Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Questionnaire Results
My group and I conducted a questionnaire and in analysing these results we will be able to identify aspects which consumers, particularly of our target audience, enjoy about films and romantic comedies.
The first question we asked was 'what do you think of Romantic Comedies?'
From the graph we can understand that most people from all age groups, though slightly less in the older category, enjoy watching rom-coms. It appears from our sample that in the older age ranges more people actually 'hate' them. However this means that our intended target audience of 15-24's are more likely to enjoy rom-coms so we will be able to use this in trying to appeal to this audience, to promote our film concept. Also, when we looked at the divide in genders on this question, more females said that they enjoyed rom-coms than males. However in our film we do not want to directly aim too closely to our demography of females aged 15-24 because we feel that this may limit our audience and it's appeal. Therefore we will still target females but will try to present the film in a way that a couple may go and view at the cinema to accommodate for both genders in more romance for the females and equally some comedy for male viewers.
Our second question was 'how often do you watch films?'
The majority of answers, particularly in the 15-24 category, were 'weekly'. Therefore from this we can assume that many people watch films on a short term basis however in the older age groups, we found more people to never watch films.
The third question we asked was 'how often do you watch rom-coms?'
These results show that our targeted demography feel that they can relate to characters the most whereas the older groups had more people who can never relate to characters. This may be because rom-coms are usually aimed at a younger audience and so the character's in them are also young.
The first question we asked was 'what do you think of Romantic Comedies?'
Our second question was 'how often do you watch films?'
The majority of answers, particularly in the 15-24 category, were 'weekly'. Therefore from this we can assume that many people watch films on a short term basis however in the older age groups, we found more people to never watch films.
The third question we asked was 'how often do you watch rom-coms?'
From the results we found that none of the age groups said they watched rom-coms weekly however the majority in all the groups watch them on a monthly basis. What is also apparent is that over three quarters of the 15-24 year olds watch rom-coms monthly and so this shows that they are our specific targeted audience. Only a small proportion of 15-24's watch rom-coms yearly and these were generally males which is similar to the other age groups with mostly males saying that they never watch rom-coms. However the group that we found watched rom-coms the least was the 25-34 age group. This may be because the participants we used may be more likely to enjoy other genres or it may be a matter of having time available as they are to be in the world of work whereas.
Our next question was 'what is your favourite rom-com?'
For this question we received a range of answers which varied from 'none' to some of the most popular films. The results included Pretty Woman, Juno, Shallow Hal, Something About Mary, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones, 10 Thing I Hate About You and 50 First Dates. Many of these films are seen as the typical classic rom-com such as Love Actually which also has many famous actors in it such as Hugh Grant. What is also interesting is that more of the males wrote such films as 50 First Dates which may be because it has a more comical aspect whereas most of the females who participated prefered rom-coms more towards the romantic side such as The Ugly Truth or Bridget Jones.
Our fifth question was 'do you take the title sequence of the film into the consideration of the opening of a rom-com?'
From this question, we wanted to see how important audiences think of the opening and if they consider the titles of the people involved in creating the films they watch. We found that the oldest age group paid most attention to this and we felt that this was expected as they are more likely to appreciate the work gone into a film more than a younger audience. The two younger age groups said that they never take this into consideration and therefore because we are targeting the 15-24 year olds, we feel that we need to create an innovative way of presenting the titles so to maintain the attention of our audience.
The next question we asked was 'do you think music with lyrics is appropriate for the opening of a rom-com?'
Out of all of the age groups the majority was clear: most people believe music with lyrics is appropriate for the beginning of an opening. Therefore in our planning, when considering music, we should aim to look for music which fits with our opening preferably with lyrics.
Our seventh question we asked was 'do you feel that you can relate to the characters in rom-coms?'
These results show that our targeted demography feel that they can relate to characters the most whereas the older groups had more people who can never relate to characters. This may be because rom-coms are usually aimed at a younger audience and so the character's in them are also young.The next question stated 'many rom-coms contain scenes of a sexual nature' then we asked 'do you feel comfortable watching these'?
This question was concerned with the rating of our film and to see how comfortable age groups were with this. We found that more males taking part were more comfortable with this whereas more females said that it depends. Therefore we must decide if our film contains any sexual scenes so we can set the rating accordingly however our main audience is 15-24 and so this is the audience we hope to be attracted to our film.
Another question we asked was 'do you prefer the titles to be over the motion picture in contrast to on a blank/plain screen?'
This graph shows that the younger age group prefer to have the titles over a motion picture which may be so that they can have something else to look at rather than just the name, as they may be more interested in the plot. This is in contrast to adults who may appreciate the work put in to create the film.
The final question we asked our participants was 'does the title of the film make you want to view it more?'
These results show that the middle age group actually are most influenced by the title of the film, however the 15-24 age group were the most that said it depends and so this may mean if they personally find a title appealing then they are more likely to see it. The oldest age group had the most that said it didn't matter which may suggest they look for other aspects of a film to see if they find it appealing. Therefore when considering our own film, we must create an effective title which will attract our audience.
