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1. PR6: The Hollywood Blockbuster.
In the third and final assignment for my Unit 26: Film Studies, I will be completing and
studying a task named ‘The Hollywood Blockbuster’. During the course of this essay, I will be
explaining how and why different audiences are targeted by film producers. There are many
different ways in which an audience can be targeted, from the appearance of posters to the
content of the film. Various codes and conventions will usually be put in place, almost as a
guarantee of a certain quality of content. Producers and advertisers will also use various
marketing techniques to further promote the film, such as anchorage on posters and the
promotion of stars within the film.
Cinderella was originally a myth/ folk tale which originated in Europe. The story was made
into a well-known fairy-tale, which was made into an animated Disney film in 1950. This
brought the fairy-tale into the mainstream consciousness and elevated the story and its
eponymous princess to iconic status.
The original fairy-tale and well known adaptations of the story follow Cinderella who is
practically being used as a servant in her own home by her stepmother. She had previously
had a happy life, but this was destroyed once her mother died and her father remarried. She
is commonly forced to do extra chores, is clothed with rags and is relentlessly bullied by her
stepsisters. Meanwhile, the Prince of the land is trying to find a suitable woman to marry
and so organizes a ball for all of the maidens of the land to attend. Cinderella asks her
stepmother if she can go and is told that she can on the condition that she does extra
chores. Following this, she creates a dress with the help of some mice. However, her
stepsisters later tear up the dress.
With all hope seemingly lost, Cinderella is visited by her fairy godmother, who gives her a
new dress, glass slippers and a pumpkin carriage. However, the godmother tells her that the
spell will wear off at the strokes of midnight, which will make the clothes disappear. Once at
the ball she catches the eye of the Prince, with whom she dances for the rest of the night.
Just before midnight she suddenly leaves, though her glass slipper is left behind at the
palace. The next morning, the Prince visits every home in the land to see whose foot fits the

2. slipper. After some problems with Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters, the Prince finds
Cinderella and finds that the slipper perfectly fits her foot. They then live happily ever after.
The 2015 film adaptation of Cinderella follows the same story, though there are some minor
plot and character differences. The genre of the film is fantasy-romance and the year of
production was between 2014 and 2015. The director of the film is Kenneth Branagh, with
Simon Kinberg, David Barron and Allison Shearmur as producers and Chris Weitz as the
screenwriter. The distributor of the film is Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and has a UK
release date of the 27th of March. The budget for the film was $95 million. Some of the stars
of the film include: Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter.
The target audience for this film is children and the majority of them will be young girls. This
is not to say boys will not want to go and see it, but the genre and themes of the film
(princesses, fairy-tales, and magic) are things which generally attract young females. I think
that the target audience for the film will most likely fall into the 3-12 year old bracket. There
are several enticements which will likely draw in a young target audience. The first is that
the film is made by Disney. The logo is displayed prominently on the poster for the movie
and is featured in the trailer. Disney has had a long history of making films and has a
fantastic reputation for quality. Disney originally pushed Cinderella into its iconic status by
creating an animated film of the fairy-tale in 1950. This put the story into the mainstream
consciousness, made the eponymous character a symbol of a princess and all while
becoming a classic film in its own right. Over the past 80 years Disney has made many films
which have been critically and commercially successful and many of the children wanting to
view Cinderella will have seen them. Therefore having seen other enjoyable Disney films,
they may want to see this. Others may simply want to view a remake/ live-action adaptation
of the original film/ fairy-tale. Even if a child does not know of the story of Cinderella yet,
they may even be attracted based on the look of the film and the things it features such as
magic, princesses etc.
Another reason the film will, almost inevitably, attract young audiences is because of a
preceding short film featuring characters from the animated film ‘Frozen’. The short is an
added extra and is to be played immediately before the start of Cinderella. This will be a
huge enticement for young children as Frozen has become an enormous hit since its release
and has an overwhelming fan-base. The film is arguably one of the biggest children’s film of
the past 10 years and its synergies have seen huge merchandise sales. Therefore, anything
related to the film will almost certainly make money. Many fans of the film will want to go
and see Cinderella simply for the Frozen segment. This is an excellent and intelligent
marketing strategy for the film.
Adults may be encouraged to see the film (most likely with children but possibly by
themselves) due to the cast. Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden and Helena Bonham Carter
are just three of the actors within the film and are all established and well-respected in their
profession. They have appeared in mainly older, drama films, though they do have some

