EVALUATION: Q3) WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

EVALUATION: Q3) WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

Demographics:

Demographics are traits, which a person cannot force/ influence. They are characteristics often used do evaluate groups of people. After looking at the different demographics and analyzing their psychographics (interest, hobbies etc.) I was able to see what groups of people are drawn into what genre of music. This helped me to establish my own target audience and the demographics for my product.  

This are the key elements, which helped me to identify my target audience:

• ·         Genre: The genre of my music video is indie jazz/ blues. The original song (‘Syrup and Honey’) is performed by a Welsh singer, Duffy.
• ·         Gender: The music video targets all genders. Although one might think that it aims at females due to the female lead, I have targeted all genders because everyone can relate to the themes and issues which the artist struggles to cope with.
• ·         Age: Targeted at people aged 15-35
• ·         Ethnicity: My products target all ethnicities because every ethnicity is able to relate to the issues displayed, and at some point, anyone could experience similar emotions/ feelings as the artist. The video can help them feel less alone.  
• ·         Occupation: E1 to C1: The target audience of my product is the working/ middle class. This is because, similarly to them, the artist is also of lower class and the audience will be able to relate to the character.
• ·         Hobbies and Interests: My products are unique and original therefore can be more appealing to people with niche hobbies, interests, and those who are ‘different’ from the mainstream. However, everyone is welcome to enjoy my products.

My product aims to attract people of mixed gender and ethnicity, and generally anyone above the age of 15. This is a large target audience however; it is evident that the indie genre will only appeal to certain tastes and selective people. Most indie tracks aim to target anyone yet only some will truly enjoy it and appreciate it due to its unconventionality and originality. The themes of mental health, drugs and isolation are also universal which could help to attract wider audiences as anyone will be able to identify with these ideas. Despite the main character being white I reckon that ethnic audiences will still be attracted to my product because I am not promoting any ethnicity but trying to convey a different issue/message which all races will be able to identify with.

Why is it Important to know about audiences when creating a music video?

Before creating a music video, it is important to know about audiences as it gives an insight into their interests and expectations. It is also important to find out about who your target audience is and what they like. If you are familiar with this then you will be able to make the music video relatable to the audience, and create it according to the audience’s expectations. An audience is extremely important, as they are the consumers who can make my music video successful, as their viewings will determine how popular a music video is. If the music video was made accordingly to the audience demand / needs, it is more likely that it will be received well and consumed by larger numbers. This results in financial success.  In order to find out about your audience, it is suitable to collect primary and secondary data, such as various internet research and questionnaires. Over the course I have created, a few questionnaires, which I handed out in order to receive direct feedback. I recorded this information on graphs and charts. These methods allowed me to find out about the audience in a more personal way and understand what kind of conventions they would expect to see in a music video. 

Questionnaire and Graphs:

In order to get an understanding of audience expectations I decided to create a questionnaire. This was at the beginning of the planning stage. I handed it out to 20 people and gained their feedback. The focus of the questionnaire was the indie genre. This allowed me to explore what the audience expects to see in my final music video so I could come up with our definite plan. From gathering relevant audience feedback using the questionnaire, I created graphs to make a visual representation of the feedback and opinions regarding the Indie/ Blues genre. Creating these graphs was important because they have helped me to organise the feedback neatly, therefore allowing me to decide what the audiences’ recommendations are. Overall, the responses I received allowed me to find out what the audience wants therefore I was able to create a product. The primary evidence, which I collected, were used to examine what will be suitable for my music video. After completing the questionnaire, I was more confident with my production because I was always able to go back to the feedback I received and use it as a guide. I was able to rely on my audience feedback, which is important in the industry as a production cannot be successful without the audience input.

I have distributed this questionnaire:

The following results were vital to my overall product:

These questions are standard demographics in order to get to know the people I receive the feedback from. It also helped me to establish what age group I will aim my product at and the gender that am I likely to appeal to. It is clear that I have a variety of ages and genders, which will aid my knowledge as I will gain a mass feedback across different people and am likely to appeal to at least some. The feedback shows that there is a clear diversity in my audience, which gave me unbiased answers.

