This is my Evaluation Question 3 for my A2 media project

1. Evaluation Question 3
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?
BY: ISABELLE TUTTY

2. Introduction
 There were many things that I had learnt throughout the research that my group and I
conducted. This was because we were able to put our own ideas across to our target audience,
which allowed them to voice their own opinions of what will make our music video more
appealing and entertaining to them.
 Areas such as:
 Narrative, Locations and Special Effects were key elements which benefitted from our research
during the pre-production stages. This was because we were able to test out our existing ideas of
these aspects and get to know what our target audience really though of them. Whilst also
gaining new ideas and thoughts which we also included in order to make our music video more
effective and appealing to our target audience.

3. Research through a Focus Group
 There were various types of research which I compiled during the
beginning of my A2 project of creating a music video. The research
that took place was in order to convey across ideas for the music
video and receive feedback of those ideas and thoughts.
 One successful way that my group and I were able to gain research
for our ideas was through a focus group. This focus group was made
up of people from our school whom were all classified as our target
audience. This was because they were working class, teenagers.
Once we had brainstormed a few ideas and thoughts for the music
video we then wanted to conduct a focus group in order to test
these ideas and garner feedback to see if they were successful ideas
which were entertaining to our target audience.

4. Research through Questionnaires
 Another way in which I was able to
gain more research for our initial
ideas was through a questionnaire
which my group and I had
developed. Within these
questionnaires we ensured that we
were able to receive feedback and
thoughts of our ideas from a wide
range of people.
 These questionnaires allowed us to
gather research from a wide range
of people which also gave us many
different opinions and even ideas
which we hadn’t though of
previously.

5. What we Researched - narrative
 Through the focus group ideas which my group and I had for our music video was discussed. My
group and I thought that our ideas were effective for our music video and through the focus
group these ideas were confirmed to be appropriate.
 An important aspect of the focus group was to ensure that our narrative ideas were good
enough for our target audience. When we proposed the storyline it was received very positively
with our focus group. They conveyed that the storyline was very suitable to the song choice whilst
also being relatable to teenagers this will make it more watchable. However a focus group
candidate also commented that it may depress viewers, we took this on board and ensured that
the sad or negative scenes of the girl being dumped was going to be minimal, and the much
brighter scenes were shown more.
 Also through the questionnaires that were compiled I was able to see that 92% of the people who
answered the questionnaires stated that they liked a narrative or storyline aspect within a music
video. This allowed me to know that adding a narrative to the music video will be effective in
attracting an audience.

6. Narrative continued
 There was much importance to the feedback which I received concerning the narrative ideas for our
music video. This was because I was able to see that our target audience through both the focus
group and the questionnaires were positively receiving the ideas of a girl being dumped and
spending the summer living her life and forgetting about him.
 The narrative was now a secure idea which we were going to implement in our music video. This was
because the research which took place was reliable as it was primary research conducted through
our group and we could now trust that it was a successful idea.
 This research was taken during the pre-production stages of my A2 music video project so we were
then able to film easily and comfortably knowing that the narrative was going to be received
positively.

7. Narrative continued
 The research confirmed my knowledge of knowing that the narrative was effective in relaying the
song effectively however I also learnt that we should not make the break up the focal point in our
music video because that would not attract views.
 Through this research I was able to evolve the music video structure in order to convey the narrative
however not make it the most important part of the music video. I did this by placing an opening
and ending scene which would not affect the actual song part of the music video.
Narrative at the beginning Music video Narrative at the end

8. Uses and Gratifications Theory
 When looking at the now confirmed narrative and the feedback
which I had gotten the uses and gratification theory I believe applies.
As this theory is that which asks the question of ‘what do people do
with media?’ and what benefits are available to the user of the
media.
 During our focus group the candidates suggested that the narrative
was a good idea and is very relatable to teenagers. Therefore I
believe that those who watch my Icona pop ‘I Love It’ music could
use the music video in order to gain comfort or inspiration.
 For example as the protagonists and the narrative is relatable to our
target audience they may have gone through a similar situation and
would watch my music video in order to move on.
 Recently this theory has also been updated to also include
Gratifications Sought (GS) and some may watch the music video in
seek of those gratifications.

9. What we Researched - Locations
 My group and I had also many different location ideas and first wanted to see through our focus
group what locations our target audience thought would fit the song. They came up with ideas
which we had already thought of such as London and a beach location. As we went into the focus
group we intended to confirm our location choices and as some of them were said we were then
able to use them confidently throughout our music video.
 Furthermore through our questionnaires we were able to receive feedback showing that locations
such as London, Arcades and a house party were most liked. This therefore allowed us to show these
locations more frequently through the music video then others which were not as well received.
 As this research was mostly conducted through those of our target audience (working class, teens,
young adults) we were able to implement ideas which were received well and take out those which
weren’t. As this research was completed in the pre-production stage we were able to make
adjustments easily before the filming had actually fully started.

10. Locations continued
 When completing the first hand research we had received new knowledge concerning which
locations our target audience thought were the best. Therefore the research was a success as we
were then able to ensure that none of the disliked locations were used too much within our music
video.
 Furthermore this research confirmed knowledge that the ideas of using many locations was effective
when creating a montage effect within the music video. Through this research we were able to
adapt our music video in order to utilize the most liked locations whilst also conveying a montage
like feel to it.

11. What we Researched – Special Effects
 During the research my group and I conducted where we looked at many different music videos
and the genre of pop music we recognised that the use of special effects was common.
Therefore we were certain that we should include some sort of special effects within our music
video. In addition we knew that this would also make our music video more entertaining to or
target audiences, so we included the question of:
 What effects do you like in music videos?
 We intended to find out which special
effects our target audiences enjoyed the
most in music videos. This therefore was
important research which we needed to
find therefore we included it in our
questionnaires in order to make sure that
the feedback received was reliable.

12. Special Effects continued
 This research took place during the pre-productions stages which meant that we weren’t forced to make
large changes to our music video.
 However there was a large impact on the production of my music video during the editing stage. As the
research which took place through the questionnaire had given us feedback that specific special effects
were most liked I wanted to ensure that they were to feature in our music video.
 These were: slow motion, split screens and text.
 Furthermore when the editing took place there was a lot of delays in time due to my group and I trying to
implement ideas such as split screens and so on. This therefore slowed down the completion of our music
video and made the timing of the music video and lip synching very hard to achieve because of these
special effects which were added.

13. Special Effects continued
 However the research which took place was a success as I was able to compile
the most liked special effects and then include them within the music video. This
will therefore make the music video more entertaining and appealing to our
target audience who were expecting to see these special effects in our music
video.
 Whilst carrying out the research I did not know which special effects to include in
order for it to appeal to our target audience however when the feedback was
compiled then we were able to see the most well received options.

14. Conclusion
 In conclusion there were many useful feedback which I had received from the research
conducted in both the focus group and the questionnaires. The feedback allowed me
to be able to only include the best ideas into the music video which were all received
positively by our target audience. Furthermore all of the results gathered was reliable
information as it had been obtained by first hand research, which allowed us to
implement ideas based on this feedback confidently. I had learnt a lot from the
audience feedback concerning my ideas and thoughts for the music video. Ideas such
as the narrative, locations and the special effects where received positively by the
audience and even specific locations and special effects where told to be used. The
audience feedback therefore allowed me to refine ideas which I had already whilst also
giving my group and I new ideas and opinions which would increase the appeal ability
of our music video to our target audience.