Intended Audience - Focus Group and Results

Intended Audience - Focus Group and Results

Question 1: What is your favourite music video?

It appears by the answers to this question that the most favourable music videos are those which stand out as a result of a unique and possibly peculiar element to them; in other words, the music videos that do not follow the norms of the genre. This can be seen the most from a technical viewpoint in 'Thumbs' by Sabrina Carpenter, in which the music video appears to have been filmed in only one shot. The lack of cuts is completely noticeable and this creates a feeling of wonder and curiosity in the viewer, who is likely to find the style of the video intriguing and clever. Bruno Mars's 'The Lazy Song' is unique from a costume design perspective; monkey suits are used throughout the music video, generating a comical effect to make the video memorable. The vivid colours with the creative use of space and digital effects in Imagine Dragons's 'Believer' is what makes this music video stand out as well. All of the mentioned 'unique' aspects are unique because they are rarely seen in the traditional music video and are therefore favourable.

Question 2: How do you watch music videos?

It is clear by these responses that Youtube is the main streaming site on which music videos are viewed. The only other answer, vevo, is a service/provider predominantly accessed through Youtube as well, although it has its own separate website too. For my music video, I am now certain that Youtube is the best option in order for it to be easily accessible. 

Question 3: Is a music video essential for a modern song?

Although some people believe that videos are not essential because there are other marketing methods for songs, the answers overall have confirmed that music videos are contemporary expectations alongside songs more than valuable marketing techniques, as well as forms of art which accompany a song. Music videos are not essential, but they are important in modern pop culture.

Question 4: What is your favourite music video genre?

The answers to this question were not overly helpful due to the variety of answers which were received: Pop, Rock, Indie and House. The lack of connection between these genres means that within this group an average cannot be selected. A wider investigation of the popularity of music video genres ought to be conducted in order to make a valid decision for my own. 

Question 5: What type of music video do you prefer?

The results show that the most preferred type of music video is a mixture of narrative and performance, however the concept idea was popular too. I think that the concept music video is popular because they are often quirky and therefore unique, making them unusual and interesting to watch. Overall, it is clear by the responses that the preferred music videos are those which have a lot to look at - the artiste, the narrative and the concept art-like elements - all to keep it interesting. 

Question 6: How long do you like your music videos to be?

The majority of answers were 3-4 minutes, so I think that I should conform to this length of time too. The person who gave the response '10 minutes' could be suggesting that they prefer more narrative music videos such as Michael Jackson's iconic 'Thriller'. 

Question 7: Is it important to see the artiste in a music video?
Overall it was agreed that although it is not essential to have the artiste feature in the video, the viewers do like to see who is behind the music that they listen to and enjoy. This question reinforces the importance of the performance element of the video.