Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research refers to obtaining detailed data from a target audience. It is made up of personal opinions, views and thoughts of the target audience. Qualitative research can be conducted through interviews and focus groups. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
-          Researcher will receive more opinionated responses, gaining MORE strong and reliable feedback when identifying the needs and perspectives of the participants on short films.	-          The researcher may not be able to interview many participants as it is time consuming. The researcher will not be able to find out personal views and opinions of the majority of its target audience.
-          researchers would be able to include different questions tailored to their research.	-          The results may be biased, the respondent could feel pressured to give a particular response making the feedback unreliable.
-          researchers will be able find out the audience’s personal needs and opinions on a short film through their feedback.

Fanzines

Fanzines are magazines which are usually produced by amateurs for fans of a particular performer, group or form of entertainment. 

Fanzines can act as a useful marketing tool for short films by advertising and promoting new short films that are in production, making readers more aware of them, as well as audiences being able to read reviews and 'spoiler' articles. This can maintain the ongoing interest of short film enthusiasts, therefore creating a larger community for its audiences. 

uncannymagazines.com is a clear example of an online fanzine, it is entirely based on the general science fiction and fantasy culture, which of course includes shows, feature length films and short films based on these genres. 

Attitudes to Media Products

Director /Writer	Marco Kalantari	Fluorescent Hill	Mark Columbus	Max Landis
Facebook likes	641	398	-	-
YouTube Channel Subscribers	449	157	-	-
YouTube #1	The Shaman (Trailer)	The Burger King Stackers	Guests	Jane LA
Views	988	33,283	14,406	38,714
Likes	11	122	196	1,457
YouTube #2	-	Sixtoo: Snakebite	-	Wrestling isn’t Wrestling
Views	-	40,962	-	2,008,621
Likes	-	143	-	49,621
YouTube #3	-	The Four Seasons of Love	-	-
Views	-	721	-	-
Likes	-	2	-	-

As shown on the table above, Marco Kalantari has the most Facebook likes and YouTube channel subscribers in comparison to Fluorescent Hill. Although subscribing to YouTube Channels will keep short film fans regularly updated, Fluorescent Hill, Max Landis and Mark Columbus have more views and likes on their short films as opposed to Marco Kalantari. This suggests that having a given amount of subscribers does not necessarily increase publicity. 

Film Reviews

Film reviews are also an opportunity for fans and viewers to write how they personally felt about a film they have recently watched. This is beneficial to short film creators as they will be able to know exactly how successful they were in impressing their target audience by looking at the reviews. 

Here are the different reviews I retrieved for Wes Anderson's short film 'Hotel Chevalier':

"Really a beautiful short piece of enticement, with tone and sight and sound and dialogue all letting you know that there's a story here, while only hinting at the many things that story might be."

"A short, ambiguous film about love and heartbreak"

"There are a lot of questions that are unanswered in the film, which lends itself to feeling this is a real story."

"Trying to avoid all the uncomfortable answers when talking with an ex-significant other is a universal occurrence, one that is portrayed quite accurately in Hotel Chevalier."

References: 

http://uncannymagazine.com/
http://www.popinsomniacs.com/2014/02/hotel-chevalier-short-film-review/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkqIVdMt_bs
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1094249/reviews

Quantitative Research

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research refers to information based on statistical and numerical data. Quantitative research represents a large number of a target audience. 

Quantitative research can be carried out through surveys, observations and figures. 

aDVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
-          CAN PROVIDE THE RESEARCHER WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF FEEDBACK FROM MANY PARTICIPANTS – THE MORE FEEDBACK RECEIVED, THE MORE OF A GENERAL IDEA AND AWARENESS THE RESEARCHER WILL RECEIVE ON THE RESPONDENT’S NEEDS AND WANTS OF SHORT FILMS	-          QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH CANNOT PROVIDE RESEARCHER WITH DETAILED FEEDBACK, THEREFORE PERSONAL OPINIONS AND VIEWS WILL NOT BE DISCOVERED.
-          qUICKER AND EASIER TO CONDUCT, MAKING IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PARTICIPANTS.	-          PARTICIPANTS MAY NOT BE AS HONEST ON SURVEYS AS THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO ELABORATE ON QUESTIONS.
-          CAN BE BASED ON DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.	-          QUESTIONS MAY NOT BE IN A SPECIFIC CATEGORY WHICH RELATE TO THE SHORT FILM.

