Focus Group

 

My target audience specifications changed from 18 - 30 to 15-18 as i thought the narrative would appeal to them more. They are also more likely to be interested in this genre of film.

 

 

I have carried out this research in the form of a focus group in order to find out what aspects of each promotional media text they enjoy the most and what aspects they would change in order to create a promotional package that fits directly to the target audience's needs. I have two members of my target audience included with two members that do not directly fit target audience specifications in order to get a contrasting view of my target audience, making their views and opinions clearer in the feedback.

 

 

Poster

Does the colour scheme appeal to you?

• "It shows the genre because its dark with lots of shadows, and in black and white. Dark shows evil"

 

 

From this response I will definitely be using conventional colours schemes as the audience will get an immediate sense of what genre the film is in.

 

 

 

If you were going to see a horror film, would you be attracted to this poster?

• "The image itself is eerie and the mist connotes mysterious elements so you wouldn't know whats wrong with the boy because obviously there must be something weird about him"

 

What stands out the most?

• "The boy on the swing"

 

Is this because its the main image? Or is it the colour? The size?

• "Its the colour and the main image, because you associate kids on swings with happiness but this is all dark and mysterious so it just attracts your eyes to it"

 

• "He looks evil, he looks really strange"

 

 

The image plays a very important part as it is the main focus, I will have to use an image that implies it is a horror film to attract the right audience.

 

 

What do you think of the tag line?

• "Its not very snappy is it? Its quite long. I do like the 666 its very mark- able and I enjoy it but i think it could have been shorter"

 

Would you say because the tag line is so long it would put you off seeing this film?

• "It would put me off, if made it I wouldn't make it like that"
• "Short and snappy"

 

 

A memorable tag line will be shorter than others but also apply to the narrative in the way the 666 did in the Omen poster.

 

 

 

 

Film Magazine Front Cover

 

Does this colour scheme appeal to you?

• "Not really, it's kind of boring...and really manly as well"

 

• "If you didn't know what genre it was about you wouldn't know what the film was about. They usually have something in the background, something to show the genre"

 

• "I'm confused by it because it's got Sherlock Holmes which is quite an adult film and then Fantastic Mr.Fox which is a children's film. I don't know who would buy it"

 

 

Colour scheme should be bright to be eye-catching and interesting. However this may lead away from the genre my film is in meaning I attract the wrong audience and therefore stunt the effectiveness of promoting the film in a magazine. Using darker colours will imply that it is a horror film.

 

 

 

Would you be more likely to buy a film magazine with a background on it?

• "I like the actor, I'd buy it just for the actor"

 

 

So you wouldn't read this magazine?

• "Only because of the actor"

 

 

Are the sell lines appealing or attention grabbing?

• "That ones quite rude"
 

 

 

Would sell lines influence you into buying a magazine?

• "Yeah because it tells you whats inside the magazine"
• "This magazine doesn't really do that"

 

 

For the magazine to be interesting to the target audience the magazine will have to show them that it can offer them what they want, I will have to do this through the use of sell lines that apply to their target market.

 

 

Does the font, colour and size of the masthead appeal to you and would you change it?

• "Its really dull, I would change it"
• "Its clear and straight to the point. Its called total film so its going to be everything about film its going to be serious about film"

 

 

Would it appeal to you more if the mast head was in front of the image?

• "It'd be silly if it was over his forehead"

 

 

 

The title itself plays a big part in the interest shown in a magazine as it implies what it is selling. I will have to come up with a title that appeals to my specific target audience. The font, colour and size also help in making it noticeable, as well as the placement. Which means the audience will know how well known the magazine is, as if it is quite big they will think that it is well known.

 

 

Trailer

 

What was the most memorable about the trailer

• "The strap line, even though it was scary it leaves you thinking, lets you know the character will have to believe in the demon to overcome it"

 

 

 

 

It order to make the audience remember the film from the trailer the strap line will have to relate to the narrative and be short and sweet. This will leave the audience thinking and make them curious about the narrative therefore encouraging them to see the film.

 

Is the way in which the trailer is set out make the narrative clear or did it reveal too much or too little?

• "It didn't reveal that much, you get the just but that's about it"
• "Its not in chronological order, but you know there's going to be exorcisms"

 

Would you have liked a more solid story line or was it enough to tease you into seeing the film?

• "It was enough, if it was more solid it would give too much away"

 

 

 

 

The trailer will only have to hint at the narrative because if too much is given away then the audience won't be interested as they already know what is going to happen. They need to be left in the dark and curious as to what happens. Enough has to be revealed in order to show what sub-genre it is however.

 

Did it scare you? If it did, what was the scariest part?

• "The religious imagery, I don't like supernaturals because they seem to real"

 

How would you improve it?

• "A bit more jumpy moments in it. It was just creepy but didn't make me jump"

 

• "It wasn't scary, I'm not really sure what the plot was. It was like they were ticking cliches. I wouldn't go to see it"

 

• "Its like every other horror film it needs something different about it"

 

 

 

 

Jumpy moments leave the audience thinking that the film will have even more and as a audience that enjoys horror this will appeal to them. The narrative being quite close to home will make the audience able to relate to it therefore making it more scary.

"The religious imagery, I don't like supernaturals because they seem to real" This comment secures the fact that currently I should focus on creating a supernaturual horror as society in the present day is most concerned about what they do not understand which happens to be the forces of the suprenaturual world. I will be applying this to my promotional package by adding a lot of religious imagery.

Overall the feedback I recieved is very useful as I have learnt that each media text has its own set of conventions regarding colour schemes, layout and text or narrative and that my target audience can clearly pick these out. This means I will have to strongly consider including these conventions heavily throughout each piece in order to appeal to the largets share of my target audience.