Our target audience for the horror film was 18 and under based on IMDB data. We gathered feedback from friends in this age range by creating a Facebook group and asking questions. Through initial video recorded feedback, we changed the plot device from teddy bears to a doll. Feedback on the film poster in the Facebook group led to changing it to a close-up of an eye. Additional feedback in the group influenced changing the narrative to be more mysterious about the supernatural events and redesigning the film magazine layout.

1. What have you learnt from
your audience feedback?
Evaluation Question [3]
Gabriel, Sahra&Hodan

2. Audience
Our target audience was established through our choice in genre
for our film, having chosen horror as a genre, we headed to
IMDB to see which audience we should appeal most too.
Having found that 18 and under was the group which most
preferred the horror genre came to be a very convenient fact as
it allowed us toask friends which were of similar age range (18-)
for audience feedback for the most reliable opinions as
theywere the age range which we wanted to appeal to the most.
Another reason for this convenience was that upon setting up a
Facebook group for our movie, I was able to invite all my friends
for reliable input as most of which fell into the target age range.
Our friends provided a supporting voice for many of the
decisions made toward our ancillary texts and media trailer.

3. Feedback gathering: Video Recording
At the start of the project we didn’t
have a Facebook group, so first hand
data was initially gathered through
approaching people in school and
asking them a set of questions with
a camera to record their response.
Through this form of audience feedback gathering we were able to
show people props and introduce to them possible film
narratives, which in the end provided us with sufficient advice on
ways to improve our plotline. Through gathered feedback we had
swapped the teddy bears roll to a little doll instead as it proved
more sinister, the downfall however was that it was less convenient
showing them drafts of products and getting feedback on them.

4. Feedback gathering: Social Networks
Upon completion of the first draft of our
ancillary text, I uploaded the film poster to my
personal Facebook, and asked friends for ways
to improve it. They provided me with their
opinions on what to change which lead to a
major transformation of the first draft.
However the second draft soon got replaced once
the Facebook group got setup as we had put up a
variety of photographs taken previously during a
photoshoot for our film poster and magazine, this was to
establish whether we had made the right choice by having
independently chosen a picture of our preference.
Evidentially major preference was in a close-up of her eye.

5. Social Networks: Facebook groups
As we were having a drastic revamp of our
project, a Facebook group got setup for our
film project, this was so that an audience
would be better accessible for feedback. We
had questions, through the facilities granted
by Facebook to ask questions with a limited
selection of answers, we asked which would
be the most appealing name of horror
film, with a selection of four other.
We had also uploaded 15 photographs from a selection of 200 to ask all
those who liked our page to vote for which they preferred to see most
in a film poster by liking the photograph they thought was most
suitable and even commenting on them with their opinions. Our friends
proved fairly useful and active with requests posted on the Facebook
page, I theorize this is because since the horror genre is particularly
appealing to 18 and under age range, they’re more eager to contribute.

6. Feedback
“it needs more of an enigma on the origins of the supernatural behavior”
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the final trailer!”
“add L-cuts and don’t have so many inter-titles!”

7. Actions taken
“It needs more of an enigma on the origins of the supernatural behavior”
To fix this dilemma we changed the narrative so that we didn’t have to know
what the cause for commotion was, as originally we had two young twins
using ‘supernatural’ force displayed through acting. Now any supernatural
events occur without force displayed, eg: Sahra dragged from across the floor
by an invisible force and the doll unexplainably relocating.
“change the heading font it looks ridiculous”
Once the film magazine had been drastically redrafted into its third draft, it’s fair
to say the heading wasn’t the most professional looking title available, so we
changed it alongside the rest of the graphology of the magazine so that it
would look more sophisticated.
“Add L-cuts and don’t have so many inter-titles!”
During editing I done exactly this, added an L-cut during a cutaway before a new
character was established as the therapist which is shown in a short clip saying
‘explain’ and the protagonist then talks over the scene of supernatural stuff
happening.