1. Megan Hughes
In thispodcastI will be analysingthe relationshipbetweenproducersandaudiences.
Producerscarry out audience researchtoattempttounderstandwhotheiraudienceisbefore
marketingtoensure it’saimedatthe correct people. There are manydifferenttypesof audience
research. Primaryresearch isa new research whichis carriedout to answerspecificissuesor
questions.Itcaninvolve questionnaires,surveysorinterviewswithindividualsorfocus groups.
Secondary research isresearchwhichhasalreadybeenpreviouslyconducted forotherpurposesand
ispubliclyavailable foranyone touse. Qualitative andquantitativeresearchgoesintomore detailon
primaryresearchand allowsexpressionof opinionswhichisoftenuseful withinfilm.Anexample of
thistype of researchis onwebsitessuchasIMDB. The filmreviewsthatthe publicwrite onthese
typesof websitesare examplesof qualitative researchastheycan expressopinionsandmotivations
for theirreasons. Aswell as this,onIMDB, the publiccanrate filmsoutof 10 and give themrated
stars whichwouldcountas quantitative researchasitsnumerical datawhichcan make up statistics
for audience profiling. Marketresearchalsoplaysahuge role inidentifyingandattractingthe
correct audience bymakingaparticularfilmbe noticedthrough marketingsuchasposters,trailers
and merchandise. Todetermine the targetaudience of afilm, filmproducershave tocarryout a
seriesof marketresearch.Marketresearchisthe main aspectof identifyingandattractingthe right
audience andadaptingthemintowordof mouthbrand ambassadorsforfilms.Thistype of research
iscarried outthroughpre-productionandpostproductiontechniquestoallow filmmakerstogeta
betterunderstandingof theirtargetaudience orinthe case of post-production,gainfeedback. Pre-
productionaidsfilmproducersbyallowing themexploreintoaudienceswantsandneedsand
justifyingwhatisexpectedfromaparticularfilmwhetheritbe a storyline,characters,genre or
certainiconography.Bycarryingout pre-production research,itgives filmmakersthe knowledge to
make theirfilmbetterand fulfill whatisexpectedof it.Anexampleof thisiswhenfilmsare test
screenedbefore theyare releasedanda specifiedtargetaudience getthe chance tocommenton
factors aboutthe filmthattheythinkshouldbe changedor made differentinorderforproducersto
response andmake improvementsbefore it’sdistributedworldwide.Postproductionresearchcan
be as simple asgettingpeople inacinemaviewingtoanswersome questionsregardingthe filmin
orderto receive feedbackonwhattheylikedandwhattheydidn’tlike.
The distributorof a filmisa companywhoconnectsthe producerandthe audience.Theyare
responsible forthe sellingandmarketingof filmsbyproducingmaterialssuchasposters,trailersand
othermerchandise thatwill getpeople intothe cinematoview aspecificfilm.The role of a
distributorentailsgettingthe audience tohearaboutthe filmbypublicisngitandraisingawareness.
Theyare alsoaccountable forchoosinginwhichcinemasafilmwill be shown,how manydigital
copiestosendout forviewingandchoosingafilmstime of release.The time inwhichafilmis
releasedcanvaryhowpopularit will be incinema.Forexample,if itwascomingupto Valentine’s
Day, releasingaromance filmwouldbe idealorif itwas comingup to Halloween,releasingahorror
filmwouldbe ideal asthe audience are alreadyinthe moodforthisspecificseasonsoitwill attracta
wideramountof people.Manylarge distributioncompaniessuchas20th
CenturyFox andWarner
Bros work alongside HollywoodStudios sotheyalreadyhave the full producing,distributingand
exhibitingprocessreadymade whereasothersmallerdistributorssuchasLionsgate have topitch
theirfilmideatoothercompaniesastheyworkindependentlysoingeneral itwouldtake them
longertorelease afilmas theyhave tocreate a processalongthe way.
2. Megan Hughes
The three differenttypesof filmmarketingthatare usedto attract a target audience are
advertisement,publicityandpromotion.Ontermsof advertising,bigHollywoodstudiosnow spend
between$50-100milliononjustmarketingthe filmbymaking filmposters,trailers,newspapersand
magazines.Byexpandingthe amountof moneytheyspendonadvertising,theyknow itwillcreate a
widerrange of audience asthe amountof advertisementisincreasingsoitwill be more successfully
noticed.Filmpostersare the mostpopularformof advertisingasthey’re usuallythe firstpartof
advertisementthatisreleasedwhile the filmisstill beingmade inordertoraise awarenessof the
filmbygivingthe publicafirstglimpse of what’scoming.Mostblockbusterfilmsthese daystendto
have several differentfilmposters,usuallyfourof five,because they’venow gotthe moneytospend
on advertisementandthese daysit’snotuncommonforthe productioncompaniestobe usinga
large percentage of theirbudgetonmarketing.Anotherlarge partof advertisingisthe fourdifferent
typesof filmtrailers.The firsttrailertobe releasedisthe teasertrailerwhichisusuallyshownayear
inadvance but doesn’tgive alotaway.For example,whenthe new Transformersfilmwasreleased,
theirteasertrailerwasonlya fewsecondslonganditonlyshowedaspecificimagery robotand
there were soundsof robotmovementstoresemble the transformerssoitdidn’tgive alotaway.
Thisis to make the audience aware thatthe filmiscomingoutin orderfor themto keepaneye out
and waitto hearmore aboutit.The secondtype of trailerisa theatrical trailerwhichisthe main
trailer,usuallythree tofourminuteslongandgivesthe audience achance to determinethe
genre/narrative of the filmorwhatcharacterswill appear.Thenthere isaTV trailerwhichis
identical tothe theatrical trailerbutisshortenedandcut to aroundtwo minuteslongsoit’sthe
correct lengthfora TV advertisement.Lastly,there isanAudiotrailerwhichisstrictlysoundand
containsnoimagery,specificallydesignedforradioadvertising.
