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.