This is a PowerPoint for my A2 media work, analysising all of the public feedback that I recieved regarding my short film, poster and double-page spread.(By Leanne Emmett)
2. Section A – Short Film (‘The Few’)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VviZ6fYPf4
3. What do you think of the camera shots
used in the film?
The general response I received for this question was
positive. The shots were mainly described as ‘unique’
which I feel is a positive thing because this was the main
selling point for my film (what intrigues people and
makes them want to watch the film). The audience also
felt that because the shots were quite continuous this
helped to keep the story moving (and the two connected
very well – also links very well to the voice-over). Because
the shots are all showing the character on his own, one of
the members of audience felt that this was another
representation of how isolated and alone the character is
feeling. One negative thing that some people felt about
the film was that some of the shots worked better than
others.
4. What was your favourite scene/shot in
the film?
Looking over the feedback, I discovered that the main shot
that people liked the most in the short film was the 360
degree panning shot at the end of the film. The reasons that
people gave for this being their favourite shot were:
• Shows that at the end the character was more accepting of
himself at the end
• Happy ending
• Shows how the character has changed from where the
story started and how in the end he has lost that fear of
what people think of him and their opinions (he is more
accepting)
• Visually nice
• Together with the voice-over and the music it all worked
very effectively together
5. What was your least favourite
scene/shot in the film?
There were not really very many reasons given for why the
shots that I am about to mention were their least favourite,
however I think that they are quite self explanatory:
• Establishing shot – dragged on slightly, could have been
considerably shorter, began to lose the audiences interest
• Tracking shot (walking behind the character) – the shots
were quite shaky, and possibly looked quite amateur like
(one person commented on this saying that it looked like a
point of view shot, making it look like someone else was
following him – losing this feeling of isolation)
• Point of view shot and in-between the pillars – (one person)
the fact that you can see the characters face slightly in
these shots lost some of the characters hidden identity
6. Do you think that the soundtrack
suited the rest of the film?
Everyone that I asked about this commented
saying that they felt that the soundtrack suited
the film very well, and that it was very effective
yet the music did not draw any attention away
from the character and the story that he is
telling. Some also said that it helped to build
suspense as the plot thickened. The acoustic
guitar also helped to convey emotion in the film
which was crucial to the story in order to create
the right response.
7. What age range would you say this
film is aimed at?
All of the feedback that I received from my audience varied a
lot, and there is a very large gap between ages. My actual
target audience for the film was ranging from about 13 – 18
(which is a five year gap however I felt that it was appropriate
as it is around these ages that people are affected by this).
The age ranges from all of my responses (mixed into one) was
actually 12 – 22. I feel that 22 is too high for the target
audience because at this age people have generally
discovered and accepted who they are, and will have already
finished college and possibly gone to university so if this was
something that they had gone through then they would have
discovered other people going through the same thing. So the
age range that I think would be more appropriate overall after
looking at the feedback would be about 12 – 18 (maybe 19).
8. Do you think that the voice-over
worked well for the film?
Almost all of the feedback that I received on this question was
positive (with the exception of one) which commented that
there could have been more emotion in it, which I partially
agree with, although I think that the voice-over does express
the emotion well in most places, and I feel that it looks good
against the footage. The positive feedback that I received on
the voice-over were:
• That it helps to keep the audiences attention
• The meaning behind the film is communicated very clearly
• If the voice-over was not there then the video itself would
have no meaning at all (you would not be able to link the
two together without seeing them together) – yet this
works well
• The voice-over connects really well with the audience
• Was the most important part of the short film
9. Do you think that the meaning behind the film could be
inspiring to people going through the same problem?
Would it inspire people who were not?
