Target Audience Research - Evaluation Sub Culture
What is the purpose of a target audience?
A target audience is a significant element that a music video is aimed at in order to guarantee its success. A target audience is a specific group of people who the music video is aimed at. These people are usually of a certain age group who all commonly enjoy a certain music genre. The purpose of the target audience is to create fans of a artist. These fans watch the artists music video increasing their popularity, encouraging them to invest in the artists music. Without a target audience there is no one specific to aim the artist at, and therefore they wouldn't get as many people watching their music videos and buying their album. Different target audiences expect to see different codes and conventions in different music genres. We are able to catch a certain target audience attention by including these codes and conventions in the music videos.
What types of research did you carry out and
why?
To gain a better understanding of our target audience we carried out some research. One element of research we conducted was questionnaires. As a group we designed both open and closed questions in order to gain a better understanding of what the target audience prefers to see in a pop music video. We wanted to find out whether the target audience would prefer the music video to be conventional or diverse, what their favourite music genre was, and their opinions on our chosen artist. Through the data that we collected we were able to import this information into pie charts and through some consideration, make improvements to our ideas for our music video.
Further research was done to gain an even better understanding of our target audience. We then went onto, as a group create Vox Pops using the questionnaire we had previously designed. We interviewed a variety of people asking them the same questions. This was effective as we found that the close questions no longer restricted their answers and we were able to collect more qualitative data.
How many people did you survey and why?
As a group we collectively interviewed 40 people of a variety of age groups. We did this through distributing the roles between each member of the group. Jagoda took on the responsibility of asking the interviewees questions whilst Dipika filmed them. I had the responsibility of giving them questions to ask each individual. We decided to interview this amount of people as we felt that it would be a good number of people to get a variety of answers. Our findings are more likely to be accurate as it can be applied to a larger population.
Were the vox pops successful and how will you
with planning your music video?
The vox pops were successful as we got valuable information about our target audience and what they expect to see in a music video. This information will be beneficial when it comes to making our own music video as we will be able to apply this knowledge to improve our work. We have gained a more specific idea of the codes and conventions the target audiences expect to see in the pop music video which we are going to incorporate in our video. These codes and conventions consist of elements of symbolism such as fire.It is crucial that we use this information when creating our own music video as it will help ensure the success of our music video.
Pick 3 different questions and discuss the
results that you received. Explain how your results will assist you and your
group with planning the music video.
When researching the target audience, through the questionnaires and interviews we asked 'What is your favourite music genre?'. We decided to ask this as we felt that it was important to know what the most popular music genre is. Therefore we could pick a song from this genre and guarantee the largest target audience.Our data concluded that Pop and Indie were the most popular music genres. This was effective as the artist we had chosen was James Arthur, a pop artist. This therefore shows that we would have a target audience that would be likely to watch our music video. Depending on the findings, we would have considered the answers and altered our genre if pop wasn't the popular choice. This is because we wouldn't have a large target audience which in turn wouldn't guarantee the success of our music video.
Another question we asked was 'what type of music video would you prefer to see: conventional or diverse?' This was asked as we wanted to see what type of artists the audiences would rather watch. For example artists such as Lady Gaga subvert conventions of the pop genre to make her stand out and be different. Artists such as Ed Sheeran conform to the codes and conventions of the music videos however still have a large fan base. The findings we collected showed that they would rather watch a music video that was conventional. This is going to assist us when making our music video as we are going to follow the typical codes of conventions of a pop music genre in order to attract the target audience. If the findings had shown that a diverse music video would have been the preferred choice, we would then had to consider subverting the codes and conventions of the pop music genre in order to make the music video and artist stand out from the rest.
We also went on to ask 'What is your favourite single?' by our chosen artist. The reasoning as to why we asked this question was because we wanted to get an idea of how well our artist is known. The artist is consisted to be 'new' as he is only just releasing his first album following from him winning a talent show 'The X Factor'. If the audience was aware of who the artist was, we wanted to know how many songs did they know. Our finding went on to show that the most favourite song choice was 'impossible'. We found this information beneficial as this is our chosen song choice that we had decided to create a music video for. These results therefore show that our song choice is popular and well know reinforcing the idea that the target audience is likely to watch the video.
Were there any answers that you had to
reconsider and why?
The questions we asked all displayed the results in which we thought they would. For example we had a idea that pop was one of the most popular music genres and so we chose an artist that was from the pop genre. Therefore when the results showed this, we didn't have to reconsider our chosen artist. We also felt that the narrative and performance are both popular element that the audience would prefer to see as they are generic conventions of a pop music video.
Sub Cultures
A youth sub culture can be identified as a group of people who are united through common value and tastes such as clothes, music, politics etc. It can also be considered a group of people who are positioned outside the mainstream; people who go against what is seen to be popular.
One of the theories that I looked at was proposed by Grant McCracken. He suggested that post-modern world is full of diversity, dynamism and creativity. He said that if we look at the array of values and ideologies then we can't say all sub cultures come from one culture.
