Since our 3 final products are complete: trailer, magazine and trailer relating to the horror genre, we can now gain feedback from our target audience. By doing this we would be able to gain a range of different opinions: what they like, what they don't like and what could be improved. To gather this research we will be using a range of different social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, as well as using video interviews.
Snapchat is an image and video messaging application that has over 200 million active users. It was created by Evan Spiegal and Bobby Murphy in 2011 and allows users to communicate with as many people as they want at once. This could be done by sharing information to a public 'story' in which their images/videos are held for 24 hours.
We decided to use Snapchat since we could easily reach our target audience in a simple and quick way. Additionally, it will allow our audience to respond in as much depth as they can since there is no word limit. |
iMessage is an instant messaging service which allows Apple users to communicate with each other. It was developed by Apple Inc in 2011. It allows users to send text, images, videos and other forms of information over a range of different devices. iMessages can be sent over phone, tablet, smart watch and computer.
We decided to use iMessage since we would be able to gain results quickly from our target audience since mostly all of them have Apple products. In addition, you only need cellular data or WiFi, making it an alternative to SMS messaging. |
WhatsApp is an instant messaging service in which is avaliable for all smartphones. It allows users to call and text each other as well as being able to share different images and videos. It was created by Jan Koum and Brian Acton in 2009.
We decided to use WhatsApp since it's a free messaging service in which would be used by most of our target audience. Aditionally, a message can be broadcast meaning that it would be easy to message our target audience. Rather than messaging each person individually. |
Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging service, in which is integrated with Facebook. It allows users to comunicate through their main site and app, on all devices. It has 1 billion monthly active users and was created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2011.
We decided to use Facebook Messenger since it allows individuals to privately chat with each other. This meaning our target audience can express their opinions on our final products and we can contact them individually. |
Instagram is a online site in which allows users to post videos and photos. These can be shared and discussed through groups and private messages. It is also linked to other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. It has 400 million active monthly users, making it the second most popular social network. It was created in 2006 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
We decided to use Instagram since we will be able to post images of our magazine and poster as well as our trailer. We can gain public and private feedback by our target audience, who use Instagram on a daily basis. |
Twitter is a social networking platform where users can read and construct 'tweets' (which consist of 140 characters). Users can also tweet each other as well as privately message them. It was created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams. It has over 310 million active monthly users, making it one of the most popular social media networks available.
We decided to use Twitter since with one tweet, a message can be sent to hundreds of people at once. This making it a quick and efficent way to gain opinions regarding our poster, magazine and trailer. |
YouTube is a video-sharing based website in which content creators can upload their content and gain feedback. There are a range of different ways feedback can be given: liking or disliking, adding a video to their favourites, watching a video and commenting. It was launched in 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim and has 1 billion active users each month.
We decided to use YouTube since it would be a platform where our trailer can be uploaded. Aditionally, it means that most of our audience feedback regarding our trailer would be in one place. This making it easier to analyse and gather it. |
The camera that we will be using to conduct face-to-face interviews with is the Canon 70D. The high resolution and ISO quality means that the quality of the vlogs filmed will ve very high.
We decided to conduct face-to-face interviews since it allows our target audience to elaborate on their thoughts and opinions regarding our three final products. It also means that we will be able to show our final products visually to them, meaning they can discuss the different elements of it. |
what is audience research?Audience research is research that is concerned with the opinions and thoughts of a specific audience. The main aim of audience research is to gain further insight of what the target audience would want to see. If we don't carry out audience research then we won't know whether our final products have appealed to our target audience as well as not knowing if they have been successful.
|
who is our target audience?The target audience for our media products are people aged 15 and over. In the pre-production stage we decided to give our film a certificate of 15. This is the group that is our target audience since their opinions will be significant and this is the age group that has the most interest in horror films.
|
These are the three final products that we have created: a poster and teaser trailer relating to Uploaded as well as the front cover of a a magazine promoting the Uploaded film.
We created 30 questions (10 for each product) in which identify what our target audience thought: what they liked, what they didn't like and their overall rating. These questions will be useful for us since we will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses from our final products, in which we could improve on.
Horror posters are one of the most common and effective forms of advertising for the promotion of new and upcoming films. They are effective since they catch the attention of the audience as well as giving information such as the title, cast and in some cases the date that it will be released. The film posters for 'Scream' and 'Paranormal Activity' gave us inspiration for our own poster. The use of the protagonist's non-verbal communication (NVC) is effective since it gives the audience a sense of mystery as to why the girl is looking shocked for. Additionally, the colour scheme for Paranormal Activity gave us inspiration for our own poster because it's simple yet grabs the attention of the audience due to the contrast of colours.
To gather information regarding our poster we asked 18 people: 9 using WhatsApp and 9 using iMessage. All participants were shown the poster beforehand.
To gather information regarding our poster we asked 18 people: 9 using WhatsApp and 9 using iMessage. All participants were shown the poster beforehand.
QUESTIONS
- Yes
- No |
- Yes
- No |
results
EVALUATION
Horror magazines are used with the intention of scaring the reader with the range of content and images used. They promote horror films that have just been released or give information on popular horror films. Horror magazines such as 'Scream' and 'Fangoria' gave us inspiration for our own magazine front cover. Even though we wanted to make the front cover of our magazine unique we liked the film strip used in Fangoria. This is because it gives the audience extra information through the use of images. Additionally, since the antagonist is looking directly at the camera, it seems as if the antagonist is looking directly at the audience, which makes it more personal and scary.
