The document discusses the process of creating pre-production questionnaires to understand the target audience for a student film project. The filmmakers created online, video, and written questionnaires with questions about the plot, genres, music, and target age group. They received mostly positive feedback, which informed changes to make the plot more clear and suspenseful. Additional questionnaires after filming provided feedback that led to editing changes to improve understanding and pacing. The final questionnaire indicated audiences related to characters, locations were a good fit, and the genre was achieved.

1. By Louise Shannon Cole

2. Google Survey pre-production questionnaire
 During our planning, production and post
production, we made a series of questionnaires to
ask potential audiences what they think of what we
have done so far. For this we did three different
formats of a questionnaire – written, video and
Google Forms online. We did this to be able to reach
a large demographic of people. The pre-production
questionnaires all included the storyline of our film
along with follow up questions. Firstly, we made a
pre production questionnaire, in which we used
Google Surveys. We decided to do a pre-production
questionnaire to gather a variety of different
information, such as age, gender, and how people
watch films. We did this to be able to understand
our potential audience, as by understanding our
potential audience, we can make sure that we aim
our film at them and make it relatable and
enjoyable. This can be seen in our rough cut
questionnaire, in which we asked potential
audiences whether or not they were able to relate
to the characters. We also asked a variety of
different questions asking how people watch films
and how regularly they watch films, to thoroughly
be able to understand the potential audience for our
film.
Here are a section of
questions that we asked in
the online pre-production
questionnaire.

3. Google Survey pre-production questionnaire
 In the pre-production questionnaire, we asked whether or not the audience understood
the storyline, from the written up storyline that was given at the beginning of the
questionnaire. From the results of the questionnaire, 98.7% said that they understood
the plot for the film, which meant that we did not originally have to make any changes.
We also asked what people thought the age certificate for the film should be, simply
based on the plot of the film. For this question, we got a variety of different answers,
although people generally thought the film should have an age certificate that was either
a 15 or a 12. As we got 67.9% for the film being an age 15 certificate, this is what we
decided to go with, as this would also allow us to have slightly graphic violence in it as
well. We had originally decided that our film should be a 15 certificate from looking at
the BBFC website to see what can be included in the film for such a certificate. Another
important question we asked in the questionnaire was what genre they think the film
would be from the plot line. From the audience feedback, we found that the highest
answers where for horror and thriller, so we therefore decided to make our film a
psychological thriller, as it combines iconographies from both of these genres. We also
decided that we should ask what music the audience would assume there would be in the
film, to help us with the editing process of adding music to the film. The majority of
people said that there should be intense or eerie type music, and so when we came to
the editing stage of our film, we tried to find music that matched what the audience
said. We also asked about who people think the audience should be aimed at. Before we
did the questionnaire, we thought that our film would most likely be aimed at young
people, between 15 and 18, as these are the ages of the characters within the film,
however from the feedback, we found that most people thought it should be aimed at
young adults, up to the age of 25. For this reason, we changed how the plot laid out
within the film.

4. Google Survey pre-production questionnaire
 In order to make sure that we had the audience in mind, we
asked a variety of questions that related to the audience and
their viewing habits. This was useful for us to be able to
understand where and when they watch films. Firstly, we asked
how often they watched films in a month. We found that the
majority of people who answered our questionnaire watched
films around 1 to 2 times a month, and the second amount of
people watched films 3 to 4 times. This showed us that most
people do watch at least one film in a month. The second
important question was finding out where and how people
normally watch films. This was an important question to ask, as
we were deciding who the distributor should be for our film, to
ensure that the film is able to reach a large audience. We found
that the majority of people are most likely to watch films
online at home, legally, however some did say that they
watched films at home on illegal streaming sites. After
researching into different independent distributors, we decided
that we should distribute our film with YouTube, as it is a free
to use legal site, and many young adults are accustomed to
watching videos on the site, so we can guarantee that many
people will be able to easily view our film.

5. Google Survey pre-production questionnaire
 When we originally decided what our plot was going to be, we
were going to primarily focus on how Chloe was invisible to her
classmates, and that she didn’t understand why she was
invisible. It also focused on Chloe having flashbacks about how
she lost her cousin, Amy. However, due to the fact that the
potential audience may be larger than we thought, we decided
to add more details to the plot when we began filming. We
added Chloe writing in a diary, and giving the audience more
details of what had happened. For this reason, it could relate
more to older audiences, who are more likely to have
experienced grief and will relate to the plot of the film. Finally,
we asked if there is anything that we could improve about our
film, before we actually started the filming. One answer
suggested that we should try to make the plot less predicable,
as it could sound too similar to other films, and so therefore at
the beginning we conveyed that Chloe was merely grieving the
loss of her cousin. Another response suggested that we should
make sure that the story feels like a horror film, and there at
the end of the film, we decided to show Chloe getting
murdered, which could be graphic. To make it more suspenseful,
we also added a scene in the bathroom in which Amy walks past,
which could leave the audience wondering why she walked past.

