Filmmakers screen films to test audience reactions before wide release. Screenings allow filmmakers to gather feedback from questionnaires to understand how the target audience responds and how the film could be improved. For their film project, the students screened multiple works in progress - a pitch, rough cut, magazine cover, and poster - to classmates. They used feedback to refine the tagline, develop characters, improve visuals and sound, and ensure their materials followed genre conventions. Screening works helped the students strengthen their film to better appeal to their target teenage audience.

1. What have you learned from
audience feedback?

2. What’s the point of screening?
Film makers spend lots of time and money on screening film. This is because
FEEDBACK MATTERS.
It shows the initial audience reaction.
Film makers want there film to be the best it can possibly so by screening the film
to a representative sample of there target audience they can see each persons
individual view. The more the target audience of the screening like it, the more
popular it will be in the cinemas.
They can gain the responses from the target audience by screening the film to a
small representative sample and then getting them to fill out a questionnaire.
People can sign up to be part of a sample and screen a unreleased film through
websites such as www.showfilmfirst.com

3. Depth target audience

4. Both males and females agedBoth males and females aged
between 17 and 24.between 17 and 24.
This is because they are at a thrill seeking age and enjoy the
scare of thriller films.
In teen genres the target audience are also able to build a
stronger relationship with the characters as they are of a similar
age and so will relate to there experience's more.

5. Audience feedback
We gathered audience feedback from:
1. The pitch presentation
2. The rough cut
3. The magazine cover
4. The film poster
5. The final cut

6. THE PITCHTHE PITCH
11

7. Gathering feedback from the pitch
We presented a pitch presentation to our classmates during a media lesson.
We explained the ideas behind the plot, emotions of the characters and overall
ideas of what we were going to include in the final teaser trailer, film poster
and magazine cover.
After presenting it to the class a group discussion was held to how we could
improve the ideas.

8. Things the audience liked about the pitch
ü Controversial kidnapping
– commonly seen in similar teen thriller films
üPlot twist
- audience questioning the friendship between Charlotte and Sophie
üThe tagline
- Connects with the film

9. How we could improve our ideas
We were giving some constructive criticism including:
X Shortening the tagline to make it more catchy
X Looking at tv dramas such as river dale and pretty little liars to explore
some ideas to make the charcters more intresting.
-

10. How we used the feedback from the pitch
presentation?
From the feedback we held a production meeting where we discussed
improvements we could make.
We thought of shorter and snappier taglines that would still sbe effective and
reflect the teaser trailer.
We changed the tagline from “there’s more than what meets the eye” to “there’s
more than meets the eye”.
We decided by taking out that one word it would make the tagline line flow
easier and still relates to the film.

11. How else did we change our ideas?
By listening to the feedback about the characters and discussed
during out production meeting after the pitch presentation feedback
about developing the character of Sam.
We looked at characters from a range of films and tv programmes
then we decided that a character similar to the black hood from the
us tv series Riverdale was suitable.

12. Riverdale the black hood
The use of costumes, the mask, allows the audience to instantly
identify this character as the protagonist.
We decided for sams character to wear a similar balaclava mask
during the teaser trailer and then he identification can be released
at the end of the teaser trailer to draw audiences in.

13. THE ROUGH CUTTHE ROUGH CUT
22

14. Gathering feedback from the ROUGH CUT
We presented the rough cut to our classmates
and the filled out a questionnaire to asses our
rough cut.
When we got the questionnaires we as a group
discussed what we should change and what we
should improve.
By showing our classmates the rough cut we were
able to see how the target audience responded.

15. What the audience liked about the ROUGH CUT
There was lots of positive feedback about our rough cut and the target
audience all commented it is a film they would go and watch at the cinema!
ü
üThe thriller is clear
ü Clear narrative of a girl being kidnapped
ü There was evidence we had followed the conventions of a teaser trailer
ü Huge variety of camera shots
ü Effective montage sequence

16. How we could improve our ideas
We were giving some constructive criticism including:
X The trailer should be left on a cliff hanger
X
X The music didn’t not match the narrative and plot
X
X The ident sound does not portray a thriller genre
X

17. How we used the feedback from the ROUGH
CUT?
We discussed the feedback as a production group and talked through the
constructive criticism and what we should change.
1. We decided we would sort out the sound to make it parallel to the teaser
trailer.
2. We also suggested that we should add transitions to the screen.
3. Add in colour corrections onto the shots to give a colder atmosphere.
4. Add the cp productions company ident.
5. Change the music in the BECA pictures company ident.
6.

18. How did we change our ideas?
Changed the music soundtrack to a mellow dark music compared to
the previous upbeat rock song. We also added smashing class and a
girl screaming to build tension.
Added transitions onto the clips so there
was more flow to the teaser trailer.
Changed the
colour to the
shots by adding
blue highlights
and giving a dark
outlook.
Added CP productions
ident.
Added a
spookier
sound effect
to BECA
pictures
ident.

19. THE MAGAZINE COVERTHE MAGAZINE COVER
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20. Gathering feedback from the MAGAZINE COVER
We gathered feedback on our magazine from our classmates.
Then as a group we discussed ways we could improve the magazine.
We also looked at a dozen more of sight and sound magazines too
make sure we followed the conventions correctly.

21. What the audience liked about the MAGAZINE
üFollowed the conventions of the sight and sound magazine.
ü
ü Looks like a real sight and sound magazine
ü
ü The background allows Emma to stand out

22. How we could improve our ideas
We were giving some constructive criticism including:
X The masthead/ sight and sound logo was unclear
X
X Outline of Emma was blurry
-

23. How we used the feedback from the
MAGAZINE COVER?
We discussed the 2 constructed constructive points as a group:
• So in order to improve our film magazine front cover we Recreated the sight and
sound masthead ourselves
•
• and put the photo of Emma back into Photoshop and use the background eraser
tool to remove some of her hair to make the photo look less harsh.

24. How else did we change our ideas?

25. THE FILM POSTERTHE FILM POSTER
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26. Gathering feedback from the FILM POSTER
Our classmates gave us feedback on our film poster
through a questionnaire they completed in class.
Then we completed a self assessment feedback, we
rated our own magazine.
We liked our magazine but knew there was some
corrections we needed to make.

27. What the audience liked about the FILM POSTER
Things our target audience like about the film poster:
ü It was simple but effective.
ü Good font
ü clearly defined the thriller genre
ü conveyed it was about a kidnap in one photo.

28. How we could improve our ideas
We were giving some constructive criticism including:
X Poster is bare
X Tagline font doesn’t suit the theme
X background doesn’t match

29. How we used the feedback from the FILM
POSTER?
We discussed how to improve the
poster by:
- Adding a screening detail
“coming soon”
- Change the tagline font
- Adding to the title

30. How else did we change our ideas?

31. THE FINAL CUTTHE FINAL CUT
55

32. Gathering feedback from the FINAL CUT
Our classmates (Target Audience) watched the final cut,
They viewed it on you tube,
And left comments on my YouTube channel.