Viability

Viability

Is the product financially viable?

The documentary that I am going to create is financially viable as I already acquire all of the equipment, technology and props that are required within the production however I may need to recruit professional talent and crew in order to have a positive outcome.

Do you have the necessary skills to undertake the production process?

I acquire various skills in order to create my production such as:

•     Organisation (crew, talent, specialists, time schedules etc)
•     Camera (shots, angles)

Do you have the right equipment and technology available to you?

I possess the required equipment and technology in order to create and finalise the production. Some of the pieces of equipment that I have are:

•     Camera
•     Camera lenses
•     Tripod
•     Gaffer/grip
•     Software (iMovie, AVID)

What help and support will you require?

I will require help in using software to edit my documentary however I am able to use all other pieces of equipment that will be used to create the production.

Have you got enough time to produce the product?

It will take 2-3 days to complete filming the documentary and will approximately take around 4 days to complete editing the footage. 

Market research

Market research

Evidence- product market; competition, competitor analysis; advertising placement; advertising effectiveness

Product market

Understanding what the customer’s wants and needs are as well as acknowledging that the product is developed in a way that meets these requirements.

An example of using Product research regarding my documentary on teenagers in Banstead is identifying how many individuals would be willing to view this material. Polls are often used in Product research to gather relevant information from the audience about what their views and interests are, for example; what should my documentary be called?

What should my documentary be called?

a) Stoned kids

b) Addiction X X X

c) Is it all really that bad?

d)  Legally High X X X X X

My chosen documentary name was “Is it all really that bad?” however it was unsuccessful in the market place. I created a pre-production market Poll in order to see its popularity and competitive edge against other existing names. My documentary name did not receive any votes whereas “Addiction” received 3 votes and “Legal high” received 5 votes. It is important to identify which name(s) are preferred in the market as the audience might not be as interested if the name of the documentary does not catch their eye.

Competition

Smart marketers employ a form of competitive research in order to increase their understanding of what products, services, pricing models and value propositions they are up against.

Competing documentaries:

• Stoned Kids
• Addiction
• Legally High

I was not able to view ‘Addiction’ as it was not available in the UK however I was able to watch my other two selected documentaries. These documentaries provide their audience with significant information.

Stoned Kids

This documentary offers their audience information on medical Marijuana that also includes a story of a young girl who has been diagnosed with cancer. She consumes Marijuana in various ways such as sweets and pills. The use of Marijuana helps this young girl cope with her disease. The documentary informs their audience how Marijuana works when it is consumed by a human and the affects that it can have. This documentary was free to view and is accessible to various different people who are interested in viewing this production.

The audience would become informed of how Cannabis can be used in a medical way and can be used to treat and help victims of cancer such as the girl in the documentary. The story can also trigger the emotions of individuals within the audience which can also increase the amount of viewers they receive. Competing with this documentary could be difficult as this production company has a budget which is considerably high whereas I will not have as many resources and sources of finance. However through primary research I can conduct questionnaires and interviews in order to determine what the audience would like to see and what their opinions are.

Another factor could be that it is set in Banstead and measures the activities of teenagers in this. Individuals that are interested in the documentary will be local to this area which could potentially increase the interest and amount of viewers I receive. In comparison to this it could also be a negative factor as it is not based on a National or Global range and it is focused on a small society.

Legally High

This documentary is able to provide their audience with information about legal drugs that are available to members of the society. This documentary is based in the UK whereas ‘Stoned Kids’ is based in America. This documentary is free to view and is available to all individuals who would want to view this production. The audience is provided with material about different types of legal drugs and the views of people involved in the documentary. The production takes place in the UK and also includes a local area called ‘Camden’ which is well known for its drug consumption and trade. The documentary informs their audience of the drugs that are offered as well as various ways that these can be bought.

It could be difficult to compete with this documentary as they also have a high budget which enables them to gather required resources and editing which will increase the amount of viewers they receive as well as the satisfactory that they have from viewing this. Competing with this documentary could also be difficult as they are reaching out to a wider audience rather than focusing on a specific area or group like my documentary is.

Competitive analysis template

Things we do that they don’t	My documentary focuses on a specific region unlike most other materials that base their documentary on a National scale	Based on a real story that took place in Banstead	Academic status as it was done for A-Level studies
Things we do better than them	Teenager making a documentary on teens- better understanding	First-hand account of the story it is based on	Understand specific aspects and expectations of the target audience
Things we do equally well	Provide statistics and facts	Provide the audience and target audience with help and support	Inform the audience of data and material that is relevant to them or their situation
Things they do better than us	These individuals might of possessed resources that I don’t, e.g. equipment, talent, crew.	Other documentaries would have had a budget	Availability of locations
Things they do that we don’t	High quality acting, editing and specialist performances	Advertising their documentary on media such as television and radio	Potentially make a significant profit from their production (depending on how successful or large the organisation or production is)

Advertising placement

Advertising placement: how this might look

  Products that teenagers are likely to consume are:

• Fizzy drinks (Coca-Cola, Fanta)
• Technology (iPhones, Samsungs)
• Sweets (Haribos, Skittles)
• Goldings (Corner shop, located in Banstead)
• Stationery from Lorimers

Things that can be included in my documentary

Things that are to be excluded from my documentary

Advertising placement is a technique used by companies to subtly promote various products through a non-traditional advertising technique that is usually through appearances in film, television and other types of media. Product placement is often initiated through an agreement between a product manufacture and the company in which they receive economic benefit. An organisation will often pay fees to have their products used, displayed or significantly featured in a film or show.