To conclude, from these results we feel that we have gained a greater understanding of ways to particularly target our audience and we can create an idea which will be able to appeal to our demographic of 15-24 years old.
Questionnaire
After undertaking research into existing films and looking at the particular conventions of a romantic comedy, we needed to conduct some audience research to see what typical viewers like and don't like about rom-coms.
This is the questionnaire we gave to both males and females of various age groups:
This is the questionnaire we gave to both males and females of various age groups:
Conventions of Romantic Comedy's
After researching into the different openings of many genres of film, my group and I have decided to create an opening for a Romantic Comedy. Therefore from my analysis of different genres such as thrillers like Memento, it has enabled me to understand the different conventions of genres and then towards the end of my research I aimed my analysis towards more 'rom-coms' genres such as '13 going on 30'.
The conventional setting for a rom-com for, aimed towards a teenage audience, are mostly set in schools or colleges such as films like 'Bring it On' and 'It's a boy Girl Thing'. Therefore many of the settings for such films are within classrooms, canteens and corridors (particularly including lockers) and so the mise-en-scene is composed of natural items such as desks, books etc. The main characters usually wear fairly plain/normal clothing which helps the audience be able to relate to them so that it is more likely for a consumer find an aspect of the character which is similar to their own. Most films also have the antagonist who is conveyed as the enemy to the main character and this disliked character can be shown through wearing a cheerleader's uniforms which have stereotypical associations from other films of a 'stuck up' personality.
Many rom-coms also include typical Proms or Dances with dramatic dresses for the female characters to be identified from others. This is apparent in 'The Cinderella Story' where the main character wears a white dress - connoting perfection- but also shows a contrast to the scenes set at home or work with her 'difficult life'. Therefore many rom-coms set in conventional high schools are composed of the typical teenage lifestyles which are usually changed in some way within the film.
Rom-coms aimed towards older audiences are usually set in work places like such films as 'The Devil Wears Prada' or 'The Ugly Truth'. This is where such typical stories as 'romance in the workplace' are shown where usually the two main characters may dress differently to one another e.g. one wearing a suit whereas the other wears more casual clothing (which supports the Cinderella story narrative). Theses films are also usually set in big cities such as New York where sub-plots are used to engage audiences and so there is a large variation of people.
The setting for rom-coms is also seen in the seasons as many are set around the holidays, for example many rom-coms such as 'Love Actually' are set at Christmas time which gives possibilities for parties where new people can meet. However Springtime can also be used for the setting so as to symbolise new life and with this may also connote new relationships. Additionally within rom-coms of different seasons, the lighting is shown in a positive way to reflect the comical aspects of the film. However within the usual plot there is a final stage of an argument such as one of the character's lying about who they are, after they have fallen in love and so at this point the lighting is reduced to echo this tone; even with pathetic fallacy although ultimately in the end the couple, in most cases, get together again creating the 'happily ever after' ending.
The conventional music used for romantic comedies is most commonly pop music because it can be upbeat suggesting a light-hearted tone. The music generally relates to the narrative and can even create a smooth transition from non-diegetic to diegetic music. However sometimes the music purposely goes against the shot which may be a humorous effect of irony or to simply create a twist in the plot.
The characters are also very conventional in rom-coms as the audience must care for the characters and be able to relate to them in some form. However it is also apparent that in rom-coms they are not always the comical characters, for example there is usually a best friend, teacher or college who creates the comedy (such as the teacher in '10 Things I Hate About You'). Therefore the heroine in a rom-com must be easily sympathised with so that an audience can relate however they usually have a more unconventional aspect about them such as they have lived in Africa for 12 years (the main character from Mean Girls). Likewise, the hero needs to be like an almost perfect man which the audience and female are bound to fall in love with. Although both character's usually have a flaw of some sort which is effectively in creating the verisimilitude and therefore one character completes the other as they fall in love.
Some of the most quintessential rom-coms use certain comic devices which can effectively fuse together with the storyline. Such features are:
- the running gag which may be an important symbolism for the moral
- the element of surprise is also very effective however within rom-coms only a certain aspect contains this as they can sometimes be predictable.
- slapstick can also be used to help the audience to love the characters even more, through sympathy or humour
- a comic twist enables viewers to feel more connection to a character as the audience know of the real situation such as a girl believes the man has a girlfriend but it is his sister.
- minor characters are particularly crucial to a rom-com as they add another perspective and comedy.
Therefore from looking at the conventions of rom-coms my group and I will have to generate ideas for our own opening which incorporates typical aspects of rom-coms whilst creating an individual take on it.
