Who would be the audience for your media product?

Who would be the audience for your media product?

We decided that the most suitable audience for our production was male adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17. We identified this particular age range mainly through the use of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) film ratings. We chose it as a 15 because we decided that after our brief opening, it would be a hard-hitting film with plenty of strong language and violence, meaning that it can be classed as a 15 in accordance with the BBFC.

The British Board of Film Classification

 

The BBFC was introduced in 1912 as an independent organisation put in place to classify films by age according to the plot and occurrences of the film. They decide whether films are not viewable for the public and can decide whether to ban films or cut out scenes that would provide unsuitable viewing for people of certain ages.

There are 7 different classifications of movies in accordance with the BBFC film ratings:

·U – Universal, meaning that the film is suitable for all age groups. It is advised that the films are set within a positive moral framework, and that violence or horror should be reassuringly counterbalanced. Discrimination is not permitted, and only infrequent and innocuous reference to drugs and alcohol may be used. Films should only contain brief and mild scenes of horror, and none of the behaviour or actions in the film may be copied. No sexual content may be displayed, and only occasional natural nudity is permitted.

·PG – Parental guidance, meaning that some scenes may require advice and support from parents or guardians. Generally, these films should not disturb children over eight years of age, but parents should consider if sensitive children may be disturbed. If reference to drugs is mentioned, a relevant anti-drug message should be carried, and horror sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Only mild bad language should be included, and sexual activity can only be implied. Moderate violence, if justifiable, is allowed.

12/12A – The exact same criteria is used for both 12 and 12 A films, although 12A certificates are issued for films in cinemas, where no-one under this age is permitted to watch. Discriminatory work must not be endorsed by the films message. Drug use should be infrequent, and instructional details should not be given. The film should not dwell on behaviours that can be copied by the audience, and the use of moderate language is allowed, although its use should be infrequent. Sexual references can be briefly portrayed, although the activity should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Moderate violence is allowed, although it should not dwell on gory details

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15 – Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed, and drug misuse can be shown, although the misuse should not be endorsed. Dangerous behaviours (such as hangings) should not dwell on details which can be copied, and frequent use of strong language is allowed. Aggressive or repeated use of strong language should not be encouraged. There are no constraints on nudity in an educational setting, and violence may be strong, and should not dwell on the infliction of injury.

·

18 – These films usually observe the fact that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Therefore, films will only not be granted licence when the material has been created through breach of a law, where material appears to risk harm to individuals or the public through the imitation of behaviour, and where the use of explicit images cannot be justified by the context.
 

R18 – Can only be shown in specially licenced cinemas, or supplied in specially licenced shops. The following is not acceptable: material that is in breach of criminal law, obscene material, material likely to encourage an interest in sexually abusive activities such as rape, the portrayal of sexual activity which does not include consent, the infliction of pain, the penetration of any object associated with harm, or any sexual threats or humiliation which do not clearly define part of the plot.



This question is part of the survey that we gave to 10 people and asked them to fill out, both male and female, between the ages of 11 and 17 as we decided it would aid us in the creation of our thriller production. The image below shows that 10 of the 10 people we asked like to watch films that involve death, clearly showing that references to and acknowledgements of death are detrimental in the making of a successful film for many teenagers and adolescent youths.

Although we did have a variety of answers according to the results of question 1 of our survey, it does show that for people between the ages of 11 and 17, horror, action and thriller films are the main favourites (along with comedy) amongst adrenaline-searching youths. This meant that, in our thriller, we had to make sure that we used references to death and made parts of it what the audience expected to see with chase scenes, fight scenes and psychologically intense moments, making sure though, that there were unexpected moments that the audience didn’t see coming and are not used to seeing in typical thriller films. The idea that teenagers prefer more intense, thrill-packed films is shown in the results of question 1 of our survey as shown below.

There is a large variety of subcultures amongst teenagers. Some of these subcultures are referred to as ‘nerds, geeks, chavs and goths’, each different subculture relating to the way in which these different groups of people behave, dress and their interests. In our film, we weren’t really targeting a specific subculture so we decided that we must produce a film that would entertain all of these different groups, meaning that we had to know what to produce in order to succeed in doing this. A typical audience member for our sort of film would be someone like this:

Most teenagers also try to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ meaning that they will always try and have the latest gadgets and resources because that is what other teenagers have and like. This means that they are modern and don’t have a lot of old things that is no longer ‘cool’ so people tend to be more popular when they have all the latest things. Also, many teenagers listen to music that is in the charts or that gets played on the radio as this is well known music amongst their friends and many won’t admit that they like other things in case they’re friends thinks its uncool or odd. Clothing is another thing that changes regularly in terms of what is seen to be ‘in trend’ and what isn’t. This means that many teenagers will notice items of clothing that others wear and tend to buy the same items or things from the same brand because that is what everyone wants to be seen in. This is good for movies as it means that if a new movie is out, one teenager will see it, then tell all their friends about it if they like it, so more people gradually join in on wanting to see this film too.

During the part of our film when our victim is grabbed by the killer, Issy Schiavi (Bourne Academy 6^th Former) said, “I hope she escapes or someone saves her”, whereas Lewis Simmonds (Also a Bourne Academy 6^th Former) said, “Well the killer is quite clearly an amateur”. This shows the distinct difference in opinions about our characters from outside views of people of different genders, portraying the protectiveness of their own gender that people have. During our production, a point of view shot from the killer’s perspective is used, showing him creeping up on the victim, allowing the audience an insight into his dominance, representing the patriarchal bias of our film.