6. Video pre-production questionnaire
 We also decided to do a video pre-production
questionnaire, and asked people around our
college what they thought about our film. This
questionnaire was what we did before we actually
started the film production. Secondly, we did a
video questionnaire. We undertook this
questionnaire in college, and so all the people that
we asked were aged between 16 and 18, which
was our target audience. We asked the
participants a variety of different questions, such
as the basic information, like age, gender,
occupation and then film related questions, such
as the types of film genres that people watch and
how they watch films. The most important
questions were seeing if the audience understood
our storyline and what age group they thought the
film may be aimed at.
Here is our video
questionnaire that we
uploaded on YouTube

7. Written pre-production questionnaire
 We also did a written pre-production question. To do this, we went
around the town centre and asked a variety of different people, of
different ages and occupations to answer our questionnaire about the
film. In total, we got answers from 17 different people. We asked the
same questions that we did on the online and video questionnaire. When
we asked what could be improved, we got a lot of useful answers. Many
of the answers suggested that we should try and add more suspense and
to make the story line clear at the end of the film that Chloe is the one
who is really dead, otherwise it may be more confusing to the audience.
It was also suggested that we should give very subtle hints throughout
the film in order to convey that she may actually be dead, however not
enough for the audience to properly figure it out. We used this feedback
in order to create scenes that gave small hints that she was dead, such
as when she is in college, her friends ignore her. We also asked what
genre of film do people typically watch, and the majority of people said
that they watched horror and thriller, which was good, as our film was a
psychological thriller. For the rest of the questions, we got similar
results to what has already been discussed in the previous slides.
Clip from the film in which Chloe is ignored.

8. Ensuring meaning in our film during filming
and editing
 When filming, we used a variety of different shots and editing
techniques in order to make sure that we were able to create a
thrilling atmosphere, especially as we were gradually working up
to revealing the twist at the end. When telling this story, we used
flashbacks, that are able to give casual hints about what
happened in the past. The first way that we ensured meaning in
our film through filming is the first flashback. The first flashback
was filmed through the use of a POV shot, in order to conceal
who the point of view was from. In the flashback, it is seen that
someone is stabbed, and then the film cuts and pans to Amy, who
is lying on the floor, presumably deceased. This was able to
provide a saddening atmosphere, as it can be seen that it is
possible that Chloe witnessed her cousin being murdered, and
therefore this can provide a sad reaction.

9. Ensuring meaning in our film during filming
and editing
 A major part of our film was through the use of flashbacks. We used
flashbacks in order to allow the audience to be given small pieces of
information about what happened before the start of the film’s narrative. The
use of flashbacks would also mean that the audience would not get bored, as
they allow for the narrative to be a non-linear narrative, which can be more
interesting than a linear narrative. During the editing of the flashbacks, we
also applied an echo effect, which could convey that Chloe was disorientated
when remembering the events, and that she is not remembering the events
correctly. The second flashback we had was when Chloe goes to the
graveyard, and remembers what actually happened, which was her getting
stabbed. We decided to do this, as some of the feedback suggested that we
should make it clear what had happened. From our audience feedback for our
mid production questionnaire, many people said that the flashbacks were
creepy, through the editing and music that was applied to the scenes.
 We also use the same echo effect during the scene where Chloe is at the
graveyard and she realises that her name is on the gravestone. This also
shows that she was in a poor state of mind, as she was confused about what
was happening.

10. Ensuring meaning in our film during filming
and editing
 Originally during the graveyard scene, we simply had Chloe going to
the graveyard, to visit Amy’s grave, and then she realises what
actually happened which is shown through the use of a flashback.
After the flashback, the film ends. However, from audience
feedback from our mid-production questionnaire, some people said
that the graveyard scene didn’t seem to be climatic, even though it
felt like it should be. Another response said that the ending scene
didn’t make sense, as it wasn’t revealed what happened to Amy, and
where she was during the final scene. Therefore, we made changes
to this scene so that it would make more sense to the audience. We
decided to change the scene, by using parallel editing that showed
Chloe going to the graveyard, as we originally had, and also showing
Amy going to the graveyard, which conveyed that Chloe was in a
‘limbo’ world. As well as using parallel editing, we also edited it in a
way that allowed for the scene to be fast paced, which ensured that
the scene was actually climatic as we had originally intended.
Before
After

11. Ensuring meaning in our film during filming
and editing
 In order to also get across Chloe’s mental state, we also used jump
cuts, to show that she was essentially losing her mind, as she
couldn’t piece together events that had been happening. The jump
cuts were used to be able to convey this.
 During the editing process, we also used non diegetic music in
order to convey meaning within our film. From the pre-production
questionnaire, we found that most people thought our film should
feature intense, eerie or orchestral style music. Therefore during
the editing process, we decided to find music that fitted our film
along this style. For example, during the graveyard scene, we
found a music track that had eerie sounds, along with strange
whispers, that was able to make the scene much more suspenseful
and creepy. As the music was non diegetic, this could also convey
that it was only Chloe that was hearing these sounds, as she was a
ghost, and could be hearing other spirits in the graveyard. In our
film, we also had suspenseful music during the title sequence, to
convey what could possibly happen in the film, as the aim of our
film was to be a psychological thriller. When we asked the
audience if they liked the music in the post production
questionnaire, the majority of answers said that the music
matched the film and provided suspense.

