The document summarizes audience feedback from focus groups on the film trailer "AMY". Respondents generally liked the trailer and felt it effectively conveyed the horror genre and narrative. However, some felt the editing relied too heavily on repetitive text plates and the plot would benefit from more backstory on why the killer turned psycho. Learning from the feedback, producers should vary editing techniques like text plates more and provide deeper explanation of the killer's motivation beyond just rejection.

1. 3. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

2. RESULTS 1
Audience feedback is very important when producing a media product as it helps
to inform the producers whether its production is heading the right way.
For the sake of judging the successfulness of the film trailer “AMY”, we have
carried out focus groups to get comments and thoughts from our audiences. A
majority of the responses were positive suggesting that the targeted audience
was satisfied with the film. Here are the results:
When the audience was asked on what they liked about the trailer, they answered
“I liked the idea. Rejection is painful and although it happens all the time, the
humiliation of the killer really emphasised on how he felt. This even made me feel
bad for him for a moment.” This suggests they liked the initial idea of why the
killer became the killer in the first place. When looking at the overall production of
the film using camera work, editing, sound effects and mise-en-scene, the
audience liked every bit of it equally. Saying “the trailer was overall well rounded
in the aspect of camera work, sound effects and editing. Although the editing was
definitely the most outstanding.”
Most of the audience understood the narrative that the trailer was trying to
convey. They said the story was simple yet effective “easy to catch up with the
story” which shows that the narrative was effective in its job. Others also mention
that the use of text plates helped them to follow the narrative.
1. What did you like about the trailer?
2. Have you understood what was happening?
3. How were the sound effects?
4. On a scale of 1-10 how was the editing?
5. Did the locations reinforce the horror theme?
6. What was your favourite part?
7. What was your least favourite part?
8. If it was real would you go and watch it?
9. Were you able to identify who the characters
are?
10. Does it follow the codes and conventions?
11. How does the trailer make you feel?

3. RESULTS 2
As for the use of sound effects “perfectly matched for each scenario to create a creepy
effect”. A majority of the audiences particularly enjoyed the jump scare near the end of
the trailer when Amy walks through the forest “the sound effects in that scene really did
get me”. Despite this, some respondents said that although the continuous background
sound was spooky, it was a little overdone causing too many sounds to overlap, ruining
the whole use of particular sounds.
All of the respondents have rated the editing in the trailer really highly from 7-10. This
suggests that the editing was effective and has impressed many in the form of special
effects. Despite this, some were concerned that it was a little overdone and unnecessary,
especially with the text plates which were continuously used throughout the trailer.
Instead of showing the same thing over and over again, they suggested to use different
effects for the slides or use less of them.
The locations within the trailer reinforced the horror theme which the audience have said
to create a creepy atmosphere “especially in the park scene when it was super dark”.
Despite everyone admiring the forest scene as a horror theme location, they haven’t
noticed the small elements which also convey the horror theme in the school. For
instance, the school is usually a crowded place, however in the opening establishing shot
not a single sign of life is shown. This shows that something is off.

4. RESULTS 3
Most respondents were able to identify the characters, and although not by their conventional names
they were still able to tell their characteristics. For example, the final girl (AMY) was shown declining the
offer to go out drinking with her friend Brittney who is the promiscuous girl. This shows her innocence,
and contrastingly to Amy, shows Brittney's promiscuous side. Also Ayo (jock) was shown pushing the
killer away as a form of humiliation showing dominance, as well as trying to fight against the killer in
the alley. This shows that the audience has a general knowledge on this matter which was clearly
understood from the narrative of the trailer.
The trailer had made the audience feel thrilled, scared and creeped out which is good as it shows that
the trailer did a good job on conveying its horror genre. After that the audience also claimed the trailer
made them feel interested and intrigued to see more. This shows that the trailer was effective in
gaining interest of the audiences which is important in the marketing promotion aspect of the media
product. Gaining interest means that viewers will tell their friends which will eventually create a
community based around the film before its release.
In summary of the audience feedback, we have learnt that the target market enjoyed the final product
yet there were some downfalls which may have made the trailer less appealing them it should have
been. This is the overuse of editing i.e. text plates, which ideally would have been changed by adding
variations of these slides or not relying on them as much, maybe just add a voice over instead. Also
although many were satisfied with the plot and would love to see the full film, some people said that
the plot needs more explanation. For instance, there should be backstory for why he decided to go
psycho after getting rejected. Rejection alone doesn’t cause people to become serial killers.