Audience Research - Focus Groups (Qualitative)

In order to find out what horror trailers and posters stand out to my potential target audience, me and my friend decided to create two focus group videos in which we recorded on the iMac. This allowed us to capture their emotions and responses by analysing and comparing two film posters and a horror trailer. 

The two posters we first showed were from 'Carrie (2013)' and 'Mama (2013)' which are below.  

The trailer we showed both our focus groups was from the film 'The Conjuring (2013)' which is a latest horror movie and it is known to be popular amongst the age range. 

Analysis of first focus group response:

• Firstly, I got Aaminah and Nagiba to analyse the film poster of 'Carrie (2013)'. They both said that the blood stood out to them as soon as they looked at the poster. This is an important element to feature in my poster or trailer as blood can connote death or danger which adds up mystery and tension. 
• Nagiba also says "The other thing that also stands out to me is the necklace, in horror movies they tend to have some religious element in it." This also shows that most teenagers think that religious references are seen to be effective in posters or trailers as they may make the film seem more realistic. 
• They also though that the main image directly linked to horror due to the teardrop on the characters face and this expresses emotion. This also highlights that in my poster, I should focus on the main image and how vital it is for it to link to the genre horror.
• Then we decided to analyse the 'Mama 2013' horror poster. They both thought that the main image stood out to them instantly also Aaminah says "The little girl looks like she's depressed and she's in pain". This also tells me that the main image is an important element and that it should stand out to the audience and make them question what the actually film is about. 
• Nagiba and Aaminah both preferred the 'Carrie 2013' poster as it made them 'wonder what the story behind it is about'. This shows that teenagers preferred posters with an image that had an angle of gaze and more colours that connote or link to the concept of horror.
• Then we decided to show them a trailer of a film called "The Conjuring (2013)'. The bit that scared them the most was the last bit as Aaminah says "the face plus the music which went faster". This is important to note when I am creating my trailer as music is an important feature to have when there is a scary scene coming up. 
• They thought the trailer was effective and they wanted to watch the whole film. Nagiba also says "I like the introducing scenes with the real life story as it makes you feel uncomfortable". Moreover, I could incorporate this feature into my own trailer as more people tend to find the film more realistic and this will lead them to watch it.

Analysis of second focus group response: 

• We decided to get a male's opinion from the same age range to comment on the same film posters and trailer. 
• The first poster was 'Carrie (2013)' and he says "it looks really scary because of the blood as it symbolises death and this makes it stand out." This yet again highlights the importance of the use of colours that link to horror. 
• The second poster was 'Mama (2013)' and he says the first thing that stands out is "the little girl in the corner because she looks really scared and worried, we don't know what has happened to her". The poster successfully raises questions as he was wondering what goes on in the story and this is an important feature to have on a poster as it doesn't give away the storyline. 
• He says he prefers "Carrie (2013)' because of the bloodstains on her face and this makes him more interested in the whole film. 
• Then we showed him the trailer of 'The Conjuring'. The scene that stood out to him was the women on top of the cupboard which made it look scary. He also says "It makes you want to know where she came from and what she's actually doing there."
• He says that he would like to watch the movie because "On the trailer it says its not a possession, so if its not a possession, you would want to know what it actually is." This may show that text on a trailer is powerful as my target audience may feel more aware and alerted. 
• Lastly, he also agrees with the 'true story' concept as it makes it more scarier for him. He also says that the sound effects were effective as it made him jump and the music built up tension. This yet again symbolises the importance of having music in a trailer as it adds up suspicion and it is an key ingredient to an horror trailer.