In film,advertisingcanalsoappearinmagazines,newspapersorpressarticleswhichusuallygive
brief informationonthe film,highlightsof the plot, whothe maincharactersare or evenshotsfrom
on the set.Pressarticleswouldusuallycontainaseriesof questionsaskedbyapublicisttoeither
one of the cast membersorpart of the production crew to create a biography. Thisisa good
example of advertisingbecause itallowsthe filmmakerstotargeta veryspecificaudience.For
example,if theyweretorelease anactionfilmandwantedtotarget an elderteenageroradultmale
audience,theycouldadvertise the filmincarmagazines suchas Evo or gamingmagazines suchas
GamesTM whoentail thistype of audience. The nexttype of advertisingIwill discussispublicity
whichusuallyoccursthroughthe stars withinthe film.Anexample of publicitymarketingfora filmis
whenHeathLedgerdiedwhoplayedThe Jokerinthe Batmanfilms,althoughthispublicitywas
unintentional andunexpected,itstill publicizedthe filmandmade people wanttowatchit because
it wasa currentthinginthe pressthat he’ddiedandit washisrole in the filmthatimpactedonhis
death.The internetplaysalarge role inpublicityfora filmdue tofilmreview websitessuchasIMDB
and social mediainthe likesof Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. The internetisamore successful
wayto publicize afilm;especiallyif it’slow budgetanddoesn’thave areadymade audience thatyou
knowwill wanttowatch it,creatinga website (whichall filmshave)iseasyandcheap to do
comparedto othertypesof advertisement.Inthisdayandage, 74 percentof the publicinthe 18-
65+ age group are on social mediamakingthe internetmore increasinglyinteractive.Thishasan
impacton viral marketingbecause assoonas there isa poston Facebookabouta filmwhetheritisa
spoilerortrailer,it’ssharedconsistentlyacrossthe social mediawebsite andthe filmbecomesmore
and more frequently noticed.
3. Megan Hughes
The last type of marketingIwill review is promotionwhichisbasedon merchandiseand product
placementanditstargetaudience.Dependingonwhere afilmispromoted,youare likelytoattract
variousdifferentaudienceswithdifferentneedsfromafilmbutyoucan alsoexpanduponyour
target audience bypromotingafilmsomewheredifferenttowhere the specifictargetaudiencelies.
For example,the stereotypical audience foraJamesBondfilmwouldbe malesbecause it’sanaction
filmswhichcontainsfastcars,sexyladies,gunsandeverythingelse amale wouldwanttosee.
However,whenthe filmBondfilm,Quantumof Solace,wasbeingmarketed,itwaspromotedina
fashionmagazine due tothe Omegawatchthat mainstar, Daniel Craig,waswearing.Thisshowsthe
processof expandingatargetaudience asmost fashionmagazinesare aimedspecificallyatfemales
because it’sa commoninterestthatmoststereotypicalwomenshare.With promotionalsocomes
tie-ins,spinoffsand preexistingproperty. Tie-insare formedby promotionalpartnershipsbetween
the filmandits charactersand a certainproduct or company.A commontype of companythat help
withfilmpromotionare fastfoodchainssuchas McDonalds or BurgerKingas theyattract various
differenttypesof peopleallowingthe filmtobe promotedmore widelyacrossthe world.An
example of thisfromthe pastiswhenthe Minionsmovie (Pierre Coffin,2015) was releasedlastyear
and McDonaldspartneredupwiththe distributors,UniversalPictures,tohelppromote the filmby
givingawaya free miniontoywitheveryhappymeal boughtfromthe restaurant. Spin-offsare a
productmade basedon one that alreadyexistssoitcouldbe a filmmade basedona TV seriesthat
has alreadybeencreatedorvice versa.An
example of thisisThe InbetweenersMovie
(BenPalmer,2011) whichwas producedafter
the successof The InbetweenersTV series
(2008) shownonChannel 4. Thismakesit a
spinoff as the filmwasmade basedon
preexistingstorylines,charactersand
narratives. Lastly, preexistingproperty isused
as a technique of promotionwhichiswhena
filmismade basedonpreexistingmaterial
whichcouldbe a videogame,comicbookor
novel.Due tothe newfilmrelease,this
can cause the preexistingmaterial tore-
release newversionsorupdate covers
withimageryfromthe filmtohelpwith
furthermarketing.One example of afilm
whichwasmade basedon preexisting
material isthe filmThe Faultinour Stars
(JoshBoone,2014) whichwasoriginallya
bookthat got previouslyreleasedin2012
by authorJohnGreen.Thisfilmwas
probablyone of the most successful filmsmade off preexistingmaterialasthe bookwas sufficiently
popularto beginwith.
