Audience research and profiling

Target audience for horror films:

 Woman in black -

-60% males watched the film compared to 40% females

-29% aged between 25 to 34 and 29% aged between 35 to 44 (joint largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 12A film

 

The Conjuring -
-54% females watched the film compared to 46% males
-69% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 15

 

Insidious -
-56% males watched the film compared to 44% females
-56% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 15

 The Texas chainsaw massacre -

-54% females watched the film compared to 46% males
-90% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 18


A nightmare on Elm Street -
-57% males watched the film compared to 43% females
-71% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 18


Saw -
-67% males watched the film compared to 33% females
-42% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 18

 Jaws re - release -

-53% males watched the film compared to 47% females
-33% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 12

From this research above and from my previous post analysing what target audience and certificate I should make my film, I discovered that the majority of people who watch horror films are male and predominately aged between 15 to 24. Hence I will use this evidence to focus my film on males aged between 15 to 24.

For my certificate rating I am going to make it a 15 as it will allow us to include an appropriate and effective amount of gore to go with our genre of horror. We can also reference alcohol and drugs and be able to make people appear more vulnerable by removing clothing which is accepted. Although this restricts who watches the film (no one under the age of 15) they aren't our target audience, so hopefully wouldn't affect it too much. I have also found out that by using an attractive female character and the use of blood and gore would attract a younger male audience. Opposing this, an attractive male character and a lack of violence would attract a younger female audience.