A2 Media Studies

Public Feedback Analysis

Leanne Emmett

Section A – Short Film (‘The Few’)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VviZ6fYPf4

What do you think of the camera shots used in the film?

The general response I received for this question was positive. The shots were mainly described as ‘unique’ which I feel is a positive thing because this was the main selling point for my

film (what intrigues people and makes them want to watch the film). The audience also felt that because the shots were quite continuous this helped to keep the story moving (and the two connected very well – also links very well to the voice-over). Because the shots are all showing the character on his own, one of the members of audience felt that this was another representation of how isolated and alone the character is

feeling. One negative thing that some people felt about the film was that some of the shots worked better than others.

What was your favourite scene/shot in the film?

Looking over the feedback, I discovered that the main shot that people liked the most in the short film was the 360 degree

panning shot at the end of the film. The reasons that people gave for this being their favourite shot were:

• Shows that at the end the character was more accepting of himself at the end

• Happy ending• Shows how the character has changed from where the story

started and how in the end he has lost that fear of what people think of him and their opinions (he is more accepting)

• Visually nice• Together with the voice-over and the music it all worked very

effectively together

What was your least favourite scene/shot in the film?

There were not really very many reasons given for why the shots that I am about to mention were their least favourite,

however I think that they are quite self explanatory:• Establishing shot – dragged on slightly, could have been

considerably shorter, began to lose the audiences interest• Tracking shot (walking behind the character) – the shots

were quite shaky, and possibly looked quite amateur like (one person commented on this saying that it looked like a point of view shot, making it look like someone else was following him – losing this feeling of isolation)

• Point of view shot and in-between the pillars – (one person) the fact that you can see the characters face slightly in these shots lost some of the characters hidden identity

Do you think that the soundtrack suited the rest of the film?

Everyone that I asked about this commented saying that they felt that the soundtrack suited the film very well, and that it was very effective yet the

music did not draw any attention away from the character and the story that he is telling. Some also

said that it helped to build suspense as the plot thickened. The acoustic guitar also helped to

convey emotion in the film which was crucial to the story in order to create the right response.

What age range would you say this film is aimed at?

All of the feedback that I received from my audience varied a lot, and there is a very large gap between ages. My actual target

audience for the film was ranging from about 13 – 18 (which is a five year gap however I felt that it was appropriate as it is around

these ages that people are affected by this). The age ranges from all of my responses (mixed into one) was actually 12 – 22. I feel that 22 is too high for the target audience because at this age people have

generally discovered and accepted who they are, and will have already finished college and possibly gone to university so if this

was something that they had gone through then they would have discovered other people going through the same thing. So the age range that I think would be more appropriate overall after looking

at the feedback would be about 12 – 18 (maybe 19).

Do you think that the voice-over worked well for the film?

Almost all of the feedback that I received on this question was positive (with the exception of one) which commented that there could have been more emotion in it, which I partially agree with,

although I think that the voice-over does express the emotion well in most places, and I feel that it looks good against the

footage. The positive feedback that I received on the voice-over were:

• That it helps to keep the audiences attention• The meaning behind the film is communicated very clearly• If the voice-over was not there then the video itself would

have no meaning at all (you would not be able to link the two together without seeing them together) – yet this works well

• The voice-over connects really well with the audience• Was the most important part of the short film

Do you think that the meaning behind the film could be inspiring to people going through the same problem?

Would it inspire people who were not?I think that the people who I asked this question to, did not actually fully understand

what I was referring to, as the answers that I received were regarding what worked well for the film, not who it was aiming towards. The responses that I received were: – Gives a good insight into what the character is going through (and what people

go through in real life)– Enables people not going through an a view and better understanding what it is

like for people that are going through it– Representing that these people are not alone, and that there are other people

going through the same thing out there– The film is quite thought provoking– Helps to make people aware of what people have to go through and what they

are thinking– The film does not patronize the story– Helps to educate people who are less aware– Offers hope to those people who need help or inspiration– Touches a sensitive topic well– Portrays what people have to go through in real life very well

Were there any continuity errors?

The audience that I asked did not actually see any continuity errors in the film which was very good. One person picked up on the shadow at the end of the film

but did not actually realise that that was a piece of camera equipment they just thought that it was a

shadow of something in the distance. The only other continuity error in the film was a moment in the voice-

over (where the voice has been cut and put back together too quickly leaving a stutter in the actors voice) but again, nobody actually noticed this therefore this is

not a major continuity error.

If you were to change one thing about the film, what would it be?

