Theodore Giles Media A2 Evaluation Q3

1. INITIAL SURVEY
Unknown Number Evaluation : Question three

2. From my original survey
we looked at the
demographic that the
survey was being
answered by, making
sure we had sent it to
the right proposed target
audience. This was useful
as the results came back
as expected
(Male/Female fairly
equal, aged 16-18).

3. From these two questions
we found out the
foundations of our plot.
We could see that our
demographic enjoyed
thriller horrors the most
with 80% of the vote, also
we could see that another
80% wanted a modern
setting the most. This
instantly turned us
towards stalker horror as
it fits both of these
criteria.

4. From the next two questions we
were trying t find out further
information about the preferred
genre of out target audience. We
could see that the Resident was a
popular choice between our target
audience. This reinforced the idea
of a stalker horror as the resident is
a stalker horror film. Following this
the next question helped us decide
the overarching scare of the film.
As the target audience voted that
they would prefer a psychological
thriller rather than one with a Gore
scare factor. Again reinforcing the
idea of a stalker horror.

5. From these two questions we got a feel for the
characters and who should be the focal point of
our project. Here the target audience voted that
they would rather see a female lead role as the
protagonist. This fell into place with the already
outlined idea of our plot as most victims of
‘cyber-stalking’ are females, so by following this
makes our product more believable. Also
following the horror genre the target audience
chose the protagonist to be the good not evil.
This is helpful to the effectiveness of the horror
genre as the unknown is scary and not knowing
who the person carrying out the evil acts adds to
the unknown- the overall scare factor of the
genre. So by having our stalker in the
background really amplifies the scare factor as it
could be anyone, rather than him being the lead
role where we would have to flesh him out as a
person, his thoughts/feelings.

6. These two questions gave us direction on what the
overall storyline and what aspects we should draw
inspiration from. From Q9 we could see that our
target audience thought that films based on real life
events were more appealing than made up stories.
From this we took the chassis of our stalker idea and
started to add the details. Instead of looking for a
specific true story about a stalker we decided that
sour film should be as realistic as possible. So the
target audience could connect and empathies with
our lead role as closely as possible- we wanted the
audience to react to it in a way that they thought ‘that
could be me’. This really boosts the scare factor of our
trailer and its overall effectiveness. Q10 shwed us
what we had already predicted, that stalker horror
was going to be the most popular. This was helpful for
us as it showed us we were really going in the right
direction.

7. FOCUS GROUP – WHAT WE
CHANGED
Unknown Number Evaluation : Question three

8. Editing
After showing the focus group an early draft of the trailer they told us that they felt the
relationship building at the start of the trailer was too long, at this time it was around a
minute of the trailer. They felt the scare and mystery of the trailer should come earlier. So
to rectify this we cut some of the scenes at the start of the trailer where we were building
Rebecca and Charlie's Relationship, by doing this we shaved 15 seconds off of the starting
sequence.
0:02 0:45

9. Sound
On my initial website I had not included an audio player. However after talking with the
focus groups they said that it could be improved by including an audio player that played
similar music to my trailer. Firstly add to the atmosphere of the website and make it more
intense and creepy but secondly to add to the continuity of the three products - being an
indication that they were advertising the same film. So i decided to add an audio player that
played the same music as the start of my trailer. I feel it has achieved both of its initial
purposes, to add to the atmosphere of the website and the continuity of the three
products.
I also changed the sound in my trailer in multiple places after meeting with the focus group.
They told us that in the scene where it starts to intensify and Rebecca gets the call from an
unknown number and realises that an intruder is in her house there wasn't enough reason
for her to get up out of bed to investigate, she may of thought it was a prank. So to rectify
this we added some non-digetic sound to the scene in the form of bangs and thumbs that
sounded like someone was stomping the floor. We also decided to add a non-diegetic voice
over to their phone call, so instead of the viewer just hearing the line from Rebecca “What
do you mean your watching me” we hear a manipulated voice with is pitched down and
distorted (using Logic Pro X) start the conversation by saying “I’m watching you”. We did
this to further intensify the scene and again give Rebecca more reason to get up out of bed
and investigate.

