Audience Research

In order to learn more about the preferences of our target audience, we conducted survey of 10 people aged 17-22 , asking them various questions that would help us during our planning.
8 out of 10 people have previously watched a film noir some time during their life, meaning that they are aware of the genre and its common conventions. All those that have watched it said that they enjoyed it, with 7 people saying that they would like to see more noirs produced. From these two questions we learnt that film noir is popular amongst our target audience , giving us confidence about targeting our film to such an age group.
When asked the question "What did you like most about film noir?", we got the following results:
2 people : tone/mood
4 people: storyline
2 people: characters
2 people: lighting
The storyline of film noirs seemed the most appealing element to our target audience, making us re-evaluate our initial idea and develop it further so that it would captivate our audience more.
The question : "What do you think is the most important element of this genre" produced these results:
1 person : non linear storyline
1 person : femme fatale
2 people : low key lighting
3 people : ominous shadows
3 people : male protagonist
With the two most popular answers being ominous shadows and male protagonist, we have decided to focus on those two elements the most. Our detective's character has evolved after conducting this research, we have come up with new shots revolving around the detective which highlight his importance in the storyline. We will try to create ominous shadows where possible and use low key lighting to create an eerie atmosphere.