Misha Marjoram's Film and TV blog: The nature and purposes of research in the creative media industries

The nature and purposes of research in the creative media industries

Primary research

Primary research is when a person collects their own information, which can be collected using surveys, interviews, observations, questionnaires, etc. Conducting primary research is a useful skill to possess because it ensures the information you collect is correct and honest [1]. It "is solely carried out to address a certain problem, which requires in-depth analysis" and means the researcher doesn't have to "[depend] on data collected from previously done research" [2]. This allows companies to have a high level of control over how and where their information is collected from.

Whilst I was creating my documentary, I had to conduct my own primary research. I collected the information using a questionnaire, which contained both open and closed questions so I could accumulate both qualitative and quantitative data. This is an efficient method for finding out individuals' opinions as well as collective opinions/actions. I used my collected responses to convey a variety of opinions on the subject matter of COVID-19, broadening my audience by linking the documentary to a wider range of views. I decided to create a questionnaire rather than a survey, interview, etc. because I chose to present my questionnaire in a written form so those who filled it out could read the questions at their own pace and have a sufficient amount of time to answer them. This means their answers are well developed and truthful as they had the time to ponder over what they wanted to write. The anonymity of questionnaires further ensured that people would answer every question honestly, making the data collected trustworthy. [19]

I also conducted another questionnaire in which I gained feedback for a promotional video I co-created for the college. I created it on the platform Survey Monkey and used a combination of both open and closed questions so I could collect qualitative and quantitative data. Through these responses, I was able to gain an insight into what kind of audience had watched and reviewed my video and their opinions on it. I left a sufficient amount of space for them to express what they wanted and learnt what the successful aspects were, what could be improved and what kind of effect it had on people. [20]

There are many advantages to using primary research instead of secondary research. The main advantage is that the data collected is first hand and accurate. meaning it hasn't been diluted over time. The data is also customised to math the personal requirements of the researcher, whether it be an individual or company/organisation. Another advantage is that the collection and usage of the data can be controlled so it's used as meaningfully as possible. It can be used for its exclusive purpose in as much depth as needed. However, there are also a few disadvantages. For example, it's a time-consuming type of research as interviews need to be conducted and surveys/questionnaires need to be sent out, received and sent back again. The results then have to be evaluated and applied to the media product taking an overall extensive amount of time. Also, more than one primary research method is usually used (e.g. surveys and interviews) so multiple kinds of data can be collected, and answers can be checked against each other if the same participants are used for both methods. [2]

In the professional media industry, test screenings are often used as a method of collecting primary research. Test screenings are previews of a film or TV show before it's released to measure audience reactions. The audience is selected from a cross-section of the population and usually have to fill out a questionnaire/provide feedback after the screening. [3] These screenings have significant control over how a film/TV show ends up being like when it premieres, with significant changes sometimes being made after majorly negative feedback. One example of this happening relates to the musical film, 'Little Shop of Horrors (1986)'. Originally, the film had the same ending as the stage musical with both Audrey and Seymour being eaten by Audrey II, leading to world domination by the carnivorous plant. However, after two failed screenings in San Jose and Los Angeles, the theatrical ending now seen in the film was shot, giving Seymour and Audrey a happy ending. Eventually, 'The Director's Cut' of the film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray containing the original ending, but with better colourisation and special effects than it originally had. [4]

Secondary research

Secondary research is when someone collects data and information from other sources such as books, video/audio recordings or articles. This published research material can be available in public libraries or online. The existing data is "summarised and collated to increase the overall effectiveness of research" [5]. It is important to assess the secondary research you may use to ensure that any data that's discovered is the truth, otherwise you could end up spreading false information. This research can be used to back up primary research, providing more evidence to support the facts being presented.

