Standard D: Audience development

Your project should contribute in a broader sense to growing engagement in film of audiences which are more representative of the UK population.

It is important to detail the strategies, access plans and interventions that go beyond your current customary provision or BFI’s contractual minimums for funding. A real commitment to making a project accessible to as wide an audience as possible should be demonstrated.

Standard D is primarily for those productions that have a distributor attached.

Nonetheless, all film projects are encouraged to complete it where possible, even with high-level details on what will be considered in relation to audience development. This Standard would also apply in the event of self-distribution.

Standard D contents

• D1 – Disability related (you must meet this criteria)
• D2 – Target audience planning
• D3 – Wider Audiences
• D4 – Marketing
• D5 – Partnerships

D1 – Disability related (mandatory)

This criteria relates to access provision, materials and any other access interventions.

Criteria

Demonstrable evidence and commitment towards access related interventions that make the project accessible to the widest possible audience, beyond your current provision or BFI’s contractual minimums for funding.

Guidance

Demonstrate a real commitment towards ensuring a project is accessible to the widest audience possible.

Provide evidence of disability related access interventions, provisions and materials that go beyond your current standard provision and/or the minimum BFI contractual requirements related to funding. Disability in this criteria refers to visible, as well as non-visible disabilities, including those acquired, physical or cognitive. 

Examples include but are not limited to:

• accessible ways of communicating and creative approaches to marketing for specific audiences with access requirements
• new technology that makes the project more accessible
• enhanced programming activity that provides additional experiences for disabled audiences 
• interventions that make the project more accessible to individuals who are neurodiverse
• associated online or app content for the project that are also fully accessible
• ensuring the project’s venues are accessible, welcoming, and comfortable spaces for disabled audiences (beyond legal / statutory requirements)

For projects which successfully secure BFI funding, there are contractual obligations in the agreement with the BFI. For further information on what these minimum BFI requirements will be, contact productioncoordinator@bfi.org.uk.

D2 Target audience planning

This criteria relates to the strategic planning to reach target  under-represented audiences.

Criteria

A coherent and focused strategy to reach and engage an under-represented group(s) as the target audience.

Guidance

A coherent strategic focus with outreach initiatives for under-represented audiences the project will aim to reach. Indicate the target audiences that will be focused on, detailing why these audiences are typically under-represented amongst audiences for this type of project. 

Provide a detailed strategy explaining the context, key strategies for engaging these groups. Target audiences may include some under-represented groups that are not usually considered under-represented audiences, but may be in regard to particular types of films.  

The emphasis must be on broader strategies to reach the target audience(s), beyond on-screen representation of characters or location.

Some examples are as follows:

• Strategies to distribute content in a UK indigenous language. The 10 languages indigenous to the UK and still spoken today are English, Scots, British Sign Language, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Cornish, Manx, Angloromani, and Shelta
• A distributor, whose foreign language film releases regularly engage audiences over 30 years old, has plans to reach a younger audience by, for example, working with young programmers’ networks 
• Events or screenings in conjunction with specific community groups, along with targeted ticket pricing (pay-what-you-can, free, discount)
• Targeted marketing and partnerships

D3 – Wider audiences

This criteria relates to the UK regional and national audiences outside of central London.

Criteria

A coherent strategy to add value and to engage audiences from outside of central London.

Guidance

A clear strategy that adds value and engages new audiences within your specific locations. Provide evidence of additional activities to reach these new audiences in UK Nations and Regions that go beyond the core provision of the project. Strategies may include marketing, events, outreach for audiences. 

Examples may include but are not limited to:

• available in specific languages addressing local communities and a focus on local or regional cultures
• targeted marketing and outreach activity
• strategic interventions to further develop film audiences in a particular area
• providing access to film in an area where there currently isn’t provision  
• talent Q&As in areas and venues that don’t often have access to such events
• ticket offers and incentives e.g. local residents from lower socio-economic households being offered discounted tickets 

There must be evidence of reaching beyond the core audience in regions where the film is being shown. This is about strategically targeting audiences with specific activities that go beyond the project.

D4 – Marketing

This criteria relates to promotional and marketing strategies.

Criteria

A coherent strategy towards promotional and marketing activities catering to under-represented audience(s).     

Guidance

Promotional and marketing strategies that engage the under-represented audience(s) that are referenced in D2. Describe the activity and the audience(s) that benefit from it, effectively demonstrating how the film release or promotional strategy will specifically reach them. This relates to marketing, events, outreach, and online strategies that target specific under-served audience group(s) less likely to watch such films 

Examples related to the project include, but are not limited to:

• Outreach / grassroots marketing
• Targeted pricing strategies  
• Marketing materials developed to specifically appeal to the target audience(s)
• Accessible marketing materials and website 
• Media campaign (print/ online/ social media / out of home/ radio / podcasts / TV) specific to target audience(s) 
• An additional or broader publicity campaign relevant to target audience(s)
• Influencer activity 
• Added value event screenings (e.g. Q&As) utilising hosts and talent that will appeal to the target audience(s).

Note: There must be evidence of the under-represented  audience(s) benefitting from activity, as well as the nature of the activity

D5 – Partnerships

This criteria relates to partnerships utilising specialist and/or expert knowledge.

Criteria

Utilisation of specialist partners that provide expert knowledge to engage under-represented audience(s) outlined in D2 (target audience planning).

Guidance

Securing partnerships to utilise specialists and experts to provide advice and their expertise to engage the under-represented audience(s) referenced in D2. The project would evidence new collaborations or alliances formed specifically aimed at increasing the diversity of UK audiences. Describe the partnership, what it aims to achieve, and the under-represented audience(s) that benefit.

Examples of using partnerships for specialist or expert knowledge may include but are not limited to:

• building community and/or charity partnerships 
• disability access 
• linguistic minorities
• specific national or regional film cultures
• media and/or brand partnerships relevant to the target audience(s)
• partnerships with other cultural organisations relevant to the target audience(s)

Demonstrate the quality and the relevance of the expertise that will be engaged and how it will provide a deeper level of audience engagement and development.