Researching: The Target Audience

    Welcome back, readers! I am hoping to start filming my film opening next week. I can't believe that time has come. But before I start, I am continuing to research to help me feel more equipped to succeed in producing my opening. For this post, I have researched all about target audiences. 

What is a Target Audience? 

    The target audience of a film is who the film is marketed to. It's essentially who the producer or director of a film wants to actually watch the film. Target audiences can be defined by different demographics (age, sex, race, etc.) or psychographics (personality traits, interests) and often build up brand loyalty and encourage a specific group of people to purchase a product. Target audience doesn't just apply to film. Most businesses selling anything have a target audience. Target audiences help companies make more profit through how helpful they are in marketing.

    There are two types of target audiences—primary and secondary. The primary target audience is the main target audience and who the film is marketed to based on demographics. The secondary target audience does not have to be identified demographically but more by having an interest in a certain part of the film, so through things like psychographics. Despite whether it's secondary or primary, target audience remains very important to a film's success.

    A target audience can be found or created through analyzing different things such as a company's competition, different demographics, and psychographics. Through picking a target audience, certain production choices can be made to "target" this specific audience.

But why?

    The reason those behind filmmaking chose or find a target audience is for its ability to create a distinguishable brand identity. By creating your brand identity, you help establish a brand voice and brand loyalty, which keeps audiences coming back. In film specifically, it helps encourage people to come watch the film, purchase tickets at movie theaters, watch it on streaming platforms, rent it, or buy it online. The ability to create a brand identity centered around a film encourages more people to watch, allowing for more profit. Since this stems from the target audience, it explains why the target audience is so important.

Ex: The Scream Franchise: 

   An example of a target audience could be the target audience for the Scream franchise. The target audience for the Scream films is focused on the age demographic and is marketed to teens (15-18). The film targets this audience through its focus on high school life and teens as the main characters in the movie.

Takeaways:

   For my own film/film opening, I have chosen my target audience of Gen Z (15-25) and don't have a strong preference for gender but more of a lean to women. I have centered the plot of my horror film around a teen girl and witchcraft but with social media as a main element of the film, which should help target my target audience.

Resources: 

O’Grady, Natalie. “Target Audience: What It Is and How to Find Yours.” Sprout Social, 19 Jan. 2025, sproutsocial.com/insights/target-audience.

Prezi, Emi On. “Target Audiences of Horror Films.” prezi.com, prezi.com/v8hdcg267oom/target-audiences-of-horror-films.