The nature and purposes of research in the creative media industries

 

Primary research-

Primary research is information/research you have conducted by yourself. An example of this could be making your own form and getting people to sign it.FoemPlus.com says that “Secondary research is a common approach to a systematic investigation in which the researcher depends solely on existing data in the course of the research process. This research design involves organizing, collating and analysing these data samples for valid research conclusions.”

https://www.formpl.us/blog/secondary-research#:~:text=Secondary%20research%20is%20a%20common,samples%20for%20valid%20research%20conclusions. Accessed 5/07/22

3-

4-Interviews is one of the examples that people in the professional industry do to collect their primary research. This could be professional people or the general public. In addition to this, you can also gain information and research by making questionnaires. These can be from existing customers or someone anonymous to give reviews and their opinions.

secondary research -

Secondary research is different from Primary research as they use the research solely based existing data of that topic. It means they don’t have to go out and interview and make questionnaires to gain the data. Question pro says “Secondary research or desk research is a research method that involves using already existing data. Existing data is summarized and collated to increase the overall effectiveness of research.” https://www.questionpro.com/blog/secondary-research/ accessed 5/07/22 

Secondary research I have conducted was when I was recreating the Ben and Jerry’s advert. I did this by watching previous adverts that Ben and Jerry’s have created to get a feel for what they produce to make it similar, but to change the target audience.

Secondary research would usually be used in the professional industry by checking ratings of tv shows to see how successful it is. This could be like seeing what population of the gender it is aimed towards. In addition to this, they may use this in pre-production as they may use the research to help it aim to certain members of the audience.

Pros and cons-

Primary research can be more helpful as if you are conducting that research yourself you can be specific as you want to be. It also means certain questions are easier to find out if you put them in surveys. Primary could be better than secondary as secondary is based off other people’s research. However, secondary research could be more purposeful as they may have had time to have a lot of in depth research that you can easily access and it also saves time.

Quantitative research -

Quantitative research is when you collect data by processing and analysing numerical data. It is helpful research as it may be used to find out averages and find patterns.

Scribbr states that “Quantitative research is widely used in the natural and social sciences: biology, chemistry, psychology, economics, sociology, marketing, etc.” https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/introduction-to-quantitative-research/  accessed 05/07/22  

Quantitative research I have conducted was when I was doing primary research. This was by asking in my questionnaire what the audiences age was. By asking this I saw different peoples ages and what the majority/ average age of who was answering. It helps because we know age and how things like social media can have an impact on how we think.

Like secondary research, in the professional industry they would use quantitative research by finding out the average of how many people view something and if they watch it constantly. It means they can use this data to see if the things they are producing are being successful.

Pros and cons-

The pros about quantitative research is that you are getting accurate data from things like knowing your main audience. This is important because of how certain things you advertise or produce is more likely to be aimed at that age range. However, I personally feel like quantitative research is not in depth as you are only analysing numerical data. This means sometimes the research may not be as accurate as you’re not interviewing and looking at case studies ect.

Qualitative research-

Qualitative research is data collected by: observations, interviews, questionnaires, case studies and much more. This makes it a more naturalistic approach to the subject matter to the research .

Simply Psychology states-Qualitative research is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting non-numerical data, such as language. Qualitative research can be used to understand how an individual subjectively perceives and gives meaning to their social reality. https://www.simplypsychology.org/qualitative-quantitative.html Accessed on 26/08/22

Qualitative research I have conducted myself is creating a questionnaire to see what audiences think of the rebranded advert. It means asking questions such as “what age range do you think this advert was aimed at?” By creating a questionnaire, I was able to collect my data and know what audience members think of my work.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3eOtNGTg7lsEPkPiwYbQ8ujQpJg0i6vcMrQswxbnjUpT2FQ/viewform (Questionnaire from the rebrand advert)

In the creative industry, qualitative research is used a lot. Wether that be for documentaries, or tv shows, or  even the news. Producing factual information for the audience to watch you would have to use qualitative research to make sure it is accurate. It’s why the news uses a bit of qualitative research in their work as they are observing and interviewing.

Pros and cons-

The pros of qualitative research is that you have many ways to collect the research you want. This also means knowing where it all comes from to make sure it’d accurate as possible. Having research like interviewing people is getting personal experience to back up evidence of what you want to produce. However, because qualitative research is analysing non-numerical data you can’t find out averages and patterns throughout your research.

