The document discusses the target audience for a media product. The author notes that their research showed thriller films typically target young adults aged 18-25. However, audiences can vary - for example, the film "Gone Girl" appealed more to females aged 18-24 while "Seven" appealed more to older males. The author decided to target young adults as they fall in this age range and could relate more to this demographic. Research including a questionnaire of over 40 people aged 11-17 supported this choice. Elements like young actors, modern costumes and music style were incorporated to appeal to this audience.

1. QUESTION
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“Who would be the audience for your media product?”
From reading back onto my research, the typical market that thriller films target is young adults aged 18-25.
They are most attracted to the intense storylines and graphic action. However, on my yougov profiles ‘Gone
Girl’ audience was females ages 18-24 but other thrillers such as seven were older (40-54) and male. This is
a difference in opinions and research but I decided overall I would target the young adult audience. This is
not only because of the research but also due to my age and how I could relate to it with my own experience
of thrillers. It was a lot easier to gather information and plan out how I would attract this specific audience.
Also, I wanted to follow the conventions of a thriller film therefore, the audience it targets is important to
consider when filming.
I wanted my film to appeal to the young
adult age group, therefore I used young
actors to be able to give a sense of
identification and so that the audience can
relate. This is also common in other thriller
films for example ‘Gone Girl’ I researched
has all young actors aged around 18-30 to
be able to appeal to its audience more
effectively. The similarity in age made it
easier to target my audience.
I also choose costumes that would attract my
audience as they wear modern day styles such as
trainers. This will give a sense of familiarity for the
audience as they will be able to pick up on these
small details. In addition, the typography within my
titles is very modern and sleek in order to appeal to
my audience better. Due to new technology and
young adults been obsessed with the modern style, I
wanted to create this specific theme so it would
captivate the viewers.
Referring back to my research, I carried out a questionnaire that was over 40 people filled out. Over 90% were
aged 11-17 which was great as this was my chosen age group to target. On one of the questions ‘What interests
you the most about thriller films?’ Most answered either suspense moments or storyline. Furthermore, I tried to
incorporate these features in my film sequence. At the end of my film there is a suspense moment as she turns
around. Also, the build-up of action/scary music would appeal to my audience as it’s very tense. I also thought
through my storyline very well so it made sense and they would understand it. I didn’t want it to be too
complicated. They also answered for what location would be best and ‘Abandoned House’ was one of the most
popular choices. From this, I decided to shoot my film in an abandoned garage which added scariness and would
appeal to my audience more. A significant factor within my questionnaire was the question ‘What builds
suspense in a thriller?’ which most answered music. Because of this, I tried to focus on the music and ensure it
would be effective in my scene. This questionnaire feedback really helped me to gain ideas and information on
what my target audience want to see and what I should include. I think I used this questionnaire to my
advantage as I choose many features around it so it would appeal to my specific audience.
Because I was in this age group it was much easier to direct and produce what I wanted within my film and what
I believe would appeal to them. However, having information and research to back this up and give different
opinions was extremely useful.