Nayani Vijayaratnam

Uses and Gratification Theory

Blumler and Katz came up with
this theory, suggesting that
people who use media play an
active part in selecting the
variety of media they use to
meet their needs. The theory
trusts and relies on the fact that
consumers know which media
they consume and the reason to why they deliberately do so.
These are the following reasons as to why audiences use media:
Knowledge and Information- People crave knowledge from the
media they use, whether that is a social perspective or common
information.
Entertainment and Recreation- Media allows people to relax and
take a break from their lives as it provides an escape. They could
use media, which they enjoy as a means of entertainment.
Social Interactions- Information regarding social interactions and
other individuals. For example social networking platforms such as
Twitter and Instagram may contain information regarding social
events taking place.
Escapism- individuals may use media and social networking sites as
a form of escape from reality and their own lives. This can occur in
the form of many different types of media from reading magazines
to creating a new identity through blogs or social media accounts
such as Tumblr.
Personal Identity- People may wish o relate to the desirable
characteristics of people in media, applying this to real life in order
to better themselves as an individual.
Uses and gratification theory applied to our short film.
Personal Identity: During our short film, our protagonist, Tanya, is
reflecting on her troubled past, when as an individual she was very
difficult to talk to and may not have built the best bonds with those
around her. As the narrative unfolds, the audience witness how
much Tanya has matured and learnt from her mistakes. The
audience may want to copy these characteristics such as being
grateful/appreciative and responsible to help themselves in
situations or within relationships.

Nayani Vijayaratnam
Escapism: In our short film people may put themselves or
compare themselves to Tanya, to speculate about how they
would feel or act if they were in the same situation. This may also
make our audience members rethink their relationship with their
mothers.
Social Interaction: Our target audience is wide and therefore would
incorporate families, making our production one that is most likely
to be watched as a group of people rather than as individuals. This
may help encourage conversations about the short film afterwards,
about what it would feel like to lose someone and what they might
do if they were in Tanyas positions. Also as the character in our
production is a young adult, it makes her role more relatable to as
the audience may feel like they are able to connect with her
character, as they will empathize for her. This may encourage
audiences to recommend our short film to their friends and family.