In what ways would knowledge of demographics and
your target audience help you or a filmmaker plan,
produce and promote a media product?
By Katie Barnes
Knowledge of demographics and your target audience play a
major role in helping you or a filmmaker plan, produce and
promote a media product. This is portrayed in many media
products that have come from films. It is very important as a
filmmaker to attract your target audience’s attention.
Through the use of colour, pictures, actors etc this becomes
very easy to do.
Furthermore, I have decided to look in depth at the film
‘Angus, Thongs and perfect snogging’, I believe that this film
is a prime example of how the filmmaker has attracted the
target audience’s attention. The film originated from a book,
which was the topic of talk for many teenage girls. From this,
a clever filmmaker ‘Gurinder Chadha’ picked up on the fact
that it would be a hit for young teenage girls if created into a
film. Chadha used various different techniques to appeal to
the target audience of young teenage girls. This filmmaker is
also known for the film ‘Bend it like Beckham’. There seems
to be a pattern in the way that all of these films involves a
guy that girls are longing for.
The books were American so although the books are
American based, Chadha created a film that British
teenagers can relate to and made it in her own way. Clearly
aware of what teenage girls can understand and the
‘troubles’ they go through. This was taken advantage of and
turned into an amazing masterpiece that is a prime example
of British teenage girls. The film made £929,246 in its UK
opening weekend. This figure isn’t exactly large but I could
bet on the fact that the majority of the people that went to
see it were teenage females. Angus, Thongs and Perfect
Snogging. (n.d.). Retrieved January 9, 2015, from
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963743/
Moreover, the movie poster is a typical teenage girl who
seems to be mediating with a load of crazy scenes that are
going on in her life above her. The things above her are
major things that could affect teenage girls from all over the
world, this then gives the target audience young teenage
girls something to relate to. The movie poster also includes a
lot of simple vibrant colours, you do not see any dark
gloomy tones. This is an interpretation that young teenage
girls are into vibrant shades. On the movie poster, you will
see the main characters three best friends staring lovingly at
a young guy who would be seen as being ‘attractive’ by most
young teenage girls. This attracts the target audience in the
way that females will want to watch the film if they see that
a ‘hot’ guy that appeals to their age range is in it. In a sense,
it’s sort of like and ‘eye candy’ for them.
Commonly, films that are aimed at teenage girls will have a
variety of similar things within the media product that is
being promoted. Some of these things include: A group of
girls that relate to the ‘stereotypical group of teenage girls’
so that the target audience can relate to it in a sense. This
group of girls always seems to be the protagonist of the film
and there’s always a ‘nasty’ group of girls to be the
antagonist. There is usually a boy stuck in the middle of the
groups and it’s like a war as to who will get him.
This brings me to comparing the film to ‘Mean girls’; this film
is also known as a film that is targeted at young teenage
girls. However, this film is a little different in the sense that
the main character is the protagonist but also the antagonist.
The similarities include: a rival group of girls, a boy stuck in
the middle, the movie poster is full of bright and vibrant
colours that appeal to the female demographic. These films
are widely known, as being ‘chick flicks’ and it is unusual to
find a boy that enjoys them. This means that the filmmakers
of this genre of films have done a very good job at targeting
the films at the young teenage girl demographic.
In 2013, people under the age of 18
and 50
59 year olds attended
more movies than in
2012, - (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://www.mpaa.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/03/MPAA-Theatrical-MarketStatistics-2013_032514-v2.pdf
This statistic proves that the number of people under the
age of 18 going to see films is increasing; this is due to the
growing number of films aimed at that target demographic.
There are a growing number of ‘chick flicks’ within the film
industry that appeal to the young female audience. The
subject of these films normally includes something to do
with love, rivalry or day in day out ‘girl problems’.
On a different note, it is a stereotypical opinion that young
teenage boys are interested in the action genre. In my point
of view, I would have to agree with this statement, as a
seventeen year old female I absolutely detest having to
watch an action film. However, I’m sure there are many
females around my age group that enjoy a good action film.
But, let’s be honest it’s aimed at teenage boys rather than
girls and a few choices that the filmmaker has chosen
portrays this.
