This document summarizes the research methods used by the author to determine the target audience for their media product. They conducted qualitative primary research through interviews using a questionnaire targeting themes, issues, characters, and mood. The questions were designed to gather information on who the audience is and how to attract them. Based on the responses, the target audience seems to be educated males aged 18-25 interested in social realism. To attract this audience, the author proposes advertising in Sight & Sound magazine and using social networking. The author reflects that their methods could be biased due to the similar demographics of the interview participants.

1. Target Audience
Research Objective IV
By Myles Egan

2. Qualitative Research
• Qualitative Research is research based on opinions,
attitudes and preferences rather than hard facts and
figures, with the intention of finding out what
individuals and groups think and feel about a
particular media product.
• Examples: Interviews, Questionnaires, Screening and
Q&A.
• I have chosen to use qualitative research in order to
receive more detailed longer answers as this will
allow me to analyze the responses and create a more
in depth conclusion to my target audience research.

3. Primary Research
• Primary Research is first-hand research, which
allows you to obtain new information.
Examples: Interviews, Questionnaires, Focus
groups.
• I have chosen to use primary research as it will
be specific to my script and synopsis which
will help me come to a more precise
conclusion.

4. My Questionnaire
• When writing my questionnaire the subjects I included were:
themes, issues, character and mood.
1. When reading the script and synopsis what came to your mind and why?
2. When reading both the synopsis and script do you feel this will create an effective
introduction?
3. Do you notice any clear themes and issues, if so what are they?
4. Are you interested in the themes and issues shown?
5. Do you feel that this portrays life as it is lived?
6. What audience do you feel this script and synopsis attract?
7. Did you see any similarities between the synopsis and the script? If so, what were they?
8. Did you see any differences between the synopsis and the script? If so, what were they?
9. Do the situations that Jay has gotten himself into interest you? If so, why?
10. Referring back to paragraph three in the synopsis do you think drinking and smoking is seen
as a realistic way of copping with gambling?
11. Referring back to the forth paragraph of the synopsis do you think the way that Leah behaves
in their relationship is realistic?

5. Questions targeting Themes and Issues
3. Do you notice any clear themes and issues,
if so what are they?
4. Are you interested in the themes and issues
shown?

6. Questions targeting Character
9. Do the situations that Jay has gotten
himself into interest you? If so, why?
10. Referring back to paragraph three in the
synopsis do you think drinking and smoking is
seen as a realistic way of copping with
gambling?
11. Referring back to the forth paragraph of the
synopsis do you think the way that Leah
behaves in their relationship is realistic?

7. Questions targeting Mood
1. When reading the script and synopsis what
came to your mind and why?
2. When reading both the synopsis and script
do you feel this will create an effective
introduction?
5. Do you feel that this portrays life as it is
lived?
6. What audience do you feel this script and
synopsis attract?

8. Evaluative Questions
1. Who's the audience for the media product?
2. How do I attract/ address them?

9. Who's the audience for the media
product?
The question I included in my interview to find out the answer to this evaluative
question is:
‘What audience do you feel this script and synopsis attract?’
– This question very obviously asks the participants the characteristics they
believe that the audience who would be attracted to this film would have.
• Interview 1 response: "People who are interested in social realism films and are of
a higher education level and people who have taken media"
• Interview 2 response: "I think it attracts an 18 to 25 year old because the
character is 18 years old so its more likely that people that age will be able to
relate"
• Interview 3 response: "I think the script and synopsis will attract social realism
fans and people that know of people in those situations"
• Interview 4 response: "I think it attracts a male audience because the main
character is a male and the age range is 18 to 30 because you're easily influenced
between those ages“
Evaluation
• When looking through my results and gathering them together, a conclusive
response to the characteristics of my audience were generally male, aged 18-25's
and educated to media.

10. Who's the audience for the media
product?
4. Are you interested in the themes and issues shown?
– Yes, because I’m interested in realist issues.
• This answer shows specific media terminology, therefore shows
that she is educated to media and fits the criteria to my target
audience.
5. Do you feel this portrays a sense of life as it is lived?
– Yes, because gambling addiction is a real issue in life.
• My participant believes that this shows a sense of life as it is lived
and therefore expresses that it can be relatable as gambling is a
real life issue, this shows that my film can easily relate to an
audience who are interested in real life issues or specifically
gambling issues.

