T.A

Why is it important to consider the Target Audience?

When making a film, consideration of the target audience is essential. To know the main aimed target population for your film assists many elements of the production and distribution stages in the film industry. The knowledge of who will most commonly be seeing your product can help specify what content to include or how to advertise for example.

What is the Target Audience for the Horror/Thriller genre?

Research into Horror/Thriller audiences concludes that the most common audience member for most contemporary horror films is aged between 18 and the mid 20’s, stating that 48% of people who watch horror movies are between this age range.

Scientists have conducted a formula to prove why thrillers such as Psycho and the Blair Witch Project are so successful at scaring their audiences. Elements that audiences are fond of and look for in a horror movie, like elements of suspense, gore and being shocked to the extent of ‘jumping’, are used to measure how scary a film is.

 

SCARY MOVIE FORMULA (es+u+cs+t) +s+ (tl+f)/2 + (a+dr+fs)/n + sin x - 1. Where: es = escalating music u = the unknown cs = chase scenes t = sense of being trapped s = shock tl = true life f = fantasy a = character is alone dr = in the dark fs = film setting n = number of people sin = blood and guts 1 = stereotypes

The following quote answers the question, 'what makes a horror film scary?'

“Horror films take our deepest fears, those ideas and thoughts that are just so scary that we can’t contemplate them becoming real, and ask the question ‘what if?’. The fear of the unknown has to be the strongest human emotion and a good horror film can make us feel like we are experiencing our worst nightmare.”

What elements of a Romantic Comedy appeal to what kind of audience and why?

A romantic comedy is a story containing romance which is portrayed in an amusing and humorous way. Rom-Com’s, also commonly referred to as “chick-flicks” generally attract women ages between mid-late teens plus; emphasis on the CHICK flick. They attract women due to the romantic pursuit gained from the, frequently, good looking main characters and the happy ending brought among them at the end of the film.

 Provide a few examples of the target audiences of the films that influenced you.

Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Liz (Kate Ashfield) from Shaun of the Dead.

‘Shaun of the Dead’ is rated 15, this advises that the content of the film is only suitable for those aged 15 and over, due to strong language, scenes of a violent nature and perhaps the inclusion of sexual references. People below this age may enjoy the film however is not part of the targeted audience. ‘Shaun of the Dead’, including award winning actor, comedian and film producer Simon Pegg, may appeal to those who have seen and enjoyed his previous work, for example, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Run, Fatboy, Run’.