The Audience

Comedy

A comedy is a play that is humorous and it generally has a happy ending. Some comedies may also highlight and expose social issues. The intention in comedies is to make the audience laugh, but in many cases, they also promote serious thoughts. Generally, these works are full of witty dialogue, strange characters, and odd circumstance. A popular example of a dramatic comedy is Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The audience at a comedy helps performances when they respond with laughter at the right moments.

Tragedy

A dramatic tragedy deals with death, pain, and calamities. The characters are troubled by the circumstances of the story or have flaws in their characters. One of the oldest classic tragedies is Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Other classic tragedies are Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. Examples of modern tragedies include Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July, and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. Audiences for this type of drama are supposed to experience catharsis, or emotional release, for many of their repressed feelings. This form of release is supposed to even be therapeutic for many people.

Farce

A farce is a nonsensical drama and is a low form of a comedy. It has slapstick elements and exaggerated characters. These characters often engage in pranks and foolish behavior in these plays. A farce is typically used to mock a certain group of people, such as the upper class, and to make the audience laugh. A good example of a farce is Oscar Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Melodrama

A melodrama is an exaggerated drama. As in a farce, the actors overdo emotions and actions. Their dialogue is very simple, and often childish.

Musical

A musical is a complex form of theater. It combines storytelling with dances, songs, dialogue, and acting. It requires good choreography and is often fast paced. In many cultures, musicals are often staged as some form of dance and drama. Examples of popular musicals include West Side Story (1957), Hair (1967), The Phantom of the Opera (1986), and Mary Poppins (2004). Audiences for musicals expect to be entertained and swirled through a variety of changing emotions.

Level of response

A play gets its special quality because the audience wants to be in the living presence of the actors. The actors, in turn, are inspired to perform well because they sense the living presence of an audience. The level of response of the audience affects the performance of actors. A positive response can energize a performance. For example, if the audience laughs in response to a comic scene, it makes the actors feel appreciated. However, if just a few people or none in the audience laugh, the actors may be disheartened.

Ticket sales

A play or a film can survive only if it attracts paying audiences in large numbers. Therefore, the most obvious economic impact that an audience can have on a film or theater production is through ticket sales. The more people who come to see a film or play at the theater means more tickets are sold and more revenue is generated. The more popular a production, the more money it will bring in. A larger audience (including both new and repeat viewers) means more revenue.

How audience influences The origin of the script

A play originates with a script. The scriptwriter, director, and producer must keep the audience in mind when writing, envisioning, and financing a play. Therefore, the audience influences a dramatic work even when it is being put together, much before the live performance. A scriptwriter may have a specific target audience in mind. For example, a children's play may be written for an audience of children in a certain age group. A community play may take up a hot issue that affects a community. Therefore, the intended audience would be part of that population. For example, a play about the value of school may be specifically written to address the problem of high school dropouts in a community.

Repeating success

A successful play or film is one that is liked by a large number of people. Success brings in high revenue. It influences future productions. Financial success brings more work and money for those who participated in the film or play. A successful director or popular actor will be more sought after. Producers of successful works become recognized for their business skills. The films or plays that follow will tend to use the same ideas that worked earlier. This often leads to sequels or repeated performances. The producers expect audiences to respond the same way as before. However, there are many instances where big-budget sequels often fail at the box office. This is because audience tastes can change over time.

Level of knowledge

A theater performance will be successful only if the audience appreciates what the play is about and the methods used to express it. For example, if the play is an opera, the audience will appreciate it if they understand opera. Therefore, the audience's level of knowledge can make a difference to the success of a play.

balanced critics

Balanced critics make a sincere attempt to offer a fair review of the play. They highlight both the good and bad aspects of the play. They do not impose their personal biases on others. They encourage audiences to make their own decisions. Thereby, they don't negatively impact the turnout for a play.

Attracting audiences

Before social media arrived, most films and plays became popular through word-of-mouth promotion and "coming attractions" trailers in theaters. Critical reviews in public media, such as newspapers and magazines, were also influential. Today, audiences no longer depend on the reviews of a few critics. People on social media networks are influenced by the opinions of those who see and react to a film or play. A judicious use of social media can help bring audiences to see a movie or a play at a theater. Comments in social media offer valuable feedback for producers, directors, and actors, if not for their current production, then for their future productions. The comments also influence the potential audience. If a work is popular on social media, it will attract new audiences and repeat viewers who want to see the production again. A recent survey noted that over 70 percent of social media users make comments about films that they viewed. The survey also noted that one third of social media users went to see a film because they found a favorable comment on a social network.

