Evaluation (Question 5)

How did you attract your target audience?

• Firstly, to even establish a target audience, we had to carry out some research into specific audience types and target audiences. To do this, we made a target audience research video where we interviewed people of different ages and genders in order to get a ranged and varied amount of answers and opinions towards thriller films and conventions. After theism we took into account the target audience research and tried to incorporate it as much as we could into our thriller film opening without moving away too much from he narrative which we personally liked.
• From our target audience research, we concluded that our specific target audience which we were going to aim for was teenagers and younger adults (16-21 years old).
• One of the most common answers that we got from our target audience research was the theme of 'death' and 'murder' in a thriller film. We made this the main theme of our narrative. The main events which the audience see in our thriller film opening is the death of two victims. This attracts our target audience due to them most commonly 'liking' the convention and theme of murder in thriller films and due to us incorporating that into our thriller film narrative, we were able to successfully appeal to them. In addition, by using a red herring in our thriller film opening (for example, the second murderer's outfit and first impressions), we were able to appeal to our target audience even further as the theme of tension and suspense was also what they enjoyed and typically thought of when it came to thriller films.
• Furthermore, to add to the main theme of murder and death (which is what our target audience wanted), the props we used in our thriller film opening helped connote danger, tension and murder. For example, one of the main props in our film was a gun. The gun makes the audience identify it as a dangerous weapon and something which can lead to death. This attracts our target audience because they wanted the themes of tension and murder and a gun is a prop which heavily promotes these conventions.
• One of the locations we used was a dark and empty forest. This particular location helped connote a very atmospheric and eerie feel to the opening. Because of this, it attracts to our target audience. Our target audience enjoyed the conventions of tension and suspense and due to us using this particular location, the audience could easily identify the conventions of tension and danger. In addition, we thought that a forest would be a particular tense and scary place to set part of our thriller film, so we used it!
• Although, the second location we used acted as a sort-of red herring. This was because the audience would identify that a normal house would't be a specific place of tension and danger. But, because the red herring is eradicated later on and the second murderer is truly revealed, the audience then immediately identify with what was really going on and understand the sudden theme of danger and then death.
• Our first victim was dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans. Because these are ordinary day-to-day clothes, the audience would identify with the victim through their clothing and relate to them. In addition, white typically connotes innocence and this made it easier for the audience to identify her as the victim in the dangerous situation.
• Furthermore, the second victim was also dressed in normal day-to-say clothing which our target audience could identify and relate to. The flowery top showed her innocence, femininity and purity which made it all the more tense and striking when she was suddenly and immediately murdered. This was also with the first victim - because she was dressed in normal clothes which the target audience could identify with, it wash;t so obvious that they were going to be victims and end up being murdered.