This document provides information about the audience for the 2013 horror film "The Evil Dead". It analyzes the film's target demographic using the GEARS model, finding the audience is predominantly male ages 15-25, with a focus on white males but also ethnic groups such as African-Caribbeans. It also discusses the film's production companies, marketing campaign, box office performance grossing $97.5 million against a $17 million budget, and critical response.

1. Audience research :
The Evil Dead

2. Trailer and Synopsis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWG_w5w8ZLs
David, his drug-using sister Mia and his friends Eric, Olivia and
Natalie travel to an isolated cabin that belonged to his parents
to spend a couple of days together. Mia promises to stop using
drugs and Olivia, who is a nurse, promises to help Mia in her
abstinence. They discover a hidden basement with witchcraft
and the Book of the Dead, and Eric reads it and unintentionally
summons an evil force. Mia, Olivia and Natalie are possessed
by evil and Eric reads the book trying to learn how to destroy
the demon.

3. Production Company
• This film is produced by Tri Star Pictures,
FilmDistrict and Ghost House Pictures. These
production companies are known for producing
several other films such as thriller ‘The Call’ and
Ghost House pictures is known for producing films
such as The Grudge franchise.

4. Marketing
• This film was marketed both in print and digitally and also relied on using
social media in order to market the film as this film was produced by a
company that is not involved in ‘the big 6’ so they are more likely to use
digital campaigning to market their film
• This film was also premiered at the SXSW film festival on the 8th March
2013 and the soundtrack to the film that was released both physically and
digitally with the physical version being 30 minutes longer than the digital
version, which was released on the 9th April 2013
• This film also made ancillary revenue from the selling of merchandise such
as t-shirts, Dvds and other items of memorablia such as figurines.

5. Audience: GEARS
• G – predominantly males due to stereotypical themes of violence and horror that are usually
associated with masculinity
• E – due to the high representation of white males within the film which might be an indicator of the
audience they are hoping to reach, however from my own research I have learnt that ethnic groups
such as the afro-Caribbean community make up 61% of the audiences for horror/thriller films such as
this one
• A – due to the representation within the film we might assume that the the target audience for this
film is the age range of 15-25 by doing this the producers of this film may have excluded a
percentage of their audience by making the age rating of this film an 18 certificate due to its graphic
content
• R- Due to this film being made by a production company being based in America this film will have a
predominantly American audience however but due to the success of the original it is more likely to
reach a wider audience due to their familiarity with this film.
• S- This film is likely to be appealing to the working class and the unemployed/ those in full time
education who would fall into the socio-economic categories of C2, D and E of the socio-economic
table which includes skilled manual workers who are considered to be doing ‘blue collar’ jobs and
also ‘E’ which includes those who are considered to be unskilled and are likely to be unemployed.
However this film may be limiting its audience as it cannot cater to those who are in full time
education entirely due to its 18 age rating..

6. Stats
The film grossed $25.8 million in its opening
weekend, finishing first at the box office.[22] It
went on to gross $54.2 million domestically
and $43.3 million internationally, for a
worldwide take of $97.5 million, against its $17
million budget, making it a box office success.

7. 4 C’S Model
• This film is unlikely to appeal to the ‘Mainstreamers ‘ of Young and Rubicam’s model
as the key to their lives is security and structure. They might not feel attracted to
watching this film as horror films tend to be very chaotic and the characters aren’t in a
secure environment which makes horror films unpredictable and erratic.
• Meanwhile this film might be appealing to the explorers of this model as they are
described as always looking for something new and different which all horror films
aspire to be. They may be drawn to this film due to the new technologies it uses in its
production such as CGI and specialist lighting tools.
• This film is also unlikely to appeal to the ‘succeeders’ of this model as this segment of
audiences is likely to be career orientated and unlikely to be watching these fictional
films, however the succeeders are likely to use films such as this as a form of
escapism from their stressful work lives

8. Critical response

9. Distribution