1. How did you attract/address
your audience?

2. Introduction
• This particular question can be divided into to aspects;
one being attracting an audience through ‘pleasures’,
while the other is attracting and addressing an
audience through their ‘fears’.
• When watching a film, there are certain aspects in
particular that attract us into watching the text. These
‘Pleasures’ not only attract the audience, but address
them personally, through various methods.
• In contrast to ‘pleasures’ specific films, for example, a
horror or thriller film, attract and address the audience
through generating fear, possibly bringing light onto
the audience’s own personal fears.

3. Cliff
Hanger
Hook Resolution
Enigma Narrative Climax
Pleasures
Familiarity and
Conventions
Death
Variability Genre Thematic
Pleasures Pleasures
Development, Audiences
Pleasures Betrayal
challenge and
adapt
Style/Aesth Representat
etic -ional Identification
Mise en Scene: Pleasures Pleasures
Props
Costume Location, Age,
Set Cinematography Situation, Gender

4. Audience Pleasures
• From the previous mind map, there are 5 key
aspects to which ‘Audience pleasures’ can be
separated into, which attract an audience to
watch a film, these are:
1. Narrative Pleasures
2. Thematic Pleasures
3. Representational Pleasures
4. Style/Aesthetic Pleasures
5. Genre Pleasures

5. Narrative Pleasures
• Firstly, a film can attract their specific audience through the narrative (storyline) of the film. Many
conventions are placed within a narrative structure which please, intrigue and attract the audience.
• For example, an ‘enigma’ or ‘hook’ may be placed within the narrative, creating a sense of mystery
and excitement for the audience, which they can then question and follow throughout the film or,
until it is resolved.
• Similarly, a cliff hanger, which can be placed throughout the narrative or at the end, leaves the
audience very much on edge and ‘ in the dark’ about the narrative; are forced to question the
previous goings on, or, what is going to happen next within the narrative. This is a narrative
pleasure because it addresses the audience, allowing them to question and evaluate current and
future situations, characters etc. An evident example of an extremely effective cliff hanger is within
the complex narrative of ‘Inception’; the audience are left with a very open and debatable ending
to which the protagonist spins his ‘totum’ but unbeknown to the audience, does it land, concluding
that he is in reality, or does it keep spinning? Narratives like this are pleasing because it somewhat
connotes a sense of continuation for the audience. It hasn’t been resolved, therefore we can still
talk about the film; if it is not completely resolved, we cannot forget about it as easily. Some would
say that it quite an annoying pleasure!
• This is in contrast to resolution, in which certain target audience’s enjoy a very much structured,
start, middle and end to a film, in which they are attracted by the equilibrium (normal day-to-day
life), the disruption, and then, the final resolution.
• Finally, climatic aspect, or the ‘climax’ of a film, is the result of the enigma, hook, the overall build
up towards a very tense and emotional moment. For example, with reference to the gritty thriller ‘
Essex Boys’ the climax is very much the fight within the fish market, to which Jason kidnaps a man.
This is because the journey to Essex, the intense music, Billy’s narrative; these have all been
building up to this vital point within the narrative. Other examples include, possibly a big fight
between James Bond, and his arch nemesis. The audience are therefore attracted by the
preparation and build up to this point, as they are expecting it not to disappoint.

6. Thematic Pleasures
• Thematic pleasures attract/address an
audience, quite simply, through a very clear
running theme, for example, specifically to
thrillers, death or betrayal. This pleasure is
very much generalised and possibly more
vague, generating a larger attraction within
the audience.

7. Representational Pleasures
• Attracting an audience through representational pleasures allows the film, in terms of
location and character (gender, age, archetype, situation) to connect with their audience.
This is through a sense of identification.
• For example, many thrillers use an urban location; despite the connotations of grit, crime or
business, and a busy pace of life, the majority of an audience can relate to an urban location.
This is because it addresses a pace of life, as well as an extremely recognisable environment,
to which many of us have experienced or, live in. For example, the streets of New York within
‘Se7en’, or the sleek, sophisticated streets of London in ‘Layer Cake’. However, within the
opening of ‘Se7en’ we are also introduced to Morgan Freeman character’s apartment. This
attracts the audience as we can immediately relate to his routines, as we also do very
personal routines within our own homes; the representation of Freemans, clean apartment
,with his chess board and coffee maker, reflects the normalities and essentials which we need
to go about our daily routines.
• Also, the representation of age enables a particular age group to identify themselves within a
particular character. For example, an older character may be presented as wise and
thoughtful, to which they have had many experiences, similar to an older audience. This is in
contrast to the representation of younger characters, being more naive and careless; they
have made mistakes and are learning from them, possibly like the target audience watching,
which re-assures them.
• This is the same with gender, in which a male or female can identify with the character purely
on whether they are male or female.

