1. Target Audience
Horror
The usual age for someone watching a horror film is between 15 and 25. This is because
they want to experience a thrill and watch something that is more engaging and gives them
more of a rush than other films such as comedy and romance wouldn’t give them. Horror
genre gives a thrill that can excite a younger audience easier than an older audience.
Younger viewers are also let likely to be put off by unnecessary violence in a film or a story
that may not be quite as in depth as another. The themes perceived in Horror are usually
looked negatively towards by an older audience, yet are liked by younger ages.
Males are more likely to like Horror or to be a fan of it than girls. This is because of the
stereotype that boys are normally more thrill seekers than girls and that they want to
compete with each other to be more masculine, therefore watching films such as horror will
boost their ego and let them compete with friends. Violence is also a convention of horror
movies and is mainly loved by males. Horror films are also aimed at the working class
community. This is because the thrill gained by this genre can be achieved at a reasonably
low cost, higher class people may be less likely to view a horror film as they may be bought
up differently and in a way that they don’t get to see as many horror films therefore
meaning their favourite type of film will be something different to horror. One of the most
distinct genres of filmis horror. They are made to terrify an audience, capturing their
imaginations and take advantage of their vulnerabilities. They create an outlet of fear
and give a sense of danger in the unknown without actually putting anyone in danger. As
strange as it sounds, people usually find more of a thrill in being scared or watching
disturbing, horrific images on the screen rather than reading about it in a book. There are
2. many different sub-genres of horror, but this genre analysis focuses specifically on the sub-
genre of supernatural-horror.
A convention of this genre is the setting where the supernatural events take place such as
an abandoned or haunted building. The most common setting used in a good supernatural-
horror filmis a house. This adds a sense of reality because it can make an audience scared in
their own homes. The Conjuring takes place is a farmhouse where the suicidal witch had
once lived. The use of sound and noises are conventions that play a huge role in creating a
successful horror film. They are often used to create tension and suspense in a movie. As
expected by the audience, the sounds and noises are used at the same time as something
appearing unexpectedly on the screen to make the audience jump. Or the noises are used to
make the audience anticipate that something bad is about to happen. The purpose of every
horror filmis to scare and entertain the directed audience. They offer people a thrill and
a rush of adrenaline. Their ability to induce and raise tension is central to the appeal of
horror. They are aimed toward “sensation seekers” who feel like they are a part
of something horrifying, without actually being in danger.
The age group I have set for my filmis between 15 and 21 years old. This is because the
characters and also what happens in my film will have a larger impact on the age range I
have chosen due to their lifestyle and the age they are means they will accept more violent
and sometimes looked down upon themes by an older audience.