Market and audience research-

Market research is where you gather information about peoples needs and preferences. This is like box sales seeing which films are successful and what sold quickly. This is mainly for the companies to see what people want and need from tv shows as super hero movies mainly do better than drama so that companies are more likely to produce a superhero movie.  'Market research consists of systematically gathering data about people or companies – a market – and then analyzing it to better understand what that group of people needs.' https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-market-research#:~:text=Market%20research%20consists%20of%20systematically,that%20group%20of%20people%20needs. 

Audience research is based on the demographics the company can see when people are watching their film or tv show. This helps them understand for whatever they next produce you are more likely aiming towards that audience. So this is like aiming it towards that audience ages or their style of taste could that be horror or drama. 'Audience research is designed to establish the size, composition, and characteristics of a group of individuals who are, or could be, potential customers. It's important to note that this research is about the people and individuals who make up your target audience.' https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/lessons/introduction-to-digital-marketing_audience-research_furn#:~:text=Audience%20research%20is%20designed%20to,make%20up%20your%20target%20audience. 

Audience research that I produced throughout my filmmaking was questionnaires. Making a survey for the audience helped me understand what worked well and what certain audience members enjoy. I also got an understanding of what ages they were that watched my film and this helped me see what demographics are the main ones. 

Production research-

Mini task

 

Mini task-

Introduction-

A documentary is a film that produces information for the audience’s enjoyment. Examples could be like: Blue Planet, Louis and The Nazis and Three Identical Strangers. Documentary’s produces facts as well as focusing on public opinions which makes the audience feel involved.

Paragraph 1-

An expository documentary focuses on disembodied and autorotative voiceovers. This means it is directly addressing the viewers who are watching. With an expository documentary, the images will be produced for the audience to see, along with facts and arguments which will have an edited voiceover that is broken down for people to understand. An example of this could be that they put on captions as they break down the facts. With the series of images, it should have a lot of descriptive information which will help and guide the audience to have an opinion. Expository documentary focuses on one point only and produces a direct representation. An example of expository documentary is Blue Planet as the presenter (Sir David Attenborough) is showing the audience the real side to nature. The key features that get explored in expository documentary are: Omniscient voice-over, a right answer (doesn’t leave much subjectivity), and evidentiary editing (usually can see this on news broadcasts).

Paragraph 2-

An observational documentary is different from most documentary’s as we don’t see the film crew, we simply see the things they want the audience to focus on. The documentary style is unobtrusive which means it’s not attracting attention away from the focus. Throughout the documentary, you will not see any judgement and will have neutral opinions on the topic that is being made. This is because it will give the audience the ability to decide on what they think. An example of observational documentary is ‘Grey Gardens’ which was produced in 1975 as it follows two socialites who suffer with a massive problem, money. They explore their everyday life without any crew being involved. Key features in an observational documentary you should see are realism (helps form a better opinion), and handheld shots and little to no voice over.

Paragraph 3-

An interactive documentary is completely opposite to observational as the filmmaker is very present. It contains a lot of interaction between interviewees and presenter which might include arguments. Having arguments throughout the documentary means that there is a high likely hood that there will be different opinions that are being presented on the screen. This may mean that the audience might be persuaded on agreeing on one opinion or even coming up with a new one. However, it may come across as misinterpreted through their arguments as there is a lot of manipulation of the text which is more evident through editing. An example of an interactive documentary is Animals of the Loose and the presenter is Bear Grylls. The presenter is very involved throughout the documentary.

 

Paragraph 4-

A reflexive documentary is where the documentary attempts to expose the certain conventions that are included in documentary to the audience. They could do this by exposing the construction of documentary texts and may even be experimented with. Throughout a reflexive documentary you will have a series of everyday life shots but will be used as bricks or may even be experimented with just like the text throughout the documentary. A good example of reflexive documentary is Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends (1998) as it focuses traveling to different places and experiencing weird events. The key features of a reflexive documentary are it focuses on the relationship between the filmmaker and the audience, it pushes the audience to reflect and reanalyse their truth and exposing the documentary-making process.

 

Paragraph 5-

A performative documentary approaches documentary style differently as it presents the world indirectly and they do it by emphasises the presentation instead of the content. In addition to this, when it comes to interviewing, they may use things like re-enactments, soundtracks and more dramatic camera shots. This is because it aims to the audience the story in an expressive manner by creating visuals which may help the audience. An example of a performative documentary is ‘Tongues United’ a documentary in 1989 which focuses on the experiences of gay African American men. Key features in a performative documentary include more personal when it comes to filmmaking, the filmmaker may use their own experiences, and they rely on a subjective lens.

Conclusion-

Personally, I feel like performative documentary is my favourite because of the style and how it is visualised, it makes it more engaging for me to process the information that is given to me. Expository documentary is the format that presents information in an objective and unbiased way. I feel like the producers must have a contract with the viewer to be honest in what they show because a documentary is exploring the world in a different way and not glamourising things we see like the viewers usually would when using social media. Throughout documentary’s we see raw emotions being shown and sometimes seeing clips you wouldn’t expect. It is why I think that producers should and have that contract with it not even being physically there for us to see.

 

Initial ideas for Documentary

 

Introduction to the news

 

An Introduction to The News

 

Your Introduction to The News post should focus, briefly, on the basics and key conventions of a news broadcast. Include clips and images where relevant. Focus on clear and concise information and examples, rather than a large word count. Use the boxes below to make notes that you will then type up.

 

Part 1 (using the news broadcast you have watched)

Watch a news broadcast and state which one you watched, e.g., Look East Monday 18th March 6pm.	18/05/22 (look east)
What stories were covered and in what order were they shown?	Looked at inflation/cost of living crisis first and then went to three men who have been jailed who were drug dealers, celebrity starts to bring up important matters with the Health and social care committee (about eating disorders and BEAT charity). Finally, we had Ed Sheeran sending a video to a primary school before going onto the weather.
What happens in the starting sequence and why do you think the visuals and audio have been used?	Music- to wake up the audience and grab their attention. Sound is catchy. Using animations like the world sphere represents it is stories worldwide and bringing people together. It then shows the presenter who begins the opening story.

 

Part 2 (using a story from the broadcast you have found)

What was this story about and what was the structure of the report (lead in, main content, final comments)?	The story was about – The only way is Essex star (Charlie King) talking to mps about body image on his mental health. There are local charities trying to improve and help body dysmorphia.
Who is involved in the story?	Charlie King, MPs and Colette Mullins.
How are the people in the story represented?	They are being represented in a more positive way. However, it is unbiased because the news views on these people are not said or to influence the audience, they are just telling the viewers who they are.
How did you feel about the people in the news story? Why? Use the following terms where relevant: accuracy; balance; impartiality; objectivity; subjectivity; opinion; bias; access & privacy	I personally think these people are helpful. Without the news being biased, I was able to give an opinion on how I felt about them. I feel like that these people are quite important as they bring up matters in an objective manner. There is a balance in this story as we are not just hearing from one person; we are hearing from a person who has experienced it as well as from a professional who deals with clients on a day-to-day basis.
Was the news story narrativised? i.e., was there a construction of a narrative to help the audience follow the news event.	The story was narrativised in a way where we had a voice over as the viewer begins to see who the story focuses on.

 

Part 3 (referring to the Anglia News documentary)

Who are the newsreaders / presenters in the broadcast you watched? (Name, age, gender, etc.)	Jo Malin in her 40s gender is female and white. Bob Warman in his 50s is a male and white.
How do newsreaders address the audience? Why?	At the start of the program they will say 'hello' or 'good evening'. They do this purposely to make the audience feel more included.
What is the role of the newsreader / presenter in a news broadcast?	The role of a newsreader is to present news that is happening in the audiences community or even around the world.
What skills are necessary for newsreaders / presenters?	Skills that are needed to be a good presenter are: listening. They need to listen as the ear piece has people talking just  in case there is an urgent story and have to changed. They need to be able to be confident as they have to present to a lot of viewers.
what is a field reporter and what do they do?	Filed reporters are out of office jobs where they go out searching for stories and interviewing people to bring a story together.
Who else is involved in a broadcast and what do their roles entail (3 more with 3 bullet points each).	You have a camera operator who's role is to use the camera and make sure that it is in focus and operating correctly. In addition, you have a broadcast mixer which means they are responsible to combine multiple audios. They have also the role of processing the audio and decide which one should be chosen. You then have a timer to make sure that the stories they are broadcasting on that day and do not over run.

