Evaluation question 2: How does your product engage with the audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text

Firstly I did some research on films that revolved around a plot similar to mine (Films where a figure of justice find their family at threat)

I then went on YouGov lite to find the key audience that these films appeal to.

1.Max Payne

Genre: Action/Thriller

Plot: A detective named Max Payne is tasked with investigating the murder of his family. 

2.Taken

Genre:Action/Thriller

Plot: Ex-CIA agent Brian Mills finds out that his daughter has been kidnapped by an Albanian gang of human traffickers after letting her go on a trip to Paris with her best friend. Using all of his skills and tactics, he must save her. (and find them and kill them)

3.The Punisher

Genre: drama/thriller

Plot: Seething with revenge for the death of his family, an FBI agent named Frank Castle switches his identity to be known as “The Punisher” and and aims to dismantle the criminal empire of Howard Saint 

Here are some commonalities I noticed from the audience of the 3 films:

-They are mostly male

-The age range was 40-60

-They spend more than 6 hours on the TV per week> they are likely going to watch films on channels such as HBO or use online streaming services i.e.: Netflix, Iflix
-They are all politically right leaning.

Why would they like my film?

Firstly, my main characters' clothing is based off the "hardboiled" detective trope. Films/series that feature these types of characters were very prominent in the 40s-60s. Being in the age group of 40-60 years old, it is likely that the audience have heard of or even watched these films in their childhood. The trench coat reference will act as a trigger to nostalgic feelings.

Some character that the design of my protagonist pays homage to. 

The key items of  Mise-En-Scene at the beginning surround police procedure and evidence. This is to create a sense of authenticity and realism to the opening - these are potentially real events happening in a comparatively realistic environment. From my research my audience like urban based 'realistic' thrillers such as Taken, Bourne which have a similar verisimilitude.

Like the other films above, ALONE establishes a visible Binary Opposite. From the beginning of the interrogation, the Detective and suspect are portrayed to represent good and evil.  In terms of plot, my film also features a figure of authority whose family gets put into threat or murdered meaning that fans of films such as TAKEN or Max Payne might find it appealing as they know what to expect .

Please read annotations for further analysis of why the audience identified would engage with my film opening

Distribution?

Cinemas

 I don't think that Alone will become a great hit in the cinemas as a high percentage of people going there are young children with their families to teenagers and a very few adults. The theme of the movie itself is quite dark and would not be labelled as “family friendly” and not appealing to the majority of the people that come to the cinema as a source of entertainment. 

Alternatively, if a comic series is released simultaneously film, book stores are likely to put it in front where people walking past will see. There will be a rise in popularity for both the comics and the film. It may also attract a wider range of audience as young teenagers in the modern world enjoy reading comics.

Streaming sites eg Netflix

Within the past years, the amount of people using this type of streaming service has increased with Netflix reaching over 34 million subscribers in April of 2016 (source). This means that my film will have a higher chance of gaining audience this way. When new content is added onto Netflix, it will be put in a tab noticeable on the home page which people can browse. 

Lionsgate Premier

Another online site I would consider distributing this film is "LIONSGATE premier". Established in early 2015, it is a film distributing company which distributes films to other streaming services such as Netflix, HULU or Apple TV. Apart from this, they are also well-known for releasing thriller and crime films which can give me access to a Niche audience. Here are some films that have been released by Lionsgate premiere:

-Manhattan night (2016)

Genre:Mystery/Crime

-Imperium (2016)

Genre:Crime/Drama

-Solace (2015)

Genre:Mystery/Crime

-Aftermath (2017)

 Genre: Drama/Thriller

When would the film be released?

Most of the audience that my film will appeal to would be middle/working age, giving me a more flexible release date. In order to avoid competition,  the film should not be released during the summer or Christmas  holidays as this is when bigger, more well-known film producers such as DreamWorks or Disney release their highly anticipated films. There has even been cases internal competition within these big companies. Disney had released both Rogue one and Moana in the winter of 2016 which of course, led to one film being more popular than the other. 
Since Alone is primarily aimed for streaming services, it can be released at a flexible and adjustable date but it is likely to be popular during October, when people begin watching Horror Thriller films to get into the "Halloween mood". Whilst some enjoy the classics (Friday the 13th, Scream, etc,) others may switch to newer Thrillers and Horrors which can give the film a greater reputation.