3. more child-friendly films and TV shows to their name. They can all be an example of star
theory. This is the theory that if a big, popular and established star appears in a film, it is
almost a guarantee of quality to the audience and of commercial success to the makers of
the film. Even though they have appeared in films and TV series targeted at adults, their
fans may go and see Cinderella primarily to see them. Richard Madden has become a
popular and prominent star since his turn in ‘Game of Thrones’, while Cate Blanchett and
Helena Bonham Carter have been appearing in blockbuster films for 20 years.
There are many ways in which a movie can be marketed to many people, which will in turn
increase interest and awareness for the film. A primary outlet for marketing of the film will
be via TV. By launching an advertisement campaign with trailers for the film, many people
will be reached easily and efficiently. The audience can also be targeted very easily through
television trailers, as they can be shown on channels and at times in which younger children
will be watching. As they are the primary target audience, the adverts will most likely be
shown on stations such as CITV, Nickelodeon and on commercial channels when children’s
TV shows are on. One channel that will likely run the trailer thoroughly is The Disney
Channel. The production company of the film is Walt Disney and the film will appeal to an
overwhelming amount of the channel’s viewership. The Web is one of the fastest growing
media platforms of this current generation and hundreds of millions use it on a daily basis.
Therefore, file sharing site such as facebook, twitter and youtube can help the trailer reach
millions of people. The sites can provide updates to fans, news from the film, new trailers,
interviews and much more.
Trailers will also be shown in cinemas. They will be shown directly before films in which the
target audience will most likely be watching, so that they will get to see it as well as
experience it on a smaller basis in a cinema environment. The movie may also be shown on
billboards in positions which can be easily viewed by children For example, this may include
high streets and main roads. Posters will be in many places as well, though they will
primarily be in places where younger children will be able to see them. For example, they
may put them in the cinema, shops, on bus-stops and on buses. These are locations in which
many people encounter every day. Other methods of advertisement are via the print-media.
The film may run advertising campaigns in newspapers and magazines. These can include

4. full-page posters, interviews and reviews. The adverts will run in magazine aimed at children
in order to reach that same target audience. Interviews may help the audience connect with
the actors and also reveal exclusives about the film.
The internet will also provide cinema listings and reviews which will make it convenient for
consumers to see when the film is on and to find out if it is good or not. Reviews will also
feature heavily in film magazines primarily, though they may also appear in younger
audience’s magazines. Reviews in themselves act as a motivator and promotion, as adults
may read them and decide to take their children, or the children may read it and ask their
parents to take them.
Official websites increase the marketing arsenal for the films, as they can provide
information about the films, sell merchandise and offer the opportunity to play games. This
way, they can attract to both adults and children. Word of mouth may also help the
promotion of a film via causing awareness. As mentioned above, reviews can feature on
many websites, such as Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb and others:

5. The producers for Cinderella have targeted the audience for the film by heavily using iconic
and recognizable things in their marketing campaign. They have used the easily identifiable
Disney logo in each other their various advertisements, to ensure audiences know that is
they who made it. Disney is closely associated with quality and has made many good films
over the past 60 years. Many of the children will have seen some of them and will therefore
want to go and see the new Disney film. The producers have also used the frozen short film
to entice the target audience, as it is something that they would most likely want to see.
Anchorage is something that hooks the audience and makes them want to go and see the
film. As mentioned above, the Disney logo and Frozen short will act as an enticement and
will anchor the target audience. The fact Cinderella is now live-action- having only
previously being animated and in print-form- will undoubtedly act as an anchor for some
people. They may want to go and see how the film has been updated and to see it in such a
grand manner. The stars may also act as an anchor. As previously mentioned there are many
stars featuring within this film who are big bankable stars: Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden
and Helena Bonham Carter. The star theory is that by having big names in a film, the film
will benefit financially.
Primary Optical Area: In
this area of the poster we
are able to see dark,
looming shadows that
seem threatening and
not in tune with the
lightness of Cinderella’s
dress nor the general
theme of the film. This
may be alluring to the
drama within the film
and the rocky road
Cinderella embarks down
on the way to her happily
ever after.
Strong Fallow Area: In this area of
the poster, we see the eponymous
princess of the film: Cinderella. She
looks very beautiful in this image
and acts as an anchor for many
people. Males will want go and see
the film to see her beauty, while
females will want to go and see
because they admire her beauty.
She is also the stereotypical
attractive leading female character-
pretty, tall and blonde.

