Audience research.

QUESTIONAIRE:

As part of the preparation towards creating our own thriller film as a group we devised a questionnaire, which we then gave out to our potential audience.

After we had got our results we analysed them.
Analysing our results then helped us come to some conclusions about how we are going to make our film.

The questions that we asked were as follows...
Are you Male or Female?
How old are you?
What genre of film do you enjoy most?
Do you like seeing gore in films?
Do you enjoy being on the edge of your seat whilst watching a film?
Do you like having puzzles and things to work out whilst watching a film?
Do you like a film sequence that makes sense or one that you have to work out?
What name for a thriller film would grab your attention?




In our assigned groups in which we will make our own thriller openings, we had a discussion about the common conventions of thrillers and put them into a list as follows.

They are often filmed at night to create a mysterious atmosphere.

The villain is often present but his/her identity is not often revealed until the end or near the end of a film.

Enigma codes are used to create questions in the minds of the audience.
POV shots are often used to show the villians POV, but to conceal their identity using partial vision.

Eerie music is often used to build up tension and create a sinister atmosphere.

The music often builds up to a dramatic climax, when something crucial happens in the film.

The credits always come in a set order - going from the actors to the crew to end with the director.

Linking to the ideal of partial vision there is lots of close ups to prevent the audience from seeing crucial elements in the film.

They often give you a teaser or puzzle to figure out during the film.
The films often start by showing the villain doing something strange or mysterious.

A combination of the colours black, white and red are most commonly used in the title sequence.

Often they contain a sequence of events leading up to a climactic moment, where the hero/heroine is in some kind of danger or trouble.
Shadows are often used to create more mystery/tension surrounding the villain.

Foreshadowing is used to predict future events in the film.