 

Part 4 News Ordering - 'What Makes the News'? (research)

What is meant by the term news ordering?	News ordering is the order the news is placed throughout the thirty minute. It usually starts off with more serious and dark topics that some viewers may find upsetting. However, at the end it finishes on a lighter note with more funny stories.
What is the term given to the list of stories that will likely appear on the broadcast?	prospects list
Which story is likely to be shown first and how / why is it selected?	The story to be shown first is the most breaking news and must have more coverage on it.
Why is the ability to think and act quickly important in news?	Because of how much chaos goes on you need to be able to handle the pressure as it can easily change. You also have presenters who must handle the pressure as there is a lot of people telling them what to do through an earpiece on live television.
What is meant by the term 'slow news day'?	That there is not a lot of news to cover.
What is the final story often called and what is its function?	The final story is to ends the news day on a more positive matter. The stories are much happier story as throughout the news it can be tough subjects.
What is meant by the term 'news values' and which G & R wrote about them?
What is actuality footage and stock footage and why are they used?	Stock Footage: Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Used to to make clips fit together in a seamless way, as well as adding filler. Actuality footage: Non-dramatised footage usually shot for inclusion in documentary films. Used to show realness and naturalness.

 

 

Links to my Documentary work

 https://youtu.be/wHcdclH8jC4 - my documentary 

file:///H:/downloads/scan_59386_2022-06-21-14-15-50.pdf  performer release form 

file:///H:/downloads/scan_59386_2022-06-21-14-14-31.pdf  location release

https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-1-2-1Georgia/ESo6oSU2OIVBjnCrA2ESUNQB2tFhT7YuzSQvlPhWc7bd6w?e=7axYri  -production schedule 

https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-1-2-1Georgia/EfYynauZ6MJBg1aOjQ6jkwsBAKrgsqPNjltotp9M7ZnTww?e=75bLke  - risk assessment 

Pre production documents

                                                    pre production documents-

This is the shot list - https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/ETKQIZ9adY9FtR78U-tDo3IB2JsQ-2VyFtq-PthlXdYYRw?e=sfQS7b

This is the storyboard- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:i:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EefOVsy4yc9GlbDKMhWWCYAB2QKrCBMG5QL9tMdcBTXiMA?e=xmtFk1 

https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:i:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EUVWxSxNAWtDhmmV76BXwywB3L7hUdqeKc8EK8qB7P8gzA?e=EGC6dI  

This is our Script by using celtx- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EZRiDm5NWCpFqglTLQeUixMBmdUv5R1_H3d-70Ryqwxy4w?e=VvExgd

Prop and Costume list - https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EXSi_q7JsWpAnuwjtMG23rABQ2DxtMaFzeI37fByaYq74g?e=tcfsb9

Location recces- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EaVwYq4JsnBLkdzrgRxb0d8BVNTFE3YM6eLBSymnAplu6w?e=AN4Xpd   (the kitchen)

https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/ER8KvDFMmHNAqOWvNjaZUlQByTS2RXbe8e1mjIutOC6FQA?e=OvZkLg (the park)

Location releases - https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EcP6i06-W5lNg0FH3gHQ4XIByFK9OkcFp2QcsnKnUJahZQ?e=XLniPK

Talent releases- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EWQ94TIoItRLnkN51e31l90B18h3zMk9BFKPKIlntIzJQg?e=9y2QRL (Reece)

https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:i:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EWxAtWwJKbFNgqH5EjX7ZFQBBqBEtCNUzhWZLsX_sT4Lrg?e=XszXhX (grandad)

Budget sheets- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:u:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EVgv8IBtojZDsiTrqyj0TLwBwjBNDulFz1TwrcefmlEZVA?e=MMrcJo

Risk assessment - bhttps://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EXfsolN7btdHj1_AVwNAuNsBoShuDDqhQHqLK0_PYczXug?e=ogX149

Production schedule- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/Ed20r2u1uEBIo0x-3ixc0wYBjeuPVC1UU6b8Km6r5qWf4Q?e=kQyzm

Synopsis- https://eastnorfolk.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/Section_12592-Team2-Advertising/EVJojgnJKHBDl5l0Cc6a6EkBXpZHD5NN_8cPK_d482wczw?e=y5nSf1

Advert analysis- Guinness

 

                                                             Television advert analysis-

The advert focuses on a beer called Guinness. The ad is focusing to aim people specifically middle-aged men to drink their beer as it is ‘worth the wait’. The target audience is mainly aimed at middle aged men, but it is also to anyone who is a fan of beer. We know that it is aimed at middle aged men because in the advert all the characters are men and act very manly especially going after the waves and messing about. The demographics of Guinness is towards the older population but by bringing in adverts you can attract different target audiences and get more population in drinking the beer.