8. Style/Aesthetic Pleasures
• A film can attract an audience through aesthetic pleasures. If an aspect is
‘aesthetic’, it is more to do with the exterior; being attracted by the ‘art
and beauty’. Therefore, in terms of a film, this is quite literally, how the
film looks.
• Therefore, style and aesthetic pleasures are purely to do with the
cinematography of a film; the way it has been shot. This includes the shot
type and possibly variety, as well as much of the mise en scene, consisting
of costume, props and set.
• This particularly attracts a more, stereotypically, ‘cultured’ audience, as
the attraction is more of the production and technique to achieve this
aestheticism, white requires some knowledge.
• For example, Anna Karenina attracted the majority of its audience through
the films style and aesthetic pleasures, such as the beautiful setting of the
stage, the sleek panning shots between each set, and the detailed periodic
Russian dresses. This audience pleasure and therefore attraction was
clearly expressed through it’s BAFTA Awards; nominated in ‘Make up and
Hair’, ‘Cinematography’ and winning ‘Costume Design’.

9. Genre Pleasures
• Within a genre, there can be also various sub-genres.
For example, within the genre of ‘thriller’, there are the
sub genres of gangster light, such as ‘Lock, Stock and
Two Smocking Barrels’, gangster heavy, and Film Noir
such as ‘ The Third Man’.
• Therefore, a film can attract an audience through the
familiarity and conventions which will appear within
that genre. For example, if watching a film noir sub-
genre, the audience will expect and be attracted to the
conventions such as extreme lighting and
shadows, certain archetypes such as the femme fatale
and possibly even a grey scale colour.

10. How did you attract/address your
audience?
Narrative Pleasures:
With specific reference to our thriller ‘Crowe’, we attracted and addressed the audience through the
narrative pleasures of:
• Enigma. This was connoted through the use of the ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ letter, to which this simple prop
immediately hooks in the audience by posing several questions; why is the letter confidential?
Where is ‘Iga’ going? Who is she going to meet? This attracts and addresses the audience because
they have to question and think about the narrative from the very start, the word ‘confidential’
hints secrecy, which can often be very unclear and complex. Linking to question 4, this attracts our
audience as they like to be challenged when watching a film.
• Climax. To support the appeal of a complex narrative, ‘Crowe’ contains the very climatic scene of
‘Crowe’ shooting ‘Iga’ upon ‘Miss River’s’ words. The thriller opening was very much building up to
this particular scene, as the enigma of the ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ letter seems to be made clear. This is
expressed through the tense music; in particular the loud, disturbing whispers, the close up shots
and building up to shooting ‘Iga’, the voices the close ups, and the understanding from the
audience that ‘Crowe’ is stalking ‘Iga’.
• Cliff hanger. The final aspect of narrative pleasures that we use to attract our audience is a cliff
hanger. ‘Crowe’ ends very ambiguously and mysteriously with the protagonist himself walking into
the depths of the shadows. Although we are aware that ‘Crowe’ did kill ‘Iga’, the audience are still
unclear on why he did it? And who is ‘Miss River’? . This attracts the audience because many
characters have been introduced, but not all fully explained, along with the narrative itself, leaving
the audience in a questionable and intrigued mind set.

