Evaluation Task 2:

TASK 3-What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Preparing for task 3: What is a focus group?

How are focus groups different from regular 'groups'?

A focus group is different in three ways:

• The main difference is that it is focused. The group has a discussion on a specific subject .
• In the group there is always a leader. The leader's job is to keep the group on course.
• The group's composition and the group discussion are carefully planned for people to talk openly and free. Members encouraged to express their own opinions.

Advantage:

A focus group is a useful method that can be used to measure the reaction of customers to a company’s new product. Focus groups usually provide immediate ideas for the improvement of the  products or concepts they are discussing. They also help find the product requirements of end-user as well as the other needs not addressed by the company . Also focus groups provides an insight on the current position of the company’s competitors and how the customer sees it. It is also good to see the reaction of customers to a product’s design, packaging, price and message.

Disadvantage:

Compared to individual interviews, focus groups are not as efficient in discussing the maximum depth on a particular issue. A particular disadvantage of a focus group is the possibility that the members may not express their honest and personal opinions. They may be hesitant to express their thoughts. Compared with surveys and questionnaires, focus groups are much more expensive to execute.

Evaluation Task 4- 'Explain how we used digital technologies in the construction and research'

Our A2 Media studies project has been built and shown through the use of not only media products but also lots of online media technologies.  

My blogger is a good example of how a media technology has enabled me to create vibrant and eye catching set of coursework, and blogs to show other people my progress throughout the production stages of media studies.
I have also been able to record all of my work through images taken not only from the internet (another media technology) but also my own images taken using media technologies such as iphones and cameras. 

Without some of these modern technologies, I would have not been able to demonstrate my production to the audience. 

Another major contributor to the mass use of Media Technologies would be the open access to the internet.

We relied on this technology throughout the entire production of our music video, both before (pre-production) and after (post-production).

For example 'YouTube' was an important website that we relied on to access inspiration and discover new visual video idea’s. 

We used 'Google' as our main search engine to research different artists and find their websites to use as inspiration and to collect ideas.

Similar websites that we researched to draw up our own:

By studying these websites closely we were inspired to take advantage of these Online Technologies.

They demonstrated the use of a live twitter and Instagram feed on their website which updates their audience and viewers with current information, keeping their audience and fans in the loop making it personal. 

This is a great way to keep the audience interested and up to date in an easily accessible way!

We created our website for our band with a technology called WIX. By looking at other websites we knew what was important to add to the artists website. 

This is yet another example of an online Media Technology. WIX is a programme that allows you to create and distribute your own online website. I was able to add elemtents such as images, videos and links onto the websites and social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the bands fan base who want to be in constant contact with them. This tells you how much we relide on these Media Technologies. 

The post-production of our music video involved us using Photoshop to create a CD DIGIPAK full of images, logos and text to market and sell our product.


All these technologies were useful for me because I am a prosumer. They were all free to use which was good for us because it made our pre-production and post-production much easier. I create things and share them through the internet whilst I also consume things that other people have made. All of these things that I have talked about have encouraged and helped me construct and research my music video and digi pak. 

By using digital media technologies i have used technological convergence to ensure that i have produced three products as part of a successful campaign. My use of YouTube, Wix, Blogger has enabled me to become a prosumer, a creator of media products to a near professional standard. The use of final cut pro as a piece of editing software has taught me how to select and organise a music video to a very high standard using semi-professional media equpitment. I have also been able to share ideas and research  into global products. Digital technology has made available to me opportunities to upload, share and distribute my products using YouTube as a free online broadcast platform. It is also interactive as my audience have been able to feedback, like and comment on my products using features such as, Survey Monkey, YouTube and Facebook comments and other online tools. This gave us the necessary feedback that we needed to step forward and understand what we could have changed to make our video and digi pack better. All of these new skills learned on this course have enabled to gain experience not only as a user of digital technology, but also become a producer. This is important because it gives an understanding of the media in the online age.