audience research interview script

1. Interview script
INTERVIEWER
Hello Lauren and welcome here to
studio 7. Thank you for coming
along for us to ask you some
questions about your new film
’sundown’.
LAUREN
Thank you for having me.
INTERVIEWER
How did you first come up with the
idea for ’sundown’?
LAUREN
Well Im interested in exploring the
idea of what happens in real life.
If you saw my film ’coming home’
last year you can really see the
issues i expressed for someone
coming home from the army. Well
this year i wanted to do something
different. I didn’t want to stick
with social realism but i still
wanted to portray this but in a
more interesting way. So i created
a thriller/ social realism hybrid.
This allowed me to capture realist
issues and capture the audience
with some tension building scenes.
INTERVIEWER
And can you tell me about some of
the realist issues you explored?
LAUREN
Well i wanted to explore the theme
of mental health but not so
obviously. So by combining the
thriller I could allow those
audiences who just wanted to watch
a film to enjoy the thriller part
of it but to also add meaning
through hidden micro elements for
those who would understand what the
character is going through to
relate to her.
INTERVIEWER
And how did you know that people
would be interested?

2. 2.
LAUREN
Well I undertook audience research
in order to find out who would be
interested. I used google forms to
do quantitive research to find out
the amount of people that would be
interested in certain genres and
then i analysed it. Many people
were interested in the idea of
thriller, hence combining it with
the subject i chose to portray.
INTERVIEWER
Did you do any other research?
LAUREN
I also did qualitative research to
find out WHAT people thought about
it. This kind of research allowed
me to find out detailed answers of
people responses to my idea. to do
this, again I used google form but
also a paper based survey with
pictures so people could analyse
what they thought and I could give
this to selected people and get a
more accurate response from my
specific target audience. As I was
doing a hybrid I found that the
film would not only attract social
realism lovers, but also those who
enjoy thrillers.
INTERVIEWER
How do you feel these
questionnaires impacted on your
film?
LAUREN
Well to gain responses the
questionnaire was based on the
synopsis i had written. There were
a few people who asked the question
of wether my stakes were high
enough. So in my original synopsis
the ending was left on a cliff
hanger and people wondered if this
was a good idea for a short film.
So i redrafted my synopsis and
changed the ending adding meaning
to it and also highlighting more of
the protagonists mental illness and
loneliness.

3. 3.
INTERVIEWER
oh thats interesting what was your
first idea?
LAUREN
Its bit embarrassing to talk about
my bad ideas but i guess everyone
has to start somewhere. In the
original synopsis I had written
about a lonely girl who was
kidnapped because she was lost
after her dog ran away.
INTERVIEWER
well i can definitely say after
watching sundown I’m glad you
changed it haha.
LAUREN
so am I, and its thanks to my
audience that i did.
INTERVIEWER
Was there a particular structure
that you kept to?
LAUREN
In my film there is absolutely no
dialogue. There is suggested
dialogue that i considered
including but I was advised against
this. Marilyn Milgrom says this
helps the audience establish the
world the character is in and pick
up on things that are around them
rather than focusing on dialogue.
INTERVIEWER
well i can say it was very
successful. I was looking into
every detail to see what was going
to happen.
LAUREN
thank you
INTERVIEWER
Now I’ve heard of this point
produ..
LAUREN
10 point plan?

4. 4.
INTERVIEWER
that its, i knew id heard it
somewhere, how did that help you?
LAUREN
Well it helped me make sure I had
everything in check. The stakes
were high enough,
INTERVIEWER
Now I understand it took many
drafts to get your poster to such a
high standard. Did you use your
helpful audience again?
LAUREN
Yes i did, i sent out another paper
based survey with the original
poster on it and review some very
helpful advice.
INTERVIEWER
and what was the advice?
LAUREN
My first poster was extremely
basic. I had the same image but all
of the font was the same and i did
not have the hierarchy of the
features on the poster. I also
didn’t have any reviews or awards
included so from then on i just
kept adding and analysing till I
got it to the highest standard
possible.