Teaser Trailer Target Audience Research
The target audience for my horror film teaser trailer are teenagers and young adults. This is partly due to the fact that the teaser trailer stars people of a similar age as protagonists and this type of film stereotypically appeals to this demographic. Moreover, from the audience feedback conducted through the blog, 85% of people believe that the target audience for a horror film is from 12 to 21 years of age.
Many previous horror films have received bad reviews on release, such as the suspense horror ‘Jennifer’s body’ (2009), due to the bland use of horror film conventions, such as blood and death, which makes the film ineffective and predictable. I want to ensure that in the short length of the teaser trailer lots of suspense and tension are conveyed which will then, in turn, capture the target audience’s interest. It needs to, therefore, present some stereotypical horror genre conventions, such as suspense, as this is what the target audience expect and crave but, most importantly, it is what they are attracted to.
Teen horror/thriller films, such as ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (1997), have been successful due to their structure which complies with the ancient format of the atypical horror that attracts the large target audience. Geoff Andrew from Time Out states the film is ‘a polished genre piece with superior fright elements’ which is ‘on target for its primary audience’. I am aiming to recreate these elements in the teaser trailer as they establish the fear and suspense that the audience would expect in the film Nevertheless, I am planning to reverse some conventions, for example having a male victim, so that the concept for the teaser trailer is more original while still using the conventions that the target audience love. In addition, the ‘primary audience’ Andrews mentions is the same demographic that I am aiming to attract by applying these same stereotypical horror film ideals in the trailer.
Bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to attracting the target audience of a horror film. ‘Paranormal Activity’ (2009) had a budget of $15,000 and made $193,311,485 gross revenue. On the other hand, ‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009) had a budget of $16 million and made $32,832,166 gross revenue. This proves that the target audience is not more attracted if a film stars a well known actor/actress (Megan Fox played the protagonist in ‘Jennifer’s Body’) or many plush sets (‘Paranormal Activity largely took place in 1 household). This is promising when storyboarding and planning my teaser trailer as the target audience are attracted to the raw suspense that a horror film can grant them rather than special effects or multiple luxurious settings.
Film Magazine Target Audience Research
Film Poster Target Audience Research
The target audience for my film poster is anyone! The purpose of the poster is to advertise the film to everybody. However, horror conventions will be shown on the poster so it demonstrates the genre of the film and therefore this will apply more to a similar demographic as the teaser trailer i.e. teenagers and young adults. (see Teaser Trailer Target Audience Research for more details) Reasearch illustrates that the poster should be aimed at a certain demographic rather than being general otherwise it does not engage as many viewers as it possibly could. The posters for 2007 horror film 'Teeth', did little to display it's genre and therefore, the target audience was not attracted and the film did not do as well as it could have at the box office. This proves advertising, such as posters, are key for success.
Horror Film Conventions
Blood- there is usually some sort or gore in a horror film and blood is a sign of fleeting life or death. The ‘Saw’ films are big examples of how blood and gore can be used to scare the audience.
Death- most horror films involve death because it is what everyone fears and runs away from as well as the fact that it signifies the end of everything. However, death in horror films does not just happen at the end of the film, as fatality is used as a peek in suspense.
Suspense- suspense keeps the audience hooked on the action as they need to find out what happens and the overall outcome of the film. It can be created through the mise-en-scene, the non diegetic and diegetic sounds or lighting.
Murder- has the same signifiers as death but can be viewed as worse because it can be made as painful as the murderer wants and the murderer is given total power as they have control over their victims
Tension- keeps the audience ‘on the edge of their seats’ and keeps the audience focused on the film much like suspense does. Tension and suspense are often used together to create the biggest scare for the audience.
Isolation- the victims are usually in a secluded environment with the villain so they have to individually fight for their survival. Good examples of this are ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ and ‘Wrong Turn’ where the victims end up sharing the remote environment with the person/people that are threatening their lives.
Dark- a dimly lit scene with low key lighting is always scarier than when high key lighting is used as there are lurking shadows and the victim’s and audience’s views are obscured
Weapons- weapons usually help the villain in achieving their aim and hinder the victims. The weapons can sometimes become the whole theme of the horror like in ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’.
Chase sequences- the villain is usually involved in a chase with the victims or a game of ‘cat and mouse’, with the villain preying on the innocent. Chase sequences usually appear at the climax of a horror film when the villain and victim have come face to face as it keeps the audience hooked to the end because the need to know the result.
Screams- screams are a classic convention of a horror film as they represent someone in distress as well as being very chilling and ‘blood curdling’ for the audience.
Silence- sometimes silence is scarier than any non diegetic music as the audience knows that something is going to suddenly happen but they don’t know when or where.
Fast, hard cuts- a quick pace caused by this editing adds to the energetic suspense of a scene. This is especially effective in chase sequences between the victim and the villain to show the different dynamic of both characters.
Daunting non diegetic music- the music contributes to the tension and suspense and a fast rhythmic beat can reflect the pulse of the audience. ‘Jaws’ is a classic example of how music can increase the suspense of a scene.
Characters- the villain is usually a male with the victim being a distressed heroine. The villain is typically older than the victim which gives the impression that the villain is more experience in what they are doing.
Villain- there is always a villain in a horror film as they are the character who brings all the suffering, pain and suspense. A good example of a horror film villain is Freddy Kruger who tortures and makes his victims suffer, however a villain does not have to be a human and can sometimes be something supernatural like in ‘Jeepers Creepers’.
Victims- the victims usually gain the empathy of the audience as they are usually hunted in a horror film and are always preyed on by the villain.
For more research into horror films visit the pages on Existing Horror Film Poster Analysis and Existing Horror Film Trailers Analyses
For more research into horror films visit the pages on Existing Horror Film Poster Analysis and Existing Horror Film Trailers Analyses
