Do Now
•Look at the film
consumption sheet,
discuss it with the
person next to you and
fill it in.
Film Audiences and marketing
Aims: To explore how films find their
target audience.
To explore how the film industry
markets the films.
Why audiences view films?
• Aside from the industry’s marketing
campaign, what other reasons can you
give for audiences going to see a film:
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Favourite actor
The genre
Have seen the sequel
It’s based on an old film or TV programme.
Any others?
Film Marketing
• Once the film has been researched, the marketing
process begins.
• Ways films are marketed in the current correct order:
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Internet marketing
Magazine previews
Cinema Trailers
Poster campaign - billboards
Radio and TV trailers
Reviews
Stars appearing in the media to promote it, e.g. chat
shows
The Cinema Audience
• The cinema audience is all about the industry targeting
an audience or demographic.
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What is a demographic?
What are demographic determinants?
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
Region
Religion
Sexuality
Class
Look back at the film posters and discuss the target
demographic.
Audience Profiles
• Before a film is released it has to be market
researched to its target demographic by the
industry
• What is market research?
• Preview screenings, focus groups, comparative
trends, star/director box office takings.
• There are some films that need little or no market
research. Which ones and why?
• Sequels and remakes. As they already have an
audience.
Social- economic demographics and film
• Traditionally the way of measuring social class was
according to the job of the main ‘breadwinner’. The
classifications are as follows:
• A: high ranking professionals; lawyers, doctors etc.
• B: middle ranking professionals; middle managers in business,
teachers etc
• C1: ‘white collar’ office workers, clerks, semi and nurses etc.
• C2: skilled manual workers; carpenters, electricians.
• D: semi and unskilled manual workers; drivers, labourers, cleaners
etc.
• E: people on state benefits, the unemployed, pensioners etc
• Do these differences still exist? What might be some of the
problems with this sort of classification?
• What films are aimed at A’s and what films are aimed at D’s? Is
there a difference?
• Is class as important to the film industry as age or gender?
Analysing a campaign
• Look at the posters for the Tim Burton film ‘Alice in
Wonderland’. Annotate the sheet.
The trailer
• Trailers are one of the most important ways that
a film is marketed to potential audiences. The
trailers are deliberately placed in films with a
perceived similar audience
• Watch the trailer for ‘Alice in Wonderland’ make
notes on the way that these trailers target their
audience.
• http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4240966169/
•Make notes on the sheet provided
and then write an analysis of the
chosen film trailer.
Think about:
Use of sound, particularly dialogue
Editing and narrative
Use of Cinematography and Mise en Scene,
Issues of representation
The unique selling point of the film.
Who is the film’s target audience and how are
they targeted?
Film Posters
• Posters are often the first visual marketing
campaign for a film.
• Task :On the next slide decide on which
demographics the films are targeting and
then discuss the devices it uses to target
this audience
Film Posters
Recap
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What does demographic mean?
Name 3 demographic determinants.
What are the ‘socio-economic’ categories?
Why do films have to market research?
What reasons can be given for an audience to see a
film?
Which kinds of films need little marketing?
What is the correct order for a film to be promoted?
What is the film industries strategy when placing trailers?
What techniques do trailers use to sell the film to an
audience?
What techniques do film posters sell the film to an
audience?