Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black (Watkins, 2012)

The Woman in Black

Who do you think the primary and secondary target audience is for The Woman in Black? Why?
The Primary audience- The Woman in Black was rated 12A so therefore was available for younger teens as well which is quite uncommon for horror films, due to this age rating the main target audience was mainly 25 and under, by having Daniel Radcliffe as the main character this attracts a younger audience of this age range who at have been fans of harry potter.

Secondary audience- Not the initial target audience but people who might still have an interest in watching the film (the potential consumers). Being a Hammer production this could attract an older audience who might have been a fan of Hammer horror before it re-launched.

How was The Woman in Black marketed? (Think about genre(s), sub genre(s), media platforms, target audience, promotions, size of campaign, etc.).
When marketing the film the distributors need to keep in mind the target audience and the genre of the film, what horror film audiences enjoy and will expect from the film. 
Advertising and marketing can be done through the use of several platforms such as...

• In magazines (ads, articles and interviews)
• Online (creating a website for the film)
•  Premiere
• Television, Radcliffe done many TV interviews to promote the film on shows such as Graham Norton.
• trailers and teaser trailers
• posters ad teaser posters 
• social media, creating pages to promote their film and also an easy way for large scale promotion by the audience sharing posts with friends and family. 
• merchandise (t-shirts, mugs stationary etc.) 
• radio ads 

Do you think the marketing materials for the film were appropriate? Why?
I do think the marketing materials were appropriate for the film, I think they related well to the film and let the audience have an understanding of what the films about and what it could include without giving too much away. They have also kept their target audience in mind by using platforms such as social media to reach their younger audience. 


What kind of release did the film have? (Big/small? How many cinemas showed the film on its release?)
How much did The Woman in Black cost to make? (Production budget) AND what was the industry impact of The Woman in Black? (Think box office and trends).
The estimated film budget for woman in black was $17 million including costs for marketing. The film was succesful and was named the most popular horror film in the UK in 2012; this led to other companies being inspired to make paranormal horror's and creating them to the same standard.

The Woman in Black was released on February the 3rd in 2012 the film was available for 13 weeks in total. The film had a fairly big release being screened in 2,885 cinemas  in the US that generated $20,874,072. There were 412 screenings in the UK which generated £3,153,020.

Why do you think the film was so successful?
Firstly because of Daniel Radcliffe being the main character in the film, Radcliffe is a popular actor and well known by the younger audience as well as the older. The woman in black was the first film Radcliffe done after his very successful role of Harry in Harry potter which would encourage the audience to see him in a new film as they know he is a good actor, as well as attracting a lot of Harry Potter fans. 
Secondly becuase the film had a wide target audience for a horror film, the film was rated a 12A therefore was open to a wider range of people. This meant it was available for a younger audience which isn't typical for the horror genre, but also by it being a Hammer production with could intise an olderr audience as well.