Anglais discours P2

Lecture Overview

  • Course: Business of Entertainment: cinema, television, and the modern world

  • Part: Industry and Its Audiences: Case Studies in Targeting

  • Lecture: Targeting Audiences: How Movies and Shows Find Their Audiences

Introduction to Audience Targeting

  • Targeting audiences in the film industry is crucial for profitability.
      - Different audiences will watch different films.
      - Prior to the 1960s, most productions were geared towards "family entertainment" with minimal segmentation.

  • Change in the 1960s:
      - Filmmakers recognized that not all audiences were equally profitable.
      - Emergence of the youth market as the most profitable audience segment.
      - Notable successes:
        - Bonnie and Clyde
        - The Graduate (1967)
        - Easy Rider (1969)
      - Audiences desired films reflecting their own experiences during the generation conflict and countercultural years.

Statistical Changes in Cinema Audiences

  • In 1968:
      - Half of cinema audiences were aged 16-24 years.
      - This demographic possessed more disposable income than before—money spent on non-essential items.

  • MPAA Ratings System:
      - Established to categorize films based on age-appropriateness.
      - Became problematic as children were a significant target audience leading to increased genre diversity.

  • In 1983:
      - Introduction of the PG-13 rating prompted the film industry to diversify content for different age ranges to maximize profit.

Reasons for Targeting Audiences

  • Film industry aims to optimize viewership to enhance profitability:
      - Requires continuous tracking of audience interests through research and marketing to prevent losses.
      - Endgame: to effectively unload the film product by accurately finding its target audiences.

Effective Marketing Campaign Strategies

  • An efficiently targeted marketing campaign depends on several factors:
      - Where to advertise (channels, media tie-ins)
      - How to advertise (message, appeal)
      - When to release (timing based on audience demographics)

  • Content must cater to viewer appeal, driven by the film's genre.

Criteria for Audience Targeting

  • Two primary aspects influencing movie consumption: demographics and psychographics.
      - Demographic Factors: age, gender, location, race (especially significant in the USA), education level.
      - Genre Preferences:
        - Women: more likely to watch romance and drama films.
        - Men: more inclined towards thriller and action genres.
      - Horror Film Audiences:
        - 60% are below 25 years old.

  • Psychographic Segmentation:
      - 7 Types of Consumers:
        - Mainstreamers: Largest segment, trend followers.
        - Aspirers: Materialistic individuals.
        - Succeeders: High achievers with strong work ethics.
        - Resigned: Rigid in their perspectives.
        - Explorers: Seek novelty and independent experiences.
        - Strugglers: Dependent on circumstances.
        - Reformers: Value growth, social awareness, and are anti-materialistic.

  • Audience Values Segments:
      - Identified by Roy Morgan Research, showcasing the importance of targeting socially aware individuals and youth with optimism (37% cinema attendance in the last 4 weeks).

Demographics in Cinema Attendance

  • France 2024:
      - 22.4% of attendees are between the ages of 15-24 years—largest age group.

  • Favorite Movie Genres by Age (France 2016):
      - Age 18-24: Comedy
      - Ages 35-64 & 65+: Thriller

  • Favorite Genres of Gen Z (US 2024):
      - Comedy, Horror, Action.

  • Notable Genre Gaps:
      - Romantic comedies exhibit the greatest gap between male and female preferences, while most other genres show similar tastes.

Historical Context of Kid's Movies

  • 1910s:
      - Nickelodeons and serials attracted many youths for daytime matinees, yet few feature films catered to children.

  • Actors in Children's Roles:
      - Many child roles were played by adults (e.g., Lillian Gish and Mary Pickford).

  • Walt Disney (1901-1966):
      - Revolutionized children's cinema with Mickey Mouse, the first talking character for children.

Evolution of Children's Cinema

Pre-Disney Era

  • Early films did not target children; instead, they primarily appealed to older adolescents and parents with disposable income.

  • Children were mostly associated with animated shorts preceding main features.

The Disney Influence

  • Rise of Disney:
      - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): One of the highest-grossing films, proved children were marketable.
      - Followed by classics like:
        - Pinocchio (1940)
        - Dumbo (1941)
        - Bambi (1942)

  • Weekend matinee scheduling continued for children's films.

