Uses and Gratification Theory proposes that individuals actively select media to fulfill personal needs and preferences. Elihu Katz introduced the theory in 1974, finding that people use media to their advantage based on individual purposes. The document then discusses several gratifications or benefits people may seek from media, including surveillance or safety, escapism from problems, personal identity or comparison to characters, personal relationships through shared experiences, recognition of genres, being informed, social interaction, entertainment, and filling time.

1. Uses and Gratification Theory

2. What is Uses and Gratification Theory?
Uses and Gratification theory is used as an approach to understand
why people use particular media and what they get out of it based
on their personal preferences.
Elihu Katz introduced the Uses and Gratification theory, when he
discovered that majority of people use media to their advantage.
When Katz expanded the theory which he then published in
1974, he stated that individuals choose to use different texts for
different purposes.

3. Surveillance
Surveillance is about individuals feeling more safe when they
know about different things going on around them. The
audience also get reassurance when they watch a horror film as
they know it is not real and they are not personally in danger.
If an individual watches a horror film and
someone gets kidnap they feel more reassured as it is not
happening to them.

4. Escapism
Escapism allows individuals to escape their
personal life and forget about their problems
whilst watching the film. The individual could
watch a comedy due to feeling depressed as a
method to feel better about themselves. This
method also used by individuals for relaxation,
is for example, unwinding after a stressful week at
work.

5. Personal Identity
Personal identity is when the viewer compares their
life with the life of a character within the film.
Individuals who have similar lives to a character
begin to feel close with the character as they
can relate well to them. On the other hand, viewers
can compare their lives to a character in the film
and find many differencesbetween the two
personalities. This leaves the viewer thinking about
these differences.

6. Personal Relationships
Cinemas and Television are types of media that
can create a connection between people as they
have watched something together and witnessed
the same things, therefore, giving them something
to discuss. They could watch a scene of somebody
being killed and as a result of this they would be
able to feel the same terrifying emotion.

7. Recognition
Viewers can recognise the genre of a film due to familiar conventions
and character types. The typical conventions which we will be using will
be extreme close ups as this will portray the emotions felt by the actor,
this will be so the genre of the film is clear to the audience. We will also
be using low key lighting throughout our opening sequence as this will
help to set the scene. Another typical convention which we will be using will
be using a female as the victim in order to portray representation of
gender. However, we will also be trying to incorporate other conventions
which are not as common such as use of hand-held camera to make the
audience get a sense of realism. Another uncommon convention which we will
be trying to use, is a twist. We will also be using a vulnerable looking girl as
our protagonist as in a variety of different genre films, females are represented
as being weak and inferior.

8. Information in our film
Satisfying curiosity and general interest
The viewer will begin to feel curious about what will
happen next and how the main character, Zoe will be
affected.

9. Integration and Social Interaction in
our film
Gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
The audience of our film begin to feel scared and nervous for
Zoe
as they fear for her safety.
Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
After watching the film the audience can form interactions with
each other by discussing the film and how it personally made
them feel.

10. Entertainment in our film
Escaping, or being diverted, from problems
By watching our film the audience will be able to forget about their
own personal problems and escape from their personal lives.
Relaxing
By watching our film certain audience members will gain pleasure if
they find films entertaining and relaxing to watch.
Filling Time
Many people who watch our film could use it to fill spare time which
they have in their lives. This will provide entertainment whilst they
relax.
Emotional Release
Many of our viewers will feel emotion for our actress, Zoe as in the
film
her vulnerability is taken advantage of.

11. What will the audience get out of our
opening sequence?
From our opening sequence we want our
viewers to be entertained and intrigued into
watching the rest of the film and left on the
edge wondering what is else to come. We will
do
this by using typical codes and conventions of a
horror film.