I think that the people who I asked this question to, did not actually fully understand
what I was referring to, as the answers that I received were regarding what worked well
for the film, not who it was aiming towards. The responses that I received were:
– Gives a good insight into what the character is going through (and what people go
through in real life)
– Enables people not going through an a view and better understanding what it is
like for people that are going through it
– Representing that these people are not alone, and that there are other people
going through the same thing out there
– The film is quite thought provoking
– Helps to make people aware of what people have to go through and what they
are thinking
– The film does not patronize the story
– Helps to educate people who are less aware
– Offers hope to those people who need help or inspiration
– Touches a sensitive topic well
– Portrays what people have to go through in real life very well
10. Were there any continuity errors?
The audience that I asked did not actually see any
continuity errors in the film which was very good.
One person picked up on the shadow at the end of
the film but did not actually realise that that was a
piece of camera equipment they just thought that it
was a shadow of something in the distance. The
only other continuity error in the film was a
moment in the voice-over (where the voice has
been cut and put back together too quickly leaving
a stutter in the actors voice) but again, nobody
actually noticed this therefore this is not a major
continuity error.
11. If you were to change one thing about
the film, what would it be?
There was one answer in the series of answers that I think
someone answered inappropriately (saying that the actor was
walking funny and I suspect that this was an answer from
someone that knew him). The other answers that I received
were:
• Adding more different shots and shortening some of the
longer shots that were already in the film
• More emotion in the voice-over
• Having the character at the end smile (representing that he
is now happy with himself and has come to terms with his
sexuality)
• Shortening the establishing shot
A few people actually said that they would not change
anything (however I do agree with some of the points above)
12. Conclusion
Overall I feel that the feedback that I received on my short film, ‘The
Few’ was quite positive, but it helped me discover what I could have
done to improve the film. They also pointed out some good meaning
behind the film that I did not see or think would be seen in that way
until I received before this feedback. The main thing that I would
change if I were to go back and change the film would be re-filming
the end and having the actor smile at the camera, because I do feel
that this would be an interesting way to end the film as it would be
showing how the character is now happy and satisfied with how his
life turned out which would be more inspiring to people who were
going through this same thing (they would see that it did turn out
okay in the end).
The target audience feedback that I received could be an issue for my
film because everyone seemed to have a different idea of what age
range this film would be aimed at. However I feel that it could also
be a good thing because it would help to draw in a wider audience
for my film and help more people become aware of what people
have to go through in terms of sexuality and identity.
14. Do you like the image used in the
poster?
Everyone that I asked liked the image in the poster (for
many reasons). Some of the reasons that they gave were:
• The image is relevant to the film, yet the image does
not give away any of the story
• The blurriness masks the characters identity (which is
what the entire film does for the character)
• Taken from the penultimate scene of the film
• Image creates intrigue and mystery
The only recommendation that someone gave to improve
the poster was to blur and darken the image some more
to add more mystery (however I feel that this may have
caused the poster to look more like a horror film poster).
15. What do you think the image in the
poster is representing?
There were different responses from each person for this question (which is
good in some ways – different people interpreted the film differently). Some
things that they felt it was representing were:
• Identity – which is actually something I wanted my film/poster to be
representing
• That the story does not want/need you to know who the character in the
film is
• The poster looks suspicious (if you have not already seen the film)
• Isolation
• That you should be unsure of what the film is about
• No implication of the genre, plot or story of the film
• Characters unrealised confidence and accepting himself (must be a view
after seeing the film)
• Mystery – because of the out of focus image
• A crime poster (not what I wanted to achieve with the poster – but
writing ruins this)
Overall, the audience felt that this was actually a very effective method of
promoting my film.
16. What do you think of the font used in
the picture?
There were a lot of both good and bad comments from my
audience regarding this question. The good points were:
• The writing works well with the theme
• Aimed towards a younger audience (teenagers)
• Helps create a better idea of the genre (you can now tell
that it is not a crime genre because you would not see this
writing in a crime poster – it looks like it is a drama genre)
The bad points were:
• The writing is hard to read – especially the smaller writing
• That the poster was nice but had no/very little meaning
(one person) – I do however disagree with this looking at
the other peoples opinions of the poster (but it is surely
going to attract a different kind of response from different
people)
17. What age group do you think this
poster is aiming towards?
