The range of comments we received.
Audience feedback is a useful task to carry out with any media product as it offers tips and advice on how to improve your product as well as pin-pointing the elements of the media that are particularly good and stand out. We screened our trailer in front of a class of 17/18 year olds, who fall under the target audience of horror movies, 15-25 year olds, therefore this is the ideal audience to gain feedback from.
The editing and camerawork displayed in our trailer was the segment of the audience feedback where our group received most praise. The range and exploration of camera angles and movement was mentioned several times as being a positive aspect of our media product, as it created suspense and a tense feeling at an appropriate time during the trailer. Our camerawork and editing, judging from the feedback, successfully used horror conventions and our editing style was described to have a "professional look". However, there was a few comments mentioning that if some shots were edited together quicker then it would create a more horrific feel within the trailer & allow the possibility to create more 'jumpy' scares. Despite this, the majority of comments concerning editing & camerawork were positive; certain shots, such as the mirror scene and the effect used on the car while it was pulling away from the car park were techniques that were picked up on. However, the main negative associated with our trailer was that the inter-titles could have been on the screen for longer, as the audience felt that they were not given enough time to read and understand what they were telling they audience.
Comments made about the sound and music used in our trailer were both negative and positive. Some people mentioned that it didn't quite suit the imagery and was "out of place" at certain points, whereas others said that it added to the fear factor, creating an eerie, creepy feel to the trailer. However, usually when the music was mentioned, it was because it seemed out of place, therefore music is an area that we could look to improve. Another problem found with the music was the lack of a change of pace or tone. All things that could reviewed and edited.
Despite not being commented on often, the mise-en-scene and setting was found to be not very effective when attempting to create a scary setting. However, where it is a fair comment, suburban houses are a conventional setting for horror films; plus the stairs of the home played a key role in, possibly, the main and most effective shot.
The structure of our trailer seemed to be successful. As there was a few comments mentioning how the build up to the jumpier, scarier scenes was effective & how it created suspense in the areas it was needed. However it was mentioned that the the pace at which the story was told could have been quicker, as it took a while to get to the point. Another area we could possibly look to improve.
Lighting was only mentioned once, specifically the good use of candles. The use of candles was said to have "worked well", thus creating an eerie feeling throughout the trailer from the start, with the shot with the protagonist in the background, partially out of focus, and the candle in the foreground, carried on later with the shot of the flame of the candle reappearing.
Overall the feedback has pin-pointed which areas our trailer was weaker in and which that it was strong. The majority of comments made looked to have interested and intrigued the target audience, which was our overall aim. However, there was obvious areas of which we could improve to make the trailer more effective.
The problems and good points detected were very fair and insightful; allowing us, if chosen, to adjust our media product in a positive way to make it overall more appealing to the target audience. Things like the music and the length of the inter-titles could be improved, whereas the more professional looking areas of the trailer, the camerawork and certain scenes, could be enhanced further.
Despite the constructive criticism, which fell under the minority of comments made, our media product seemed to be an overall success as it received many compliments related to the use of horror conventions.
This is a very good summary although not yet a very good post for a blog. I think if you take some screen grabs of particular things you're talking about and pepper them through this it will improve it tremendously. You might think about organising it so that you talk first about the product as an example of the horror genre, and secondly as an advertising text. I think you should end by explaining some of the things you would now change as a result of the audience feedback, if you had time.
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