The document discusses audience profiling research for the Star Wars film by creating avatars to represent 4 target audiences: young male, young female, old male, and old female. It then analyzes the results of a survey given to 36 people about their Star Wars preferences. Key findings include that younger audiences prefer the action scenes while older audiences prefer the storyline and character relationships. Males generally liked the fighting scenes while females connected more with Rey as a role model. Older audiences were more likely to attend Star Wars events due to having more disposable income than younger audiences.

1. Task 3

2. Part A - Audience Profiling Research - Understand
the relationship between media products and
their target audience
For this part of the task I am going to create avatars to show what they would look like and annotate them
so you know as much about them as possible. I believe there are 4 target audiences young male, old male,
young female and old female.

3. Avatar 1 – young male
This is the typical young male, who I think would be a star wars fan. He is about 10-
25. he is probably still in education and talks to his friends about star wars. If he is
old enough he will have a job but if he isn’t he will get pocket money. At school he
probably does media studies and other subjects such as graphics or photography.
He will be into pop music and will like other sci-fi films such as blade runner or
inception. The money that they get from either work or from their family will be
spent on merchandise and collectibles. They will also have lots of posters and
comics and will probably have all of the other dvd’s. their families will also be big
star wars fans just like them.

4. Avatar 2 – young female
This is the typical young female star wars fan. Like the young male she
would be 10-25 years old, and would also probably still be in education
however she wouldn't talk about star wars as much with her friends. She
would also do similar subjects as the male but might do journalism. She
would be into pop music such as Miley Cyrus and will also watch a lot of
sci-fi films such as harry potter but she would also watch Disney and
romance films. She would spend part of her money on star wars
merchandise such as posters but she would also buy make up and hair
bands etc. her family would love star wars and her brother would like
having lightsaber battles with her.

5. Avatar 3 – old male
This is what I think the typical old male star wars fan would look like.
He would be 26+ and would now be working full time. He would
probably work somewhere in an office or in a comic book store. He
would talk to his friends about star wars and may go and watch it in
the cinemas with them. They will be into older music from when they
were young and will be a big fan of sci-fi films such as the original
blade runner. They will earn quite a bit of money which they will
spend on going to the cinema and on merchandise. They will like star
wars because of the originals that they grew up watching.

6. Avatar 4 – old female
This is what I think the typical older woman who likes star wars would look
like. She like the older male would be 26+. She will also be in a full time job,
she will work in an office and might be a secretary. She will spend bits of
her money on merchandise but most of it on clothes and beauty products.
She will listen to music from when she was young and probably listen to
heart on the radio. She will watch sci-fi films but mainly family films with
her family. She will like going to the cinema and going out with her family.

7. Part B - Understand the relationship between
media products and their target audience
I made a survey and sent it to lots of people who then completed it and sent I back so I could
analyse the results. 36 people completed my survey 15 male and 21 females. The average age
was 29 so I used a wide range of people to complete the survey. Only 20 of the 36 people had
watched the film, and the trailer made them all want to go. Only 5 people have gone to a star
wars event out of the 36 people.

8. What is it about the film that specifically appeals
to the audiences that you have defined and
identified?
I found, from my results, that the younger audiences were more intrigued by the space ships,
fighting, explosions and all of the other action. However to the older audiences, it was the
story line and the relationships between the characters such as Rey and Finn.

9. How are different genders targeted in the trailer?
My results showed extremely different results between the genders to what they thought was targeted
at them from the trailer. Males felt like the action, fighting and high speed chases were targeted at
them however females thought that the lead female character and the relationships between the
characters were targeted at them.

10. What characters appeal to different gender
groups?
In my results I found that different characters appealed to different genders for different reasons.
The males audiences liked Finn and Po and the bromance relationship they had. They also liked Kylo
Ren as they thought he was cool and tough. I found that Women preferred Rey as she was the first
female lead in a star wars and they felt proud that a female was given the lead and this made Rey a
role model to many females old and young.

