Research/Evaluation - Audience Feedback/Focus Group Summary

First Attempt

 The first clip was really good at setting the scene for film’s plot to develop and starting the film in suspense. This suspenseful atmosphere was also achieved using the setting of the film, at night when it’s dark, with low key lighting from a streetlight.

The actual credits go on for too long, with each credit staying on the screen for much longer than they need too. Apart from the title, which does need to be on it’s own on the screen although for a much shorter period of time, the credits could go across the screen as the clip is playing. However, the music used in the titles is “creepy” and helps to set the atmosphere. That works very well.

It was picked up on by everyone in the focus group that ‘Edited’ only has one ‘t’ and that the official term for ‘actors’ would be staring.

In the clip at the end, it is unclear what is happening. Although the camera angle does help to show that she’s being stalked, only half of them understood that that was what was happening. It was suggested that heavy breathing be put over the top of this scene to make it clearer.

Finally, it is nearly double the length that it ought to be. It’s supposed to be two minutes, but it’s actually three minutes, 45 seconds.     

Final attempt

I managed to cut this one down to the time limit set of two minutes. I did this by taking note of the audience feedback from the first attempt.

This time, the audience feedback was much more positive: they said that the way that the credits lapped over the introductory scene seemed much more natural in the way that they were presented, which made them both easier and more interesting to watch. Also, it the introductory scene and way the credits interacted with it reminded them of other horror films they've seen.

I kept the music with the title, as that was well received the first time; this was again commended by my focus group, who said that the music created a certain atmosphere that set the tone for next scene and, most likely, the rest of the film. 

Despite having not put heavy breathing over the top of the final scene, my focus group praised the contrast between the music used for the title and the silence of that scene because it increased tension.

All in all, they said that they would stay in the cinema to finish watching a film with my opening sequence.