Media Theory Integration

For this blog post, I’m focusing on the Uses and Gratifications Theory and how it connects to my project. This theory is based on the idea that audiences choose what media they consume based on what they want to get out of it, rather than just watching something passively.

A big reason people watch action-comedy films is for entertainment. Audiences want something fast, funny, and easy to follow. This fits my project well, since the opening is meant to be chaotic and exaggerated instead of serious or realistic. This means that people will watch my film (hypothetically) to get entertainment out of it, as it's an intro that is meant to be taken at face value with not much deeper meaning. This is perfect for audiences who are looking for a quick laugh and a break from serious movies.

The two main characters play a big role in this. In films like 21 Jump Street, the audience gets enjoyment from watching two characters repeatedly mess things up in situations that are supposed to be serious. Their mistakes and reactions are what make the scene entertaining. In my project, the undercover agents are hilariously bad at their job, and that incompetence is meant to be the main source of enjoyment, especially as they were hyped up to be on level with the best of the best.

Another great example of a film that uses this theory and is similiar to my project is Rush Hour

Rush Hour is a good example of Uses and Gratifications Theory in action. Again, the film centers around the chemistry between its two main characters. The 2 characters constantly bicker and misunderstand each other which is obviously not good for solving a serious crime like they were tasked to do. Although this also creates a sort of mystery that captivates the audience, making them wonder how these 2 characters will get over their differences and come together to actually solve the crime. Just like 21 jump street, a lot of the enjoyment comes from watching these guys fail, argue, and accidentally make situations worse. This movie I feel along with 21 jump street are huge inspirations and great examples of movies that use this media theory very well, as both movies involve real crime and danger, but audiences watch them mostly for the comedy aspect.

Another part of Uses and Gratifications Theory is personal identity. Even though the characters are exaggerated, audiences can still relate to them in small ways, like feeling unprepared or relying on someone else when things go wrong. This makes the characters more likable, even when they clearly don’t know what they’re doing.

Overall, my film is meant to satisfy audience's wants of a humuours, comedy centered movie with mostly eveything being face value with no deeper hidden meaning or confusing plot. This theory is definitely an easy one to implement into my film, but fits well and is not too complicated. The film will be advertised as comedy-action, and the audience will get exactly what they clicked for.