There was one answer in the series of answers that I think someone answered inappropriately (saying that the actor was

walking funny and I suspect that this was an answer from someone that knew him). The other answers that I received were:• Adding more different shots and shortening some of the longer

shots that were already in the film• More emotion in the voice-over• Having the character at the end smile (representing that he is

now happy with himself and has come to terms with his sexuality)

• Shortening the establishing shotA few people actually said that they would not change anything

(however I do agree with some of the points above)

ConclusionOverall I feel that the feedback that I received on my short film, ‘The Few’ was quite positive, but it helped me discover what I could have done to improve the film. They also pointed out some good meaning

behind the film that I did not see or think would be seen in that way until I received before this feedback. The main thing that I would change if I were to go back and change the film would be re-filming the end and

having the actor smile at the camera, because I do feel that this would be an interesting way to end the film as it would be showing how the

character is now happy and satisfied with how his life turned out which would be more inspiring to people who were going through this same

thing (they would see that it did turn out okay in the end).The target audience feedback that I received could be an issue for my

film because everyone seemed to have a different idea of what age range this film would be aimed at. However I feel that it could also be a good

thing because it would help to draw in a wider audience for my film and help more people become aware of what people have to go through in

terms of sexuality and identity.

Section B – Film Poster

Do you like the image used in the poster?

Everyone that I asked liked the image in the poster (for many reasons). Some of the reasons that they gave were:

• The image is relevant to the film, yet the image does not give away any of the story

• The blurriness masks the characters identity (which is what the entire film does for the character)

• Taken from the penultimate scene of the film• Image creates intrigue and mystery

The only recommendation that someone gave to improve the poster was to blur and darken the image some more to add more mystery (however I feel that this may have caused the poster to

look more like a horror film poster).

What do you think the image in the poster is representing?

There were different responses from each person for this question (which is good in some ways – different people interpreted the film differently). Some things that they

felt it was representing were:• Identity – which is actually something I wanted my film/poster to be representing• That the story does not want/need you to know who the character in the film is• The poster looks suspicious (if you have not already seen the film)• Isolation• That you should be unsure of what the film is about• No implication of the genre, plot or story of the film• Characters unrealised confidence and accepting himself (must be a view after

seeing the film)• Mystery – because of the out of focus image• A crime poster (not what I wanted to achieve with the poster – but writing ruins

this)Overall, the audience felt that this was actually a very effective method of promoting my film.

What do you think of the font used in the picture?

There were a lot of both good and bad comments from my audience regarding this question. The good points were:

• The writing works well with the theme• Aimed towards a younger audience (teenagers)• Helps create a better idea of the genre (you can now tell that it

is not a crime genre because you would not see this writing in a crime poster – it looks like it is a drama genre)

The bad points were:• The writing is hard to read – especially the smaller writing• That the poster was nice but had no/very little meaning (one

person) – I do however disagree with this looking at the other peoples opinions of the poster (but it is surely going to attract a different kind of response from different people)

What age group do you think this poster is aiming towards?

Because the aim of my poster is to promote my film, preferably the target audience for the poster would be the

same as the film (13-18). The results that I received for this question (mixed into one) were about age 14 – 20+. I think that this is actually quite an appropriate age range

because the poster has a lack of genre, creates excitement, and no indication of plot or story which would

all appeal to both the younger and the older audience. One person actually said that they specifically felt that this was aiming towards the same age as the film itself (which

is what I was originally hoping to achieve).

Do you like the colours used in the poster?

Most of the people who gave feedback on the poster felt that the colours did work for the poster, but there were also some

points that were mentioned that could have helped me to improve my poster – one person felt that it would look better in

black and white (but was not a necessary change they said). However there were some people who directly liked the blue

hues in the poster (so again it is down to the individuals opinion). Some other positive points that people mentioned

about the colours were:• It was typical of a drama genre (the blue hues)• Effective (creates a dark and moody atmosphere – but the

blue tint made it look like there could be a positive or some good)

• Adds mystery to the poster

Is the important information (such as the release date) clearly visible on the poster?

There were some suggestions as to how I could improve the poster so that the relevant information was more

noticeable:• Having the release date at the bottom of the page with

the credits• Change the size, colour and font (too many font styles so

it did not stand out)I do agree with these two points, however most of the

audience did see the relevant information so this may not be a completely necessary change if I were to redo the

poster.

What do you like most about the film poster?

The main things that the audience liked the most about the poster were:

• The actor in the image and how he is out of focus• A lot of people liked the fingerprint over the image (and

that it was representing the boys identity)• The lack of information in the poster (adds mystery and

intrigues the audience, making them want to actually go and see the film)

• The mystery and uncertainty• The poster does not give away anything about the story or

plot

What do you like least about the film poster?