4. Megan Hughes
A filmIhave analysedintermsof marketingtounderstandthe relationshipbetweenthe producer
and itsaudiencesisSpectre (SamMendes,2015).The actionfilmwhichwasreleasedin late 2015
starringHollywoodactorDaniel Craigformspart of the JamesBond filmseriesalongside otherfilms
such as Skyfall (2012),Quantumof Solace (2008) and CasinoRoyale (2006) and had a grand budget
of $245,000,000. The targetaudience of Spectre,similartoall otherBondfilms,ismiddle agedmales
due to the masculine maincharacter,actionpackedstoryline andnarrative; therefore the filmwas
marketedina waythat wouldappeal tothese kindsof people.The mainmethodof marketingfor
any filmwouldbe afilmposter inthe style of billboards,print,travel,etc like the twoimages
displayedbelow:
ThisfirstfilmposterforSpectre isdesignedtoattractits targetaudience of middle agedmales
throughthe use of masculine colours suchasblacksand greys,boldfontsandstandardaction attire
such as the gun andgun holster.The central male protagonistonthe poster,Daniel Craig,whois
standingquite boldlywithasternfacial expression, wouldalsoappeal tomalesasitgivesafeel for
the genre.The formal ‘007’ textallowsthe readymade targetaudience toknow thatSpectre will be
a classicJamesBond filmasit’san ongoingcode andconvention;thisshowsBondfilmscouldbe
classedasa sub-genre of actionbecause they’re soiconicandwell known. The darktone incolours
givesoff darkthemesaboutthe filmSpectre asif there will be battlesandproblemsthatthe
characters will have toovercome.Overall,the postertome portrays themesof suspense,danger
and mysteryasexpectedinaBond film.
5. Megan Hughes
ThissecondfilmposterforSpectre,while appealingtoitstargetaudience of middleagedmales
couldalsoappeal to an alternative audienceof middleagedfemales due tothe image of character
Lea Seydoux alongside JamesBond.Ithinkthisposterwouldappeal tofemalesmore thanthe first
one for thisreasonas the positioningof the twomaincharacters couldindicate aromance between
themwhicha typical female wouldtake interestin,alsothe factthat Daniel Craigisdressedto
impressinhissuitonthispostercouldattract femalesattentionashe’sknowntobe an attractive
male withinthe filmindustry,especiallypreviousBondfilms.Aswell asthis,the coloursappear
much brighterinthisposter; the reds and orangesfeaturedinthe backgroundare more eye
grabbingfroma woman’spointof view,howeverthere’sstill the use of the scarymaskand gun
imagerytokeepthe malesinterested. The coloursinthe postercanalsoresemble moodsand
themes,forexamplethe redcouldindicate dangerordeathandthe orange couldresemble fire as
these thingsdooccur inthe film. Ithinkthe middle agedmale targetaudience wouldappreciate the
female characteronthe posteras she looksquite sexywiththe wayherbodyispositionedandher
facial expressionlooksquite meanandflirtatious.
Both posterswere placedinbusycitiessuchasManchesterTownCentre andaround Londonto gain
maximumcoverage andmultiplythe amountof people thatwill gotosee the film.Forthe purpose
of the targetaudience,the posterswere alsoplacedinmagazinessuchasGQ and Empire that
containhighfashionandsupercarsto attract malesto watchthe film. Expandingthe location of the
filmposterswill alsohelptoattract alternative audiencesinhope forthe productioncompaniesto
gainmore profitsfromthe film.
There are fourdifferenttypesof trailersforeachfilmthatgive the targetaudience abetterideaof
the plot:a teasertrailer,theatrical trailer,TV trailerandaudiotrailer.The twomainonesIwill be
analysingforSpectre are the teaserwhichgivesthe audience aninitialideaof the filmandmake
themaware that it’sbeingreleasedandthe theatrical whichgivesoff alotmore detail ontermsof
characters,narrative and the storyline.
Teasertrailerlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ashLaclKCik
Theatrical trailerlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GqClqvlObY
6. Megan Hughes
The music featuredinthe teasertrailerwasvery
mysteriousdiegeticmusic,whichmade the scenes
appeara lotmuch more intense foritsaudience asit
addedclimax andsuspense.Anexampleof thisis
whenyousee Bondsailingacrossa lake to beginhis
missionandthe musicbecomesveryheavyandwith
deepertonestoshowthe dark themes.Alsowhen
he’sapproachinganabandonedhouse notknowingwhat’sinside,the musicgetsmore intensewith
a vague beatingnoise inthe backgroundasif it’shis heartracing because he doesn’tknow whatto
expectandthe climax isbuildingup.Thentowardsthe endof the traileryoucan hearchimes,pianos
and othereerie instrumentsthatgive off mysterious
themesaswe lookat a mansat at a deskindarknessso
all youcan see ishissilhouetteashe says‘finallyhere
we are’ before there isanintense gunshotatthe screen
inorder to stunthe audience.Thismakesthe target
audience askquestionsastowhothisman isand whyis
he wantingto see andspeakto Bond?
AnotheraudioelementInoticedinthe teasertraileriswhenMoneypenny,Bond’scolleague,quotes
‘You’ve gota secret,somethingyoucan’ttell
anyone because youdon’ttrustanyone’which
allowsthe targetaudience tothinkthatBond’s
past life willbe exploredwithinthe filmSpectre.
The short traileralsofeaturesaveryvague image
of an AstonMartinsupercar whichisiconicinall
JamesBondfilms withaloudrevvingengine sound
whichwill immediatelyappeal tomostmiddle
agedmalesas it’sa commondream thatmany of
themshare to ownand drive a supercar.I thinkif there wasmore than justa splitsecondof the
AstonMartin beingfeaturedinthe trailer,there wouldbe more interestfromyoungermalesas
they’re stereotypedtolike fastcarsandmanic driving.Aswell asthis,the teasertrailer,asexpected,
didn’tfeature asmanyelliptical elements,itdidn’tshow anyhighkeymomentswithexplosionsor
fightingandnotmany gadgetsandweaponswere featuredtotryandattract a widerrange audience
but as itwas onlya teasertrailertomake the publicaware thatthe filmisbeingreleaseditwas
satisfactoryinportrayinga storyline andgivingthe audience anideaof the genre.
