Amarjit singh audience research

Amarjit Singh

Batman – The Dark Knight These are some of the factors that contributed to The Dark Knight’s success in attracting audiences:

• The Dark Knight is the sequel to the 2005 hit Batman Begins, many people who had seen the first film would have been influenced to go and see the second.

• Batman is a character that has been around since 1939, which has allowed him to build a great reputation among generations of people. The release of this film invoked a sense of nostalgia among many of these people and persuaded them to go and see the latest instalment of the caped-crusader’s action.

• The death of actor Heath Ledger after the completion of filming, just 6 months before the release of the film created a stir and the publicity encouraged more people to see the film.

• The film was heavily marketed by 42 Entertainment, however it was word-of-mouth recommendations that caused masses of people to go and see the film.

Batman – The Dark Knight • Heath Ledger’s acclaimed, stellar performance as the sadistic villain The Joker, is

regarded as one of the greatest performances in film. This encouraged many people to go and watch the film.

• Despite the age rating of 12, I think people of all ages would want to see the film, although the younger viewers may not be able to appreciate it as much as the older viewers.

• The film was distributed by entertainment giants Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. They are one of the largest film, television and music entertainment production and distribution companies in the world, and have build up a respectable reputation, which may have assisted in luring more people in to watch the film. They have also distributed other successful superhero films in the past such as the Superman series, Catwoman, and previous Batman series this could have given audiences more confidence that this film would also be good.

Spider-Man

These are some of the factors that contributed to Spider-Man’s success in attracting audiences:

• Spider-Man made his entry into the superhero world in 1962, and has gone on to become one the most popular superheroes. His popularity would have brought in numerous viewers.

• This was the first time Spider-Man had ever featured in a film and so his large fan base streamed in to see the web-slinger.

• A solid performance from Tobey Maguire helped bring in a larger audience.

Spider-Man

• Although the film had an age rating of 12, Spider-Man is a character that appeals very strongly to younger audiences, and the character of Peter Parker assisted teenage audiences in being able to relate to him.

• The film was distributed by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. They are one of the largest distribution companies in America and have a reputable history, this would have given the film a firm foundation and they would have effectively ensured maximum usage of the available distribution channels.

Iron Man These are some of the factors that contributed to Iron Man’s success in attracting audiences:

• Iron Man was first introduced in 1963, and has gone on to become one of the Avengers. His popularity and prestige would have been one of the main factors for the box office success.

• Iron Man had never featured in a film before this and so it was something fresh for audiences, which would have convinced many of them to go and watch it.

• A large budget accompanied by a star cast would have persuaded many people to go and watch the film, and another great performance from Robert Downey, Jr, would have encouraged them to pass on good reviews of the film to others.

Iron Man

• Similarly to most other superhero films, this film has an age rating of 12. Iron Man may not appeal much to the younger generation, but teenagers and adults alike would be interested in such a film, and favour the film’s protagonist.

• Iron Man was distributed by Paramount Pictures Corporation, which is the third largest film studio in the world. They were known for producing blockbuster action movies such as Transformers and the Mission Impossible films, and so people would have thought this film will have similar qualities, which would have brought many of them in to watch it.

The Incredibles

These are some of the factors that contributed to The Incredibles’ success in attracting audiences:

• This was the first ever 3D computer animated superhero film, this would be something that grasped the attention of potential audiences and influenced their decision to watch the film.

• The Incredibles was the first ever film about a family of superheroes, this appealed largely to families and with the stereotypes incorporated in the film, families that went to watch the film could easily relate to it.

The Incredibles

• The film is rated PG, and appeals to people of all ages. It primarily attracts the attention of children, who will convince their parents to go and watch it, this would have contributed substantially to the box office success.

• The film was produced by Pixar distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, one of the largest film distribution companies in the world. The combination of Disney and Pixar in the past has produced excellent results, this combination would have been the most significant factor in the film’s box office success, as people who have seen any Disney Pixar films in the past would want to go and watch their latest release.

Hancock These are some of the factors that contributed to Hancock’s success in attracting audiences:

• Hancock had a new take on superheroes, instead of the average do-gooder, Hancock is a lazy, angry, raging alcoholic that does more bad then good until he has been reformed. Many people were interested in seeing a new, more realistic and relatable type of superhero, and this would have contributed to the box office success.

• Another genre convention that is not commonly challenged is that of race, most superheroes are Caucasian whereas Hancock is black. This would have encouraged many people to watch the film.

• Hancock is a brand new superhero, he hasn’t come from any Marvel or DC comics, but was created for this film. Fans of the superhero genre would want to see this new superhero, and this would have helped the box office success.

Hancock

• Will Smith is one of the most popular actors in the world, and his popularity would have had one of the most significant impacts on the box office success of the film. Smith gave a solid performance in this film, which would have encouraged positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.

• Hancock has an age rating of 12, which is appropriate as the film does not appeal much to younger audiences. It would mostly be teenagers and adults who would want to watch the film.

