Audience research for Horror trailer - Questionnaire

A few days ago, I created a questionnaire using the very helpful service "SurveyMonkey". The purpose of the questionnaire was to find out what my target audience liked about horror films and if any of the ideas Campbell and I have thought about would be relevant. After creating the questionnaire, I posted a link on FaceBook as I knew that this would be the quickest and most effective way of collecting data. However I still knew that I wouldn't get many responses as my questionnaire involved going through to a website which people don't always want to do. This is why I made most of the questions multiple choice and I only asked the most important questions which were relevant to our Horror film trailer.
Here is the questionnaire and the results I received (7 people completed it)

1. Do you like apocalypse styled horror films?

Yes		100.0%	7
No		0.0%	0

2. What factors enhance your enjoyment of a horror film? (multiple answers accepted)

Blood and gore		42.9%	3
Shocking images		14.3%	1
Physiological factors		42.9%	3
"Jumpy scenes"		71.4%	5
Twisted endings		57.1%	4
Darkness		14.3%	1
Maturity		0.0%	0
Fight scenes		57.1%	4

3. Does action and horror in one film appeal to you?

Yes		100.0%	7
No		0.0%	0

4. What country do you think should be the cause of the threat?

Afghanistan  

21/8/2012 16:07

Iceland

21/8/2012 1:28

North Korea

20/8/2012 14:17

England!!

20/8/2012 13:58

Ghana

20/8/2012 13:58

Germany

20/8/2012 13:10

5. Finally if you ever saw i Am Legend, did you like it?

Yes		85.7%	6
No		0.0%	0
Never saw it		14.3%	1

After analysing the results, I have gathered a reasonable amount of information to make some decisions on the creation of the horror film trailer. The most popular features that people want to see in a horror trailer are: blood and gore, psychological factors, JUMPY SCENES, fight scenes, and twisted endings. Fortunately, the majority of these factors have already been thought about by myself and Campbell which is why I think we will go ahead and try to implement them in the horror trailer. Likewise, we will definitely include action in the trailer as 100% of people agreed that a hybrid of action and horror works very well. In terms of what country will be the enemy, we are still unsure as all of the answers were different and we also need to be careful due to the sensitivity of certain countries. This factor will be announced at a later date.

Possible equipment needed

Before we film the horror trailer, it is important that we have a list of the equipment we will need in order to be successful. This includes the filming, the planning and the publishing of the trailer. Below is a list of the equipment we will need to acquire and use:

1. A video camera - preferably a HD video camera which will be supplied by the client 
2. A tripod - so that we can create effective shots which are stable and don't look handheld
3. A computer - to watch what we have filmed and make any changes. This includes editing which is why I will use my MacBook Pro (one of the best laptops in the world)
4. Video editing software - so that we can add special effects, different techniques and increased professionally. Final Cut Pro and Adobe Flash would be suitable for this
5. Video stabilisation software - this software allows videos to be "smoothened" and also upscaled in quality. iMovie does have this feature
6. Props/costumes - this list includes things like: weapons, clothing, make-up, objects and anything else which adds verisimilitude to the trailer
7. Boom sound equipment - will be used for enhanced sound instead of relying on the cameras built in microphone. Using Boom equipment will mean that the sound is superior and clear
8. iOS applications - examples like Action Movie FX and Sculpture will definitely need to be used as they have been tested as work effectively 

Possible locations for the Trailer

Within this post, I will be presenting a number of images with a short description which could be possible locations for when we begin to film the horror trailer. Unfortunately, one person in our group (Jake) has dropped Media Studies as a subject so certain roles have had to be re-allocated within the group, however this has now been completed and means that we can now continue with the publishing of Blog Posts. The following images were taken by Campbell as it was his role to find possible locations which would be suitable for the trailer.

Abandoned house
Abandoned houses are a common feature In apocalypse type films. This type of building would be perfect for some of the more scarier scenes during our trailer. May also act as a type of hideout for the two survivors when they are trying to protect themselves. 
This area also looks very empty and away from everything else which may allow additional factors to be introduced like a stalking scene or something unexpected. 
 

School
Although it is just a school, it is a place an audience would expect to see many students running around. The fact that the school is empty can really  give off a sense of world wide extinction. Like the abandoned house, the audience may find it difficult to understand why there is no-one there and the place is so empty. However, this is effective for Campbell and I as we can make unexpected occurrences happen which are a surprise to the audience. 
 