On the otherhand,the theatrical trailerfor
Spectre wasactionpackedand containeda
sufficientamountof elliptical elements
whichwouldbe more likelytointriguethe
target audience intowatchingthe film.The
theatrical trailerattracteda muchbroader
target audience asit spoke more about
Spectre as an organisationandgave the
7. Megan Hughes
audience areasonto watch the filmand findoutwho it isthat runs Spectre and whatit’sall about.
As well asthis,due tothe trailerbeinglonger
and muchmore detailed,certainvisual
elementscouldbe includedtoattract a wider
range of audience intermsof social classand
the ABC1 scale. A substantial quote withinthe
filmtraileriswhenBond’sassistant,Q,says:
‘Do youknowlinksthemall?’meaningthe
Spectre organisationandJamesBondreplies
‘Me’whichwill make the audience wonderwhy
doesBondconnectthissinisterorganisationandwhatrole doeshe playinit?Thisscene inparticular
showselliptical elements aswhenJamesreplies‘me’inthe conversationwithQ,the shotcutsto his
name writtenona stone wall inbloodwhichcould
indicate thatBondis goingto die orbe indanger.
The trailerfeaturedmanymore explosions,
gadgetsand fastcar chasesas expectedinaBond
filmwhichwouldattracta widerrange of male
audiencesasthey’re expectedtolove intense
action.The theatrical traileralsogave off more
cluesto the targetaudience intermsof location
and narrative.The filmhadclearsettingsinMexicoCity,inspecificthe ‘Dayof the Dead’ festival,
Rome and Londonwhichcouldbroadenthe audience throughdemographicprofiling. Additionally,in
contrast to the teasertrailer,the theatrical trailerstarredtwobondgirls,LeaSeydoux andMonica
Bellucci whichwouldattractanalternative audience asfemalesmightbe attractedtowatch the film
throughthe actressesstarringinit. Besidesthis,theseparticulartwoactressesare likelytoappeal to
a broadermale target audience asLea,beinganattractive youngwoman will attracta youngermale
audience,and Monicawill attractan oldermale audience asshe’sanelderactress.One otherquote
inthistraileriswhenMoneypennytellsBond‘you’re finished’and it’sunclearwhethershe meansit
inthe wayof deathor he’sbeenfiredfrombeinganagent,thismakesthe audiencewonderhow
Bondis indanger.Alongside the fastpacededitingandlow keylighting,the use of the protagonist
(Bond) andseveral antagonistsallowsthe male audience toknow the actionfilmwillbe thrillingand
substantial intermsof the genre.Propp’stheorycouldbe appliedtothistheatrical filmtrailerasyou
see rolesof the herowhichisBond, the villainplayedbyMr.White,love interestasMadeline and
helpersasQ and MissMoneypenny.
The filmSpectre (Mendes,2015) hada large financial determinantwhichmeanttheywere ableto
internationallymarketthe filmall overthe worldtoincrease theirchancesof alarger,broadertarget
audience.TheyalsomarketedSpectre inparticularpublications,whichattractedmalesorfemalesinspecific.
From this,it’seasiertoknowwhatto feature incertainpublicationsandhow itwouldencourage certain
genderstogo and watchthe film.Pressarticleswereissuedinmale/filmglobalmagazinessuchasEmpire,
GQ and Total Filmhadpagesor coversfeaturingthe Spectre filmorcharactersfromsuch as Bond himself to
promote andraise awarenessof itsexistenceinthe filmindustryatthe time.One of Spectre’smost
recognisable filmreviewswasissuedbyThe Guardiannewspaperwhichhadaheadline of: ‘Spectre review
roundup;criticsimpressedbyBond’slatestouting’. Thisnewspaperknowinglyattractsaverywide
8. Megan Hughes
demographicprofileworldwide soinresultthe article,whichglorifiedthe film, wouldhave maximum
coverage enhancingthe chancesof influencingmultipletypesof people togoand watchthe film.
Main stars Daniel Craigand MonicaBellucci featuredonacover of GQ
alongside fourothercoversGQreleasedfeaturing articlesonSpectre,
whichwasveryformal and classybeingaimedata highprofile target
audience suchasmaleswithmoneythat
have taste in fashionandcars. Whereas
Lea Seydoux,anotherbondgirl,featured
on the coverof Loadedmagazine which
isknownto be a ‘ladsmag’whichfitsin
well withherseductiveimage toappeal
to the youngermale targetedtowatch
the film.Thiscouldinfluence these
youngmalestowatch the filmbecause theywanttosee more of her
as an actress andsee howshe fitsthe role of Bond’swoman.
Furthermore,TopGearalso releasedarticlesonSpectre intheir
magazine throughdiscussing‘Bond’sgarage’andcomparingall the
differentcarshe’sdrove inhisfilmswiththe AstonMartinhe drivesinSpectre.
