Target audience feedback

Receiving target feedback is essential as it allows the group members to ensure that the music video is considered as appealing to the target market and follows the necessary conventions. The feedback also allows us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the main product, weaknesses which we may no have been aware of due to seeing the product numerous times on Final Cut Pro. By taking into account the feedback, the music video can then be improved in order to achieve the mass appeal that the pop genre is known to achieve. This is the way in which the draft version is improved to create the final product. Audience feedback therefore allows the group to discuss how to modify the product in order to effectively target the audience by potentially using different editing techniques or attempting to make the audience feel emotionally connected to the audience.

Youtube is a video sharing website that has been specifically formulated to allow audiences access to videos of both the general public as well as artists. Youtube is commonly used to view music videos due to being a free website that allows the public to consume latest videos. It enables videos to go viral if it receives a large view count therefore creating hype around the video. In terms of the music video, although it only received around 50 views, Youtube enabled it to receive comments. The feedback received from the target audience is both positive as well as constructive. One of the comments was “The male actually reminds me of James Arthur” which suggests we have successfully portrayed the artist by following genre characteristics. This is a vital element which has been considered and so the audience being able to acknowledge this is important.

A comment received from a class member “The music video displays elements that are typically seen in these kind of songs” is seen as extremely positive as this shows that the video is conventional i.e. typically seen characteristics of these ‘kind’ of songs referring to the pop genre. Therefore this suggests the video is highly appealing to the target audience and successfully meets the criteria of the specified genre. As the comment has been provided by an 18 year old male, this suggests that the target market is met.

In terms of constructive criticism, a Youtube comment “The artist is only present in the performance and so it is not his situation the audience is relating to” may be seen as a negative. However it may be argued that as mentioned in Richard Dyer’s theory, the artist should be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer. Therefore the artist being missing from the narrative may imply that he aims to illustrate how what he experienced is experienced in other relationships. This doesn’t prevent the audience from forming a relationship with the artist as they are able to relate to the artist throughout the performance aspect.

Another comment received on Youtube “the performance should be more integrated with the narrative” can be seen as criticism. However the music video aims to involve both the narrative and performance. There is no direct link between the two due to the scenery used for performance not linking with the narrative, there is however a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. It is therefore difficult to integrate the two based on the setting however if the video could be modified, the performance would be placed in between shots of narrative continuousl