Target Audience of Horror Films

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-governmental body which has classified cinema films since it was set up in 1912. The BBFC is responsible for applying the new test of, "suitibility of viewing at home." The BBFC is the UK’s regulator of film and video, providing age ratings such as U, PG and 12A. The BBFC is a designated body so have legal powers to rate, and sometimes cut or even reject works. The BBFC assignes two examiners who will watch and then rate the film using the BBFC's publishig guidelines. Examiners take into accoung the issues dealt with or mentioned in the film along with the language used; the context, tone and impact of the film and even the release format. The BBFC claims their aim is to ensure that children, and all filmgoers, are protected from harm and illegal material, and that they can make informed decisions about their viewing choices.

The guidelines are shown below:

Why are most horror films a 15 rather than an 18?
Most horror films are a 15 rather than an 18, as it will have a much larger target audience, so will therefore lead to a more profiteable film for the company. Films classified as 15's still contain a lot of the elements that people expect in a horror films, it just appeals to a larger target audiece. For example, discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat and violence are a still permitted in a 15.  

Below I had attached the top 15 gross films over the past 3 years. This is extremely as I was am able to see what films are the most popular in terms of sub-genre, age certification etc, to maximise our profits. 

Box Office Performance for Horror Movies in 2014

Rank	Movie	Release Date	Theatrical Distributor	MPAA Rating	2014 Gross	Tickets Sold
1	Annabelle	10/3/2014	Warner Bros.	R	$84,273,813	10,315,032
2	Ouija	10/24/2014	Universal	PG-13	$50,856,010	6,224,725
3	Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones	1/3/2014	Paramount Pictures	R	$32,462,372	3,973,362
4	Deliver Us from Evil	7/2/2014	Sony Pictures	R	$30,577,122	3,742,609
5	Oculus	4/11/2014	Relativity	R	$27,695,246	3,389,870
6	Devil's Due	1/17/2014	20th Century Fox	R	$15,821,461	1,936,531
7	The Quiet Ones	4/25/2014	Lionsgate	PG-13	$8,509,867	1,041,599
8	The Pyramid	12/5/2014	20th Century Fox	R	$2,706,405	331,261
9	Tusk	9/19/2014	A24	R	$1,821,983	223,008
10	The Remaining	9/5/2014	Sony Pictures	PG-13	$1,169,603	143,158
11	Saw	10/29/2004	Lionsgate	R	$815,324	99,794
12	The Babadook	11/28/2014	IFC Midnight	Not Rated	$742,092	90,831
13	Mo jing	4/18/2014	China Lion Film Distribution	Not Rated	$172,010	21,053
14	Horns	10/31/2014	RADiUS-TWC	R	$164,480	20,132
15	A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night	11/21/2014	Kino Lorber	Not Rated	$158,707	19,425

Box Office Performance for Horror Movies in 2015

Rank	Movie	Release Date	Theatrical Distributor	MPAA Rating	2015 Gross	Tickets Sold
1	Goosebumps	10/16/2015	Sony Pictures	PG	$79,370,088	9,415,194
2	Insidious Chapter 3	6/5/2015	Focus Features	PG-13	$52,218,558	6,194,372
3	Poltergeist	5/22/2015	20th Century Fox	PG-13	$47,425,125	5,625,756
4	Unfriended	4/17/2015	Universal	R	$32,482,090	3,853,154
5	Crimson Peak	10/16/2015	Universal	R	$31,090,320	3,688,056
6	Sinister 2	8/21/2015	Focus Features	R	$27,740,955	3,290,741
7	The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death	1/2/2015	Relativity	PG-13	$26,501,323	3,143,691
8	The Lazarus Effect	2/27/2015	Lionsgate	PG-13	$25,801,570	3,060,684
9	The Gallows	7/10/2015	Warner Bros.	R	$22,764,410	2,700,404
10	Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension	10/23/2015	Paramount Pictures	R	$18,297,124	2,170,477
11	It Follows	3/13/2015	RADiUS-TWC	R	$14,674,077	1,740,697
12	The Green Inferno	9/25/2015	High Top Releasing	R	$7,192,291	853,178
13	The Vatican Tapes	7/24/2015	Lionsgate	PG-13	$1,784,763	211,715
14	Ich seh, Ich seh	9/11/2015	RADiUS-TWC	R	$1,178,196	139,762
15	A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night	11/21/2014	Kino Lorber	Not Rated	$385,325	45,708

Box Office Performance for Horror Movies in 2016

Rank	Movie	Release Date	Theatrical Distributor	MPAA Rating	2016 Gross	Tickets Sold
1	The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist	6/10/2016	Warner Bros.	R	$102,470,008	12,155,398
2	Don’t Breathe	8/26/2016	Sony Pictures	R	$89,217,875	10,583,377
3	The Purge: Election Year	7/1/2016	Universal	R	$79,042,440	9,376,327
4	Lights Out	7/22/2016	Warner Bros.	PG-13	$67,268,835	7,979,695
5	The Boy	1/22/2016	STX Entertainment	PG-13	$35,819,556	4,249,057
6	Ouija: Origin of Evil	10/21/2016	Universal	PG-13	$34,992,970	4,151,004
7	The Witch	2/19/2016	A24	R	$25,138,705	2,982,052
8	Blair Witch	9/16/2016	Lionsgate	R	$20,777,061	2,464,657
9	The Darkness	5/13/2016	High Top Releasing	PG-13	$10,753,574	1,275,631
10	Green Room	4/15/2016	A24	R	$3,220,371	382,013
11	The Other Side of the Door	3/4/2016	20th Century Fox	R	$3,000,342	355,912
12	The Disappointments Room	9/9/2016	Relativity	R	$2,423,467	287,481
13	Busanhaeng	7/22/2016	Well Go USA	Not Rated	$2,125,786	252,169
14	The Neon Demon	6/24/2016	Broad Green Pictures	R	$1,333,124	158,140
15	31	9/1/2016	Saban Films	R	$779,820	92,505

Main Brief:
Our horror film will not contain any extreme; discrimination, drug abuse, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat or violence. Hence, we have decided to market our horror film as a 12a, as it will appeal to a much larger audience than marketing the film as a 15, which would be far more limited. Marketing our film as a 12a should also, hopefully increase profits from our film; films recently marketed as a 12a, such as The Women in Black and The Signs have been extremely successful with huge profits.