One otherform of marketingisthe use of The Internetincludingofficial websitessuchasIMDB and
RottenTomatoeswhichcontainfanforumsandfilmreviewstoprolongthe filmexperience of
Spectre (Mendes,2015) and otherfilmsforthe
intendedtargetaudience.Whenlookingatthe
filmreviewsforSpectre,Inoticedamany
membersof the publichadsaidthey’dlikedthe
filmhoweveritdidn’tcompare tothe previous
BondfilmSkyfall (Mendes,2012) andtheyset
the bar too highin the past.Overall,most
review websiteslikethishave the powerto
eitherattractor distractaudiencesfrom
watchinga filmbasedonitsreviewsandstar
rating.For example,Spectre gaineda6.9 rating
fromthe IMDB website whichispositive because more thanhalf the peoplethathave watched it
likedit,howeverIthinkif youthensawa filmwithahigherratingbeingmarketed,you’dbe more
likelytowatchthat instead.Fromthis,dependingonthe audience,theyare etherinfluencedornot
to go and watchthe filmSpectre.Alongside this,there are alsomanyunofficialwebsitesonthe
internetwhichcontainthe likesof fanforums,fanfictionandfanart to make the film, Spectre,more
interactive withitstargetaudiencebecause thereare somanyout there beingcreatedbymembers
of the publicthatare Bondfans.Positively,theseofficial andunofficial websitesdohelptoextend
the pleasuresof afilmlike Spectre.The Spectre filmalsocreatedanofficial website whichinvolveda
seriesof interactive featuresthatwouldappeal todifferenttypesof demographicprofilessuchas:
Q’s workshop,trailers,Bondscharactersandexhibitions,behindthe scenesinformationwithcast
and crew,posters,car gallery,andshop.Inadditiontothis,there isalsoa linkonthispage where
youcan buy ticketsinhope that seeingall the interactive aspectsmightleadthe audience of this
website,males,togoand watchthe film.Itisnoticeable how the websitewouldappealmore toa
9. Megan Hughes
memberof the male publicasappose to a memberof
the female publicdue tothe blandblack,white and
greycoloursusedas the backgroundof the website,the
veryboldand sharpfontsand the central double
exposure image onthe page showingBondinasuitand
inthe backgroundagainwearingamask at the Day of
the Dead festival.
Similartothisthere isalsoWeb 2.0 whichprimarilyentailssocial networkingsitessuchasInstagram,
Facebook,Twitter,YouTube andTumblrallowingthe castandcrew of the filmSpectre tobe more
interactive withitstargetaudience.There isaFacebookSpectre page made upof reviews,questions
and otherinformationaboutthe filmdevelopingthe relationshipbetweenboththe producersand
theiraudience asbothpartiescan commentandaccess one another’s
quires.AlsoduringfilmingSpectre,Bondgirl LeaSeydoux postedan
image of herself filmingthe scenesinAustriaandhashtagged‘Spectre
Selfie’whichwilltrendwideworldalsoappealingtoawide range of
audience;includingfemalesthatfollow herpage fromlikingherasan
actressor fashionicon. UsingWeb 2.0 as a form of marketingincreases
the chancesof attractinga broaderaudience togoand watch the filmas
it’sbeenquotedthat 74% of the publicaged18 to 65+ all use some form
of social mediasowhenit’sbeingviral marketingusing sharingorliking,
the contentwill become noticedbya widerrange of demographic
profiles.Alsoattractingamassive audience byadvertisingwhenthe film
will be issuedonDVDandblue-rayisYouTube,whoalsoairedthe Premiere forthe Spectre film
includingaQ&A withMr Bond himself.
The merchandisingforSpectre sharedatargetaudience of prominentlymalesbutalsofemalesby
releasingaseriesof itemssuchasfragrances,007 necklace pendant,Spectre notebookand
Moneypennystyle handbagaimedspecificallyatwomen.However,asmalesare the more dominant
target audience,thereisawiderchoice of merchandise aimedatmensuchas the AstonMartin
DB10 keychain,Spectre/007style clothingincludingsnapbacks,t-shirtsandjackets,acar driving
track, a briefcase similartothe one Bond hadhimself,007 aftershave,Spectrecufflinksandsoon.
Although,the marketersof Spectre successfully triedto
attract female demographicsinordertomaximise the
productioncompaniesprofits.There were also tie-ins
available fromothercompaniessuchasthe Spectre watch
by Omegabutwouldideallybe aimedatmalesjudging
fromthe chunkywriststrapand Spectre labelledBelvedere
vodkaalsoideallyaimedatmenbyusingthe colourblue on
the label – bothaimedspecificallyatthe targetaudience of
malestotry and draw theirattentionintowatchingthe
film.Byissuingthese tie-ins,Spectre are able toattracta
much widerdemographicaudienceasmostof the
companiessuchas Belvedere tooktosocial media tohelp
promote the filmaswell astheirownproduct.
10. Megan Hughes
In additiontothese marketingtechniques,promotional interviewsalsotake partinthe marketingof
filmsbyallowingthe castof the filmor membersof the crew to answerquestionsandgive out
informationaboutthe makingof the film.Spectre (Mendes,2015) in specifcdidinterviewswith
Daniel CraigandLea Seydoux,Bondandhislady,onthe Spectre setwhenfilminginLondonbefore
the release of the film.Also,postthe filmbeingreleased,Daniel Craigappearedonnational TV show
‘The EllenDegenerousShow’totell the broaddemographicaudience abouthistime filmingand
whatit was like toworkwiththe othercast members. Due tothisshow beingpopularinthe US and
the UK, Daniel Craigbeingheart-warmingandcomical withthe audience wouldhave definitely
attractedthemto go and watch the filmSpectre.The increasinglypositive reviewsof Spectre also
enhancedthe chancesforthe filmhavinggoodwordof mouthfeedbackencouragingmore of the
populationtogoand watch the film.Dependingonsocial classof the male targetaudience,the
higherclassaudience onthe ABC1 scale maypleasure fromthe filmdue tothe formal charactersin
suitsor interestingstoryline;howeverthe lowerclassoryoungermalesmaypleasure fromthe use
of fastcars, highactionactivityor Bondwomen.
