4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

AND

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Monika Polak

The people I aimed my product at would be a niche group - mostly teenagers (+15) and adults that like Horror Films such as Saw and Ring. The gender aim would be both male and females as it isn't gender bias or aimed at just one of the genders. I think I've used good, appropriated conventions that would appeal to this niche group. I studied websites such as IMDb and the BBFC to determine what certificate my film would be, and how it would affect the range of the target audience. Due to violence, death and blood it would get a +15 certificate This obviously narrows the possible target audience, even though people under the age limit would probably not be interested in the film anyway.

Once I've determined what my target audience would be, it became easier to establish what should I put in my opening sequence. By using interesting effects/ editing and making it all in fast pace, I think I would attract the teenagers and young adults. I've used short, fast clips to keep the audience in excitement and to create a tension and to make them want more.

Uses and gratification model.

This media theory is a popular approach to understanding how audiences use

the mass media. Audiences take active role in interpreting and integrating

media into their own lives.

1. Affective needs. Surely my product gave/ will give pleasure while watching it. Obvious is that we are watching films for entertainment; we are often feeling emotional while doing so too. Depending on genre of film, it may give us different feelings (e.g. who didn't cry on Titanic? or who didn't laugh on Bruce Almighty?). The genre of my opening sequence is mystery horror, so I'm sure that the walking actress in the darkness only with a candle light is going to give the audience negative feelings... is she going to be a victim?

2. Cognitive needs; needs for information and knowledge. I don't think my sequence is going to give the audience any (e.q. historical) knowledge what so ever.

3. Social integration needs- needs to communicate with family and friends through shared culture. Films surely fulfill those needs; we are going to the cinema with friends or simply watching DVD with parents, either way after the film finishes we have that need to talk about it and give our opinions.

4. Tension release needs- escapism. People watch films to escape from everyday life.

5. Personal integrative needs - understanding each other through the representation. We often compare ourselves to famous actors and actresses, and also we compare our lives and our problems to the ones in the film world.