Focus Groups

Filmmakers and distributors use several methods to assess audience preferences. One popular method is the use of focus groups. A focus group is a small selected audience that sees a preview of a film before it is released. This is called a test screening. The group shares their reactions to the film. Some films go through many focus groups before they are released. Focus groups can help a filmmaker change a film even after most of the filming is completed. For example, the ending in Fatal Attraction was changed on the basis of feedback from a focus group. In the movie, My Best Friend's Wedding, the main character was made more vulnerable because a focus group indicated that her character was unsympathetic.

Action

Films in the action genre are fast paced and energetic. The characters perform stunts, which include fight scenes and racing scenes. The Die Hard movies are examples of action movies. Some subgenres of action movies are martial arts movies, such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), video game movies such as the Lara Croft series, and spy movies, such as the James Bond movies.

Comedy

Films in the comedy genre focus on using humor to make audiences laugh and sometimes introspect. Comedy films usually have a happy ending. Sometimes the themes of comedy and tragedy blend in one film, such as in the 1997 movie Life is Beautiful. Comedies often show comic exaggerations of a situation or character. When watching a film of this genre, the audience expects to get a temporary escape from the problems of daily life.

Crime

Films in the crime genre revolve around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters. The story may chronicle the rise and fall of a criminal, such as Scarface (1983), or be a mob drama, such as Live by Night (2016). Or it may tell the story of a victim. A crime film could also chronicle the life of a criminal investigator Donnie Brasco (1997). Audiences for this genre are curious about the lives of notorious criminals or about crime fighting.

Westerns

Films of the western genre are based on cowboys and their lives. This genre is one of the oldest and most typical of Hollywood film genres. Westerns typically feature gritty stories of gun-slinging cowboys, outlaws, and Native Americans. Audiences for this genre may be nostalgic about a bygone era or a certain way of life. Some may identify themselves with heroes who fought for justice. Some examples of Westerns include The Great Train Robbery (1903) and Dances with Wolves (1990).

Horror

Horror films aim to invoke fear and panic in audiences. These stories focus on the dark side of life. Typically, in these movies, evil and destructive forces disrupt the stability of the characters' world. Horror films aim to draw the audience into the scary elements of the storyline and the fears of the characters. Some examples of this genre are The Omen (1976) and Halloween (1978).

Promotional expenses

To attract a larger audience, filmmakers and theater producers must find ways to attract viewers. Typically, the producers and studios invest anywhere between 25 to 50 percent of their total budget in promotions for plays and films. For example, if a film has a budget of $100 million, its promotional budget alone would be $25 to $50 million. The promotional tools typically include press releases, advertisements, posters, TV commercials, and billboards.

How do filmmakers stay relevant to their audience?

To be relevant to their audiences, filmmakers try to capture popular trends in their productions. The wider the appeal of the story, the greater will be the film's box office performance. Audience preferences keep changing over time. Therefore, the industry constantly tracks the opinions and preferences of real audiences.

How are films like business projects?

Plays and films are business projects. Like any business, a film or theater production is also driven by the need to maximize profits. To be profitable, a film or play must earn more money than the budget and the marketing expenses spent for it to be produced.

Marketing to target groups

Social media enables film producers to target specific interest groups easily. A few decades ago, film producers and marketers had to conduct and rely on intensive market research to reach a specific audience. Social media offers many different interest groups that are readily available to producers and marketing people. For example, if there is a new film on a supernatural theme, producers can connect with groups dedicated to such a topic on social media. The group could be offered exclusive previews of the film. Marketers and producers can also run quick surveys through social media. These surveys will help them get a sense of who their target audience could be and how they may react to the production.

Target Audience

The target audience is the audience that the filmmaker had in mind when developing the production. This audience impacts the presentation of a film. The scriptwriter typically builds in specific cultural references to appeal to a particular target audience. A film about social networking, both its advantages and dangers, targets audiences who are interested in having an online presence. This is a vast target audience considering the popularity of social networking globally. Some references for a target audience, however, can tend to date a movie. For example, a film that targets people who grew up in the 1970s may have many references to motorcycles. This was part of the popular culture at that time. However, people who grew up after the 1970s may not be as interested in motorcycles. Moreover, a film that hopes to release worldwide to international audiences must be sensitive to differences in cultures. For example, audiences in Asia may not understand a film that has many American cultural references.

Adventure

Adventure films focus on the exploration of the unknown. These films tell stories of historical, literary, or fictional adventure heroes. They appeal to audiences that enjoy watching or associating themselves with heroic figures. Most people who watch adventure movies develop an affinity for the main character, and root for the character to succeed or be victorious. An example of an adventure movie is Kong: Skull Island (2017).

