Questionnaire Results

Q1) Which age bracket do you fall into?

The average age of the people surveyed was 22/23, with the majority of people aged between 15 to 26. This covers a broad range of people including teenagers, students and adults just starting their careers. There are horror fans over the of 30 but most people who like horror films are under the age of 30.

Q2) What gender are you?

The majority of people surveyed were male, this was intentional because many horror fans are male due to the scary and gory scenes. This will give me a more accurate view on the target audience as they are the core viewers.

Q3) Is horror your favourite type of film?

I then asked them whether horror is their favourite film genre and 40% said it was. The bulk of the people asked said they preferred other genres like Action & Adventure which include popular films like 'James Bond' and 'Indiana Jones'.

Q4) What type of horror do you prefer?

Slasher came out on top as the most popular type of horror as their graphic nature means there is a high death toll, and many gory scenes. In slasher films the killer is relentless in their massacre. Although in my opinion, the scariest films are psychological ones because of their subtle nature that there are hints of the demonic presence and you have to figure out the mystery.

Q5) Do you like horror parody films?

When asked whether they liked horror parody movies to was a split decision. 55% liked parodies of horror movies like 'Scream'. They make fun out of terrifying movies although nearly half surveyed hated parodies because they ruin the original film's impact and meaning. One man said "When I watch the original film all I can think about is where the parody made it a laughing stock!"

Q6) What is your favourite horror movie? Why?

'The Shining' and 'Aliens' were both made in 1980's and 'Saw' and 'Jeepers Creepers' were both made in the 21st Century representing the demographics of this survey. The younger people interview preferred recent films whereas the older people interviewed liked the classic horrors that shaped this genre.

Q7) Do you think a film is more terrifying in black & white? Why?

The origins of horror films began in the era when only black and white video cameras were available. Films that pioneered the horror genre included 'Psycho' and 'Birds' which cemented the feeling that black and white films are the scariest. Their reasons for believing a film is more terrifying in black and white is that it gives the film a sense that it's dead inside, the film is cold and unforgiving. You don't get this with colour films. Even in the film 'The Ring' it had a video of a little girl with her black hair covering her white face which created a very scary character.

Q8) What is the most effective part of a horror trailer?

Sound came out on top for the most effective part of a horror trailer followed by gore. The sorts of sounds heard in a horror trailer include screaming, stabbing sounds and heavy breathing. These sounds create a realistic and creepy atmosphere and show that the audience are more terrified by the sounds of a trailer compared to the visuals.

Q9) Do film posters and trailers persuade you to view a film? Why?

Slightly more people thought that film posters and trailers persuaded them to go and watch a film. These advertisements are sometimes sub-conscience thoughts and feelings and can make us watch the film without us knowing. The graphic nature of a poster or a horrifying clip in a trailer can be the crucial factor that determines whether you want to watch the film or not.

Conclusion

After studying the results of the questionnaire it became clear the type of film I would need to create in order to satisfy the target audience. These results will effect my planning because I will need to bear in mind what the target audience want and expect from a horror trailer. For example, in question eight the majority said that the sound was the most significant part of a trailer. I will need to focus on this area in particular to make sure it gives the trailer the right feeling of fear and uncertainty about the fate of the characters.

The questionnaire also made me opt for the slasher sub-genre. This worked to my advantage because slasher films are, in my opinion, the easiest to re-create because most slasher films follow a similar storyline and so would therefore be easy to clearly portray to the audience.