Target Audience & How We Will Engage Them

Our AS Level Production Coursework is a horror movie opening. As a result, we are aiming for content which the BBFC would classify at 18. This falls in line with similar releases such as Halloween, Saw and Stanley Kubrick's highly controversial epic, Clockwork Orange.

BBFC classifies 18 as:

Suitable only for adults

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.

As a result, the production as a whole wold feature adult themes and content wholly inappropriate for children. Therefore, our entire target audience is above the age of 18, as any lower would be illegal and socially irresponsible.

More specifically, we are aiming our production at traditional fans of the horror genre, dating back as far as 50 years: young adults. Young adults have by far the most leberal views and tend to be more interested in the visceral thrills of horror movies than their elders, who are typically more conservative and inclined to watch things like dramas and unoffensive comedies.

In order to appeal to our target audience, we will make extensive use of the conventions of the horror genre, particularly the splatter flicks which have been amongst their favourites since the 80s.

To that end, our production features a central villain whose face is hidden by a distinctive mask. The villain is murdering an attractive teenage girl as is common for the genre, which also adds a certain level of sex appeal for young men. This is a plus as even among young adults, the genre is mainly popular amongst males.

The production will also make use of dark lighting and appropriate mise en scene (Such as the untidy workshop discussed below, full of terrifying torture devices and the dark, eery wood through which the villain pursues his victim).

The use of horror convention to appeal to the target audience will be carried over into promotional materials. The poster, for instance, will make use of the blacks and dark reds which evoke the genre and feature a distinctive image of the villain and/or subtle hints at his mis-deeds, similar to other horror productions as seen below.


We intend to gain a greater understanding of what our target audience would like to see in our production by conducting a survey, some time in the next two weeks at most (A Pilot Study will be conducted in advance of the final survey). In the meantime, we are encouraging anyone in our primary target of roughly 18-34 year olds to post any suggestions in the comments section below.