Final Target Audience Research

Over the past week I've been asking people (who fall within our target audience) what they think to our final music video. This will essentially give us an idea whether the outcome of our project was what we wanted or not.

Our main goal was to make people feel sympathy for our singer and in doing so inform them about domestic abuse and direct their attention towards where they can get help for themselves or someone they know is suffering. On top of this, we needed to make our star likable and believable as a famous singer.

Target Audience feedback from final music video (1) - Female 19

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

She seems like a regular person, down to earth, she doesn’t seem like an “in your face” type of star like other artists now a days.

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

Yes, particularly with the vignette towards the end of the video.

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

Yes she seemed like the girl next door that other girls can relate to. The show scene at the start immediately caught my attention because showing the bruises really emphesises the meaning of abuse in the video.

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

Yes

8) Do you believe the narrative is able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

Yes and to seek advice with the number at the end

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

No, but it just goes to show what could happen inside relationships even though at first glance he might look like a nice guy.

Target Audience feedback from final music video (2) - Female 18

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

She seems like an average girl

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

The slow motion was amazing.

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

I like the locations a lot. I like the woodlands a lot and the bedroom scene was done very professional.

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

Deffinitely

8) Do you believe the narrative to be able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

Yeah it sends a very clear message.

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

No

Target Audience feedback from final music video (3) - Female 23

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

Normal ever day girl

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

I think so. The close ups were very effective in showing her sadness especially when combined with a high angle like at the last location in the video.

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

They worked well with her image. She looks looked of indie/pop?

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

I think that since it’s centered around the story more than the star that it didn’t show off her star image as well as another song/ storyline. However it could show us a bit of an insight into her past

8) Do you believe the narrative to be able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

Yes

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

No, I think that people will recognize him as the villain in the video and know that not all guys are like that. Everyone is different and you can clearly tell that he is being represented as the bad guy.

Target Audience feedback from final music video (4) - Female 26

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

She was very moving

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

Yes, it was brilliant, I can’t fault it

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

They were all good, but I think that the shower scene struck me the most with the bruise on the cheek. It really got the point of the message through.

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

Yeah I think it would definitely.

8) Do you believe the narrative to be able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

Oh I do, definitely, that was obviously what the whole message was about. It was shown through the lyrics as well as the visuals which I really liked and I’m sure other people suffering from abuse will be able to relate to it and it will inspire them to take action and call the number at the end of the video.

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

Yes, I hope guys are put off by his image and make them realize that they can be seen as aggressive sometimes. Other lads would see that and wouldn’t like it so I don’t think he is a good model for others.

Target Audience feedback from final music video (5) - Male 21

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes, mostly single shots with just the lead role in them.

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes, loved some of the fade ins and fade outs.                                               

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes, it had a great story line behind it and did a great job getting the message of abuse across.           

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

Took abuse in her relationship and she ends up fighting through it and sticks up for herself which ends up with her leaving Jason.

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

Yes, in the introduction, the shot with her in the shower with a cut on her face and bruises on her set the stage and made it clear what it was about

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

Shower, park with the lake in the background and the phone

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

Yes

8) Do you believe the narrative is able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

Yes

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

No, all males are different and I think that boys will understand that it's not about the gender being aggressive, but just Jason as a person.

Target Audience feedback from final music video (6) Male 18

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes, there were a lot of shots of Sophia which made it clear

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes, it’s about an abusive relationship

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

She seems quite relatable, even is she hadn’t been abused

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

Yes, the transitions were good and I liked when you saw Jason hit Sophia in the top corner of the screen

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

The shower scenes were effective, costumes were nice too

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

Yes

8) Do you believe the narrative is able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

Yes

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

No

Target Audience feedback from final music video (7) - Female 20

1) Did the performance shots enable you to identify the star/singer?

Yes, it was very clear who she was. It helped, also, that she was the only female in the video.

2) Were there enough close up’s of the main artist?

Yes! They were all powerful and beautiful, easy to read her different feelings throughout the story.

3) Did you understand the narrative of the video?

Yes. From the opening scene it was very clear.

4) What did you think of the star’s representation? (His/Her image)

I think she portrayed a very strong woman who had been hurt in the past, but was done being a victim. She was very inspiring.

5) Was editing used well enough for the meaning to be clear?

Yes! I especially liked how the flashbacks seemed to overlay her in the present.

6) Did you like the costumes/locations? Did you have a costume or location that you particularly liked?