The main things that people felt could be improved in the film poster were:

• The fingerprint (which is difficult because a lot of people felt that this was what they liked the most about the poster – so this is all down to personal opinion)

• The blurry image (again, others liked this, so it is a matter of opinion)

• The font – a lot of people found it hard to read• The characters face looked creepy (creates a horror or

crime genre feel)• Release date information more noticeable (size, font,

colour)

If you were to change one thing about the film poster, what would it be?

Some people who answered this question actually said that they felt that there were no necessary

changes that had to be changed in the poster and that they would do it the same, however the

feedback that I received from others with changes I feel could have helped to improve my poster:

• The font• Darken and blur the image• Make the release date more noticeable

Conclusion

I feel that the feedback I received with regard to the poster was very helpful, and I now know what I could have

done to improve the poster. The main thing that I would change would be the kind of font that I used, because

although some people felt that it was appropriate for the film and helped to create the right atmosphere for the

poster, it is more important that people can actually read the writing in the poster. If I were to redo this however, I would keep the same colour for the font because I do not

feel that this is something that needs to be changed (nobody commented on the colour, so there were no

negative points about the colour).

Section C – Double-Page Spread

What do you think of the layout of the double-page spread?

The feedback that I received based on this question were all very positive and I am very happy with the results:

• The double-page spread is interesting and it catches your eye (which is crucial because it is designed to go in a magazine full of similar articles)

• The images were clear, obvious and interesting yet do not take attention away from the article

• The layout is good – the text flows and is broken up well by images

• The use of images keeps the audiences attention and persuades them to want to know what the article is about

There were some improvements that people suggested which I am going to cover in another question.

Are the images used in the article relevant to what it is about?

Everyone who participated in the public feedback agreed that the images that I chose for the double-page spread were mainly

relevant to my article (one person felt that the screen shot where the character stepped over the camera could have been

improved by using a different image – however this was the only negative feedback). The positives that people commented on

were:• Adds a feed of mystery and unknown identity (who is the

character, what is the story behind the film)• They help to keep the audience interested and then they will

continue reading the article• Some images relate directly to parts of the article (quote

about shots taken from the ground for example)

If you read this article, would it influence you in any way to go and watch the short film?

Most of the feedback that I received said that they would actually go and see the film, with the exception of two individuals. One said that they would be unlikely to read this article as it is not something that

they read now (so not very relevant to them), but the other person said that they would have preferred to read an article that looked into

behind the scenes and the making of the film. However I do feel that this article does speak about this briefly, and I deliberately did this because the double-page spread is aiming towards a specific target

audience of students/teenagers. This person did however say that they liked the different insight into this kind of article and said it as a positive

thing. Some of the other feedback that I received was:• Interviews with participants• Keeps the audience interested• Colloquial, yet it gives the essential information about the film• Doesn’t give away the genre or the story

What age group would you say this article would be aimed at?

As I previously mentioned with the poster; I wanted the double-page spread to be aiming towards the same audience as the film (between the ages of 13-18) as the purpose of the

double-page spread is to help promote the film and to encourage people to watch it. The feedback that I received from the audience (all mixed into one) felt that the double-

page spread was aiming more towards an age range of between 12 – 20. I feel that 20 is possibly too high because of

the language that I use (it is easy reading and a lot less intellectual which may not be something that would appeal to

an older audience). I feel that between the ages of 12 – 18 (possibly 17) would be a much better target audience for my

film.

What kind of magazine would you expect to see this kind of article in?

There were two main responses that I received for this question, these were:

• A film magazine / a filmmakers magazine• A teenage magazine (specifically targeting teenage issues and

how to cope with them)I feel that this would not be found in a teenagers magazine,

because there are no details about what the film is about/representing (so how would the audience know what

they are being supported through). I feel that a young persons film magazine/ a young persons filmmaking magazine because it talks more about how the film is interesting (without giving anything away about it) and these would be the people who

would be more inclined to actually watch the film.

What do you like the most about the double-page spread?

I received a lot of positive feedback from this question which helped me discover what I had done particularly well in the double-page spread. The

audience said:• The layout was simplistic yet interesting• The layout was easy to follow• Not too much writing (it was divided well)• The images were relevant to the double-page spread• The article didn’t give away any of the film, story or genre (intrigues the

reader and makes them want to know more)• Where the images were placed in the double-page spread• The large image on the left catches the audience’s eye when they turn

the page (encourages them to want to know what the article is about• The colours used in the double-page spread

There were also some recommended changes that people felt could be made (which I will go over in another slide).

What do you like the least about the double-page spread?

