Applying media theories to my media piece...

Uses And Gratifications Theory:

The 'Uses and Gratifications' model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences. This model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmes we do, why we read newspapers and why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to do date with our favourite shows.

Blumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended) consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivated choices.

The underlying idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire to fulfil, or gratify certain needs. So rather than asking how the media uses us, the model asks how we use the media.

The model is broken down into four different needs:

-Surveillance

The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them.

The surveillance model is all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security.

-Personal Identity

The personal identity need explains how being a subject of the media allows us to reaffirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society.

The use of the media for forming personal identity can be seen in music videos/films. Pop stars can often become big role models, inspiring young children everywhere (which is why there's such an outcry when one of them does something wrong). 

-Personal Relationships

We can form a relationship with the media, and also use the media to form a relationship with others.

Many people use the television as a form of companionship. This may seem sad, but think about how many times you've watched the TV on your own, or with other people but sitting in silence. The television is often quite an intimate experience, and by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we even know them. When presenters or characters in a soap die, those who have watched that person a lot often grieve for the character, as if they have lost a friend. 

-Diversion

The diversion need describes what's commonly termed as escapism - watching the television so we can forget about our own lives and problems for a while and think about something else.

We watch music videos to take our mind of our every day lives, we want to distract our self from the problems we are experiencing. We want to see that people experience the same feelings as we do and want to forget about our own problems and focus on some one else's.

How this applies to my product:

The need of surveillance isn't necessarily applicable to my product as it is a fictional story. However in regards to personal identity, there are some ways in which certain audiences will be able to relate to the protagonist, as he is portrayed as a working class individual, and is seen to be walking around the city, through city streets, alleyways and urban settings. Comparing to that of the recent Arctic Monkeys video 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High', in which the main character is presented as a very working class character, which reflects the music that they and I intend to appeal to. The personal relationships aspect can also be considered as applicable to my video, as the protagonist is shown taking a journey, which the audience will see, and take an interest in how it unfolds, as well as how it ends. As my video is fictional, it provides a narrative that is considered extremely rare within normal societal life, providing escapism for the reader, as this is a story that they aren't likely to experience. Using the conventional attributes of this genre in my video helps develop an iconic representation that will appeal to my target audience.
Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites
Strauss believed that we understand words, not solely based on their meaning they directly contain, but of our understanding of the opposites they reflect, hence 'binary opposites. 
Our understanding of the word ‘Hero’ depends of our understanding of the word ‘villain’.Within the media world binary opposites are used on a frequent basis.They are usually the basis of our understanding of a story as it is a conventional narrative and enables an equilibrium.Binary opposites are used in films to help plots, they are also used in music videos as part of a narrative to reinforce song lyrics.
Levi Strauss’ theory links heavily with our ideological values of how we feel we should ‘perceive’ the world. E.g. what is an ideological view of a mother?This links strongly to the ideology of protagonists and antagonists, as they are direct opposites in story line narratives. 
This theory enables us to have an understanding of a narrative before it has even begunRepresentations  re-present them self to an audience to assure understanding, meaning and recognition from a text is understood.
Having opposites within a text enables climax and interest.This applies to my piece as i have used the typical convention of a antagonist and protagonist, giving the audience a conventional aspect of narrative to cling on to.