Task 2

The target audience for Stranger Things is very wide, there is no set age group however
there are main key aspects to the programme that would identify the target audience as
being both for teenagers and people that were teenagers in the 80s. As the programme has
many references to classic 80s films and teenagers adventuring it can be a reminder of their
childhood and creates nostalgia.

The show appeals to this specific audience by applying codes and conventions of horror and
sci-fi. For example, with horror codes and conventions they use camera techniques, sounds,
soundtrack, settings, editing techniques. For camera techniques they usually use long shots
to show the surrounding to the audience mixed with an eerie low soundtrack can create a
suspenseful atmosphere which is often seen within many horror films/series. Sound effects
are a big part of the horror genre as they rely on sound effects to cause tension and jump
scares which are very important to create the surprise effect within horror films/series. The
setting for many horror series/films are usually dark, outdoor spaces that shows the
characters as small, weak creatures in the gloomy atmosphere where anything could be
around the corner. The weather usually is wet or stormy during scenes when main actions
happen which is called pathetic fallacy as it reflects the feelings of the characters. Editing
techniques are very important when it comes to horror films/series as they have a specific
style, they create jump cuts which causes the audience to feel scared and confused, they
linger shots leaving them on longer than necessary to try to create suspense. For example,
in Sci-fi they use science-based themes, aliens etc as main character in the plot, narrative,
setting, themes. Sci-fi usually use science-based themes in the plot. The main
characters/antagonists are usually aliens, robots and mutants as it brings an interesting plot
twist to the film/series. Iconography is used by including high-tech equipment gadgets,
spaceships and weapons. The narrative usually contains contains obstacles that they have to
overcome such as the world about to be destroyed etc. The setting is usually futuristic and
can be in parallel universe and has themes of time travel, paranormal, extra-terrestrial. Sci-fi
is used to generally make the audience believe what is happening in the story and
sometimes use elements of familiar technology to help the audience make the connection
with fiction and reality. There are usually close-ups of the futuristic technology which
emphasises the importance to the plot and special effects help to make everything realistic
and to enhance the imagination.

I conducted a survey on Survey Monkey which I will link here:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WTXYP72
The survey was completed by six people which were asked about their thoughts on Stranger
Things. The first question I asked was what age they were so that I could get a proper
indication on the audience, 83.33% were aged 18-24 and 16.67% were aged 35-44 years of
age. The second question asked was had they seen Stranger Things to which 100% of people
said yes. The third question was what their favourite thing about Stranger Things was, 3
people said that it was the characters and their development, one person said soundtrack,
another said atmosphere and the last said the storyline. The fourth question was what
appeals to you about the show, 66.67% of people said that the throwback to the 80s, 50% of
people said that it was the characters and 16.67% said it was the style. The fifth question
was what do they do for work, three people are students, one works in a bar, one is a
supervisor and one is an event planner. Question six was who do they think the target
audience is, 66.67% of people said teenagers, 16.67% of people said people from the 80s
and 16.67% said fans of the classic 80s films. Question seven was do you think the show
represents the time set well, the average number out of 100 was 90. The eighth question
was what their favourite thing about the show was, one person said the imagination of the
show, one person said the soundtrack, another person said the characters, two people said
the 80s throwbacks and vibes, and another said the atmosphere and the thrill. The data
collected backs up that the main target audience is people who grew up in the 80s and
teenagers now as it has many themes in which both age groups can enjoy. The survey also
shows that it doesn’t matter what your age or occupation is however it only relies on taste
of the audience which refers to task 3 with the uses and gratifications theory that the
audience has power over their media consumption and choose from their own moods
where their particular need can be met through their choice of media.

https://www.slideshare.net/amberloo20/codes-and-conventions-in-the-horror-genre
https://www.slideshare.net/Nikchik89/science-fiction-conventions
https://wearenumberoneblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/codes-and-conventions-of-
stranger-things/