Methodology 1 primary data/ plan

I have chosen to gather my information on the views of western audiences on the Asian-horror genre through the use of semi-structured interviews, a focus group and handed out questionnaires as these methods will give me the opportunity to use in-depth analysis. My research is obviously from a micro approach as I am looking at a small sample of subjects and their personal views. I make no assumption that my small scale research represents every western A-horror fan across the world.

The semi-structured interview will allow me to take a micro approach to its analysis and look at the results from an interpretist’s point of view a.k.a the interpretation of qualitative data on a small scale. This use of interview also allows my subjects to elaborate on some questions if they feel they have more to say, but it also provides a guideline for me to follow and gather the information I want. I can also connect with my subjects on personal levels and set up trust to gather my information. With a questionnaire it is a little different. The level of intimacy and expansion on information is extremely limited as I cannot interact with the subjects and ask them to detail or explain some of their answers. However I believe that through triangulation (using more than one method) especially the assortment of interviews and questionnaires, it will give me a mixture of both qualitative (which is the most favoured form of result in my investigation) and quantative data and therefore provides a balance in my study.

I have decided to interview the subjects at their own house/ apartment in a room where in they feel comfortable. This is because I feel that they could be intimidated if made to travel to another destination such as my own house or restaurant. I will bring biscuits or a fruit basket to the interview so as to clear the air and create a light atmosphere. I will wear jeans as to create a casual feel to the interview however the rest of my attire will be moderately smart. I will wear black boots, a white woolly top and a simple silver necklace, no other jewellery apart from a watch. This will help my subjects to relax.

The interviews will be conducted whenever my subjects are free to reduce inconvenience for them. I will ask the subjects to not allow anyone else to enter the room in which the interview is being conducted so as to minimize distractions. I will record the interview on a Dictaphone so I can minimise writing and have all information gathered rather than trying to write everything down. It will also allow my subject to freely speak without them needing to repeat anything. However the problems to using a Dictaphone is it may discourage or intimidate my subjects and may even obstruct some information from being gathered. However, there is no other way to overcome this problem unless I do not inform them that they are being recorded. This unfortunately is a breach of personal information and is unethical, therefore I must simply hope that my subjects feel comfortable with the environment I have set up and they do not worry too much about being recorded.

I will gather my subjects through the use of snowball sampling, this is the method that requires the interviewer to simply inform a few people of the interviews or study session and then those few people will contact others and so on and so forth until your sample quota has been filled. I may also gather people who I have met through facebook as some of my friends know others who are also fans of a-horror, therefore I will get in touch with them and ask them if they wish to either fill in a questionnaire or attend and interview or focus group.

I will be conducting the interview in the same way each time; I will be forward and to the point and wont allow them to stray off from their answers. I will not sit cross legged as this is a sign of sloppiness, instead I will cross my feet at the ankles and look more smart and relaxed. Hopefully this will create a nicer atmosphere. I will first ask if they would like to be addressed as Mr and Mrs X (insert name) or if they feel more comfortable being referred by their first names, and in an extreme case being called a nickname or a shortening. This will show respect and also provide a bond between myself and my subjects while also keeping interviewer-subject confidentiality. I will also approach the focus group in much the same way, however with focus groups the discussion may get out of hand and therefore I may need to break my calm composure to handle any heated or aggressive behaviour that may ensue.

Questionnaires will be better for gathering quantative results when regarding my primary data. I do not yet know whether to deliver the questionnaires through facebook, email, or simply hand them out to classmates or friends. The internet options may not guarantee more than 40% return rate, perhaps not even that as contacting those who already have the questionnaire may be difficult. However if I handed the questionnaires out at school I could chase them up, confront the subject in person and request that I be given the completed questionnaires immediately. I have already stated the negativities when regarding questionnaires. There are intimacy issues, the subject may not be truthful and the return rate is poor. However it is a simple, easy and quick way of gathering large amount of data on a specific issue and along with my other three methods of primary data gathering, it will give me the opportunity to gather both qualitative and quantative data to be studied from a micro point of view.

questionnaire

i have to do a questionnaire:

what i want to find out is:

how many japanese horror films do they watch?
why do they like certain films?
what are their favourite elements within in the horror genre?
if they were to find out that a japanese horror film was playing at the cinema what would they first think about the film?
what are they looking for as fans of the japanese horror genres?
are the cultural diffrences between japanese and western people noticable?
Do they believe in ghosts?

