17 Film Trailers and Audience 1- U&G theory

• You will apply the Uses and Gratification theory to film trailers investigated in class.
• Key words: Blulmer and Katz 

The 1960’s was the time that the first generation grew up with access to television. 

It became increasingly apparent to media theorists that audiences actually made choices about what they did when they consumed texts. 

Rather than being passive mass, audiences were made up of individuals that actively consumed texts in different ways. 

In 1974 researchers Blulmer and Katz explained that individuals might choose and use a text for the following purposes (uses and gratifications):

• Diversion- escape from everyday problems and routines
• Personal Relationships- using the media for emotional and other interaction. For example substituting soap operas for family life
• Personal Identity- finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behavior and values from texts
• Surveillance- Information which could be useful for living. For example weather reports, financial news and holiday bargains

Task 1: List Uses and Gratification theory purposes as set out by Blulmer and Katz

This theory also helps media producers to target the audiences for texts, film trailers are a good example.

Here are those purposes explained:

Diversion, also referred to as escapism, involves the user consuming media in order to escape from the problems within their own lives. 

Media allows the user to focus on what they are watching/reading, instead of events that are personally affecting them. 

This could involve someone watching or reading an upbeat story or program to cheer them up, or watching/reading something miserable, and thinking ‘at least my life’s not that bad'. 

People can consume media for relaxation or entertainment purposes.

Personal relationships, users often consume media as a form of companionship, developing relationships with onscreen characters. Although one-sided, viewers can feel as if they are developing a relationship with these characters. 

Many often use what they have seen on television as a talking point, which helps to build relationships, and increase their sociability in the real world. Having a favorite program in common with a stranger can be the start of a relationship. Going to the cinema with someone is also a way of using the media to form a relationship.

Personal identity, is the ability to compare one’s own life with the life of an onscreen character. 

Viewers many feel close to a character that is in the same situation as them. They may learn how to deal or not to deal with this situation, by watching how the character deals with it. Alternatively, it might help the viewer come to terms with their own similar situation, and be able to express it. 

Viewers many also aspire to be like a certain character, which allows the viewer to set goals within their own lives. Likewise, the viewer can draw differences between themselves and onscreen characters, feeling as if they are above a certain character in order to define their own personality. 

Surveillance relates to the need to know what is going on around us. 

This leaves the viewer feeling safer due to the fact that they are aware of what is happening. 

The surveillance model is most often used in relation to the news. The news is often filled with stories of tragedy, after watching these stories the viewers are left feeling more secure about their own lives. 

Surveillance is gathering information such as the weather, the times of an event.

Task 2: 
Read the explanations above and watch the film trailer 'The Theory of Everything' (2014).
Apply the four purposes to viewers of the trailer.
Orange books, title: Uses and Gratifications -  'The Theory of Everything' (2014)

Year 10 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication