13.Audience Research

'What we like to see and expect'

Nowadays there are so many different categories of movies. From period Dramas to action films to romantic comedies there are so man different kind of movies that are available for people to watch and there is always the few genres that people prefer watching for example small kids would prefer watching animations and comedy whereas male teenagers would normally watch action movies with lot of guns, cars and killing. So now i will be choosing a few geners and will be talking about the audiences expectations from those type of films. As there are so many different genres of films i wont be able to talk about all therefore i am choosing films which i have watched and seen. The way i have researched may seem like i am telling you what the genre is but that is also what the audience expect and therefore it is there.

-Action Movies:

In action Movies the audience normally expect a hero and a villain. The hero normally sets out to go and accomplish some very hard task which will have lots of obstructions through the course of the movie. Though nowadays since technology is evolving so fast people now expect huge explosions and jaw dropping stunts, which is good because it challenges the movie industry to keep the audience interested. There is always the heroes girl who normally always ends up with the hero at the end and it is a happy ending.

-Adventure Movies:

The Main plot elements of an adventure movie includes quests for expedition and lost continents, a jungle and/or desert settings, characters going on a treasure hunts and heroic journeys for the unknown. Adventure films are mostly set in a period background and may include adapted stories of historical or fictional adventure heroes within the historical context. In the last couple of years there have been adventure movies which have the same storyline of the 'treasure hunt' scenario but now they are being set in urban areas and cities making it all the more interesting. For example the sequel 'National Treasure' is based on old stories which are based in some of the cities that we live in right now and it is almost convincing that these stories could possibly be true and puts the audience on the edge of their seats.

-Comedy Movies:

They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences. The comedy genre humorously exaggerate situations, the way of speaking, the action and characters.Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending. All of us go and watch a comedy movie for the occasional laugh. Now this is a key thing that makers of movies have to keep in mind as the humour of different age groups are different and surely the comedy of a teenager will not be the same as those much older and it is of great importance on how the makers decide on a certain kind of humour that is suitable for a wide range of audience.

-Crime and Detective Movies:

Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies. In this kind of movie they are normally all bad people as it is going against the law and therefore people look past the fact that they are bad and it is important for the filmmakers to give that impression to the audience, only then will they actually watch the movie for what it is. There is always the "mob wars" that go on showing the movie from one of the criminals perspective, making the audience be in that perspective as well. However a detective movie would be from the detectives point of view and normally he/she is a very keen eyed alert person who thinks very systematically. There are a lot of twists and turns in the movies and every new scene normally has a surprise for the audience making it one very interesting genre to watch.

-Disaster Movies:

Along with showing the spectacular disaster, these films concentrate on the chaotic events surrounding the disaster, including efforts for survival, the effects upon individuals and families, and 'what-if' scenarios.These films typically feature large casts of well-known actors and multiple plot lines, focusing on the characters' attempts to avert, escape or cope with the disaster and its aftermath.

-Drama Movies:

At the centre of a drama is usually a character or characters who are in conflict at a crucial moment in their lives. They often revolve around families; movies like ordinary people dig under the skin of everyday life to ask big questions and touch on the deepest emotions of normal people. Dramas often, but not always, have tragic or at least painful resolutions and concern the survival of some tragic crisis, like the death of a family member. These movies bring out a lot of meaning and people expect a moral and something that will start them thinking from the minute the movie gets over and this kind of movie can be a genre to bring awareness to people through drama.

-Family Movies:

These movies as the name suggests shows that the movie has to be suitable for a family which will usually have a very big age gap, and this kind of movie is a movie that families would like to watch together and just sit and enjoy and therefore since almost everyone like comedy there is normally some of that and there is always a happy ending in a family movie as the people watching it want a happy ending and the least of negativity and even if there is some it never lasts too long.

-Fantasy Movies:

Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds.Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary.In fantasy films, the hero often undergoes some kind of mystical experience and must ask for assistance from powerful, superhuman forces. Ancient Greek mythological figures or Arabian Nights-type narratives are the typical story-lines. Flying carpets, magic swords and spells,dragons, and ancient religious relics or objects are common elements. Also the thing about fantasy movies is that the makers can go completely wild on their imagination and can put something completely bizarre on screen and yet it would look perfectly normal..the funny thing is that the more bizarre it is the more people like it. That is why people looked forward to seeing the movie Avatar, because it was a change from the normal harry potter-lord of the rings kind of films where there are only dragons and wizards.

-Horror Movies:

Plots written within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage, commonly of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. Themes or elements often prevalent in typical horror films include ghosts, torture, gore and serial killers. Till date i have not understood horror movies as they scare the daylights out of me and as that is the main intent of the makers i guess they are living up to expectations. Audience expects the most scary and disturbing acts which will keep them from sleeping for some time and that is what the cinema aims to do.

-Romantic Movies:

In Romantic movies there are always two people who are in love some what like a romeo Juliet scenario and they face a lot of hurdles but at the end even though there are a lot of obstacles they face they end up together and it is a happy ending. One thing that does disappoint the audience and leaves a sad taste in their heads is if one of the two lovers dies or it does not end happily like the titanic but when choosing a bad ending people will expect the rest of the movie to be superb so that it does not bring down the level of the movie.

-Thriller Movies:

Thrillers are a genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as the main elements. People expect a lot of action and stunts which will make them interested and entertained at every point in the movie. The one thing that the audience looks for is a good ending and that is something that makers should give a lot of importance to as there is a build up to the end and that is normally the part people look forward to, and a disappointing ending could ruin the whole movie. for example the movie 'next' though an amazing movie disappoints the audience as the ending is extremely unsatisfactory.

-War Movies:

War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land based battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles. The audience normally expect a lot of action with a good interesting plot with lot of twists and turns and a lot of special effects but not to a very extreme limit. The Hurt Locker is a superb example of a war film which though focuses on a group of three soldiers life has such an interesting plot which is so meaningful.