Key Terminology:
- target audience
- niche audience
- mass/wide audience
- specialist audience
- psychographic - the study and classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations, and other psychological criteria.
Audience types and Categories
Who are the audiences for long form drama?
- Who consumes it?
- How do they consume it?
- Why might long form TV drama be an enjoyable format?
What type of audience does the Stranger Things have – mass, specialist or niche?
- Be specific and think carefully.
What is the demographic breakdown for the target audience for each set product?
- Research this!
YouGov Stranger Things
YouGov Deutschland 83
What is the dominant psychographic audience type for the set product?
- What lifestyle preferences do they display?
- What examples can you find from the products to show how these lifestyle preferences or tastes are addressed in the content of the drama?
The Targeting of Audiences
How does the content of the drama appeal to its target audience?
- Think about age, gender or representations present.
- Think about the industry (how is it consumed?)
Why do audiences like to watch long form dramas?
- Think about Bulmer and Katz's Uses and Gratifications
- What about the way they end?
What aspects of the drama’s content, such as storyline, characters, settings and locations, appeal to the audiences?
- Use examples
- Think about social contexts that effect us
What specific examples from episode one can help to illustrate how the drama is intended to cater and appeal to its target audience? (at least three)
How has technology enabled the targeting of audiences?
- Think about Netflix and how you personally look for something to watch.
- Think about genre theory.
What global reach does the drama have?
- What is Netflix's audience?
Which technologies and platforms enable a global reach?
How might responses by global audiences be affected by the socio-cultural experiences of where they live?
- Will different audiences interpret the series differently?
How do audiences use
technology to consume and
respond to long form TV
drama?
How do the ways we can watch the drama appeal to the audience?
- How do you consume TV series?
What platforms can the drama be consumed on?
How does the concept of ‘time-shifting’, ‘binge-watching’ or ‘immersive viewing’ help the drama appeal to its target audience and encourage consumption?
- Think of the emotion you feel when you 'complete' a series.
How can audiences participate or respond to the drama?
- Look for fan-sites online
How has technology enabled and encouraged audience response to the drama?
- Is there anyway to get involved with the drama?
On which social media sites can audiences respond and share ideas about the drama?
- Research the two TV dramas social media accounts
What kinds of things do audiences say?
- Positive? Negative?
- Representation?
How do audiences interact
with their preferred dramas?
How are audiences invited to share or interact with the set product?
- Social Media?
- Fan sites?
What features of the product’s official homepage encourage audience interaction?
www.strangerthingsfilm.com/
What social media accounts do the set products have? How can audiences interact on these accounts? What sorts of things are posted on these accounts? Where are the audience from globally?
What is the role of fans in reinforcing the appeal of the drama?
What is a fan? Why do they help promote and circulate the drama?
What different fan-made material can be found for the set product? How does the content of these productions reinforce the appeal of the drama?
What is the role of technology in enabling fan-made material to be circulated? How do these fan-made products help to further promote the drama? How do they help to build a sense of community and a commitment to the set products?
How do audiences interpret
the dramas?
How do different audiences respond differently to the same product?
How might different audiences respond to and interpret the content of the drama in different ways?
Where are audiences from geographically and how might this impact on the way in which meaning is interpreted?
What is cultural capital? What aspects of the drama require cultural capital or contextual knowledge? How does this extend the potential target audience for the drama?
How can the content of TV drama, and the way in which it is interpreted, be seen to be a reflection of the socio-cultural and historical contexts in which it is set and in which it is produced?