2. Here, I began researching my target audience through a survey in which I asked a multitude of questions. Firstly, I asked what
their hobbies or interests were so then I could gage what my target audience likes. I got a variety of different answers however
some of them were similar such as gaming, content creating, art and witch craft. Using this, this informs me that my decision on
what I wanted to focus on for my documentary (gaming industry and why God of War is a prime example of how gaming culture
has evolved) aligns well with my target audience liking gaming. In addition, I know that at least some of my target audience may
have played one of the God Of War games due to the fact that the two most recent games (God of War 2018 and God Of War:
Ragnarök) have sold over 23 million copies which doesn’t even include the other 4 God Of War games. Using this, I am confident
that I have chosen an acceptable subject area to explore in corelation to the brief. Moreover, due to the more recent God of War
games having more cinematic cutscenes, people who enjoy films may be interested in the newer God Of War games or if not,
they may find themselves intrigued into the lore of Kratos (the main character) or the games in general.
3. The next question I asked was directly linked to documentaries and if they had ever watched one before so then I could
understand whether or not my target audience were familiar with the style and format of a documentary. Using this, I know that
at least some of my target audience will know what to expect from a documentary thus I know they will expect a high standard
and quality product. Moreover, this informs me that my target audience will know the codes and convections of a documentary
thus I should follow the codes and convections to the best of my ability to make sure that my product will meets the
expectations.
4. The next question I asked was linked to the previous question as I asked what made them watch a documentary which I asked so
then I knew what makes a documentary enticing to sit through and watch. I got a variety of different answers which ranged from
the “story” to “the special effects” to “I like to learn about new things” amongst other answers. Using this, I know the reasons
why my target audience would want to see a documentary thus I should try and implement as many of the reasons they watch
documentaries as possible.
5. The next question I asked was what they would expect to see in a documentary so then I know what the target audience expects
to see in which I got several different answers including “interviews”, “personal experiences” and “life story” however archived
footage and factual information were the two most popular answers thus I should ensure to include these to the best of my
ability.
6. The next question I asked was directly linked to how a documentary would be appealing which I asked to see what areas I should
focus on during or in the process of making the documentary. A re-occurring answer that I got from this question was linked to
the topic and if it interests them. From this, I understand that the subject I have chosen to focus on (the gaming industry and why
God of War is a prime example of how gaming culture has evolved) was and still is a popular subject in the gaming community as
it continues to get millions of views on several different platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Thus, I believe this will
not be an issue as the area has been shown to be popular. In addition, I got answers such as “story” and “loads of interesting
changes in shots and camera angles”. Using this, I will try to ensure that whilst writing my script and creating the documentary, to
incorporate these different reasons for a documentary being appealing for my target audience to the best of my ability.
7. Finally, the last question I asked in this survey was the negative sides of documentaries and what can make them boring. I got a
variety of different answers which includes “long”, “dry or uninteresting interviews or narrator” however the most popular
answer I gathered was linked to if the subject was interesting or not. As previously mentioned, the subject I will be focusing on is
still popular on several social media platforms therefore more of my target audience will be likely interested in the
documentary’s subject area. Moreover, whilst creating my script, I will try to keep in mind to not make the documentary too long
and to have an interesting script otherwise they may be uninterested as the ideal goal for this documentary is to have the highest
viewer retention rate as possible.
9. Audience Profile
Firstly, in the UK, roughly 50.53% of my target audience are male and 49.47% are female. Using this, I will ensure my product
does not cater to a specific gender and remains gender neutral so then I won’t lose around half my target audience. My target
audience are young adults from 16-24 year olds thus the average age for my target audience is around 20 years old.
In addition, the physiographic for my target audience are mostly mainstreamers as my target audience consume the most media
and keep up to date with the latest trends. However, some of my target audience may also be succeeders or explorers as some of
my target audience who watch documentary will more likely be very enthusiastic about the subject or may want to create their
own documentary for a better status online.
Finally, my target audience’s average social grade will more than likely realm around being a C1, C2 or D depending on their age
and how much they have managed to accomplish in the early stages of their life. This is important as this will allow me to
understand the audience's needs better and overall, create a more compelling documentary.