Whilst I was creating my documentary, I collected a large amount of secondary information to expand my knowledge about coronavirus. I therefore had a better understanding about the subject matter, allowing me to create a factually accurate film. I covered multiple different areas of the situation such as shopping, lockdown measures and stay at home life, as well as the relevant statistics like the number of positive cases and the death rate. This meant I could then collect other people's opinions about these topics as I have my own understanding of it all. I collected this information primarily from online sources as they are easily accessible and numerous websites are available at once. I could therefore cross reference the information I found between multiple websites so I could make sure the facts I collected were honest and accurate. Anybody can publish what they want online so you need to be careful and not take everything you see as fact. [19]

There are numerous advantages to using secondary research over primary research. For example, it is constantly and readily available due to the large number of sources which can be quickly accessed, unlike primary research, which must be collected from scratch. The availability of the data also makes secondary research a less time-consuming process, which can be completed within a few short weeks. Alternately, there are a few disadvantages. One disadvantage is that a credibility evaluation must be carried out to check the authenticity of the information. The resources may not offer the latest versions of reports or statistics, making the data outdated and irrelevant in accordance with current events. Another disadvantage is secondary research derives its conclusions from collective primary research data. The usefulness of the information therefore depends on the quality of somebody else's primary research. [5]

In the professional media industry, biographical films require a major amount of secondary research so the highest possible accuracy can be achieved. This research includes collecting accounts from the people involved either through books they've written, newspaper reports, videos etc. They collect this information from multiple different sources so they can compare and check the facts to eliminate the effect any biases could've had when the information was first collected. An example of this is the Netflix film, 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)'. This film is based on the memoir 'The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy' written by Elizabeth Kloepfer, the real former girlfriend of serial killer Ted Bundy. By using this as a basis, the film successfully and accurately portrayed the real events from Kloepfer's perspective. As well as the memoir, all the available recordings of the subject matter were used as reference, and some were even recreated with the exact same dialogue, design, composition, etc.

Quantitative research

Quantitative research is when numerical data is collected using something such as a questionnaire or other numerical/statistical methods. It can be obtained using both primary and secondary research. This can be carried out using a questionnaire or survey, though the questions are always closed (e.g. multiple choice questions) so the answers can be counted and quantified [6]. The data can be used to "find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations" [7].

During the creation of my documentary, I had to conduct some quantitative research, which primarily consisted of finding statistics and figures relating to the coronavirus pandemic. In my research dossier, the majority of the statistics are the number of positive coronavirus cases and the number of deaths caused by the virus on multiple different dates. I collected this information from online sources as they're the most accessible. I also included 2 closed (Yes or No) questions on my questionnaire which I could've collected quantitative data from had I been able to give my questionnaire to a larger number of people. [19]

For the questionnaire about my promotional video, I also conducted quantitative research through the use of closed, multiple choice questions. I generated graphs and percentages using these responses, a form of quantitative data. This allowed us to understand which options audiences most agreed with and clearly see the differing results. It also allowed us to understand the main audience that was watching our video by counting how many people said each age that was mentioned and which gender they said. We then knew the primary and secondary audiences by looking at the majority and the second most selected answers. [20]

There are many advantages of quantitative research over qualitative research. For example, the data collected will be accurate and reliable, as it's in numerical form. Opinions are subjective whilst statistics can't be argued with. This also means that the data can be easily analysed without differing interpretations due to personal biases [6]. Another advantage is that it's easier to present quantitative research as you can show the data visually using graphs/charts. It is easier to digest this kind of information because the results are very clear, distinct in the differences between sections of the graph/chart. However, there are multiple disadvantages of quantitative research. One disadvantage is that numerical data oversimplifies complex concepts such emotion and opinion. For example, a film may not make a large amount of money, but this doesn't reflect whether people enjoyed the film or not [7]. Another disadvantage is the closed questions used to collect data provide very limited options for people to choose from. For example, someone may not fully agree or disagree with something with a 'yes' or 'no' answer, therefore excluding their opinions.

In the professional media industry, quantitative data is used gauge how successful a media text is using figures such as the box office revenue, star rating, etc. For example, the highest grossing film ever is 'Avengers: Endgame (2019)' with a worldwide gross of $2,797,800,564 [8], so is successful in that sense, but is the 74th highest rated film out of 250, with a rating of 8.3 stars. On the list, the top rated filmed is 'Shawshank Redemption (1994)' with 9.2 stars. [9] The rating could be considered a better method of measuring success as it's a collective average of thousands of ratings, whilst box office revenue only measures how many people bought tickets/DVDs/merchandise/etc. not how much they enjoyed watching.

