Miss Miller - Research into target audience

Above is the questionnaire which me and my group gave to 40 individuals regarding the indie genre. The research was carried out for a number of reasons. The first being so that we could question our intended target audience on what they would expect to find in a music video within the indie genre, alongside this asking them what they would want within them also. Through doing this it will enable my group and I to produce a music video which contains all the codes and conventions our target audience would expect to see, which will make sure that we are creating content which does in fact cater towards our intended target audience, making it appealing for them. Through the given feedback from the 40 individuals, we can alter what potential ideas we had previous and incorporate the new given feedback into our music video, taking on board the feedback from the target audience. We asked 40 individuals oppose to a smaller or larger number for a few reasons. The sample which we questioned coudnt be too small to the point where not enough results were achieved which could be collated and analysed, as if we asked only 10 people per say the results may lack validity as it may not be representative to the wider target population, making the results only apply to a small minority of the people which we are trying to reach out to. For this reason we questioned 40 people to increase how widely the results given can be applicable for our intended target audience. Questioning more people would make this even higher, although this number was appropriate as trying to get an even larger sample would be both more time consuming, as well as making the analysis of the results to be longer and more difficult due to the higher numbers. As mentioned previously, my group and I will use these results to create my music video as through the feedback given from our intended target audience, we can include and incorporate elements stated within the results into our music video, directly catering it towards them with the aim of making it more appealing, while doing so providing them with content which they can associate to real life examples due to the use of codes and conventions.

In the first question asked, the age of the individual was given and has been compared throughout the other people which were asked. It was found that the majority of people questioned were in fact 23 or over, the second highest result given was people aged 18-22, shortly followed by the age group 12-17. The age ranges stated consisted of the overwhelming majority of those asked, which shows that our target audience is predominantly teenagers and above, generally being an older age group.

 From this I will take on board that the music video that my group and I are going to create will need to be catered towards a generally old age group. Because of this, I will discuss with my group what elements should be included which will suit this group of people in regards to codes and conventions within the indie genre. This is as there are certain conventions which are present throughout indie music videos which are present to appeal towards an older age range. An example of this would I may go to include within the production is the presence of retro items/ props, which is used throughout to give the video an old fashioned feel. Another example which we could incorporate from this is editing the visuals to be black and white, which would assist towards creating a feeling of nostalgia for the target audience and to make it more appealing towards the audience. 

For question 2 we asked for the gender of those taking part in the questionnaire. It was found that the majority of those questioned were in fact male, although a large number of females were still questioned. This could potentially demonstrate how the target audience we are catering our indie music video towards has a larger male to female divide due to the slight higher number given.
For this reason I will take on board that the results achieved may be catered more towards a male audience, and that for this reason the content we will create may be viewed by more males oppose to females. My group and I may include more male appealing codes and conventions from within the indie genre in our music video for this reason so we are appealing towards a larger demographic of our target audience. An example could be the inclusion of low key lighting during a number of instances for example, which may be more appealing towards males due to the eerie and darker feel which is created through its use.

For question 3, we asked early on whether or not they were a fan of the indie genre or not. It was found that the overwhelming majority of people questioned were fans of the indie genre. This question was essential to ask as it was important to establish that those that we were asking the questions to fell into our target audience of people, making sure that the results we gathered were relevant to what we were trying to find out.
From this I will take on board a number of things. As mentioned previously, establishing early on during the questioning if they are a fan of the indie genre or not was important, as if they were not the research might have well have not been conducted as any results achieved wouldn't have any relevance towards the aim. As the overwhelming majority of the 40 individuals are in fact fans of the indie genre, this makes the results of the following questions have more significance as this provides evidence to support that the people which did complete the questionnaire do fall into our intended target audience and are giving relevant results.

