2. Demographic
The demographic for our film
is people aged 16-25 and we
addressed this by having
locations, actors and
situations that would reflect
the lives of audience we were
targeting – therefore they are
able to relate to the film and
connect with the main
character as they may have
been in a similar situation or
know somebody that has.
3. Location
We chose to use a café because it is a very
‘normal’ location and it shows that
somebody could be stalked anywhere and
it doesn’t have to be in an alley or
somewhere dangerous. The demographic
we are targeting most probably visit many
cafés are therefore are going to relate to
the situation of the location as well as the
character of the girl.
Therefore, this adds even more normality
to the Thriller and reinforces that it is
meant to be a very realistic genre and
tapping in the audience’s deepest fears –
the fear of being watched or stalked.
Also ‘Animal Kingdom’ has a scene in a
café and is used in a similar way because of
the main character ‘J’ being a 17-year-old
boy in a very difficult situation and the use
of everyday and ordinary locations makes
it even more realistic to the audience.
4. Character
The girl in our Thriller was acted by
Kaya, who is 17. This means that the
actress and the character both fit the
demographic therefore meaning that
they are able to relate to her situation.
The audience might also have a part-
time job just like ‘Darcie’ in our film
therefore again relating back to the
normality of the film.
News and magazine articles are seen all
the time about young girls being
stalked or even killed by older males
and in this ordinary setting it shows the
audience that it can happen to anyone.
5. Cliff-hanger
The cliff-hanger of the opening to our film sees
the main character stealing money from the till and
then being locked inside a freezer.
Firstly, the audience will see a seemingly innocent
girl become untrustworthy and sly as she tries to
take the money when nobody is looking. This
shows the audience that perhaps she isn’t an
ordinary girl and that is why she is being stalked or
she is just very deviant and thus becomes the
Femme Fatale – therefore resulting in the audience
not being able to tell good from evil – a key aspect
of the Thriller genre. As the audience cannot tell
whether the man is a stalker or police-cop, whether
the girl is untrustworthy and deviant or the victim
in this situation. This thus creates tension and
mystery around her as a character and intrigues the
audience to find out more about her.
The use of the freezer encapsulates the fear of
claustrophobia in that most people would hate to
be trapped in a confined space. With the man
clearly dominating her the audience can see no
escape for the character.
6. Overall
Overall, the narrative of the film is slightly less complex
than it would be if it was aimed at entirely adults – thus
making it slightly easier to follow for an audience that
may not be so familiar with the Thriller genre.
To conclude, I think that our film definitely has many
aspects that mean it can relate to the target audience.
Mainly the use of the main character being the same age
as the target audience means that they can instantly
connect with the character and the actress.
Although many people in the primary target audience
may not see the intertextual references to other major
Thrillers such as The Third Man, The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo, etc. they will still be able to appreciate
the film and the narrative itself.
