George Carey

Questionnaire Evaluation
Before planning our dystopian title sequence we had to conduct research into our target audience (15+) and what they wanted to see in a dystopian film. In order to do this we compiled a questionnaire and sent it out through Survey Monkey. We also conducted a focus group which allowed us to have a more personal, one on one exchange of information. We could gain information and also ask further questions in order to get more specific data. Using Survey Monkey to distribute the questionnaire through Facebook, allowed large numbers of people to fill it out in their own time. We wanted our film opening to appeal to both genders. Because of this ideally we wanted an equal number from both sexes to participate and give their opinion on the content they want to see. In total we had 54 people answer, 29 of them were female and the other 25 were male. Although we wanted an equal viewing from both genders, we received more responses form the female group. This was expected because on average females are more active on social networking sites.

Our title sequence will be aimed at 15 year olds and upwards. The reason why we chose this age group was to appeal to a wider audience because we want a large following and the fullest publicity. Also the fact that we are in this age group allows us to tailor it to what we would expect from a dystopian film; and for it to still be relevant. Out of the groups the largest number of people who answered were 1417yrs and 18-24yrs. This shows that teens were the largest demographic that took part in the questionnaire. We were pleased with this response because it fitted well with our groups aim for our target audience.

George Carey

We then asked the individuals what their favourite films were to find out whether we had any dystopian fans. From the variety of the responses given there were correlations between answers where people shared the same tastes in films. From all the examples that we received from the individuals, they ranged from Romantic comedies to Dystopian Sci-Fis. Overall the most popular films mentioned were The Lord of the Rings series - mentioned by 5 people The Back to the Future series - mentioned by 4 people The Hunger Games - mentioned by 3 people and the James Bond series - mentioned by 3 people.

Our findings show that people have a varied interest in films and dont always focus on the same genre. This was quite pleasing to us because it means that people are open minded about what they watch.

George Carey

The next question presented the individuals with a list of the most famous dystopian films, asking them to select the films that they had watched. Wall-E was the most watched film out of the options with The Terminator series being the second most viewed. The reason that Wall-E was the most popular was because; being a Disney film its safe and appeals to all ages. Also the fact that it is light hearted and upbeat with comedic attributes, makes it entertaining no matter what your age. It is all round good entertainment for family viewing. Despite this Wall-E has a deeper underlying meaning about the future, and how it might turn out if we dont ch ange our ways. Also the reason the Terminator series was popular is because it was ahead of its time with an interesting concept and iconic special effects. We then asked what the most important characteristics of the films were. From the results the most voted for was the storyline/plot. A successful film requires a genuine multi-layered storyline for the interest of the viewer. The second most voted characteristic was the characters. The characters allow the audience to relate and empathise with the struggle they face along their journey; if the characters are flat or dull the audience will lose interest. This is something that we would need to include in our own film.

In order to get an idea of what the audience wanted we then asked what they think should happen in a dystopian film. They said that there is an underdog/hero (protagonist) that challenges the oppressors (antagonist) with the support of the people. Also this character will have a hidden past, which they use as an incentive to take a stand and rebel against the evil. The film is usually set in a world that has been through hard times, which often are caused by the antagonist and have resulted in them coming out on top and in power. We asked what they enjoyed about this genre of film. They gave more detail about how their favourite aspects affect the film for them. A large number of people said the location of the film was an important aspect to consider because it showed how the director would see a dystopian future. Many people said they liked how the film

George Carey

left them thinking about the future. It made them ask questions after the film had ended. The way the story is innovatively put together is most appealing aspect of this film genre. The more creative the film is, the better.

The final question asked was; what was it they didnt enjoy about the genre. One of the main points that was repeated was the films included too much violence. One reason for this is they felt the violence wasnt necessary or the presence of it distracted from the dialogue. Another point mentioned was that they thought there was a lack of female main characters in the cast; they felt it was slightly sexist part from The Hunger Games. In dystopian films the female characters tend to be stereotyped. Although they liked how imaginative some of the plots were, some disliked the story lines because they were too far-fetched and unbelievable. Others said this leads to the plot becoming predictable so this does not always challenge the viewer. .

In conclusion, from this information we now have a better idea of peoples current understanding of the dystopian film genre. We also know what people like and dislike about this type of film, which allows us to shape our title sequence around the criticism and praise of our target audience.