Slasher: Primary Research into Audience

The slasher audience is made up of mostly teenagers. Slasher films always usually feature a group of teenagers as the protagonists in the film. There is frequent violence, nudity and sex in slasher films which attracts a teenage audience. The audience is both males and females. The violence, sex and nudity within the genre attracts a male audience and the strong, mighty female protagonist role ('final girl') within the film attracts a female audience.

Uses and Gratifications Theory:

The Uses and Gratifications theory is the idea that the members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory approaches why people actively seek out specific media forms to fulfil their needs. The audience choose the media to meet/fulfil their needs. These needs can also be described as specific gratifications. There are 4 gratifications. 
These gratifications are:

1. Escapism/Diversion - Escape from everyday problems.
2. Personal Identity - Self understanding and trying to relate to people in the media (characters/actors).
3. Personal Relationships - 
4. Surveillance - Using media to find out whats around us and to be informed with information (e.g. watching documentaries).

The certain audience watch slasher films for escapism and pleasure.

A man called Crane argues that the appeal is also from the idea that violent films are frowned upon by cinema critics and authority figures, so teenagers want to rebel against this and view these films. This urges them to watch violent films.

Slasher Audience Film example:
Halloween:
At the start of this film we see a teenage couple alone in a house about to have sex. There are continuous stalkerish shots outside the house looking in through the window seeing this teenage couple kissing and touching each other. After this, this couple starts to head upstairs indicating that they are about to have sex. As the couple enter the room there is an immediate shot of the curtains closing in the upstairs window from the outside. 

In my film opening I plan to have my target audience be predominantly teenagers. Therefore, I will add teenage cast/characters who will be the main protagonists.