Primary Audience Research Survey Results

 A total of 8 people answered my survey. Here are the results:
1) What is your age?
4 People said they were 17 
1 Person said they were 18
1 Person said they were 19
1 Person said they were 22
1 Person said they were 23
This is very convinient as this means that everyone who answered my survey is within the targeted age of my film trailer.  

2) What is your gender?
3 people said they were female
5 people said they were male  

Like in the previous question, this is very suitable for my research since there are more males than females who answered, and my film trailer is prodominantly targeted towards males. 
 
3) Do you think that a film trailer affects your decision at all to go watch or buy a film?

In this question, 7/8 people said that film trailers affect their decision to watch a film.  This tells me that a trailer will need to be made of a high quality in order to meet the standards that the audience expect, because this will change whether they will or will not watch the film.

4) Where is it that you watch film trailers the most?

Half of my respondents said that they watch film trailers on YouTube, a video streaming site. This would make sense as film studios or franchises have their own YouTube channels where they can upload as many videos as they would like. Viewers will be able to pause and rewatch the videos whenever they like and be able to like or comment their opinions. Three people stated they watch trailers on social media like Facebook or Twitter. Like on YouTube, viewers will be able to rewatch, like and comment whenever they want. Often these videos are shared via a Youtube link or uploaded via the sites own media player. One person said that they see trailers the most in the cinema. Some of the time you might see a film trailer premiere in a cinema before watching the feature-film before they are released onto the internet.

5) What particular aspect of a film trailer grabs your attention the most?

For this question, the majrity of the audience said that the cinematography helps to grab their attention the most in a trailer. This suggets to me that when filmining the trailer, I will need to put quite a bit of consideration as to how it will be filmed to make it look more unique to help draw the audience in. A smaller amount of the people who answered the question said that the moving images grab their attention the most. To me this means that we will need to choose wisely what scenes to incorporate into the trailer, that we will need to decide how to make them enigmatic to help create intrigue. One of the people who answered the survey said that the actors grab their attention the most. This might be due to the fact that they are a fan of or are aware of multiple actors/ actresses and seeing them in a trailer will draw their attention. It could also be due to the fact that the acting is very good, and that we should choose good actors when creating our trailers to make it seem like it has a higher budget and that it is not mediocre.

6) How often would you say you watch film trailers within a week?

For this question 62.5% of the contributors said that they watch film trailers most days in a week, whereas the remaining said that they rarely watch with trailers in a week. No one said that they never watch film trailers in a week, so this means that everyone who answered this survey watches at least one trailer per week, so they are likely to be up-to-date with trailers.








7) What type of genre of film do you usually prefer to watch?

Three people said that they prefer action films, two said they preferred crime films, one said they like comedy, one said they liked drama and one selected 'other', which they specified as historical. When combined, action and crime take up half of the audience, which to me is helpful information as it means that a high amounf of people in my target audience take an interest in the genres we will be using in our trailer.

 
8) What type of themes do you like to be explored in a crime film?

50% of those who answered said they'd like to see psycohological issues be explored in a crime film. This is likely due to the fact that mental health often plays a part in some people who commit the most severe crimes, and that awareness of mental health issues is becoming more apparent at this point in time, therefore it will leave a more modern approach on the genre. Other people answered saying they would like more political and racial issues, as we plan for the protagonists to all be criminals it will be unlikely that there will be any political issues raised since they are all disobeying the law, the racial issues is possible as there could be a racial diversity within the drug-users group. As we are only making a film trailer issues around psychology and race can only be hinted apon if it were to be used as it is not the main theme and the trailer will be too short to be able to elaborate too much on the topics.

9) Is there any particular crime genre film that entices you and/or one that you are put off from?

In these written responses, many people said that they like films when they are well shot and have unique cinematography, and films where the narrative is not conventional such as where it is not a simple law vs crime conflict which a high majority of crime films tend to use. Other people had stated that they like films where the antagonist has a clear motive why they are doing the things that they do, rather than them just acting bad for the sake of it. As we plan to create a crime film with a narrative to this, then it would mean that our audience would be interested in seeing it.

 





10) Are there any particular elements you would to see in a new film trailer to bring a more modern and fresh approach to the genre?

When asked what they would like to see in a new film trailer, my audience answered saying that they would like to both sides of a conflict with balanced morals and that there is no distinct good or bad character. Some participants suggested using more modern technology, this information is helpful since one of the characters we plan to have in our trailer is a hacker, this will mean they will need to be up to date with technology. Two other people also suggested making the film look more vibrant to defy the conventional dull, low saturated look crime films sometimes have. 

