1. Unit G322 – Section B
How does Attack the Block target an audience at each stage of
Production, Distribution and Exhibiton?

2. Lesson Objectives
To Understand: The importance of consistently and
persistently targeting the right audience.
To be able to : Identify how this audience is
considered and targeted specifically at each stage of
Production, Distribution and Exhibition.

3. Demographics
The film’s genre was a hybrid of comedy and action /sci fi so the
challenge was to attract two types of target audiences.
It tried to appeal to a mainstream audience by being a comedy
but also had a core target youth audience who like urban, gritty
British films.
The targetted age of the viewers was 15-34 men and women of
all classes
Its media campaign targeted Nick Frosty fans, comedy fans,
people who watch E4 and film fanatics.
This very broad but somewhat conflicting audiences were a
challenge to reach and may have led to the film’s lack of success
at the box office
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4. Targeting the Core Audience at
all stages of the film’s cycle
Hugely important for all of the different organisations involved in
the Production, Distribution and Exhibition of Adulthood.
Production company Big Talk Pictures needed the film to be a
success because if it failed they may find it very difficult to get
funding for any future films that they may want to make.
The distributors Studio Canal, who also had a stake in
production needed the film to go into profit and be a success.
The film’s budget was £9M yet so far they have only made a
profit of £3.5M.
Studio Canal and Big Talk pictures aren’t huge companies and
only release British films. They aren’t big conglomerates like
Sony so can’t withstand losses to their films.

5. Targeting the Core
Audience
The UK Film Council and Film4, who injected finance into
Attack the Block, have think carefully about films they fund, as
they don’t want to get a reputation for being an organisation
that gives lots of money for films that people ultimately don’t
really want to watch.
In terms of exhibition, cinemas would have lost money if
audience figures had been low – they wouldn’t have sold
popcorn, sweets and food, a large part of their revenue.
Ultimately – all of the organisations involved from start to
finish needed the film to reach the right target audience. Big
Talk Pictures, the UK Film Council, Film4, Studio Canal and
cinemas all deliberately tried to ensure that this happened.

6. Film Promotion

7. Big Talk Pictures – the role of
Production in targeting the core
audience
Only one actor was well known, Nick Frost - seen
in ‘Paul’ and ‘Shaun the Dead’. Other actors and
actresses reflect the age of the audience, and
many are from London.
Narrow range of cast would restrict the film’s
popularity with an international audience. When
distributed in America, there was concern that
London accents couldn’t be understood.
By having Nick Frost in the cast, this increased
the target audience, due to popularity of his
previous films.

8. Big Talk Pictures – the role of
Production in targeting the core
audience
Locations are authentic, urban and recognisable
to to an audience. Especially a British audience.
Soundtrack is edgy and contemporary – urban
genres like grime. Includes track from Basement
Jaxx
Dialogue – slang/colloquialisms that would
appeal to the target audience.
Costumes – hoodies and branded sportswear –
realistic and easy to relate to.
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9. Studio Canel distributors– their role
in targeting the core audience
DISTRIBUTION – they commissioned Target Media to run their
media campaign.
Posters/billboards in city centres, London underground,
phone boxes and on public transport that the audience are
likely to use.
TV Spots on youth orientated channels like E4, ITV2, music
channels like MTV, 4 music and Viva, and comedy channels
like Comedy Central and Dave.
Trailers in cinemas around films that are aimed at a similar
target audience.
Including Basement Jaxx on soundtrack to target urban youth

10. Studio Canal – the role of the distributor
in targeting the core audience
DISTRIBUTION-
Adverts and editorial in tabloid newspapers like the Sun and
News of the World (and free sheets like the Metro that are
given out in city centres only) and on key radio stations – like
KISS FM.
Big online drive for publicity, with all TV, press and radio
directing audience to social networking sites like Facebook,
You Tube and Twitter to hit the right target audience.
Organised press junkets where actors and actresses spoke to
the press.
Adverts on Britain’s got talent website plus games and
entertainment sites.

11. Cinemas – their role in
targeting the core audience
EXHIBITION
Screening of trailers during films that would attract a
similar target audience.
Posters outside / cardboard cutouts etc.
Advertising in press - the Sun and the News of the
World.
Making sure that the film was screened at a time
appropriate for the target audience.
Screened at cinemas in and around city centres.

12. Conclusion
Attack the Block is aimed at a specific target audience. It wasn’t produced by
a major or even mainstream production company – Big Talk Pictures are a
small Independent film company. It tried to pitch itself at a mainstream
target audience – but in the end, Attack the Block attracted a niche audience
– small but very well defined.
Big Talk Pictures and Studio Canal, the distributors had a lot at stake in the
way that most independent producers and distributors do, partly because the
budget was so big - 9 times that of Adulthood, which cost £1M to make.
They simply can’t afford to make a loss – they don’t have the financial clout
to withstand it.
Targeting the right audience was a challenge and because there were two
fairly distinct audiences (British urban niche audience and comedy
mainstream audience) plus the broad age range of 15-24 and 25-35, the
film didn’t manage to successfully target the right audience, so the film
wasn’t a huge success. It cost £9M to make, yet so far has only made £3.5M
in profit at the cinema. The distributors will be hoping that it can recoup this
loss and make more money during its subsequent exhibition windows.