The document discusses the importance of audience feedback throughout the creation of a music video and related media products. Feedback was gathered through focus groups, interviews, and pitches to peers and teachers. This feedback helped ensure the music video, digipak, and advert appealed to the target audience and addressed their likes and dislikes. The feedback process resulted in improvements to aspects like lighting, pacing, and positioning of elements. Overall, incorporating audience feedback allowed the creator to suit the media products to the genre and target audience, promoting the artist successfully while expressing their intended themes.

1. What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
Audience feedback is very important and as such has proved vital throughout the planning and
construction processes of the music video and ancillary tasks. Feedback direct from the audience is
questionablyoneof the bestsourcesof feedbackdue toitsconstructivebutcritical evaluationof what
you are producing. Audience feedbackhasthereforeenabledme tomore so suitthe mediaproducts
to audience specifics(likes) whilstbeingcareful andconsiderate abouttheirdislikesandmakingsure
that these are kept to a minimum where relevant, or where possible are non-existent.
Prior to showing our initial ideas to the audience, we needed to identify likes and dislikes from our
direct target audience so conducted interviews and focus groups to ensure that we could tailor the
video to specific needs and wants of the target audience. Conducting this primary target audience
researchallowedustoobtainfirst-handinformationinwhichwouldprove valuableinordertocreate
an effective piece of media. Ourtarget audience statedtheypreferrednarrative basedmusicvideos
and with this in mind we asked other relative questions of what to include and avoid and the most
common thing to avoid was clichés and to not make the video cheesy.
Left: focus group
Right: interview
The music videoduringthe earlystageswasputunderaudience scrutinyandthisisevidentwhenwe
pitched our initial ideasto the audience,of which in thiscase was our peers in class. Feedback from
the pitch came back to be fairly positive however where improvements and other suggestions were
made, we took them on-board and ensured that we rectified potential underlying problems such as
making sure that lighting wouldn’t be an issue and improving or elaborating on pre-existing ideas to
make the videomore of an effective piece of media,suchashavingthe videogofromcolourto black
and white.Feedbackfromthe videoincludedthingssuchas, thoughwas not limitedto;the ideasof
the video seemed quite relatable to people of the direct target audience age and suited the
demographicswell,the storylineonthe wholewasquiteoutstandinganduniquewhichsuitsthegenre
well and the fact that careful reflection of the target audience’s likes and dislikes was taken in to
account was praised by members of the class and shows awareness of the demands which ensures
that we thought about our ideas and concepts thoroughly, ensuringthat the audience buy in to the
brand. The ideaof a negotiatedreadingforthe endingof ourvideowasalsolikedbythe audience and
with this in mind we knew this would be a good unique selling point (USP) for the brand. However
with this, the negative feedback was minimal but strong. Common themes such as “being too
ambitious”croppedupseveral timesandone memberof the group stressedthat althoughthe ideas
were great,because of ourelaborative storylineandrange of shotsand techniques,we neededtobe
careful tonot make our videolookcheapandbe wearyof possible issuessuchaslighting andcamera
stabilityatcrucial points.Withthisfeedbacktakenintoaccountwe tookthe right precautionsbefore
setting out to drawing our draft and final storyboard and ultimately construct and film our video.

