Primary research- talking to my audience

I asked my target audience what their favourite drama films were and why. This will help me create my initial ideas by knowing what the audience want.

I discovered that my target audience like...
- A gripping plot
- Well developed characters
- An intense film
- Happy endings
- Emotive scenes
- Aspects of reality
- A message
- Something that 'pulls on your heartstrings'
- An engaging story with depth to it

Influences- How have other films been successful or unsuccessful?

This is a key question in my research process. By identifying what has made other films successful, I will be able to learn from their successes and perhaps even mistakes so I know what I should include and maybe what I should not include in my trailer/storyline. I will now look at reviews of other drama films to get this information.

This research will really help me when constructing my initial ideas as it has given me a significant amount of guidance. By knowing what my target audience do or do not like I am able to make my film more successful by tailoring my film to their likes.

Target audience research- take the survey

Any film has a target audience which is the group of people that a film is directed at. Many of the film's features will therefore be specifically tailored to that audience and aim to appeal to them. In order for me to create a successful trailer I will need to investigate my audience further and understand what they want from a film. My first step to getting some information I can then work with is to ask my target audience. I have created this survey comprising of five questions which I hope will help me understand what my audience want from a film. This will in turn help me construct a storyline for my trailer.

Click here to take survey

Who are my target audience?

What have I learnt about the target audience of dramas?

This video below examines what I have learnt about the target audience of dramas...

What have I learnt from looking into target audien by georgihonnor on GoAnimate

This has helped me realise that the plot must be directed towards an older audience as it is likely to be an older teenage to adult audience who are my target market.

This however does not mean that all characters are of that age as it is unlikely for a person of that age not to be associated with anyone else from different age groups.

 15  or even 18 and over is still a huge age range for a target audience so there is probably not one common item of which will be interesting enough to base a film around, or a single age of a character that I can easily distinguish. However, what I can do is look at what my audience like about a drama film and possibly mind map some common 'problems' which are key to any storyline and common to those 18+ which will further aid my construction of my initial ideas.

What I also thought of is although a drama is rated 15 and over simply means it is suitable for that age group, and not directed at them. Many dramas are directed at working age adults. This has helped me to draw in a somewhat smaller target market.

Identifying the target audience of dramas

Identifying my target audience is another key task that I must complete before creating my initial ideas, this is because I have noticed that the target audience and the types of characters are strongly related in dramas. In many drama films it appears that the characters are similar to the audience, hence easy to relate to. Therefore I will need to know who my target audience are so I can make my characters easy to relate to, to my target audience. Looking at the other films will also enable me to discover the people who will usually watch a film of such genre and therefore allow me to direct my film to the people that want the film.

I will do this by looking at other drama films and who their target audience is. From this research I will be able to work out the target audience I will expect to be working with/for.

Influences-structure

I also thought that looking at the general structure/layout of a trailer of the drama genre would help me in the construction of my own. It has almost helped me to create a brief for the ideal structure of my trailer and what needs to go where. Obviously I am using this simply as guidance and my final trailer may not follow this pattern exactly.  I created this timeline below to look at the key features...

What have I learnt from looking at this trailer about structure?
- The film's rating usually appears first followed by an establishing shot with some camera movement, this is common to many trailers that I have analysed, and must therefore be something I seriously consider when creating my own.
- A shot that introduces the start of the journey may be required in my own trailer as dramas are often based around a journey that a character embarks on.
- Also introduce the 'normal' setting for that characters life (such as the family home in this trailer) this forms  a comparison for the abnormal shown such as a change in the characters life which is the issue to which they must adapt or attempt to overcome.
- Introduce the 'problem' possibly through dialogue, reinforce the fact that this is an issue through editing/mise en scene/sound. So music intensifying, lower-key lighting and maybe slow motion to suggest its significance.
- Dialogue to describe the problem further, now maybe the introduction of titles. I like how in this trailer the production company is introduced later on, not only does this make it different but it indicates the change in the mood of the trailer, from the protagonists everyday life to the action/events that are now occurring.
- Action shots which record some (but not all) of the major incidents in the film. Enough to intrigue the audience but too much as to give away the plot.
-Titles describe action shots.
-Shorter takes of several action shots.
- Dialogue that makes the audience want to know what the character is talking about.
- Film's title.