This document discusses different types of target audiences for films, including global audiences, national audiences in the UK, and local UK audiences. It provides examples of films that successfully targeted these different audiences: Four Weddings and a Funeral targeted a wide global audience with its universal themes of love and quirky British characters. In contrast, The Boat That Rocked attempted to appeal to both teenagers and older audiences nostalgic for the 1960s but struggled because elements that appealed to one group put off the other. The document also discusses how American films and institutions try to appeal to British audiences.

1. Audience

2. What is a Target Audience
 “Who would stand in a queue, outside in the freezing
cold, at night, in January to see this film?”
 Gender, Age, Socioeconomic status, Rural/Urban, Race,
Family status, Special Interest (political/Religious/Music/
Art/ Relationship etc)
 Mass Target Audience vs Niche Target Audience
 Global Target Audience vs Local Target Audience

3. Global Target Audience
 Universal stories with universal appeal (relationships/
traditional boy meets girl kinds of stories/ Famous
stories that everyone would know)
 Universal Themes (Love/ Revenge/ Journey)
 Universal experiences (Families/Jobs/Relationships)
 Traditional Stereotypes
 Wide range of traditional characters (Age and gender)
 ‘Safe’ humour
 Not too violent (Rating of about 12)

4. How does this film have Global
Appeal?

5. Others…..

6. The National British Audience
 Specific UK Culture and History
 Well known UK stereotypes
 Social Realism
 Nostalgia/ Heritage Films
 Satirical Humour
 ‘British’ stories and Ideas.

7. How does this film have national
appeal?

8. Others?

9. The ‘Local’ British audience
 Shares many of the qualities of the National audience
but often the story might be especially relavant to the
local area because of content, stars, location, narrative
explored.

10. How do these film have local
appeal?

11. Others?

12. YES - Four Weddings and a
Funeral 1994 (Working Title)
 One of the highest grossing British Films in cinema history
 Wide target audience 20 -40 yrs (less diverse)
 Universal themes, witty dialogue, stereotypical quirky British
characters, favourite American genre, American star (Andie
MacDowell), mix of personalities
 The success of FWF meant that many UK film makers started to
make film with ‘universal’ appeal rather than British appeal
 ‘Really American films with an English accent’
 Don’t deal with the social struggles/issues but instead have
‘insignificant story lines’

13. Can films appeal to all audiences
successfullY?

14. NO - The Boat that Rocked (Co
Production)
 Target Audience – large and diverse
 Teenagers/Young Adults – type of humour, use of actors that would
be recognisable from other ‘teen’ films (Gemma Arteton – St
Trinians), rebellious spirit, Release in the April half term, stereotypes,
colours on posters are bright
 Older people reliving the 60’s – the music, the setting, the historical
story and references, well known director for this group, classic
British stereotypes, Poster is like The Beatles (Abbey Road) or Andy
Warhol work

15. NO - The Boat that Rocked
 Target Audience – large and diverse and difficult!
 But what made it appeal to one audience was what would put off the
other.
 Very heavily male cast and the only female characters are not that
positive…..
 R15 rating also cut out a lot of its target audience (DK was 12)
 Failed to appeal to enough of either group in both the UK and US
market

17. How do American Institutions try
to appeal to the British audience?
 Use examples from this years Oscars