A second theory that I looked at was proposed by CCCS. This theory completely ignores McCracken's views of diversity, Dynamism and Creativity. Instead it suggests that all sub cultures come from one sub culture and that differerent sub cultures are due to the mainstream.
A final theory that I looked at was proposed by Hebdige. He came to the conclusion that although some people think that sub cultures only appear to be different but deep down they are the same. He suggested that if you look deeper, there is enough richness to warrant renaming 'sub cultures' to 'little cultures'.
The genre of music that we have chosen to create a music video is pop. Therefore the theory that bests supports our video would be McCracken. This is because our music video is going to be diverse. Through editing and mise-en-scene elements we are going to make our video creative which coincides with McCrackens theory.
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The first narrative scene we are going to show is the scene where the female is going through a box of photos of her and her ex boyfriend. This will be shown when the artist sings 'Someone told me I should take' to imply the character retrospectively looking back on the memories of the relationship. This is also effective as it introduces the characters to the audience allowing them to build up a relationship with them. This further enables the audience to relate to their role within the narrative and get a better understanding of the song.
An artist's image is one of the most important elements of a music video. Not only does it help identify the genre of music the artist creates, but it portrays their values in which they are seen to be role models for their target audience. Dyer's star theory also suggests that the star must be simultaneously ordinary so that they are relatable, yet extraordinary for the consumer. This is something that we considered when discussing our artists image. However, some artist's portray a diverse image in order to stand out from other artists of the same genre. A diverse image may promote certain ideologies. An example of this is Rihanna, she wears diverse, wacky outfits which in turn starts a fashion trend and her fan imitate similar clothing. Also different colours are used to connote different meanings for example, the colour red would be worn in order to symbolize love or evil etc. The colour white connotes the idea of innocence or even vulnerability.
In the music video 'Your nobody 'til somebody loves you' the artist is seen to be represented as an ordinary person. This is done through mise-en-scene elements such as costume. The artist is seen to be wearing a shirt, jeans and some boots. This is effective as the audience view him as an ordinary person and therefore they feel as though they can relate to the artist. However the artist is further represented as extraordinary as he is seen to be positioned above the rest of the community on stage with a band. Therefore this connotes that the artist has a higher status than the rest of the characters in the video making him appear extraordinary for the consumer. Therefore the music video is seen to conform to Dyer's star theory.
Genre characteristics are shown through the style of the music video. The video consists 60% is performance based and 40% is narrative based which is a generic convention of a pop music video. This is evident as the artist is seen to be singing on stage with a band and backing singers. Close ups and mid shots are used throughout the music video enabling the audience to see the artists emotions through his facial expressions; this in turn allows them to build up a relationship with the artist. There is evidence of a narrative as when the artist is seen to start sing on the stage, different members of the community gather around to watch his performance. This further portrays the artists image as a friends, welcoming, community person to the target audience. It also shows that he doesn't perceive himself to be better than them people due to his fame.
There is evidence of Goodwin's theory as there is voyeuristic treatment of the females body. Through the narrative, a number of camera shots are used to show images of female members of the community. Mise-en-scene elements such as costume shows the women to be wearing tight fitted crop tops, or low cut tops. This is effective in attracting a broad audience as not only does the artist have a female fan base, but it attracts a male target audience. There is further evidence of Goodwin's theory as there is evidence of a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. When the artist is seen to be singing 'Stone cold heart' a mid shot is used to show two females standing over a fire. The effect of this is that the audience are able to gain a better understanding of the connotations and hidden meanings of the song.
Common camera shots used through out the music video is long shots. This is effective as it highlights the positioning of the artist. When the artist is seen to be performing he is seen to be standing in the centre of the stage. This is effective as it allows the audience to focus of the artist and connotes his status. A tracking shot was also used at the beginning of the music video that contributed to this. The artist was seen to be walking down the street towards the stage. Slow pace editing was used to focus the audiences attention on the artist and highlight his presence through the neighborhood.
Lighting is important within a music video as it connotes the different moods and atmosphere of the song. Like Goodwin's theory suggested, music videos should display a correlation between the music and the visuals. If the song is positive, upbeat and the lyrics are portraying the artist to be happy then it is conventional for high- key lighting to be used. This is because it creates a feel good atmosphere for the audience, which coincides with the beat and lyrics of the song. However if the song is slow and has negative connotations then low key lighting is used to symbolize the artist emotions. This therefore creates a dull atmosphere the is parallel to the music. One artist that conforms to this is Bruno Mars. He used low-key lighting to connote his emotions of sadness.
Settings are a significant feature in a music video as it gives the audience firstly some context, and secondly could help show the relationships between the characters.Like Goodwin's theory suggests, most music videos will display a relationships between the lyrics and the visuals. Therefore certain locations connote the emotions felt by the artist which is portrayed to the audience. For example locations such as a beach is a conventional location that is used to show a young couple spending time with each other. This highlights to the audience the significance of the location and it could show the artist emotions of being happy or in love. Settings are also important as the audience want to be able to relate to the narrative, therefore realism is created through the choice of conventional locations in the music video.
