2. Gender?
The first question, about gender, was answered exactly how I thought it would be.
The horror film genre tends to appeal more to the male gender, maybe because
they enjoy being scared and find the violent and gory elements of the film
appealing. So for my media production I may try to include aspects of gore and
violence so that it appeals to the male audience.
3. Age?
Similar to the first question, I was not surprised with the results concerning age, the
teenage category seemed to be by far the most popular with the early 20s bracket also
being popular. This seems to link back to the male appeal of horror films, individuals
within these brackets may enjoy the suspense and tension created within the film, they
may also go and watch horror films on nights out with their friends. So that my horror
film appeals to the most popular age brackets, I will aim to create tense and uneasy
moments to draw the audience in.
4. Most appropriate horror film location?
By far the most popular option for a horror film location was the abandoned house, this came as a bit of a shock to me
as I thought people would stick to the traditional horror film cliché and select the woods as the most appropriate
location. However, an abandoned house connotes themes such as isolation and the presence of mysterious
supernatural beings so it could be a much more appropriate location to set my horror film. Additionally, I discovered
that abandoned house locations are used quite prominently throughout existing horror films, including in the films I
looked at for my textual analysis, so by adhering to forms and conventions of existing horror films I can make my film
seamlessly fit within the genre.
5. Ideas for a horror film storyline?
I initially came up with four potential
plots for my horror film trailer and
pitched them to my target audience in
the questionnaire. The first idea was
marginally the most popular and it
centres on a group of teenage friends
who discover the concealed location of a
supernatural antagonist. The second
most popular option was the idea of a
teenage group of friends uncovering
mystical object that brings their
nightmares to life. From these results I
was able to deduce that the most popular
films for my target audience tend to
involve teenage actors of a similar age.
When I quizzed some of them about this
in the focus group, they informed me that
the main reason for this is that they feel
they can relate to the actors and can
subsequently feel the emotions of the
plot. So therefore I have decided that
even if I make tweaks to the plot I will still
use teenaged actors as it seems to be
what my target audience enjoy the most.
6. Ideas for horror film props?
Next, I asked my target audience about
potential horror film props to use within
the film trailer. Both the axe and the
mobile phone received the most amount
of votes from the audience, I felt that an
axe could be used to emphasise
elements of violence and gore that
appeal to my male target audience
whilst the mobile phone could be used
to portray the stereotypical male
teenage image that I am keen to portray
within the film. The sword received no
votes, potentially because it borders on
cliché for the action and adventure films
e.g. the Indiana Jones franchise, so
maybe the audience felt it would look
out of place in a horror film. The mask
option received a large amount of votes,
implying that the true identity of the
antagonist should be kept from the
audience until the end of the film,
enticing the audience to watch the film
until the end.
7. Appropriate horror film costume?
In terms of the costume for the film, a casual style appealed to the target audience, who seemingly feel they
can relate to a casual and stereotypical teenage character. Additionally, some members of the audience would
prefer me to focus on the antagonist, dressing them in dark and mysterious colours to amplify the violent and
apprehensive themes of the film.
8. Appropriate sound in a horror film?
I then went on to ask the audience
about appropriate sound within the
horror film, the question mainly
focuses on diegetic sounds to amplify
the uneasy and apprehensive feel of
the film. The most popular response
was screams and moans and the
whistling of the wind to create high
levels of suspense and tension within
the film. A few of the audience
members, however, preferred the
sound of rustling bushes and twigs
snapping, whilst the roars of my
antagonist was also a sound that
some of my audience liked. The
popularity of the whistling wind and
the screaming of the protagonists
means I will try to incorporate them
as much as possible within my piece.
However, I will also make subtle
reference to the other sound effects
my audience seemed to feel were
appropriate, including bushes
rustling, twigs snapping and roars
from the antagonist to create greater
suspense.
9. Favourite horror film sub-genre?
For the next question I asked my target audience
about their favourite sub-genre that exists
within horror. It was a three way tie , with action
horror, comedy horror and slasher horror being
the preferred choices. In light of these results I
feel it will be best if I focus on just one main sub-
genre and then make various subtle references
to the other sub-genres. So, for my production I
will mainly focus on the slasher/supernatural
horror sub-genre and then make references to
action and comedy, the latter could easily be
interwoven by using aforementioned male
teenage actors. I have decided to combined
supernatural with slasher as the most popular
horror film plot, asked in a previous question,
was the idea of the protagonist discovering the
location of a supernatural antagonist, so it
makes sense to make reference to combine that
within the main sub-genre.
10. Rank horror films out of 10?
For the penultimate question I asked my target audience
to rank the genre out of 10. I received a mixed response
of ratings culminating in an average rating of 5.8 out of
10. This could potentially be because there are not a lot
of good horror films out there that appeal to a mass
audience, successful horror films tend to pick a specific
niche target audience and then develop the film based
on their preferences. So in order for my film to be a
success, I will have to pick a specific style of horror film
and then develop it to appeal to my chosen target
audience.
11. Favourite horror film, if you have one?
Finally, I asked those who have a favourite horror film to share it, so
I could gain an insight into the sorts of films my target audience
enjoy watching. A variety of different responses were recorded
including ‘The Hills Have Eyes,’ ‘The Woman in Black 2’ and ‘A
Nightmare on Elm Street 3.’ The responses to this question will
allow me to structure my film package in the same mould as some
of the films mentioned, therefore allowing my target audience to
relate to my film in the same way they will to their preferred horror
film.