Qualitative research

Qualitative research is the collection of any kind of non-numerical data that can be observed and recorded (e.g. reasons or opinions). This can be collected using observations, interviews and open question surveys/questionnaires as methods of primary research [10]. It can be used to "understand concepts, opinions, or experiences" and "gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research". By gathering descriptions of people's experiences, feelings and perceptions, media products can then be improved upon [11].

During the creation of my documentary, I had to conduct some qualitative research, which I collected using the open questions on my questionnaire (primary) and online sources (secondary). All lead to the collection of non-numerical data, both factual and opinionated. The data I collected using primary research methods is a more fitted example of qualitative data as I gathered descriptions of people's experiences and perceptions relating to COVID-19 so I could better the accuracy of my documentary regarding how the pandemic has affected others. It also helped me to generate ideas about what events and situations I should film. For example, I asked both my mother and my sister about the activities they were doing during lockdown. These included playing board games, going for walks, playing video games, etc. so I recorded short snippets of each one. [19]

I also conducted qualitative research using open questions on my questionnaire about my corporate video. I added exclusively open questions and also left space for people to put their reasons why they selected certain answers in the closed questions. The responses I gained have allowed me to understand what was successful about the video and which areas could be improved, with the most important points being emphasised by the numerous comments about the same aspects of the video. The data also can be used to justify and back-up the graphs created from closed question responses. Furthermore, the feedback that we've received can now be applied to our future projects so we can achieve the best quality possible and it'll appeal to the people we're aiming it towards. [20]

There are many advantages of qualitative research over quantitative research. One advantage is the detailed answers which can be collected, because of the open nature of the questions and the freedom people are allowed to express themselves and their opinions. This then provides more information to be analysed and applied to a media product, so it can be as improved as possible. Although, there are multiple disadvantages of qualitative research too. One is the time-consuming process of collecting the data. If a large group of people is interviewed, then it will take a significant amount of time to ask them every question and record every answer, especially if they provide a lot of information. Another disadvantage is that the data isn't as straightforward. There will be a lot of conflicting data because of people's differing opinions. For example, there will be some people who have negative views about a film, and some who have positive (these can be heavily influenced by personal biases in relation to factors such as genre) [10].

In the professional media industry, qualitative data is often collected from reviews given by the audience or by critics. These reviews are frequently posted online on websites such as IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert's review site. On IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, any of their users are free to write reviews about all the movies and TV shows they have available on there, expressing their personal opinions about how successful it is. On the other hand, Roger Ebert posted his own reviews to his website as he was a professional film critic. These reviews are useful for media production companies because they can read through them and find out what worked and what didn't as reference when creating future media products.

Data gathering agencies

A data gathering agency is an agency that captures and records consumption of footage, with the data collected made available to the public. (e.g. TV ratings and viewership). Examples include: BARB and RAJAR.

The Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) is an organisation that collects and compiles audience measurement and TV ratings in the UK. It is jointly owned by multiple different companies such as the BBC, ITV and Sky. BARB collect their data from around 51,000 homes containing participants. They all have a box on top of their TV sets which tracks the programmes they watch. The participants can indicate who is watching the programme by pressing a button on a remote control handset. The data is collected overnight and is published at around 9:30 the following morning for TV stations and the advertising industry to use. [12]

IMDb (Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information relating to films, TV shows, video games and online content. The sections on there include cast, production crew, plot summaries, trivia, ratings and fan/critical reviews. It has approximately 6.5 million titles and 10.4 million personalities in its database with 83 million registered users. These users are able to write reviews, edit the site's information and vote on the ratings. [13]

Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue, which is owned by IMDb. It includes box office data for franchises, genres, actors, filmmakers, distributors, budgets, and inflation-adjusted figures. It also displays the top movies of the year (in terms of revenue) and has competitions between 2 films of a similar genre. [14]

Audience and Market research

Market research is "the action or activity of gathering information about consumers' needs and preferences". Information is gathered about target markets and customers so the company/organisation knows more about them- this can be individuals or organisations/groups. This helps to identify and analyse the needs of the market, the market size and the competition. Both qualitative techniques (e.g. focus groups, in-depth interviews) and quantitative techniques (e.g. customer surveys, analysis of secondary data) are used to collect the desired information. [15] It is conducted to gather information about the market within which the product or service aimed at the audience operates in. It can include competitors, pricing and PEST analysis. [16]

Similarly to market research, audience research is identifying the target audience of a media product and conducting research to understand who they are (e.g. demographics, psychographics). It is conducted on specific audience segments and includes information such as their attitudes, interests and preferences. This differs from market research, which also gathers information about those who aren't interacting with the company/product. [17]

During the creation process of my documentary, I conducted some audience research. I identified both the primary and secondary target audience after carrying out extensive primary and secondary research about the topic of coronavirus. Everyone is affected by it but I decided to have my primary audience as families. Everybody can relate to family dynamics, so was a perfect choice for a target audience. I can also personally relate to family so I was then able to add my opinions and perspective into the documentary. My secondary audience was young people (11-17) as this is also a demographic I can relate to, so I could implement an accurate perspective into my documentary. I used my questionnaire to understand the attitudes and preferences of these audiences, and I appealed to both by questioning both my mother and younger sister. [19]

In the professional media industry, audience/market research is used when rating and regulating a media text. The media production company would have thought of their target audience, especially regarding the age demographic, before creating the product so they then understand what content they're allowed to include in it. After that the product is the sent to a regulatory board, such as the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), to be reviewed and rated. The board can then provide guidance on how a media company can change the product if they don't comply with the restrictions of the age rating they want.

Production research

Production research is focused on the creation of a media text (how it is made). This includes investigating the typical codes and conventions of it, what technology/equipment is needed to produce it and who you'll need to make it (both cast and crew related). Also, this involves finding suitable locations/recording studios which will work appropriately for the creation of the media product. The finances involved are also a part of production research such as calculating the costs of hiring locations, purchasing equipment, etc. By doing this kind of research, it helps them to identify the commercial viability (the ability of a business, product, or service to compete effectively and to make a profit [18]).

Whilst creating my documentary, I conducted a significant amount of production research, which is in the form of paperwork in my research dossier. Investigating the people needed and the locations available was easy to do as I acted as the crew (planning, filming, editing, etc.) whilst my family and I acted as the cast. The locations I used were also local and the majority of them were public spaces, so I didn't need to make location releases for them. The equipment I used was also limited as we were at home in lockdown. For the entire documentary, I filmed with my phone and used a 'selfie stick' to achieve some high angled shots. These decisions lead to no costs being involved and I have no intentions to earn profit off of my documentary, meaning commercial viability can't be applied to my work. [19]

In the professional media industry, pre-production paperwork has to be filled out for every media project so the company can gain permission to use certain people and locations and so they can plan what they're going to do during the production process. This paperwork includes talent/location releases, location recces, shot lists and production schedules. Before they fill these out, however, processes such as talent and location scouting are carried out so they can find the cast, crew and locations they want to use in their media text. With location scouting specifically, the company will review the locations they'd like to use so they can see if it's actually possible for them to film there and capture the shots that they want. This is dependent on factors such as weather, space, availability, etc.

Bibliography

[1] https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/conducting_primary_research/index.html#:~:text=Primary%20research%20is%20any%20type,them%20in%20a%20cohesive%20fashion. [Accessed: 25/08/2020]

[2] https://www.questionpro.com/blog/primary-research/ [Accessed: 25/08/2020]

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_screening [Accessed: 25/08/2020]

[4] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091419/alternateversions [Accessed: 25/08/2020]

[5] https://www.questionpro.com/blog/secondary-research/ [Accessed: 25/08/2020]

[6] https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-research/ [Accessed: 27/08/2020]

[7] https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/quantitative-research/ [Accessed: 27/08/2020]

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films [Accessed: 27/08/2020]

[9] https://www.imdb.com/chart/top/ [Accessed: 27/08/2020]

[10] https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-data/ [Accessed: 27/08/2020]

[11] https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research/ [Accessed: 27/08/2020]