Mainstream cinema audiences make up the largest segment of filmgoers. They tend to only watch popular blockbuster films that have significant marketing behind them. The UK Film Council categorizes audiences into mainstream, mainstream plus, aficionados, and film avids based on their openness to different genres and countries of origin. Research showed that people the assistant spoke to preferred trailers and had seen recent mainstream sequels like Taken 2 and Paranormal Activity 4, demonstrating that this audience relies on familiar franchises.

1. Secondary Audience Research
Abbie Murray

2. Cinema Audiences
• Cinema audiences are a wide strand of audience as people
who go regularly to the cinema to watch films of their
choice.
• The UK Film Council quote that “The UK Film Council’s
Distribution and Exhibition Department has two primary
functions; to help ensure that UK cinema audiences have
access to the widest possible range of films at cinemas UK
wide and to encourage audiences to increase their
propensity to view less mainstream films.”
• This indicates that too many viewers are only seeing the
mainstream films, mainly down to the fact that these are
the only ones that they have heard of; the ones that have
had more time spent on marketing.

3. Cinema Audiences
The UK Film Council define cinema audiences into
categories; mainstream, mainstream plus, aficionados
and film avids.
• Mainstream audiences = Unlikely to watch foreign or niche
films, tend to be drawn to blockbusters of a romantic or action
genre
• Mainstream Plus audiences = Drawn to the nature of the film
rather than the familiarity, however tend to watch mostly
English/American films
• Aficionados audiences = Tend to watch specialist films with an
unfamiliar cast, also tend to avoid foreign films
• Film avids = Enjoy the cinema experience, do not simply like one
genre, look for cultural morals within films

4. Cinema Audiences
Below is the most recent box office figures. The figures show that bigger
conglomerates with more mainstream films have more viewings, proving that
mainstream audiences are the biggest of all.

5. Cinema Audiences
I asked some people that fell into the strand of my audience some
questions, considering their general cinema experience. I asked them about
the last trailer they watched which they enjoyed, this gave me the knowledge
of mainstream cinema that I needed to know about. Here is the feedback
which I received.
 Taken 2, because it was fast paced and didn't reveal too much to the audience.
 Paranormal Activity 4 because I really liked the other films and it referenced parts of them.
 Probably Taken 2 because I loved the first film and the trailer was really exciting.
 House at the End of the Street because it was very visual to watch and the blackouts and pauses
were thrilling.
Each of these films are mainstream, with two of them being a sequel to
another film. This proves that most of my audience strand rely on blockbuster
films to provide them with information, making them mostly passive.

6. References
• Google Images
• http://industry.bfi.org.uk/audiences
• http://industry.bfi.org.uk/article/18324/UK-
Box-Office-11--13-January-2013