Primary Audience Research Survey

1) What is your age?
   ___________________

2) What is your gender?
   ___________________

3) Do you think that a film trailer affects your decision at all to go watch or buy a film?
[  ] Yes
[  ] No


4) Where is it that you watch film trailers the most?
[  ] DVD
[  ] Cinema 
[  ] IMDb
[  ] Youtube
[  ] Social Media Sites 
[  ] Official film websites
[  ] Other

5) What particular aspect of a film trailer grabs your attention the most?
[  ] Moving Pictures (the film footage)
[  ] Cinematography (The way in which it has been filmed)
[  ] The Music/ Soundtrack
[  ] Actors/ Actresses
[  ] Spoken language
[  ] The Editing
[  ] The Director/ Producer 
[  ] Sound Effects
[  ] Special Effects


6) How often would you say you watch film trailers within a week? 
[  ] Everyday
[  ] Most Days
[  ] Rarely
[  ] Never

7) What type of genre of film do you usually prefer to watch?
[  ] Crime
[  ] Romance
[  ] Comedy
[  ] Horror
[  ] Action
[  ] Western
[  ] Family
[  ] Adventure
[  ] Drama
[  ] War 
[  ] Hybrids (e.g. Rom-com, comedy- musical)
[  ] Other

8) What type of themes do you like to be explored in a crime film?
[  ] Psychological
[  ] Political
[  ] Gender Issues
[  ] Racial Issues
[  ] Relationships
[  ] Other

9) Is there any particular crime genre film that entices you and/or one that you are put off from?
   ______________________

10) Are there any particular elements you would to see in a new film trailer to bring a more modern and fresh approach to the genre?

I posted this survey on surveymonkey, the survey can be found here:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HX9R7PK

Primary Research: Reflection

How will my promotional products be altered to attract my targeted audience? 

As our target audience is targeted towards people in their late teens- early 20's, we would need to tailor the trailer in order to help meet their expectations and make it appropriate for their age. We would need to put consideration to what type of language we will use in the dialogue in order to fit the audience, as they are mature enough that the language choice can be expletive and offensive. 

In order to help convey that this is a crime film, we would have to incorporate iconography such as guns, blood and knives as these are typically shown in a crime film. In terms of costume, to help show who are the drug users we would have to incorporate stereotypical elements into how they look; drug users are usually depicted sporting casual attire, such as wearing hoodies, sweatpants or tracksuits, and we would need to have props such as fake drugs and syringes.  As for the hacker/serial killer, they would need to be dressed in all black clothing as this will help make them appear more stealthy and camouflaged, and they would be wearing an 'Anonymous' Guy Fawkes mask, although we plan to get a duplicate which will be stained with fake blood to help visually convey that this is not your typical Anonymous member.

The locations used will be places that will fit the role of the characters. The setting for the hacker will be a black or dark studio room where they will be recording their warning message for the drug users. The only light source in this will be the light from the monitor screen, illuminating just their face. For the drug users, the plan for their drug den is that it will be lit up with blue and orange lighting as this can connote the conflict between the two opposing sides. (+reason). 

The trailer will need to incorporate a number of shots with violence and action in order to make the film appear more thrilling and give an adrenaline rush feel, to do this our trailer should increase the pacing by decreasing the duration of each shot as the trailer goes on, and it should be composed so that the shot changes. It should be composed so that the shots are synchronised with the soundtrack- this will make the trailer more intriguing, engaging and well-constructed.

We want to create a our own style of cinematography. I personally would like to incorporate a shot where the camera is attached or is resting against a door, near the handle, so that we can see a character turn the door handle  and see them enter the room, which is being shown to the audience through a pan, as I have seen being used in an episode of Mr.Robot. We will also use a number of slow motion shots to put more emphasis on the actions of the actors in order to make an impact on the audience. We would also like to include glitchy footage to help connote the 'hacker' element to our trailer to make it clear to the audience the occupation (and possibly the corruption) of the characters. 

Primary Audience Research

Target audience for our film trailer. 
Age: 15-24 year olds - this is due to the mature themes we want to feature in the trailer such as violence, explicit language and drug use. This would not be appropriate for young audiences and it is unlikely that they will take an interest in the topic.  
Gender: As our film is of the crime genre, our target audience will primarily be made up of males as some females do not like the use of violence or films that include themes about law breaking. Typically it is men who like crime films, considering how the protagonist and criminals are usually males so the characters can be more relatable for men, and how women tend to play the damsel in distress or 'femme fetale' role. 
Likes: Our audience will like films or TV shows of a similar genre to crime such as action and thriller examples of TV shows being CSI, Breaking Bad, Mr. Robot, or Sherlock as these tend to give an adrenaline rush to the audience or they just enjoy the themes explored. They might even like crime related video games such as Grand Theft Auto or Heavy Rain. 
Dislikes: They would likely avoid watching films of an entirely different genre such as chick flicks, musicals or romance, or just simply predictable films or film trailers that are filled with cliched elements. 
Hobbies: Watching film and TV shows, researching psychological related topics. They might also enjoy reading and writing stories or novels. 
Career: People of our target audience will likely have or is training for a career related to crime such as a prison officer, a police officer, or a lawyer.  

