I created 3 ideas for an ident for the channel E4 and to find out which idea the audience preferred I decided to hold a focus group. The focus group consisted of teenagers as I feel that this is the target audience, although the ident is open to all ages.
Idea 1
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| This story board shows how the ident will be recorded and then played in reverse to give the illusion that the Rubik's cube will be completed with a blindfold on. |
Idea 2
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| This story board shows how I will record the ident although I will be reversing the footage to seem as though the E4 logo is in fact going from a burnt state into it's original state. |
Idea 3
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| This storyboard shows a fuse being lit with a close up shot tracking the flame. The frame then zooms out and the E4 logo is seen at the end of the fuse. The fuse gets closer until, inevitably, the E4 logo explodes. |
Question 1) Which idea do you prefer?
Answer a) I prefer idea number 2
Answer b) I prefer idea number 1
Answer c) I prefer idea number 1
Answer d) I prefer idea number 3
Answer e) I prefer idea number 2
Answer f) I prefer idea number 1
Question 2) Why do you prefer this idea?
Answer a) I like the concept of the reversing footage of the logo being burnt
Answer b) I think it will fool the audience and make it look legitimate
Answer c) I like how the colour purple is shown as an E4 logo on the Rubik's cube
Answer d) I like how this idea is simple and tracks the flame down the fuse
Answer e) I think it will look good when the footage is reversed
Answer f) This idea will keep an audience watching as they won't think it can be done
Question 3) What was the main thing that caught your attention?
Answer a) The way that the burning is going to be reversed
Answer b) The colourful Rubik's cube caught my attention
Answer c) How the person will solve the Rubik's cube blindfolded
Answer d) When the E4 logo suddenly blows up at the end of the fuse
Answer e) Watching the flames burn the E4 logo in reverse
Answer f) The parts where the person drinks and another walks past
Question 4) Which idea was your least favourite?
Answer a) My least favourite was idea 3
Answer b) My least favourite was idea 3
Answer c) My least favourite was idea 3
Answer d) My least favourite was idea 2
Answer e) My least favourite was idea 1
Answer f) My least favourite was idea 3
Question 5) Why was that your least favourite?
Answer a) It is more straight forward than the other ideas
Answer b) This idea is quite boring compared to the rest
Answer c) It isn't suprising as you can tell what's going to happen
Answer d) This ident is quite slow paced so it may end up boring
Answer e) I think this ident will drag on for too long, the others not so much
Answer f) I don't think this idea is bad, I just prefer the other two ideas
Question 6) If you could improve your favourite ident, how would you do it?
Answer a) I would have more happening in the background so it's not so boring
Answer b) I would add sound effects to make it appealing to young audiences
Answer c) I would make it so that well known music was played over the top
Answer d) I would add an explosion sound effect when the logo blows up
Answer e) I would show a hand setting the E4 logo on fire
Answer f) I would add sound effects of the Rubik's cube moving around
To conclude, from the answers given above I have found out the following:
1) Overall, the audience preferred idea 1
2) The main thing the audience liked was the concept of reversing footage
3) The audience also enjoyed the bright colours of the Rubik's cube/flames
4) The audience's least favourite idea was idea 3
5) They thought idea was boring as it was straight forward/simple
6) To improve an ident, they wanted more sound effects to be heard
