What have you learned from your audience

feedback?

Throughout my process I have relied on Audience Research and Feedback to shape my final

productions into texts that are enjoyed and widely received by my targeted audience. In most cases I have used stratified samples in

order to collect accurate results that reflect the habits and opinions of my targeted audiences

only, this way I was able to define these opinions in analysing the results and take

inspiration that reflected these views. Whereas, my audience feedback reflected the highlights of my final productions as well as the points

that my targeted audience felt that more could have been done to communicate the narrative

effectively.

I have learnt a lot from my audience research, the main lesson being that my targeted audience enjoy more physical than verbal comedy. This was an intriguing find for me as I was

planning to construct a silent satirical comedy that would rely on the use of exaggerated body language and facial expressions as well as aspects of Mise En Scene such as Music and Lighting in

order to represent emotion. This meant then that after I conducted my Vox Pops and discovered that my stratified

sample had enjoyed the use of Physical and movement comedy in the short Lifted by Disney, I decided to incorporate use

movement such as this in my own short. As a result then this decision affected my process when casting my actors. My blog

post on this process explains how I had to look more specifically for an actor with exaggerated features to play John, someone who could naturally emphasize movement so that the gap left

by a lack of dialogue could be filled. This led to me casting James Grey as his height made it easy for him to over-

exaggerate movement. Also then when designing my shot list and storyboard I ensured that movement was emphasized so

that my actor could clearly see how emotion was to be represented.

My audience research also explained more about the consumption habits of my targeted audience. Making it easier for me to decide on the institutions that would be best to produce and distribute both my main product and ancillary texts. My first both of my

Audience Research Questionnaire’s for my ancillary texts reflected the radio stations and travel habits of both my primary and

secondary targeted audiences. My Radio Trailer Questionnaire reflecting a split in preferences between my primary audience

listening to pop stations such as Capital and Kiss and my secondary targeted audience listening to stations such as those

broadcasted by the BBC. This split therefore helping me to recognise the change in cultures between the two audiences and

the ways in which I could target them both effectively. Consequently then my Audience Research Questionnaire for my

Poster provided me with results that reflected the high numbers of my targeted audience that travel to and from work by Public

Transport. These results then showing me how I could target my audience using platforms such as Bus Stops and Tube Stations. This led to my decision to use JCDecaux to distribute my film

poster if my film was to be produced for a mass market. Overall then my products and decisions that I have made

throughout my process were moulded around the findings of my primary audience research. This only contributed to the making of

a more effective and accurate texts as I reached the stage of construction, a contribution that can be proved following my final

survey on audience feedback.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of my final products I conducted one last survey to provide me with audience feedback. This survey was sent to a stratified sample of my targeted audience who had all been exposed to both

ancillery texts as well as my short film – Underdog.This first question aimed to tell me how much overall that

my audience enjoyed my film. The results show that 60% of my targeted audience would rate Underdog 7-8 out of 10. Although this does not necessarily mean that they would recommend the film the result still reflects

how they thoroughly enjoyed it proving that many of the conventions that I aimed to include in my film were

recognised by and therefore appealed to my audience. As a result then I feel that my film was a success

amongst both my primary and secondary targeted audiences who were evenly stratified for this sample.

With this question, I hoped to discover more about the specific aspects of my main text that my audience enjoyed. The results

taught me that over-exaggerated movement and ridiculous sound were the two conventions most highly appreciated by my targeted audience. Making me recognise then how if I was to do this project again I would most definitely focus more on these conventions in order to improve my product and encourage more people to rate my film higher. I feel that these results

highlight the significance of the editing and casting processes. Where editing contributes to the effect of sound, casting can affect the quality of the acting and in this case the movement that had to be so accurately captured. If the casting had not

been accurate then I would have struggled to represent emotion with a lack of scripted dialogue. This question was designed to

reveal the effectiveness of representing conventions that repeat themselves throughout the comedy genre and I can see that the

results certainly pick up on this.

I wanted to find out whether I had effectively portrayed the implicit ideology of my

narrative without the use of dialogue, a challenge that required me to find other ways of representing emotion such as movement, sound and settings. These results have reflected the percentages

found in the first question and therefore suggest to me that those who didn’t

understand the implicit themes were less likely to enjoy the film. The majority of the

results however reflect a general understanding of how John can be seen as a victim at the end of the narrative. Some answers have included an explanation of how the corporate hoax made John poor and others have simply stated how easy

the narrative was to follow, reflecting how the combination of conventions I used to

make up for the lack of dialogue was effective. However those who did not understand the narrative so well have

answers suggesting the issues with the general structure of the film. One

individual has commented on the structure of Scene 13 where John is visited by his

Landlady. This confusion is again reflected in another respondent’s answer as they comment on the time frame of the film.

In order to create a short film I had to condense my narrative to conform to the general expectation that a short should last

approximately 5 minutes. This meant that in doing so the timeline of events within my narrative would appear

conveniently distorted with the Landlady demanding rent exactly after John had spent his money. I feel that these

results have taught me how I could have created more of a build up of tension between the two characters in order to explain in detail John’s situation to my audience. Adding an additional scene for example could have meant having John

receive Notice’s for Re-possession or having the main character meet with a Bank manager. This then would have created more of an effect when John’s Landlady confronts

him. As a result then if I was to complete the project again I would most definitely look at introducing an additional scene

to develop the narrative’s time scale. These results then have taught me the significance of time frame and how if not

applied correctly they can confuse an audience.

One of my main aims of this film was to make my target audience recognise how John could be considered a

symbolic representation of whole markets of consumers. Considering that my narrative was an over dramatisation of a real event I felt that in order to give the film it’s satirical aspect my targeted audience must

understand how John could be a representation of themselves. This question then was designed to

provoke my audience to express how they now see John after watching the end of my film. The majority of

answers had promise as to what I expected showing how John could be seen as normal or even relatable.

Answers such as the one below have taught me that by using such a dramatic turn of aspects I have achieved

communicating my implicit narrative effectively.

The few answers that lean from my expectations stem from a mis-understanding of the narrative overall that I have discussed before and therefore I am less so effected by

comments that deter from the narrative’s intentions.

Here I wanted to take the time to compare the success of my two ancillary texts and look more specifically into the aspects that

really appealed to my targeted audience. I felt that this taught me more about the aspects that my audience appreciated most and why that was. For example those who preferred my Promotional

Poster commented suggesting how the use of Social Networks and main image were two factors that appealed to my targeted

audiences. This has taught me how audiences like to feel involved, more particularly when it comes to media texts that could provoke social action. These results have also taught me the significance of the main image in any media text. Some results have suggested

how the poster was ‘eye-catching’ and this is why it was their favourite, as a result then suggesting how a bright image when it

comes to comedy can have a positive impact on the opinion of the audience. For those who chose my Radio Trailer as their preference I can see that the use of sound was found particularly appealing.

Creating an over-exaggerated effect proved important in engaging my targeting audience and communicating my films comedic

theme. I feel that these results have made me recognise that if I was to complete the project again I would focus on giving more weight to the radio trailer, perhaps using unseen conventions in order to shock my targeted audience more to get them involved

rather than relying so much on the use of soundtrack and voiceover.

Finally, this last question directly approached the

issue of anything missing that my targeted audience would have liked to see in

my ancillary texts. The answers were mainly ‘No’

suggesting that the experience that my

audience had taken from both texts was extremely positive. However some

respondent’s had commented suggesting how certain conventions

such as the release date on my poster could have been

made bigger. Overall however I feel satisfied in learning that my targeted audience found both of my

ancillary texts effective.