Because the aim of my poster is to promote my
film, preferably the target audience for the poster
would be the same as the film (13-18). The results
that I received for this question (mixed into one)
were about age 14 – 20+. I think that this is actually
quite an appropriate age range because the poster
has a lack of genre, creates excitement, and no
indication of plot or story which would all appeal to
both the younger and the older audience. One
person actually said that they specifically felt that
this was aiming towards the same age as the film
itself (which is what I was originally hoping to
achieve).
18. Do you like the colours used in the
poster?
Most of the people who gave feedback on the poster felt that
the colours did work for the poster, but there were also some
points that were mentioned that could have helped me to
improve my poster – one person felt that it would look better
in black and white (but was not a necessary change they said).
However there were some people who directly liked the blue
hues in the poster (so again it is down to the individuals
opinion). Some other positive points that people mentioned
about the colours were:
• It was typical of a drama genre (the blue hues)
• Effective (creates a dark and moody atmosphere – but the
blue tint made it look like there could be a positive or some
good)
• Adds mystery to the poster
19. Is the important information (such as
the release date) clearly visible on the
poster?
There were some suggestions as to how I could
improve the poster so that the relevant information
was more noticeable:
• Having the release date at the bottom of the page
with the credits
• Change the size, colour and font (too many font
styles so it did not stand out)
I do agree with these two points, however most of
the audience did see the relevant information so
this may not be a completely necessary change if I
were to redo the poster.
20. What do you like most about the film
poster?
The main things that the audience liked the most about
the poster were:
• The actor in the image and how he is out of focus
• A lot of people liked the fingerprint over the image
(and that it was representing the boys identity)
• The lack of information in the poster (adds mystery and
intrigues the audience, making them want to actually
go and see the film)
• The mystery and uncertainty
• The poster does not give away anything about the
story or plot
21. What do you like least about the film
poster?
The main things that people felt could be improved in the
film poster were:
• The fingerprint (which is difficult because a lot of
people felt that this was what they liked the most
about the poster – so this is all down to personal
opinion)
• The blurry image (again, others liked this, so it is a
matter of opinion)
• The font – a lot of people found it hard to read
• The characters face looked creepy (creates a horror or
crime genre feel)
• Release date information more noticeable (size, font,
colour)
22. If you were to change one thing about
the film poster, what would it be?
Some people who answered this question actually
said that they felt that there were no necessary
changes that had to be changed in the poster and
that they would do it the same, however the
feedback that I received from others with changes I
feel could have helped to improve my poster:
• The font
• Darken and blur the image
• Make the release date more noticeable
23. Conclusion
I feel that the feedback I received with regard to the
poster was very helpful, and I now know what I
could have done to improve the poster. The main
thing that I would change would be the kind of font
that I used, because although some people felt that
it was appropriate for the film and helped to create
the right atmosphere for the poster, it is more
important that people can actually read the writing
in the poster. If I were to redo this however, I would
keep the same colour for the font because I do not
feel that this is something that needs to be changed
(nobody commented on the colour, so there were
no negative points about the colour).
25. What do you think of the layout of
the double-page spread?
The feedback that I received based on this question were
all very positive and I am very happy with the results:
• The double-page spread is interesting and it catches
your eye (which is crucial because it is designed to go
in a magazine full of similar articles)
• The images were clear, obvious and interesting yet do
not take attention away from the article
• The layout is good – the text flows and is broken up
well by images
• The use of images keeps the audiences attention and
persuades them to want to know what the article is
about
There were some improvements that people suggested
which I am going to cover in another question.
26. Are the images used in the article
relevant to what it is about?
Everyone who participated in the public feedback agreed
that the images that I chose for the double-page spread
were mainly relevant to my article (one person felt that
the screen shot where the character stepped over the
camera could have been improved by using a different
image – however this was the only negative feedback).
