Distribution Questions

Audience Profile

Questionnaire results. Pt 2

By asking people what make them want to watch a film most, I am able to understand what I should include on my poster. For example, the second most common answer was that the "storyline" makes them want to watch a film - therefore, I could make my image and title relate as much as possible, leaving the audience room to make their own interpretations of the storyline. Some people also said that a "famous cast" makes them want to watch a film as well - therefore, if I include names of famous actors/actresses on the front of my poster to inform people of who is in the film, it could attract a wider target audience.

I asked people if they would prefer jumpy-horror, gory-horror, or action-horror so that I know what images and features to include within my advertisements. Most people said that they prefer Jumpy, which means I will have to make the images and other features more scary/chilling to target what my audience prefers.

This question asked people if they would be more attracted by colour scheme or image - the most common answer was image. Therefore, I know that i should focus mostly upon the images I use to attract my audience but also make sure that the colour scheme fits the genre too. If my image does not fit the genre; it could mislead my audience or even make them unsure on viewing it.

This question asked people, out of three posters, which one most appealed to them. By doing this, I was able to understand and explore into what my target audience would most prefer or attract them. I did this so that I did not create an advertisement which does not fit my target audience's expectations. This question helps me now know they best ways in which I can satisfy my audience. 

Questionnaire results. Pt 1

This question asked people how old they were from under 15, 16-17, 18-19 to over 20. By doing this and collecting the results I am now able to understand what the age group of my target audience would be. These results show that 16-17 was the most common age of people who answered my questionnaire; therefore that age group will be my target audience. This age group seems to be typical of horror genre fans because they enjoy the adrenaline from the thrills. 

                          

This question asked people whether they were male and female and the results that came back were that more females answered the questionnaire than male. However, there is not much of a difference between the amount of male and female who answered the questionnaire. Therefore, this does not mean my main target audience will be female. I will make my advertisement suitable for both genders for a wider target audience.

By asking people how many times they watch a film, i was able to find out whether or not movies are still as popular as they usually are. The majority answer on this questionnaire was that most people watch movies 1-2 times throughout the week. This means that I have to make my advertisement and movie good enough to catch my audience's attention, enough for them to choose to watch it in their spare time.

I then asked how many times a week people watched horror movies. The results from this question was that most people 'never' watch horror movies a week. This makes it more challenging for me as I will need to do everything I can to make my audience want to watch the horror more. However, some people did answer that they do watch horror movies 1-2 times a week. Either way I need to make sure it fits my target audience correctly.

On my questionnaire I also asked people how useful they found posters in advertising movies. The most common answer was that poster were 'extremely' useful, some said 'slightly' and only few said 'not very' or 'not at all'. By asking this question I now know that I need to make my poster fit the horror genre the best as possible because the majority of my target audience find posters extremely or slightly useful. My target audience needs to be attracted to my poster through its features so that they are satisfied. 

I asked people what their 'preferred horror sub-genre' was so that I knew what the base of my horror poster and film should be. By doing this I am now able to identify which horror sub-genre would best attract my target audience. These results show that "zombie" is definitely the most popular sub-genre. Therefore, my poster and film should be based off of a zombie sub-genre to satisfy my target audience. It is clear that by using a zombie base I would most relate to the "wants" of my audience.

Focus Group. Pt 2

What is the most effective element on this poster?

Brigitta: The image, it is completely abnormal as the eyes are also interpreted as mouths of a woman.

Evie: The font of the title "one missed call". The bottom of the typography seems to fade into the darkness with the rest of the image - mysterious.

Caitlin: The image, the smile on the person is unusually large and it gives a creepy feel to the poster.

Jim: The title, it seems casual; however is made creepy and mysterious by the rest of the poster.

Ryan: The typography "what will it sound like when you die?" is effective because it creates more involvement      

between the poster and the audience as the work "you" makes them a part of it.

These results for the most effective elements on the poster is extremely mixed. The most common element seen as "most effective" was the image due to the abnormal appearances. However the other 3 answers say the added typography, font of the title and the title itself. Therefore, i know that i should attempt to make all elements of the poster to best fit the "horror-genre" but the image is what first catches the eye therefore it is extremely important. 

                                                                                

Is there a link between the image on the poster and the title? if so, how is it effective?