The Guinness advert was released in the year 1999. Personally, I think that the advert would be advertised in the later evenings as more adults are watching tv at night-time and then the company will be attracting more sales because of when it is advertised and who it is aiming to. I think it would be shown on channels like ITV and channel 4 or any main channels that people use because they use adverts as well as those channels being popular as most people watch programs on that channel which means they will be able to see adverts like Guinness. The advert is a standalone advert as it doesn’t have any repeated characters and we don’t see the same plot. However, we see the same slogan be used throughout the Guinness adverts. In addition to this, we don’t have the characters speak where you would see in mini-series adverts have characters talk and have some sort of plot through a period of adverts whereas this advert didn’t. In my opinion, this advert is a mini drama as all the men in the advert run to the sea and we see action as they are fighting against the waves or the animated horses that come through the waves. You know it is a mini-series advert as if it was a documentary type of advert, they might have someone go to local pub and try it out or make it more realistic. But because this advert wasn’t realistic because of things in the advert like the horses we know it was more dramatic rather than documentary. The advert has a combination of animation and live action into it. At the start for around thirteen seconds, we just have a close-up shot of the man looking at the waves. The only animation we see is from the horses as they represent the strong sensation of the beer and how they stereotype men as strong’ and that the beer is for ‘typical men’. The style of ad is very dramatic and serious as it is a way to engage and have a different approach to engage audiences. They use the seriousness by having a lot of silence in the advert. The first thirteen seconds being in silence makes the audience curious on what is happening which then makes people stay and watch it. But we have a hint of dramatic as loud music comes in as all the men are in the water fighting the waves.

Personally, I don’t think the advert follows everything from AIDA. I think this because, it didn’t attract me having it all in silence at the start makes me not want to carry it on watching and to switch off the advert. But I understand that with a wider audience purpose it will engage people to watch as carrying on watching the advert will answer people’s questions to why it was quiet at the start. I don’t think it brought interest like low price, but we had a nice location as it was at the beach, but it was in black and white, so we still get the sense of seriousness having it in that colour. I think putting just men and having them acting like typical men makes people have that desire to be like that. Not only that, but them choosing men who are muscular makes that desire to look like that but also be able to still drink beer. It is like having Guinness gives you strength and be able to have fun out with your friends which we see as the whole tumble over each other and have fun. I think the advert shows action as well as promotes it because even though the men waited then they proceed to act of going after the waves which is conveying that you must wait for Guinness but taking that action will give you victory.

The lifestyle appeal that is shown is that the people that are in this advert are quite healthy. It gives the target audience something to aspire to and reach. The usp is used in this advert by having the classical slogan Guinness use but not finishing it off. So, having the use of ‘good things come to those who…’ and having the audience understand it shows the popularity of it. The bran identity is what we see when we have a bird’s eye shot of the sea foam appearing shows what the beer is like as it has a foamy head.

The two organisations that regulate advertising content in the UK are ASA and CAP. ASA responds to complaints and concerns from the public and are responsible for banning ads that are harmful, rude, misleading or offensive. CAP is responsible to offer authoritative advice and guidance on how you can create campaigns and still manage to follow the rules.

The advert has mise-e-scene included which you see in things like tv shows and movies. The iconography you have elements have a western genre which we see as the first shot you have the man staring which links back to the Mexican stare and have elements of sand and horses. There was a lot of camera shots in this advert you had: an establishing shot, close-up (and some extreme close ups), long shot, medium shot, birds eye view and worms eye view. Because the advert was filled with action having all these cameras shot made it seem quick paced like an action movie. With the soundtrack you have elements of silence, but the advert mainly uses non-diegetic sounds such as soundtrack and voice overs you never see the characters talk to each other in the advert. The graphics that was used in this advert was incorporating the slogan at the end of the advert. The lighting is natural along with having ambient lighting. The natural lighting is from the sun and the ambient can be from set lights the crew have.

 

 

About ASA and CAP [online] https://www.asa.org.uk/about-asa-and-cap/about-regulation/about-the-asa-and-cap.html - accessed 24th January 12:32