Question time...4

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

I feel females would be the main audience for our film. Melodramas typically appeal to a feminine audience. Although males may also enjoy the film, I think we would try and attract young women to come and see the film. Although we would also try not to exclude the male gender. Also some teenagers would be able to relate with 14 year old Sophie as she is a similar age to them and may be dealing with some issues they are facing in their lives. Females statistically are more likely to suffer with depression, however many males also battle with the illness, moreover although we have represented a young girl dealing with depression, depression can occur at any age, and often people can experience depressive relapses throughout their life. I think our film can educate on what it's like for a person to deal with depression, self harm, eating disorders and domestic violence. There is always more awareness that needs to be created on these issues.
I feel having chosen to do a melodrama, we have not chosen a typical genre of film, as melodramas are more uncommon than many genres of film on screen today. So hopefully that would create some interest and get some regularly cinema goers wanting to watch it as it is something different.

We looked at the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) guidelines to consider what rating we would give our film. We decided that it should be a 15. The BBFC guidelines state that the following guidelines constitute as a rated 15 film:

• Imitable behaviour
  Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and
  self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be
  copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.


• Theme
  No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is
  appropriate for 15 year olds.


• Drugs
  Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not
  promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily
  accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example,
  aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.


• Violence
  Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction
  of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to
  be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also
  unlikely to be acceptable.
  There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence
  but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and
  have a strong contextual justification.


• Language
  There may be frequent use of strong language (for example,
  ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
  acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated
  use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.


• Nudity
  Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without
  strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a
  non-sexual or educational context.


• Sex
  Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail.
  There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
  but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable
  unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
  sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.


• Discrimination
  The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory
  language or behaviour.


• Horror
  Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
  

We have put our film into this category, because we feel if we were to continue our film this is what guidlines we would need to work to. This means people watching the film shouldn't be under 15 years of age, which aims our film at a mature audience.