Q3)

AUDIENCE

FEEDBACK

Audience feedback is a major aspect in creating the different media texts. It is a concept that gains either interest or disappointment from the audience towards the media product. The feedback can tell me what features of the texts people liked or disliked, which further shows me what people are attracted to within a horror genre. Ultimately audience responses will significantly improve media products through the different range of people asked who will give their opinion. To attain a balanced feedback I deliberately questioned the same people for all three media products. I also chose people from different age groups to receive better and more reliable feedback.

My trailer collected very positive feedback from the range of audience, male and female aged between 14 and 45. Positive responses included:

Pros

• Male-14 > “the ending is really good, on how the sound stops and the film name appears”

• Female-32 > “I think the choice of what’s in the trailer is good” (props) “the bat and the torches”

• Male-22 > “I liked the small chase scene through the graveyard”

• Male-18 > “the red colouring over some shots worked and added to the horror genre”

• Female-23 > “there wasn’t too much talking where people could get bored, it was direct and straight to the point”

• Female-34 > “I loved the idea and concept of the story; not too complicated”

• Male-29 > “I liked how the whole trailer was in the dark, really grabbed my attention since its not usually seen”

Cons

Female-30 > “It could do with a couple more phrases (intertitles) telling the story”

Male-38 > “It was a little too slow at the beginning”

Female-42 > “More acting from the actors would have been nice”

Female-45 > “Not too interested in the storyline”

Overall, I think I attained a good deal of feedback. This is because the pros are out numbering the cons, which indicates that my trailer is likeable and people would see the film in the cinema.

However, I wanted to further enhance my audience feedback so I went to an advertising company called WPN, Watson Phillips Norman, which is based in London in the West End. I spoke to an editor who worked there and showed him my trailer and asked for some feedback.

He said: “the change of pace between the beginning and the end and the buildup of suspense was excellent “. He also liked how the unconventional shooting in the dark was “unusual” but on the whole adds to “the atmosphere and suspense”. However, he also said to improve it I could have included “more intertitles”, which was also said in my questioning of my media group, friends and family.

From this audience feedback I have learned that as well as using conventions of a film trailer, challenging them could also be vitally important in attracting the audience. Challenged conventions, such as making the trailer dark had a role in convincing the audience the trailer is promoting a horror film. Although the trailer is in the dark, looking back I would have shot some elements of the trailer in light to create a balanced edge but at the same time moving towards the horror genre. I have also learned that I could have included one or two more intertitles just to make it easier for the audience to follow the narrative.

From this audience feedback, particularly the negative views showed me what elements I need to change to make the media text more professional and appealing, thus to create a greater profit from the actual film. On closer inspection on the comments that people have made, I have noticed that more females have made negative responses than the males. I have also identified and learned that older females, aged roughly above 35 did say something that would need improving which is interesting since this can affect my target audience.

One of the ancillary texts is the poster that also had audience feedback:

> “I like the colours used in the poster, they compliment each other”

> “The image is very good because it’s not normal and the detail in the eyes is very effective”

> “The text of the three actors’ names at the top makes the poster more professional”

> “The background could be darker. This will cause the poster to have a bit more depth”

> “A possible change in font for the title”

From these main compliments and issues I have learned that the central image was a good idea to be challenged, as it forms a good attraction to towards the audience. I also thought the colours provided a professional theme, since red, white and red are the conventional colours of a horror poster, especially black which is the domineering colour in the poster. Although I can see the point of the critic, saying the background needs to be bolder, I deliberately styled the background with a touch of black mixed with a gradient of grey. This is because if I chose to use black as the foreground colour, the audience will find it very hard to distinguish the central image, as he too is wearing a black hood, and the background. As a result, this will not make my poster stand out and will not have a professional feel to it. ‘The Vanishing’ title can also be changed in a way to show the actual lettering shows some signs of disappearing. I did think of changing the font but most of the decayed, disappearing font styles were not well constructed when applied with the colour red. It created the text to look unappealing, this is why I chose a font that looks good and degraded, which is evident from the little droplets of red around the lettering.

The other ancillary text is the magazine. The audience feedback consisted of responses like:

> “The eyes really make the magazine. It feels the eyes are looking me”

> “I like how the masthead are two words but one is inside the other”

> “The colours of the magazine work well”

> “The magazine needs more text on the side”

> “The three boys are just standing face on, they could have been seen at an angle”

From this audience feedback I have learned following the visual convention of using three main colours was important, since it has made my magazine more appealing. Another convention that I have learned to use is to create good quality central image, which I have developed and challenged from composing three images into one, the three characters, the villain’s eyes and the bushes. I have also learned that when taking photos of the central image, try and take them from different angles and ways to achieve the best construction for the magazine, thus making it more original.

On the whole, the promotional package received comments saying:

> “the trailer, poster and magazine follow a main convention of expressing a link”. This is clearly visually shown through the trailer consisting of a hooded figure and the poster consists of a hooded individual with memorable eyes that are also included on the magazine.

> “although you (me-a student) have made these media products, they all contain acts of professionalism”. This was because I used the media conventions in all media texts but I had also developed and challenged forms and conventions to construct unique and original media products.

As a result, this feedback from different audiences and a film editor, I have learned to apply a variety of conventions to different media texts and use them to their correct use. The feedback has also made me acknowledge the effects of these conventions, not just in my opinion but from a subjective view. Also, on improvement the comments made were highly valued and accepted since the beneficial feedback gave me other interpretations that would have made my promotional package stronger.

One of the ancillary texts is the poster that also had audience feedback: