Establishing the Target (Audience)

     For this post, I decided I'll be conducting some research on target audiences for the two genres I am thinking of doing my portfolio project on. 

    The target audience for Romantic Comedies are typically females of a wide range of ages. For example, RomComs such as the films in the  "Mamma Mia" franchise catered better to older women who are also fans of ABBA's music and were old enough to remember the first "Mamma Mia" film. However, for the sequel "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!", the marketing team behind the film hoped to make the most of nostalgia created by ABBA's music and the first movie itself. An article from the Los Angeles Times labeled Mamma Mia's target audience as "usually neglected during the summer."

    The target audience for horror and thriller movies is typically young males (typically ages 15-24). This is likely due to this group being more aggressive by nature and enjoying adrenaline rushes created by these types of films. Horror films also tend to include male protagonists, creating a deeper connection and relationship between the target audience and the characters in the film. For example, a thriller that captivated a wide audience was "A Quiet Place" (2018). While it did have a wider target audience because of its star-studded cast, it proved to be more successful among young male adults than any other age and/or gender demographic.

    Although I know my group's project will have a limited audience, I want to create a product that will be accessible and appealing to a wide group of people, and most importantly, one that my groupmates and I can be proud of.

 

References: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-sneaks-mamma-mia-book-club-20180426-story.html

Genre Brainstorming!

     As my group and I begin to brainstorm our ideas for our 2-minute film opening for our AICE Media Studies AS evaluation, I thought it would be a good idea to research famous openings of some of my favorite film genres. Given that this is the first time I have had creative control over a project like this one, I do want to create a piece in a genre that I do enjoy watching. 

    One of my favorite film genres is RomComs. These are generally light-hearted films, and the openings also tend to introduce the main character, as well as the conflict. Characters are typically depicted as hopeless romantics with bad luck in their love lives and they always seem to be extremely clumsy or unhappy with their employment and yearn for love as a distraction from their problems. 

    The first part of the video below shows the opening scene of one of my favorite films of all time, "Crazy, Stupid Love" (2011). This opening scene is effective in specific because it introduces two of the main characters, as well as the main conflict of the film, Cal's divorce from his wife. The conflict is introduced in a comedic, out-of-the-blue way, which sets the tone for the rest of the film and captivates the viewer as well, doing exactly what an effective film opening should do.

https://vimeo.com/52096580 

Another one of my favorite genres that I am interested in dabbling in for the portfolio project is horror. Horror film openings have one ingredient that outdoes all the others: mystery. Whether it's dark colors, somber music, or extensive periods of silence, horror movies build on one of every viewer's worst fear: the unknown. However, the opening scenes of other horror movies will capture a moment and introduce certain plot details and characters before the horror strikes.

    One of my favorite Horror films is "Us" (2019). In my opinion, it has one of the most remarkable and intriguing film openings I've ever seen. The initial shot of the singular rabbit immediately captures my attention every time I watch the film. The symbolism that is presented at the literal beginning of the film leaves the viewer captivated and attentive throughout the entire film, especially when paired with the intensifying music in the background and the abstract and intense font and coloring that introduces the main cast and crew.

    

    In my 2-minute film opening, I hope to be able to draw upon certain genre characteristics to create film openings as remarkable as the ones I have mentioned. I'm glad we have adequate planning time to create and execute the vision we come up with, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes!