The document summarizes the results of a questionnaire given to participants about the horror genre to help the author target their short film. The questionnaire asked about gender, age, horror film preferences, favorite types and films. Most respondents who liked horror were aged 18-25 and enjoyed psychological horror. Expectations for horror films included gore, murder, suspense and tension. This influenced the author to make their opening mysterious to intrigue audiences and reveal answers later. The evaluation notes areas for improvement like adding more character/setting questions and a broader range of participants.

1. QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE GENRE
HORROR
By Harrison Beaumont

2. WHAT I DID AND WHY?
I gathered primary research by asking about 15 participants to answer a
questionnaire surrounding the genre Horror. My questionnaire consisted of 10
relevant questions about horror, what would give me an overall view about
who I should target my film at.
The reason I carried out my primary research as a questionnaire is because
questionnaires are brilliant at generalising and gathering enough information
for me to make a clear understand at who I am going to target my
film/coursework at. The questionnaire is to help me understand what
expectations my target audience has on the genre horror and what aspects
horror uses to draw them in, in order for me to make my film successful in
targeting the right audience.

3. WHO I ASKED AND WHY I ASKED
THEM?
After looking at secondary research I found that most successful Horror
based films were targeted at both genders whom where aged between 15 and
over, making most horror films consisted of a classification of 15 or 18. So in
order for my film to be successful I had took these points in to consideration
and targeted my questionnaire at both genders aging between 15- 17, 18-25
and 25 over, which would allow me to get an understanding of who I’m going
to target my film at.
The reason for asking these participants is because if I am unaware of who I
am targeting my film at then, I will not able to create a film which interests
and entertains the audience making my film unsuccessful.

4. QUESTIONS I ASKED
1) What gender are you?
Male female
2) How old are you?
15-17 18-25 25 over
3) Do you like to watch Horror films?
Yes No
4) If you circled NO, why don’t you watch or like Horror films?
……………………………………………..
5) What interests you about the genre horror?
……………………………………………..
6) What type of Horror do you like?
Psychological Graphical Fictional Non-Fictional Paranormal/Fantasy other
If other be specific ……………………..
7) Name your favourite Horror film?
……………………………………………………..
8)What do you like about this particular film?
…………………………………………………………..
9) What age range do you think a typical Horror film would be suitable for?
………………………………………………………………………
10) What do expect to be featured within a Horror film?
…………………………………………………………………………….

5. MY FINDINGS – THE DIFFERENT
AGED PARTICIPANT THAT SAID YES
6
5
4
yes
3
no
2 Column1
1
0
aged 15-17 aged 18-25 aged 25 over

6. MY FINDING - THE DIFFERENT AGED
PARTICIPANT THAT SAID YES
My findings show that people of the age 18 over prefer to watch horror films
than other audience who are aged between 15-17.
This could be because most successful Horror films has the classification of
18 because of the use of gore, sexual nature and Graphical nature, disallowing
the younger audience to experience the genre horror to its full
potential, resulting to them not liking horror films.
This now helps me gather a greater understanding into whom I will be
targeting my film at. Which will be both genders between the ages 18 and
over.

7. MY FINDINGS-WHAT TYPE OF
HORROR DO YOU LIKE?
Sales
Psychological
Graphical
Fictional
Non-Fictioanl
Paranormal/Fantasy
Other

8. MY FINDINGS – WHAT TYPE OF
HORROR DO YOU LIKE?
This question clearly shows that the majority of audience members enjoy
watching the psychological based horror rather than the others.
The reason for this is because the psychological horror plays with the
audiences minds and acts on their worst fears, as stated in the conventions of
the genre horror, making this interesting for the audience and entertains them.
Making psychological horror the most favourite type of horror to create in
order to target the right audience and make a successful film.
This has enabled me to make a clear decision in what type of horror I am
going to create.

9. MY FINDINGS – WHAT INTEREST YOU
ABOUT THE GENRE HORROR?
When the participants were asked this question, the majority of them
answered that horror films are exhilarating, the use of horrific and gory
scenes, and how it keeps them on the edge with the contents which scares and
makes them jump, are the main aspects in which draws them into the storyline
and interests them.
I had asked this question in order for me to understand what it is about horror
that interests them so much and there expectations of horror which gave me
an overall view of what to add within my film in order for me to successfully
interest my target audience.

10. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO BE
FEATURED WITHIN A HORROR FILM?
My findings show that near enough all the people which had participated in
my primary research had said that within horror films they expect to see
gore, scenes of graphical murder, thrills, suspense and tension throughout also
psychological elements.
The reason I had asked this question is because it has given me an insight into
the expectations of the audience within a horror, in order for to understand
what interest the audience and allowing me to target the right audience by
adding in their expectations within my film.

11. HOW MY FINDINGS HAVE
INFLUENCED MY OPENING
SEQUENCE?
From my findings I have found out that when coming to produce my film I am going to
have to take into consideration that I have to reach expectations of both females and males.
Who are aged between 18-25, but even though of this result I feel that by targeting my film
at the younger age of 15, that my film will reach a wider rage of an audience as my storyline
is relevant to people aged 15 and they are more likely to be able to picture themselves in the
same situation as my protagonist.
I have found that the most popular sub-genres to horror are paranormal and
psychological, enabling me add these aspects, codes and conventions within my opening
sequence. Overall this questionnaire has enabled me to make the decision to make my
opening mysterious and a bit confusing in order for the audience to keep on watching and
thrive to want to know what happens next. So if I was to make a whole film that it would
reveal what actually happened at the start.

12. EVALUATION
If I were to carry out my primary research again I feel that I should of added
more questions to give me a more broad suggestions to add within my opening
sequence. I would also make my question more detailed and collect more wide
range of data, as I had found that most of my data collected was generalised than
specific and this was due to the questions I asked. I would also add more questions
based around character and setting in order to find out what the audience
expectations on character and settings are, as these are the aspects of a film that
draws the audience in and keeps them watching. I would have also chosen a more
wide range of participants to give me a more wide range of data as I had found
that most participants I asked were aged 18-25 and this could be a major reason of
why I am aiming my film at 18 to 25, where as if I was to ask a more range of
participants of different rages, this could of changed my target audience.
Overall I feel my primary research was success as it has given me ideas of what to
include in my opening sequence to reach the expectations of my target audience.