AO3 & AO4 DEVELOPING: AUDIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE

I distributed my questionnaire through various social media apps– such as linking the URL along with my snapchat 'snaps' and 'stories' so that my friends that I have within that app could view it and participate in it if they wished to. I also sent an email out to all my contacts and this helped get me a vast demographic which ranged from ages 15-55. Most of my questions were short, close ended questions and this was so that it could help me come up with direct conclusions without wasting much time. However, I also came up with a few open ended ones so that I could get a deeper insight into what my audience wanted out of my film. As I was already sure of the type of genre I wanted my film to be categorised under, I based my questions around that particular genre. 

The majority of my audience picked 'horror' as their first choice and this is understandable since horror movies give a basis for social interaction amongst relationships and makes the bond even stronger because of the shared adrenaline rush that the viewers may experience during the film. However, I was surprised to find that the thriller genre had no responses because thriller and horror have similar conventions that overlap over one another.

I was curious about this particular question as it is quite debatable in the sense that almost an equal number of people picked either side. Non-linear narratives are much more complex and interesting compared to linear narratives as it could branch out to many different storyline pathways instead of following a chronological route. This gives it more dimension than just a simple storyline since it could bring in scenes from any part of the equilibrium theory– making it unconventional and uncommon. However, linear narratives are much easier and simpler to understand and this attribute could be more desirable to some people since they may enjoy the simplicity of a narrative rather than it being complex.

According to my audience, the reason why horror films are appealing to the viewers is due to its storyline and the editor's ability to strategically use jump scares throughout the movie. If it is done successfully, the audience feel as though the horror film is worth the watch as it has been able to evoke a feeling of terror within the viewers. The storyline is an obvious choice since a narrative plays a massive part in deciding whether a film would grab the audience's attention or not. It is the idea that sells before the actual production. 

Horror films are usually more interesting and fun to watch when you are with friends or family members. The reason for it (according to my responders) is because you feel as though it builds a much stronger connection between you and the people/person you are watching the film with. This is due to the shared adrenaline rush that is experienced when viewing horror movies. 

I came up with this question to indirectly ask my audience whether they are more inclined towards psychological horror films or the generic horror film genre. The idea of something is linked with psychological horror as it is all within the mind rather than physically seeing it in front of you. Some people think that this is much more effective in terrifying the horror audience than showing something physically on screen. 

By watching horror films, one can have a sense of control over both the situation or the viewing experiencing, and over the feeling of fear. Watching a scary film may possibly act as a distraction from other emotions and this could fall under the uses and gratification of 'diversion/escapism' as this type of audience consume media to escape the reality that is around them. This could be the reason for the 'adrenaline rush' choice to be the most picked as this small dose of leverage could easily help distract the viewers from the other events in their life for a short amount of time.

With most horror films, the storyline is easily predictable due to the cliche plot that they usually follow within these type of movies. This is disappointing or rather boring for the viewers as they would expect a much unique and original storyline from a new film while making sure that it still adheres to some of the basic horror movie conventions to make sure that the film can still be categorised as a horror genre product.

Through this question I can draw to a conclusion that my audience specifically like the psychological horror films as they feel it is more naturalistic and realistic compared to the slasher horror genre as it is too overwhelming and unrealistic. The naturalistic feel is what makes the movie more relatable– making the viewers understand that there could be a possibility of this happening to them, making it all the more scarier and terrifying.

From these questionnaire results, I am able to base my characters, narrative and potential conventions around what my audience prefer. By taking their views into consideration, I may be successful in engaging the viewers through my film and my filming techniques.