6. There are many ways in which producers can conduct research for their target audience.
Surveys can be used, in order to find out what people do and don’t like about a certain
genre or perhaps a certain film. The survey may also ask questions directly relating to the
film in production, possibly asking questions relating to the story, casting etc. and whether
or not they think they are good ideas. They may use secondary research to find out what
past opinions people have had of certain films and genres, though they will most likely use
primary research which is specific to their film. Secondary sources may include sites such as
IMDb, to see how much the film made and how popular it was, as well as to read in-depth
reviews. Qualitative research is where the research for the film goes into depth and involves
surveys, questionnaires and other methods. This form of research will gain more detailed
answers. Quantitative Research is generally numerically driven and will feature more
answers though not in as much detail.
Chappie
Chappie is a 2015 American Science Fiction Film. The following is a plot summary provided
by Sony Pictures Entertainment: In the near future, crime is patrolled by an oppressive
mechanized police force. But now, the people are fighting back. When one police droid,
Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability
to think and feel for himself. As powerful, destructive forces start to see Chappie as a
danger to mankind and order, they will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo and
ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind.
Chappie has a UK release date of the 6th of March 2015 and has a budget of $49 million. The
years of production were 2014 and 2015 and the director is Neill Blomkamp. The film is
produced by Simon Kinberg while the screenplay is by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell. The film
is distributed by Columbia Pictures. Among the stars of the film are Sharlto Copley, Dev
Patel, Yolandi Visser, Sigourney Weaver and Hugh Jackman.
Occupying both the Weak Fallow Area and Terminal Area is the name of the film, accompanied by the logo of the company
(Disney), the release date and the iconic glass shoe of Cinderella. This instantly evokes memories of the classic fairy-tale and
may encourage people to go and see it, as from the poster they can see that it doesn’t have a great deal of change. For
younger audiences, the flowing dress which appears in the areas may encourage them to go and see it, as it has
intertextuality with Frozen, the smash hit Disney animated film. They may associate the two and want to go and see it.
Disney may have even attached the Frozen short to this film due to their similarities.

7. The target audience for Chappie will generally be 15-40 year olds and fans of action and
science-fiction films. The film will appeal to younger people who have grown up with
science fiction films and their fantastic news effects, as well as to older people, who may
enjoy the subliminal political story (oppressive police force, ethics over a robot with a
personality). The director of this film was also the director of District 9, which also featured
political undertones as well as being a commercial and critical success.
There are many ways in which a film can be marketed and the ones used for Chappie will
not greatly differ from those used for Cinderella. Social media and file-sharing websites are
key components of marketing which are commonly used in the present age. Sites such as
twitter, facebook and youtube
allow people to view the latest
interviews, trailers and movie clips
for the film. They can also provide
updates on the film and news of
its box office takings, award wins,
possible sequels etc.
Trailers will be shown on TV to
attract the attention of millions of
people. The trailers will likely be
shown on channels and at times in
which the target audience is watching. This may include mainstream TV shows, though it
will probably be more exclusive to periods in which science-fiction related films are being
shown. Thus, trailers may be shown on channels such as Discovery, National Geographic and
The History Channel. By putting the adverts before/after sci-fi related shows, the producers
are very much so targeting their audience.