  • Transition into live-action films for youngsters:
      - Treasure Island (1950), Mary Poppins (1964).
      - Post-1968: Focus on family-oriented G-rated movies with titles like The Love Bug (1968).

  • Walt Disney Pictures:
      - Incorporated in 1983, became a major player in the industry.

  • Impact of the Blockbuster Era (1980s):
      - Decreased interest in children's films among studios, but Disney released popular titles, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Toy Story.

  • Late 1990s: Animation revolution led to digital productions, culminating in the last hand-drawn film Winnie the Pooh (2011).
      - Criticism regarding marketing strategies aimed at children through tie-in products and junk food partnerships.

Competitive Landscape

  • Competitors:
      - Fox Animated Studios (producing Anastasia), Pixar (later acquired by Disney), Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Studios, and DreamWorks with hits like Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon.
      - Highest-grossing children's film series: Harry Potter (Warner Bros), grossing $7 billion worldwide.

Themes in Children's Cinema

Moral Instruction

  • Children's movies often convey educational and moral themes, utilizing traditional storytelling to impart life lessons on responsibility, friendship, and personal identity.
      - Adaptations from classic children's literature and myths, including anthropomorphized characters.

  • Common Themes in Disney Movies:
      - Trauma, family, friendship, mortality, self-acceptance, and moral integrity → often framed as coming-of-age stories to explore personal growth.

Psychological Perspectives

  • Torben Grodal (Film Psychologist):
      - Emphasis on emotional engagement in children's films to evoke responses towards real-life situations.

  • Boyer & Lienard:
      - Present the hazard-precaution model enabling children to identify dangers and practice survival instincts through media narratives.

  • Timothy Laurie:
      - Argues that cartoons impose social norms on children, cultivating them into normative individuals through media.

The Disney Effect

  • The “Disney Effect” illustrates the profound impact of animated films on generational values and perceptions.

  • Gender Representation:
      - Analysis of the portrayal of female characters as dependent figures and male characters as idealized heroes.

  • Noteworthy characters from the 1990s reflect a rebellious phase that challenged gender stereotypes:
      - Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan introduced empowered representations yet maintained an underlying trend of female characters having less than 25% of the dialogue.

  • Increasing diversity with non-Caucasian characters introduced after 1967 (e.g., Tiana, Moana) showcasing a shift towards more substantial narratives and character depth.

Codifying Perceptions Through Film

  • Disney films influence societal beliefs and norms related to aesthetic values (beauty equating to goodness, ugliness to evil).

  • Psychological Theory:
      - Physiognomy suggests physical appearance may reflect a person’s character, originating from ancient Greek concepts.

Lecture 9: The Allure of Horror Films

I. Popularity of Horror

  • Share of horror films in the market increased from 4% in the 90s to over 15% in the 2020s.
      - Highest-grossing films include:
        - IT (2017)
        - The Conjuring (2025)
        - IT Chapter 2 (2019)
      - Key Theories Behind Popularity:
        - Critics argue horror addresses primal aspects of human nature, exploring vulnerability, nightmares, alienation, and the fear of the unknown.

II. Evolution and Appeal

  • Development of the Genre (1940s-60s):
      - Introduction of filmmakers like Hitchcock and monster movies.
      - Nobuo Masataka’s research suggests children identify threats (e.g., snakes) faster than non-threats.
      - Dr. Glenn D. Waltes highlights three factors driving horror allure: the survival instinct, representations of primal fears, and societal fears reflecting historical traumas (e.g., wars).

  • Monster Movies:
      - The first style of horror film, featuring creatures resembling natural predators, highlighted the human psyche's fears.
      - Incorporates techniques to maintain emotional tension with shock and suspense elements.

III. Theories of Horror

  • Psychoanalytic Perspective:
      - The uncanny emerges from suppressed thoughts and images, often triggering fascination with horror.
      - The Uncanny Valley hypothesis reveals emotional responses towards humanoid robots and characters.

Conclusion

  • Horror films serve as a reflection of societal fears and allow audiences to confront those fears in a controlled environment, fostering complex emotional responses to violence, morality, and societal norms.
      - The socio-political implications of horror films mirror humanity’s deepest anxieties, constantly evolving with societal trends and historical contexts.