Ella Question 3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Audience feedback has been very useful throughout our project, and we have used it at many key stages to see what we can change and what is successful with our target audiences. Our target audiences are as follows:

Primary audience: UK 15 - 45 year old females
Secondary audience: UK 15 - 45 year old males
Tertiary audience: Foreign, non English language speaking *

*We initially planned to reach this audience, as we were aware that the pop-genre and its spin offs are very popular especially in Europe. However, as our project developed, we came to realise that this was unrealistic, Revolutionary Records are a small, independent record label, and would not finance the marketing of the band overseas. The record company would focus on getting mainstream UK audience appeal before investing in expanding overseas. Also, I think it would be more worthwhile trying to break into the American market if the band were successful in the UK; from there the European market would follow.

Feedback

We got feedback throughout all stages of the project, in the following ways:

• Questionnaires handed out at a screening
• Focus groups and Interviews
• Teacher and peer feedback
• Online responses to a survey shared via social media
• Informal conversations with friends and family

While we were still in production of the music video, it was very important for us to get feedback in particular from our target to see how we could make changes that would increase audience appeal. The following video shows the difference between our initial edit and the feedback we received on it, and the changes we then made. 

Feedback on Band Name

Brainstorming our band name was something that took a lot of time, as we were aware that it is the first thing that most audiences will hear in reference to the band, and so we had to think carefully about our connotations. We wanted to connote the lead singer as very over the top, much more dominant than the rest of the group and so came up with the name "B*tch and the Band". Through this name we would connote the lead's overdramatic nature, and "___ and the ____" is often the band name format used when there is one strong lead in the group. Furthermore, we wanted to take back the word b*tch and associate it with the connotations that we had chosen, rather than the insulting implications it usually carries. Lily Allen has done this with her recent video - Hard Out Here (below).

However, after receiving feedback, we decided that there was too much of a risk that we would cause offense and potentially alienate some of our target audience: "crikey, that's a bit much!". Also, unlike in Lily Allen's video, we are not directly satirizing the way in which it came to receive its connotations, and so the chance of audiences taking offence is even more likely. In Lily Allen's video there is very little offence likely to be taken due to the context given by the satirical feminist nature of song. 

Screening

To get some feedback and to have an opportunity to show our friends the music videos our year group had made, we organised a screening of the music videos. Myself and two others made a trailer for the event in order to generate some excitement around the event and to encourage people to come.The screening was a very successful way of getting qualitative feedback. We handed out questionnaires to a random selection of people. Here is a sample of what they thought of the finished music video. 

What did you enjoy most about this music video?

• Unusual storyline
• The running shots at the end
• The crazy mental institution bit
• The asylum bit. She went crazy when the music picked up 

This feedback correlates to the feedback we had on survey monkey: the hospital scenes seemed to appeal to the audience the most. 

When asked about the relevance of the dancer, and what happened in the video, these were the responses:

• The dancer symbolised her freedom and lost hope
• It was about the girl breaking free from the asylum/conformity
• He was a love interest
• It was about her pyschological problems/mental state deteriorating
• The dancer was an ex-patient at the hospital
• She imagined/had a dream that she met the dancer
• He was a hallucination
• He is an angel

I think that this varied feedback shows that the concept nature of the video was successful, people made different interpretations due to the way in which they viewed our representations within the video: this is polysemics. However, some people responded with "I don't understand the storyline" or "The dancer appeared randomly". This is something I would improve on if remaking the video: the dancer should be introduced more gradually and the concept nature made clearer. 

We also got some general feedback that was less positive:

• The steps to the story didn't follow well
• The band didn't feel connected as members
• Chaos did not kill the dinosaurs, it was an asteroid. 

This feedback has been very useful. I think that whilst we were unified in costume and make-up, we could have definitely improved our unity as a band in shots by having more interactions together. I also think that our band name may have too niche an appeal to be good. "Chaos killed the dinosaurs" is a quote from the 80s film "Heather's", and whilst this may strongly appeal to those who recognised the quote, seemed "random" to audience members who did not understand. I think that we should have chosen a band name appeal to a younger demographic; half of our target audience were not alive when the film was made. 

