Analyse one of your media productions in relation to audience
In this essay I will be evaluating and analysing my A2 coursework in relation to audience and how it was gathered and used effectively within my product. I will be focusing upon the music video I created in A2, Save the World Tonight by Swedish House Mafia, and how audience had a direct affect on its creation and appeal, through the incorporating and dissecting of theories relating to audience. This overall being tied with the genre of my music video, dance.
Ien Ang's theory of 'Institutions must have an audience in mind' can be applied to my music video in a variety of ways. Firstly, when researching and brain-storming my music video I understood that the foundation of my product must have an audience focus; of which my ideas and conventions will centre around. In this case being dance genre fans. For example, I understood the dance audience like quick and short shots, therefore my video introduction consisted of a large amount of shots in a small space of time. This gave a clear link to dance music and in turn appealed to my audience in a simple and effective way. I also needed to understand my audience so that stereotypical elements of dance music can be both incorporated into my video and sometimes challenged, so that the typical dance genre audience can be appealed to while interesting and creative ideas can be attached for individuality. An example of this being the use of high action scenes such as the mugging scene being tied with a strong narrative. Ang's theory therefore presenting the true idea that a foundation of audience knowledge is required to create a genre base that can be built upon as production progresses.
The theory that the product 'Must relate back to the sub-culture' presented by Dick Hebdige was also vital to the creation and appeal of my product. For example, I understood that my sub-genre for my video would be that of clubbing and pop, creating depth to the video and a larger pool of audience that can be appealed to. In my product i made use of this by the use of a narrative underpinning most of my video, which clearly links to the pop genre which mostly incorporates a story background. The relating to a sub-genre also created more freedom in the development of my product, allowing the 'mould' of a stereotypical dance audience to be twisted and expanded upon. In my video I used clips of a live band playing instruments, which is typical of other genres's rather than dance; however the existence of an electronic and pop subculture allowed such ideas to be implemented without breaking away from the target audience I had in mind. Overall this theory creating layers to my product that opens up the product to a wider audience.
Clark et al.'s idea of 'regular audience research' also applied heavily to my music video, being key the the creation and planning needed to appeal to my audience and follow specific stereotypes to make the genre easily understandable. Facebook feedback, aka. social media feedback, was vital to the creation of an audience profile and understanding of what our desired audience wanted in the music video. For example, we posted clips of our video onto a specific dance genre 'group' on Facebook, asking for feedback and suggestions. This directly asking members of the dance fanbase so that up-to-date audience research could be found and embraced throughout the video creation. Dance fan peer groups were also used throughout the research part of our product, asking specific audience related question such as :'What would you typically see in a dance music video?', so that a compiled list of requirements could be made. A treatment sheet was also created through the gathering of information off fellow dance genre videos and the internet, so that the likes of costume and props could be directly linked to the audience we were trying to appeal to. For example, the reference to modern technology found in most dance music was highlighted in my video through the location of a music recording studio.
Another theory that can be applied to my product is that of McQuails, which suggests texts are used for a purpose, either 'escapism, personal or personal identity'. This can clearly link to my product simply because of the mixture of a surreal element with 'real-life' relations. For example, the surreal idea of a superhero fighting crime and saving those in distress is fictional, but can provide escapism as it takes the audience away from reality for entertainment purposes. Another link is the ability to gather a personal identity and relation from the video, as the target audience is the same age and normally in the same situation as the main character. Thus allowing the likes of daydreaming in class to be closely linked with what may actually happen during an audience's life. It can also be linked to the idea of many to wanting to be something of importance, like a superhero, therefore plays out a wish for many in a visual and audio way. Overall this theory can appeal to audiences in a variety of ways, giving individual taste and meaning to the product and therefore be more of an overall appealing product.
Stuart Hall's theory is also able to be applied to my product, through the implication that there is 3 types of media text reading 'dominant reading, negotiated reading and oppositional reading'. Primarily, my music can be placed under the theory of dominant reading as the audience is likely to understand the key concept I wished to portray, the idea that a regular student dreams about becoming a superhero and saving the world. This is done through the clear and simple narrative, and variety of scenes (such as the jumps between costume and location) that help identify the difference between dreaming and reality. This allowing my audience to clearly understand the reading i wished to show, for enjoyment purposes. It can also be argued that a negotiated reading can exist, with some of my desired audience adding their own twist to the narrative and vision I created. For example, someone may believe that the student is actually a superhero, and that he lives two separated lives. This does not stray from the underlying idea however, therefore is welcomed from the audience. Overall this theory allowing individuals from my audience to interpret as they fit, but mainly sticking to my desired idea through simplicity and effectiveness.