Furthermore,Ialsodecidedtoanalyse Frozenformysecondfilmintermsof marketingand
discussingthe relationshipbetweenthe producersandaudience.FrozenwasdirectedbyJennifer
Lee and releasedin2013. The popularDisneyfilmisastory abouta newlyqueenedgirl namedElsa
whoaccidentallyusesherpowertoturnthingsintoice to curse her home ininfiniteweatherwhile
hersister,Anna,teamsupwitha mountainman,hisplayful reindeerandasnowmanto change the
weatherconditionsbacktosafety.The targetaudience forthisfilmwouldmainlybe childrenof all
agesdue to it beinga Disneyfilm;howeverIwouldsayitwouldappeal tothe female gender more
than male due toits twomaincharacters beingprincesses.Frozenwasmarketedall overthe world
by the use of posters,trailers,magazinesandnewspapers,the internet,web2.0andespecially
merchandising.Here are twopostersIhave analysedtoshow how theywill appeal totheirintended
target audience:
11. Megan Hughes
Thisfirstposterisdesignedtoattract itstarget audience of childrenthroughthe use of animated
characters,vibrantcoloursand central Disneylogo.Disneyspecialiseincreatinganimatedfilmsfor
childrensuchas Frozen.The animated,lifelike charactersandquirkyfontsappeal tothemasan
alternative styletootherfilmpostersalongsidethe vividcoloursthatare extremelyeye catchingand
draw ina lot of attention.The young,female targetaudience wouldappreciate the dominant
princesscharacterin the topleftcornerof the posterwithherrealisticlongblonde hairandsparkly
dressalongwiththe castle inthe backgroundasit’sstereotypical thatfemale childrenlike
princesses.However,malechildrencouldbe attractedthroughthe pastel blue colourthatisvery
attractive and takesoverthe posteras well asthe funlookingcharactersinthe bottomright corner
that include male charactersasaudiencesare usuallyattractedtotheirowngender.The posterhas
manyvisual aspectsthatyoungerchildrencanenjoyastheymightnot fullyunderstandthe wording
howeverforthe olderchildrenthatcanbe up to 18years old,theymightdecide towatchthe film
basedon itsratings,actors that playthe animatedcharactersor narrative.Inaddition tothis,across
the top of the posteritsays ‘Fromthe creators of TangledandWreck-it-Ralph’whichare twofun,
excitingDinseyfilmsaimedatbothgendersof childrenandbothhave IMDB ratingsof 7.8 whichis
veryhighand successful encouragingolder childrentogoandwatch the film.
I wouldsaythat thissecondposterappealsmore tothe female targetaudience due tothe twomain
characters beingcentral of the posterenvisioningprincesseswithlovelyhairandbeautiful dresses.
The posteris cartoon makingitfunan appropraite forit’sintendedage groupof youngchildrenand
the vibrantcoloursalsohelpto grab attentionasthe brightpinksandbluesstandoutboldly.The
fact that the characters have a veryfriendly,smileyfacical expressionwill alsobe comfortingand
12. Megan Hughes
appealingforayoungerpersontosee makingthe postermore appropachable.Besidesthis,younger
childrenprefertolearnandlookat picture imagesratherthanwordsso thisposterhas an advantage
that itonlyhas the filmtitle andcinemarelease date inthe bottomrighthandcorner.Asyou can
see,the smallertextiswriteninaforeignlanguage showingthatitwasmarketedvirallyall overthe
worldas well asthe UK withthe intentionof creatingalargertarget audience.
Both posterswere againplacedinbusycitiessuchasManchesterTown Centre andaroundLondon
alongside billboards togainmaximumcoverage andmultiplythe amountof peoplethatwill goto
see the film.However,forthe purpose of the targetaudience,the posterswere alsoplacedin
children’smagazinessuchas the Disneyfilmmagazine andnearbytokidstheme parkssuchas
Disneyland. Thiswasdone inordertocatch the eye of the targetaudience while alsotryingto
appeal toalternative audience suchasmale childrenandteensbyexpandingthe location of the
posters.
I will alsoanalyse twofilmtrailersfromthe DisneyfilmFrozen(JenniferLee,2013),one beinga
teasertrailerandthe otherbeinga theatrical trailertoshow helpunderstandthe relationship
betweenthe producersanditsaudience whenmarketingafilm.
Teasertrailerlink:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1x76DoACB8
Theatrical trailerlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc
The teasertrailerforthe filmFrozengivesawaynocluesinrelationtothe storyline,narrative orplot
behindthe film.It’sashortclipfeaturingtwoof the characters Olaf the snowmanand Sventhe
reindeerwhoare twominorcharactersin comparisontomainstars Annaand Elsa butstill playa
large part in the film.The teasertraileropens
witha seriesof bright,vibranttext,appealing
to a youngerchild,ona blankpage stating
that the filmwasmade withthe same
creatorsfrom previousDisneyfilmsTangled
(BryonHoward,2010) andWreck-ItRalph
(RichMoore,2012) whichwill automatically
draw inthe attentionof Disneyfansthat
have watchedandappreciatedthose films.
The firstcharacter we meetisOlaf,a playful jollysnowmanthatisfunand friendlyappealingtothe
youngergeneration.He isintroducedinahumorouswayashe sniffsaflowerandsneezeslosinghis
carrot usedas a nose andit fliesacrossaniced
overlake towardsSven,the excitable,loving
reindeerwhochasesafterit.The two
characters thenbattle itoutslippingandsliding
all overthe icedlake to see whocan get to the
carrot firstas Olaf fearsthat Svenmightuse his
nose as foodwiththe intentionof makingthe
audience laughandgiggle while the humorous
battle continues.However,whenSvenbeats
him,he approachesOlaf andputs hisnose back infor himshowingapositive andfriendly
relationshipbetweenthe twoinorderto warmthe audiencesheart.Thisshowsthatthe filmis
13. Megan Hughes
approvable byparentsandwill showfun,
mischievous charactersthatwill allowtheirchildren
to laughand explore the delightsof the film. The
backgroundimagesonthe teasertrailershow a
winterwonderlandenvironmentthatlookspeaceful
withthe use of brightcoloursto keepitattractive
ensuringthe audience lookintothe settingof the
filminorderto propose a storyline.There isn’tany
specificmusicfeaturedwithinthe teasertrailer,the onlysoundwe hereisthe non-diegeticsoundof
the characters speechandinstrumental tunesinthe backgroundthathelptoinfluence the moodof
the film.Forexample,whenthe twocharactersare battlingina humorousmanor,the sound
becomesmore fastpace and higherpitchedtokeepthe humorfeelingforthe audience.The
instrumental soundalsomimicsthe charactersfootstepstoadddepthtothe tone of the trailer.
