AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

TARGET AUDIENCES

• Our Primary Audience is 30-50 • Our Secondary Audience is 20-29• Both target audiences are mixed gender, middle and

upper class, any race, any sexuality.

OUR FEEDBACK STATS

We had a total of eleven people for feedback.

Percentage

Primary audience Secomdary audience

What did you like best about the opening?  

What weren’t you sure about or didn’t understand?

Did anything that happen in this opening, remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

Did you find the music to be effective if so why, if not why not?

Was there a specific thing that drew your attention the most (good of bad)

Did the film leave you with an impression/ something to think about? If so what was it?

What did you think about the setting and props, were it suitable for the story?

If you were given the choice would you watch the rest of the film, and why?

From the results I have selected a sample of

answers that give positive and negative feedback.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE OPENING?“Very realistic portrayal of how it feels to be going to a new place on your own.” Female secondary

“The opening grabs the curiosity and draws the eye.” Male Primary

“I liked the rawness … when she was clearly struggling to cope” Male Secondary

“Loved the sense of solitude communicated through the meal scene.” Female Primary

“I liked the portrayal of loneliness and isolation through the eyes of the character” Male Secondary

“Bright … looks like a modern British film.” Female Secondary

“Lots of questions were raised.” Female Primary

WHAT DID YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE OPENING?Our primary and secondary audiences are picking up on information about the character and her situation. They are feeling what the character is feeling. They have connected with Milly’s sense of loneliness and isolation. This was important because it helped them to understand her character and situation. It also made them want to find out more about her. The opening shot grabbed the viewer’s attention particularly amongst our primary audience. This was good because it enabled them to engage with the narrative and encouraged them to keep watching.A primary audience member mentioned that a lot of questions were raised. This suggests that they were actively engaged with the opening and were possibly thinking about the ideologies that were being represented. If so, they’re the sophisticated audience we were looking for. We are obviously satisfying their need for problem solving. One secondary audience member mentioned how the opening looked like a modern British film. This was pleasing because it shows that our production can be associated with other British films like This is England, Fish Tank and Happy Go Lucky.

WHAT WEREN’T YOU SURE ABOUT OR DIDN’T UNDERSTAND?“I didn’t understand how someone so young got such a nice house?” Female secondary

“What was she looking at when she entered the house?” Male Secondary

“Why didn’t she look happy or excited when moving in?” Female Secondary

“I wasn’t clear she was moving in.” Male Primary

“I wasn’t sure who owned the shed.” Female Primary

WHAT WEREN’T YOU SURE ABOUT OR DIDN’T UNDERSTAND?Our audience found difficulties with Milly’s house. We intended to show that she was moving out of university into a new house. However, it wasn’t clear to our audience. One respondent asked where the moving boxes were. We did show some boxes, but we could have shown more by including them in the foreground as well as the background, along with others in the boot of her car. This may suggest that our audience are less sophisticated than we thought, because they are having to be shown everything. But perhaps our storytelling needs to be improved by detail.One disadvantage of this confusion was they didn’t quite understand why she was daunted with the prospect of moving in to a new house. This made the connection between the audience and the character more difficult. However, as our previous question showed, the audience did find a connection with Milly despite the lack of boxes.The shot may have been clearer if we had added more boxes. We also could have included a SOLD sign out the front. If Milly had been wearing a university hoodie it would have been easier to understand where she had just come from.

DID ANYTHING THAT HAPPEN REMIND YOU OF SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED IN YOUR OWN LIFE OR THAT YOU HAVE SEEN OCCUR TO OTHERS?“It brought back nostalgia of when I was away at uni.” Female primary

“…feeling lonely without your mum.” Female Secondary

“…coming back to Loughborough from home.” Male secondary

“The lighting up of Milly’s eyes when she discovers the studio reminded me of my sisters. They show the same reaction when they do what they love.” Male Primary