Online Survey

Using survey monkey, an online web tool, we were able to get people to feedback on our video. We shared the link through social media, via both the band page and our own pages. 

(click to enlarge)

This was probably the most effective way for us to get qualitative data; participants were anonymous and therefore more likely to be honest, and we got over 50 responses, making our results more reliable. 

Average Rating: 8.7
I was very happy with this feedback! To me this means that we have generally met the needs of our audience. 

This again was feedback that I was pleased with. As a band member I do feel that I tried my hardest, although if I were to do this project again I would try to be more relaxed and confident. In our last survery question, What could be improved? "Band performance" came up a few times. Also, many respondents stated that they would have liked to have seen more of the band "so we get a sense of their individual personalities". Although we wanted to focus on the lead singer, and connote the band as her support, I think that we should have included more band shots to gratify the needs of the more musical fans. However I do not think that the lead singer's performance could have been improved and the audience generally agreed, with comments such as "[the lead singer's] acting was incredible". 

Interview with Secondary Audience

Interviewee Profile:

• Male
• 30s
• Guitar and Piano Teacher

This feedback is feel is very positive; we successfully communicated the concept of the video to audience in just one viewing: "the girl is crazy or people think she is". However, I think that it may not be very clear that the video is concept, and that we have intended for people to take different interpretations, as when speaking to the target audience, some seem unsure as to if what they are saying "is right".

I think this demonstrates that we have successfully appealed to the target audience; on a technical as well as creative level. Something I would take into account though, is the pace of the editing. Whilst it is a convention to have quick cuts, and non linear editing, much of the feedback from the older age group in our target audience has been that the video is too quick, or hard to keep track of. I think that due to the complex nature of the concept of our video, we should have slowed down the pace in the beginning to establish the concept further, and allowed the length of the hospital shots and dancer shots to go on slightly longer.  

Focus group of Primary and Secondary Audience

•  From this interview I have learnt that audiences like something unique in music videos, and some members also like concentrating and making interpretations.
• They also fed back that they did not pick up on the films being projected in one of the performance set-ups. This lead to an interesting debate on how much each person read into the music video. It was said by one interviewee that he believed men did not look for meaning or unanswered questions, rather viewed the interview as a whole. Conversely, a female interviewee stated that she enjoyed looking for the deeper meaning. This lead me to think about the different uses and gratifications audiences may have when watching a music video. In this instance, whilst males are looking for simple entertainment, female viewers may deeper look into the music video in order to identify with characters, or for escapism of daily life. 

Feedback On Our Album Cover

We got feedback on this throughout the duration of the production. Firstly, we planned to use rope and chains as a motif throughout the video and album cover. Feedback from our peers and teachers suggested that this was a good idea, because it the album cover would very strongly connote what we wanted it to with regards to artist image, and Arianna being the lead. However, we changed this after doing further research when we decided we wanted to conventionally separate our album and music video. Here is our final Album Cover, and feedback from someone from both our primary and secondary audiences

Primary Audience



Secondary Audience

When asked what made him think of the suicide connotations, this was his response:

What I have learned:

• There is a strong need to be careful with subjects such as suicide, and we did not think of these possible connotations. This, linked linked to the hospital scenes could alienate members of the audience who find it offensive. 
• The album reinforces the genre of our band, the alternative, indie side to it. In this was I think that we have been successful. 

Feedback on Website

I asked a sample from our primary target audience what they thought of the website:

• Navigation is very straightforward
• The visuals are showcased very well but I don't like the dotted lines on the homepage
• It is very interactive, I particularly like the twitter feed on the side of the homepage
• I would like to know more about the band - how did they come to form?
• I like the opening pop-up page, it links well to the album and general theme

When asked about the album name, respondents correctly identified the album name as "I". 

I think that this is very representative feedback. I am very happy that our usability and interactivity are good as these were main focuses for our group. I also think that we have successfully raised awareness of the album with the website. I would agree though that at some parts the aesthetics of the website can be improved. Also, through audience feedback in general, I have learnt that the audience are very keen to learn more about the band; they like to go beyond just watching the video once, and like to get "insider knowledge". This is the main thing that I would bare in mind if I remade the website or music video.