The document summarizes the results of a survey about audience preferences for horror films. It found that 60% of respondents were female. 80% of participants were aged 10-21. Gore and romance were the most popular horror subgenres. The majority of respondents said they feel scared when watching horror films and prefer films set in the evening, night, or afternoon. A mixture of slow, loud music and fast, quiet music was deemed most effective for horror films.
Survey Results Gender and Age Preferences Horror Film Audience
1. Gender
Male Female
40% of the people who took
part in this survey were
male whilst the other 60%
were female. The total
amount of participants is 10.
As the majority of
participants were female,
the camera angles, camera
movement, and shot sizes
are going to be fitting to a
majority female audience.
For example it is unlikely
that I will apply the male
gaze theory to my product.
2. 0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
10 to 15 16 to 21 22 to 27 28 to 33 34 to 39 40+
Age
Male Female
These results show that:
2 people were between the ages of 10 and 15
6 people were between the ages of
16 and 21
0 people were between the ages of 22 and 27
1 person was between the ages of 28 and 33
0 people were between the ages of 34 and 39
1 person was ages 40 or above.
As 80% of the participants in the survey were aged 10 to 21, I have decided
that my product will suit the age range of the target audience. This decision
is likely to have a large impact on the mise en scene and characters.
3. 0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Yes No Other
Would you say you watched horror films regularly?
Male Female
This graph shows how regularly the audience watches horror films. 4 out of the
10 people asked answered yes, 3 answered no and 3 answered other. The
common answer for people who ticked other was that although they watch
horror films often it’s not on a regular basis. We can deduct from this that the
survey participants are familiar with the conventions of a horror film and that
the target audience for my product should be both male and female. I also
found that the younger people that took part in the survey watched horror
films more frequently.
4. 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Comedy
Sci-FI
Romance
Gothic
Supernatural
Gore
Psychological
Documentary
Which is your favourite of the following horror sub-genres?
Female Male
Gore and romance were the most popular horror
film sub-genres chosen. For my horror film I am
likely to combine the two genres in order to appeal
to a male and female audience but also to apply
my research and successfully create an effective
product.
5. Who are you most likely to watch a horror film with?
Friends Family Partner Alone Other
This chart shows that 70% of the
survey participants are most
likely to watch a horror film with
their friends. This means in order
to create a product that is
relatable to the audience I will
have to think about what
character relationships there will
be on screen. A group of friends
would be the most relatable but
also characters that are in a
relationship or characters that
are family would work effectively
as the other 30% of the audience
would watch a horror film with
their family or a partner.
6. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Happy Scared Paranoid Anxious Excited
Which of the following best describes how horror films make you feel?
Male Female
6 out of the 10 people surveyed said that horror films make
them feel scared. This information suggests that the audience
watch horror films to feel scared above other emotions. This
implies that in order to create a successful horror film I need
to use apply a range of horror film conventions in my product
in order to make the audience feel the desired emotion.
7. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Morning Midday Afternoon Evening Night
What time of day do you think makes horror films the most effective? (select two
answers)
Male Female
This chart shows that the afternoon, evening and night are the preferred times of
day for a horror film to be set. This information supports my research into horror
film conventions, many of the films were set in dark places or when it was just
starting to go dark outside. This information suggests that a dark setting makes
the audience more likely to feel scared- which is the desired emotion.
8. What type of music would you say best suits a horror film?
Slow, Loud music Fast, Quiet music A mixture of the two No music Other
From this chart I can gather that
music is a key element of a
horror film as none of the survey
participants selected no music or
other. Slow, loud music is the
most popular choice whilst Fast,
Quiet music comes in second.
However, a mixture of the two
(which has the 3rd highest result)
is likely to be the most effective
in order to build on the tension
and suspense of the film.