Cassettes were around from 1962-2009, so we can base the rough date of the play through this as a cassette is the first prop shown on the film through a CU. As another CU of a cassette is shown, we see a date on the newspaper, reading '1995', giving us a clear indication of when this film was set, this can help us consider target audiences. 
I think Mix tape was made to interest the younger generation. The main character is a young boy, first seen from the back, listening to his cassettes on headphones. When going next door to ask where Lily is, we find she is at dancing. Both children have hobbies and interests, Lilys' being dance and Bens' being music.
The message of this is to show to children how technology has changed, neither child is using media or technology to entertain themselves. When passing over the cassette, we can see that he is expressing his feelings towards her through the music, which is shown later on and conveys a bond they build through this, as they dance and sing along to the music but in separate rooms. 
It is likely that this is for an adult audience, who will enjoy reminiscing about how they used to make mixed tapes and "first love". As you say it would also appeal to younger audiences, although I guess they may find the tape somewhat prehistoric in the age of MP3 players. Ensure you use terms like demographic and think about how audiences access films.
ReplyDeleteLevel 2