Evaluation (4) & (5)

Evaluation Questions 4 & 5:

Who would be the audience for my opening sequence, and how did I attract/address my audience?

I think that my opening sequence would appeal to a wide audience range.

If I just described what happens in the opening sequence you might initially think that it would only mostly appeal to men aged between 18 to 40 years old as it could be mistaken for being a violent action film.  However, I hope that the way my opening sequence is produced shows it to be an exciting action thriller with an interesting story, creative dialogue and some funny moments as well?

The interesting way in which the titles and credits appear also aims to show it as being a well produced product that the film maker / director has taken time and care over. 

I have chosen to rate my film with a 12A certificate.  The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) say the following about 12A films:-

"Films classified 12A contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult.  Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child"

(www.bbfc.co.uk)

I chose 12A as there is a small element of violence in the opening sequence but it is not that bad or offensive. 

I believe that my film has a strong storyline and would appeal to males age 13 upwards but would also appeal to anyone (male or female) who likes films with a strong plot and a twist.  Whilst the opening sequence does have some violence in it (eg a person is hit over the head with a shovel and then shot) we do not see the person as he is inside a bag at all times so I do not think it would be seen as being graphic or disturbing.  

The BBFC also say that 12A films:

"may contain moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences. Although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone should not be.  There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context"

(www.bbfc.co.uk)

Although strong language is permitted in 12A films I choose not to use it as that might make parents stop the younger teenage audience from watching it.

I have tried to not used stereotypes in my opening sequence.  The two characters that we see on screen are both british white, young males.  I would say they are fairly average young adults.  Neither of the characters are overly street or gangster, they do not have strong regional accents.  

I deliberately chose not to reinforce any stereotypes, for example, by giving them strong cockney accents or by making them appear hard as if they come from a rough upbringing.  It would have been easy and maybe more funny if I did that but I think it would have been too stereotypical of this type of film.  Also I wanted to ensure that the audience would believe the characters playing the roles.  

The characters of DAVY and JONE look different to each other, which I think helps the audience to remember who they are and to get to know the characters, it also helps to make the audience choose which one they might like best or want to be, based on who they feel they are most similar to.

My opening sequence has already been viewed by a variety of different audiences of different ages and backgrounds:

• My Friends;
• My Family (grandparent, parent, brother, cousins);
• My Teachers;
• Online (via YouTube)
• Social Media (Facebook, etc.)
• Other AS Media Students (from other schools) 
• and a well respect Film Critic (Ryan Connolly from Film Riot: www.youtube.com/user/filmriot‎)

The demographic of the above group encompasses both genders, ages up to 75 years old, and different races.  I asked some of the people above the following 3 questions, and got the results shown below:-

QUESTION 1:  Would you say the film is Comedy, Thriller or Action?
Most people thought it was a Thriller / Comedy more than an Action Film.  This might be because there is not much action in the opening sequence but I would want to put more action in the main film.

QUESTION 2:  Who do you think is the main character (The Boss, Tony, Davy or Jones)?

Most people thought JONES was the main character.  Fewer people identified DAVY as the main character.  My bother (who was playing the role of Tony) thought he was the main character!

QUESTION 3:  If you saw my opening sequence in a cinema, would you stay to watch the rest of the film or leave because it does not appeal to you?

Everyone I asked said that they would stay to watch if I made it into a longer film.


I also received the following comments from YouTube and Social Media:

"wow"
"Excellent"
"gr8 piece bro xx"
"Well done Joe that's great"
"Outstanding!"
"That was awesome"
"Well done Joe, amazing work x"
"I now want to see the rest !!!...great job"


Finally, I used Twitter to ask Ryan Conolly what he thought of my film (Ryan Connolly is famous for a YouTube channel called FilmRiot and is a very experienced film maker, and film critic).  Ryan did reply to me with the following feedback:

Ryan gave me good advice about the ending of my film but said he thought it was well executed and a solid idea for an opening sequence!