The positives that people commented on were:
• Adds a feed of mystery and unknown identity (who is
the character, what is the story behind the film)
• They help to keep the audience interested and then
they will continue reading the article
• Some images relate directly to parts of the article
(quote about shots taken from the ground for example)
27. If you read this article, would it
influence you in any way to go and
watch the short film?
Most of the feedback that I received said that they would actually go
and see the film, with the exception of two individuals. One said that
they would be unlikely to read this article as it is not something that
they read now (so not very relevant to them), but the other person
said that they would have preferred to read an article that looked
into behind the scenes and the making of the film. However I do feel
that this article does speak about this briefly, and I deliberately did
this because the double-page spread is aiming towards a specific
target audience of students/teenagers. This person did however say
that they liked the different insight into this kind of article and said it
as a positive thing. Some of the other feedback that I received was:
• Interviews with participants
• Keeps the audience interested
• Colloquial, yet it gives the essential information about the film
• Doesn’t give away the genre or the story
28. What age group would you say this
article would be aimed at?
As I previously mentioned with the poster; I wanted the
double-page spread to be aiming towards the same
audience as the film (between the ages of 13-18) as the
purpose of the double-page spread is to help promote
the film and to encourage people to watch it. The
feedback that I received from the audience (all mixed into
one) felt that the double-page spread was aiming more
towards an age range of between 12 – 20. I feel that 20 is
possibly too high because of the language that I use (it is
easy reading and a lot less intellectual which may not be
something that would appeal to an older audience). I feel
that between the ages of 12 – 18 (possibly 17) would be a
much better target audience for my film.
29. What kind of magazine would you
expect to see this kind of article in?
There were two main responses that I received for this
question, these were:
• A film magazine / a filmmakers magazine
• A teenage magazine (specifically targeting teenage
issues and how to cope with them)
I feel that this would not be found in a teenagers
magazine, because there are no details about what the
film is about/representing (so how would the audience
know what they are being supported through). I feel that
a young persons film magazine/ a young persons
filmmaking magazine because it talks more about how
the film is interesting (without giving anything away
about it) and these would be the people who would be
more inclined to actually watch the film.
30. What do you like the most about the
double-page spread?
I received a lot of positive feedback from this question which helped
me discover what I had done particularly well in the double-page
spread. The audience said:
• The layout was simplistic yet interesting
• The layout was easy to follow
• Not too much writing (it was divided well)
• The images were relevant to the double-page spread
• The article didn’t give away any of the film, story or genre
(intrigues the reader and makes them want to know more)
• Where the images were placed in the double-page spread
• The large image on the left catches the audience’s eye when they
turn the page (encourages them to want to know what the article
is about
• The colours used in the double-page spread
There were also some recommended changes that people felt could
be made (which I will go over in another slide).
31. What do you like the least about the
double-page spread?
Although in the previous question I received a lot of positive feedback, I also
received some that suggested room for improvement, which were:
• Too many images on the left page (only one person felt this, and others said that
it helped to catch the readers eye – so this may be down to the individual readers
opinion)
• Captions on the images were too small (this may be because it was on a
computer screen so it would actually be larger once it had been printed)
• One person did not like the title of the double-page spread (mainly again down
to personal opinion)
• The font of the title could have been more interesting/eye catching
• One person felt that the layout was quite basic (but others also said that they
liked the layout and that it was easy to follow – and because the target audience
is aimed towards younger people this is important
• By adding in more pull-quotes it would help to draw in the reader
I have taken in account these responses, and I will mention them more thoroughly in
my conclusion on the double-page spread.
32. If you were to change one thing about
the double-page spread, what would it
be?
There were quite a lot of ideas that people had that they would
personally change if they had done the double-page spread,
which were:
• By having fewer images (although most people liked all the
images)
• Move the images and writing so that it was divided up more
(again, some people disagreed with this)
• The image with the boy stepping over the camera (not a very
effective shot)
• The font of the title
• Design features and colours
• Adding in some more pull-quotes to help encourage the reader
to continue reading the article
I have taken in account these responses, and I will mention them
more thoroughly in my conclusion on the double-page spread.