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=articles+on+j-horror&gbv=2&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&oi=scholart



this is a page filled with articles and book refrences of the j-horror genre. now all i need to do is to siff through ALL of them and see if there are any rejects!!!



http://www.twinisles.com/japan/culture/c025.php



oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh, this is a good site, hopefully it will give me some examples for other movies that could be a backup, if anything goes wrong!!!

it states
"J-Horror is a term used to refer to Japanese contributions to horror fiction in popular culture. Whereas American modern day horror films tend to rely heavily on special effects and a multitude of sub-genre (i.e. slashers, demons, extraterrestrials, etc.), J-horror tends to focus on psychological horror and tension building (anticipation), particularly involving ghosts and poltergeist. Certain popular J-Horror films are based on manga (e.g. Tomie, Uzumaki and Yogen). Many contain themes of folk religion such as: possession, exorcism, shamanism, precognition, and yokai (apparitions, spirits and demons)"

something to keep me going

ACTION PLANN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok minions gather round!!! Lord Jenny is now making an action plan!!!!

what i've done!!!
okkkkkkkkkkk, um, at the moment i have got about two websites which are really great!!. i've just bought 'dark water' and 'audition' and am waiting for 'itchi the killer' for my textual analysis.
i have looked at a few articles that look at the spiritual nature of j-horror vs western horror, and also have reffered back to my question whenever i felt lost or needed inspiration.

what i must do!!!
ummmmmm, ok, i need to do my textual analysis of all three films, and perhaps i can also compair these findings to some western horror films such as the old style horrors. if i can do this it may lead me to know what is in j-horror films that aren't in the western films which fans of the genre are seeking out!
so i also need to read and review some of the other articles which i have yet to look over and also find some more websites which can help me.
also i think i may need to start writing a come questions for the questionnair...

so dearest minions of jenny GET CRACKING!!!!!

sPIRITUAL LEVELS!!

bY mARK kERMODE

"The supernatual has a unique quality in japanese horror films, yet US remakes of them still clean up. As Walter Salles' version of Hideo Nakatas' Dark water' is released, Mark Kermode considers what survives in translation, and what it is about these haunting filma that just can't be homogenised for western."

"the supernatural is such a large part of the japanese culture, in a way they don't question it the way we question it. it's much more a part of their world, not something that they visit every now and then as we do"

"walking along a body of water, you sense ghosts being born" it was said in the interview, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

wATCHING dARK wATER!!!

last night i watched Dark water, a Japanese horror film which is said to be one of the best representations of haunting spirits and a mothers unwaning love for their child. it however was not as good as i thought it was going to be. i'v read many articles who drop the name 'dark water' whenever they talk about contrasts in western and eastern views from audiences, however i think this example has simply been taken as a given. when you talk about j-horror you HAVE to say something about this movie. however, there are many other films which are just as good, maybe even better and also fit the criterea for a spine chilling movie, that doesn't get the same attention. however, i may be being too harsh.....
i enjoyed the film, and i think there were spine tingling moments. i also reeeeeeeaaaaly liked how the idea of a mother protects her child above even her own life was beautiful. (after the film i went and told my mother that i loved her so much and then gave her a huge hug).
i want to now watch the western re-make of the film. i do not know how i can link it in with my research. or, perhaps i can show that western audiences who enjoy the j-horror genre are looking for more than just blood and gore and sudden shocks that are within western horrors. by compairing the western re-makes and some western horrors to japanese horrors, i can see what is different and possibly this could answer the question of 'what are western audiences who are fans of j-horror looking for when they watch the movies??'

Master of J-HORROR

By nORMAN eNGLAND


this is an article about j-horror producer tAKA iCHISE and the films such as Ju-on and Ring-o. these are said to be of the leading j-horror films of the ages and are very influential on the views of j-horror critics.

This article comment so the spiritual basis of j-horror films, especially such films as the ring and the grudge. he also talks about how he and sAM rAIMI discussed the values of j-horror and western horror, their similarities and their differences. Gore Verbinski the director of the ring was an American director transferring a japanese horror to western audiences, however in doing this he has changed the purity of its spiritual nature.

sPIRITUAL nATURE...

As I have said in a previous quote that western audiences prefer to look at monsters than spirits, perhaps because western religions and spiritual beliefs are not as prominent as Asian beliefs. it is true that Asian culture puts a stronger emphasis on the spiritual world, whereas western culture does not view “spirits” as a reality. In Japan, if you’re haunted by a Ghost, you’re bloody haunted by a ghost!!!