Planning: Pitch

Link to powerpoint: https://southendhighschoolforgirls-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/17-hpet_shsg_org/EdkxpkCLEWpJiyFAVb6espoBpiC0AfWs5U29Al_-7nPFkA?e=2hAgme

Generic Research: Sight and Sound's website

• The use of social media links is definitely a feature I will replicate on my website, as my target audience are young and very active on social media, so they would likely be interested in following my brand's Instagram, Twitter and Letterboxd accounts and more.

• This is an interesting feature I might include, as it increases audience engagement, and positions the brand as being interactive and looking to help the audience with any questions they have. It alo increases the likelihood of receiving more subsrciptions/ contributions, ultimately aiding the success of the brand.

• Similar to Total Film's website, I like the use of a small box in the top left corner to indicate the category of the content, as this makes the website clearer and easier to navigate for the audience. It also makes the website look organised and well-thought-out. I will also replicate the use of a still from the film above the title of the article. 

• I will likely include at least one, if not several, of these buttons, as this allows the audience to explore further and promises much more content than just the latest stories displayed on the home page. 

• This will be a prominent feature of my website as it will promote the latest issue of the magazine, which is important for gaining more subscriptions and sales of the magazine.

Generic Research: Total Film's website

• I like this feature of Total Flm's website, as it showcases both their print and online editions, and I wil try to emulate this in my website to show the digital convergence of my brand. 

• Here I like the use of the word "exclusive" in the top left corner, as this positions Total Film as having added value and makes their content more desirable for its rareity and exclusivity. 

• I will definitely try to emulate this story, as not only is it exclusive to Total Film, but it also emphasises the star value of Sweeney while also promoting an upcoming Sony Marvel film. 

• Again, I will emulate the use of the word "news" in the top left corner to distinguisg stories from each other and categorise them clearly for the audience. 

• Total Film's website banner is very simple and not at all cluttered, and I would like this to be the case for my website as well. One prominent feature, however, is the "Subscribe button, and this will definitely be a feature of my website as well, in order to promote my brand and gain revenue and support for the magazine. 

Generic Research: Empire's website

• I like the simplicity of  Empire's website and how clearly the sections are labelled on the banner, and I would like the emulate this in my website to aid audiences' ease of navigation and create a seamless, pleasurable experience.  
• The post "Top 25 Best Coming-Of-Age Movies" is a nice feature, and I could emulate this for one of my target audiences' favourite genres as this would point to the fact that my audience focus heavily on watching already-released films at home rather than limiting themselves to just new releases at the cinema.
• The dominant story on the homepage is a review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which adheres to Glatung and Ruge's news value of recency, and also implies that reviews and the opinion of critics is important and valued by the audience.
• I also like the idea of having VIP features, as this creates a sense of exculsivity and worth that may be appealing to the audience.

• I will definitely choose to emulate the "latest" section of Empire's website, as this appeals to the audience's need for fresh, new information particularly in a world dominated by 24/7 news and social media.

• Again, this is another feature of the website that I will choose to emulate, as reviews of films, esepecially recent ones such as these, are frequently read and highly valued by audience members.

• The Mission: Impossible story is an eye-catching feature as it is separate and larger than the others due to its recency, and links to a detailed break-down of the trailer for the upcoming film, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. This therefore appeals to avid film fans interested in the details. The story also features a large image of Cruise, and there is a large red icon in the centre, inviting audiences to read on, as the arrow creates a sense of action, movement and direction. 
• The other features are all varied and range from covering classics like The Matrix to upcoming projects like Gladiator 2. This appeals to the media-literate audience and indicates their wide cultural competency, as they are positioned to be either aware of or interested in such content.
• The other features ranking Chris Pratt's best 10 movies and debating which Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack is the best shows a wider range of content rather than news and reviews only. These features are more light-hearted and opinion-based and are highly relevant after the recent release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

• These shopping links also appeal to the ABC1 audience who are likely to have some disposable income to spend on film-related gifts/ merchandise such as these. 