Box Office Figures

(Found on IMDB)

Under the Sea:

Box office figures - $35,111,090

Born to be Wild:

Box office figures - $25,102,586

Haunted Castle:

Box office figures - $13,651,656

Quantitative research (the statistics gathered about these short films) helped me to quickly find out which short film is the most popular based on its DVD sales and box office figures. From my research, I have found that 'Under the Sea' has received the most box office figures as opposed to 'Born to be Wild' and 'Haunted Castle'. This can be useful to short film creators as they can see what type of films audience prefer to view. 

References:

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?sort=boxoffice_gross_us&title_type=short

Secondary Research

Secondary research refers to gathering data from different sources in order to gain a more in depth knowledge of the target audience. Secondary research can be conducted through the internet, journals, books, readership figures and DVD sales. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Quicker and cheaper method for those on a small budget.	The information may not be tailored to the topic of the short film’s interest.
Results can be reliable as they have been used by others.	The information may not be reliable (out of date).

The Importance and Purpose of Secondary Research

Books

After researching into why research is essential in the short film production process I found that research is mostly required at every stage. This includes researching for props, locations, costumes or even real life events in order to make the story more realistic for the audience. 

"Research adds authenticity to any story".

When researching for short films, secondary research is vital as there are many different sources to retrieve information from, including books, journals, directories and websites/internet forums. 

The Importance of Research in Short Films

Peter Rea & David K. Irving suggest that conducting research and exploring with different methods will result in finding various results which can be useful to the researchers and the topic of their research. In their book 'Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video (2015), they also include "Your might need to do extreme research to determine whether the subject matter warrants making a short film." which provides researchers with a question they can ask themselves about how valid the story line is to the subject. 

"What is the underlying significance to me?" Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video, Peter Rea & David K. Irving (2015). Short film researchers must often consider this question as it can enable them to discover certain key elements of their topic such as its relevance to different features as well as gaining a more accurate view of the film and its genre. 

"Your research can be observational or based on others' observations and conclusions.". This quote suggests that with a large amount of conclusions that people gain when researching into short films, the more accurate and reliable the content will be for the researcher. Writing the Short Film by Patricia Cooper and Ken Dancyger (2012).


Forums

Forums can also be a useful source for researchers when attempting to find ideas for short films as it is a form of chat room where a range of people with similar interests, for example short films, can discuss ideas for potential short films. Forums can benefit the researchers as they can consist of many people from around the world, which can help researchers generate a range of short film ideas and reviews. 

Journals

Journals, which can be published online, are newsletters and magazines that cover specific subjects and topics, such as short film productions. Short film writers and directors can benefit from journals as they can research more into the subject through finding different articles and opinions from viewers and writers with different perspectives, enabling them to gain a larger understanding. 

Periodicals

A periodical is a magazine or journal that is issued at regularly recurring intervals. This can be linked to short film as the periodical itself can be targeted towards a specific audience who are interested in short films. Periodicals, which are regular, are useful as it its audience can be kept up to date with the latest short films and productions. 

Newspapers

A newspaper is a publication which can be distributed either daily, weekly or monthly. It consists of news and articles as well as advertisements, which is important as newspapers can enable readers to acknowledge any new films. This can also be useful for production companies when attempting to find out reviews or wants and needs their audience. 

Film Archives

A film archive is a collection of films that have been preserved, depending on their historical culture. This can benefit short film production as it can provide aspiring directors and writers with potential and similar film ideas that may have been created, in addition making the film more realistic with real footage. 

Photo Libraries

A photo library is a collection of photos that is held by a particular company. Newspapers, magazines and publishers can pay a certain amount of money to include the photographs in their publications. This can be linked to short films as it can help promote and advertise new short films that are in production.

Worldwide Web

The worldwide web consists of a range of different internet services that online users can use to access different web pages, these can include photos, videos, audio and documents. This can benefit short films as anyone around the world who has internet access can look upon particular sites, whether it be a simple advertisement or a web page dedicated entirely to short film productions. 

CD Rom Database 

CD Rom Databases are used to hold data, which is made up of using text and graphics. CD Rom databases can be beneficial as they are an easily transportable way to access large amounts of data, which is useful for short film researchers who often would like t gather all their research electronically rather than running the risk of it being easily damaged.  

Audio Material 

Audio material is where sounds can be recorded, stored and played back on an electronic device. Short film production can benefit from audio material as it can be portable, allowing content to be accessed from anywhere as internet access may not be required/available in some cases.  

Ratings

A rating is a ranking or classification of something, being assessed solely on its performance. Ratings can be a benefit to short film productions as it can provide writers with a realistic perspective of the target audience's opinions and needs. This can also provide open comparisons as viewers are allowed to have an opinion and interact with others on the subject. 

