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1. The target audience is very important to keep in mind when creating a media product.
Expectations must be fulfilled to satisfy the audience. In horror, there are many different sub-
genres people enjoy, such as, slasher, supernatural, psychological and Gothic, and so when
making a media product ub a specific sub genre, it is important we find new and unique
techniques to succeed the expectations of an audience.
All sub genres have a different target audience, but slasher films primarily have a male
viewer ship with ages that are 16 years and above. The cause of this is due to a heavy
influence of male and female stereotypes within the slasher genre; males are seen to be
dominant and respected (almost always the antagonist), and the female is seen to be a sexual
object and very vulnerable- this reflects the patriarchal society we live in today. This makes
males that watch slasher films feel as if they are in a dominant position and they can relate to
the characters. The male is also seen to be fearless and brave which is an idea that has been
perceived by wider society, this makes males feel good when they can watch a movie with
alot of jump scares and killing without getting frightened, it thrills them.
The target audience is most likely a young male teenager who enjoys the gruesome and
twisted ways of serial killers because it reflects how boys are not expected to be affected by
such horrific events (unlike females). This relates back to the Hypodermic Needle Theory, it
is possible that young men believe they will not be effected by gruesome killing sprees or
twisted torture because mass media has always presented them in a way which makes them
look dominant and fearless (e.g. always making the antagonists of slasher films male). The
uses and gratifications model can also be applied here as young men may be going through
difficult times in their life (such as exams, teasing) and so will need an escape to where they
feel in power and in control, thus turning to violent gory horrors.
He is most likely to be in full- time education with a large number of friends who he goes
and watched these movies with. He is obsessed with social media and is always one of the
first people to watch the 'new viral video'- which makes him perfect for a new slasher film
that is expected to shock and also disgust people- he shares these videos with all his friends
which creates hype for the movie.
As the target audience is in full time education, he is an independent person who is clear
about what they was and what they don't want in life, as a teenager everything seems very
black and white. He has a very good sense of humour and when he watches a slasher horror
film he relates to the protagonist. During his free time he likes to do many activities such as
watch films, spend time with his friends and have fun by going to clubs and drinking.
Because he enjoys to spend some nights being reckless, he will be able to easily relate to the
characters in the movie and so will feel more involved and captivated. He is not very
religious but believes that a God does exist- this idea gets him through tough times. He is a
fun person with a big heart but at times is proven to be quite short tempered. His favourite
genre of horror is slasher because it follows general conventions, but sometimes has a twist
no one expects. This surge of adrenaline puts him in a state of euphoria which is similar to
what he might expect from roller coasters.
He uses films and books as a method of escapism when life gets tough, especially during
exam season. Although he does enjoy hanging out with his friends, he is also very lazy and
stays at home when he is not needed to go out, and so watches horror films as a source of
entertainment.