Audience: the Acorn system

The Acorn system is very useful when trying to decide who your target audience should be. This  system places people in to categories based on alot of things such as : ethnicity, gender, jobs, income, age and qualifications.
Here is a very brief overview of the system from my blog for the AS media course last year :

BAND A : These are the wealthy upper middle classes that are proffessionals such as doctors or are high up managers, executives, administrators.

BAND B : People in this band are normally middle class with intermediate manager jobs or other respected proffesional jobs such as teachers.

BAND C1 : This is generally the lower middle classes with fair incomes. They will have jobs such as junior managers or semi proffessional workers.

BAND C2 : These people are usually skilled working classes who will have often have skilled manual work jobs.

BAND D : This is working class people who are often manual workers in semi-skilled/unskilled jobs such as mechanics.

BAND E : These are the lowest earners who will often have very basic or casual jobs.This bracket also includes things like state pensioners, widowers(single earners) and the unemployed.

Here is the newest and very detailed version of the system from: http://www.caci.co.uk/acorn-classification.aspx

Wealthy Achievers

Wealthy Executives

• 01 - Affluent mature professionals, large houses
• 02 - Affluent working families with mortgages
• 03 - Villages with wealthy commuters
• 04 - Well-off managers, larger houses

Affluent Greys

• 05 - Older affluent professionals
• 06 - Farming communities
• 07 - Old people, detached houses
• 08 - Mature couples, smaller detached houses

Flourishing Families

• 09 - Larger families, prosperous suburbs
• 10 - Well-off working families with mortgages
• 11 - Well-off managers, detached houses
• 12 - Large families & houses in rural areas

Urban Prosperity

Prosperous Professionals

• 13 - Well-off professionals, larger houses and converted flats
• 14 - Older Professionals in detached houses and apartments

Educated Urbanites

• 15 - Affluent urban professionals, flats
• 16 - Prosperous young professionals, flats
• 17 - Young educated workers, flats
• 18 - Multi-ethnic young, converted flats
• 19 - Suburban privately renting professionals

Aspiring Singles

• 20 - Student flats and cosmopolitan sharers
• 21 - Singles & sharers, multi-ethnic areas
• 22 - Low income singles, small rented flats
• 23 - Student Terraces

Comfortably Off

Starting Out

• 24 - Young couples, flats and terraces
• 25 - White collar singles/sharers, terraces

Secure Families

• 26 - Younger white-collar couples with mortgages
• 27 - Middle income, home owning areas
• 28 - Working families with mortgages
• 29 - Mature families in suburban semis
• 30 - Established home owning workers
• 31 - Home owning Asian family areas

Settled Suburbia

• 32 - Retired home owners
• 33 - Middle income, older couples
• 34 - Lower income people, semis

Prudent Pensioners

• 35 - Elderly singles, purpose built flats
• 36 - Older people, flats

Moderate Means

Asian Communities

• 37 - Crowded Asian terraces
• 38 - Low income Asian families

Post Industrial Families

• 39 - Skilled older family terraces
• 40 - Young family workers

Blue Collar Roots

• 41 - Skilled workers, semis and terraces
• 42 - Home owning, terraces
• 43 - Older rented terraces

Hard Pressed

Struggling Families

• 44 - Low income larger families, semis
• 45 - Older people, low income, small semis
• 46 - Low income, routine jobs, unemployment
• 47 - Low rise terraced estates of poorly-off workers
• 48 - Low incomes, high unemployment, single parents
• 49 - Large families, many children, poorly educated

Burdened Singles

• 50 - Council flats, single elderly people
• 51 - Council terraces, unemployment, many singles
• 52 - Council flats, single parents, unemployment

High Rise Hardship

• 53 - Old people in high rise flats
• 54 - Singles & single parents, high rise estates

Inner City Adversity

• 55 - Multi-ethnic purpose built estates
• 56 - Multi-ethnic, crowded flats

Audience: the effects models

Probably the most important thing to consider when creating a media product would be to decide who your target audience is. There are a few techniques and systems people use when categorising the main audience for there specific product.

The first thing I looked at in my audience research was the effects model.  This shows the different ways in which people consume the media :

The hypodermic needle model

The intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypodermic_needle_model

Two-step flow

The people with most access to media, and highest media literacy explain and diffuse the content to others. This is a modern version of the hypodermic needle model.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-step_flow

Uses and gratifications

People are not helpless victims of mass media, but use the media to get specific gratifications.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_gratifications

Reception theory

The meaning of a "text" is not inherent within the text itself, but the audience must elicit meaning based on their individual cultural background and life experiences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reception_theory

Obstinate audience theory

This theory assumes that there is a transactional communication between the audience and the media. The audience actively selects what messages to pay attention to. Studys found that the audience also participates in the communication by influencing the message.




There is more information on audience theory and the effects model: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience_theory

I think my film would probably be aimed mainly towards the hypodermic needle viewers as this is generally the largest audience. I think this also fits well with the short film category due to the time constraints in a five minute long piece preventing me from creating a complex plot to attract the viewers from the other effects models.

Film Classification

Films are given a specific film classification which will inform the audience whether a film is suitable for them or not. This classification is given by the British Board of Film Classification: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/.

There are six types of classification used in the United Kingdom :

 

Universal

 

 Suitable for all

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

Parental Guidance

General viewing, but some scenes 

may be unsuitable for young children

Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should :
 not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

 

Suitable for 12 years and over

Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.

The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.

In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:

• where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence
• where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
• where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ (see below) would normally be confined to that category.

In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.

 

 

 

To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years

The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ video works may not be supplied by mail order. The following content is not acceptable:

• any material which is in breach of the criminal law, including material judged to be obscene under the current interpretation of the Obscene Publications Act 1959
• material (including dialogue) likely to encourage an interest in sexually abusive activity (for example, paedophilia, incest or rape) which may include adults role-playing as non-adults
• the portrayal of any sexual activity which involves lack of consent (whether real or simulated). Any form of physical restraint which prevents participants from indicating a withdrawal of consent
• the infliction of pain or acts which may cause lasting physical harm, whether real or (in a sexual context) simulated. Some allowance may be made for moderate, non-abusive, consensual activity
• penetration by any object associated with violence or likely to cause physical harm
• any sexual threats, humiliation or abuse which does not form part of a clearly consenting role-playing game. Strong physical or verbal abuse, even if consensual, is unlikely to be acceptable.

The British Board of Film Classification is a non-governmental organization. It is funded by the film industry and is responsible for the national classification of films with in the United Kingdom. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/british_board_of_film_classification

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/

Currently I plan to make my film either a 12 or a 15 certification. If it is a 12 it will have a larger audience potential while still allowing some more mature content. A 15 certification would give me more options when developing my plot but may prevent some slightly younger viewers from watching it who may also fit in to the target audience.