For the 4th question, we asked those if they preferred a single performing or group act, when it came to the indie genre of music. The results obtained showed that the majority of people questioned prefer to see a group act when it comes to the indie genre, oppose to a single performing act. In comparison to the other questioned asked, the results obtained for this one would be hard to alter/ incorporate into my group and I's music video production due to a number of reasons. This is as we already have a assigned role for someone to be the solo artist, hence why we are using Jake Bugg as a foundation to gather inspiration from. For this reason it wouldn't be possible to change anything based upon these results due to the lack of resources, as well as the planning which took place beforehand in preparation for the production.
Although, there are still things which I will take on from the results which have been given. This is as although it cant have a direct impact to the extent where we would change our original idea of having a solo performer to a group, there are still aspects which we can add to the video to assist with appealing towards the target audience. This is as my group and I can work around incorporating conventions of the indie genre in regard to group performers into our music video without having the change the whole intended setup. An example of this could be through including something such as props, which some may associate between being present with group acts within the indie genre, which through including within our solo artists performance it still provides with an appealing element for the viewer, without making drastic changes which wouldn't be reasonable to make.

For question 5, we asked those what there favorite indie artist was. The results we obtained stated that Jake Bugg was in fact the most popular artist chosen, which was followed shortly by Oasis and Arctic Monkeys. This demonstrates how the most popular act is in fact the artist which my group and I are basing our production upon. This result is reassuring at it shows that the target audience appear to be fans of Jake Bugg, which may be beneficial for my group and I as through following his work as a foundation of our own unique work, through including certain aspects and styles which are present throughout his it should be appealing for the target audience. Something else which can be seen through this result is that all the other categories to answer were group performers, which could suggest that the audience prefers Jake Buggs style as a solo performer, oppose to other ones as he was the highest result given.
From this, I will take on board what the target audience wants so that I can incorporate this into my own production. The results received for this question is reassuring as the most popular artist said (Jake Bugg) is the artist we my group and I intended on using as inspiration and as a foundation for the creation of our music video. This is beneficial as we can remain with the ideas which we had discussed beforehand during the preparation stage, which was to base our music video upon the Jake Bugg song "two fingers", altering the music video with our own ideas. From finding this out, I will take on board that a large amount of the target audience are in fact Jake Bugg fans, therefore the codes and conventions which are present throughout his music videos will be present throughout our own. One specific example of a convention of the indie Genre which Jake bugg often includes within his music videos is the editing of the visuals so that it is in black and white. My group and I could therefore discuss if something like this would be suited for this song and our music video, so we could potentially incorporate into our own content, through doing so attempting to make it more appealing towards the target audience.

For question 6, we asked the 40 individuals what editing styles they would expect to find when it comes to watching music videos within the indie genre. It was found that the most common type of editing said was jump cuts, followed by a black and white effect as well as a fade effect, the least mentioned one being the use of a dissolve effect. This could show that the audience prefers an array of locations to be present throughout the production, as jump cuts are often used to change the location to a new one. From this it will allow for my group to include a large number of locations which are conventional to the indie genre, transitioning through the use of jump cuts from one to the next.
From this I will take on board a number of things. Firstly it has given me an insight into what the target audience which we wish to cater towards would expect to find throughout indie music videos, therefore as we wish to make it as appealing and lifelike as possible for them, my group and I will attempt to include elements stated within the content we will go on to create. An example of this might be the inclusion of more jump cuts during appropraite points, and establishing what points within our music video this will be suited so that we can go on to use it. Through doing this it should make the music video seem more life like to real life media examples, coming across as what would be expected from the viewer. Another thing which can be taken on board from this is what shouldn't be included within the music video, which here is to avoid the use of the dissolve effect, as we would be better off using different editing style as it should be more fitting for the nature of the video this way. From taking on board the given feedback in regards to editing styles, it should enable for a more free flowing video which is appealing towards the target audience of our production, making the visuals more free flowing and realistic to an actual music video.