I think the most powerful location and costume, or lack thereof, was the shower scene. It was very minimalistic, but had a strong message.

7) Would the music video encourage you to buy her music or products?

I do like a slow, more emotional song here and there so yes, I would definitely look more into her as an artist. She has a beautiful voice as well.

8) Do you believe the narrative is able to encourage young girls who are in a bad relationship to get out of it before it is to late?

I do think this is the narrative. It really encourages women to be strong and proves that there is an escape to these negative and damaging situations.

9) Is the male character portraying an offensive message to other males stereotyping them as being violent?

I don’t think this message if offensive to other men. I would hope if anything it encouraged men to want to avoid violence and abusive behaviors.

Planning: Advert for Digipak

I made this poster to promote Sofia's new album Fate. I am aware that it is not the correct size so this is something I will have to correct when I next go on Adobe Elements 11. I used the same purple colour scheme as well as black and white which creates synergy with the video and digipak since Sofia's signature colour is purple (the same purple as her velvet dress). The black and white, as well as the images towards the right compare to the flashbacks seen in the Gravity video (which will be her anticipated single in the album).

Research: TA of Back Cover of Digipak

We carried out some TA research to find out what people thought of our back cover. We asked them to state their age and gender, and say what they liked/didn't like about the image. 

I printed off 8 copies of this and handed them out to people in a TA age range. 

The main comments that came back were:

- They don't like the background as it is too bland

- The text is good central but they don't like the font

-  They like the images

I will take these comments into account and alter my cover in any way that seems appropriate.

Changing the Colour of the Dress

We thought it would be a great idea if there was any way that we could make this shot black and white whilst keeping the colour of Sophia's dress maroon. We came up with a way where the dress acted like a green screen and whatever colour we selected (we selected the maroon in her dress) could be kept the same by making another layer to the video.

We tried this for about 45 minutes and there was no way that this could be successful without having the yellow colour (as seen on the cushion near Sophia and Jason's head) being in the shot as well. We decided that this was too much of an eyesore so we have not incorporated this in the music video

It looked better without it.

Flickr Feedback (Digipak/Poster)

We thought that if we got a picture of Sophia breaking conventions by acting as if she is looking over the fence is could suggest that she is trapped and could symbolise her wanting to escape from the "walls" which her abusive boyfriend is keeping her in. 

With all of the opinions of the people who commented taken into consideration, it seems like we have a few good photos to work with. We will have to work with the lighting and levels on Adobe Photoshop to make them really pop. It's a shame that we didn't take some of the photos at a variety of angles so we could see which ones were more effective, as a few of the comments were about making her appear more empowering through the use of camera angles.

Similar Product Research 8 (Music Video: White Horse)

Taylor Swift - White Horse

The establishing shot of White Horse is pathetic fallacy since it softly fades into showing a gloomy day as the rain falls on the window pane. This reflects the lyrics and how sad Taylor feels as she is grief-stricken by her boyfriend.

The next shot appears during the long introduction of the song and features an extreme close up of what is presumably Taylor's mouth. It is a continuousIt contains dialogue between herself and her boyfriend asking her to give him "another chance". It is set at night to suggest mystery and the anticipation of her answer (which we don't find out until the climax of the song). This is a very clever way of keeping the audiences attention throughout the entire song as they would want to find out her answer.

Another extreme close up introduces the male protagonist. Since this is the first time he is revealed it makes the audience think that he is up to no good since it is quite obscure that we can't see his eyes, or the rest of his face for that matter.

This long shot exposes the mise en scene of the room and the only light that is visible in this shot is from the moonlight outside coming in through the window, and the two lamps in each corner of the room which creates ambiance. Taylor is following the conventions and stereotypes of a grieving girlfriend who's boyfriend has cheated on her through her vulnerable pose. She is sitting on the floor holding onto her legs which tells the audience that she is broken-hearted.

Flashbacks are used to show that their relationship wasn't always so bad. The flashbacks are distinct as they seem to be faded out slightly and have a much whiter light. Most of the video is dark and set at night and by making the insights into their past brighter it gives the audience a clear contrast to how Taylor felt/feels at both of these times.

Although it seems that the pair are having fun playing cards, the way the boy takes Taylor's queen of hearts card could actually symbolise him taking advantage of her.

This shot also caught my attention as the hands in the foreground aren't what the camera is focused on. Even though their hands are an important sign of them being in a relationship the focus is on Taylor and highlights her expression. The audience are able to make their own assumptions of how Taylor is feeling based on her eye contact with the couples hands.

