Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Our film opening immediately intrigues the audience as the establishing shot sets the scene. It is clear that it is in the woods, and would attract a common horror film viewer as this is a typical setting for a film of this genre. The opening then continues to a shot of a sign that reads "AREA UNDER SURVEILLANCE". This would also attract and engage our audience as it gives the impression that somebody is being watched. The shots maintain a sense of mystery, meaning the audience would want to continue watching to find out how the plot will unfold.

The next shot is a tracking shot of our protagonist walking down the dark lane. This continues to engage the audience as they wonder where she is going and also begin to worry for her safety. The age of our character is very similar to that of our target audience (16-20 year olds), thus allowing the audience to relate to her and, effectively, the film as a whole.

Our target audience would have watched horror films prior to watching our film, meaning they would be aware of various conventions and what they connote. In our film opening, there is a shot that brings emphasis to the dark clothes our antagonist is wearing. Our audience would be aware that this is a connotation of her dark personality and may be hinting about what is to come. This would address our audience directly as those that are new to the horror genre may not be aware of this implication. It would also continue to attract our audience as they await for the inevitable to happen. The camera slowly pans down the antagonist's arm and focuses on the weapon. The shot is a close up to further increase the intensity of this scene. As our target audience are likely to be thrill seekers, the thought of a potentially dangerous character will keep them interested in our film. It also reinforces the idea that something bad is about to happen which keeps the audience on their toes. The end of this shot shows the protagonist in the distance. It is clear that she doesn't know there is somebody behind her and thus creates tension and a wary atmosphere. This ties back in with the "AREA UNDER SURVEILLANCE" sign, as the audience are now aware who is watching and begin to empathise with the protagonist. As the audience would be similar age to her, they can imagine themselves in the situation which creates a haunting sense of realism. During my audience research, many respondents said that a film opening had to be interesting and gripping. I sought out to reflect this in my opening shots and believe I have succeeded in doing so.

The camera then shows the antagonist beginning to walk, making it evident that she is following the girl down the lane. Here, we framed the antagonist in a way that did not fully reveal her identity. This keeps a sense of mystery and maintains the audience's excitement to find out who it is. 

The tracking shots of our victim indirectly show the setting. We wanted our setting to be representative of real life so that our audience would relate. Every day settings and costumes appeal to our audience as it allows them to relate it to their own lives. Our protagonist is wearing earphones, which is representative of our audience: young people who are up to date on the latest trends and technologies. This also reinforces the fact she is unaware somebody is following her. Many young people, including our audience, wear earphones in public very often. This means that the audience are likely to think about our film when they do so, creating a sense of paranoia and making our film memorable. 

Here, we addressed our audience while maintaining the tense atmosphere. We used clips of the antagonist's footsteps intermittently to reinforce the audience's understanding that she is following the girl. This keeps our audience focused on what is to come as the tension builds.

To further enhance the realistic atmosphere of our film, we used regular costumes for our characters to appeal to our audience. The colours also connote various messages - all of which our audience would be fully aware of.