On an action film poster it is very unusual to see big bright
colours like pink isn’t it? That’s because the filmmaker is
trying to target a male audience with the ‘explosion’ type of
shades and very ‘manly’ tones. Colours in a film poster are a
very important part of attracting a certain type of
demographic into watching a film. Also, in action film
trailers you won’t see all of the ‘lovey dovey’ things you see
in chick flick trailers do you? You see explosions, fighting,
rivalry(I would say that this is the only similar thing) and
much more. In action films you will usually see a female
playing a lesser role to the male, the male is usually shown
as the protagonist and normally has to rescue the female.
Not in all films of course but this is just the stereotypical
thing! In films aimed at young teenage girls you will see a
female take on the main role and be very outspoken. In
action films, this rarely happens and the female is seen as
vulnerable.
If you look at certain film posters for action films you will
always notice the way a woman is positioned in the poster,
as if to say that she is lesser to the man and I believe that this
attracts a young teenage male audience. The female is also
commonly seen wearing a nice outfit, very pretty and very
vulnerable. This is typically what teenage boys want to see
in an action film and this draws them in to watch it. When I
say nice outfit this usually means next to nothing, not an
outfit, basically no clothes.
For example: In the film poster of ‘Taken’, you see the main
character played by Liam Neeson very clearly bold and
manly at the front. He has a gun in his hand and he looks like
he is ready for a fight. Next to him, there’s an attractive
female that seems to be laying on the floor on the phone
probably asking for help. This backs up my conclusion
above, of course not all action films are the same but this in
my opinion is the typical layout of producing an action film
for the young teenage male audience. The colours in the
movie poster include: black red and white. Very male
dominant tones and what do these shades represent? I
would say that red represents blood, black represents death
and white represents action. This explains what the movie is
going to be about and what target audience the film is
targeted at. I mean, a young female girl isn’t likely to look at
this poster and want to watch it now is she? I may be wrong
but filmmakers generally go on the stereotypical views of
what their target audience wants to see.
In addition, filmmakers know that most young teenage girls
dreams is getting a boyfriend and that’s the priority.
However, with films breaking through such as ‘The Hunger
Games’ where we see a main female character that is very
powerful in the role. We can see that films are changing and
that females are becoming more important within the films.
There is also the film ‘Divergent’ where the main character is
presented as a strong woman who never gives up, faces all
odds and saves the city. Both of these films do have a small
love story line but it’s not major, we see the females in a
luminous light.
When it comes to the planning side, the filmmaker has to
think about what target audience is being focused. Do you
want the protagonist to be female or male? If it’s male then
the film is most likely going to be aimed at the male
demographic and you will have to tailor the production to
this. Many stereotypical interpretations regard to what
target audience the filmmaker is attempting to attract. As a
filmmaker you want to look at what actors you are going to
employ to do the job. Jennifer Lawrence would play a perfect
part in a film aimed at the female demographic where a
female is the protagonist. Liam Neeson would play a perfect
role in a film aimed at the male audience where a male is the
protagonist. What colours are you going to use in the movie
posters etc? Are you going to use feminine colours or
masculine? These few simple thoughts could determine
whether your film is going to be aimed at the male
demographic or the female demographic.
Of course, these are all generally stereotypical assumptions.
‘Among the top five grossing films in 2013,
Iron Man 3
and
Man of Steel
both attracted overwhelmingly male
audiences,’ - (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://www.mpaa.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/03/MPAA-Theatrical-MarketStatistics-2013_032514-v2.pdf
These are well known action films and the fact that most of
the tickets were sold to male audiences proves my point.
One direction: This is Us appealed to mostly 7-14 year old
girls - BFI Statistical Yearbook 2014. (n.d.). Retrieved
January 9, 2015, from
http://www.bfi.org.uk/statisticalyearbook2014/
This statistic proves that young girls are very interested in
boy bands, filmmakers use this to their advantage to create a
film that this demographic would be interested in going to
see. If the film was on The Beetles for example, there is no
way you would get the same age demographic going to see
it. You have to have good knowledge of what young females
are into nowadays and what makes them want to go and see
a film.
In conclusion, detailed knowledge of demographics is a must
for a filmmaker to create a film. You must know what target
audience you are going for and tailor it to this. It is an
absolute must; you want as many ratings from the target
demographic as you can. This shows you have thought about
the target audience, what you are trying to achieve and
therefore selling out worldwide. You want it to present a
message to your target audience, something for them to
relate to and something for them to enjoy. You want the
planning, production and promoting to all reference back to
the target audience. Through the use of all the factors I have
included in this essay, this shows that it is very important
that the filmmaker has an in depth knowledge of
demographics.