Response to brief

 Explanation of demographics

The target audience for this short thriller film would be the ages of 16-24. this may seem quite old to some, but it is because the thriller will include some mature themes such as violence. The themes in the thriller will likely appeal more to this age demographic than a younger or older audience. On top of the themes, the types of characters that will be included in the story will have a similar reliability to the target audience making the thriller more interesting to them specifically. This thriller will not be targeted at any specific ethnicity to leave it open to the maximum possible amount of viewers. This means that the thriller must include a wide range of ethnicities in order to appeal to a wider audience. This inclusion of a wide range of ethnicity will help to martial any complaints about the film being racially divisive. The film will also target both genders, male and female. This means that the gender diversity within the thriller will need to be evident in order to appeal to both genders and bring in the widest audience into the thriller. linking back to the age of the audience, their maturity plays a pivotal role in understanding the meanings created from the thriller, allowing for more subtle writing when it comes to the script. the audience will be able to figure things out for themselves, which plays into their curiosity for enigmas.

Conventions

The main convention that I will use in my thriller is the red herring. A red herring is a clue or piece of information that is intentionally misleading or distracting. This will be utilised in my thriller in order to mislead the audience. The red herring will double as a plot twist, as when the truth is revealed, it will come as a surprise to the audience. This tool will be extremely useful in keeping the audience engaged in the film as try to figure out what they can and can't believe.

Industry requirements 

Creating my thriller film involves understanding regulatory bodies to avoid legal issues. One of the regulatory bodies is the BBFC to ensure the film is appropriately rated for different audiences. This will affect who is likely to watch the film as it should suit the target audience. The PRS regulates Music in media. This will affect music Licensing and Royalties. If the thriller film includes music, whether it’s a score, soundtrack, or even a short clip of a song I will need to ensure I have the licenses. The PRS ensures that composers and songwriters are fairly compensated for the use of their work in the film.

Film Classification

I believe that my film will be rated a 15 by the BBFC. This will be because of the violence for one. Thrillers often contain scenes of violence, and I am likely to put this in my thriller. The violence in my thriller will not be detailed enough to warrant an 18 rating, but there will be enough to probably justifying a 15 rating. Imitable behaviour may be another reason for the film to be rated a 15. The film can include some or violent behaviour, but should not show detail that could be easily imitated by young viewers. 

Medium

I will be creating a thriller film as the brief specifies.

Audience research

 Question 1

The audience in general favour action thrillers above the other categories. This may be because they prefer high intensity as opposed to a slower and more methodical approach. I personally will make a psychological thriller, but these responses tell me that I should implement more action heavy elements in the thriller.

The vast majority of the audience feels that rain is the best setting for a thriller. This is probably due to the rains depressing undertones and the fact that it comes with dimmer lighting. This would be the best possible option for creating an ominous thriller. The weather is an unreliable factor however and thus may prove difficult to find, especially at this time of the year. 

Most of the audience believe that the best time of day for a thriller would be at night. This is likely due to the fact that the majority of the audience fears the unknown. This in turn adds to the tension and suspense of the film as the audience is hindered in terms of their senses. the inability to see creates an inability to know, which scares a lot of people, fitting the feeling and mood that the film is attempting to create.

The majority of the audience feel as though an open ended narrative would be the best for a thriller due to its ability to give the audience room to come up with their own ideas and theorise about how the film would have ended. People who watch thrillers are likely to want to figure things out for themselves and this is why this type of ending was the most popular.

Most of the audience favours the storyline in a thriller above anything else in a thriller. This is because you can have a bad characters but if you have a good storyline, the thriller can still be good, but this doesn't work vice versa. 

My audience were all aged 11-18, which aligns with the target audience.

The majority of the audience would prefer to watch their thrillers at home Netflix as opposed to going to the cinema. This may be because of the power of the pause, In which the audience is able to watch the film at their own pace, giving them the ability to feel more comfortable in their surrounding.

The majority of the audience feels as though suspense is the most important element of a thriller. This is because suspense in the narrative, when done well, creates tension. Without suspense in the narrative, the audience will likely fine it hard to keep engaged with the story. This was favoured above mystery, which may be because without suspense, mystery is nothing.

Most of the audience feel as though props are fairly important to the success of a thriller. this is because they aren't essential in making the thriller a good one, but they do help in establishing the genre and feel of the film. This can be done through the use of on theme props like guns and knives for a crime thriller for example.

The audience were split when it comes to how they felt about the settings significance to a thrillers success. The audience felt that setting was either important or very important to thriller. This may be because the setting creates the tone and theme for the thriller, creating a certain mood and aesthetic, in turn, creating a more exciting story.

All of these responses will help greatly in creating a better thriller as I am able to take the feedback of what most of the audience will like and apply it to my own. For example, most of the audience favours the storyline over the characters.