Overall response was that yes, there is link between the title "one missed call" and the person in the image of the poster holding a mobile phone. 

This was found effective because it gives the audience an idea that the person on the front of the poster is the main character and the person that is behind the incidents which take place within the film.

These results explain that a link between the poster image and the title is important, otherwise both are completely irrelevant to the audience. This means that I should make sure there is a link between them so that i can give my target audience an idea of what the movie is all about. 

Does this poster make you want to watch the film?

Only 2 main responses:

Yes, if you're looking for a creepy horror film, this poster really advertises the genre well.

Yes, however it does depend on what sub-genre of horror you prefer. Of course, this would not appeal to someone who is a Zombie-Horror fan.

The poster may not always make people wan tot watch the film due to difference "sub-genre fans". Therefore, i need to do my best to target the correct audience so that it best suits anyone interested.

Out of lighting and image, which is most effective in raising your anxiety level?

Only 2 main responses: 

The lighting, it increases the amount of anxiety given out by an image. a scary image would not be as scary if the lighting was natural.

The image because it gives the whole poster a creepy feel. Lighting just adds effect to the rest of the poster; whereas the image is the main decider. 

Here, there is a balanced argument which clearly tells me that both lighting and image are extremely important and compliment one another. Therefore, it is best for me to focus my attention on both of them equally.

Not thinking about the poster, is the phrase "based on a true story" effective?

Brigitta: Sometimes, it depends on how realistic the film/poster is. 

Evie: Yes, it makes the audience relate to it more, and create more emotions throughout.

Caitlin:It has to be believable for it to be effective.

Jim: Some people believe in supernatural beings etc, so they could believe it either way.

Ryan: Yes, it makes it more chilling.

"Based on a true story" can be effective, however if you go all out with supernatural beings and it becomes not so realistic; it will not be effective and won't have an impact on the audience. Therefore I know that it is safer not to use the line as it may put some of my audience members off.

Focus Group. Pt 1

"Which of these font would fist catch your eye for a horror genre, why and what effect would they have if they were used?"

Brigitta: 6, Stitch-like - connotations to puppets. Sinister like.

Caitlin: 4, Similar to puppet show signs, looks almost childlike which is often associated with 'Punch and Judy' puppet shows etc.

Evie: 1, the smudging and fade of the writing makes it seem and neglected. Worn out - unwanted.

Jim: 8, it creates a creepy atmosphere. Paint-like, smudged.

Ryan: 8, It looks like it was written onto something with a persons finger covered in blood.

The majority vote on this question is that font number 8 was the most effective due to the fact that it looks as if someone has written it with a bloody finger. However, number 6 seems to be the most relevant to the title of the poster and with the stitching/heart monitoring through the text relates the most to a puppet. However, i will try fonts 6 and 8 with my main image, colour scheme and lighting to see which one best fits the horror genre. 

Secondary Evidence

I got this image from SlideShare 03/12/15. 

This is an image of how someone recorded their questionnaire results, once everyone he needed to, had answered it. S/he recorded the results in a pie chart, dividing the answers received into percentage for each answer. By doing this, s/he would know which "Fear" the most people has; giving him an idea of who his/her target audience would be, and how s/he would scare them the most.
This pie chart shows that HEIGHTS and SPIDERS were the most popular fear of people who answered the questionnaire.

"The movie is a decidedly slow burn, but it ramps up to a rare (and essentially unguessable) twist that doesn't totally discredit the rest of the movie. Instead, it makes the climax."

I found this quote on Blogs.indiewire.com on 03/12.15. 

This quote is from the description of the film "Orphan" helping the reader understand what makes the film a popular Horror-Genre film. The description of this film helps me to get a further understanding into horror films, and understand more on how to make a successful horror genre advertisement.

This description clearly states that by making the film have an "unguessable" twist after a slow start, is more unexpected, catching the audience off guard. This therefore, creates more of a suspense and tension for the audience, creating more of a scare. It also states that by doing this, a climax is created, keeping the audience more involved and intrigued into finding out the end of the film. 

By catching the audience off guard after then thinking that they know what was going on, it would give them the room to change their whole perspective of the film - leaving them unable to know what will happen next. (enigma). I can now use this in my coursework to make it more scary and more mysterious for the target audience.