2. This image illustrates our group pitching our
initial ideas to the rest of the group.
Afterthe pitch the draft storyboard was constructedand once it was completeditwas presentedto
the classinorder toensure itappealedtothe audience.Forthe mostpartthe feedbackgatheredwas
inresponse topreviousfeedbackandhow we managedtoincorporate whatthe targetaudience want
and how we had taken on board suggestions and improvements well. We found that the more we
listenedtothe audience andtookonboardand appliedtheirfeedbacktoourmusicvideo,the better
the outcome of the music video would be and so we applied this theory when constructing the
storyboard. Aftershowingthe storyboardto the class and our teacher we were giventhe all clearto
start filming and from here, careful planning and considerations were put into action to ensure that
the filming stages and times allotted to the different scenes and sections of the music video went
smoothly and were used effectively.
Duringthe intensive filmingstagesof the whole production,feedbacklargelyremained amongstcast
and crew and consisted of making suggestions of ways in which we could improve our shots on the
scene and make better use of locations whilst we were there. However when it came to the post
productionstage of the constructionof the musicvideowe hadthree separateoccasionsinwhichthe
whole classgottogetherinordertohave feedbacksessionsandhelponeanothermakeimprovements
or give critical feedbackinorderto make the videobetter. Duringthe firstfeedback session, we had
onlycompletedthe lastsectionof ourvideo.The feedbackweweregivensuggestedthatthe audience
thought it was very cinematic and it looked to a professional standard which signifiedthat we were
filming with the right equipment to get the end results we
needed to make an effective media piece. The audience liked
the overlay of video whichwe includedbecause itmade it the
videomore powerfulandemotiveandensuredthatreferences
were drawn together in one place. However, some thought
that the scene was a little too dark so with this we edited the
brightness and contrast in order to make the video a little bit
lighter,therefore positivelyrespondingtoaudience feedback.

3. The secondfeedbacksessioninvolvedthe same group howeverfeaturedourvideo to be in the final
stages before completion. The audience stated theyliked the whole feel of the videoespeciallydue
to it goingfromcolourto blackand white whichinstilsapowerfulmessageandinsighttothe themes
and ideasexploredwithinthe video.Theyalsolikedthe sectionsinwhichthe couple fade intosolely
one person(the girl,Milly) asitshowedtwosidesof the storyandthe break-upclearly. The audience
liked the cinematic shots and the general pace of the video which matched the tempo of the song.
The feedbackalsogave positive renditionsof the dancinggirl of whichcame back as “being suited to
the genre” and quite an artistic touch. After this feedback we then went on to complete our music
video and present it to the class for one last time before uploading a renderedversion to YouTube.
The feedbackwe gotclaimedthatthe videoinsomeareasandwiththisinmindwe didone lasttweak
to the video in order to make the viewers able to see the (once) darker parts in all their glory. From
here the videothenwentontobe renderedandpublishedonline.Afterthisthe videowasdistributed
by email to members of staff at our school as although some of them did not fall in to our primary
target audience, we knew that they would give analytical feedback to our music video.
We managedto getrepliesfrom6 differentteachers,all of whichraiseddifferentpoints,thoughfor
the best part liked the music video and thought it was an effective media product. The teacher
feedback is as follows;
“First of all I love the song and the emotive aspects it creates. I think you have created a powerful
responseby using differentsettingsasyou movethrough thevideo,though therearetimeswhen Ifelt
thatthechangesin thevideo didn’tquitemeetwith the changes –orlack of changein themusicwhich
leftme questioning thesymbolismattimes –e.g theflockof birdsand a coupleof thedancepassages.”
“Overall though a powerful video.”
- Mrs Galloway
“I liked it a lot.Music and imageworked welltogether – paceof visualswaswell matched.Itreminded
me a lot of Radiohead video for Street Spirit. Particularly in the use of the dancer and also use of
monochrome.Theswing scene waspowerfuland slowmo usethere waswell used.The differentlight
and dark elements worked (car lights in night driving) The merged scenes of birds at the end also
worked.Theonly partIwasunsureof wastheblueatthestartand end.Ithinkitwould havebenefitted
from being b/w all way through. I know why you did it but I am not convinced it worked.”
“I really enjoyed it! I think if you can just decolourise it then the actual sky footage works well.”
- Mr Porter
Mr Healypassedthe followingcommentinwhich
he foundthe videoas;“Impressivestuff!” he then
wentonto highlightspecificpointsas towhichhe
liked and disliked which enabled us to take on
board the audience’spreferredpartsof the video
and what worked well or not. Feedback like this
proves highly valuable as it specifically highlights
the key areas in which are perhaps in need of
improvement.

