In this post I wanted to think about what types of representation I can have in my film which contrasts typical genre trends. Historically, in horror movies and other media genres, black or non-white characters do not receive as much representation in films as their white counterparts. Often, within these films, minority characters will likewise have a minor role in the film. Furthermore, it is generally believed that minority characters are the first victim within horror films. While there are some counterarguments to this trope, with it being found in a study of fifty horror films only ten percent had a minority die first, a black character did die in the majority of the films. Notably, these characters have a lack of development as well.
I can make race the theme of the film through several means. I can make an encounter before entering the doctors office in which the main character, likely Indian (nonwhite), is discriminated against.
A grim statistic is that it is just as probable for an imaginary female character to appear on film as it is for an Asian woman to be the lead of a horror film. This is something that I will keep in mind for my opening in order to make strides in representation.
For the target audience I must look at the trends. Typically in the genre, the target audience is between those ages 15 to 25.
Using this chart, I can deduct that typically it is males who enjoy the horror genre and I will target my demographic to the male audience. Nearly 48% of the 2210 respondents in this study of those 18 years or older found that they watched horror movies within the last three years at least.Knowing both of these aspects will be of great help when producing the two minute opening as it will become easier to align the aspects of my story to the core audience in order to produce a more cohesive and grabbing opening.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_in_horror_films
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1342707/horror-movies-theater-viewing-gender-united-states/#:~:text=As%20of%20October%202022%2C%20approximately,added%20up%20to%2021%20percent.
https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/know-thy-audience-marketing-the-horror-film-it-follows/
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