Research - Film Audiences

Film audiences

The Global audience - wider audience (world-wide), however films aimed to maximize global gains may be broader, but can sacrifice logic for political safety and can even, counter-intuitively, keeping non-white actors away from leading roles’. Animations, physical comedies and famous actors are easy to market to global audiences who may not be able to speak the same language.

The National audience

Age - U (suitable for all), PG (parental guidance), 12 (suitable for 12 years and over), 15 (only suitable for 15 years and over), 18 (suitable only for adults)

Niche market - The subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact.

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When making a film, Generic conventions are important for the production company and film-makers because they allow them to produce a film which is likely to appeal to the target audience they are aiming their film at to go and watch it.

The following statistics, taken from the UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2008, give a picture of audiences for film in the UK.

• Films in 34 different languages (including English) were released in the UK in 2007.
• Hindi was the foreign language with the greatest number of film releases - 52.
• Less than 1% of screens are in rural locations.
• London had the highest number of screens (21.7% of the UK total), followed by the Midlands and Lancashire.
• Only 7.3% of screens were dedicated to 'specialised' (non-mainstream) programming, with 0.3% showing South Asian films.
• Minority ethnic groups were over-represented among buyers of cinema tickets, rental films and pay-per-view, and under-represented among buyers of retail DVDs/videos.
• Disabled people were under-represented in the film audience, except as buyers of retail DVDs/videos.

The usual target audience for Thriller films is 18 because they tend to include lots of disturbing images of violence and cover disturbing psychological issues such as mental illnesses.

The age certificate will be 18 if the BBFC think a particular film could risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. Where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context.