• Hancock was distributed by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. They are popular film distributors and have released successful superhero films in the past like the Spider-Man trilogy and Ghost Rider, this would have encouraged people to watch this new superhero film.

The Avengers

I think the target audience for The Avengers is primarily males, however the inclusion of popular characters and female characters may encourage more females to go and watch the film. The inclusion of well known characters such as Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk will make people of all ages want to go and watch the film, however I think they will be primarily targeting teenagers and young adults. They will target people with an interest in superhero films, and other explosive action films, as this film appears to fit right in that category.

The Amazing Spider-Man

I think the target audience for The Amazing Spider-Man will be teenagers and young adults, however Spider-Man is a very popular character among younger people and they will want to watch it too, also older people may want to watch Spider-Man in action for a sense of nostalgia. The primary target will be the male gender, but Spider-Man is also popular among females. This film will target the large Spider-Man fan base, as they will all want to see their favourite superhero on-screen again. Fans of action movies will also find this film interesting and will want to watch it.

The Dark Knight Rises

I think The Dark Knight Rises will be targeting mostly males, however females that have seen The Dark Knight will feel compelled to go and watch this latest instalment. The film will be focusing more on teenagers and younger adults, however Batman has been around for so long, that many older people will want to watch it. Not only Batman’s fan base, but the fans of the Batman trilogy will want to come and watch this film. Action film fans will be in for a treat and so they too will be targeted.

Audiences

• The Dark Knight Rises – This film is coming off the back of a hugely successful film The Dark Knight, and this will help it draw in audiences. Batman has become a fan-favourite and this will lead to many people going to watch it. The inclusion of Anne Hathaway who has appeared in other successful movies will be a positive point and may bring in more female audiences.

• The Avengers – This film is drawing in 6 popular characters from previous films and combining them into one blockbuster, this will help it draw in audiences. This is going to be the first movie of the summer and so is likely to see positive opening box office results. They have a star studded cast including Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson, which will also help bring in audiences.

• The Amazing Spider-Man – Sam Raimi’s original trilogy may encourage people to go and watch the film.

Star Actors & Star Directors

• Popular actors can significantly assist in bringing in audiences, whereas bringing in new talents can’t guarantee a large number of viewers.

• If a star actor puts in a strong performance, this could result in positive word-of-mouth recommendations, and bring in more audiences.

• Star directors give audiences confidence in the film and make them want to watch it.

• If the director of a successful film makes a sequel, this will also draw in a greater audience.

Likes & Dislikes - Genre

These are some of the things that the group like about superhero films: • The films are fast paced. • They contain high-octane action sequences. • They often contain romance. • They often contain many attractive female characters.

These are some of the things that the group dislike about superhero films: • They are very clichéd. • There is sometimes too much action, and the film just becomes loud. • The battle sequences are not often as impressive as they could be. • Many of the films in the genre are similar. • They are not very realistic. • There are not many main female characters. • The good guys always win which makes them predictable. • The superhero loves someone but they can never really be together.

Likes & Dislikes - Storylines

These are some of the things that the group like about the storylines of superhero films: • They have a distinct beginning, middle and end. • They are appropriate to the characters. • They reveal the characters past which helps the audience

relate to them.

These are some of the things that the group dislike about the storylines of superhero films: • The storylines aren’t always engaging. • They are not always satisfying. • They are predictable.

Likes & Dislikes - Characters

These are some of the things that the group like about the characters in superhero films: • They are often portrayed by attractive actors. • The audience often feel empathy for the superheroes when they see their tragic

past. • In films like Spider-Man and Kick-Ass when the character begins in college, they

feel that they can relate to the protagonist. • The protagonists represent all things good in the world. • The superheroes have impressive powers and abilities which makes them enviable. • The villains are powerful and stop at nothing to achieve their goals. • The antagonists aim to crush anyone that stands against them.

These are some of the things that the group dislike about the characters in superhero films: • The protagonists are very clichéd. • The superheroes are often nerdy/geeky in their alter egos. • The superheroes often try to hide the fact that they are superheroes and that they

have powers.

The Dark Knight & Kick-Ass This is what the 2 people in the focus group thought about The Dark Knight:

• The film has a very dark feel to it, which is different to many other films, and reflects how gritty and crime infested Gotham City is.

• Heath Ledger’s performance was the most significant factor in the film being successful.

• They liked the main antagonist more than the protagonist in this film, although the antagonist struck fear in them so they wanted the protagonist to win.

• They appreciated the long running length of the film and said it kept them engaged, so they got their money’s worth.

• It showed how everyone has two faces, a good side and an evil side, elements of these combining to make us who we are.

This is what they thought about Kick-Ass:

• The film was hilarious.

• The mood of the film was completely opposite to that of The Dark Knight.

• They did something innovative and new.

• They could relate to the protagonist.

• It wasn’t the average superhero film, they stripped away the traditional elements of films in the genre and recreated it with their own flair.

• The film successfully introduced new acting talent, without this hindering the film’s success.