Black Panther: how does a mainstream film target audiences?
What is the difference between a major and an indie film production?
Major
- An emphasis on computer generated special effects
- Well known and recognisable actors
- Fast paced and action filled narratives
- A wider range of settings and locations, often exotic
- Certain genres are favoured, eg fantasy, superhero, sci-fi, action
- Exciting, yet relatable situations
- More dramatic, kinetic cinematography
- An emphasis on simple narratives (Classical Hollywood narrative)
- Target a mass, mainstream audience
- Emphasis on extravagant costume and set design
- Name of production company used a selling point
- An emphasis on famous, well known actors
- An emphasis on well known and clearly defined genre conventions: action, sci-fi, adventure, superhero
- Heavy use of CGI
- Straightforward and easy to decode narratives
- Often a part of a franchise - allows the producer to target a pre-sold audience
Indie
- Typically a niche or specific target audience
- Less of a focus on making money
- Smaller budget - less advertising, recognisable actors etc
- Smaller, less known companies
- Lack a clear genre
- Complicated and less obvious narratives
- Generally a self-contained non-franchised narrative
- Slower paced narrative
- Everyday, relatable settings
- Genre is often less apparent
- Hard-hitting, relatable issues
- Static cinematography
- An emphasis on complex narratives
- Focus on a niche audience
In what ways does the Black Panther trailer minimise risk and maximise profit for Walt Disney?
- Clearly identifiable genre, evident from the iconography of the superhero costumes
- Superhero films are a safe bet: not a risky investment
- Diverse cast allows the film to be differentiated from other superhero films
- Clearly identifiable brands, allowing the audience to identify with the film
- Exotic settings, including Korea and Africa
- Fast paced, action filled trailer provides instant gratification
- Bass heavy, hip hop soundtrack allows the film to target a pre-sold audience of rap and hip hop fans
- Martin Freeman - The Hobbit, appealing to white middle aged audiences
- Young target audience with expendable income
- Use of extremely famous and well known actors
- Use of highly evocative mise-en-scene provides an escapist fantasy for the audience
- Exotic locations including the fantasy city of Wakanda, London, Seoul...
- Highly hybridised use of genre: superhero, action, fantasy, sci-fi
- Extensive and elaborate CGI creates a whole different
- powerful soundtrack, combining electronic, hip-hop and rock
- universally understandable themes of power
- Pre-sold audience of Marvel fans and actions
- Michael B Jordan: Creed, Fantastic 4
- Samples an american revolutionary poet
- predominantly black cast: themes of empowerment, potentially empowering a new, black target audience
- Huge and heavy emphasis on CGI: grenade skydiving: film looks extremely expensive: high production values
- Soundtrack produced by famous musicians eg The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar
- Big, bassy hip-hop soundtrack, with elements of rock, Jazz and electronic
How does the trailer to Shaft target working class inner city black US audiences?
- Accents and slang
- Black, working class inner city character
- Themes of racisms and racial discrimination
- Downtown, rundown, grimy settings
- Black main character
Majority black cast - Hard boiled
- Allows audiences to relate to themes and the setting