11. How did you attract/address your
audience?
Genre Pleasures
• ‘Crowe’ takes aspects of many genres, particularly, within the sub genres
Film Noir, and some aspects of hard gangster ‘grit’.
• Therefore because of these genres, we have attracted our audience
through the use of familiar conventions. An example of this is the extreme
shadows used, particularly upon the characters faces, as well as when ‘Iga’
is walking through the streets of Norwich. This is a particular convention
of film noir, in which our audience, who are interested in more intricate,
detailed films, will pick up upon. ‘Crowe’ also attracts the audience
through the conventional, Film Noir archetype of the powerful and
lustrous‘ Femme Fatale’.
• However, our thriller also addresses your audience through the variability
within the thriller genre. This is because ‘Crowe’ is a particularly nasty,
dark and gritty adaptation of the familiar thriller genre; combining
elements of ‘Casino Royale’ with ‘Se7en’, we have addressed the audience
through developing and challenging their genre expectations and
familiarities.

12. How did you attract/address your
audience?
Representational Pleasures
• Through the way we represented certain aspects of our thriller, we
attracted our target audience through a strong sense of identification. For
example, our reasonably young audience can relate, in terms of age and
gender, to the characters, possibly with modern reflections of their
‘reckless’ ways.
• As well as this, the audience could possibly identify themselves within the
tough situation ‘Crowe’ is put under. This is because, with reference to
question 4, our target audience are either in jobs or working towards
jobs, in which tough decisions have to be made, in order to achieve
success, much like that of ‘Crowe’. Therefore, our audience can
sympathise and connect with ‘Crowe’, due to his troubled and fragmented
representation.
• Identification can also be addressed through our urban location of
Norwich. The explanation for this is very much similar to that in the
general outline of representational pleasures; recognisable
environment, can identify with the busy pace of life etc.

13. How did you attract/address your
audience?
Style/ Aesthetic Pleasures
• Our audience members are as interested in the style of films, as
they are in the complex narrative, explained by going to more
independent, ‘artsy’ cinemas such as ‘Cinema City’.
• Therefore, we attracted our audience through our use of
cinematography; the overlay upon the fragmented establishing
shots of Norwich, as well as the transitional jump cuts and harsh
contrast within the ‘flash back’ scenes. These named examples add
to the finished ‘look’ of the film, visually connoting style, and genre
as well as an unsettling and unsteady tone (through the bright
flashes and jump cuts, for example).
• We must also take into consideration the aesthetic attraction of the
mise en scene, including ‘Miss Rivers’ glamorous and indulgent fur
coat and peal necklace. This attracts our audience because….

14. How did you attract/address your
audience?
Fears
• As well as attracting the audience through pleasures, we attract and address our
audience through their fears as well.
• Director Hitchcock once said “Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have
when they wake up from a nightmare.”, meaning that what we must experience
from watching a film must be extremely personal and individual to each member,
much like a nightmare, as well as being very frightening. However, we are attracted
and given some pleasure from a nightmare, as we don’t forget them easily; we like
to recall them to our friends and family, therefore giving us slight pleasure.
• Firstly, our film addresses the fear for, stereotypically, many women; being stalked,
chased and possibly even killed by a shady and threatening man. We know that
this is a fear of the female gender because almost all our films within school which
were made by an all female group, had the narrative of a woman being chased by
a man and, as many believe, we make and produce films, based upon our fears.
• We also address the fear of entrapment and claustrophobia through our use of
obscure shots (behind the wall) and the long shots of the very tight alley way
location.

15. Fears Continued…
• The whole opening of ‘Crowe’ is, primarily, based around crime. Crime
on it’s own triggers fear within the audience because it is gritty and very
much illegal (hinted through the graffiti on the walls) However, we have
addressed this fear through our choice of hidden and dark locations; no
one else seems to be present within the shots, except for the distant
people on the other side of the alley-way, unaware of what is going on.
This therefore connotes, much like the use of the sewer within ‘The
Third Man’ , that crime within society is constantly ever present, just
underlying in places society do not think to look. This therefore, is a
particularly scary thought for the audience, to know that such evils take
place within their home cities. Betrayal and death
• With specific reference to the male gender, we addresses their fears
through the weak representation of ‘Crowe’ before ‘Miss River’;
presenting that men can be lured into and destroyed by a lustrous
female (femme fatale). This taps into the audience’s fears in particular
because even the protagonist has fallen for a woman’s power.
• Finally, within question 4, one of the profiles stated that they were
afraid of making life changing decisions, which can be identified with
through ‘Crowe’s’ tough decision to kill ‘Iga’.