Generic Research: A24

A24 is an independent film studio based in New York. Established in 2012, the founders Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges aimed to re-define the way indie films were made and marketed. They decided to start a company focused on "the films and filmmakers, not us", which means they would give directors, writers and all involved total control of their work and unrestricted creative freedom. This has made all the difference, as A24 have successfully established a reputation for letting experienced, gifted filmmakers tell unique, emotional stories which have gone on to be hugely successful. They have developed effective, unique marketing strategies to do promote their films, and as of today, there is always a huge amount of hype and antcipation when a new A24 film comes out. 

A24 have a drect relationship with their young, active audience and personal relationships with filmmakers who are also closely connected with their audiences. This gives the studio a reliable and growing influence in the entertainment industry, most notably with one of their recent films, Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is A24's highest grossing film (over $100 million worldwide) and also the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. 

Characteristics of A24 films:

• Visally stunning cinematography
• Metaphorical, emotionally resonant
• Interesting, engaging, entertaining
• Poignant, thought-provoking
• Unique experience
• Not afraid to have deeply disturbing/ disturbed protagonists
• Original scripts, sylised camerawork, focus on acting
• Sometimes radiate melancholy/ existential dread/ bleakness/ depression
• Otherworldly
• Unapologetic
• Each film is grounded in its characters, even if they battle threats that are beyond them - emotion and humanity define the stories

Generic Research: Case Studies

Audience research: Focus Group

For the next part of my research, I created a questionnaire to survey a focus group of some members of both my primary and secondary audience.

Primary Audience

1. Melody Hurlock

• Age: 17
• Occupation: Student
• How much do you use social media? All the time
• What are some of your interests? Watching films, listening to 50s/60s music
• How often do you watch films? Every other day
• Which genres of films do you like to watch? Action, Comedy, Coming-of-age, Drama, Hybrid genre
• What are some of your favourite films? Stand By Me, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, But I'm A Cheerleader, Dogfight
• Why do you normally watch films? Based on recommendations or popularity/ escapism/ interest in the genre or subject or plot/ for the cast/ because my family or friends want to watch it
• How often do you go to the cinema? Once a month
• What is the last film you watched at the cinema? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 8
• What is the last film you watched at home? Rocky V
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 7
• Do you watch interviews behind-the-scenes/ clips/ extra content of films? Yes
• What do you use to read about films? Reviews on Letterboxd, social media

2. Summer Etherington 

• Age: 17
• Occupation: Student/ part-time worker
• How much do you use social media? All the time
• What are some of your interests? Watching films/ shows, playing sport, listening to music
• How often do you watch films? Every few days
• Which genres of films do you like to watch? Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Coming-of-age, Fantasy, Musical, Romance
• What are some of your favourite films? Tangled, 10 Things I Hate About You, Thor Ragnarok, Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Why do you normally watch films? Based on recommendations or popularity/ escapism/ interest in the genre or subject or plot/ for the cast/ because my family or friends want to watch it
• How often do you go to the cinema? 2-3 times a month
• What is the last film you watched at the cinema? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 9
• What is the last film you watched at home? The Greatest Showman
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 9
• Do you watch interviews behind-the-scenes/ clips/ extra content of films? Yes
• What do you use to read about films? Tiktok videos and reviews, Instagram videos and Snapchat stories that pop up under friends' stories

3. Georgia Burgess

• Age: 17
• Occupation: Student
• How much do you use social media? Every day
• What are some of your interests? Film, French and books
• How often do you watch films? Every few days
• Which genres of films do you like to watch? Action, Crime, Historical, Thriller, Western
• What are some of your favourite films? Inglorious Basterds, Apocalypto
• Why do you normally watch films? Escapism/ for the director
• How often do you go to the cinema? Once a month
• What is the last film you watched at the cinema? Babylon
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 7
• What is the last film you watched at home? Nope
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 8
• Do you watch interviews behind-the-scenes/ clips/ extra content of films? Yes
• What do you use to read about films? Social media, film critics online 

