The focus group was conducted to determine what elements would attract the target horror film audience to a trailer, poster, and magazine cover. Key findings included that the audience preferred posters featuring the villain prominently with the weapon, a font resembling blood splatter, the tagline "He is what he eats", diegetic and foley sounds in the trailer, close-up shots of the villain's face on the magazine cover, a meat cleaver as the weapon, and a costume combining a mask and suit. These elements align with horror conventions and will be incorporated into the media pieces to appeal to the target group.

1. Focus Group
Analysis
By Jamie Dawson

2. Why We Completed The Focus Group
The focus group was completed by our group to attempt to try and find out what
the target audience wants to see within our media package. Using these results,
we will be able to create a horror trailer, poster and magazine front cover that will
follow codes and conventions whilst still attracting our target audience. This is a
technique used by media company's in order to create content that interests an
audience to try and make a successful media package.

3. Question 1 -
Question one was asked to our audience to try and help us identify different
layouts and features that attracts them to a film poster. We asked them why they
chose their favorite poster to try and pick common conventions that could help
us improve and structure our own. The majority of the target audience all had
individual opinions on the posters, choosing different ones from each other.
They pointed out what makes them most attracted to an individual poster, for
example using a silhouette of a character or featuring a weapon on the poster
appears to attract our audience. This has ensured that we will feature the villain
on the poster with the weapon of choice in his hand as we want to attract our
audience and follow conventions of slasher posters..

4. Examples of slasher posters

5. Question 2
In question two, the target audience was asked what font they liked from the
options provided and why. We tried to find horror fonts from different softwares
and websites to try and provide a wide range of different types from them to
choose from. All of the fonts chosen were conventional for a horror genre. The
audience did not appear to find any of them really scary and so we will most
likely not use any of these fonts in our media pieces. The audience chose the
third font listed as it matched the slasher genre the best out of the others. The
others matched possibly the sci-fi genre - pointed out by a member of our
audience. The third font looks like a blood splatter, which is conventional in a
slasher genre. As mentioned, we will search further for an appealing font to
place on our media pieces as it will more likely attract the target audience.

6. The fonts provided

7. Question 3
Question three was asking the audience about the taglines they would prefer to
see on our film poster for our horror trailer. Out of the three options, they mostly
chose “He is what he eats” this is because is is shorted and so encourages the
reader to read it. It also does not reveal too much about the plot and so will still
encourage the target audience to watch the film. Using the word “kill” apparently
gives too much away about the film so we have decided not to use this on our
poster. Taglines are important to a film poster as they attract the target audience
without giving away too much of the film. From our findings in this question, we
will use this tagline as it attracts the audience and sounds professional, linking
firmly to a real media package.

8. The taglines were

9. Question 4
Question four asked the target audience about the different types of sound they
want to hear within our horror trailer. We asked this because we agree that
sound is one of the most important parts of a trailer and an effective way of
making a piece of text scary. The audience said they would like to see foley
sound and diegetic sound, this is because it is conventional within the slasher
genre and so creates a sense of fear for the target audience, this would
encourage the reader to watch our horror film. From this response, we will
definitely be using these types of sound within our trailer as they are
conventional and clearly attract the audience.

10. Question 5
Question five was asked to our target audience to try and find out what they
want to see on our film magazine front cover in relation to our trailer and why.
This is because we need to try and find out what we should place on our front
cover that would attract the audience. The majority of the target audience said
they wanted to see a full shot of the villain and some traditional slasher
iconography such as the weapon being used to kill the victims, this creates a
symbiotic link between the media pieces. Using this question, we will place an
image of the villain on ot the front cover holding the weapon. Doing this would
allow us to please our audience but still follow the conventions of the slasher
genre when included on film magazines.

11. Examples of horror film magazines

12. Question 6
Question six was trying to identify what camera shot and angle the audience
would like to see on the front cover of our magazine. The image is a vital part of
the cover and is used to scare the audience, this is why we asked them what type
of angle and shot we could use to scare them in our magazine front cover. The
image is conventionally the villain of the horror, drawing the audience in any
trying to make them find it scary - resulting in them watching the film. The
audience chose that they prefered close up shots as it created a fear for the
audience as it makes the villain look more sinister. Taking this into
consideration, we will try to use a picture that shows a relative close up of the
villains face whilst still being able to show other key aspects, such as the
background and the weapon that he uses throughout the film.

13. Examples of close ups in horror

14. Question 7
Weapons are a huge part in every slasher film. The killer usually has a trademark
weapon in which he is connected with - this is a convention of the genre. We
asked our target audience what type of weapon they would like to see our
butcher use to kill his victims. The weapon the audience wanted to see us use
the most was a meat cleaver. They felt it was scary but also related to our
storyline of the killer being a butcher. This is because this is how they cut the
animals up and prepare them to be sold. This is scary because it is a regular
object that anyone can buy but is capable of so much damage if used in the
wrong way. Using this feedback and answer, we have decided that we will use
the meat cleaver as the weapon of our villain.

15. Examples of horror film weapons

16. Question 8
Costumes are another important part of a slasher film. It is conventional for the
killer to have a trademark costume that attracts and scares the target audience.
We included a wide range of different types of costumes that the audience could
choose from. We asked them what they found scary and why - this helped us
choose for our film trailer. The majority of the audience chose the man wearing a
mask in a suit, as it scares them and presents them with the idea he has 2
different personalities. They liked the idea of the butcher wearing an apron at
various parts of the trailer as it relates more to his job and background. From
this finding, we will ensure that the villain of our horror trailer will feature in an
apron when carrying out his murders

17. Examples of costumes

18. Question 9
Question nine was asked to our target audience to find out what they would like
the name of our film to be. We gave them multiple options that related to our
plot and allowed them to choose which one they liked. The majority of the target
audience liked the human carvery as it sounds scary but also relates to the film
and what is going to happen in the plot. The other names after further research
have already been used in horror films and so we felt they were not original
enough. The human carvery was chosen as we think it is scary and relates well
with out genre and plot.

19. Question 10
Question ten was asked to the target audience because we wanted to know what
part of a horror film they find the most important and why. The options that were
given were all vital parts that a horror film needs to succeed - we wanted to know
what they watched to film for the most and what scares them. The target
audience said that they think the narrative, setting and villain. To make a realistic
film trailer, they think these three aspects are really important, this is because
the villain needs to scare the audience, the narrative needs to interest the
audience and the locations need to be convincing when being seen in the trailer.