“…moving into own place after university.” Female Primary

“I could associate with her loneliness.” Male Primary

DID ANYTHING THAT HAPPEN REMIND YOU OF SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED IN YOUR OWN LIFE OR THAT YOU HAVE SEEN OCCUR TO OTHERS?All of the primary audience had memories that came back when they watched the opening. This suggests that our primary audience have connected to Milly and the story. They are experiencing Milly’s feelings as she moves into her new home. This is good because they are engaged with our story. 25% of our secondary audience said that they didn’t recall a memory. This could show they are not engaging with our film as well as our primary audience. Perhaps our secondary audience are not the right audience for our film. They are not connecting with Milly so easily. However both our primary and secondary audiences mentioned how it reminded them of their own memories of moving out of home or university. This point would suggest our audiences were a good fit because they have been through some of the situations experienced by the protagonist. This means they connect more to the character and can recollect feelings of the same sort. This engages them and makes the story more personal to them. We might have lost this effect by focusing on a younger audience.

DID YOU FIND THE MUSIC TO BE EFFECTIVE IF SO WHY, IF NOT WHY NOT?

“It added to the narrative by hinting at the main character’s change of mood.” Male Primary

“It showed and reflected her mood well.” Female Secondary “It had a slow somber tempo but helped move it along.” Male Secondary

“Very appropriate…I like the way it starts as she puts the key in the door.” Female Primary “It was tense.” Female Secondary

“I found it a bit much, like it was trying too hard to be evocative.” Female Primary

DID YOU FIND THE MUSIC TO BE EFFECTIVE IF SO WHY, IF NOT WHY NOT?

The music really lifted the opening. It reflected Milly’s mentality and emotional state. It also made the piece more enjoyable and lively. Both audiences agreed with the music choice and thought it was suitable. A member of the secondary audience said that it helped move the piece.The music also provided a connection between the audience and Milly. They described how they gained insight into Milly’s character. It is likely that it helped them to understand her motivations and attributes. Creating this connection gives the film pace and keeps viewers engrossed. One primary audience member claimed the music was trying too hard to be evocative. I agree with her comment to a point. There were moments when the music was possibly too prominent. For example the scene she approaches the shed could be changed. We could’ve made this particular section less heavy and overpowering by putting it in a major key. But I believe the change in music from the scenes in the house to her discovery of the art equipment was effective. It reflected the change in Milly’s character and showed her joy at the discovery. It also hints at how art could change her life.

WAS THERE A SPECIFIC THING THAT DREW YOUR ATTENTION THE MOST? (GOOD OR BAD)“The storyline wasn’t always clear - had a day gone by? Was she waking up?” Male Primary“I thought it interesting that she told her mum everything was fine.” Female Secondary“When she looked happy, that was an uplifting moment after a somber start.” Male Secondary“I liked how you slowly learnt the situation as the film progressed.” Female Primary“I particularly liked the tracking shot at the beginning along with the continuity between setting, character and soundtrack.” Male Primary“I liked the shed and how it represented her locked up/hidden passions being revealed.” Female Primary

WAS THERE A SPECIFIC THING THAT DREW YOUR ATTENTION THE MOST? (GOOD OR BAD)

The responses were mainly positive. People said they liked how the film progressed and they particularly enjoyed seeing a transformation in Milly towards the end. This suggests a clear connection between them and Milly. They are happy how she has discovered something that has changed her. This connection leads the audience to ask questions. For example: How will she progress further? Will she overcome her fears? What will she do with her passion? This leads audiences to keep watching in order to find out the answers. It also makes them question things in their own lives. It may make them ask themselves about their own lives and passions.One person said the narrative wasn’t that clear. I agree with this as we didn’t show how much time had passed. We assumed our audience would pick up on the amount time that had passed or would interpret it for themselves. We focused more on the progression of Milly through the sequence rather than the verisimilitude of it. If we had focused more on the progression of time, the narrative might have been clearer. This adds to the naturalism and social realism in our film.One female member of our primary audience said how she liked the way the shed represented Milly’s locked up, hidden passions being revealed. This is pleasing because it shows that our audience understood the metaphor we used to communicate Milly’s state of mind. 

DID THE FILM LEAVE YOU WITH AN IMPRESSION/SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT?