33. Conclusion
Overall, I am quite pleased with the feedback I received
based on the double-page spread. I feel that by adding
some more pull-quotes into the double-page spread this
could help influence people in wanting to read the article.
I also think that I could have changed the font or colour of
the double-page spread because this could be made a lot
more eye catching for the reader and it could help to
draw them in and encourage them to read the article.
These would however be the only changes I would make
to the article because although there were a lot more
changes suggested I feel that because a lot of people
actually disagreed with all the other points, if I were to
change one thing that a group of people liked they may
not like the result after (it is all down to the individuals
opinion – it will not be to very single persons taste).
35. Do you think that the film, the poster
and the double-page spread all link
together well?
Everybody who I had answer this question agreed and felt
that all three linked together very well. This is a good
thing because if I were to actually try and promote the
film, then the audience would not see all three of them at
the same time (they would see either the double-page
spread or poster and then be influenced to see the film).
One person actually felt that if they were too see them all
individually (and not told that they were all for the same
film) then they would associate them all together anyway
due to the colours and the style (this is important
because it will encourage people to remember it, and if
they like what they see in the poster or read in the
double-page spread then they will be encouraged to
watch the film later on).
36. Do the film, the poster and double-
page spread all link to the same
audience?
Most of the people who answered this question felt that
they were actually all aiming towards the same target
audience (which is what I needed the three to do
anyway). One person said that they felt that the double-
page spread was actually aimed at a younger audience
than the other two, yet my target audience is a quite
young age range anyway so I feel that this may have been
a response from someone who aimed the film and poster
at a too high audience to begin with (in my opinion). The
other said that all three vary between age
ranges, however they meant this in a good way, saying
that by doing this I would be expanding the audience for
my film (more people would be inspired/intrigued into
watching the film).
37. Out of the double-page spread and the
poster, which would encourage you to
watch the film more?
Roughly, 57% of the people that I asked preferred the
double-page spread to the poster (43% preferred the
poster to the double-page spread). The main reasons
given for preferring the double-page spread were that it
intrigues the audience and makes them want to know
more about the film due to the lack of information and
the mystery. Some also said that they would rather read
this because they actually have an interest in filmmaking.
I was only given one main response as to why some of
the people preferred the poster, which was the use of
image manipulation, because it caused intrigue and
mystery combined with the lack of information.
38. Would you recommend the short film
to someone after seeing the film, the
poster and having read the double-
page spread?
Overall, everyone who I asked said that they would actually
recommend the film. One person said that they would more
recommend it based on the film not on the double-page spread or
poster. Yet another said that if they had seen the poster, they would
have then been influenced to go and see the film, and then more out
of interest would read the double-page spread after having seen the
film in order to get a better understanding of the making of the film
(which is a very positive thing). The main reasons that people would
recommend they said were because the film handles a sensitive
subject very well, and in an interesting approach (in a way that has
not really been done before), and they also said that the film enables
people to understand the problem and help to answer any questions
that they may have had. It also may appeal to other people who are
not going through this themselves, but may know someone who is,
and this film can help them come to terms and understand it.
39. Conclusion
Overall, I am very satisfied with all the work that I have
produced, and although there were some suggested
changes that I could have made to some of it to improve,
my target was to aim it all towards an age group of
around 13-18 year olds (which the audience mainly felt
that it was), and to help people who are going through
the same issues which my feedback revealed that it did.
There were also a lot of positive responses from all of the
work, and people said that they would actually
recommend the film after having seen it, which would be
one of my main goals in the making of all of the products.
I will write a more in detail response to this in my final
evaluation of the whole process and the work.
40. What’s next
Now that I have analysed all of my audience
feedback, I am going to write up my final
evaluation of the work and process of all of my
work done at A2 (with comparisons to AS).
This will be posted on my main tumblr
blog, entitled, ‘Final Evaluation’.
Thank you.
