Questionnaire analysis - Nicole Davidson

When deciding to make a horror movie we made a survey so that we could ask our target audience what type of aspects they liked when watching a horror movie.


1.Do you like horror movies?
No III 12%
Yes IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 88%
This is a positive outcome, it is clear to see that a significantly high proportion of our target audience are interested in the horror genre therefore we have chosen a suitable age group.


2. Do you find sound effects important in a horror movie?
No I 4%
Yes IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 96%
From this question it is evident that an audience believe that sound effects play an important part within a horror movie. We must take this into account when producing our opening sequence so that it is successful, not enough sound effects will disappoint our audience, but too many may overwhelm them.



3. Do you like 'jumpy' films?
No III 12%

Yes IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 88%
This conveys that a high percentage of our audience enjoy films that include much tension and frightening aspects. As a result, when doing our opening sequence we must try to incorporate this type of entertainment in order to appeal to our audience.



4. Does a 'build-up of trouble' appeal to you?
No IIII 16%
Yes IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 84%
This shows that there must be a good atmosphere within our movie and that tension and a serious of events that portray a result of trouble must be included in order to interest our audience.

5. What sort of character shows vulnerability to the audience? Suggest some answers.
-Young girl IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 64%
- Child IIIII 4%
- Animals II 8%
This conveys that a young girl is stereotypical of a character that portrays vulnerability. This is the type of character that we were aiming to use within our opening sequence, so this is a positive outcome.

6. Which of these is a better way of creating a scary atmosphere in a horror movie?
Monster? I 4%
Character (human)? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 80%
Other? O 0%
Spirit? IIII 16%
This shows that a human is a good way to create a scary atmosphere during a horror movie. This is also a good outcome due to the fact that we were aiming to use a human for the ‘murderer’ and the ‘victim’.

7. In an opening sequence, do you prefer:
- A story of the past to follow (a tradition from the past in the story that continues as the film starts)? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 64%
- A story that starts as the film starts? IIIIIIIII 36%
We used this question so due to the fact that we are starting a new film and therefore needed to know whether to produce it as if it was a continuation of a previous film or begin a new film altogether. It is now evident that our audience prefer a story that is followed on from another one, therefore we need to take this into consideration when making our film.

8. Do you like bloody and gore?
No IIIIIIII 32%
Yes IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 68%
This is a surprising result due to the fact that we thought blood and gore would be a big part of a horror movie and entice an audience. Therefore we must include less gore and blood when producing our final product.

In conclusion, these questions helped us gain an understanding of the type of interventions and characters that our target audience enjoy when watching a horror movie. We used an opportunity sample when carrying out our research due to the fact that it was quick and easy and focused on our target groups 15+ years old. By asking 25 people from the West Hatch sixth form media class, we were able to gather data of what they like in a horror movie and recognise popular ideas.