In conclusion, its clear a wide range of theories are evident in the way audience is linked to my product. From research all the way to reviewing its clear theories exist that affects my audience and the ways in which my product is interpreted. Its clear that audience is a foundation to any successful product, as it sets the elements needed for a dance genre video and must be understood to create a good, dance genre music video.
The theory that the product 'Must relate back to the sub-culture' presented by Dick Hebdige was also vital to the creation and appeal of my product. For example, I understood that my sub-genre for my video would be that of clubbing and pop, creating depth to the video and a larger pool of audience that can be appealed to. In my product i made use of this by the use of a narrative underpinning most of my video, which clearly links to the pop genre which mostly incorporates a story background. The relating to a sub-genre also created more freedom in the development of my product, allowing the 'mould' of a stereotypical dance audience to be twisted and expanded upon. In my video I used clips of a live band playing instruments, which is typical of other genres's rather than dance; however the existence of an electronic and pop subculture allowed such ideas to be implemented without breaking away from the target audience I had in mind. Overall this theory creating layers to my product that opens up the product to a wider audience.
Clark et al.'s idea of 'regular audience research' also applied heavily to my music video, being key the the creation and planning needed to appeal to my audience and follow specific stereotypes to make the genre easily understandable. Facebook feedback, aka. social media feedback, was vital to the creation of an audience profile and understanding of what our desired audience wanted in the music video. For example, we posted clips of our video onto a specific dance genre 'group' on Facebook, asking for feedback and suggestions. This directly asking members of the dance fanbase so that up-to-date audience research could be found and embraced throughout the video creation. Dance fan peer groups were also used throughout the research part of our product, asking specific audience related question such as :'What would you typically see in a dance music video?', so that a compiled list of requirements could be made. A treatment sheet was also created through the gathering of information off fellow dance genre videos and the internet, so that the likes of costume and props could be directly linked to the audience we were trying to appeal to. For example, the reference to modern technology found in most dance music was highlighted in my video through the location of a music recording studio.
Another theory that can be applied to my product is that of McQuails, which suggests texts are used for a purpose, either 'escapism, personal or personal identity'. This can clearly link to my product simply because of the mixture of a surreal element with 'real-life' relations. For example, the surreal idea of a superhero fighting crime and saving those in distress is fictional, but can provide escapism as it takes the audience away from reality for entertainment purposes. Another link is the ability to gather a personal identity and relation from the video, as the target audience is the same age and normally in the same situation as the main character. Thus allowing the likes of daydreaming in class to be closely linked with what may actually happen during an audience's life. It can also be linked to the idea of many to wanting to be something of importance, like a superhero, therefore plays out a wish for many in a visual and audio way. Overall this theory can appeal to audiences in a variety of ways, giving individual taste and meaning to the product and therefore be more of an overall appealing product.
Stuart Hall's theory is also able to be applied to my product, through the implication that there is 3 types of media text reading 'dominant reading, negotiated reading and oppositional reading'. Primarily, my music can be placed under the theory of dominant reading as the audience is likely to understand the key concept I wished to portray, the idea that a regular student dreams about becoming a superhero and saving the world. This is done through the clear and simple narrative, and variety of scenes (such as the jumps between costume and location) that help identify the difference between dreaming and reality. This allowing my audience to clearly understand the reading i wished to show, for enjoyment purposes. It can also be argued that a negotiated reading can exist, with some of my desired audience adding their own twist to the narrative and vision I created. For example, someone may believe that the student is actually a superhero, and that he lives two separated lives. This does not stray from the underlying idea however, therefore is welcomed from the audience. Overall this theory allowing individuals from my audience to interpret as they fit, but mainly sticking to my desired idea through simplicity and effectiveness.
In conclusion, its clear a wide range of theories are evident in the way audience is linked to my product. From research all the way to reviewing its clear theories exist that affects my audience and the ways in which my product is interpreted. Its clear that audience is a foundation to any successful product, as it sets the elements needed for a dance genre video and must be understood to create a good, dance genre music video.
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