which does also link into entertainment and relaxation.

The Uses and Gratification in our Action Film

Personal Identity – People may watch our film so that they gain understand and feel how one might act in a situation like this and understands someone’s life and why they choose these options. Also some parts of the film may show certain characteristic of the characters depending on how the viewer sees’s it. For example our film is about a gang heist. So for example in the movie someone may see something that they do not like and will want to make sure they do not get put in that situation like someone else did. However they may also see it as bravery and have courage. These are also great qualities to have and the viewer may take inspiration.

Conor Daly

Relaxation/Entertainment/Escapism – In the action genre many people put themselves as if they were in the position of the characters to escape from their own lives for a while and understand how they feel/react compare to how they do. For example hardly anyone has ever been in a heist so people may want to put themselves in the position of a heist gang member and understand how they live their lives compare to how they do in real life. By them doing this they after forgetting about the problems they have and understanding what problems the characters have which leads them away from their problems which is escapism. Also people may just watch or put themselves in the position of the characters just for the sole purpose of entertainment.

Filling Time – Some people may just watch our film for the fact of entertainment and relaxation, however whilst watching they know it just passing the time which could also be helpful towards the viewer instead of just sitting there doing nothing and waiting.