Although in the previous question I received a lot of positive feedback, I also received some that suggested room for improvement, which were:

• Too many images on the left page (only one person felt this, and others said that it helped to catch the readers eye – so this may be down to the individual readers opinion)

• Captions on the images were too small (this may be because it was on a computer screen so it would actually be larger once it had been printed)

• One person did not like the title of the double-page spread (mainly again down to personal opinion)

• The font of the title could have been more interesting/eye catching• One person felt that the layout was quite basic (but others also said that they

liked the layout and that it was easy to follow – and because the target audience is aimed towards younger people this is important

• By adding in more pull-quotes it would help to draw in the readerI have taken in account these responses, and I will mention them more thoroughly in

my conclusion on the double-page spread.

If you were to change one thing about the double-page spread, what would it be?

There were quite a lot of ideas that people had that they would personally change if they had done the double-page spread, which

were:• By having fewer images (although most people liked all the images)• Move the images and writing so that it was divided up more (again,

some people disagreed with this)• The image with the boy stepping over the camera (not a very

effective shot)• The font of the title• Design features and colours• Adding in some more pull-quotes to help encourage the reader to

continue reading the articleI have taken in account these responses, and I will mention them

more thoroughly in my conclusion on the double-page spread.

Conclusion

Overall, I am quite pleased with the feedback I received based on the double-page spread. I feel that by adding some more

pull-quotes into the double-page spread this could help influence people in wanting to read the article. I also think that I

could have changed the font or colour of the double-page spread because this could be made a lot more eye catching for

the reader and it could help to draw them in and encourage them to read the article. These would however be the only changes I would make to the article because although there

were a lot more changes suggested I feel that because a lot of people actually disagreed with all the other points, if I were to change one thing that a group of people liked they may not like the result after (it is all down to the individuals opinion – it will

not be to very single persons taste).

Section D – Whole Project

Do you think that the film, the poster and the double-page spread all link together well?

Everybody who I had answer this question agreed and felt that all three linked together very well. This is a good thing because

if I were to actually try and promote the film, then the audience would not see all three of them at the same time

(they would see either the double-page spread or poster and then be influenced to see the film). One person actually felt that if they were too see them all individually (and not told

that they were all for the same film) then they would associate them all together anyway due to the colours and the style (this is important because it will encourage people to remember it,

and if they like what they see in the poster or read in the double-page spread then they will be encouraged to watch the

film later on).

Do the film, the poster and double-page spread all link to the same audience?

Most of the people who answered this question felt that they were actually all aiming towards the same target audience

(which is what I needed the three to do anyway). One person said that they felt that the double-page spread was actually

aimed at a younger audience than the other two, yet my target audience is a quite young age range anyway so I feel

that this may have been a response from someone who aimed the film and poster at a too high audience to begin

with (in my opinion). The other said that all three vary between age ranges, however they meant this in a good way, saying that by doing this I would be expanding the audience for my film (more people would be inspired/intrigued into

watching the film).

Out of the double-page spread and the poster, which would encourage you to watch the film more?

Roughly, 57% of the people that I asked preferred the double-page spread to the poster (43% preferred the poster

to the double-page spread). The main reasons given for preferring the double-page spread were that it intrigues the

audience and makes them want to know more about the film due to the lack of information and the mystery. Some

also said that they would rather read this because they actually have an interest in filmmaking. I was only given one main response as to why some of the people preferred the

poster, which was the use of image manipulation, because it caused intrigue and mystery combined with the lack of

information.

Would you recommend the short film to someone after seeing the film, the poster and having read the double-page spread?

Overall, everyone who I asked said that they would actually recommend the film. One person said that they would more recommend it based on the film not on the double-page spread or poster. Yet another said that if they had seen the poster, they would have then been influenced to go and see

the film, and then more out of interest would read the double-page spread after having seen the film in order to get a better understanding of the

making of the film (which is a very positive thing). The main reasons that people would recommend they said were because the film handles a

sensitive subject very well, and in an interesting approach (in a way that has not really been done before), and they also said that the film enables people to understand the problem and help to answer any questions that they may have had. It also may appeal to other people who are not going through this themselves, but may know someone who is, and this film can

help them come to terms and understand it.

Conclusion

Overall, I am very satisfied with all the work that I have produced, and although there were some suggested changes

that I could have made to some of it to improve, my target was to aim it all towards an age group of around 13-18 year olds (which the audience mainly felt that it was), and to help

people who are going through the same issues which my feedback revealed that it did. There were also a lot of

positive responses from all of the work, and people said that they would actually recommend the film after having seen it, which would be one of my main goals in the making of all of

the products.I will write a more in detail response to this in my final

evaluation of the whole process and the work.

What’s next

Now that I have analysed all of my audience feedback, I am going to write up my final

evaluation of the work and process of all of my work done at A2 (with comparisons to AS).This will be posted on my main tumblr blog,

entitled, ‘Final Evaluation’.

Thank you.

A2 Media StudiesLeanne Emmett