Indentifying My Target Audience

I have chosen to do British Film for my media project. The reason for me choosing British Film is because many of my favorite films are British Film’s for example Quadrophenia, Bronson and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and many more. British films are always very hard to find the target audience because a lot of them are set in the past which attracts both a young and older audiences, this is because a young audience are intrigued to see what culture, politics, music and fashion was like back in those days. Whereas the older group of people who were alive during this time watch it to see how accurate the opinion of the Director is of that era, and possibly to refresh or bring back memories. A good example of this is This Is England as I know that I was drawn to the film instantly because I have a lot of interest and followed the Skinhead image, and my dad who’s in his early 50’s was also drawn to the film as he was a young adult during the early 1980’s and also followed that image during that era. He was very intrigued to see if Shane Meadows had made an accurate opinion of the Skinheads, the music, the fashion and the struggle England had during the Falklands War back in them times.
To find a specific age group for a British Film is impossible as anybody could be interested in the film for the reasons I have just mentioned. Other genres such as comedy, the target audience is clearly going to be a lot younger than elderly, as the language and actors used are generally very young, and an adult could find it hard not only to relate to the film but understand it in many ways, whereas a younger audience are surrounded by the language and actions of young people.
Clearly all British Films are trying to attract the attention of the British Public that is generally their target audience, as everything that is going in the film is based on them or everything that is around them. Even recent films like Kidulthood and Adulthood, lots of people are attracted to them because Noel Clarke is trying to explain and show everybody what is happening right on our front door, and open up peoples minds to some of the lives of teenagers roaming London’s streets. The reason for this is because everything that is shown is true or real and if not worse. People hear about it in the news but pay no attention, whereas if it is put into the film people will go and watch, and will get the message that it is trying to put across. The main audience that Directors of British Films are trying to attract is the British public as they know that they are going to be the most interested out of anyone because they are able to relate to the message that is trying to be put across. A good example of this is T.V. Series Shameless, set in the modern day and age in Manchester, and it shows the stereotypical side of Manchester and people enjoy viewing it, as it is all about us and people like being able to relate to it.
In terms of sex gender for British film I would say that men are more attracted to them than women simply because a lot of them contain drug use, violence or true stories that are very graphic. I would think without being sexiest towards women, that they would rather go and enjoy a Romantic Comedy or a Comedy than a film that does contain scenes of drug abuse, violence and graphic imagery.
Overall I am aiming to attract the British Public to watch my film as my film will be set in a very old fashioned East London Pub, and the film with have a very 50’s look to it, as my main character will be wearing clothing of that era.