Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black

Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black

1. Who do you think the primary and secondary target audience is for The Woman in Black? Why?

In my opinion, I think that the primary audience for The Woman in Black is young adults and teenagers due to their familiarity with Daniel Radcliffe's works. After spending a majority of his film career in the 'Harry Potter' franchise, Daniel has drawn a lot of attention from the teenage demographic, mostly the female gender. And due to The Woman in Black having a '12' rating by the BBFC, this means that those fans would be able to see the film in cinemas to witness Daniel in another role which could define his career as a serious actor.

As for the secondary audience, I think this would consist of an older demographic who is more familiar with the original novel and the stage play. While starring Daniel Radcliffe to appeal to the younger audience, the part of the adult audience would be interested in the original source material and therefore would wish to see the film adaption.

2. How was The Woman in Black marketed? (Think about genre(s), subgenre(s), media platforms, target audience, promotions, size of campaign, etc.).

The Woman in Black was advertised in a number of different ways using different methods which were both mainstream and involved the target audience. For example, prior to the film's release, a 'Submit your own ghost story' competition was held where Daniel Radcliffe would read the story on the DVD extras. This competition is applicable to both young and old audiences who could have an interest in writing and literature. They also used conventional means of advertisement by releasing teaser trailers and posters which identified the film's genre, the actors taking part and eventually the release date. This is an effective and popular marketing technique since it can help draw in the target audience, especially the younger audience who are fans of Daniel Radcliffe as well as the older audience who are fans of the original novel.

3. Do you think the marketing materials for the film were appropriate? Why?

I believe that the marketing materials were appropriate for the film because of how they covered a wide variety of formats including online, newspapers, radio and television, while at the same time keeping the genre of the film present. For example, the teaser and promotional posters for the film were quite chilling and would probably give people chills if they were to view the poster late at night e.g. on the side of a bus stop or on a billboard.  

As for the formats used, the marketing for the film was seen on many social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Daniel Radcliffe even posted information about the film on Facebook page by stating that "it would be his first film project following the final Harry Potter movie". I believe this is appropriate advertising for the film since it relates to the lead character's acting career and how he trying to be seen as more serious in the film industry.

4. What kind of release did the film have? (Big/small? How many cinemas showed the film on its release?)

Upon its release, The Woman in Black received mixed reviews from both fans and critics. While some gave it acclaim for its constant chilling atmosphere, others thought that it could not hold up against "modern, high-stakes horror". It was shown in a majority of cinemas starting on 3 February 2012 in Canada and ending on 1 December 2012, resulting in a large worldwide premiere and receiving a lot of notoriety.

5. How much did The Woman in Black cost to make? (Production budget) AND what was the industry impact of The Woman in Black? (Think box office and trends).

The overall budget for The Woman in Black was $17,000,000 and earned back at least $20,874,072 on its opening weekend in the USA. However, the final overall gross for the film was $127,730,736 worldwide, becoming a box office success. Despite earning a majority of its final gross from cinema releases, there was still merchandise available prior to the film's release which also earned a large amount of money before the film had even come out.

6. Why do you think the film was so successful? (You must come up with at least two reasons).

The first reason why I think the film was so successful is because of Daniel Radcliffe’s performance as the lead character. He was believable, stuck to the source material and overall gave an excellent performance while showing that he could work well in dramatic roles as well as fantasy ones.

And the second reason why I think this film was successful is because of the compelling storyline and the use of “jump scares”. Unlike with most modern horror films, The Woman in Black focused more on the fear factor rather than the overuse of blood and gore. This could be a contributing factor to why it only gained a ‘12’ rating since it did not feature a lot of body horror.