Audience Intention
The audience I am targeting with my SAT is for everyone who has experienced street harassment or is familiar with the actions that take place after hours. My targets are the younger generation (millennials and generation z) as they have experienced the modernised version of verbal and physical harassment, and many are often desensitised to it. In saying this, The protagonist of my film is very specific, and a common personality in the younger generations, therefore more younger people will be able to relate to him and have some sense of empathy.
The staggering number of street harassment cases directed at females across the globe is directly linked to violent and misogynistic behaviour. Women are being harassed, stalked and even killed in Melbourne (and across Australia) and so this product will be addressing these issues without filtering out the ‘confronting’ parts. The rise of the #metoo movement is also incredibly relevant to my film, as it is encompassing the idea of harassment, and a significant scene shows the lead up to a sexual harassment.
The film encompasses a large social message of what many women have experienced or will experience when they go out at night, therefore the film is focused on them as they will be able to emotionally relate the the character of Essie. The nightlife in most western countries are very similar; people go out with their friends to party, they drink and they socialise. This film is showing the negative aftermath of such behaviour, it’s less a warning than a reflection of our night society.
The film is also aimed at younger men (16-25) who haven’t exactly experienced the type of situation, but who have either done the same thing (stalker like behaviour) or have friends who do it. It is more of a plea for men to look at situations from their perspective, and put themselves in the women’s shoes in order to really experience the paranoia that comes from being chatted up and stalked. The film shows an anti-hero as he tracks through the streets and comes to realise the affects of his actions, and through this hopefully other male viewers can reassess how they behave on the streets at night. It acts like a persuasive narrative by representing a mirror into our society and the changes it must make to become a safer world for everyone.
The film is also targeted at those who enjoy neo-noir styled media. Films such as blade runner and sin city have the same style of cinematography I am aiming to achieve in my film. The audience will have prior social knowledge of the kind of situation the characters are in, but they will also have seen many of the same types of characters in other media products. The protagonist is a general personality used in various down to earth ‘dirty’ films such as Hando from ‘Romper Stomper’ and Cook from ‘Skins (season 3+4) therefore this style of character will bring in an audience interested in these types of ‘good for nothing’ macho men.
The film begins with this macho male who thinks he deserves the world, this is seen in various media products and often interests an audience who are excited to see a positive change in his character (generally a moral character arc). Although these films often show an arc like such, it is not normal for the protagonist to be forced to walk in someone else’s shoes and face their actions. These factors will hopefully surprise the audience, but also get them to question their support for other characters in films and re-evaluate why they are attracted to such figures.
When consuming my product, I think it would be best to watch at night or in a dark room so that the audience can better put themselves in the character’s situation. The sense of paranoia relevant in the film will be better consumed with surrounding sound and a sense that the action is happening around the audience, rather they are involved in the narrative. I want the audience to feel the same things the protagonist feels; over-confidence, false sense of security, paranoia and finally guilt.
10 hours in NYC is a great example of audience engagement, and as it is a similar product that has a similar message, I am using it as a point of reference. The video attracted millions of viewers due to the confronting hurls of abuse the woman experienced in just 10 hours. This product therefore reveals the dangerous circumstances women live under in the name of street harassment, the main point I am trying to get across in my final SAT.
Hopefully, after viewing the film, the audience will converse on the messages conveyed and ask themselves questions such as ‘what would I do’ and ‘why was he like that’. Through discussing the factors in the film and the main theme of street harassment, I hope to start a conversation on the actions of others towards women (e.g. catcalling). The moral is essentially that there is aways consequences for ones actions, and that it is important to walk in someones shoes before belittling them.
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