12. Ensuring meaning in our film during filming
and editing
 From our mid production questionnaire, we decided to make some changes
to our film to ensure that the audience understood what was happening
during the film. This is because some people said that there was too much
walking about in the film, or that it focused too much on Chloe and not
enough on Amy, who Chloe thought was haunting her. First of all, we
improved any continuity errors in the film and improved certain bits of
sound, as some people mentioned that the sound during the diary scenes
seemed not loud enough. After this, we focused on the more major issues,
such as addressing confusion over the plot and the characters. As many of
the comments suggested that the film contained too much walking, we
edited down the film and made sure any walking scenes contained quick
elliptical editing, as to make sure that the film would no longer seem boring
for the audience. We also changed the graveyard scene by using parallel
editing (discussed in earlier slide), which could convey that Amy is haunting
Chloe, however then it is revealed that Chloe is dead and Amy is actually
alive. We also changed the graveyard scene to wrap up to the film and give
it a close ending narrative, as that the audience fully knew what had
happened by including a voice over of Chloe realising that her name was on
the gravestone, and that it was her who died in the attack, not Amy. We also
had to do this, because it was too difficult to add Chloe’s name to a
gravestone, and so it made more sense to be able to use a Zoom recorder to
add a voiceover. In the first cuts, we didn’t focus heavily on Chloe writing in
her diary, however, in order to make the plot more understandable, we
made this a key feature, so that the audience would be able to relate to
Chloe’s character and her thoughts throughout the film.
Before After

13. Ensuring meaning in our film during filming
and editing
 Throughout our film, we also used a variety of
different long shots to convey that Chloe was
lonely, especially considering that no one was
around her or asking where she was. As well as
this, we also used close ups, as a way of
showing her emotions, so that the audience
would be able to understand what her
character was feeling. In order to get across
the feeling of our film being a psychological
thriller, we also made sure that we included
typical iconography throughout the film.
Therefore, we made sure to include a death
scene for Chloe, which showed her bleeding to
death, and also during the title sequence, we
had someone washing blood off their hands,
which could convey horror, as it was important
that the audience was able to easily
understand the genre of the film.

14. Google Survey Final Rough Cut Questionnaire
 Once we had completed all the changes we felt were needed,
we asked the audience to complete our final rough cut
questionnaire. We asked a variety of different questions about
our film overall, including if the audience liked and related to
the characters, if our locations were a good choice, and if they
thought the film was the genre it should be. We found that the
majority of people liked the characters, and related to them as
they were of a similar age to our target audience. This was
good, as we created the characters to be of a similar age in
order to make sure they would relate to our target audience.
We also asked if the locations were a good choice, and found
that people thought the house location matched thriller
iconography, as it looked like a big house, and thought the
graveyard was typical of something that you would see in a
horror movie, as it has a haunting aspect to it. We also asked if
the audience understood the film, and the majority of people
said they did, and some noted that the use of the diary made
the plot line more easier to understand, but the first half of the
film was effective in not revealing too much information. As for
the genre, like with the past questionnaires, most people
thought that it was the genre that we had intended it to be.
Overall, the results of our final rough cut questionnaire were
generally positive, and after making final additional tweaks to
our film, we were happy with it, and made the final cut, as we
were happy that our film fulfilled its title, which is “Haunted”
and the plot line that we intended for makes sense to the
audience.

15. Cultural differences
 However, when looking back at our film, we can see that
there may be different cultural interpretations of our film.
This is because our film surrounds around a character being
dead and essentially stuck in a limbo world. While many
people may relate to this, and consider there to be a limbo
world after death, which can be explored in many other
real media products, such as the television show
‘Supernatural’, which suggests that ghosts stay stuck in the
real world when there is unresolved business, some people
may disagree with this premise, as they may have different
interpretations of life after death. For example, within the
Christianity religion, and different branches of this, some
Christians do not believe in limbo, also known as the
“waiting room”, and merely believe that souls either go to
Heaven or Hell. Other religions, such as Buddhism, believe
in reincarnation, and so Chloe would actually be
reincarnated into another body. This is similar for Hindus,
as well, who believe in reincarnation and the Caste System.
Some different religions or different people may also have
differing opinions on the existence of ghosts and spirits.
A ghost stuck in the real world in Supernatural