As a film producer, your ultimate goal is to tell engaging and entertaining stories and get paid for your work. But before you can do any of that, you need to find the movie’s target audience. This is easier said than done, as many filmmakers believe everyone is their audience. But this isn’t the case.
While there isn’t one specific type of person who enjoys all films, many people are drawn to particular genres. For example, a horror film will likely attract a different audience than a comedy. So the first thing you need to do is figure out the genre of your movie.
Your Movie Target Audience
You may also want to research trends related to your target audience. Consider what type of movies your audience watches, what stuff they purchase, and what they do for fun. These questions can help you further focus your research.
- What are their interests?
- Where do they live?
- What is their age range?
- Is there a primary gender?
- What’s the level of education?
You can use this information to tailor messages and visuals that resonate with your target audience. And this can help you identify the best marketing channels for your budget.
If you get stuck, you can always research the local newsstand for magazines that cater to your audience. Any magazines in print in a digital world exist because people are interested in the topic.
Once you grab a few magazines, contact the publications for demographic information. Since magazines make money with subscribers and advertisers, they will have this information available. This information will allow you to create audience profiles for two or three ideal audience avatars.
MOVIE AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHICS
While defining the target audience for your film is not the most exciting part of the filmmaking process, this research can go a long way toward helping you negotiate a favorable film distribution deal. And this is a much better plan than a strategy based on hope:
“I made a movie, and we won the best picture at a regional festival you’ve never heard of! Since my movie appeals to every man, woman, and child, I want to sell it for a million dollars. How do I make this happen?”
If your movie does not have to attract a fantastic distribution deal, then this research will go a long way toward helping you execute your film marketing and distribution plan. And while you’re here, make sure to check out Tom Malloy’s movie distribution course.