“It left me feeling like it was okay to follow your passions and more importantly that you shouldn't’t give up on them.” Primary Male“…yes, go exploring your talents!” Female Secondary “I loved the idea that Milly discovered her passion and decided to follow it.” Male Primary“It made me think it was important to have a hobby.” Male Secondary“…yes. do I have any hidden passions that need to be uncovered?” Female primary

DID THE FILM LEAVE YOU WITH AN IMPRESSION/SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT?The theme of our film is the importance of following your passions. Milly starts the film feeling isolated and alone. But she then goes on to discover art giving her a new love of life. The audience picked up on this. They enjoyed seeing the change in Milly as she discovered her passion for art. This demonstrates how the audience are active. They are thinking about the meaning and message of the film is trying to convey. Showing that they’re engaging with the topic.It was also pleasing that people were left wondering what their own passions were. The film encouraged them to think about their own talents hopefully spurring them on to discover new passions for themselves. I think filmmaking should challenge people’s mindsets and attitudes. 

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE SETTING AND PROPS, WERE THEY SUITABLE FOR THE STORY?“The house looked too clean, barn/buildings seen through window made it look too affluent.” Female Primary “The microwave meal helped emphasize the loneliness of the character.” Male Secondary“Milly might count herself lucky to have such big grounds.” Male Primary “Perhaps the house was a bit too big for someone straight out of Uni to be moving into on their own?” Female Primary“The canvas was a little convenient - that it was new and clean.” Male Secondary “…minimal, as she’s just moved in.” Female Secondary

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE SETTING AND PROPS, WERE THEY SUITABLE FOR THE STORY?Quite a few of the recipients felt the house was a bit too nice for a university graduate and not your typical first house. Whilst I understand that our setting was big, and would've been too expensive for Milly, we were limited in the choice of setting. With more time we could’ve found a more run-down house. This would have reflected social realism and made it more realistic. This would represent the financial struggles someone who has just come out of university might experience. It would also have made more sense of why Milly didn’t like her new living, adding to the wistful atmosphere. We possibly focused too much on trying to show our representations of the middle-class, rather than focusing on how our location would effect our narrative. We could’ve shown our representations more subtly this could have also challenged our audience more.

IF YOU WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE WOULD YOU WATCH THE REST OF THE FILM, AND WHY?“I would liked to know how she developed her passion and whether it made a difference to her life.” Male Primary

“Yes…I’d want to see the character developed through art and to see if it helped build her relationships with people.” Male Secondary

“Yes…it would be interesting to watch Milly come out of her shell.” Female Secondary“ Yes…it would be interesting to see if the colours and music change as the story unfolded.” Primary Male

“Yes…I’m interested to see what happened next!” Female Primary

IF YOU WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE WOULD YOU WATCH THE REST OF THE FILM, AND WHY?All of our audience said that they would watch the rest of the film. They wanted to see how Milly developed, and to see if her relationships with others improved. They also wanted to see if art would make a difference to her life. From these responses you can see the audience have connected to Milly suggesting that our representations intrigued them and made her stand out. We conveyed Milly’s character well. The audience gained strong connections with her. However, our focus on developing this connection meant that areas such as props and locations weren’t as strong. If we developed the realism of the setting and thought in more detail about our props, then it is possible we could strengthen our narrative.

BUT…DID WE GET OUR AUDIENCE RIGHT?

OUR PRIMARY AUDIENCE…It is clear from the evidence above that we chose the right primary audience. Our opening shots drew them into the narrative and they quickly found themselves feeling the same things Milly was feeling. On the whole, they understood her situation and put themselves in her shoes. They connected with her and displayed a level of curiosity and concern for our main character that hooked them into the film. The film also enabled them to begin to think about their own dreams and passions. Milly’s discovery of the art equipment made them stop and think about their own life and the choices they have made.

OUR SECONDARY AUDIENCE…Compared to our primary audience, the secondary audience generally found it more challenging to connect with our main character. However, they demonstrated a degree of engagement and interest in the film that justifies their inclusion as a secondary target market. Their responses would have been disappointing for a primary audience, but for a secondary audience they were in line with what would expect.Both audiences engaged sufficiently with the film to be able to offer us some very constructive criticism. Some of which can be used to help us develop and improve our final product. In this sense our audiences were well chosen. However, it is worth considering that our secondary audience were closer to Milly in age. In theory, they should be able to associate with her more closely. It is worth reviewing our production to see how we can appeal to this age group more closely.