Q3: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

We received very positive feedback from our film package on the various social media sites we promoted it on. We focused on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Tumblr as these are some of the most popular sites used by young people on a regular basis, we used this to target our key demographic and a gain a wider audience. By collecting this qualitative data we were able to gain greater insight into the strong points and weaknesses in our trailer and why we got the answers we did.

General Feedback Overall the general feedback we received was encouraging as it indicated that our wider audience enjoyed our product and chose to like and share it via social media. for example it It gained up to 256 notes on tumblr which is significant as the site is used for anonymous blogging, therefore it was being critiqued by people we didn’t know but who were able to give us unbiased positive feedback. We similarly got numerous replies on the facebook links we posted with up to 44 people liking and commenting overall. Some also chose to send us their own individual comments over whatsapp for a more indepth response. This is highly positive feedback as it indicates how through our production we were able Editing Our editing seemed to be one of our strongest points as communicated by the feedback we received for it. This is promising as editing is one of the most crucial factors of trailers and influences the product as a whole. This indicates the strength of our product in conforming to what we’d researched in the horror genre. Many commented on the use of music complementing the editing such as the titles coming on screen at the end and the use of cinematic trailer sounds on top of our music score. People commented on how this added to the overall tension in our trailer and the atmosphere we wanted to construct through the horror genre. The opening was especially well received as an effective use of editing to build pace and suspense, as well as using the alternating of speeds to reflect the visual shots and setting. This editing was also crucial in setting the scene and narrative as it acted as an explanation for the apocalypse scenario we utilized ,this is positive feedback as this is the exact reason we included the sequence of news reports as it bridged together what we had already filmed. The use of sound editing in this aspect was also responded to as it reportedly built the fear we were looking to achieve in the horror genre.

Titles We also received positive feedback for our use of titles. Our audience claimed our use of font stood out, making the film look modern and professional as it was clean and well spaced. Our use of the wireframe to position our titles over footage was also noted as looking different from the titles typically seen in trailers. This is a great response as it definitely appears that through use of titles and fonts we have added something new to the genre and given our film a modern twist, making it look more so professional. Filming One of the other aspects that was commented on the most was the setting we used to film in. The use of London shots was effective in creating an equilibrium which worked in comparison to the empty shots as London highlighted the business of life before the apocalypse. Our audience also enjoyed familiarity of the setting as it added a touch of realism. This worked in juxtaposition to the empty shots we used; the changing of pace was seemingly effective in creating growing tension in the first act. Our choice of location by choosing a desolate and rural setting also worked in building suspense and making the apocalypse sub­genre clear to the audience. The use of forests and the darkness of the garage also created terror, most likely as they are iconic and typical for the horror genre the audience will associate them with the building suspense.

Sound The music was also key in our creation of the trailer, as it’s crucial to the use of build up and crescendos. Our feedback for sound was highly positive as it reportedly aided in the suspense built throughout and grabbed the interest of many. Foreshadowing was also evident through the use of sound which is really positive as this is a central part of trailers especially in the horror genre as it creates the idea of there being an imminent threat. The use of sound in act one to comparatively show life before and after was also praised as it outlined the apocalypse genre and built on it’s own through the use of silence. Our timing for music was also commented on as it complemented the use of editing to create sound effects on top of the music (see editing). The music overall was seemingly a good fit for the themes and genre of our film. We also had no criticism on the transitions between tracks, and therefore were seemingly able to construct an effective trailer soundtrack giving the trailer what was described as a professional feel. Narrative Our overall story and narrative was praised, as well as the acting of our main leads. The narrative was conveyed well through use of voice over and the three act structure which made the transitions clear. It was also noted the explanation we had to include was minimal and a lot of the story was explored visually. This reportedly helped us convey the emotion in our trailer and clearly outline the apocalypse sub­genre. The only draw back we seemed to have is that our storyline may have come across slightly unclear due to our overall focus on genre and building suspense. This could have been cleared up by picking better voice clips to communicate the narrative.

Genre

We seemingly maintained the horror genre throughout our production, as feedback shows that through the building of tension and crescendos our product reflected the horror genre. Chaotic images and editing made the genre clear from the beginning and despite the references to the ‘thriller’ aspect of our trailer, the suspense and foreshadowing is clear to the audience. The apocalypse sub­genre was similarly explored in this way through iconic setting and scenery and the necessary explanation in act one. There were very limited comments about use of props, makeup and costume other than a general positive response. Since this is typically a large part of the genres we used, if we ever had the chance to improve it would be through makeup and costume, in order to reinforce the apocalypse scenario.