QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE GENRE HORROR

By Harrison Beaumont

I gathered primary research by asking about 15 participants to answer a questionnaire surrounding the genre Horror. My questionnaire consisted of 10 relevant

questions about horror, what would give me an overall view about who I should target my film at.

The reason I carried out my primary research as a questionnaire is because questionnaires are brilliant at

generalising and gathering enough information for me to make a clear understand at who I am going to target my

film/coursework at. The questionnaire is to help me understand what expectations my target audience has on the genre horror and what aspects horror uses to draw them in, in order for me to make my film successful in

targeting the right audience.

WHAT I DID AND WHY?

After looking at secondary research I found that most successful Horror based films were targeted at both

genders whom where aged between 15 and over, making most horror films consisted of a classification of 15 or 18. So in order for my film to be successful I had took these

points in to consideration and targeted my questionnaire at both genders aging between 15- 17, 18-25 and 25 over,

which would allow me to get an understanding of who I’m going to target my film at.

The reason for asking these participants is because if I am unaware of who I am targeting my film at then, I will not able to create a film which interests and entertains the

audience making my film unsuccessful.

WHO I ASKED AND WHY I ASKED THEM?

1) What gender are you?

Male female

2) How old are you?

15-17 18-25 25 over

3) Do you like to watch Horror films?

Yes No

4) If you circled NO, why don’t you watch or like Horror films?

……………………………………………..

5) What interests you about the genre horror?

……………………………………………..

6) What type of Horror do you like?

Psychological Graphical Fictional Non-Fictional Paranormal/Fantasy other

If other be specific ……………………..

7) Name your favourite Horror film?

……………………………………………………..

8)What do you like about this particular film?

…………………………………………………………..

9) What age range do you think a typical Horror film would be suitable for?

………………………………………………………………………

10) What do expect to be featured within a Horror film?

…………………………………………………………………………….

QUESTIONS I ASKED

aged 15-17 aged 18-25 aged 25 over

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

yes no Column1

MY FINDINGS – THE DIFFERENT AGED PARTICIPANT THAT SAID YES

My findings show that people of the age 18 over prefer to watch horror films than other audience who are aged

between 15-17.

This could be because most successful Horror films has the classification of 18 because of the use of gore, sexual nature and Graphical nature, disallowing the younger

audience to experience the genre horror to its full potential, resulting to them not liking horror films.

This now helps me gather a greater understanding into whom I will be targeting my film at. Which will be both

genders between the ages 18 and over.

MY FINDING - THE DIFFERENT AGED PARTICIPANT THAT SAID YES

Sales

PsychologicalGraphicalFictionalNon-FictioanlParanormal/FantasyOther

MY FINDINGS-WHAT TYPE OF HORROR DO YOU LIKE?

This question clearly shows that the majority of audience members enjoy watching the psychological based horror

rather than the others.

The reason for this is because the psychological horror plays with the audiences minds and acts on their worst fears, as stated in the conventions of the genre horror, making this interesting for the audience and entertains

them. Making psychological horror the most favourite type of horror to create in order to target the right audience and

make a successful film.

This has enabled me to make a clear decision in what type of horror I am going to create.

MY FINDINGS – WHAT TYPE OF HORROR DO YOU LIKE?

When the participants were asked this question, the majority of them answered that horror films are

exhilarating, the use of horrific and gory scenes, and how it keeps them on the edge with the contents which scares and

makes them jump, are the main aspects in which draws them into the storyline and interests them.

I had asked this question in order for me to understand what it is about horror that interests them so much and

there expectations of horror which gave me an overall view of what to add within my film in order for me to

successfully interest my target audience.

MY FINDINGS – WHAT INTEREST YOU ABOUT THE GENRE HORROR?

My findings show that near enough all the people which had participated in my primary research had said that within horror films they expect to see gore, scenes of

graphical murder, thrills, suspense and tension throughout also psychological elements.

The reason I had asked this question is because it has given me an insight into the expectations of the audience within a

horror, in order for to understand what interest the audience and allowing me to target the right audience by

adding in their expectations within my film.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO BE FEATURED WITHIN A HORROR FILM?

HOW MY FINDINGS HAVE INFLUENCED MY OPENING

SEQUENCE?

From my findings I have found out that when coming to produce my film I am going to have to take into consideration that I have to reach expectations of both females and males. Who are aged between 18-25, but even though of this result I feel that by targeting my film at the younger age of 15, that my film will reach a wider rage of an audience as my storyline is relevant to people aged 15 and they are more likely to be able to picture themselves in the same situation as my protagonist.

I have found that the most popular sub-genres to horror are paranormal and psychological, enabling me add these aspects, codes and conventions within my opening sequence. Overall this questionnaire has enabled me to make the decision to make my opening mysterious and a bit confusing in order for the audience to keep on watching and thrive to want to know what happens next. So if I was to make a whole film that it would reveal what actually happened at the start.

EVALUATION

If I were to carry out my primary research again I feel that I should of added more questions to give me a more broad suggestions to add within my opening sequence. I would also make my question more detailed and collect more wide range of data, as I had found that most of my data collected was generalised than specific and this was due to the questions I asked. I would also add more questions based around character and setting in order to find out what the audience expectations on character and settings are, as these are the aspects of a film that draws the audience in and keeps them watching. I would have also chosen a more wide range of participants to give me a more wide range of data as I had found that most participants I asked were aged 18-25 and this could be a major reason of why I am aiming my film at 18 to 25, where as if I was to ask a more range of participants of different rages, this could of changed my target audience.Overall I feel my primary research was success as it has given me ideas of what to include in my opening sequence to reach the expectations of my target audience.