G321 Audience research

Genre:

When looking in to the audience opinion on the thriller genre, the popularity of thrillers in the British marketplace are established. A statistical yearbook from the British Film Industry can prove this by taking typical conventions for each genre, gauging relative audience popularity. When summing up my findings, statics reveal that the thriller genre ranked 7th in box office returns in 2011, falling within the top half of all genres. The total box office return in this year, pulled in the sum of £55.3 million. With film releases in the United Kingdom in 2011, the thriller genre has had 28 releases being released at an average number of 150 point sites. This puts the thriller genre 9th in this certain area, being within the second half of all 16 genre releases.

Audience: 

In the year 2011, the total size of the film audience in the United Kingdom was estimated to be a humongous 5.1 billion. From this categories are split to account television as 77% of the total audience, followed by DVD and like media as 14.2%, downloading and streaming via all sources at 5.5% and the lowest, cinema at only 4%.

Considering the age distribution, of cinema goers throughout the years 1997 to 2011,  the proportion of people over the age of 45 going to the cinema increased gradually at the expense of the younger generations. Though recently, since 2009, the statics for the cinema goers age ranged between 15 - 24 has decreased although figures for all other age categories have increased when going to the cinema.

When looking at different age groups and their preference in film, the genre of which fluxuates. Animations are of a particular appeal to a 7 - 14 audience, especially the films; 'Horrid Henry' and 'The Smurfs' ranking in 42% of the genres total audience. Comedies, such as 'The Inbetweeners Movie' appealed to the 15 - 24 age group, pulling in a massive 67%. Films with an above average audience of 25 - 34 age group preferred the film 'Captain America: The First Avenger' than any other. Parents and carers in the 35 - 44 audience meant shares within the animation genre increased when 25% of the audience viewed the film; 'Tangled'. Penultimately, the age group ranging from 45 - 54 were attracted by the film; 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows'. Finally, the eldest audience, 55 and over appealed strongly to; 'Jane Eyre'.

There is also a difference in the films viewed when looking at opposing social groups. These groups are devised by wealth, having the AB social group being wealthier than that of the DE audience. The segment targeting of the AB audience in 2011 had a 50% total audience viewing the film; 'One Day'. This opposes the choice of the DE audience seeing the comedy, 'Johnny English Reborn'.
Gender again is represented in the same fashion. The thriller film, 'The Black Swan' had a higher percentage of female viewers (61%) to male viewers (39%). This therefore indicates that female viewers prefer thrillers with a psychological sub genre. Not only this but, i suggest females like this film due to the continuous theme of ballet, something less appealing to the male gender. In contrast the film, '127 Hours' had a high percentage of male viewers (68%) opposed to the measly 32% of female audiences. This suggests that males prefer a thriller with perhaps a more gory side, tilting more towards the horror genre. The film 'Tinker, Sailor, Solider, Spy' appeals evenly to both genres. A reason for this may included the mystery based convention which it conveys, opposing to a specific gender based convention or theme unlike the above categorise into.

When looking at an opposing website, Rotten Tomatoes, this shows the appeal of different thrillers to film critics.
North by Northwest 100%
Psycho 97%
Pulp Fiction 95%
No Country for Old Men 95%
The Dark Knight 94%
Looper 93%
Inception 86%
Leon 79%
The Grey 79%
Shutter Island 69%

From my list above I have chosen the film, Inception to show contrasting views which have been given from film critics about approaches on the thriller film.




Stuart Klawans: The Nation - 'What is the point of having an imagination, I ask you, if the only thing that can be imagined is mayhem, perpetrated without regard for even the appearance of human life?'

Jason Best: Movie Talk - 'A brain-twister to be sure. But the fact that the plot demands attention only adds to the exhilaration. This is a story about dreams that requires the audience to stay awake.'