Research into target audiences:

Research into target audiences:

In marketing and advertising, a target audience, is a specific group of people within the target market at which the marketing message is aimed at (Kothler 2001). For example, if a company sells new diet programs for men with heart disease problems (target market) the communication will be aimed at the spouse (target audience) who takes care of the nutrition plan of her husband.
A target audience can be people of a certain age group, gender, marital status, etc. (ex: teenagers, females, single people, etc.) A certain combination, like men from twenty to thirty is often a target audience. Other groups, although not the main focus, may also be interested. Discovering the appropriate target market(s)and determining the target audience is one of the most important activities in marketing management (Niewenhuizen et al. 2000). The biggest mistake entrepreneurs are making is trying to reach everybody and ending up appealing to no-one.

There were 164 million visits to UK cinemas in 2008. This was 1.1 per cent more than in 2007, but 6.7 per cent less than 176 million visits in 2002, the most recent peak in cinema admissions. There was no difference in the proportion of men and women going to the cinema at least once a year but 20 per cent of males, aged seven and over, went to the cinema at least once a month compared with 17 per cent of females.

This graph shows that people between the ages of 15 - 24 go to the cinema the most. If we plan to use these people as the target audience, we will then gain more attention of younger people in the UK.

Film Certificates

Film certificates are used to stop certain age groups from being exposed to certain scenes that they feel are unacceptable to be seen by them. These certificates are given by the British Broadcast of Film Classification (BBFC), who are an independent company who regulate all films and video games released in the UK. 

 U

U stands for Universal films, which is suitable for all ages (mainly 4 and over to understand the plot) this means that they restrict any violence, substance abuse, language and threat which could offend that child. The films also follow a theme of positive moral values, e.g. educations, being polite etc. 

PG

This stand for Parental Guidance which allows general viewing however, there may be some scenes which are unsuitable for young children. Parents are advised to view the film before allowing their children to watch it. 

12

Recommended for 12 years and older. Nobody younger than 12 may rent or buy a '12' rated video. (Until 31 August 2002, this mandatory certificate used to apply to cinema exhibitions as well).

12A

Recommended for 12 years and older, people under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Exclusively for cinema, '12A' was first implemented on The Bourne Identity and, contrary to popular belief, not on Spider-Man, which was first released months before, under the previously fully restrictive 12 certificate, and then immediately re-released to take advantage of the new guidelines).

15

Suitable only for 15 years and older. Nobody younger than 15 may see a '15' film in a cinema. Nobody younger than 15 may rent or buy a '15' rated video (these films may contain offensive or emotionally harrowing scenes or strong language and violence).

18

Suitable only for adults. Nobody younger than 18 may see an '18' film in a cinema. Nobody younger than 18 may rent or buy an '18' rated video (These films may contain extreme gore/violence and/or sexually explicit content).

R18 - Restricted

To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults that are older than 18 years old. (These films contain sexually explicit, pornographic content.)

Fatal Attraction Research

Title: Fatal attraction

Director: Adrian Lyne

Date: 1987

Main characters: Michael Douglas & Glen Close

Summary: A married man's one night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.

This film is also a psychological thriller, similar to the film that we would like to do

Opening: Approx. 10 seconds, very slow left to right pan across city sky line.  Establishing setting sky was a red dusky colour rather than day or night indication divisions/boundaries. Also indicates that the ‘city’ may be very important in the rest of the film if we consider the connotations of power attached to the backdrop of the city and tall buildings (sky scrapers) can be seen as representative of phallic symbols, which greatly relates back to the film.

Research into the Shining

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Writers: Stephen King (novel), Stanley Kubrick (screenplay)

Diane Johnson (screenplay)

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

This film is a psychological thriller, which is similar to the type of film our group wants to film. 

The film starts with the opening credits:

·This includes creepy music and shows an Ariel view of a car driving through the mountain tops

· As the names come up it shows that something is different since it is scrolling upwards, compared to the typical of names scrolling downwards.

· The music sounds like people screaming, it shows the audience what type of film they are about to watch.

The next part shows an Interview

· The words ‘the interview’ comes up

·  It shows the main character at a hotel saying his name.

·  It then cuts to the house about the little boy a bit unhappy about going to the hotel.

·  Cuts back to the interview with a mid shot of each person talking at the interview.

·  Fades back to the house.

·  Creepy music starts and shows the boy at the sink talking to ‘Tony’ his finger and already knew that he got the job, this shows that the boy is unusual, the music makes the audience feel uncomfortable

·  Dad calls home saying that he won’t make it home by 9 or 10

·  It shows a close up of the boy as he is talking to his imaginary friend, which shows that something is strange as people don’t usually talk to their finger.

·  It then shows the boy see the future; it shows blood coming from a door and two creepy girls and him screaming.

·  Then cuts to the boy in the bed as he doesn’t remember what has happened.

·  Shows a conversation between the wife and the other women who spoke to the boy.  Using close shots, and over the shoulder shots.

This is pretty much the end of the intro, and it goes to the next scene

AS Coursework Brief

Our coursework is to create a short thriller film opening. The maximum amount of time the film opening should be is two minutes and we are able to work in groups of up to four. The coursework is worth 60 marks.

• 20 marks rewarded for research/planning
• 20 marks rewarded for the final piece
• 20 marks rewarded for evaluation

Preliminary Task