Audience Feedback from Film Treatments

Research – Focus Group

I spoke to 2 focus groups and pitched them the idea of my film using my film treatment 1. The first group consisted of similar ages, 16-17. The second group consisted more of university students, ages from 19-23.

First Group Feedback

• Positives
• “sounds like an exciting concept”
• Liked the suspense that builds up throughout the film
• Seems to have a lot of interesting characters
• "the twist is well placed and makes the film interesting"
• Exiting and fast paced at times, and more slowed down and methodical in others
• "A more exciting take on detective stories"
• The sort of film that they would enjoy to watch
• Negatives
• Seems to draw a great deal of “influence from other films”
• Confusing narrative potentially, would have to be very clear to the audience
• Very hard to film a suspenseful opening that would keep the audience hooked
• Perhaps too generic, not really original
• “Not a film I would be interested in watching” – 16 year old female
• Not too innovative, potential to get bored at some point during the film
• "Seems very stereotypical and full of stock characters"

Second Group Feedback

• Positives
• Genre that is popular and mainstream
• The idea of intertwining stories is more interesting
• The plot is interesting and a "new take on the classic mystery story"
• Exciting premise and has a "good twist" at the end that would have kept the audience guessing
• Pacing of the film is good, some fast paced action interlaced with slower more calmed down scenes
• Good concept that "peaks my interest"
• Easy to relate to as the characters are regular people
• Negatives
• Perhaps too simplistic
• “hard to pull off”
• Draws too much influence from popular detective tropes and programs
• Seems too "Agatha Christie"
• Potential to be sometimes boring as the plot would be hard to string out into a feature length film
• The opening will "find it hard to build suspense" and get the audience hooked
• The title of the film does not excite me
• Not new or original, it’s been done before

Changes to make after Focus Groups

I kept in mind the positive feedback about intertwining storylines and making it fast paced and a different take on a detective/mystery movie. The main negatives seem to focus on the plot and the pacing of the film which is not that much of my concern as I am only making the film opening. however some people in the focus groups pointed out that the opening could find it difficult to build suspense and hook the audience, this means that I need to take extra care in building up suspense in my opening as this will what will make the audience want to see more. The positive feedback is good as some members mention how they find the plot interesting and a new take, this inspires me to produce a high quality film opening that will do justice to the praise that the film treatment has received. The focus groups were useful in making me understand that careful thought was needed to plan out my film rather than a fleeting idea.