Who would be the audience for your media product?

Demographics

The demographics we had to consider were:

• Gender
• Race/Ethnicity
• Social Class
• Interests/Lifestyle
• Social Group
• Sexuality
• Location
• Profession

Demographics

Demographics are used in media marketing to classify an audience into age, gender, race and other categories. They are broken into bands depending on jobs and status:

Our opening is aimed at the 'E' Demographic in the table - this is because they will be looking for a cheap thrill as the majority of horrors are young (16-25).

Our product is also aimed at a mass audience due to the existing reputation that there is with Lionsgate and also because a young audience will be attracted to a new upcoming horror that is of their liking - inherited audience from The Blair Witch

Age

The common age for a person watching a horror film is roughly 15-25.

At this stage of a young adults life, they will be wanting to try and experiment - meaning that they may be looking for a thrill because of this. They want to get all the thrill that is available. This is why we aimed, our film opening in particular, at this age range as our film would give them this thrill and excite a young audience much easier than an older one. A younger audience are less likely to be put off by violence or unnatural images of which an older audience may - which may make them feel negative toward the film.

Gender

Males are more likely to watch these types of films than females - this is due to the steretypical thrill seeker perception there is of males as opposed to females. Additionally, violence is also a convention that is enjoyed by as males are stereotypically portrayed to seek the thrill of violence. Therefore, this is why we thought horrors, ours in particular, would attract males as they seek this thrill.

Class

Horrors are usually aimed at the working class community due to the level of thrill and excitement which is gained from a film with a relatively cheap price. If someone from a higher class watched a horror  - they usually include a subgenre such as romance which is because of the higher satisfaction individuals seek when watching a film.

Profession

The profession we were fond with was students/workers/part-time workers. For us, this was very perfect and helpful because the cheap thrill and relatively low priced ticket would appeal to them and they would be attracted to it, due to the efficiency it holds to them. Also, if it happened to be expensive and strict on what they exhibited to the audience - then that would dissatisfy them and they would be disappointed with this. 

Interests

Generally, horror films targets themes of blood and violence. We thought that individuals interested in the supernatural and the unexplained would be intrigued by this - which would make them more eager to watch. They may also be aimed at individuals that enjoy a sense of mystery and illusion, as many horror films withhold information from the audience. 

Moreover, the films might be aimed at groups, as well as individuals e.g: horror films aimed at groups of teenagers as a social event almost to watch and for it to memorable together.

We thought that this was satisfying in terms of a demographic as it makes it relatable for the audience in terms of what they already are interested in. Groups of teenagers are also attracted to these types of films as it gives them something to talk about - reinforcing the 'social event' point. 

Psychographics

Psychographics divide the market into groups based on socia class, lifestyle, personality, and characteristics. It is based upon the assumption that the types of things an individual purchases, will reflect that persons characteristics and way of living.

Our opening is aimed at Mainstreamers (want to be domestic and follow what is popular), 

Explorers (to discover and seek an experience),

and 

Strugglers (to seek an escape and as they are a lower demographic). In common, this is because they will be looking for a cheap escape and new experience.

BBFC

The BBFC is a way in which they classify movies in what is suitable for different audiences.

In our film, it would be suitable to give it a '15' rating. This is due to the fact that as it is a supernatural film, it is only fair to limit the audience to 15 and over as it may be too real for younger audiences as they are still maturing and trying to find their ways.

If it was a '12' rating we wouldn't be allowed to show explicitly what the antagonist is and furthermore, why it's there, if it was a '12A', we could show more things of the supernatural nature but not so much that it would be of '15' standard.