For question 7, we asked the 40 individuals whether or not they had ever seen an indie performance live, and if so what there opinion on it was. It was found that a clear majority of people questioned had in fact seen an indie performance live, and that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This informs me and my group to the type of people which were questioned, this is as over half stated they have been to see an indie performance live, which shows that they are eager fans of the genre and the type of music. This is beneficial to know as it increases the validity of our research as it reinforces that we are in fact addressing our target audience, trying to get feedback to develop upon.
From the results obtain, I will take this on board in the attempt of making a better and more appealing music video for the target audience. This is as those questioned have stated that over 50% questioned have and really enjoyed a live performance, my group and I will discuss upon whether it would be suitable during certain parts to incorporate live performance segments in, and if it will work with our pre-existing ideas which we are developing upon. If this is achieved and a live performance element was incorporated in, through the feedback given we would be catering the visuals directly towards the viewer. I will also take on board that as the majority of those that answered the question stated that they have seen an indie artist live, it shows that the target audience is predominantly dedicated fans of the indie genre. For this reason it will be important to include certain codes and conventions throughout as the viewer would have watched a large number of real life examples, therefore the content which we produce has to seem similar to that of real life examples through including popular conventions (an example being the use iconography, specifically a guitar during the video), while doing so trying to be unique so that it doesn't seem too similar to what already exists.

For question 8, we asked the 40 individuals what conventions they would expect to find within the indie music genre. It was found that the most common convention stated was that throughout the music video, it is essential to have characters which the audience can to relate to. Following this, the next convention which would be expected to be found is a hard hitting concept behind the visuals, followed by having a black and white effect added towards the video and having a good narrative. This question has a large importance due to it being focused solely upon what conventions the target audience would expect to see, and what they would want to see in a new indie music video.
From the results obtained, I will take on board what conventions the target audience preferred over others and which ones they would expect to be present the least within indie music videos. From this specific examples can be taken from the results given so that they can either be incorporated into our own indie production, or to prevent them from being included. An example of this could potentially be through having relatable characters within a potential narrative. This would be conventional to the indie genre as throughout the music videos they often have relatable characters throughout so that the audience has a more down to earth and like life experience, being able to create a relationship between the characters which can be seen. This would be beneficial for a number of reasons, as it will enable our music video to include a common convention within the genre, which makes it have an element of being similar to that of real life examples of indie music videos. Alongside this, it will be appealing for the target audience as through listening and taking on board the feedback given, the music video can be catered for them, providing with a more familiar experience by meeting the expectations of what should be present as stated by the target audience.

For question 9, we asked the 40 individuals which style of music video they preferred, consisting of concept, narrative, performance and a mix of those mentioned. The results were obtained and it was found that the most popular response was to have a mix of the lot incorporated into the video, on par with just having a music video dedicated solely towards the narrative. This could of be due to music videos which already exist within the indie genre, as there a large number which follow having just a narrative towards there video, without having other styles present, an example of an indie artist which has done this in the past is Hoosier. Additionally, as the indie genre as a whole is usually diverse as they often differ from each other, they can often include a variety of different aspects, which is evident through the styles which are used. This is evident here as the joint highest result is that they would prefer to see a mix of three styles stated, which could be due to the diversity of the pre-existing videos of indie artists.
From the results gained, there are a number of things I will take on board when going to create my group and I's indie music video production. My group and I already have discussed a number of potential styles to use for our music video, and what the video will be centered around, which we agreed upon creating a video which was centered around mainly narrative, as well as incorporating a concept behind the visuals. The results here have given us a reason to further discuss this as an idea to include for our final product, as the target audience states how both narrative and a mix incorporated is there preferred style of video. From this we can take on board the feedback given in the results, and build and develop upon ideas relating to the style when going into formal planning stage.




















