QUESTION 4

“Who would be the audience for your media product?”From reading back onto my research, the typical market that thriller films target is young

adults aged 18-25. They are most attracted to the intense storylines and graphic action. However, on my yougov profiles ‘Gone Girl’ audience was females ages 18-24 but other thrillers such as seven were older (40-54) and male. This is a difference in opinions and research but I decided overall I would target the young adult audience. This is not only

because of the research but also due to my age and how I could relate to it with my own experience of thrillers. It was a lot easier to gather information and plan out how I would

attract this specific audience. Also, I wanted to follow the conventions of a thriller film therefore, the audience it targets is important to consider when filming.

I wanted my film to appeal to the young adult age group, therefore I used young actors to be able to give a sense of identification and so that the audience can relate. This is also common in other thriller films for example ‘Gone Girl’ I researched has all young actors aged around 18-30 to be able to appeal to its audience more effectively. The similarity in age made it easier to target my audience.

I also choose costumes that would attract my audience as they wear modern day styles such as trainers. This will give a sense of familiarity for the audience as they will be able to pick up on these small details. In addition, the typography within my titles is very modern and sleek in order to appeal to my audience better. Due to new technology and young adults been obsessed with the modern style, I wanted to create this specific theme so it would captivate the viewers.

Referring back to my research, I carried out a questionnaire that was over 40 people filled out. Over 90% were aged 11-17 which was great as this was my chosen age group to target. On one of the questions ‘What interests you the most about thriller films?’ Most answered either suspense moments or storyline. Furthermore, I tried to incorporate these features in my film sequence. At the end of my film there is a suspense moment as she turns around. Also, the build-up of action/scary music would appeal to my audience as it’s very tense. I also thought through my storyline very well so it made sense and they would understand it. I didn’t want it to be too complicated. They also answered for what location would be best and ‘Abandoned House’ was one of the most popular choices. From this, I decided to shoot my film in an abandoned garage which added scariness and would appeal to my audience more. A significant factor within my questionnaire was the question ‘What builds suspense in a thriller?’ which most answered music. Because of this, I tried to focus on the music and ensure it would be effective in my scene. This questionnaire feedback really helped me to gain ideas and information on what my target audience want to see and what I should include. I think I used this questionnaire to my advantage as I choose many features around it so it would appeal to my specific audience.

Because I was in this age group it was much easier to direct and produce what I wanted within my film and what I believe would appeal to them. However, having information and research to back this up and give different opinions was extremely useful.