10. Camera Work
After talking to my focus group a large portion of the feedback was entered around the intensity o

11. RECEPTION AFTER RELEASE
Unknown Number Evaluation : Question three

12. Questionnaire After film
• How would you describe the Editing, Sound, Camera work, Mise en Scene in my
three Products?
• How easy was it to understand the plot of my film from my three products ?
• How well do you feel my products represented the horror genre? and further, the
stalker sub-genre?
• What would you change about my three products?

13. Results and Thoughts
from the Questionnaire - Q1
After showing my three products to participants of the questionnaire I then asked them the
questions and took notes on their answers. For the first question a common comment was that
“The ending sequence was edited well” with many saying they enjoyed the fast paced
movement of it and the “intimidating” camera work. This was the polar opposite of what was
said in the focus group, so our later alterations after advice from them has payed off and has
improved the quality of our trailer. For the sound section one participant said that “the voice on
the other end of the phone scared me!”. Again we included this because of results from our
focus group, so it was obviously a worth while addition to our trailer. However one participant
said that the music could have been edited to “fade in and out more smoothly” in the talking
scenes in our trailer. This I would have to agree, some of the transitions do not sound as
professional as hoped. To alter this for next time I would make sure that this was a pertinent
question to our focus group before release. Also on sound another participant said that they
“enjoyed the music behind the website, it makes it more spooky”. This is exactly what we were
going for with the music player on the website, as well as continuity. Another interesting aspect
of question one was the contrasting views on different issues; such as lighting. One participant
said that they “liked the lighting…” on my website as it “reflected the two characters” whereas
other said the difference in lighting “Looked awkward”. The alighting change was pupils done
for the exact reason as said before, that it showed that on was evil and one was good.
However I have learnt from this instance and if I were to go back and change it, I would keep
the difference in lighting just make it not as dramatic.

14. Results and Thoughts
from the Questionnaire - Q2
From question two the general consensus was “yes”, that they did understand the
overall plot form my three products. However some of the participants said they
were confused as to why Charlie was not included on the website and that from
this they instantly assumed that he was not the evil character. Although this isn't is
true, it clouds the overall message and doesn't add to the mystery of the trailer. In
hind site I should have included Charlie as well as Ethan on the website, so my
audience wouldn't make presumptions about the film before seeing it.

15. Results and Thoughts
from the Questionnaire - Q3
After asking this question to the participants most said that they “knew it was a
horror film” due to the look and overall mise en scene of the project. With the
majority saying that the colour scheme was telling of a horror film
(Red/White/Black). This colour scheme was purposely chosen for that reason
that it is a generic convention of a horror film, so by choosing it it has achieved
its purpose. Another generic convention we used that the participants picked
up on was the constant fade to black in between the shots in the trailer. Saying
that it was “typical” of a horror film. Again this exactly why we chose it - we
wanted it to follow the typical conventions of as horror film so that the audience
could instantly recognise the genre. One issue that kept on appearing in the
participants response to this question was the font of our title. With one
participant saying “It looks too modern” and “Not scary enough”. I would agree
with this, however we chose it because it had connotations of texting and
phones - which is the subject of our film. However I do understand it is not
telling of a horror film and next time I would go for a more traditional font and
get across the technology theme in another format in my products.

16. Results and Thoughts
from the Questionnaire - Q4
One of the main issues the participants breached after this question was the
one of fonts. That they were not “scary enough”, I would agree here and as said
before would maybe try and emphasise the technology theme in a different
format if i were to do the project again. Another issue to do with the mise en
scene of both my poster and my website was the difference in the tagline and
title font and how they both look “too modern”. I would again emphasise that the
both fonts being used to connote technology, with the tagline font being the
same as the font on current iPhones. However in hind sight would choose a
different format to get across the technology theme.
Another participant said that they would have liked “more mystery” in the trailer,
further going on to say that the end sequence was too telling of events to come.
i would agree this and upon reflection it should have been edited to have a
more jagged feel and be less chronological. This would still achieve the fast
pace we wanted but it would give more mystery to the climax and overall plot.