2. DEFINITION
The Uses and Gratification Theory,
proposed by Blumler & Katz 1974, is
an approach that looks at the effect
people have on the media and how
certain media satisfy an audience’s needs. Audiences take an active role in
the final decision of media produced therefore the Uses and
Gratification Theory has been extended to prove that a consumer has
multiple choices to satisfy their needs.
3. MEDIA USES
The Uses and Gratification Theory is divided into four main
categories:
Information
Personal identity
Entertainment
Integration and social interaction
4. INFORMATION
Audience look for relevant information and events which they can incorporate
in their daily lives. They take this information to receive advice, learn lessons,
challenge their curiosity, help make choices and to gain knowledge.
Our production will provide our audience information on the struggles people
face financially due to the payment for treatments.
Our production also provides insight on what its like to be a teenager with an
illness and how they cope with it since this is a personal account of what its like.
5. PERSONAL IDENTITY
Identity relates to the fact that people in an audience are able to recognise or relate to a character.
In our production we have three main characters our audience can familiarise themselves with. The first character people
can relate to is Claire as she is the main protagonist with cancer. People can relate to her whether they have cancer or they
know a close friend who has. She can be seen as an inspirational character as she continues to keep a brave face even though
she knows what is yet to come, therefore she can be seen as a role model for people who are currently in her shoes.
The next character people can relate to is Claire’s mother, Helen, because she represents how adults and parents have to
cope with tough situations such as Claire’s. She is a strong character who stays by her daughter, therefore she might be
considered as an inspiration for parents, mothers and single parents as she singlehandedly raises Claire and still has to balance
her own personal life with her daughters needs.
The last character’s our audience can relate to are Claire’s closest friends as the represent typical teenagers, however they
are also show that companionship and friendship is important to have in situations like these. Our audience will be able to
identify with them if they have been in a similar situation whether it be a friend with cancer or even a family relative.
6. ENTERTAINMENT
An audience would watch a film for a feeling of enjoyment or perhaps
escapism to try and escape their personal problems or worries.
Our production offers a sense of escapism as it is a journey through
the eyes of a person with cancer, which some people might not have
personal experience with. By focusing on our character’s life, our audience
has escaped from their reality and they have put themselves in someone
else’s form of reality.
7. INTEGRATION AND SOCIAL
INTEGRATION
Social integration relates to the ability of a product to create conversations between
people.
Since our target audience ranges from 12 – 30 we have created a situation in which
people of different age groups can socialise and interact with each other to discuss our
short film. Having people in our production with ranging ages also helps as it enables
people of different age groups to relate to certain characters. This gives our audience the
ability to have conversations about relatable characters with people of their age and, with
the use of word of mouth, they would recommend the film to their peers, friends and
family members.