In comparisontothis,the theatrical trailer tellsthe targetaudience exactlywhatthe narrative of the
filmisandgivesmore detail inrelationtothe charactersand theirroleswithinthe film.Itstartsoff
withan image of the setting,the townof Erindale filledwithhouses,lakesandgreeneryalongside
one special castle where twomaincharacters
Annaand Elsa live.Although,asthe friendly
voice overartistintroducesusto the beautiful
townhe tellsus‘it couldn’tbe warmer,it
couldn’tbe sunnierbutthat’sall aboutto
change’whichis followedwithafierce soundof
thunderandflashingscreeninformingthe
audience thatmaybe the filmisn’tgoingtobe
happyand jollyasexpected.Atthispointthe
audience wouldalreadyhave acomplete differentview of the filmincomparisontothe teaser
traileras thisfilmbeginswithanegative vibe tellingthe frightful storyof how QueenElsahas
disruptively frozenthe townputtingeveryonein
danger. The target audience isfirstintroducedto
PrincessAnnaina humorousscene whenshe’s
walkinginice andsnow withjusta dressonsaying
‘cold,cold,cold’repetitively.The youngaudience
wouldfindthisfunnyandthe femaleswouldrelate
to herprincessstyle characterwhichinstantly
formsa connectionbetweenthe audience andthe
film. The filmtrailerthentakesadarkturn whenthe Duke of the townvoices‘If youdon’tdo
somethingsoon,we’ll all freeze todeath’whichwhile
beingdauntingisthenfadedoutbyan upbeat,chripy
soundtrackthat wouldmake the audience feel excited
and energetic.The trailerthengoesonto give more
informationaboutthe characters byshowingimages
and givingnameswhichimmediatelygivesoff more
informationincompairsontothe teasertrailer.This
getsthe youngertargetaudience preparedforthe film
14. Megan Hughes
as theyknowwhothe characters are and whatrole
theyplayinsteadof havingtofigure itout for
themselves. Thiscouldhelptoattract an alternative
target audience of male childrenandteensdue tothe
twomasculine charactersas well asMr Olaf the
Snowmanas theyknowit’snotstrictlygoingto be a
storyline basedonPrincessAnnaandQueenElsa.
The coloursfeaturedinthe trailerare eyegrabbing
and vibrantmakingitappeal toyoungerchildrenastheyprefertoworkwithcolourand imagesas
appose to textat a youngage.The trailerispositive andhumurousfromthispointonwardsaswe
see ChrisophandAnnaplayingcatchwithOlaf the snowmanshead,the couple arguingoversilly
incidentsandOlaf fallingoverseveraltimeswhichmostchilrenwill findcomical andsillyensuring
the audience are laughingandpositive.The theatrical trailerfeaturessmall amountsof textinlarge,
boldfontto make it easyforthe youngertargetaudience toread.The producersof the trailerhave
alsouseda brightvibrantneonblue colourforthe background to make it standout but alsoenkeep
withthe theme of the filmof frozenlandandice. All iconographyexpectedinaDisneyfilmisthere
inthe theatrical trailerfromthe animatedcharacters,excitablestoryline,upbeatmusicandvibrant
coloursthat all helptopursaude the Disneyloverstogoand watch the filmincinema.
Frozen(Lee,2013), similartoSpectre,also hada large financial determinantwhichmeanttheywere
able to internationallymarket the filmall overthe worldtoincrease theirchancesof a larger,
broadertarget audience. Due tothistheywere able torelease aseriesof magazinesinhope of
promotingthe filmandgettingpeopletoview itincinema.Disneyhave several magazinesin which
Frozentookthe cover andin some casesa full spreadinside totryand make the filmappeal toall
childrenbyputtingitrightinfront of theireyes.The animatedprincessstyle characters,bright
colours,bubblyfontandwide range of accessories thatcome free will immediatelygrabthe
attentionof a youngfemale childthatlovesDisneyastheyasstereotypedtowanttobe like
princessesmakingthe charactersinspirationaltothem,furtherinfluencingthemtowanttowatch
the film.Disneyeven designedtheirownversionof vogue magazine forkidsaddingthe opportunity
of itappealingtoa teenfemale audience hopingafashionmagazine mightinfluence themtowatch
the film.
15. Megan Hughes
The internetplaysalarge role in advertising andmarketingafilm. Official filmreview websites,as
previouslymentioned,suchasIMDB and RottenTomatoesholdpositive reviewsof the filmwitha
7.6 star ratingout of 10. However,inmyopinionthiscanbe seenasan unfairmisjudgementdue to
the fact that the intendedtargetaudience of youngerchildrennotbeingable tocommentand
reviewuponthe filmasthey’re simplytooyoungtouse the internet. Asseeninthisimage,this
review hasbeenwritenby
someone whoisat least
20 yearsoldbasedon
theircomment.They
couldhave watcheditas a
parentor as an adultthat
enjoyswatchingDisney
filmslike myself. Thisreviewona whole ispositive andmightencourage otherpeople of thisage to
go and watchthe filmcreatingalargerchance of an alternative audience.Onthe otherhand,thisis
an image of a negative review
inwhichinsultsthe filmsaying
it hasn’tliveduptothe
expectationsof previous
Disneyfilmssuchas
‘Rapunzel’and‘Princessand
the Frog’ whichare old
classicsmade manyyearsago.