This image is from SlideShare 03/12/15.

This image states the average target audience for a horror film - which is teenagers and young adults. This is due to the adrenaline that this age group gets from the thrills, which is less likely to happen if an older audience was to watch.The younger ages have become more desensitised to graphic images involving deaths and blood due to the social media and videos. However, stereotypically the older audience may not be as desensitised meaning they would enjoy the horror genre a lot less. 

Therefore, a horror film/film advertisement is going to be a lot more popular with the target audience of teenagers and young adults.

This helps me understand further which age group my target audience should be (15-25) in order to have more of a positive response and satisfaction for the audience themselves.

This image is from litreactor.com 03/12/15.

This is a horror magazine and very clearly targets the fans of horror. The use of the graphic images, monochrome colours and the smudged, drawing-like font make the genre obvious for the audience.

The graphic images immediately targets the horror-genre audience, this draws them in because they are given directly  that the magazine is going to be creepy and gory. The black and white colour scheme makes the magazine seem very morbid and lifeless, unlike a magazine full of colour. Black signifies with death, danger and anger and white signifies with innocence and purity - spoiling the innocence?

I can use this to help me with my coursework because I know now that the best way to attract a horror audience is to use dark colours instead of having bright colours on the poster. Also, unusually camera angles and images add the effect making it more creepy. I should also use a font that looks disorientated and quite sketchy to set the narrative and genre of the poster. 

DVD cover - analysis

Intended/possible audiences

The Return- print analysis

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

How old are you?
Under 15      16-17      18-19      20 or over
Are you male or female?
Male                  Female
How often, per week, do you watch movies?
Never      1-2 times      3-4 times     5 or more
How often, per week, do you watch horror movies?
Never      1-2 times      3-4 times     5 or more
How useful do you find posters in advertising movies?
Extremely      Slightly       Not Much      Not at all
What is your favourite type of horror movie?
Science-fiction      Zombie horror     Teen horror     Ghost horror     Other
What makes you want to watch a movie?
Famous director      Famous cast/protagonist      Storyline       Good advertisement
Which do you prefer?
Gory     Jumpy     Action
Does horror attract you more with colour scheme, effects or images?
colour scheme         Effects          Images
Which one of these posters appeal to you the most? 
None 

The Ring - researching the distribution campaign.

The Ring
The Ring was released in October 2002, directed by Gore Verbinkski. A journalist investigates a cursed video which may have killed four teenagers (one being her niece). She then battles against time when her son's life is put at risk by the same tape. The DVD sold 2 million copies in the first 24 hours of the release.
Budgetting:

The film had the budget of $48 million and overall grossed an average of $249 million - this made it one of this highest grossing films of all time. The likelihood of this would have been that half of the $48 million budget would have been put towards marketing and the other on production.

Media used to market the film:
The "cursed" video that the teenagers watch within the movie is added as an extra on the DVD for the buyers to be able to view. The "cursed" video was also left on seats in certain cinemas for the people going to view it to take as freebies - this would have been a good way to get the audience to feeling more involved with the film and drawing in more of a wider, "horror movie fan", audience. The tap was also handed out and shown at concerts or events.
The "cursed/killer" video was actually shown as a television advert a long period of time before the release/awareness of it actually being the movie. Throughout the adverts there was no mention of a release date or even any hint that it was a film clip. Lastly, a trailer of the film was released in 2002 - the name for the film is not heard or seen until the end but other information is shown and heard throughout, swell as scenes from the film being shown. 
Of course posters were also released everywhere for people to recognise and see to inform them that the film is going to be released at some point. However, this poster does not have a date therefore, the audience would not have known immediately when the film was to be released in cinemas. 

Audience:
America rated the movie a PG-13 due to the disturbing scenes, drug references and language. The frightening/intense scenes have been rated 8/10 and violence and gore 7/10. This suggests that the main audience for the film should most definitely be lovers of horror and gore, also 13(with an adult) and over. There are is not any sex or nudity in the film and only a rating of 4/10 for "profanity" - making it mainly acceptable for ages who understand and will not be influenced by the language and actions of the characters. The film has had reviews claiming that it is a "real horror film" and not a type where the horror is substituted with sex and gore - this implies that real lovers of horrors are mostly targeted rather than fans of not-so-heavy horror.