What is the difference between the target audience of a movie and a play? I'm writing an essay and this is one of the general questions I have to answer and I never really thought about it. My guess is that the movie is for anyone who can buy it while a play would be more for people who would understand what's going on. That's just my guess though. I would like an actual answer though so don't just answer to get the points.

Movie audience is worldwide, coming from various backgrounds and age ranges. Movies are available nearly everywhere, and the target audience is much broader and universal. The Theatre audience is focused on the local population and their interests and background. The target audience must be adapted for the specific play, interested in the production, and be able to afford the ticket. Play audience has more intention and is more participating in the experience.

Explanation:

Movies are distributed worldwide and in today’s world, they can be seen almost anywhere – from airplanes, over computers, to cinemas. Movies can be translated easily and there is a chance someone from across the globe will watch a certain movie. The audience for movies is much broader and more global, so when making a movie the director should consider how will it be portrayed worldwide in different contexts and on different screens. They can be adapted to be shown to all age groups, all language groups, and all cultures. The movie audience is also not as active as the theatre audience – the production team and the actors do not witness the reaction right away. Also, the movie stays available for a long period, and when developing it one should consider how will it be portrayed to the audience in a few years. Therefore, the audience for the movie is global, broad, and more passive.

Play is presented to the local audience, in one certain theatre for a short period. There are not many plays that are distributed in other countries and it is harder to translate a play. So the audience for the play is the local audience and the director should consider who is living in proximity to the theatre when developing the idea. The play shown in the US will have to be limited to the experience of the US audience, while the French audience will have different demands and understand different cultural contexts. Also, people who go today to the theatre are considered more well-off and invested in the play – you can’t just accidentally catch the play on TV, you have to intentionally buy the ticket for it. So the developing team should consider how to attract people to go and buy the tickets more easily. The expensive plays will be shown to the more high-standing audience, and small, local theaters will attract a more niche audience. The audience can react immediately – whether they laugh or leave the theatre affects the momentary experience of the play. Plays are shown only for a certain period, so the play should be adapted limited to the present day and age. Therefore, the director must consider which theatre the play is performed in, who can watch them play, what exact message and marketing should they use. The audience for plays is usually more mature, more invested, immediately participating, and from the specific local context.