It was important for me to find out what my target audience would want to see in a thriller film as I wanted to make my production something that an audience would want to watch. This would hopefully result in them recommending the film to their friends which would lead to the production becoming more successful, and in the long run it will make more money.
The first way in which I addressed my target audience was by creating a questionnaire about different thriller conventions and thriller films, and then asking it to 40 people within my target audience age range in order to find out what they like and dislike about the thriller genre. Some of the questions were based on different pieces of iconography, possible settings for my thriller sequence or what my target audience favourite sub theme in the thriller genre is. By collecting the most popular results, I was able to identify what my media production needed to include in order to appeal to my target audience. For example, the majority of the people who answered the questionnaire wanted the identity of the antagonist to remain hidden. I then looked back over my previously planned group narrative and changed aspects of it to match the results of the questionnaire. For example, my target audience would prefer the film to be set in a more isolated location as they believed that this would help to create suspense. Therefore, my media product is set in an old house, in the boiler room at the school and at a bus stop on the side of the road.
Another way in which I addressed my target audience was by collecting three vox pops of people answering the questionnaire. This would act as proof that my results had been collected first hand, and they would give me a more detailed idea about the preferences of my target audience.
After receiving feedback on my exam questions, I made an attempt to improve my answer for the question.
Primary research is research that is carried out first hand in order to receive answers to specific questions that someone may have to do with a specific topic. In my case, my questions were to do with my media product and addressed towards my target audience who I was aiming my product at. By collecting this type of research, I would be able to develop a narrative based on what my target audience wanted to see in a thriller film. I was able to ask them direct questions concerning my media product to see what their opinions were and ways in which I could improve what I already had.
The type of primary research that I collected was through asking 40 people within my target audience age range a questionnaire based upon my media product and other real thriller media products. I had to plan the questions that I was going to ask beforehand in order to make sure that they were relevant to the thriller genre and to my media product. For example, one of the questions asked them if they preferred the antagonists identity to remain hidden until the very end of the film. The majority of the 40 people said that they did due to hidden identity creating suspense and enigma within the sequence. This particular question was inspired by the thriller film Halloween, where during the opening sequence the audience is kept in the dark about who the antagonist is. They see only through his eyes until the parents remove the mask from his face to reveal that the killer is their young son who is around the age of ten.
On the other hand, secondary research is research that already exists and is available to anyone who wishes to use it.
Your analysis of question 5, demonstrates minimal understanding of how you addressed your audience. You have made a start in considering the primary research that you carried out and how it helped to influence some of your planning. However, these points need to be explored in more detail.
ReplyDeleteYou also need to focus on the secondary research that you carried out and how this method, along with, your primary assisted you with planning and carrying out your main sequence.
Your analysis of question 5, demonstrates some basic understanding of how you addressed your target audience. You have made a start in considering the role of primary and secondary research, but you also need to include further evidence of the comments that you received and how it helped you with completing and planning your production/narrative sequence.
ReplyDeleteAlso the video, must demonstrate the changes that you made to the production.