Audiences and Institutions Blog Post

 Since our genre is a horror/thriller the idea would be that we try to target teens and young adults with the ideal age range being 17-30. This is because they like the adrenaline and thrill that comes with being scared/waiting to see what's next. Ideally we want to create a movie anyone over the age of 17 can watch  regardless of religion. However we understand the challenges that come with that due to a lot of the restrictions within certain religions so despite our hope I believe most viewers would not be religious. Another reason we would try to appeal to younger adults is that hopefully we appeal to nostalgia of older thriller/slasher movies that they grew up watching which would draw in a lot of people. Examples of movies that we feel we are similar to ours that would draw people in would be movies like "Scream" "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Halloween".  Our gender demographic is not specifically targeted towards either gender but it is likely the make viewing percentages would be higher than the females due to the nature of the film. People who need a break to see something new, people who enjoy going out in groups to see movies or even people just inspired by social media might be drawn to see the movie since even though it is a horror movie it isn't over the top. People who scare easily could also enjoy the film simply because of the thriller elements, despite the fact it isn't over the top we kept key highlights from old films so that is also a plus to help draw people in.

Horror and thriller movies often use creative marketing campaigns to reach their target audience, especially teenagers and young adults. Many films build excitement before the release by using social media and teaser trailers. For example, The Black Phone used trailers that focused on mystery and suspense rather than revealing too much of the plot. This made viewers curious and encouraged them to watch the full movie. Short clips and teasers are commonly shared on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok because these platforms are popular with younger audiences. Horror films also use dark and creepy posters to attract attention and create the right mood for the genre. Some movies even create viral marketing campaigns, such as fake missing posters or mysterious websites, to make the story feel more real. The Scream franchise is a good example of this, since it used dramatic trailers and recognizable characters to attract teen viewers. Word of mouth is also very important for horror movies because people like recommending scary films to their friends.

Based on this research, social media would likely be the best way to promote our film. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are especially useful because many people in our target audience use them daily. Posting short clips of tense or mysterious moments could make viewers interested without giving away spoilers. Using dark lighting and suspenseful sound effects in these clips would match the style of a psychological thriller. We could also share behind-the-scenes content to help audiences feel more connected to the film. Creating a poster with a shadowy figure or mysterious image would also help build curiosity. Finally, slowly releasing trailers, clips, and images over time could build anticipation and make people more excited to see the movie.