4. Mrs Peacockcommentedthe following;
“Love this!It's beautifulto watch. Ilove how the transition of shotsmatch thetransitionsin the
music.The contrastlater on of the melancholictonein themusic compared to the happy scenesof
seasidescenes is interesting.The narrativeis really clear and matchesthelyrics well. Love thecyclical
natureof the shots - beginning and ending with thecloud landscape.”
Teacher of photography Mr Taylor had the following to say;
“Really like the video and think it fits well with the music. I thinkif anything the bits with the dancer
could havebeen a bit brighterso thatyou could see her face and expressionsbutI like the factthat it
wassubdued lighting to match theemotion of themusic. ApartfromthatIthoughtthecomposition of
the images worked really well and how you’ve blended their transitions.”
Mr Higgins had more of a mixed opinion on the video;
“Ilike thefading transitionsforthewalking onthebeach scene.Itshowsprogressionin timeeffectively.
I’m not entirely sure of the theme of the video, I think that gets a bit lost, however that might be
me…The style of dancing workswell with the genre and toneof the song and the simplistic natureof
each scene works really well to back that up.”
“At times the dancing is difficult to see, perhaps brightening up those scenes would help to tell your
story a bit clearer. Orif you wereto re-shootthosescenes,havethedancerperformmoreof theaction
in the centre of thespotlight.I knowthesong is referring to night,butit wasdifficultto see whatwas
happening.Thecamera stabilityisa bitwobbly at00:21-00:31 and 00:58-01:05 in thewalking sections.
The scene transitionscould bea bit more in time with the rhythmand countof the song,and havethe
scenes fade into each other more subtly to match the music.”
Though later came around to say that overall it was a good video to watch.
Feedbacklike thistherefore notonlypraisesworkbutalsohelpstoshow andidentifywhatwe could
have done better or improved in order to make an even more effective piece of media and make it
more appealing to the audience in order for them to buy in to the brand and the artist.

5. The ancillarytasksalsosawsimilarprocessestothatof the musicvideoinwhichboththe digipakand
advert were brought to attention by the group and analysed in feedback sessions before final
completion to ensure that they were the best they possibly could have been.
The first thing in which was done was to create a
selection of initial ideas and get ideas down onto
paper as templates to work from. We showed the
classthe imagesandbetweenthe grouptheycame to
the conclusion of different elements they liked from
eachpiece of work.Thistherefore gave usthe base to
work from and we could then move on to design a
piece of media incorporating all of these certain
specifics that the target audience wanted to see
within the digipak and advert.
We thenmovedonto create a draft versionof the digipakandadvertandthoughthe advertlargely
remainedthe same throughoutproduction,the digipakcame undercritical feedbackandsow as
adaptedaccordingto the audience preferences.
The initial response tothisfirstdraftwasoverall pleasing
thoughaudience memberswere somewhatdissatisfiedwith
the positioningof the albumname andsowiththisminor
adjustmenttodo we fine-tunedourdigipakandpresentedit
to the class.

6. Feedbackforthe finishedmediaproductswere verypleasingasthe audience saidtheythoughtthe
colourssuitthe genre verywell andthe iconographyof the advertanddigipakdothe jobwell in
promotingthe song,the artistand the brand,allowingthe audience tobuyintothe branditself.
Therefore throughoutall three mediaproductswe have managedtolinkthemtogetherthroughan
array of techniquesaswell astakingonboardfeedbackfromthe audience.
In conclusion, itwasessential intakingnote of feedbackfromthe targetaudience asitallowedusto
make sure that we made the differentmediaproductstosuitthe genre as well asbeingable to
appeal tothe targetaudience.Makingadjustmentssothatthe productssuitedthe audience needs
and wantswas alsoa keyfactor inensuringthe successof the productsas well asthe artist
promotion.Artistpromotionwasakeyobjective andsobylisteningtothe audience we were able to
make sure that we promotedthe artistsuccessfullywhilststill beingable todesignandillustrate the
themesandideasthatwe wantedto.