CCR 2
How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
Podcast Link:
https://soundcloud.com/lara-parsons-19668789/ccr2
To engage with the audience I used the theory of Uses and gratification by Dennis McQuail to entertain my audience through the sense of escapism that is provided when watching my film as it allows them to forget about their worries and problems for a short time. I also intend for the feeling of fulfilment to be prolonged as the final message of the film is intended to aid with the identity side of this theory as it encourages the audience to be open to their dreams and live as themselves regardless of societal pressure.
The theory of binary opposition by Strauss, is seen within both the setting and between the idea of dreams vs reality. As Strauss stated that one side of the pair must be seen as more valuable, I decided to use this specific pairing as it is quite controversial as to which side will be deemed as more valuable. Some audience members will be able to argue that dreaming is more relevant as it provides more than escapism and that dreamers are able to build new and amazing things whereas others may argue that reality is more important as it focuses on ourselves and the thing within the present rather than wondering what could be.
The male gaze theory by Laura Mulvey which states that ‘an audience must view women within the media through the eyes of a heterosexual man’ is followed using the inclusion of a traditionally pretty female protagonist and is useful as this would draw in a new audience to view the film as males in general are not the target audience of this film.
Finally, I used the enigma codes by Barthes to engage my audience. I did this through only hinting to the audience of the future events of the film as it is not yet confirmed that Dahlia’s dreams are leaking into reality and the audience remain unaware of the cause of this. This in turn will cause the audience to grow curious and encourages them to watch the rest of the film.
My primary audience includes females that are aged 16 to 18, are British and speak english as their first language. Most of the research targeted this group such as I aimed to achieve more personal connections and fulfillment rather than mass appeal due to the targeted messages.
I used a focus group to interview a small portion of my target market to identify the needs and wants of my target audience.
Using this I was able to establish that my target audience had noticeably preferred the inclusion of music, specifically major key music that provides an uplifting feeling. It was also apparent that they would prefer catchy music that was either from a pop or a more alternative genre as that also suits the fantasy genre.
Voice overs were also a topic that was consistently highlighted as it was agreed upon that fantasy movies can become confusing without adequate explanations. Connecting to this point, it was also stated that the storyline of the film should not be overly complex and hard to follow along as it would be hard to achieve a sense of escapism and relaxation away from work if the audience was still required to work out the storyline as this would cause them to become disengaged.
One of the most common factors that was discussed is the importance of relatability as this focus group consistently stated that they would prefer if the main protagonist was a relatable figure so that they could gain a sense of freedom and be able to put themselves in the main character’s shoes no matter how strange the storyline may be.
My secondary audience includes females that are aged 16 to 22, are Emirati and speak arabic as their first language.
To accommodate for this demographic, as a real media text I would intend for arabic subtitles to be included in the film to ensure that the language barrier doesn’t prevent them from watching. For viewing online I would also like there to be a version available with arabic dialogue as in many cases it is hard to follow along a movie with a more complex storyline such as within fantasy movies whilst reading subtitles. This also means that the Emirati audience members can focus on the vibrance and beauty of their home country.
This film would initially premier exclusively in the Middle East, being distributed by Image Nation and will be exhibited in various cinemas across the Middle East including Vox, Reel and Novo cinemas before being released online on Netflix for the rest of the world to view as this integrates Image Nation’s mission of building the film industry across the GCC and MENA as it offers a sense of exclusivity which causes both the film and the film industry across the GCC and MENA to appear as more prominent.
Having the film available on Netflix also minimises risk of exposure to Covid-19 as this means that the audience can watch the film whenever they want without having to leave the safety of their own home as traditional cinemas, even with sanitation and social distancing, has a risk of spreading Covid as the audience remains within an enclosed room.
I would market my film using traditional marketing techniques such as posters, trailers, magazine interviews, TV appearances as well as a local physical premiere and a later online premier for viewers across the world to participate in.
I would also use modern marketing techniques such as using social media including instagram, facebook and twitter to build up anticipation for the film before its initial release.
