AS Media Studies

A setting is the time, place and social environment in which a film is set in, and helps to initiate the backdrop of a narrative. It includes context beyond the immediate surroundings of the story, such as culture, historical period and geography. Along with plot, character, theme, and style, setting is considered one of the fundamental components of a film. Because of this, Setting is highly important in the construction of mine-en-scene and creating an understanding for the viewer. Different genres include specific settings that link with the mood of the film. 

Comedy

Comedy films are usually based in casual and common places with bright lighting. This is because lighting reflects the mood that the film aims to show.  As humorous moments can happen just about anywhere, films within the comedy genre have a diverse range of settings. For example, they can feature in an office (Wolf of wall Street), in an apartment (Ted),  in a school (The Inbetweeners) or in hot/coastal locations (21 Jump Street). This is because humour within comedies usually occurs through the actions of characters, not the setting itself. These types of settings are also similar to everyday locations that may be possessed by the audience.



Horror 

Horror films are typically set in dark and ghostly locations that provide a sense of anxiety. This usually helps the audience to identify the genre. For instance, they are commonly based in a haunted derelict/abandoned house (Poltergeist) in which a fatality caused the location to be possessed by an evil spirit. Similarly, urban houses are also featured in more modern horror films (Paranormal Activity), as this type of setting helps to relate to the audience more. Grave Yards are also used as they have connotations of death and ghosts. Additionally, Rural locations also fit well with the theme of horror as they are often isolated, dark, and difficult to escape from (Blair Witch Project).

Dialogue is written or spoken language exchanged between two or more people. Despite dialogue being used in the majority of films today, it is not a necessity within the opening 2 minutes of a feature film. Music and narration on their own can provide an effective opening, and many films have been produced that contain no dialogue whatsoever. This suggests that dialogue is not always needed to express a storyline or character's emotions, but it helps to engage with the film and discover more about a character. 

Examples of film openings where dialogue is not used: 

Despite having a brief idea of the genre and content of my film opening, I know that it's target audience will refer to teenagers around my age - possibly between 15-20 years old. This is because I know my film will eventually contain graphic images and a shocking turning point that may be unsuitable for younger audiences. It will also be aimed at people who like dramas/thrillers, conspiracies and enigmas, which therefore implies that younger audiences may not understand the background of my opening. Overall, my film opening will aim to attract anyone within my recommended age group who likes films that are out of the ordinary and have a unique storyline.

There are various ways which I can attract my target audience to see my opening, or perhaps the whole film if I was intending to create it. If so, I would design posters portraying the key character, title and ratings and ask local shops, services and my school whether they could be placed in windows and on notice boards. In order to aim my target audience, I would design my posters to look dark and mysterious to match my deliberate genre.  I would also create a short trailer that would include the most significant/memorable parts of my film, and publish it on social media. However, as I am creating a film opening, I would publicise it on social networks and ask my friends and family to watch it and give me feedback.

A target audience is a particular group at which a product such as a film is aimed at. There are several kind of targets audiences portrayed within the film industry - age ratings give a good suggestion what the target audience is for a film by addressing the age group its acceptable for. There are a number of ways film agencies attract their target audience to see one of their films - through trailers, friends and family, film posters, radio adverts, website sidebars and social media.

Horror

Horror films usually attract groups of teenagers who want to go to the cinema and see a scary film, which is  a common way of socialising. They tend to go in groups so they feel more reassured by one another's presence if a suspense scene emerges. Despite that horror films are usually assigned to 15 and 18 age ratings, many younger teenagers and adults between 26-40 are attracted to see horror films out of anticipation, but the usual age for someone watching a horror movie is between 15 and 25. This is because young audiences are less susceptible to being put off violence and unnatural images in films, and horror films give them senses of thrill and excitement. Horror films also attract couples on a first date or have been together for a while, as they seem to be good conversation starters after the film, and are therefore a popular choice. Males are more likely to watch horror films than females because they are more able to interact with the characters and handle disturbing scenes.

Romance

Atypically, Romance films tend to attract an audience of first world citizens such as teenage girls between ages 12-16 from America or Britain. Girls within this age group usually go in pairs or in a group of girls. This is because girls prefer films with a light-hearted storyline which tend to finish with a 'happy ever after', and therefore find them likeable. Most of the actors/actresses in Romance films usually originate from either of those two countries  due to their versatility in film and their dominance in the film market. Romantic films can also target some young couples on a date to get them in a passionate mood. Traditionally, less serious film fans go to Romantic films due to their less artsy and more relaxed nature. This results in Romantic films receiving less Oscars and film awards than other genres.

Sci-fi

Sci-fi Films attract both genders as they posses engaging material which can put viewers 'on the edge' and feel uplifted. However, as sci-fi films contain scientific, technological and action-packed scenes, the genre tends to attract more males than females, despite being popular in both genders. This implies that Sci-fi films have a niche market in comparison to other genres, such as comedy. Sci-fi films have a range of content that can be family friendly but also result in their target audience portraying a higher minimum age rating. For instance, E.T. was rated U and Aliens was rated 18. As they atypically contain elements of extra-terrestrial life, this can be aimed towards teenagers and children who have more imagination than adults.

Comedy

The target audience for a Comedy film is highly dependant on the content it possesses. Most comedy films are rated 15 or 18 due to their high level of explicit dialogue which is unsuitable for children to witness. However, comedy films can attract families to watch them, but those that do usually possess another genre, such as adventure, and are not always comedic throughout the film's duration. Comedy films usually attract those older than the age rating simply because comedy has a large target market. Unlike some genres, comedy films that have a specific age rating are accurately suitable for it - for example, those that are 18 usually contain explicit language and scenes, making the film heavily aimed at over 18's.

Action 

In comparison to Sci-fi films, action movies attract both genders and a wide range of age groups, yet males aged between 15-25 are a large proportion of the genre's audience. This is because it's stereotypical for men to be drawn to violent and lively films. Action films usually attract younger groups of people as they like a good adrenaline burst.  Large fan bases are created from successful action films by being inspired by iconic characters. These characters do things that are next to impossible to do in real life in order to impress their target audience, thus leaving the viewers on the verge of curiosity to see more. A good example of this is James Bond.

During one lesson, a task was set  to put 9 boxes in a diamond, to show which ones were the most important aspects within a film.