Circulation Figures

Circulation figures is where the total number of distribution is calculated per day, often used as a way of setting advertisement rates for the subject. Circulation figures can be of useful knowledge to short film creators as paying newspapers or magazines to advertise a short film may not be as useful if not many people are purchasing or reading them. 

Government Statistics 

Government statistics can be published by official agencies or organisations that can be used to present information about well established conventions. The benefit to this is that writers can write about societal and political issues which can then be publicly discussed, which can then result in them gaining more publicity. 

Bibliography:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yNKTBwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=producing+and+directing+the+short+film+and+video&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiyhPyJ5avRAhVMSRoKHUFsBsQQ6AEIGzAA#v=onepage&q=research&f=false

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rzgqBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5&dq=writing+the+short+film&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCj6ac5qvRAhVGPxoKHeKFCw0Q6AEIIzAB#v=onepage&q=research&f=false

Primary Research

Primary research refers to brand new research which is carried out personally by the researchers, which can be tailored to suit the researcher's topic. 
Primary research can be conducted through questionnaires/surveys, interviews and focus groups. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Results are more likely to be accurate and reliable when using direct questions. This means that the researcher will have more realistic answers	Time consuming as results will not be recorded immediately. Some short film researchers may need to find information within a short period of time.
Easily applicable to the researcher’s topic. This enables the researcher to alter the questions to the topic.	Is not cost effective. Some short films may have a small budget and may not be willing to go over for research.
Data can be collected that no other researcher could have access to. The researcher will have an advantage over its competitors due to having an expanded knowledge on their target audience.	Some participants may feel pressured to give a specific answer, therefore giving a dishonest response. Biased responses may not portray an accurate view of participant’s views and opinions which can affect the validity of the research.

The Importance and Purpose of Primary Research

Interview Techniques

Interview techniques can be separated into two different forms; formal and informal. Formal would be being required to wear a suit and give a much more professional impression, for example when going for a high level job interview in the film industry, whereas informal requires less of a effort. It is more likely that interviews in the short film in industry will be informal as most would have to use their creativity and relationships to further at a higher level. 

Observations

An observation is the process of someone recognising different facts of something occurring, which results in the observer recording, calculating or comparing the end results.. For example, a short film actor may try to identify the key characteristics of someone in order to be able to portray them accurately.  

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are a method of primary research that are quick and easy. They are a quicker way to obtain a large amount of responses from respondents in a short amount of time. Questionnaires are more likely to be a quicker way of gathering qualitative data as most questionnaires capture open questions. 

Surveys

Surveys are another method of primary research, which are similar to questionnaires. Some surveys can be conducted online which expands on the amount of respondents the researcher can receive. However, surveys are more likely to be a quicker way of gathering quantitative data as they capture closed questions. 

Types of Questions

Different questions can be categorised into either open of closed questions. Open questions require an opinionated response whereas closed questions limits someone's responses, such as 'yes' or 'no'. Through using open questions a researcher will acquire more of an elaborated and valid response. 

Focus Groups

Focus groups are small groups that are arranged to discuss a certain subject or matter. In short film production, a writer or a director can arrange a focus group with their target audience who have viewed it in order to receive valid feedback, they then can provide personal responses with what they did or did not like about the short film. 

Audience Panels

Audience panels can be useful as they are gathered to provide feedback of certain shows. Short film researchers can benefit from this as audience panels can represent different groups of viewers, which enables the producers and writers to gain a realistic insight of viewer's personal opinions of short films. 

Data Gathering Agencies

Data gathering agencies conduct research in order to collect statistical data of a product.

www.barb.co.uk offers a range of television viewing figures and audience statistics that online users can get access to. The website displays trend graphs and charts that represent the reports of weekly programmes list.

Looking at the statistics barb.co.uk have provided, between the 28th December and the 3rd of January BBC1 has been the most popular channel, with BBC2 being second and ITV being 3rd.

Short films can be more creative when gathering data as the more social media web pages, such as YouTube, Facebook, blogs and internet forums, they look at the more easier it will be for them to collect data. 

Self-Generated Research

Self generated research is research that is conducted and produced without any external help. The research that is gathered from this differentiates itself from other data as it has never been collected before. 

A short film producer can benefit from self generated research as they can tailor it to their own needs. They will also not have to rely on any outside sources as they are the ones that gather their own information, having full reliability on their data.

Advantages	Disadvantages
The researcher would not have to rely on anyone else, including external sources of information. The researcher is the source of the information, making the research more accurate and reliable.	The researcher would need a considerate amount of time and a fair budget to gather unique types of information of their own.
The information gathered is up to date.
The researcher can alter the questions and research to the topic, such as tailoring to find the needs and wants of the target audience.