Film Audiences and marketing Aims: To explore how films find their target audience. To explore how the film industry markets the films.

Why audiences view films? Aside from the industry’s marketing campaign, what other reasons can you give for audiences going to see a film: Favourite actor The genre Have seen the sequel It’s based on an old film or TV programme. Any others?

Film Marketing Once the film has been researched, the marketing process begins. Ways films are marketed in the current correct order: Internet marketing Magazine previews Cinema Trailers Poster campaign - billboards Radio and TV trailers Reviews Stars appearing in the media to promote it, e.g. chat shows

The Cinema Audience The cinema audience is all about the industry targeting an audience or demographic. What is a demographic? What are demographic determinants? Age Gender Ethnicity Region Religion Sexuality Class Look back at the film posters and discuss the target demographic.

Audience Profiles Before a film is released it has to be market researched to its target demographic by the industry What is market research? Preview screenings, focus groups, comparative trends, star/director box office takings. There are some films that need little or no market research. Which ones and why? Sequels and remakes. As they already have an audience.

Analysing a campaign Look at the posters for the forthcoming Tim Burton film ‘Alice in Wonderland’ which is due for release next year. Annotate the sheet.

The trailer Trailers are one of the most important ways that a film is marketed to potential audiences. The trailers are deliberately placed in films with a perceived similar audience Watch the trailer for ‘Alice in Wonderland’ make notes on the way that these trailers target their audience. http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4240966169/ H/W: 1 write a 200 word analysis of the how effective the trailer and poster are as a marketing tool.

Film Posters Posters are often the first visual marketing campaign for a film. Task :On the next slide decide on which demographics the films are targeting and then discuss the devices it uses to target this audience

Film Posters

Recap What does demographic mean? Name 3 demographic determinants. What are the ‘socio-economic’ categories? Why do films have to market research? What reasons can be given for an audience to see a film? Which kinds of films need little marketing? What is the correct order for a film to be promoted? What is the film industries strategy when placing trailers? What techniques do trailers use to sell the film to an audience? What techniques do film posters sell the film to an audience?

Film Marketing research task Research Task: log on and find out about one of the following films: ‘Watchmen’ ‘Terminator Salvation’ ‘Inglorious Basterds’ ‘Transformers 2’ When will it be released? What is the certificate? How many screens will be released on? Who is distributing the film? Who is the film targeted at? Demographics/socio- economics groups. Are there any previews/reviews of the film? What do they say about the film? Can you find any interviews with the directors or stars? What do they say about the film? Who is the demographic it is aimed at and in what ways has it been marketed so far?

Social- economic demographics and film Traditionally the way of measuring social class was according to the job of the main ‘breadwinner’. The classifications are as follows: A: high ranking professionals; lawyers, doctors etc. B: middle ranking professionals; middle managers in business, teachers etc C1: ‘white collar’ office workers, clerks, semi and nurses etc. C2: skilled manual workers; carpenters, electricians. D: semi and unskilled manual workers; drivers, labourers, cleaners etc. E: people on state benefits, the unemployed, pensioners etc Do these differences still exist? What might be some of the problems with this sort of classification? What films are aimed at A’s and what films are aimed at D’s? Is there a difference? Is class as important to the film industry as age or gender? What do you consider to be the key elements of