For my primary research into horror film posters, I carried out a focus group with a total of 5 people both genders and between the ages of 15 and 42. I carried out a focus group as I was able to receive multiple opinions from a wide range of people where answers could be expanded, this is qualitative research about the quality not quantity of responses. I asked the questions below to my focus group in order to gain information on what their opinions are of horror posters and to also inspire me when it comes to designing my own film poster.
The answers received for Question 1 were that the majority of the group found the poster 'Shutter' more appealing as it was very creative and the image supported the plot well, leaving the audience wanting to know more. However a couple of people found 'The Happening' poster to be the most appealing as it looked less gory and more realistic.
Question 2 I found out that people would like the title and release date on the poster so they know what the film is called and when it will be released. Some people also stated they would like to see the certificate and actors so they know if they will be old enough to watch it and who will be starring in it to see if there are any familiar actors they like that may persuade them to watch the film. A certificate of age isn't a common convention of a horror poster so it is unlikely that I will include this on my poster, as one of the aims is to follow conventions of page designs.
Question 3 asks where people most see film posters advertised, the main answer I got back was in magazines/ film magazines. I also got back answers such as the cinema, online and the bus stop. Posters are advertised where people are most likely to see them, this is a major role in marketing the film. If I was to advertise my film in poster form, I would definitely use the cinema as numerous people visit the cinema everyday so thousands of people across the country will be aware of my film. I am not so sure about magazines but rather prefer online advertising as the online age is growing, people are using the internet on an everyday basis so there's plenty of opportunity to advertise my film.
For Question 4 I asked what people preferred the central image to be, the answers I received were the setting, the villain, the victim or the weapon. I will consider this when designing my poster as I now know what people prefer. I will probably use a mixture of about 2 features to compromise, for example the setting and the villain or the villain and the victim.
The most popular answer received for Question 5 was the colour red as it represents blood, death and danger, which were the conventions people thought were important in the horror genre. Other answers I received were dark colours as it gives off a eerie and unsafe environment, blood and weapons as some people felt they were a big convention/ code on a horror poster.
Question 6 I found out that 2 people thought 'Shutter' was associated with the horror theme the most because of its dark colours and ghostly face however 3 people said that they felt 'Saw' was associated with horror the most because the head represents gore and made them feel more uncomfortable than the other posters. It is unlikely that i will use gore in my trailer so I would need to make sure my poster reflects the plot of my film.
Question 7 I received all yes answers to posters attracting them to watch the film, people said that they felt the poster was a teaser of the film, if the poster was good it would make me want to see the film rather than if the poster was bad. Another answer was that if the poster had an actor/ actress which appealed to me, it would make me want to see the film more.
For Question 8 and 9 I asked people to place the 3 bottom posters in order of which makes them want to watch the film the most and why. I found out that the most popular poster was 'One missed call' because of its creative but simple image, the second most popular was 'Insidious' because the dark and dingy background has a creepy vibe and the boy made the poster look innocent even though they knew the film wasn't. Finally the least popular poster was '30 days of night' as it looked the most amateur poster out of them all and technologically out of date. It's unlikely my poster will be to a professional standard because I have never created a film poster before and don't have much knowledge on the software or have access to hi-tech equipment but from this feedback I can create a poster that will appeal to my target audience.
Problems with the focus group was that not everyone understood media terminology so meaning my answers may not be as detailed as I would have liked. Another problem with being in a group was that people could rely on other peoples answers to form their opinions meaning I wouldn't get a wide range of ideas to base my poster ideas on.
Overall I think the feedback I received will help me when I design my film poster as I now know what my target audience expect and like from other horror posters out. I would say a focus group is the most effective and reliable way of getting information from my target audience as you have the possibility of getting multiple detailed answers.
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