CONTENTSTheory 1: Uses and Gratifications Theory:

- Information

- Personal Identity

- Integration

- Entertainment

Theory 2: P-N-O Reading

- Preferred

- Negotiated

- Opposition

How they effect me and my film

THEORY 1: USES AND GRATIFICATIONSUses and Gratifications Theory was designed by Blulmer and Katz to explain how we (the user) use different forms of media.

They decided to place the reasons we watch into 4 categories:

- Information

- Personal Identity

- Integration

- Entertainment

One or more of these apply to anyone using media as that would be pointless as we would gain nothing from it.

USES AND GRATS: INFORMATIONInformation is using a film or TV Program to gain certain knowledge about the world or society. We would most likely use the

news or documentaries to for fill this as they are most likely to give you the information you needed as they are based around

true information. For example, If you wanted to know what it was like in Antarctica, you wouldn’t watch an action film based in

a certain country as it will not give you any information at all about it, where as a film such as March of The Penguins or a

documentary would.

USES AND GRATS: PERSONAL IDENTITYPersonal Identity is watching a film or TV Show to create models for how we as a person wish to act. Usually

this is gained from a soap or an action film and used to help decide how we feel about ourselves and if we

agree we feel better about ourselves as an individual. For example, if the main character succeeds at the end

of the film and we have done this, we ourselves will feel good for the character. As stated earlier, I think this

would mainly apply to action films or soap operas as they have the correct character types, compared to a

horror film which the characters are often scared which we don’t enjoy.

USES AND GRATS: INTEGRATIONIntegration is when we use the form of media to find out more information of the situation some people are in.

For example, watching a show or horror film may make us sympathise for the characters as they are in a

worse situation than us compared to an action film where the situation is always better than ours as difficult

situations are over-exaggerated in a comedy.

However, they may help us integrate with our friends in real life. For example, if they both watched it, they

could now start talking about what they enjoyed ect.

USES AND GRATS: ENTERTAINMENTEntertainment is using a certain piece of media for our own personal pleasure or simply relaxing. I believe

comedy would suit this use best as it is easier to relax in funnier situations compared to an action which is

always tense.

THEORY 2: PREFERRED, NEGOTIATED OR OPPOSITION READING

Stuart Hall believed that there was 3 ways of responding to a text:

- Preferred Reading

- Negotiated Reading

- Opposition Reading

Each of these responses are a way of agreeing or disagreeing to any text you see. However, there is no

correct meaning to any text, just the meaning that the director intended you to see.

P-N-O READING: PREFERREDPreferred reading is accepting how the company wanted you to read a certain media text. For example if you

saw a TV Advert for a new car, you may agree that the car is nice. This means you have understood the

meaning that the director intended and the advert has work as he intended too.

P-N-O READING: NEGOTIATEDNegotiated reading is trying to compromise the meaning of the text that the director intended but has his own

opinion on the matter that they agree with. For example they might see an Audi car advert on the TV and not

like the Audi, but they may like a different car such as a Chevrolet. This means that this uses has not

understood the text as the director intended him too but he has recognised the advert.

P-N-O READING: OPPOSITIONOpposition reading is completely disagreeing with what the director intended the user to understand. For

example if someone saw an Audi advert on TV, they would completely disagree with what the advert was

saying as they might not like Audis. This is completely against what the director intended as he would not want

someone to dislike the car in the advert.

HOW THESE AFFECT MY FILMI would have to make sure that the audience would preferred read or negotiated read my text as I don’t want

people to completely reject the meaning of the text as this would possibly confuse them later in the film if the

plotline changes. I would also want them to possibly use the text for personal identity and entertainment as

this would mean that the audience may grow a strong connection with the characters and watch future films

and recommend it to friends.