Analysis of Audience ResearchPrimary and Secondary Research

Are you male or female?

From the 17 responses on ‘Survey Monkey’, 65% of responses were female. This means that my results are easier to generalise to females. This works well because my target audience for my teaser trailer is mainly females as typically females are more interested in romantic and emotional films.

How old are you?

My survey was posted on various social networking sites e.g. Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. This meant that the majority of responses gained came from the age 16-18 and 19-21. Again, this was useful because now I know the responses came from my intended target audience, making my data more useful when it comes to using my responses to fit what my target audience wants.

Where do you get your income?

One of the reasons my chosen target audience is aged between 16 and 25 is due to their income. As my responses confirm, most of my target audience earn money from a part time job, or get money from their parents. This means that many of them will have some way of getting the funds to progress to watch my media product, either at the cinema, or online, or on DVD. Because of this factor, it adds potential to my media products outcome of success, permitted I make my teaser trailer appealing and enticing.

How do you spend most of your free time?

My question to my target audience about how they spend their free time was beneficial regarding chancing of success as well as marketing campaigns. From the responses, the majority (over 80%) spend their free time seeing their friends. This is helpful because it means my target audience tend to be sociable, and are likely to meet up with their friends and go to the cinema. Social networking was the second highest response for free time. This means that when it comes to advertising my film, it would be most effective to market my film online, using ads on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This will be a step to ensure my media product reaches my target audience. The third highest response was listening to music. From this I now know that my target audience feel music is important within their lives, this means that the soundtrack I use must be appealing or perhaps recognisable, by using a well known artist to ensure I attract my target audience.

Where do you consume most of your media?

This question also helps me to decide where to advertise my media product. The majority of target audience seem to consume media mainly from the internet and TV. This means that internet adverts on social networking sites as well as promo video’s online and on TV will ensure my media product reaches audiences. Cinema is also a way my target audience consume media, this data shows that my audience are likely to go on to watch my media product at cinemas in their leisure time.

What do you enjoy most about the media?

These are a few responses from my questionnaire. Main responses included how the media is used as entertainment or a pass time. Others mentioned films specifically and how certain types of media are humorous. From these responses I now know that most of my target audience definitely use the media, and it can influences everyone. I found this response particularly interesting. From this response the Hypodermic Needle Theory can be applied, suggesting that my target audience are influenced by messages from the media and perhaps go on to influence their own behaviours. Because my media product will include sensitive issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, I will have to make sure these issues are conveyed in a way which does not influence the behaviour of my audience, but perhaps give them a message of the dangers. I can do this by showing the damage this kind of abuse can have on a person instead of including shots which portray this behaviour as impressive.

Are you more likely to see a film if it has certain actors/actresses in it?

Over 70% of my responses suggested that they are more likely to watch a film if it stars major and appealing actors and actresses in it. This was also suggested during my focus group when a participant mentioned how the actor Orlando Bloom attracts them to watch a film. This could be down to their looks or overall acting skills, or maybe audiences are more attracted to the idea of recognition. To ensure impressing my target audience, I will make sure I recruit actors and actresses with quality acting skills, as well as those who fit the roles.

What themes do you like to see in films?

70% of my responses to appealing themes in a film chose romance. This is great as it my chosen genre is a romantic tragedy. Death is another theme which entices my target audience, again this may be an issue in my own media product, ensuring my teaser trailer will appeal to my target audience. However, during my focus group it was expresses how death may not be a good theme to include, due to its feel bad factor when the film finishes, especially if the character is prominent within the narrative. Also this was expressed, I still feel this will be an issue to include, because plot twists is what appeals to audiences, especially when they’re unexpected and shocking.

What aspects of a film do you feel are most important?

Each aspects was shown to be important within a film. The most important was shown to be the narrative. This is what progresses a film and keeps audiences interested throughout. If a narrative is boring and predictable, audiences will not feel compelled to watch the film throughout. This means my narrative will have to be unique and include unpredictable plot twists to ensure my audiences are keen to watch the entire film. However, I will make sure the others aspects are creative as well, including a parallel soundtrack, interested themes and an enticing editing style.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate my narrative idea?

My results show that my idea has an average rating of around 8. This means that my idea obviously appeals to my target audience, however there may be some room for improvements. I will take on board all of the responses I have gained from this questionnaire, and adapt my teaser trailer around the wants and needs of my audience. Improvements from my focus group included more of a plot twist because the narrative can be argued to be predictable. I may include the theme of death to shock my audience, however I am unsure of this at the moment. This is not also necessary to know for my teaser trailer because I am not planning on including any plot twists in my teaser trailer. If I did, this would mean the audience will know what is going to happen before watching the film, making them less likely to go to the cinema and eventually watch it.