Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Audience feedback is an essential part of creating any production as it is your primary research and you need to know exactly what to provide your target audience with. The reason for this is because the demographic will have their own expectations and as a producer it is your responsibility to fulfil these audience expectations. As a result, I conducted various forms of audience research in order to gain insight and feedback that was required to do a good job. One example of when I carried out audience feedback was when I created questionnaires (this was pre – production), they received a positive response on them for the concept of the documentary.
Another instance of when audience feedback was carried out was when I conducted a focus group in relation to my documentary. This was during the production process. It did indeed come as a help because believe or not, the audience feedback from the focus group was taken on board and some amendments were made to the documentary.

An example as of how this particular audience feedback was taken on board was through the mention of chiaroscuro lighting, it was suggested that through the use of light and shade it would provide the documentary with emotion and more dramatic atmosphere surrounding it. This is exactly what we did when implemented the character applying his face paint. Furthermore, as a group we decided it wouldn’t do any harm to conduct some audience feedback once the documentary was complete. And so we did…

This interview that was shot and edited by my self features our target audience and our secondary audience. There were a mixture of positive and negative comments in the interviews and as a group we took it as constructive criticism.

We gathered a range of positive and negative comments from our peers and teachers as we thought this was a good idea. In order to obtain audience feedback from our peers we conducted interviews and here is what they had to say: 

One of our participants stated that they found the documentary “very interesting” and that it would “suit the target audience really well”. This is well-deserved positive feedback from the audience and these comments reinforce the satisfaction me and my group got from creating this documentary.  In addition, another participant who is part of the demographic had this to say: “It was very grabbing and you want to know more about what happens” implying that the documentary is extremely engaging and provides entertainment for the target audiences pleasure. This factor is supported by Blumler & Katz Uses and gratifications theory whereby they believe audiences watch pieces of media text in order to gain a particular “function”; in this case, the function was the element of entertainment for the target audience. Furthermore, there were specific aspects that the participants of this interview liked, they were: the narration throughout the documentary executed through a voice over, the camera shots and movement capturing the football element was done well etc. Ultimately, the documentary lives up to the expectations of the target audience.

However, nothing’s perfect and the documentary did face some negative comments regarding the lack of locations featured in the documentary. This isn’t a problem but if you had to find something then that is what it would be.

In terms of feedback we received from our teachers it consisted of a balance of positive and negative comments. The reason for this is because our teachers waned to try and achieve the best grade possible. The positive feedback we got included points about the locations and participants we had access to were very good and it was organised well. The narrative structure was dealt with in a an appropriate manner “with a mix of interviews, well scripted voice over and actuality footage filmed by students along with a small amount of necessary archive / found footage. Lighting is interesting and shots are mostly well framed with good sound.” This feedback was very pleasing as a lot of time and effort went into the production of this documentary. It was also mentioned that there was a creative use of typical conventions. This was encouraging to hear.

However, the negative comments attached all came down to one point, the fact that there was too much archive footage being used and we had to cut down on it. Although it is necessary, there simply can’t be too much. This was exactly the same criticism that came out of the focus group I conducted. One of the participants featured in the focus group stated that: “I don’t think you should use too much archive footage because it can end up taking over the whole documentary.” These wise words that we took on board helped us realise that we had to keep archive footage to a minimum and that’s precisely what we did.

Although there were improvements that we could make, some positive audience feedback came out of the focus group as well. Another one of the participants had this to say; “In particular I like the chiaroscuro lighting treatment” this was done to create drama, tension and mood in the scenes – which was executed well. For instance the use of light and shade and the where the chiaroscuro lighting was utilised was when the tribal paint was being applied to the character.

via GIPHY

This mis-en-scene was featured throughout the entire documentary and was therefore a significant aspect to the complexion of the documentary as a whole. Another participant stated that, (in regards to the chiaroscuro lighting) “with that kind of lighting it definitely enhanced the mood completely and brought a lot more emotion into the whole scene.” Therefore, the audience feedback from the focus group was mostly positive in the sense that they enjoyed viewing it.

All these comments we received may change the way I work in the future, as audience feedback is indeed helpful in the sense that it offers me a new perceived insight regarding the production I am working on. Thus I will take into consideration any suggestions people have to offer and constructive criticism regarding my production in order to improve my work. I never really use to listen to peoples advice before hand but this has changed my attitude towards production because to be honest you need all the help you can get. In terms of working in a group, this audience feedback has taught me to listen to my team members and this overall task has without a doubt adapted me to work in a group effectively and by myself efficiency.

These comments have taught me to work productively in a team throughout the production stage of this process. The feedback I obtained through audience research will ensure that I produce my next piece of work (possibly another documentary) to the highest of standards as I have learned not to rush the production of the creation because quality is key. The process of producing a documentary is a tedious one - especially the editing (post - production) - and therefore patience goes a long way in order to achieve the best work you can. Overall, this process isn't to be underestimated in terms of the effort and work you need to put in.

On a similar note, I have learned an astonishing amount regarding the process of actually gathering audience feedback. The main lesson learnt is that in order to succeed and create a success, you must always  consider every single big of advice, recommendations, improvements and even a positive element in order to focus and amplify that positive aspect. There is a sort of symbiotic relationship between audience and production as they cannot function properly without media. This intrinsic link represents how important the audience actually are and therefore must be listened to and respected - in the sense that they know best for their own satisfaction and engagement. Thus why the process of obtaining audience feedback throughout the production process is crucial, in order to ensure that the project you are working on will be a success!