Iconography is significant in music videos as it is used to connote certain representations. In some music videos, iconography is used to establish the artists image and the genre on their music. It also can be used to show whether the artist conforms or subverts the genre of their music and gives the audience a better understanding of the narrative. One example of a pop artist who is diverse is Lady Gaga. Through the use of iconography, she used coke cans as rollers for her hair following the narrative that she is in prison. This is unusual and subverts generic pop conventions and therefore the audience can see how she differs from other pop artists.
Close up camera shots are continually used throughout the music video. This is so that it allows the audience to focus on only the artist. It creates a focal point on the artists talent and allows the performance to show of the artists emotions relating to the song. The close up camera shots shows the artists facial expressions allowing the audience to see the artists passion enabling them to build up a relationship with them. This also relates to Goodwin's theory as he suggests that the record label demands close ups in order to promote the artist and focus the attention on them. The main editing style in the music video is slow paced. Camera shots alternate usually on the most predominant beats of the song. The editing pace is parallel to the beat of the music in order to create a continual flow throughout the video.
In the music video, the artist is represented as an 'ordinary' person. This is shown through mise-en-scene i.e. how the artists is dressed. A long shot camera angle was used to show James Morrison to be wearing casual clothing that consisted of a shirt and jeans. Therefore the audience view him as a 'normal' person. This relates back to Dyer's Star Theory as he suggested that artists are made to be 'ordinary'. This appeals to the target audience as they are able to relate to the artist and the song and are more likely to watch the video. He is also represented as 'Extraordinary' as he is shown to be playing the guitar whilst singing. This portrays the artists talent showing a contrast, as it makes him stand out from everyone else. This in turn conforms to the stereotypical conventions of a pop music videos.
Mise-en-scene is a significant feature in this particular music video. Through out the music video, various elements of iconography is seen to smash in slow motion. This refers back to Goodwin's theory as it shows intertextual references.One scene in particular is the when the artist's guitar smashes to pieces. This is effective as the smashed guitar connotes the breakdown of the relationship. Another element seen to smash in the glass vase holding the flowers. The glass could represent the artist's relationships symbolizing the vulnerability, and he is left broken now that the couple are no longer together. A further mise-en-scene element is significant in the music video is the positioning of the artist. James Morrison is regularly shown to be positioned in the center of the room. An example of this is when he is sitting on the bed playing the guitar. A mid shot shows him positioned in the center making him to be the focal point to the audience in turn connoting the artists importance.
Shallow focus was used in the music video when the second artist is introduced. This is effective as it enlightens the audience as to whats going on in the narrative. Nelly is shown to be the James' girlfriend in which they just broke up.This editing style is effective as it connotes to the target audience that she in no longer there. Green screen has also been used in the music video when the room appears to be on fire. This further connotes the emotions of the artist, such as the anger and pain that was caused from the relationship. This also showed a link between the lyrics and visuals just like Goodwin suggested as it was shown when the artist sings 'But were running through the fire...' This is effective as it allows the audience to get a better understanding on the messages of the song highlighting that they are trying to save their relationship even though it cannot be saved.
When creating our questionnaire, we made sure that we considered both male and females so therefore our findings are no way gender bias. This in turn means that our findings can be generalised to the wider population. Our finding display a true representation by considering both genders within our questionnaire results and therefore they are likely to be more accurate.
We decided to research the most popular genre of music as we would consider using a artist of the genre. This would be because we want to make our music video as successful as we can, therefore there would be a larger target audience that would watch our video. Luckily, the most liked music genre was identified as pop which coincides with our artist James Arthur. Therefore we decided to stick to our chosen music artist.
As shown in the pie chart, the most amount of music videos watched on average per week is estimated around 11-15.
When creating the questionnaire, we asked what was the preferred music video aspect: performance, narrative or concept based. This is vital information that we wanted to find as it would influence the style of the music video that we would create. As shown in the pie chart, performance and narrative are the more popular aspects of the music video and therefore we decided to used these element. This is also a convention of the pop music genre therefore our style of music video would be conventional. As a group we decided that 70% of our video will consist of a narrative based and 30% will be performance based.
One question we asked was what music video would you prefer to watch, a diverse or conventional one. The pie chart shows that a conventional music video is more popular as the audience are able to relate to the narrative more than a diverse music video, therefore in our music video we are going to conform to stereotypical pop conventions.
The majority of the people we interviewed said that they have heard of our chosen artist. This is useful as it confirms that our artist is well known, and therefore the music video is likely to appeal to a large majority of people.
The pie chart suggests that the preferred editing style is slow paced. This is because it creates a easy going music video that has a continuous flow. Therefore this will be considered when it comes to editing our music video.
Those who stated that they knew the artist, we then asked what was their favourite single. The majority of the people said their favourite was 'impossible' as it was his most established song. Therefore as a group we are confident that this is the more appropriate song choice as it would appeal to a large audience.