Audience research

To get a better idea of what my horror opening should be like, I asked my target audience, questions that link to the product I will produce.
These were the six questions I asked:
1. What do you expect to see in the opening of a film?
2.What openings have stood out to you in film in the past?
3.What are the conventions of a horror genre?
4.What do you expect to see in an opening to a film in the horror genre?
Here is where I explain my own idea: 5.What do you think of my idea?
6.Would this opening make you watch the rest of the film?

Here is a short video featuring answers of my questions by Nathan Sanders, Poppy Frost and  Harry New:

 

 

 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to film my other people answering the questions:
So I had to write them down, here are they answers.

Answers from Steph Gosling (16)

1. An opening should included information about the setting for example years, the background, for example if the main action took place in a city.
2.  Notable openings for her were the opening to Insidious and Shrek.
3. In Steph's opinion the conventions were murder, blood and progression.
4.   She said that an opening to a film in the Horror genre should be an Introduction  to the main Villain, fear and maybe blood and violence.
5. After explaining my idea to her, she said that it was a good idea and would be interesting.


Answers from Ellie Payne and Ellen Whitmore (17):
1. They said:  The title of the film, introduction to the theme and an introduction to the characters.
2. Notable  opening for them were: Lucy, James Bond films ( Especially  the more modern ones such as Sky fall)
3.  The conventions of Horror in their opinion : There should be some tension, some dramatic music and Jump scares.
4. In a opening in a horror film there should be: The villain, confusion within the main characters and some tense music.
5. After explain my idea, they thought that it was: Enjoyable, Interesting and different from most horror films out already.
6. They said they would, however maybe have show more detailed in what's going to happen next, would peck there interest.  


With this information in mind when making my film I will consider the following, music; I will seek out the right music to create drama and tension, such as horror piano pieces. A full introduction to both characters.
Tension that should be created by the two leads, slower movement, fuller length shots ect.    

Casting

In my film I have decide to chose, two people for my roles in my opening. These two people are Jamie McGregor and Grace Peirson.
I chose these two because I thought that looked they right age. The suit my character chose and personality.
Typical characters in a horror film should have a frighten and unusual look, this adds to the genre of creepiness and fear in the horror genre. Sometimes in horror the characters behave in an unrealistic manner as this helps the plot more forward and the violence to happen. For example the character usually try a figure out strange happening by them selves rather than the realistic idea to call the police or they friends. Directors chose to do this to help the violence happen.



Grace has a the ideal creepy doll like face, to suit the horror genre, she is also quite young looking which would suit the false innocence's I want to portray. Horror females stereotypically look a little  innocent to create a creepy atmosphere when they are on screen.







While Jamie would be right as he has a quite determined face which would suit my characters personality, as well as being a stark contrast from Grace. He also looks the right age, 16 which would fit the character.











I also auditioned two other people two others to be in my film:
Charlie Woodrow and Becca Stimpson:


   
However I felt that they didn't feel right for the horror setting, as well as looking a lot older then my characters.

Target Audience

For film as is it a horror film, I believe that someone who is older will enjoy this film. I think the best target audience would be a teenagers at it is based on people in that age group 15-20. A typical person to watch this film would be a young horror film fan, who also has interest in the psychological and super natural. I believe that they would chose to watch this in the theatres to see the action and fear on the big screen.
I believe that my film will interest the audience as horror fans will enjoy the simple scary ideas that I want to show in the screen. The characters because of their age and their situation of being in high school.
I've asked people in this age group and general they all said that the audience is ideal for my film and its plot, they said they'd enjoy watching a film if it had violence in it.


These are the type of people that might watch the film, teenagers. Males and Females, over the age of 15.

 
 
 

My script

This is the script for my opening.


A field at a dusk, the sun is setting. In the field there is a boy (Adam) running away from a girl lying on the ground covered in blood. He then falls to the ground, rubbing his blood stained hands on to his face, then he hears a phone alarm, which wakes him up.

Adam: *Falls, closes his eyes*
Suddenly the scene changes to a messy bedroom, where Adam  has just woken up
Adam: *Sighs, looks at his phone, hand moves towards the phone.*
There is a cut across action as Adam is then opening his front door.
Adam: *Put in headphones*
He is now standing at the train station
Adam: *Checks phone, see a text from his mother* *Shivers*
Train comes in to the platform.
Adam: *Eyes widen*
A girl steps out of the train walking quite slowly. Her eyes look down, and then at Adam.
*BLACK OUT, CREDITS AND MUSIC*
There is not dialogue for my opening as I wanted it to be atmospheric and felt like having words would have been to difficult to fit my genre of Horror.

Locations

In my opening I want to have three Locations

The first location I want to use is a park, with lush, green open spaces to create a creepy atmosphere.
I hope to film in this park at dusk so the weather can also suit with the genre of horror. The park I'm thinking of using is Ketts park as it's large and green, with will help create the scene, to show the murder of who of my characters.
The trees in the park as give my opening more of a horror feel, as the low hanging branches give off a creepy atmosphere and will also giver of scary shadows which will contrast the bright colours of the green grass. 

The second location I'm thinking of using is someone's bedroom, which I will re-design it to look more like the character of Adam. I'm thinking of asking on of my males friends to use one of  their bedrooms as it will look realistic for the character, this will also create the idea of chaos in a setting normality.





The last location is where I'm going to have some of my main action will take place, is a train station. I want to use this as it fits in with the story and starts of the action. I want to use a train station as it will create a strange and chilling atmosphere as well as working with the story. I want to film this at Dawn, as the light will work well with the atmosphere because the light will be very bright and will create a lot of shadows. It will also work at it is a close in area which emphasizes the idea of no escape.  

Characters for my opening

Characters
In my film opening I want to have two characters, a female and male character.
There names are Adam Cooper and Angle Dubois, and they are both teenagers.

Adam
Age: 17
Personality: He is shy, quite young boy who can sometimes act arrogant.
Costume: His wears a normal outfit of a simple colourful t-shirt.
Relationships: He has a few friends, and a distant relationship with his mother and father, whom he hardly sees. He is a relationship with Angle for a few days, but breaks it off as he finds her creepy.
He is from Britain, Norfolk.





Angle
Age: 16
Personality: She is a very quite and creepy female, whom doesn't really talk to anybody.
Costume: A white lacy dress which becomes significant later on in the film.
Relationships: She has no family that is heard of and doesn't have many friends as most of her class mates have dispread. She is in love with Adam so much so that she kills anyone close to him.
She is from Britain, Norfolk.