A parentor adultwhoenjoys
Disneyfilmswhoreadsthisreviewmightbe discouragedtogoand watch itin cinemaastheymight
not wantto waste theirmoneyif theythinkthe filmwontliveuptopreviousexpectations.
Besidesthese filmreview websitesthatthe intendedtargetaudience will struggle toaccessand
understand.There are alsooffical andunoffical DisneyFrozenpagesthatcontainfanforums,facts
aboutthe characters,gamesand oppurtuniutestoplaygames andhave fun.
http://frozen.disney.com/ isanoffical website thatfeaturesvideos,galleries,blogs,quizzesand
activitieswhichare more appropiatiteforthe intendedtargetaudience. The attractive website filled
withbrightcolours
allowschildrento
access fungames,sing
alongsand
informationmakingit
an excitable learning
experience.The uses
of imageswill make it
more eye grabbing
and quizzessuchas
‘WhichFrozen
16. Megan Hughes
character are you?’will make themgiddyandencourage themtoappreactiate the filmmore and
more.Teensare alsofondof usingthe internetmakingitanexperience foranalternative audience
to enjoytoo. Unofficial websitesare oneswithnoauthoritymade bythe publicforthe use of fan
forumsand usuallydiscussingthe film.Iwasn’table tofindanywhensearchingthe internetwhich
couldpossiblyrelate tothe factthe intendedtargetaudience are tooyoungto use the web.
Similartothe internetthere isalsoWeb2.0 whichprimarily entailssocial networkingsitessuchas
Instagram,Facebook,Twitter,YouTube and
Tumblrallowingthe castand crewof the film
Frozento be more interactive withitstarget
audience;howeverdue tothe issue of the
intendedtargetaudience beingtooyoung to
use social mediathere isa barrierin
betweenthe producersandtheiraudience.
Despite this,Facebook,Instagramand
Twitterpageshave beenmade aswell as
accounts onYouTube that showclipsof the
filmorthe songsthat the characters sing
withlyricsallowingparentstogettheir
childreninvolvedaswellasteenswhoare
more oftenthannot on social media.
Throughthese accounts,the filmisachieving
a largerrange of target audiencesas
alternative audiencesthatpickupthe film
marketingon social mediacanrange from
agesof 12-100+ because social mediais
becomingmore advantagedallowingmore
people tosignupand use it easily.
The merchandisingforthe filmFrozenwasamassive thingall overthe worlddue tothe filmbeing
releasedby popularDisney Company thatseveral have shops,theme parksandotherestablishments
worldwide. Upto now,three yearsafterthe release of the film, youcangetFrozeneverything…
Frozenbeddingandpillows,Frozendollsandtoys,Frozenhairaccessories,Frozenclothingand
pyjamas,Frozenshoes,Frozenshampooandconditioner,Frozenbackpacks,Frozenearphones,
Frozendinnersets,evenFrozenwrappingpaper.The listgoesonof merchandisingproductsand
theyare all aimed mainly atfemale youngchildrenandteens butitemssuchasthe stuffedOlaf and
Sventoyscan be useful formale fans too. All of these products,that’re available attheme parks,in
Disneystoresandevenonline the official websites, helptoextendthe filmpleasure andkeepthe
target audience excitedaboutthe film,influencingthemtobuythe DVD and
watch itagain.
17. Megan Hughes
Tie inswere alsousedbythe producersof Disneyfilm, Frozen(Lee,2013).Theyintelligentlythought
of givingawayfree FrozentoyswitheveryMcdonalds happymeal all overthe worldtoincease the
chancesof childrenseeingandnoticingthe filmbyvirallymarketingit.Mcdonaldshappymealsare
made especiallyforchildrenof ayoungage so thisway the producersare puttingthe filmstraightin
frontof the audienceseyesandmakingthemexcitedbyitwithafree toy.On termsof promotional
interviews,whensearchingthe webIwasn’t
able to see anyof the crew or cast members
Q&A’sthat wouldinititallyhelpwordof the film
getout more easily.Perhapsthiswasdue tothe
fact that the target audience,again,have
trouble accessingthe internettoview these
things. However,whenvisitingtoystoressuch
as the Disneystore andHamleys,there are
more oftenthannot characters dressedupin
costume as Anna,Elsaand the rest of the cast allowingthe audience tomake contactwiththemand
create a bondwiththe audience,especiallyyoungerchildrenthatare lieklytobelieve thattheyare
the realisticcharactersfromthe film. Aswell asthis,whenvisitingthe Disneytheme parkswhether
it be inParisor the USA, there are ridesandactivitiesbasedonthe film allowingthe childrenaswell
as teensandadultsto getinvolvedandbe influencedtowatchthe film. Wordof mouthwouldhave
beena positive formof marketingwiththisfilmasitsimaginable thatyoungchildrenwill goto
school and dicussthe vieiwngof the filmandcontinue toasktheirclassmatesand friendsif they’ve
beentosee it an compare opinionsonthe storylineandcharacters.
To conclude,Ithinkthe marketingof a filmandcreatinga relationshipbetweenthe producersand
theiraudiencesisextremelyimportantinthe waythatit helpstoattract a largertarget audience to
watch the filmresultinginmaximisingthe filmprofits.
