Q3. What Have You Learned From Your Audience Feedback?

Audience feedback has been extremely helpful throughout the planning, research and evaluation stages of creating my promotional package.
During the research and planning stages, I conducted a survey using SurveyMonkey. This website allows you to create quick survey's and then it puts the results into graphs for you. I began my coursework by carrying out research on demographics. Producing primary market research gives a general idea of the interests of my chosen demogaphics; in regards to music videos. After researching into demographics I gained valuable knowledge about what my target audience would want to see from my music video. The questions I were:

1. What If Your Gender?

2. What Is Your Age?

3. What Continent Do You Live In?

4. How Many Bedrooms Do You Have In Your Home?

5. Which Best Describes Your Current Occupation?

6. Favourite Music Genre?

7. Favourite Musician/Band Why?

8. Why Do You Enjoy Watching Music Videos? Why?

9. How Often Do You Watch Music Videos?

10. What Do You Expect To See In Music Videos?

I began my survey with basic questions due to SurveyMonkey operating with an anonymous answering system, I needed to know these basic facts in order to find out who I should target my music video toward and find out what they liked in music videos before starting my storyboard. In relation to the gender of the participants of my survey, it was equal male and female. This shows that both genders are avid of social media and will be more attracted to social media marketing due to their upbringing with the internet.

 In regards to age, I used 6 different categories so that it would be able to see more specifically who my target audience would be. From this survey, I found that most people who answered were between the ages 10-18. I was expecting this result as I posted the survey onto social media where my followers/friends are of the same age group as me. There were several 19 - 24 year olds who completed this survey. This showed me that young people should be my demographic of my music video.

The next question I asked was what continent they live in. However, I was not surprised with the results of that all the people who participated in my survey would be from Europe as this represents the following/friends I have on social media. On the other hand, this method of social media advertising showed me that my product may only appeal to an English speaking audience. This lead me to advertise my music video more globally when conducting further research, following Anderson's 'long tail' theory which he states that niche markets are extended by appealing to larger audiences with the accessibility to people all over the world with the internet as a gateway to them. This shows the effects of globalization have on how I developed and advertised my music video.

Following this, I asked my audience how many bedroom they have in their home. This gives me a idea of the financial situation. Other methods of finding this out would have been to ask if they have a mortgage or paid rent, however this would be extremely personal and I doubt many people would be willing to answer. This most popular answer was 4 bedrooms and the least popular was 2 bedrooms. This shows that my demographic may be part of a financially stable household, which means they will be able to purchase my artists merchandise and CD's etc.

Finding out my demographic's occupation allows me to know what price I would have to set my products in order for them to afford them. All of my demographic were students and some had part time jobs. Knowing this information made me decide how I would market and advertise my artist. I decided to use the same model/artist as in my Foundation Portfolio as it was successful and my audience really liked how she was the same age and represents feminism, which is an issue today.

I then focused more questions relevant to the music and music video side. There was a variation in favourite music genres, I expected this due to posting it on social media which makes it available to a vast amount of people not just my friends. I noticed that the most popular answer was indie/indie rock. This showed me that many people today were interested in hybrid genres, which I did in my music video by chosing the song 'Thinking Out Loud' by Ed Sheeran but replaced it with Annie Harmeston's acoustic cover, therefore making it fit under the indie/pop/folk genre. Which, in turn opened up my target audience.

From this question, I realised that my demographic have a wide taste in musicians. This fit in with my hybrid/genre. A lot of the answers featured artists that use acoustic guitars mainly in their music. This shows that the acoustic version of my song will be popular amongst my demographic. One of the responses states that they liked Ben Howard's "emotive lyrics", by using an acoustic cover of an already emotional song, it emphasizes the meaning of the lyrics even more.

All my participants said they felt music videos helped add "meaning" and "depth" to the song. I carried this idea through to my video by basing it around a death in a same sex couple. Not only does it add depth but it also makes its relevant to contemporary society. One person even said that it was "more interesting than an album cover". This shows that the audience will identify more entertaining video and prefer a more conventional and not out there digiapk, something which was applied to my own work.

My demographic appeared to watch music videos regularly, this shows that music videos are still relevant today even though everything has become digitalised, people still put the time in to watch them. This meant that my music video had to be memorable in order to be successful in the music industry.

The most popular answer to what was expected in music videos was 'storylines/narrative'. This is probably the most common convention in music videos, which I followed. However, I felt like this question didn't help me too much into my research, as it just affirmed what I already knew about conventions. On the hand, it showed that people who are not media studies can understand and recognise the conventions when taking this survey.









I then conducted another survey after completing my video and the questions revolved around what they thought of the product. The questions I asked were:

1. What genre do you think my music video is?

2.What do you think of the narrative of my music video?

3. did you enjoy watching my music video? and why?

4. Does the music video and ancillary texts show continuity?

5. Would you watch the music video again?

6. What did you think of the use and representation of a same sex couple?

 As you can see from the results collected the majority of people thought my music video was of the indie/pop genre, however some thought it was pop. This was probably due to the hybrid nature, so I had to conform to both conventions in order to blur the line and make it look effective.

 All of the participants correctly answered what they thought the narrative of the music video was, showing that it was an overall successful product and I achieved what I set out to do.

 Once again, the particpants enjoyed my music video and understood the style that I was trying to achieve, simplistic. Some of them praised the use of flashbacks and everyday life aspects and thought it fit well with the narrative. 

 The answers to this question show that they thought my music video and ancillary texts were successful as a promotional package. One even praised how it "shows feminism and power for women", which is what I set out to do during my media studies course.

All of the participants of the survey stated that they would watch my music video. This also shows how successful my music video was as a product and that many people agree with the ideology I have.

When creating my music video, I had to make sure that I was representing a same sex couple in a 'tasteful' was, as they are often objectified by the media and used to fuel the desires of a heterosexual male. One person also said that using a lesbian couple made it 'relevant today'. Despite legalising gay marriages, there has only been a slight increase in the use of same sex relationships and with my music video I hoped to challenge this.

In my opinion, I felt that survey's were the most effective way to collect fast and reliable information. I did create a poll on my blog, however this didn't work as many people ignored it when looking on my blog so I didn't get many results.

I asked my 16 year old stepbrother for his feedback and this is what he said.

Finally,  Stuart Hall's reception theory states that media texts are encoded by the producer, myself, which means that what I've produced is filled with values and messages. The text is then decoded by spectators, and it has been from my peers on social media. Different spectators will decode the text in different ways not always in the way the producer intended. After conducting audience research, I have found that my audience have understood and respected my values and ideologies in my music video.