To gather information regarding our poster we asked 18 people: 9 using Snapchat and 9 using Facebook Messenger. All participants were shown the magazine front cover beforehand.
To gather information regarding our poster we asked 18 people: 9 using Snapchat and 9 using Facebook Messenger. All participants were shown the magazine front cover beforehand.
Questions
1. Would you buy this magazine?
- Yes - No 2. What aspect of our magazine grabs your attention?
3. Does the colour scheme work well?
- Yes - No 4. Do you like the main image used?
- Yes - No 5. Does this magazine follow the typical conventions of a horror magazine?
- Yes - No |
6. Can you see any continuity between the magazine and the trailer?
- Yes - No 7. Do you like the typography used for the masthead?
- Yes - No 8. Do you like the strip at the bottom?
- Yes - No 9. After looking at this magazine cover, would you watch the film?
- Yes - No 10. Rate this magazine cover out of 10.
- 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 |
results
evaluation
Horror trailers are the best forms of advertising when trying to get a target audience to come and see a film. This is because these trailers can be accessed anywhere and are commonly seen on TV, online, on social media platforms as well as through adverts. Horror trailers consist of a series of specifically chosen shots, in which have the purpose of trying to engage their audience so that they will anticipate the release of the film and then go and see it in cinemas. The trailers for Deliver Us from Evil and Annabelle gave us inspiration for our own trailer. Deliver Us from Evil had a mixture of slow paced and fast paced shots, in which we wanted to incorporate with our own trailer since it represents the equilibrium and the disequilibrium. Annabelle gave us inspiration for our trailer since a lot of quick cuts are used, these are effective in creating tension and panic for the audience since they know something bad is going to happen to the protagonist.
To gather information regarding our trailer we asked 20 people: 9 using Twitter, 9 using Instagram and 2 people by using video interviews about their opinions regarding our trailer. All participants were shown the trailer beforehand.
To gather information regarding our trailer we asked 20 people: 9 using Twitter, 9 using Instagram and 2 people by using video interviews about their opinions regarding our trailer. All participants were shown the trailer beforehand.
Deliver Us from Evil
|
Uploaded (Our trailer)
|
Annabelle
|
QUESTIONS
1. What is the most effective element of the trailer?
- Pacing - Sound - Lighting - Editing 2. Is the sound effective in terms of creating tension?
- Yes - No 3. Did you understand the story line?
- Yes - No 4. What sub-genre does this trailer look related to?
5. Does the trailer give away too much information?
- Yes - No |
6. Do you like the tempo and pacing of the trailer?
- Yes - No 7. Does the trailer follow the typical conventions of a horror trailer?
- Yes - No 8. Are the captions effective?
- Yes - No 9. Does watching the 'Uploaded' trailer, does it make you want to watch it at the cinema?
- Yes - No 10. Rate this trailer out of 10.
- 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 |
results
reaction videos.
By filming our target audience watching our trailer, it shows us if we have been effective in creating a horror trailer that grabs the attention of the audience as well as making them scared. Through their NVC (non-verbal communication), we can see whether we have been successful in doing this.
|
|
Youtube analytics.
YouTube has a useful feature in which breaks down the specific characteristics, such as geographical location and gender, of the members of our target audience who watched our trailer. This gives us useful information as we can see how many people watched our trailer as well as seeing how long they watched it for.
EVALUATION
By creating a summary of our results for our magazine, poster and trailer, it would show us whether or not we have been successful in creating 3 products which link to the horror genre in which look realistic and professional.
To gain more feedback from the general public regarding our final products, specifically our poster, we went to the Hackney Picturehouse on Tuesday 8th February. After emailing the manager and asking if it would be possible to display our poster in their lobby for a few hours, so that we could gain feedback regarding people's opinions on it, to which they agreed. However, the poster was in a portrait size whereas the frames in the cinema were landscape, meaning that we couldn't put our poster up in a frame. Even though this meant that our poster wouldn't look as realistic and professional, we were still able to put our poster up in the lobby.
audience responses.
Whilst at the cinema, we handed out 20 surveys (10 regarding the poster and 5 each for the magazine and trailer). We thought that this would be a good idea since the general public have no prior knowledge regarding our media coursework. Some people thought the poster was real as they had come up to us asking if they know when the film would be out. Additionally, others were amazed at the effort and editing style of our trailer as well as giving us positive feedback regarding our magazine.
Poster
magazine
trailer
To gain even more feedback on our three final products, Emily came up with the idea that gaining feedback from a film director would differ from just our target audience. Since Emily knows an independent film director: Luke Cutforth, she got in touch with him and asked for his opinions on our three final pieces.
|
Both the pre-production and post-production audience feedback have been very useful for us when making our final products as well as evaluating the success of them. From our audience research that we conducted in the pre-production stage, we followed and challenged the conventions that our audience wanted to see. This was because we needed to make a final product that looked realistic and professional. From this we have learnt the importance of our target audience’s opinions since it meant that we could make successful final products. Overall the responses were positive, some members of our target audience would only change minor details such as the fonts and layout. This shows us as a group that our final products have been successful.