MY TARGET AUDIENCE

In the podcast below, I have outlined the audience I would intend to target. It is from my own YouTube channel, which I set up for my company PHANTASMIC PRODUCTIONS. 

If you were unable to catch some of what I say, I have pasted the script of the podcast below to help.

MY TARGET AUDIENCE

AGE GROUP

·      12-25 year-olds - more focused in the teenage grouping. The video will predominately have teenage characters, so the intended audience will relate more to them. Teenage youth will be reflected in the mise-en-scene of the video. Characters could be wearing hoodies, playing on games consoles, watching TV, drinking alcohol, doing drugs or on the internet.

The video is aimed more towards people in the 16-25 age range because of the theme of mental illness. This topic may be misunderstood by people below this age group and so appeals to those who have a wider understanding.

·      46-55 year-olds. It may also appeal to this age range because of the age of the music itself. These songs were released in the 1970s and so this age range will be most familiar to them. It is also more likely that they would be die-hard Pink Floyd fans, and so they would understand the topic of Syd Barnett’s mental illness included in the video.

GENDER

My target audience would also be male. Since it is an all-male band it seemed appropriate to appeal to this audience. All of the characters in the video are male, including the protagonist. The protagonist, who represents Syd Barnett, is aggressive and independent to make his masculinity clear but also to highlight his mental illness.

To make this idea of masculinity clear: I would include men’s magazines, nude posters, razors for shaving etc.

SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHIC

I would want to appeal to the social grouping of ABC1 because of the privileges the protagonist has. I would have him live in a well-maintained household with all he needs – and more – to help him along. The protagonist, as well as other characters, will be playing instruments which they have been able to pay for themselves. They have not been at a disadvantage because of their social background.

The video is about the suddenness of the protagonist’s mental breakdown, which is not explained in the video itself. We see the people around him confused as to why he acts in a peculiar way, which the protagonist simply does not notice.

OCCUPATION

Being a music video, it would obviously appeal to musicians. The use of instruments and lip syncing will be key to obtain this audience.

It may also appeal to psychologists and doctors who treat patients with mental illness.

None of the characters are seen doing a paid job of any sort, so it would perhaps appeal to students.

HOBBIES

·      People who listen to music and/or play in a band would enjoy the video – since it would contain footage of the protagonist playing in a band.

·      People who like being with friends. Some shots include the protagonist being with other people.

·      self reflection – it is the creativity of the protagonist’s mindset that forms the basis of this video.

STYLE

Since mental illness is the key theme of the video, the style of the film needs to be suited to that. There would need to be dark features like black clothing, aggressive colours and fast edits. It is through these features that the audience can see the tone of the video and therefore appeal to an audience who enjoys it.  

MEDIA GROUPING

This video would appeal to audiences who enjoy films like A Clockwork Orange, Lost Highway and 127 Hours or TV shows like Dexter and Twin Peaks because it deals with the theme of mental illness. The video involves the subjectivity of a mental experience, like schizophrenia and hallucinations, which people who have watched the films above will relate to.

This video will appeal to fans of progressive rock, which features bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes. However, a modern audience would be more familiar with new-prog – having hardcore and alternative features – which includes bands like Muse and 30 Seconds To Mars.

USES AND GRATIFICATIONS

·      This video can provide an insight into the idea of mental illness – it may satisfy a possible curiosity which a certain audience group has.

·      The scenes where the protagonist is interacting with friends, in an aggressive or psychologically inactive way, can give a sense of how to behave.

·      Since the video is a subjective exploration of the mind of a schizophrenic, it provides aesthetic enjoyment for an audience.

UTOPIAN THEORY

People can use this video as a form of escapism to divert away from their everyday lives. Since a lot of the visuals will be fictional, and does not document actual schizophrenic experiences, it would be ideal for this utopian audience to delve into this fantasy world. In spite of this, it can also make audiences more aware of the real world – in this case, the problems of schizophrenia. It is a real issue which is somewhat dramatised in this video.