1. genre of film are you most likely to watch when going to a cinema?
- Horror
- Comedy
- Action
- Romance
- Adventure
- Musical
2. What motivates you the most to go and watch a film?
- Trailer
- Actors
- Director
- Word of mouth
- Reviews
3. How long do you expect a trailer to last?
- Under 30 seconds
- 30 – 1min
- 1 – 2 min
- Over 2mins
4. In a trailer, which of the following should be the main aspect?
- Storyline
- Background music
- Actors
- All
- Other
5. How much of the storyline do you think should be given away in a trailer?
- All
- Most
- Little
After asking 20 girls and boys all aged 16 - 20 the above questions, i got the following results.
The Hypodermic Needle Theory
The hypodermic needle theory was introduced during the 1920’s and implied that mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on their audiences. It suggests that audiences submissively receive the information transmitted by media texts, without any attempt on their part to process or challenge the data.
In other words it suggests that, as an audience, we are manipulated by the creators of media texts, and that our behaviour and thinking might be easily influenced or changed by media-makers. This theory is still used today to explain why certain groups in society should not be exposed to certain media texts for fear that they will then act them out the behaviour they view themselves. This explains the age restrictions on films, especially of the horror genre. As we are producing a horror trailer, we therefore have to take into consideration the content we use in our trailer, ensuring it is not too violent or brutal.
The Uses and Gratifications Theory
The uses and gratification theory is a theory of mass communication which places the needs, motives and gratifications of the media users in the centre of interest and sees media users as playing an active role in the media consumption process.
It was first introduced in 1948 by Lasswell who suggested that media texts had the following functions for individuals and society: However in 1974, researchers Blulmer and Katz expanded this theory and published their own, stating that individuals might choose and use a text for the following purposes (ie uses and gratifications):
Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine
Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, eg) substituting soap operas for family life
Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts
Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living eg) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains
