12D Focus group write-up

The audience research focus groups for our MEST2 TV show ideas have been incredibly useful and so many good ideas have been shared and developed. You now need to write up your own group's recording in a blog post. The blog post should include the following:

• A brief introduction to what the focus group involved
• A list of key quotes from the focus group recording (you don't need to identify who said each quote and using bullet points is fine)
• What you learned from the discussion and how this will impact on your final product
• A detailed breakdown of the target audience for your TV programme now you have completed some audience research: gender, age, social class, education/employment, race/ethnicity, psychographics etc.

The focus group audio recordings are available on the GHS VLE. Go to: Departments > Media Studies > Shared Documents

I expect your blog post for this aspect of your audience research to be AT LEAST 500 words - it may well be a lot longer and remember you will use bits of this later in your evaluation.

Key Concepts Revision PowerPoint

Use this PowerPoint from the lessons you've had on media Key Concepts to help you revise/prepare for next week's Unit 1, Section A exam practice...

• 12E: Monday 11/12
• 12D: Tuesday 12/12

Sections in the exam (15 minutes each)...

• Language and forms
• Audience
• Representation
• Institution

Useful Links for Production Planning

The OFCOM Broadcasting Code outlining the pre-watershed rules. Read these carefully and make sure you don't fall foul of the guidelines.

The Mise En Media blog set up by Media students last year that contains all the document templates you need to fill in for your pre-production planning.

12D: Audience focus group pitch

You will be pitching your idea to your focus group (the rest of the class) on Monday. You need to be able to sell your idea to them and communicate the genre, style and content clearly and concisely. The only way you will manage this is by KNOWING your idea inside out.

Your pitch needs to include the following:

• A clear explanation of your idea, possibly referencing other programmes/films
• Details from the brief: characters, narrative themes and location
• Why your idea might appeal to the key 15-35 audience demographic
• Scheduling details - when it might be broadcast and on which channel

The focus group will  be recorded and feedback from others will make up a key part of your research and planning process.

Due: Monday

12E homework - Mr Halsey

Representation collage on Photoshop

Your homework is as follows:

Finish your Photoshop collage showing the dominant and alternative representation of one of the following group:

• Islam
• Men
• Britain
• Europeans
• Teenagers

When you have finished it, save it as a JPEG and upload it on your blog.

Due: Monday 9 December

MEST2: Research and Planning

You need to complete the following tasks for your Research and Planning/pre-production. Everything MUST be posted on your blog and regular tutorials will check progress.

Deadline: Christmas

Existing product research (INDIVIDUAL)

Find five programmes similar to the idea or genre you plan to work with. Remember the E4 target audience specified in the brief.

Write an analysis of the two-minute opening sequence to each TV programme you research using the aspects of film language you have learned (camerawork, editing, sound, mise-en-scene).

Research the target audience for each show and write about why the show would appeal to that audience.

Institution research (INDIVIDUAL)

Research E4 and BBC3 - two channels that boast a similar target audience to your brief. Find out their history, what type of shows they focus on and notable successes.

Audience research and planning (GROUP; INDIVIDUAL WRITE-UP)

Outline a highly detailed target audience for your TV show. Use demographics AND psychographics to profile your audience.

Conduct audience research to test how appealing your idea is to your target audience. This may involve conducting a focus group interview in class.

Pre-production (GROUP; INDIVIDUAL WRITE-UP)

In your group as a whole, you need to produce the following planning documents:

·         Project schedule

·         Script

·         Storyboard

·         Shot list

·         Mise-en-scene: casting details, location scouting with photographs, props, costume and make-up, lighting.

Each of these planning documents MUST be in the correct format - e.g. TV script layout, storyboard sheets etc. and uploaded to your blog (you may need to scan/photograph documents to do this). You can also use online resources such as the BBC Writers' Room (bbc.co.uk/writersroom) to help with script layouts and more.

Audience theory - tasks

We've covered a LOT of audience theory this week - now it's time to apply it to some examples and answer some questions.

Hypodermic needle theory
Read this article from the Daily Mail. How can you link this news article to the hypodermic needle theory?

Two-step flow model

Read this article on young YouTube star Jamal Edwards. How can you link Jamal Edwards to the two-step flow model?

Uses and Gratifications theory

For each of the four categories (diversion, personal relationships, personal identity, surveillance), choose one media text and write about how it fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Use images and clips to illustrate your points.

Dependency theory

1. What do YOU primarily use the media for: entertainment or information? (Or something else?)
2. To what extent do you feel we are dependent on the media?
3. Has our dependence on the media changed over the last 10 years? 

All of these questions are your homework this week - due next Monday 2 December.