What have you learned from your audience feedback?
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| Ancillary product through early post production (not final product) |
My audience feedback has been very helpful, especially as it is vital that they have a liking of my products, as they are who I am inevitably creating the campaign for. I think my strength in gaining feedback through different stages of the production helped me to stay focused and on track to what my audience needs and likes were. An example of when audience feedback vitally helped was to establish my narrative. When I showed people my website, poster designs and filming through an earlier stage of products a concern was raised that it was hard for the audience to have a great understanding of the narrative and were slightly confused how the main product connected with my ancillary work. I immediately adjusted the narrative slightly and I feel that now my campaign conveys a strong demonstration of the horror genre and the narrative within this. It was very positive to get this feedback, as from the mistakes I made through the process and the decisions I made regarding the feedback I got I was able to better my work and higher my standards to that of a more professional level.
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| Screenshot from footage that was incorporated into my trailer |
To keep to the level of professional standards within the industry, I created a pitch that demonstrated my ideas through the use of feedback taken from my audience. Below is a slide taken from my pitch presentation, which justifies my reasoning for choosing the specific target audience through the use of qualitative and quantitative research. Some focus group feedback has been incorporated into my pitch, however I did take out more intensive and detailed audience feedback through the research and planning stage of production. This enabled me to solely see what my audience liked within the horror genre. By doing this at an early stage I reduced the risk of creating products that my audience didn't approve of at a later stage of production.
I feel that the final typography design I have created for my products has been one of my main strengths through the production stage and is what has made my final trailer and ancillary work look of a more professional standard. This is due to me taking the time to ask samples of my target audience their critical opinions towards my ideas. They were very co-operative in giving me advice within this area and as you can see my final typography has turned out far different from my initial idea that I had in the research stage. I believe my final production if far better from my original ideas as they feedback below shows that the people from my previous focus group much prefer the final outcome, than the previous initial ideas. In evaluation I believe the most important factor towards making a 'successful' media product is to have the approval of your target audience, as they are the people you are investing in to buy, like and use your products.
Focus Group - 29/03/2012 (10.20am - 10.45am)
Jack Wallace Age 18- Daniel Kimmitt Age 15- Mollie Ely Age 18- Shelby Finch Age 17- Chloe Tomlinson Age 18
Below is the transcript taken from this focus group. I think it is important to mention that I performed this focus group with the same people as a previous focus group I had taken out. I done this because I was very interested to know what they thought of the final outcome and whether they liked the changes that I had made, as they are the people that effectively advised me on what changes to make. One of these participants were unfortunately unable to return to this second focus group, however I assigned someone knew as I thought it would also be a good idea for some fresh eyes to see my work and also here their opinion. I started by showing the group my entire campaign, including the main product (teaser trailer) and both ancillary products (The film release poster and film website). I specifically asked questions close to the brief of the evaluation, in order to help me honestly evaluate my work. I asked them to answer honestly and in detail.
Interviewer (me): How well do you feel my final products convey the codes and conventions of the horror genre?
Shelby: Can I start by saying I think you have done exceptionally well. There are so many things in your products that shout out horror to me! One I would defiantly like to mention is your style of text with the blood splattered backgrounds. These are exactly things you would see in horror movies and I should know, as I watch so many of them!
Jack: I totally agree with you Shelby! The jumpy sound effects in the trailer and the use of costume and make up design all are great horror techniques that you have used. I think you have found a nice balance between including some obvious horror techniques and then applying some of you own new and original stuff to make it your own and not look tacky or far-fetched!
(Jacks comments here have demonstrated in other people’s opinion that I have achieved my goal incorporate but also challenge codes and conventions. Without this type of feedback I would never be able to measure how effect my campaign is.)
Interviewer (me): How do you feel my main product and ancillary products compare to professional existing products.
Mollie: As Shelby has already mentioned the use of typography was so great, it really does look to a professional standard. It’s great how you have played on this strength and used it several times throughout your products. Repetition is good in this case.
(This feedback has helped me to realise how the software pixlr has really helped me to keep a high standard of quality and without this use of media technology I would of never of been getting such positive feedback from my target audience.)
Daniel: I agree with Mollie and in addition think your use of sound effects really reminds me of what you would here from professional horror films and so therefore you’re using the techniques for me to actually feel scared when I watch your trailer. One minor negative I would add to this is that I think although your website is very good, in my opinion it’s not of the same level of quality as your trailer and poster. It does still use the conventions of the horror genre, so I don’t think you should worry too much!
(This comment justifies my reasoning for not really liking moonfruit as a web design programme. If i was able to do the production stage again I would maybe use different software, as I felt this gave me many restrictions and now my feedback supports this.)
Interviewer (me): How well do you feel my entire products combine together to create a campaign which demonstrates a consistent style and brand image.
Shelby: I have to admit a few months ago when you explained the narrative of your film to us I was slightly confused and thought it may have been a bit complex. Now you have made some positive changes I feel that all your products combine well together, espicially the poster and trailer. The use of crack and blood splatter on both shows real consistency, along with the colour theme and same font throughout.
Chloe: It’s great you have the little corpse girl shown on every one of your products. This shows a strong connection between all of your products and if I so that little girls evil expression up on a billboard somewhere I would know it was part of your product! You have really developed a brand image for your film, you should be very pleased.
Interviewer (me): Do you have any other general comments about my campaign that have not already been mentioned, either positive or negative?
Mollie: No one has really mentioned the camera techniques you have use. As I have previously taken A level media before, I know how important this can be to demonstrate professionalism and also the genre, I think your shaky cam technique conveys the horror genre nicely and also does the use of close ups. I know you said you were taking inspiration from films like The Blair Witch and Paranormal activity. I can really relate your work to these.
(This comment shows how I have taken ideas through from my pitch to my production, although I have developed my ideas, I have kept the same concept, which I think is good because I have been able to better this other time.)
Interviewer (me): Thank you so much for your great feedback guys, you have been such a help to me and I appreciate having your time to do this.
Below is a video taken from this focus group which demonstrates Daniel Kimmitt watching my teaser trailer on You Tube and then his response given to it. It shows positive feedback of how a member of my target audience liked the trailer. It is reassuring to know that someone who loves horror films would be interested to go and see my film after watching the trailer. It shows that I have followed the codes and conventions from existing professional works to be compared to the same level of standards as them.
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