Audience research

An introduction to my audience:The genre of my short film can be split into two types. German expressionist cinema and Film Noir. I have watched some short films that blend these two genres together particularly well. One of these films is “The huge snooze” by Ciaran Davis. Ciaran was a student like myself when he made his film… and it was spectacular, so I have a lot of faith and confidence.

German expressionist cinema and Film Noir are two of, if not the most classic types of film that one could ever wish to experience. Because of their aesthetic merits, the two types of film have gained a mix of different, but extremely dedicated audiences. Film fanatics across the world have spoken highly of the two genres, with a lot of them being men. However, the beauty and soft touches of Film Noir have attracted the attention of female audiences as well.

Below is a short list of people who would make it into my audience list.• Both male and female, working class people.• Film lovers.• People who have lived in the years when Film Noir was in its prime.• Fans of German Expressionist Cinema and Film Noir.• People who are mature enough to follow a story rather than pay attention to special

effects.• People aged 16 – 30+

Male and Female working class citizensWhen identifying your audience, it is vital that you decide whether or not your media text is suitable for both genders. Some media texts have content that one gender may not be happy with or agree with.

Luckily for me, my short film can suit both men and women. The story follows the life of a man named James Flint, who falls into a coma and ends up in modern day England. Due to the heavily men orientated story line, men can follow the story with ease because some of the characteristics of James, as well as the challenges he has to face can be seen as more masculine than feminine. However, I want to keep my audience wide open. I feel that the look of my short film will be aesthetically pleasing to women because of the soft colours and attention to detail. I have met many women who say that the look of something helps to give an indication as to whether or not they would like something.

My short film is likely to be shown at short film festivals and small cinemas. This means that my target audience can enjoy it without “Breaking the bank”, because they will have a sustainable source of income at their disposal.

Film loversFilm fanatics are people who have a keen interest in film. Because of their keen interest, film fanatics are particularly good at evaluating a film due to its aesthetic merits. Film fanatics are able to appreciate films for more than the story. The use of conventions in films is something that they praise highly, because it shows the skill and consideration that directors put into their work in terms of what makes a film good.

It could be said that it is easy for film lovers to enjoy any film, but this is not the case. If a person with a big enough obsession finds something that they don’t like or enjoy, they won’t be happy. On the basis of happiness, a lot of film fans that I know are interested in old style films from the 20th century. The genre of my short film is a mixture of Film Noir and German Expressionist Cinema. This is a mix of two classic genres that film lovers adore, due to the quality that they have when they were produced – which is impressive considering the time period they were made in.

My short film will hopefully be pleasing to film lovers both aesthetically and chronologically.

Fans of German Expressionist Cinema & Film NoirWhilst being blatantly obvious, fans of German Expressionist Cinema and Film Noir are two groups of people that I would be keen to distribute my film to. Both of the genres have their own distinctive features, which is what makes them so enjoyable. I have a list of criteria and conventions for both of the genres, hopefully I can incorporate all of these features into my short film. With this features included, my film will be more suited to fans of both genres because they may feel as if they can relate to it and enjoy it more.

Some conventions of German Expressionist Cinema and Film Noir include:• A lot of alienated protagonists.• Low key lighting.• Dutch Angles.• A lot of mirror reflection shots.• Heavily gangster orientated.• Hostile environments.• Transgression of social norms.

People aged 16 – 30+For a film like mine, I need audiences that are going to mature enough to enjoy the film for what is, rather than the special effects or mise-en-scene. I feel that people of my age will be able to enjoy this film because they are at the age where they can begin to appreciate things for a number of different reasons, not just because of how it looks. Furthermore, people of my age who have taken media at school will have more of an appreciation for the world of film and film production. Audience members of 16 years are also likely to have part time jobs, which is part of their physcographic. This will allow them to pay for cinema tickets and/or tickets to film festivals.

Members of the audience who are of an age older than 16 (Perhaps 20 – 30) are more than likely to be in full time work, which means that they are also going to have disposable income to spend on cinema tickets and festival tickets.

All of the ages in this specific audience group will be mature enough to enjoy films in the right way, and not just for their aesthetic merits.