Evaluation Question 4: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

For my audience feedback, I decided to use an internet based survey creator called Survey Monkey. I chose to use this as I thought it was better than all paper based surveys as it keeps all the records and answers in one place that allows you to easily analyse the results through the use of visual graphs. Using an internet based survey also allowed me to post and embed the URL onto social media sites such as Facebook as well as Blogger so I could get more people to complete the survey. On Blogger, I uploaded a screen shot of my digipak and my web site and then embedded the video and survey into the same post. This allowed anyone looking at my blog and completing the survey to see all my media products in one place so that they can carefully and properly analyse my coursework when answering the questions. My group also organised a focus group to get verbal feedback on our products.

The first question on my questionnaire was; 'What gender are you?'. This helped me to establish what gender took my questionnaire and the opinions of a certain gender if there were more males then females (for example). I then asked what age group the person taking the survey was in. This helped me to establish  what age range they were in and whether the different age ranges had different opinions. This was important as our target market was females aged between 16 and 24. So finding out the opinions of people within this market helps to show me whether the video was successful and good. I then asked what genre of music they preferred as it would help me to recognise whether the people commenting on my pop, girl band video are familiar with these types of videos and songs. Out of the 5 people who took my survey, only one person preferred pop as their chosen genre. This helped me to know wether the people who didn't particularly like pop music still enjoyed the video. My next question asked whether the respondent thought all my three media products related to each other. This is good as it means I have built a strong iconography and I have been consistent when producing my media products. The results I got when I asked what the person thought about our band, 2 people said they seemed like they were portrayed in normal manner, 2 people said they were cute and one boring. This is a very good thing as we purposely chose to break the typical convention of having the girl group all sexualised wearing very little as we thought that a good music video doesn't need that sexualisation. My next question was 'did you like the music video' to which 4 people said yes they enjoyed it and one person said no. The people who did like it said the chroma key effect worked well and that the narrative worked well. I think that the person who said no was one of the people who earlier said that they didn't particularly like pop music and therefore wouldn't enjoy our music video. When questioned about the digipak, the majority of people said that they would look at the front cover, then the track list, then the rest of the back cover and finally the price. This helped me to analyse whether my digipak was effective enough to meet the audiences habits. All 5 people said that they would return to my website and view it again as it looks effective, it is consistent (colours) and easy to navigate. My final question was 'What did you most enjoy from our video'. The responses were that 2 people said the best bit was the effects, 2 said the storyline and one said the song. This helped me to decide if my video was successful and enjoyable as the main areas I was focused on and thought that the audience would be most engaged with was the effects and storyline. So seeing the viewing audience agree with me and say they enjoyed it and the best bits were the effects and storyline, then I feel like I have done the right thing and the research I did to find out what goes into a good music video paid off.
   
However, as only 5 people took my survey, it is not as reliable as it could have been. If there were more responses, then it would give me a better understanding and knowledge of a wider audience and whether or not the music video and my ancillary texts appealed to the wider audience. But going on the limited responses I received, all three of my media products were appropriate, consistent and effective.

My group then decided to hold a focus group so we can get some more responses and verbal responses which would allow the respondents to give more details. We held a focus group of four people who were watching and looking at the media products for the first time in the focus group. We showed them the video and then our ancillary texts. After watching the video, we asked whether they enjoyed the video. They all said it was a good music video, but one of the girls said that they didn't quite get the storyline. But later on in the session she actually explained the storyline therefore meaning she must have understood it. We asked them if they thought the video suited the song and they all said yes. The response was that the slow paced cuts and fades suited the slower style song and the way we had narrative and performance in the video reminds them of other videos, therefore making it fit in with that genre. We asked what could be improved and one of the responses was that there was a slight issue with one of the girls' jackets being off and then on and then off again. I explained that this happened as we didn't get as much footage that we needed and the only way around making it look good is by using the different clips. The discussion then lead on to how the band are being represented. The response was that they were you 'girl next door' meaning they looked normal and not anything special or different to everyday females. This was a good response as that was our main aim, to represent the girls in a non sexualised manner so that we could change the way girl band videos are made. The fact that the group picked up on this was very good meaning we done it effectively and created a good music and different music video, that worked. When the group were asked to comment on my home page, they said that they could tell it was for Pure Orbit and it was quite consistent to the music video. This was because there were images of the band on the web site and they were in the same clothing as in the video. I chose to do this as it helps the audience to link the two things together if they are wearing the same thing. If they were to do more video shoots, then I would upload more photos of the band on those video shoots to keep it updated and consistent. Another point was that it is simple and not glamourised just like the girls weren't glamourised in the video and they were kept quite simple. One of the group said that girls can often feel threatened by the sexualised portrayal of girls in music videos as it makes them feel like they aren't good enough and that they need to look and dress like them. This was good to hear as our normal, Un-sexualised representation wouldn't make the viewing audience feel like this, and it will make them feel like they can relate to the girls in the band as they are your normal, everyday sort of people. The digipak was good as it had the name of the band, the colours were consistent and the layout was effective.

Overall, the responses I received were that my three media products were all effective and the audience liked them. They said that they were consistent and all related to one another. The music video was effective and the chroma key made it look professional and made it enjoyable to watch. All my three media products were effective and worked well together and on their own. However, to get even more accurate and informative results, I would need to get more responses on my survey, and I might also look at doing another focus group with more people and an even number of girls and boys as this might have an effect on the overall outcome.

Evaluation Question 3: How Have You Created A Brand Identity?

Evaluation Question 2: How have you used, developed or challenged forms and conventions of real media products?

Evaluation Question 1: How have you used digital technology in the research & planning, construction and evaluation stages of your coursework?

Focus Group & Survey Results - 8/3/12

 

Focus Group - 7/3/12

On Thursday 8th March, we will be holding a focus group with a small number of students. These students will be sixth form year 12s as they are within the range of our chosen target market.


Firstly we will show the focus group our music video. We will then ask the following questions:
     - What did you think worked well in our music video? What did you like?
     - What do you think the idea and storyline behind the music video is?
     - Did the music video go well with the song?
     - What do you think could be improved?


We will then show them our separate digipaks and ask the following:
     - What do you think about the digipak?
     - Do you think it relates to the music video?
     - Would you pick the CD up and have a look at it if you saw it in the shops?
     - What do you think could be improved?


I will then show them my finished web site and ask these questions:
     - What do you think about my website?
     - Is it easy to navigate?
     - Does it relate to the digi pak?
     - Does it look appealing?
     - What do you think can be improved?


Finally:
     - Do you think all three of my Pure Orbit media products relate to each other? If so, how?

Pure Orbit Audience Feedback

Below are screen grabs of my finished Website and Digi pak (CD cover) and also our finished music video. Please could you watch the video and look at the other two pictures and then take the survey at the bottom. Thank you :)

WEBSITE

Website Link: file:///Volumes/machomes/05dpreston-rider/Sites/Pure_Orbit/Homepage.html

DIGI PAK (CD COVER)

MUSIC VIDEO