11. What events surrounding the film would appeal to
different gender groups?
In my results I found that both males and females went to star wars events however more males
went than females. Even though I didn’t ask what events they were I would guess that they were
meet and greets or star wars cons where lots of people go and there is merchandise and
sometimes guest appearances.

12. What characters appeal to different age groups?
In my results I found that the different age groups liked completely different characters. I found that the
older generations who grew up in the originals like characters from those films such as Luke, leia and han
solo. However the younger generation preferred the new characters such as Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren. I think
this is down to the fact that the older generation grew up with the older characters so they have a stronger
connection with them.

13. What events surrounding the film would appeal to
different age groups?
In my results I found that the age of the fans had a huge difference on the events they went to. I found
that it was mainly the older generations that went to star wars events and the younger generations didn’t
go to events. I think that this is because the younger generations have less money so they have less to
spend on star wars merchandise and getting into the events whereas the older generations have more
money to spend.

14. Who is the PRIMARY demographic, who is the
SECONDARY? How can we tell?
I think that the main demographic is the older generation of males. This is because they will
love star wars due to the originals and this film was aimed at them as they will have the money
and would spend it on this star wars as there are the returning characters. I think the second
demographic will be the younger generation who will be intrigued by the new characters and
the action. I think that the females will be intrigued by Rey as she is a role model and there
aren’t many female role models in star wars as stereotypically the characters are male.

15. Is the audience
mainstream/alternative/niche?
I think that the audience Is either mainstream or alternative because star wars appeals to most
people and pretty much everyone has seen a star wars film.

16. What level of disposable income does the Primary
& Secondary audience have?
The primary audience will have much more disposable income than the secondary audience as they
are older and will have full time jobs whereas the secondary audience will still be in education. This is
why I think that the film is targeted at the older generations as they will have more money to spend on
the films.

17. Who buys the tickets? What appeals to them?
Why might they purchase them?
I think that the older generation will be the ones buying the tickets for themselves and their families.
This is because they will have more money then their children and will want to share the experience. I
also think that because it is the sequel to the originals they will want to go and see what happens to
their favourite characters.

18. Part C - Understand the relationship between
media products and their target audience
For this part of the task we were asked 2 questions to explain:
What aspects of the film would appeal to the target audience?
Which aspects of the trailer would influence the target audience to view the film?

19. What aspects of the film would appeal to the
target audience?
I think that different aspects of the film would appeal to the 4 different target audiences. For the older males I
think that the story line and the original characters would appeal to them this is because they would’ve wanted to
go to see the film to find out what happens to their favourite characters after the death star explodes, I think they
would’ve loved finding out that Luke made his own Jedi academy and would’ve been heat broken when han solo
died. I think the older female generation would’ve been drawn in by similar things but also because of the
relationships between the characters, I think they would’ve liked Finn and Reys little relationship, Finn and poes
and also leia and Hans. I think that the younger females would’ve liked the relationships like the older females but
they would also like Rey and Leia as they are good role models for them. This is because they are both good
leaders and can survive well, I also think the final fight where Rey practically beats Kylo would’ve made females
feel good as some people view men as better as women but this shows they are equal and in some cases women
are better. Lastly I feel as though the younger males would’ve loved the fighting and all of the fast flying and chases
such as the final fight between Rey and kylo and also when Rey and Finn are escaping Jakku.

20. Which aspects of the trailer would influence the
target audience to view the film?
Different aspects of the trailer will influence different audiences. For the younger male audience I think
that the fast paced editing and action will make them want to go and see the film, for example when
there is the fighting between the x wings and tie fighters at the lake. The younger females would be
influenced by Rey, this is because she is shown as a brave character and they will want to be like her for
example at the start when she is scavenging. The older female audiences will be influenced to go by the
representation from Rey like the younger female audiences. For the older males I think that the older
characters will influence them to go and see the film for example when you see han solo, luke and leia in
the trailer.