8. Trailers will also be shown in cinemas. They will be shown directly before films in which the
target audience will most likely be watching, so that they will get to see it as well as
experience it on a smaller basis in a cinema environment. The movie may also be shown on
billboards in positions which can be easily viewed by the target audience. For example, this
may include high streets and main roads. Posters will be in many places as well, though they
will primarily be in places where a general age group will be able to see them. For example,
they may put them in the cinema, shops, on bus-stops and on buses. These are locations in
which many people encounter every day. Other methods of advertisement are via the print-
media. The film may run advertising campaigns in newspapers and magazines. These can
include full-page posters, interviews and reviews. A film fan may enjoy reading about the
technological advancements of the film, or simply to read about the opinions of one of the
movie’s stars. Reviews can also feature heavily in magazines and online and can be used by
a consumer to decide whether or not they want to go and see the film. The reviews also act
as advertisements, as they make people aware of the film as well as providing detailed
information about it. Some of the review sites that can be easily found on google include
Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. Reviews can aslo be found in print-form, in
magazines such as Empire and newspapers which have entertainment review sections.
The audience for Chappie has been targeted in a unique way via the marketing campaign.
They have made the film to look intelligent and not a generic sci-fi movie. They seem to
want to explore issues that are affecting the current generation of humans, such as ethics
involving robots and other artificial intelligence. Some posters have alluded to the fact the
film is directed by the same director of District 9. This shows that they are also targeting the
audience of that film to encourage them to read more into Chappie. They are trying to show
that this is the new District 9, the new unique sci-fi movie around and something that is
worth watching. I think that having made Chappie and District 9, two films with elements of
the action, science-fiction and thriller genres, as well as the similar look to the two films, the
director, Neill Blomkamp.
Anchorage is something that hooks the audience and makes them want to go and see the
film. There are several things that act as anchor points for this movie. As mentioned above,
the fact that the film is directed by the same director as District 9 is noted in some posters
and trailers, which will be used as an enticement to fans of that particular film. Others who
have not seen District 9 may be encouraged to see Chappie due to the success of the

9. former. They then in turn may see the older film which would generate even more revenue
for the production companies. Another anchor point are the stars of the film. This can fall
into the star theory category. The star theory is that by having a big, established and
bankable star in a movie, then the film will benefit financially. There are several stars in the
film who can be considered ‘big’: Hugh Jackman, who has appeared in many blockbusters
and is a huge actor. Sigourney Weaver, who has become a sci-fi icon since her appearances
in the Alien franchise. Dev Patel, an up and coming star from various comedy films and
Yolandi Visser, the lead singer of South African band Die Antwoord. The band has become
popular over the last couple of years and could lead to people gaining interest in seeing her
in an acting role. All of the actors have different pasts and therefore different fans, so their
appearance may generate money from many different demographics.
There are
many ways in which producers can conduct research for their target audience. Surveys can
Primary Optical Area: This area features
the tagline for the film which instantly
tells people what sort of film it is going
to be- science fiction. The background
for this area also features smoke, which
suggests possible drama and conflict.
Strong Fallow Area: This area
shows a robot and though it
isn’t directly suggested, the
audience will know that it is
the eponymous robotic
character, ‘Chappie’. The
robot looks very classic-
metallic, blue LED eyes and
no real emotion. The
‘rejected’ sign on its head
suggests that’s something is
wrong with it and creates
drama and mystery for the
people viewing the poster.
This point of the poster
anchors audiences and
makes them want to
compare this robot to other
ones seen in other films.
The Weak Fallow Area and the Terminal Area feature very little apart
from the upper torso of the robot and some information about the
film. The title is clearly visible, along with the release date and the fact
it can be experienced in IMAX. Another anchoring point is used by
stating that the film is from the director of district 9. This will entice
fans of that film to go and see this one.

10. be used, in order to find out what people do and don’t like about a certain genre or perhaps
a certain film. The survey may also ask questions directly relating to the film in production,
possibly asking questions relating to the story, casting etc. and whether or not they think
they are good ideas. They may use secondary research to find out what past opinions
people have had of certain films and genres, though they will most likely use primary
research which is specific to their film. Secondary sources may include sites such as IMDb, to
see how much the film made and how popular it was, as well as to read in-depth reviews.
Qualitative research is where the research for the film goes into depth and involves surveys,
questionnaires and other methods. This form of research will gain more detailed answers.
Quantitative Research is generally numerically driven and will feature more answers though
not in as much detail. The director may have looked at his previous science fiction film,
District 9, and pulled elements from that to use in Chappie. The former was very successful,
both critically and commercially, and the director will have wanted to recreate this success.