Purpose of research

The purpose of research is to, find out the target audience that you are aiming the media product that you are producing. The research method you could use is to use a focus group, which is primary research, this is a more reliable source of information as you will be asking a small group of your target audience to give their opinions and you can see what their preferences are. Another way of finding out your target audience would be through demographics, this is used to classify your target audience in terms of location, this will be found out through secondary research through the internet, as we are in London it will be very hard to classify the target audience, as it is in a very big area. The data provided by the Government will be the most reliable. Demographics will allow me to see where my target audience is located, and i could possibly film where they live, in order to make them personally identify and relate to the music video when they watch it, this will make it more enjoyable for them. 

Another purpose research is to see if the product that you're making will appeal to them and if they will enjoy it, to find out results you could undertake a questionnaire, this is a form of primary research and it will be reliable as you will be collecting the data your self, so there will be no doubt over the reliability of it, however this may take a while as it will be open-ended questions to get the audiences opinions and preferences in a music video, so you will have to deduct what they think about the music video idea, and the questionnaire may not be a very successful type of research as it will take a long time.An example question would be "What do you think makes a music video enjoyable to watch?". The secondary research i could use to find out the preferences of my music video would be to, look at existing songs from that genre, and looking at forums or comments that are left on similar music videos, to see what the reception to it was like and i can shape my music video accordingly, if a video was received very positively i can see what part of it they like and can work out my target audiences preferences and likes about specific parts of the music video, and i will hopefully implement them into my own music video. 

Another purpose of research is to see what conventions of a music video makes it successful, i can find this out by another type of primary research, i can conduct interviews with people who are 'fans' of the genre and ask them questions that are qualitative, that will make them explain what they think makes a music video a success, and use the data that i have collected to use in my music video, the conventions they explain, will be put into consideration when making my own music video. an example question would be "What is the most enjoyable part of a rap music video for you?" .The secondary research i can do to find out what conventions make it successful, can again be used by looking at successful music videos from the same genre, watching the whole music video by my self and see what conventions are included it it, this will require me to deduct all the relevant conventions, but it will give me an idea in what to use in my own music video production. I could follow a similar structure to a successful rap song, and use the conventions that they have included, however this may leave me restricted in terms of creativity, as if i break away from the normal conventions of a rap song, then it will confuse the audience, and may lead them not to like it.