MY TARGET AUDIENCE & HOW I ENGAGED THEM

FIFTH TASK: You make an audience profile that demonstrates understanding of the fact that all products are targeted at specific audiences. You show that you know the target audience for your film by creating a profile of them. You then show how you engaged them through marketing strategies. You also write about your production itself: the ways in which the film diverts your audience and how the opening creates suspense /enigma, how the people in your film interest your audience, how its genre is signaled, thereby making it easier to understand. When reading this, do you recognise some of the strands of the uses and gratifications model of audience behaviour?

WHAT YOU WRITE
I needed to plan how to reach my target audience. Therefore, I needed to know who they are (factors that may be relevant include age, gender, ethnicity, social class), what their media needs are (so that I could produce a product that they will want) and how to reach them (to market my film). I will show how my research has shaped / influenced my planning. 

I started by investigating how brands define audiences in preparation for creating my own audience profile for my AS Foundation Production. 
For example, I saw how Bauer Media, NME and Sky defined audiences. This helped me profile my audience.
As part of distributing my film, I have devised marketing strategies, such as reaching out to my target audiences through a film website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram and P&A (a film poster). (You include the relevant items for your production team)
In addition to profiling my audience, I worked out why they enjoy the genre. Why would they want to watch my film? What makes my film different from competing films ? How will my film appeal to the viewing needs of my target audience?

Who Is My Target Audience: Action Steps

1. Who is my primary target audience? For example: British, male and female 18-45+ who love thriller films, TV crime drama and psychological thrillers.
2. What kind of films and television are they likely to prefer? 
3. What platforms do they choose to watch films and where are they likely to see information about films?
4. What brands do they prefer? (food, clothing, media)

4. What makes my film stand out from the competition? For example:  Our film is about a war photographer who suffers from post-traumatic stress and kidnaps a child.

5. Why should my audience watch my film? For example:  Total Film / Empire / Cinema Scope / Slant / Sight and Sound says: Most powerful psychological thriller since Don't Look Now!

Time spent understanding my audience has helped me create a profile of my ideal audience member. This information was then useful when I created my marketing and distribution strategy.
 
My Audience Profile

Lewis Harland: audience profile for Out Of Sight 2012

Will Wright: audience profile for The Black Rose 2012

HOW WOULD MY PRODUCT BE DISTRIBUTED AS A REAL MEDIA TEXT?

As part of distributing my film, I have devised marketing strategies, such as reaching out to my target audiences through a film website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram and P&A (a film poster). (You include the relevant items for your production team)
In addition to profiling my audience, I will work out why they enjoy the genre. Why would they want to watch my film? What makes my film different from competing films ? How will my film appeal to viewing needs of my target audience?

OUR MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES:
Here you put your film website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram or P&A (a film poster). There is no need to create one each: give an account of what YOU individually made first and then copy the others from your production team.

MY RESEARCH INTO AUDIENCE PROFILING IS BELOW:

Some brands go further than merely have Twitter feeds: I also discovered how a really big budget can buy cross-platform integration of a film launch with an existing successful product that engages an established successful audience. In this example, Lionsgate's Nerve (2016) was linked to Celebrity Big Brother by Sky Media

"We all know young people are big users of social media, and therefore to truly engage with this audience, the use of a social platform was key within the campaign. Furthermore, reports show that 74% millennials, particularly 14 to 17-year-olds, regularly use smartphones during TV viewing*. A programme was needed to unite the target demographic by driving social media conversations.
Since its launch, Celebrity Big Brother has been the most talked about TV programme on Twitter, topping the Instar Social leader board as Twitter’s most-talked-about TV show during the 29 day series. Offering a strong teen audience on-air and mass social following online, Celebrity Big Brother provided the perfect platform for the ‘Nerve’ film launch."

"The integration of Lionsgate film ‘Nerve’ was a great success for Celebrity Big Brother, demonstrating a seamless brand integration. The high-pressure challenges of ‘Nerve’ the film translated well to challenges for the housemates. They launched the task just 2 days before the opening night of the film and successfully integrated the look and feel of the Nerve brand. This partnership demonstrates that, when executed well, promotional activity in Big Brother can enhance editorial and leverage for brand awareness in show.”