To understand in more detail what 15-21 year olds wanted I thought it would be a great idea to interview some of the intended audience ages to create an image that could really suit them. The problem with the interviews is that it would not be guaranteed that everyone would have the same ideas in the conception of a thriller. Furthermore, because of this I may find it hard to decide what I could do to try and take in everyone’s views and merge them together to create something original and not too confusing to understand. Below is a list of the questions I asked and what I found from each one of them.
When watching a thriller film, what do you think would be a unique idea to shock the audience?
The most common unique idea is having a child as a killer in a thriller, this was mentioned by 4 out of the 10 people I interviewed, they believed that this would be a unique idea because thrillers usually focus on adult males; therefore it would be a shock.
When thinking of a location for a thriller, where do you think would be the best location that would not be expected, and why do you think it would be best?
A few people said a remote place would be great for a thriller, and they thought this would be best as it intensifies the atmosphere and helps the audience to understand straight away that something is not quite right, consequently the audience will see there is tension which is typical for a thriller film. Yet, the others had a totally opposite point of view, they thought that the totally normal locations would create a more eerie atmosphere; it would make the audience feel that they’re not even safe in their own home, which in effect could be more worrying than a totally remote area in which some people may never venture to.
What is your favourite film from the thriller genre?
I cannot generalise this question, obviously each individual had different favourite films from the thriller genre, however I did notice the films they were picking seemed to have more crime and psychological problems involved than anything else .Therefore I may decide to use those themes and create something new involving them. This could be a challenge if my target audience watch these films on a regular basis as they will need something unique to have the selling factors.
Why do you like this film?
Again, this question cannot be generalised, each individual had different reasons, yet even though it was said in different ways they all mentioned that the films captured their attention, it made them worry about things that have never worried them before, they all created fear at some point. In conclusion to this answer I have decided I will try my best to create a film that will make the audience fear something new, but I have not figured what it will be yet.
What would you expect to see in a typical thriller?
Those I interviewed expected to see a range of things in a typical thriller, some of which were: death, crime, horror, someone being blamed for what they didn’t do, and a happy ending. All of these aspects are very present in thrillers, so I wanted to pick out a few of them and maybe try to find a unique selling point in these options. There is always the option of changing the stereotypical aspects of a thriller too, yet I am uncertain whether, it is something that the audience would want to see, as they are used to it.
What characters would you like to see in a thriller?
Unsurprisingly the answer to this question from everyone was ...someone attractive. I already had a strong feeling that this answer would come up, it is clear that because of the way the media presents people now, actors are the prettiest/most handsome and almost perfect, and they are someone that everyone looks up to. They also mentioned that there are more males in thrillers.
What music would you like to hear in a thriller film?
The music that everyone likes to hear in a thriller is something that builds suspense, a piece of music that either has lyrics with meaning or music with no words that really creates the atmosphere. So I will try to use both in the short film.
What techniques are used in a thriller film to create suspense?
Most of those I interviewed said that the music creates suspense, and also silence helps to create suspense and tension. Furthermore, different lighting can create tension, I will take all of this into consideration, to be sure that my short film has points of suspense and tension.
Do you like films that have a better storyline or better editing? Why?
They all thought that they were both as equal as each other, the storyline must be captivating but the editing must also be to a high standard , this means that both need to worked on to ensure the overall product is good enough to be shown.
After interviewing everyone I realised that there are different views when associating characters, themes and basically every aspect of thrillers, although this did not really come as a surprise, I realised how hard it would be to please everyone. The only way I can really create a film that most will like will be to take into account what everyone said and see how I can combine it all.
I now know that a child killer could be a good option for an idea and I will have to decide what locations would be best; I could try and do a mixture of both. I would also try to steer away from maybe the stereotypical characters. I will use music that is eerie and poignant to the audience, I may use song with lyrics but only if I think it will be acceptable. Finally, I will try to put as much effort into the storyline as the editing to ensure I keep the audience engaged.
