Focus Group 2

Focus Group One - Results by Question

• Question 1 (0:11): Have you ever heard of Vimeo?

This doesn't come as a surprise to me. Vimeo's niche status often means that it receives a high usage rate from an often narrow (yet dedicated) pool of consumers and creators.

• Question 2 (0:18) Have you ever seen a short film on any social media sites?

Both participants said that they had seen a short film at some point, but cannot remember it. This, again, shows the widespread, instant-gratification based nature consumed on social media.

• Question 3 (0:40): How important is it to show social issues?

 Tilly and Saskia argued that it was important to show real-world issues, as it would help add to the 'realism' of a film. This is definitely something we need to show in our own piece.

• Question 4 (0:57): Do you think there are any social issues that are underrepresented?

Both of the participants agreed with my suggestion of male suicide, saying that the focus for these types of issues placed on women instead of men more often than not. Again, this is good for us; it shows an opportunity to showcase a unique social issue and break audience expectations. 

• Question 5 (1:18): Is there a proper way to present difficult social issues?

Tilly argued that the social issues shouldn't be presented in a glorifying and graphic way and that people often react to the issues presented in different ways. I think that the latter point especially is true; we cant control how our audience reacts to a presentation of touchy subjects.

Also, when discussing whether realism or story should be a priority when dealing with these social issues, both argued in favour of realism. 

• Question 6 (1:53): Is it the duty of a filmmaker to show social issues? 

Both Tilly and Saskia fully agreed that it should be the duty of a filmmaker to show social issues, which was quite surprising to me. It suggested that they felt social issues weren't being shown enough, and also that a well-crafted film that shows social issues can be powerful to affect peoples minds and opinions.

• Question 7 (2:00): What grabs your attention in a poster?

Tilly and Saskia said that colours, pictures and the tagline were the most eye-catching parts of a poster. We'll be sure to consider those areas purposefully when moving forward with the design.

• Question 8 (2:15): What do you think has to be on a poster?

The two argued that an image relating to the film and the film's title are the most important areas of a poster. The design of both of these aspects is something we're considering the most, including colour grading and font choice. 

• Question 9 (2:30): Do you like minimalist posters or posters with colourful and complex designs?

Tilly argued that less is sometimes more, and Saskia agreed. They both said it can sometimes help draw people in more, but also argued that it's dependent on the film. I think a minimalist style applies to our piece. 

• Question 10 (2:50): Should a poster hint at the narrative content of the film?

Both participants agree that this is an essential part of the poster. It should at least give some indication of the film and its story. 

• Question 11 (3:05): Do you read the review of a double page spread or simply look at the scores? 

Tilly argued that the level of interest in the article by a reader is proportional to the level of interest that reader has on the film. They're more likely to read a more in-depth review if they're very interested in the film, or in a particular part of the film itself. I think this is a really good point, and one we should incorporate into our research for our review page ancillary task. 

• Question 12 (3:32): Do you prefer detail in a review, or a more general style? 

Saskia made a good point here about the after/before positions readers have. For example, before, they're more likely to look for an overview, and after, they're more likely to read in-depth about the film. Again, I think this is a really useful and well-observed argument. 

• Question 13 (4:00): Should the images on a review page clearly show the film, or be more obscure and provide hints?

Both agreed that the images should clearly show the film and what it's about. I don't disagree with this view and think our review page should be as clear as possible when it comes to visuals. 

• Question 14 (4:11): Do you prefer a review to look more like a newspaper or a magazine?

Both Tilly and Saskia leaned towards a magazine-type aesthetic rather than that of a newspaper, discussing how 'walls of text' easily put them off while pages broken up by images and nice designs immediately looked far more appealing to read and flick through. Again, this is a great observation and something that aligns with our own design goals as well.

Overall

This focus group provided my group with some very useful insights, particularly concerning our ancillary products. It has sparked discussion between group members on the accessibility of the products and how we are going to present the products. We aim to retain a clear brand identity throughout our products.