As the story progresses we get a rapid change of scene to a cafe where we see Taylor and one of her friends having a talk about her boyfriend. At this point in the song it is revealed to the audience that she's being cheated on through the use of a voice over.

By this scene the audience now know why Taylor is so devastated and the dark atmosphere is shown again. In this shot she is shown looking at her phone at a Facebook message from her friend which shows intertextuality.

The climax of the music video is very intense and the way the camera transitions between medium close ups of the three people in the love triangle intensifies Taylor Swifts struggle. Each persons expressions are the key elements in making this scene work since it really shows how each person feels about the situation. Taylor's confusion, her

boyfriend's guilt and the other female's realisation gives the audience their own opinions on the situation.

This long shot helps develop the awkwardness of the scene by way the three people are standing and their positioning represents the love triangle that taylor didn't know she was involved in.

This shot is a close up of Taylor hugging her legs which links back to the scene at the beginning of the video where instead of using a close up shot, Taylor was filmed in a long shot. The shadows of her hair draping over her face make the audience feel sympathetic to her since it shows a developed vulnerability since this pose had reoccured throughout the entire video.

Similar Product Research 7 (Music Video: Teardrops On My Guitar) Framing

Teardrops On My Guitar- Taylor Swift

The establishing shot of this music video is shown in a natural frame to give the impression that Taylor Swift is just having a regular day at school. Taylor and her love interest have their backs turned towards the lockers at the left of the frame to give the viewer the experience of actually being with them in the natural school setting. It is shown as a point of view shot as the hallways are crowded and this makes the audience feel as though they are involved in the scene in the point of view as a student at the school. Before the introduction of the song there is a dialogue between the two main characters in the video which establishes the conflicts and issue that this music video is centred around.

Taylor is centre frame here which is very effective especially with the slightly vignette look surrounding the shot. She is the focus of this particular shot and her dress is accentuated as it drapes off of the bed. The lighting in this scene seems to be artificially lit and pointed straight at Taylor Swift and since she is centre frame this further highlights Taylor as being the centre of attention. Furthermore, the guitar is also lit up which highlights it as not only a sign for Country Music but one of the main words in the title of her song.

This shot is obviously set in a science class as there are many indicators such as the test tubes and goggles. This helps Taylor's target audience relate to her and her situation. It also helps that she is right of frame since it reveals more of the background. The background is blurred and the pull focus is on Taylor which is a convention of any music video especially if the artist is singing into camera since this draws the attention of the audience onto the main character in the video and the story instead of getting distracted by the vivid background. I've noticed how the director used the rule of thirds to position taylor in the perfect position for this shot.

Towards the end of the video and especially during the bridge of the song Taylor is in the centre frames of most of the shots wearing many extravagant gowns. By showing her standing in the middle of the frame it allows the reader to focus on Taylor and her image. It shows her power and is a huge contrast to the sad beginning of the song where the audience feels sympathetic for Taylor laying helplessly on her bed. The view has also changed since the beginning of the video and the camera is shooting from a lower angle which makes Taylor look more hopeful and determined to get over her crush. This is completely different to the beginning of the video where the camera is shot at a very high angle which makes the audience believe that she is totally overpowered by her emotions and heartbreak.

In this shot Taylor is right of frame exposing the mise en scene of the bed and the bed side cabinet. Shortly after, the camera starts panning to reveal more of the room. The camera pans a lot in this video which in my opinion creates a whimsical atmosphere and goes well with all of the long notes in the song.

Taylor is left of frame in this shot as well as being filmed in a close up which really exposes her facial expression. In this particular shot she doesn't appear to be very distraught which indicates to the audience that this story has a happy ending. However in the next shot, and very last scene she is shown to be hidden which could suggest that she is just hiding her true feelings.

The very last scene in the video ends with this shot of Taylor hidden with half of her face covered by her guitar (which is what the pull focus is on). The way she is blurred out suggests that she is still hurting from what he did to her.

Rebel Records Logo Ideas (Instagram Poll)

4 people in the survey preferred this logo.

2 people in our survey preferred this logo.

I used Instagram as a form of social media for polling our target audience on which logo they would like to see best for our Music Institution. the results were as followed:

There were 6 participants in this survey, all of which were girls (which could have affected the results).

We have decided to use the logo which got the most votes since it looks neat and professional.