What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Target audience

The target audience for my radio play (the main task) were middle-aged men and women in professional jobs.

Formative feedback

Formative feedback is audience feedback that helps to form a media product. During the research and planning phase of this project, I performed two focus groups with typical members of my target audience. The first focus group to discuss ideas for potential plots for my radio play. I ran through each plot summary and discussed them with the group. When I described the idea that was eventually chosen, it was liked by the group and this did influence my decision. I had a fear that the idea may not be able to be turned into a whole series, however my focus group disagreed, putting my mind at rest on this idea. On another idea for a plot, it was mentioned that the humour should be quite dry. This ultimately influenced my radio play because it is the sort of humour that would be heard on a Radio 4 comedy. Importantly, in the discussion of my ideas with my focus group, I was able to gauge the group’s immediate reaction e.g. how much they laughed. My group were also able to suggest additions to the plots I described.

In the second focus group, I reformed my ideas further, particularly what could happen whilst on the Prime Minister’s tour. The group reacted well to my idea of the Prime Minister rapping, therefore I used this idea in my radio play. When I suggested the idea of the Prime Minister getting trapped on a conveyer belt at a supermarket, they felt this was unrealistic; this had a big affect my radio play because I was ready to go ahead with this idea but did not in the end.

Another method of audience research I used during my research and planning was a survey. I learned that the majority of people who said they listened to radio plays “frequently” were women, thus my radio play needed to be slightly skewed towards women rather than men. I learned that the majority of listeners to radio dramas are either in the 40-49 or 50 - 59 age

bracket. I asked in my survey what respondents thought made a great radio play and they responded that it should:

• Include realistic sound effects• Have an interesting plot with a twist• Have good characters• Make great use of voices• Create tension

I asked on Twitter what a good radio play should be as well. It was not representative of my target audience or of a broad range of opinion but it did force me to think about what my radio play should sound like. One respondent said it does not have to be topical. I think they are correct but I created a radio play that reflects the anti-politics ‘zeitgeist’. Another respondent said it should be “mildly amusing”, implying again a very dry style of humour.

Another source of formative feedback throughout this project was my teacher. For example, during the script writing process, I gained feedback about drafts of the script and changed certain words based on this. It was useful to have someone else’s perspective on the script because when it is your own work it is difficult to be objective; another person will often have a different point of view which is very helpful.

Summative feedback

Summative feedback is feedback after a media product has been produced; it is feedback about the finished product. Most of the feedback I have gained has been formative because it is easier to make changes before making something rather than afterwards. One comment I gained about my finished radio play was that it “sounded like something from Radio 4”. This was important for me because I was targeting my radio play towards a similar audience to the audience of Radio 4. It also means it is professional in standard. My teacher also provided me with summative feedback. For example, on the double-page spread from a magazine I created as an ancillary task, she suggested making my model’s face lighter and the desk darker so the text was easier to read.

I carried out another focus group with a selection of my target audience after I produced my radio play. My focus group commented that the sound effects “conjured up the scenes very well”. They thought the plot was interesting and liked the twist at the end where the Prime Minister has become more popular despite his failed tour. My focus group thought that characters were “convincing” and “came alive to the listener”. The group thought the actor for the main character, Morris Lloyd-Jones, was really suitable for the role. When I asked my focus group about whether it created tension or not, they felt that it did not, but it was sufficient for it to rely on “dry humour”.