Here is my perception of what my average target audience member is (which I created with a drawing tablet and Photoshop 7). They are aproximately around 19-21 years old and is a male since it is usually males who are targeted in other crime films and because males tend to prefer the genre more than females. Asformentioned, he will be into watching both American and British films and TV shows that are related to the crime genre as well as a number of video games. They will prefer convention-breaking films, particularly when there is not distinct good or bad character, and where the character roles are reversed (e.g. the protagonist is the criminal and the antagonist is the police).

To gain a better understanding of my target audience and their preferences for crime film trailers, I will conduct a survey to find out what they want to see in a new trailer.  

Trailers as Multi-model Texts

A multi-model text is a form of media that has two or more ways of creating meaning through different ways of communication. This can be through written text on screen, spoken language, sound effects and music. 

TITLE OF FILM: Catch Me If You Can (2002, Directed by Steven Spielberg)
FEATURES OF MULTIMODAL TEXT	DESCRIPTION OF FEATURE IN TRAILER	ANALYSIS OF IMPACT ON AUDIENCE
Written text on screen	When introducing the actor's names and when it says 'based on a true story' the text is transitioned into the trailer by two arrows running parallel to each other moving across the screen in opposite directions.  Other on-screen text includes: 'Frank never went to flight school' (proceeded by a shot of Frank mas a pilot) Frank never went to medical school' (Proceeded by a shot of Frank as a doctor) 'Frank never went to law school' (Proceeded by a shot of Frank as a lawyer) 'Because Frank is still in high school'	The fact that this says 'based on a true story' would intrigue the audience as this might intrigue them to find out how the protagonist, Frank, managed to get away with becoming a pilot, lawyer and doctor without any training or how he never gets caught by the FBI, or at least avoided them for as long as possible. Considering the film's title and the the plot of the film, the arrows help to connote the fact that Frank is avoiding the authorities while they are trying to catch him for being a con artist.  This would intrigue the audience as they would know that you would need further education in order to get into these professions yet the on-screen text tells them that Frank has not attended any of these and that he is still in high school. This will make the audience ask a simple question of 'How did he do it?'.
Spoken language	Carl: 'You're gonna get caught, its like Vegas, the house always wins' [Carl and Frank speaking over the phone] Carl: 'What do you want' Frank: 'To apologise'  Carl: 'You didn't call to apologise did you? You have no one else to call'	This line of dialogue could be a hint of foreshadowing to the audience. Car id comparing the FBI as a house and therefore frank should be an 'outsider'. This metaphor Carl uses compares the FBI's mission to capture Frank as a casino game, as if it was a gamble, that both sides are risking everything they have in order to get the job done. This could make the audience support Frank even more because they would know that he would literally lose everything  if he does not escape the FBI. This piece of dialogue achieves the same effect as the previous, as the audience will feel more sympatheic towards Frank, as Carl implies that Frank is alone and has no one to trust.
Moving images	We are shown a mixture of shots showing Frank 'living the dream' where his life appears to be glorified, and other shots showing him in disdain and with a worried expression.	As this film is based off of a true story there are no special effects featured in the trailer and the cinematography is not overly dramatic in order to help retain the realism in the narrative. As mentioned before, we see many scenes showing different sides to Frank's life, hinting to the audience that he will go through a series of  events where he has a rise in power over the FBI, and a fall where the FBI are catching onto his case. There are two consecutive shots that show Frank (now with long hair) and a young girl as they look at each other through a window (shown in the bottom left image). This could possibly symbolise that through innocent eyes that do not look at him as a criminal, Frank is not such of a bad person that higher authorities make him out to be.
Sound effects	There is not a great amount of sound effects in this trailer since most of the sound in the trailer is the background song. When we see Frank as a lawyer, he says 'This is irrefutable evidence that the defendant is lying' and proceeds to slam his open case down to close in which we hear a loud 'thud' with a short echo.	Like I have mentioned before, they likely did not put in too many sound effects in order to make the film more realistic and not far-fetched as this is based off of a true story.  The music playing from the start of the trailer up to this point stops as soon as we hear this 'thud', creating a dramatic pause, signifying to the audience that Frank is very confident in his statement. It also helps build up apprehension for the following on-screen text that tells teh audience that Frank is still in high school, making this revelation have even more of an impact.
Music	The music being played in the background of the trailer is called 'Don't Rain On My Parade' by Bobby Darin.	The lyrics of the song can relate to the protagonist's life. 'Don't tell me not to fly I've simply got to If someone takes a spill It's me and not you Don't bring around a cloud To rain on my parade.' Considering how the protagonist, Frank cons people by pretending to be a pilot, a lawyer and a doctor, and gets a wealthy living out of it,and how the FBI are after him to bring an end to his law-breaking ways. The lyrics 'Don't tell me not to fly'  strongly relates to the fact that he posed as a pilot for a a number of years. The title of the song itself makes it seem as if it is Frank directly telling the FBI not to 'rain on his parade'.