2. FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What is your favourite horror film and why?
2. If you could make a horror film, what would it
be about/what subgenre would it fall under?
3. Do you prefer new or old horror films and
why?
4. Would you pay to see a horror film in the
cinema?
5. (Basic outline of The Basement) So what do
you think of this? Do you think this will be
successful as a film idea?
3. FOCUS GROUP SAMPLES
Out of the 8 video interviews conducted, I have picked these two as sample
videos due to the depth of their answers and useful feedback. These two
participants have provided me with the most insight into what to actually
change in regards to my promotional package, and what the typical target
audience will look for in a horror film.
http://youtu.be/G0DnuMJG1Lw
http://youtu.be/fbP-MrMl4jU
Only one person was used per focus group as I felt it gave a more intense, focused
experience that allowed me to draw out individual opinions in a way that a group chat
could not do. In the typical focus groups last year, certain individuals within the circle
were much more vocal than others, and this allowed these others to give less input –
meaning that I lost out on potentially vital information that could have drastically
altered my work.
4. When asked what their favourite
horror film is, each of the participants
gave a film that was critically praised
and, more importantly, complex in
more ways than one. For example,
although Hannah’s choice of
‘Disturbia’isn’t a typical ‘horror’ film,
it contains many elements of a
psychological horror and focuses
heavily on character development and
social commentary. This signals to me
that the typical target audience of ‘The
Basement’ like to see a film that
‘evolves’, with unpredictable twists
and turns that elevates the film beyond
its scares and into a film that is more
likely to stand the test of time i.e if you
watch a scary film too many times, the
scares will lose their effectiveness, but
if you watch a well-crafted, character-
driven horror, the lesser effect of the
scares matters less in comparison to
the lasting power of the story.
Accordingly, ‘The Basement’ will
retain a greater degree of complexity
in its narrative than many of its peers,
relying on its unique narrative and
‘dreamscape’ ideology to separate it from
the rest. Furthermore, when asked what
kind of horror film they would create,
participants such as Xavier gave very
intriguing answers. Although Xavier
lacked ideas in regards to the other
questions, he put across the concept of a
horror film driven by ‘someone who was
possessed prior to the film happening, and
doesn’t realise until the very end. The
whole way, he was manipulating the
events of the horror surrounding them in
order to lull people to their deaths – and
he did this without even knowing it.’ This
intriguing answer inspired me to place a
great deal more emphasis on the character
of Joel, and why he actually purchased
and restored the house – did he really put
all that effort into restoring it just to feel
closer to his family’s past? Again, this
demonstrates that the target audience like
a degree of unpredictability in their
narrative, which is exactly why ‘The
Basement’ should appeal to their needs as
long as I can demonstrate this uncertainty
in the trailer.
FOCUS GROUP ANALYSIS
5. In regards to whether participants prefer old or
new horror films, Hannah gave the ideal
answer that perfectly encapsulates ‘The
Basement’ as a film, preferring the ‘content’of
old horror films but the way new horror films
are ‘put together’. It is very likely that she will
appreciate my film based on this viewpoint, as
‘The Basement’ is reflective of the old French
expressionist horror films in terms of narrative
and locations, while being directly inspired by
the more reserved, static imagery and
composition of shots from films such as ‘The
Babadook’. Darryl also gave a good answer,
saying that he preferred new horror films for
their ‘experience’ in delivering scares, and
although this is my first attempt to create a
horror film trailer, I hope to mirror this evident
level of sophistication through extensive
research into other acclaimed horror films.
Moreover, each and every participant said
‘yes’ to paying to go see a horror film in the
cinema – which is excellent, as the film will be
shaped entirely for a cinematic experience
with emphasis on sound and visuals. It also
assures me that I am working with the type of
individual that I need to be working with, as
the typical member of my target audience
would be more than willing to pay to see a
horror film in the cinema, due to their love of
When I gave a brief summary of my
plot to each participant, they all
reacted positively to the general
premise – although a variety of
feedback was given. They all liked the
recently added idea of placing
emphasis upon dreams and reality,
highlighting that this was a good
change to make. However, each of
them was uncertain of how I would
present the devil in the basement, and
William in particular worried about it
looking ‘unrealistic’. This particular
worry resonated with me, and it has
come to change an important part of
the trailer. I was initially going to
show the devil as a CGI creation, fully
visible in the light, at the end of the
trailer, but due to limited available
software, there is indeed a risk of this
looking ‘unrealistic’. Instead, I have
opted to show only the silhouette of
the devil, and because of this, I am
able to create a basic costume for him
that will be worn by one of the actors
and will therefore enhance the level of
realism. Furthermore, this is likely to
increase the level of fear – often, in
horror, the less you see, the more