Judgmental critics

Judgmental critics offer their personal opinions about the play and the actors' performances. Their opinions are mostly harsh and negative, with few exceptions. Some of these critics influence the audience. If they declare that a play is bad, the turnout for the play can be low. This causes a loss of revenue for the producers.

importance of target audience in marketing of the film

Marketers and producers must identify the right target audience before marketing films and plays. This refers to the typical kind of people who would find a particular genre of work appealing. Knowing the audience helps to set the tone and language of promotional messages. There are some common factors that determine audience segments or demographics. These include age, interest, gender, culture, ethnicity, and other factors. The response of the target audience, therefore, affects the finances of a play or film. If the promotions do not bring in the target audience to watch the play or film theaters, the money invested in marketing becomes a loss for the producer.

Merchandise sales

Merchandise sales can also have an important economic impact. Collectible items such as T-shirts, toys, action figures, mugs, posters, and DVDs contribute to a production's total revenue. For example, Disney's Toy Story movies generated about $2.4 billion in merchandise sales. Audience preferences influence the sale of merchandise. If they like a production, they will want to own the merchandise.

Musicals

Musicals tell a story in the form of songs and dances. The early musicals were adaptations or filmed versions of stage hits of the time. The Broadway Melody (1929) was the first musical that included songs and dances plus a backstage plot. The songs in musicals either move the story along, or merely entertain or amaze audiences. Musicals also have different subgenres, such as romantic musicals, an example being La La Land (2016), and musical dramas such as The Sound of Music (1965).

Revealing too much

One of the negative effects of social media is that too much of the plot details may get revealed before the work is released or before people have had the chance to go watch the play or film. With many studio executives and insiders in a production sharing comments, many of the details in a movie that a director may not want to expose get leaked on social media. Also, audiences who watch the previews may post and reveal information about the plot in their online reviews and comments. These "spoilers" affect the experience of audiences.

Science fiction

Science fiction films are mostly set in the future, either on Earth or in space. They may also involve time travel, into the future or the past. They include elements of futuristic technology. Audiences for this genre are typically fascinated by technology or they may simply enjoy the special effects. An example of this genre is Avatar (2009). In this movie, actors worked alongside computer-generated aliens. Avatar was the first movie to cross $2 billion in revenues.

Drama

The main feature of a film that falls under the drama genre is the detailed description of its characters. Character development helps viewers relate to the characters' feelings and struggles. Dramas can bring out strong human emotions in the viewers. The movie Moonlight is an acclaimed film in the drama genre. It won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2017.

Real Audience

The real audience consists of people who actually come to the theater or multiplex to watch the film. Feedback from a real audience is useful for directors and actors. After noting audience reactions to a film, directors may change their approach in their next production. Actors may respond to audience feedback, too. If actors get a positive reaction for a particular way of acting, they may continue with the same trait. Alternately, actors may discard a trait if they get a negative audience reaction.

Romance

The romance genre creates strong emotional feelings in audiences. A romantic film is typically a love story between the leading characters. In most romantic plots, the lovers overcome many obstacles and live happily ever after. However, some romantic films have tragic endings. These stories, too, invoke strong emotions in the audience.

Turnout

The turnout at a play is the number of people who attend a performance. If a theater is full, and all the seats are taken, it would mean that the play is getting a positive response from the audience. However, if the theater is mostly empty, the production may not be a success. It may be performed only a few times at the venue. A low turnout could also result in the producers canceling other performances.

Theater critics

Theater critics typically have a deeper level of understanding about theater. Typically, they review plays for magazines, TV, or social media.

Types of Films

There are different "genres" or types of films based on what the film is about. These genres, and their subgenres, have evolved based on audience preferences and the success of certain genres. Many films are adaptations of literary works. These adaptations share the same genres as the original works. For example, the movie based on Stephen King's horror novel The Shining is also in the horror genre. However, films also have genres that are unique to the medium, such as the musical and the action genres. Over time, the popularity of a genre may increase or decrease. Cultural changes, trends, and current events can determine how a genre forms and develops. These factors also affect the popularity of a genre, and the way it evolves. Let's look at some popular film genres and how the audience shapes and influences these genres.

Participatory theater

Traditionally, plays have been performed with a clear separation between the performers on stage and the audience watching them. However, in some experimental plays, the audience is encouraged to join in the performance. These are forms of "participatory theater," also called "immersive" or "interactive" theater. In these plays, people from the audience are invited to join the actors for some parts of the performance.

Engaging the audience

With social media, filmmakers and playwrights can begin engaging with the audience at an early stage. Traditionally, story development and script writing has a collaborative effort that includes producers, directors, and writers. However, social media offers new possibilities in engaging with other creative minds in the process. For example, a producer can crowd source fresh ideas for a plot, or create an online contest for an open script to be developed by anyone interested in writing. This way, many variants of a script can be collected, and the most popular or appealing one can be selected.