11. Who's the audience for the media
product?
1. When reading the script and synopsis, what came to your mind and why?
– Addiction came into my mind when reading about the man and alcohol problems.
• Automatically, the participant picks out that alcohol and addiction are key
features to this story, with these two strong characteristics of a film and that
they’re easy to pick out from just a synopsis and script shows the effectiveness of
these features, this tells me that anyone who is interested in these types of issues
would definitely be an audience to my media product as it shows that it expresses
these issues clearly.
4. Are you interested in the themes and issues shown?
– Yes because I feel they’re very realistic and they’re relatable to a lot of people.
• This tells me that my audience will be attracted the elements of being able
to relate to things like the themes, issues, storyline and character; with this
in mind, features like age, love, class and status, language etc. will all play a
part in whether my film in relatable to a wider or more niche audience. It
will attract the social realist fans, although it depends on whether I want to
attract a bigger audience.

12. Who's the audience for the media
product?
11. Referring back to the forth paragraph of the synopsis do you think the
way that Leah behaves in their relationship is realistic?
– Yes, because this is a way a lot of people would react and he’s obviously been
treating her like she wants to be treated – but she still likes him.
• ‘Yes, because this is a way a lot of people would react’ – this shows
that it is emotionally relatable to a lot of people who have
relationship troubles.
6. What audience do you think this script and synopsis will attract?
•I think it will attract social realist fans and people who know of people in
those situations.
– This tells me that the social realist genre in my script and synopsis is strong
enough to shine through and for the participant to understand that it is based on
a social realist genre; also this response tells me I have not only catered for social
realist fans but also for a wider range of audience and could attract the younger
audience as my characters are young and will therefore know of people in those
situations.

13. How do I attract/ address them?
Sight & Sound Magazine
• When looking at my responses it seemed that in order to be interested in
my film you’d have to have a good level of media education or be a fan of
social realism; therefore I feel that an appropriate way to attract my target
audience would be to advertise in Sight & Sound Magazine as they’re a
niche magazine that attract an audience who are media educated.
• When looking at their site, it shows they have attracted a big audience for
a niche magazine and have made a strong reliable reputation as they
currently have 13,000 UK and 6,000 international subscribers ‘all of whom
love film and film culture’
• This shows me that advertising here would attract a media educated
audience to my film.

14. How do I attract/ address them?
Social networking
• Social Realism films are often known for having smaller
budgets compared to mainstream ones; this is why social
networking felt like an appropriate way to attract my audience
as social networking is one of the cheapest ways to advertise;
also the fact that when I gathered the responses together I
found that my film would attract a 18-25 year old fan base
and most 18-25 year olds use social networks - therefore I feel
this would be a sufficient way to attract my target audience.

15. Analysis of my methods
Structure
• The way in which I structured my questions was
to ensure that it flowed smoothly between each
category, therefore making for less confusion to
the participant.
• Also I started the questionnaire with more basic
questions, this made sure that they didn’t feel to
pressured and eased them into the more complex
questions which allowed them to become more
confident in expressing detailed opinions.

16. Analysis of my methods
Biased
• The problem with primary research is that it
can sometimes be biased and I think in my
method my participants were all similar ages
and all the same gender, this could mean that
I didn’t get a varied opinion on who my target
audience are and that I’ve only got an answer
from one perspective.

17. Analysis of my methods
Creating Detail
10. Referring back to paragraph three in the synopsis do you think drinking
and smoking is seen as a realistic way of copping with gambling?
11. Referring back to the forth paragraph of the synopsis do you think the
way that Leah behaves in their relationship is realistic?
• By taking them to a specific point in the
synopsis, it makes them give a more detailed
opinion on what they thought about key
elements of the film.

18. Analysis of my methods
Taste and Preferences
1. When reading the script and synopsis what came to your mind and why?
4. Are you interested in the themes and issues shown?
9. Do the situations that Jay has gotten himself into interest you? If so, why?
• By asking for a specific answer personal to the participant it makes
them more engaged in the interview and story, which makes them
express how they personally feel about the media product and why
it has this effect on them.
• Also I have spread these types of questions out throughout the
interview as if they get bored of answering questions that relate
only to the script and synopsis, they can answer something which
requires a response personal to them; this stops the participant
becoming fatigued through the interview - as if this happens
answers can begin to lack in detail.