Media Evaluation- Question 4

1. WHO WOULD BE THE
AUDIENCE FOR YOUR
MEDIA PRODUCT?
Question 4

2. We decided to aim our media product at males and females above the age
of 12.
We thought that this age group was appropriate for our target audience.
Most horror/thriller films are rated age 15 and above, however our opening
displays no violence or anything mentally challenging/disturbing, so we
were confident that it would be suitable for 12 year olds.

3. Before we came to any final decisions, we carried out research to be sure that
our target audience age was right.
We looked at the British Board Of Film Classification (BBFC) website and
looked at the age 12/12a section which made points about what kind of footage
is appropriate for that age group. We didn’t think that our film opening needed
to be rated at 12A, as it displays no disturbing or horrific footage that would
affect the child, so an adult doesn’t need to be with them if they want to watch it
alone.
BBFC Website:
This is only for Horror films, however even though our opening is a thriller, the only
action that takes place is the Protagonist walking around her house and various
body shots of the Antagonist behind her, which is suitable for the younger
audience.
We wanted to research horror films specifically as that is the part in the movie
which would scare/shock the younger audience (the door opening and the
ending) but it is not scary enough that they would need an adult to accompany

4. By researching into our genre before making our film, we were able to note down
which camera shots/angles were popular and effective in horror/thriller films.
For example, whilst looking at a few trailers, we saw one by James Wan who is a
famous film director, screenwriter and producer. He is very creative and always
invents unusual settings for his films, as well as camera angles and sound. Jess
and I are fans of his work and wanted to incorporate some of his ideas into our
product.
Jess and I particularly liked this
shot from the first Insidious film.
It made us scared and the idea
was something we could
achieve, so we wanted to add
something like this in our film,
which we did (the right picture).
These shots aren’t exactly the same but we liked
how Wan captured this woman’s menacing face and
you knew straight away that she’s evil, which is
what we wanted the Antagonist to look like, so we
captured her menacing facial expression.

5. These shots add to the horror movie and ensure that the audience are
scared throughout. Another thing that is important in our film opening is
the typography. We liked the typography in Insidious, because it is big
and bold and you are drawn to it straight away- which is a perfect way to
attract your target audience.
In Horror films, red and black are always used. Red connotes danger and
Black connotes death- the two combined make a Horror film. We wanted
to bring red into our film opening to appeal to our target audience who will
be expecting elements of Horror to appear in our film as it is a
Horror/thriller.
By adding these elements into our film it ensures that it is suitable for our target
audience and makes it clear that are movie is partially a horror movie, combines
with action to make it a thriller.

6. To ensure we would capture footage that would appeal to our target
audience, we also carried out a survey and handed it round to
people ages 12 and above, which asked what they would want to
see in a Horror/Thriller film. Here is a typed up copy of our survey
and the results:
Name and Age What would you like to see in
a Horror/Thriller film?
Lucy Scanlon - 16 years old Suspense, scary music, dark
lighting and a scary/evil
character.
Susan Braggins- 45 years old Dark lighting, danger, loud
music, a scary location and
‘jumpy moments’.
Emily Braggins -24 years old An evil person, a plot twist,
music that builds suspense and
maybe set in an old house.
Charlotte Underwood- 12 years
old
An old house, an evil character
and good character.
Lauren Dear- 16 years old A scary character, an innocent
character/victim, maybe
violence and antique props like

7. In response to our survey, we added lots of the
suggestions into our movie.
1. Our movie was set at night time and filmed with ambient light, which
wasn’t bright and it made our film look eerie and sinister which is what
we wanted.
2. We added an evil character in, who was essentially following the
Protagonist up until the end of the film opening.
3. We added a soundtrack and made sure it was at a loud volume to build
up suspense and make the few seconds where the Antagonist is
revealed stand out, because we cut the music off at that point.
4. We added a plot twist, which was that the person following the
Protagonist was in fact the Protagonist herself, but presented in an evil
way/her evil side which could be a side effect of her insomnia
(hallucinating/split personality).
5. We used antique props, such as old-fashioned candle holders and small
creepy dolls made out of china-one was shown briefly at the beginning.