(Pictures taken from www.imdb.com)
The conventional setting for a rom-com for, aimed towards a teenage audience, are mostly set in schools or colleges such as films like 'Bring it On' and 'It's a boy Girl Thing'. Therefore many of the settings for such films are within classrooms, canteens and corridors (particularly including lockers) and so the mise-en-scene is composed of natural items such as desks, books etc. The main characters usually wear fairly plain/normal clothing which helps the audience be able to relate to them so that it is more likely for a consumer find an aspect of the character which is similar to their own. Most films also have the antagonist who is conveyed as the enemy to the main character and this disliked character can be shown through wearing a cheerleader's uniforms which have stereotypical associations from other films of a 'stuck up' personality.
Many rom-coms also include typical Proms or Dances with dramatic dresses for the female characters to be identified from others. This is apparent in 'The Cinderella Story' where the main character wears a white dress - connoting perfection- but also shows a contrast to the scenes set at home or work with her 'difficult life'. Therefore many rom-coms set in conventional high schools are composed of the typical teenage lifestyles which are usually changed in some way within the film.
Rom-coms aimed towards older audiences are usually set in work places like such films as 'The Devil Wears Prada' or 'The Ugly Truth'. This is where such typical stories as 'romance in the workplace' are shown where usually the two main characters may dress differently to one another e.g. one wearing a suit whereas the other wears more casual clothing (which supports the Cinderella story narrative). Theses films are also usually set in big cities such as New York where sub-plots are used to engage audiences and so there is a large variation of people.
The setting for rom-coms is also seen in the seasons as many are set around the holidays, for example many rom-coms such as 'Love Actually' are set at Christmas time which gives possibilities for parties where new people can meet. However Springtime can also be used for the setting so as to symbolise new life and with this may also connote new relationships. Additionally within rom-coms of different seasons, the lighting is shown in a positive way to reflect the comical aspects of the film. However within the usual plot there is a final stage of an argument such as one of the character's lying about who they are, after they have fallen in love and so at this point the lighting is reduced to echo this tone; even with pathetic fallacy although ultimately in the end the couple, in most cases, get together again creating the 'happily ever after' ending.
The conventional music used for romantic comedies is most commonly pop music because it can be upbeat suggesting a light-hearted tone. The music generally relates to the narrative and can even create a smooth transition from non-diegetic to diegetic music. However sometimes the music purposely goes against the shot which may be a humorous effect of irony or to simply create a twist in the plot.
The characters are also very conventional in rom-coms as the audience must care for the characters and be able to relate to them in some form. However it is also apparent that in rom-coms they are not always the comical characters, for example there is usually a best friend, teacher or college who creates the comedy (such as the teacher in '10 Things I Hate About You'). Therefore the heroine in a rom-com must be easily sympathised with so that an audience can relate however they usually have a more unconventional aspect about them such as they have lived in Africa for 12 years (the main character from Mean Girls). Likewise, the hero needs to be like an almost perfect man which the audience and female are bound to fall in love with. Although both character's usually have a flaw of some sort which is effectively in creating the verisimilitude and therefore one character completes the other as they fall in love.
Some of the most quintessential rom-coms use certain comic devices which can effectively fuse together with the storyline. Such features are:
- the running gag which may be an important symbolism for the moral
- the element of surprise is also very effective however within rom-coms only a certain aspect contains this as they can sometimes be predictable.
- slapstick can also be used to help the audience to love the characters even more, through sympathy or humour
- a comic twist enables viewers to feel more connection to a character as the audience know of the real situation such as a girl believes the man has a girlfriend but it is his sister.
- minor characters are particularly crucial to a rom-com as they add another perspective and comedy.
Therefore from looking at the conventions of rom-coms my group and I will have to generate ideas for our own opening which incorporates typical aspects of rom-coms whilst creating an individual take on it.
(Pictures taken from www.imdb.com)
Monday, 31 January 2011
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Comparisons of Opening Name Titles
I have created a table to show the sequence of titles in the opening of a film so that we are able to create the opening of our titles to look as realistic and accurate as possible. From the table, the name in red is highlighted as the directors and in most films, this is the last name that appears before the main plot of the film begins. The only film I have found which has deviated from this is Kill Bill, where because of the credibility of the Director (Quentin Tarantino), his name is sequenced earlier in the titles showing it is his '4th film'. The title name is one of the most variating, as it can be used in different places to create a certain effect such as showing the cast first to show the famous names or to create irony in showing the name last in such films as 'Snatch'. Other names like the director of photography and producers seem to appear in the same or a very similar order so our group can learn to use the correct sequence of titles whilst also creating an order which will benefit our target audience. For example, our titles will be over actual filming like in '13 Going on 30' because this is aimed at a younger audience, so to maintain their attention the film titles cannot be placed on its own in the centre of a shot but must be to the side whilst the plot is being revealed.
The order which appears to be the most common title sequence and therefore what we will aim to produce is:
1. Distribution
2. Production Studio(s)
3. A...[usually director's company]...Production
4. Cast
5. Casting by
6. Music by
7. Co-producer
8. Costume Designer
9. Editor(s)
10. Production Designer
11. Director of Photography
12. Executive Producer
13. Produced by
14. Screenplay
15. Directed by
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