This pie chart shows whether the audience are expecting a performance, concept or a narrative based video. It is clear that the audience is quite indecisive which gave me more room to experiment. Because of this audience feedback, I have created a music video with a clear performance; some narrative and concept combined which made my product unique and original as well as appealing to a larger audience.  

This pie chart shows whether the audience would prefer a male or a female artist. Overall, the indie genre is known for promoting gender equality and many bands are mixed gender. From these responses, it is clear that the audience do not mind the gender of the artist, which allowed me to experiment more and use either one. This audience feedback allowed me to decide on a female artist in the final production.

How did this help you make Decisions?

The questionnaire and graphs helped me make decisions regarding my product. Some of these were the basis of my product. For example, the question about the video and its structure allowed me to realize that I am free to experiment with the idea of concept, narrative and performance therefore my end production was unique and original. In addition, the question about the gender of the main artist has also helped me to establish the basis of my campaign. From this audience feedback, I ended up with a female artist. Without the questionnaire, I would have no feedback and it would be tougher to establish the campaign successfully as I would not be aware of audience demands and expectations.

The Focus Group:

After completing my music video and the ancillary products, I held a focus group. A focus group is a small number of people who are brought together to discuss a product before being launched into market. They can criticize as well give positive feedback in order to help you measure your success. I decided to have a focus group concerning my music video and both ancillary tasks in order to measure my success and see whether I fulfilled the audience’s expectations and if they think there is room for improvement. I also wanted to check whether I have created a proficient product and if I have addressed/ attracted the right target audience. The people that I gathered for my focus group were young adults. I have made sure I asked media and film students in order to receive feedback concerning the technical aspects of my production.

I took these images during the viewing from my focus group.

 Sound Cloud (Some Audio Feedback from my Focus Group)

Why did you put your work on YouTube?

I uploaded my work on You Tube for various reasons. First off, it is a globally recognized video platform, accessible for anyone from anywhere. This allowed me to distribute my product on a mass scale and reach a wide audience thus securing my success. In addition, from You Tube I was able to place my final music video on my blogger post. In addition, You Tube allows users to comment on videos; therefore, I will be able to receive feedback through the comment section on You Tube. It allows producers to gain audience feedback from all over the world and see what all these spectators have to say about the product.

Images from Social Media Sites:

Why did you put your work on Social Media?

Social media allows to connect with people from all around the world due to its accessibility and pace of work. Sites like Facebook or Instagram were a great way to share my work with others and find more audiences on a global scale. It brought people with common interest together and most could enjoy the video and share it with wider audiences, which benefits me. Furthermore, today, social media is a great promotional tool, which is free for anyone to utilize. Many small companies and upcoming artist use it to access their audiences in order to market themselves free. Therefore as I had minimal budget, social media, was an invaluable way to share my product and advertise my artist, which worked effectively. Social media allows communication through comments, likes and shares, which can help to measure my success. People began to comment on my work, which showed me how effective my video and ancillary products were.

Comments I received on Facebook:

What did you learn from all this Audience Feedback in terms of whether you created a Conventional and Successful Music Video?

From looking at the various audience feedback I received, I learnt that the general response to my product was positive and the consumers were happy with what I created. This includes my target audience. This feedback showed me that the music video used conventions effectively and therefore affected the correct audience, as otherwise it would not appeal to the consumers. Despite having, some negative comments I know I have created a conventional and successful music video because the negatives came from people who were not the intended audience like elders and the masses. This also shows that I have followed Hebdige’s subculture theory as the people who responded positively to my product can be classified as niche in some sense, which fulfills my overall plan.  

Conclusion:

To conclude I have learnt a lot of useful information from my audience feedback. It was an effective and easy way to measure the success of my products. The fact that I have used different platforms to gain the feedback allowed me to access opinions from a diverse group of people, which only showed more validation and allowed me to draw credible feedback. It was important to share my products on sites like You Tube, Facebook and Instagram. Despite being primarily social media sites, they allowed for quick distribution of products and a free way of marketing which was useful, knowing I had no budget for my production. In addition, they are interactive webpages, which allowed me to draw more feedback from the audiences on a global scale. I thought the focus group was also particularly effective s I was able to observe the raw and initial responses to the music video and ancillary products live and see how people reacted which was also useful to measure the success of my work. Overall, I believe that my music video and ancillary products are successful and attract the correct target audience through an effective application of conventions.