Rundown building
This Photo was taken in Richmond. There are plenty of options around town that we could use to film. This area in particular looks old and rundown which adds a sense of eeriness to the trailer. This has a very similar effect compared to the abandoned building. 

Dark broken areas
A Broken glass pane in a children’s play park. Something not often seen In a play park. This not only shows destruction but could indicate the change from innocence to sinister. Many horror trailers use this as it can be very shocking and scary to watch. Young children are usually very popular as they can be used to commit actions which would never be linked to someone so young.

Film Pitch (presentation) - VIDEO

We have been briefed about the need to do a presentation when we come back after the summer holidays. The presentation will be based on the ideas we have conducted about the horror film trailer and the types of features we want to include. We were given the choice to do the presentation in the form of Prezi, PowerPoint, Video and general talk. Our group have decided to do the presentation in the form of a video as we think that this will be the most effective and efficient way of delivering our ideas. I also believe that this will look far more professional compare a conventional PowerPoint Presentation.

Talk about:

·         Genre/sub genre

·         Target audience

·         Storyline

·         Possible locations and settings

·         Characters

·         Special effects/camera shots/camera movement

·         Roles that the people will fulfil in the group

Here is the link for the final version of the pitch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnkPU8YgzRs

The Woman In Black - features of horror

Last lesson, my class watched 30 minutes of the film 'The Woman In Black'. We watched it so that we could identify some of the features which are expected in horror and that we could use when we start to create our horror film trailer. Below is a list of the features I identified after watching 'The Woman In Black'.

The Woman In Black is about a Mother who lost a child who drowned after going into a marsh. She is jealous and wants revenge so he takes other people's children and kills them - taking them to the afterlife.

Camera shots/camera movement

·         Extreme close-up shows significance of the object – very important

·         Variety of shots used especially when setting the scene – interests the reader

·         Tracking shots used on people watching – can be very mysterious and scary. Audience try to link such people to the disequilibrium

·         Point of view shots looking at windows can imply someone is watching

·         Point of view shots allow the reader to see the perspective through the characters eyes

·         Tracking shot with distorted sound can make it look like someone is following the character

·         Objects of significance are important when close-up/zoom is used

·         When characters are filmed moving past significant objects – a link is created

·         Lots of long shots used to show the interaction between 2 or more characters

 

Mise-en-scene

·         Kids drawings can also be very sinister

·         Innocent people doing bad things can be very disturbing – epically young girls

·         Facial expressions when certain words are said makes audience feel uneasy

·         Mise-en-scene is very important as it has to look right and reference to significant things

·         Certain features of the film must link to the title – in this case, many people are wearing black clothing, the weather is dark and gloomy, and attitudes are negative and hidden

·         Very remote settings are used to make the film look excluded from the “positive/normal” world

·         Some objects remind the protagonist of objects that he/she has owned or seen

·         Mise-en-scene can easily create a creepy atmosphere

·         Lots of fog creates disorientation and limited area awareness

·         Unexpected actions occur like emotion of possession – violence and sinister actions

·         Makeup can make a character look bad or good. Grey, black eyes can be very scary

·         Slightly deranged children create shock and horror

·         Things like sudden blood being projected can be very disturbing and will make the audience think about what is going to happen

·         Added humor to make the story slightly unexpected – this allows scary factors to be added later on

Sound

·         Eerie music at the very beginning – innocent children are accompanied

·         Enhanced diagetic sound of things breaking

·         Soundtrack begins to get louder and builds up to the disturbing scream

·         Sound-bridge used from one shot to the next – past to present

·         Silence is an important feature – allows loud sound to be introduced later on – sudden sounds

·         Grave stones and the sound of crows can make the audience think of death and tragedy

·         Build up of harsh sounds which then immediately dies – physiologically scary

Lighting

·         Lighting is key as it can highlight significant objects but also hide the sinister objects

·         Lots of low-key lighting used to create a mysterious effect

Editing

·         Fade transition to show time passing or move from one area to the next

·         Switches between past and present allow the story to be told in a fluent manner

·         Sudden movement can be very intimidating and will create shock within the audience

·         Repetition of certain events can emphasize a point which is trying to be presented