For question 10, the question is more directly applicable towards my group and I's music video, as it asked the 40 individuals what there overall opinion on Jake Bugg is. It was found that a large amount of the sample do in fact like his music, and are very found of him. The next biggest majority said how they are not in fact that fond of the artist, which is followed by them simply not hearing of him, shortly followed by saying that he is a good artist. This question has a large amount of significance due to the music video which will intend on creating is based upon the lyric of one of the artists songs "two fingers". Due to this it was essential to find out what the overall feel towards the artist was, which was found to be generally split down the middle between saying that he is a good artist, to not quite feeling the same way. This could show the divide in opinion when it comes to indie artists and the genre as a whole, as the elements which are included throughout are often abstract and don't always appeal to everyone, which is evident here.
From the results gained on the last questioned asked, I shall take on board a number of things. The results evidently show that the target audience for the most part have a generally positive view towards Jake Bugg, although this is not a clear cut result. Although as a large number still value his work as an artist, he will remain to be a good base point to develop upon for when going to create our music video, as this gives room to include elements which appeal towards our entire target population. This would now be easier to achieve through the questions asked as they reach a large number of different corners within the indie genre, as feedback has been given now my group and I can go about discussing the conclusions we have drawn from analyzing the graphs, to going on to incorporate as many desired elements that the target audience would like to see. For this reason the research will assist with catering our music video towards our target audience as we have received feedback on what they would expect to find and what they would wish to see.

The theory we chose to apply to our questionnaire and music video was established by CCCS (center for contemporary culture studies). This theory states that all subcultures come from one culture, ultimately becoming the reaction to mainstream. I believe this applies towards the music video my group and I will produce as this theory appears to explain the indie genre the best, which is the genre of music both the questionnaire and music video revolve around. This is as the indie genre as a whole often tries to promote diversity and being different, going against the norms established within other genres. Indie artists often try to come across in an abstract light, often trying to get the message across of being unique and different and clearly demonstrating this. This is therefore evident as the genre and artists within the genre nearly always try to go against what is considered to be mainstream and to try to create a sense of individuality/ diversity, which is what my group and I aspire to achieve when going to create our music video.

A vox pop is the filming/ broadcasting of the public, when trying to find out there opinions and comments about something. I went about gathering vox pops of my own also, where I filmed 5 vox pops (which can be seen at the very end of the blog) of individuals which fall into my target audience group for my research preparing for the creation of my music video. Vox pops were important to gather as it provides evidence for the research which I conducted and shows that I physically went out and asked individuals within our target population for the views in regards to the questionnaire questions my group and I constructed. This is important as it proves the authenticity of the results which I gathered, which in turn makes the conclusions which I have drawn more valid towards what my group and I were trying to find out. This is beneficial as it ensures that my time wasn't wasted conducting research which isn't valid to the aim of the research, and it provides with evidence to the research taking place, showing that the results drawn are authentic.

Conclusion

I found my research very useful for a large number of reasons. The first of which reason being the benefits which come from questioning the target audience which you wish something to cater towards. Through doing this it has enabled my group and I to get an idea of what would be suitable to include within our own music video. This is as the feedback given has given myself an insight into what codes and conventions the target audience would expect and wish to see within a indie music video, through receiving this feedback before going to create the production allows for the planning stage to be more effective. From knowing what they expect and want, we can include this into our own content so that the music video that we produce is directly catered towards the target audience, on the basis of the results achieved through the questioning of the questionnaire. This will enable us to make the music video appeal towards the intended target audience, making them have a generally more pleasing experience as what we will go on to create will ideally resemble real life counterparts, or at-least provide with an element of this through the inclusion of certain codes and conventions of the genre.

I will incorporate the results which we given from the questionnaire into my music video through a number of process's. Firstly the most important thing to establish is what is the highest result given and what it relates to. If it is connected towards what type of conventions would be expected to be found for example, going by the highest result given I will go to discuss with my group at a later stage at what points during the music video this would be suited to be included for example. Through doing this, my group and I will try to incorporate as many popular results stated within our final production, which will mainly assist us during the planning stage as it will give us an additional insight into what should be included throughout, where we would then have to go on to decide whether or not it is suited towards what we are trying to create/ portray, and when it would be most suited.

There are a few things I would do differently if I was to carry out the research again. This would often relate towards the sample, either the size or other elements towards it. One thing I would potentially do different depending on a number of factors is try to produce a larger sample. Through doing this it would only be beneficial as there would therefore be more results to collate with and more conclusions to be drawn. This would only be done however if there was a bigger timescale available. Another thing I would do is possible go about getting my vox pops differently. This is as the sample of people filmed answering the questions were all male, which I would ideally do different if I was to conduct the research again, as it would make them more representative other than just the males within our intended sample.