4. Phoebe Coutts

• Age: 17
• Occupation: Student/ team member at Domino's 
• How much do you use social media? All the time
• What are some of your interests? Crystals, listening to Lana del Rey and the Weeknd, fashion, food
• How often do you watch films? Once a week
• Which genres of films do you like to watch? Action, Comedy, Coming-of-age, Horror, Thriller
• What are some of your favourite films? Nobody, Annabelle Comes Home, Ouija Origin of Evil, Fear Street
• Why do you normally watch films? Interest in the genre or subject or plot/ because my family or friends want to watch it
• How often do you go to the cinema? Every few months
• What is the last film you watched at the cinema? Smile 
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 6
• What is the last film you watched at home? Nobody
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 10
• Do you watch interviews behind-the-scenes/ clips/ extra content of films? Yes
• What do you use to read about films? Reviews on social media, general Internet searches, some film magazines occasionally

Secondary Audience

1. Richard Pettit

• Age: 49
• Occupation: Translator
• How much do you use social media? Occasionally
• What are some of your interests? Foreign travel, foreign languages, literature, history 
• How often do you watch films? Every few days
• Which genres of films do you like to watch? Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Western
• What are some of your favourite films? Return of the Jedi, Lawrence of Arabia, The Exorcist, Gladiator
• Why do you normally watch films? Interest in the genre/ subject/ plot
• How often do you go to the cinema? Once a month
• What is the last film you watched at the cinema? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 6
• What is the last film you watched at home? The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 10
• Do you watch interviews behind-the-scenes/ clips/ extra content of films? Yes
• What do you use to read about films? Online newspapers, media magazines

2. Satomi Pettit

• Age: 48
• Occupation: Business Travel Consultant
• How much do you use social media? Occasionally
• What are some of your interests? Foreign languages, travel, gardening, cooking
• How often do you watch films? Twice a week
• Which genres of films do you like to watch? Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Sci-fi, Thriller
• What are some of your favourite films? Spirited Away, Life of Pi, Kite Runner, Return of the Jedi 
• Why do you normally watch films? Interest in genre, subject or plot/ because my family or friends want to watch it
• How often do you go to the cinema? Once a month
• What is the last film you watched at the cinema? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 6
• What is the last film you watched at home? The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• What would you rate this film out of 10? 8
• Do you watch interviews behind-the-scenes/ clips/ extra content of films? No
• What do you use to read about films? Online newspapers

Summary: 

After surveying this focus group, it is clear that those in both my primary and secondary audience regularly watch films both at home and to a smaller extent at the cinema. Common favourite genres include action, drama. coming-of-age, comedy and thriller, which provides me with some direction as to the genre/ aesthetic of my final products. However, those in my primary audience are much more active on social media, indicating that there should also be interactive social media links in my final products, given its wide reach to younger audences and how much it is used to inform younger people about films, plus its ability to market a given magazine or film.

Audience research: Audience profile

Name: Liv Sayers

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Education: Degree from Durham University

Occupation: Digital marketing manager

Salary: £46, 000

Location: London

Psychographic: Reformer

Values and interests: 

This reader is intellectual and socially aware, having attended a Russel Group university. She values her independent judgement, and has an inquisitive, tolerant attitude towards life. She is anti-materialistic and environmetally-conscious, choosing to invest in quality brands which are beneficial to herself or the environment. She seeks stability in her career, and is active on social media, but also maintains a keen interest in popular culture, as she always has done, and her taste has evolved over the years. She is passionate about films, and appreciates mainstream blockbusters, but spends much of her time watching independent and foreign language films. She pays attention to the latest news regarding new releases, future projects and celebrity culture, but will nevertheless seek out indie or arthouse cinemas, as well as old classics. Some of her favourite films are:

She is subscribed to Sight and Sound's monthly digital subscription, providing her with exclusive content, such as interviews with actors, directors and producers, as well as critics' opinions, all of which she values as part of her enlightenment-driven outlook. In addition to this, she listens to Bauer's film podcasts, as she can listen to in-depth coverage of a balance of both mainstream and independent film-related content. She also follows the social media accounts of various film studios such as A24 and other content producers, and even has her own Letterboxd account, where she can independently write her own reviews of films and engage socially with fellow film-lovers across the world. From this lifestyle, she can increase her cultural competency and pursue her interests to gain the enlightenment she prioritises.