Audience research

Audience Research

Evidence

Audience research; audience classification (socio-economic, geodemographic, psychographic, ethnographic, age, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, education), media preferences, product preferences; buying patterns.

Socio-economics

Also known as Social economics. This is the study of how economic activity affect and are shaped by social processes. It analyses how societies progress, stagnate or regress due to their local or regional economy or even their global economy.

I am studying teenage drug and alcohol consumption and trade in Banstead. Socio-economics is a key measure in identifying whether this is a factor in their pursuits. Studying the local area, I noted that Banstead has a high cost for most of their houses which evidences that there are many wealthy and high/middle class people that live here. In conclusion, because the statistics of housing prices are high within the market in Banstead it provides me with the evidence that they would be able to afford viewings such as cinema’s where my documentary could be shown.

The statistics of individuals that live in Reigate and Banstead (2014) between the ages of 16-64 are 89,100. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157332/printable.aspx This is significant to identify as it provides me with some sort of idea of how many young people are in the local area of Banstead. The number of people that are in Employment in the Reigate and Banstead borough (2015) are 73,600 whereas the Unemployment for this is 2,600. These statistics are important to include when researching about the social economics of Banstead as it provides evidence of most individuals possessing a job.

Geodemographic

This research is combined of demographic and psychographic data along with geographical locations or clusters in order to determine the preferences or tastes of those individuals in this area. The primary audience of my documentary are parents of teenagers that live in Banstead. This is my primary audience as the documentary is based on teenagers who are involved in drugs and alcohol in this area which can cause harm to themselves and others. Parents will want to understand and identifying the facts and statistics of teenagers involved in these activities to keep them safe and under control.

Parents will be interested in these activities and the information that will be shown in the documentary as it will give them an insight of how many illegal crime and activities are going on in their area. This may determine their child’s whereabouts and areas that they are allowed told by the guardians. Parents might be interested in specific areas that are affected and if they are located near to these.

Psychographic

This is the study of individual’s personalities, values, attitudes, interests, lifestyles and opinions. This is incredibly relevant in researching for my documentary as many of my measurements that are recorded are on the attitudes and behaviours of the participants. Parents will want to ensure that their child is safe and secure while in the local area. As a parent it is a moral responsibility to keep your child safe and away from harm.

Ethnographic
This research describes the culture of a certain individual or group. The goal of this is to understand the ways of life from the different native points of view.

Ethnographic research is important within my documentary as it will identify the individuals points of view and expectations. Drug usage and trade has increased over the years especially involving teenagers and young people. Parents might be interested in acknowledging the statistics and facts of drug and alcohol activities that happen in their local area.

Age
Age is an important element when researching my audience as the documentary needs to fit their personalities and suitability. The average age for a parent of a teenager is from 30-50 years old. Although this target audience will have some knowledge of technology they are more likely to view this documentary on a television rather than new resources.

Gender
Females are predominately seen as more affectionate and emotional regarding their children. Female parents are also more likely to watch material such as my documentary rather than males.

Occupation
Occupations of the target audience are important to identify. Individuals who are from a high class background and have a good, professional occupation are less likely to watch the documentary rather than someone who is middle class. People who possess a high class job are less likely to have children who are involved in drug and alcohol activities. Occupations of individuals within the target audience may also determine whether they can afford to watch the documentary or not.

Education
Education that the target audience have previously received may have a significant impact on the type of individuals that watch the documentary. If individuals within the target audience have some sort of knowledge about drugs and alcohol this can influence whether they want to watch the material or not.

Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation plays a big role in the audience research. Although bisexual and homosexual people can have children of their own whether they are theirs through blood or adoption; Banstead contains mostly heterosexual individuals.

Media and product preferences
Media and product preferences refers to what the individuals of the audience are interested in regarding products. The target audience of the documentary may be interested in big brands such as Samsung and Apple. Many individuals within this age category are attracted by products within these brands. Showing my documentary on these technological products can be an advantage and will intrigue individuals within the target audience. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/11146439/How-young-viewers-are-abandoning-television.html

https://www.thinkbox.tv/Getting-on-TV/Useful-resources/Audience-profiles

Buying patterns
This type of research will identify the various brands and products that my target audience are attracted to and will want to purchase. Identifying buying patterns of individuals in the target audience is important as the documentary needs to suit these as best as they can. It is significant to acknowledge what type of products the target audience are interested in as well as identifying patterns in costs, categories and timings.

Observation evaluation

Controlled Observation Evaluation
I conducted a controlled observation in order to monitor the behaviours and attitudes of participants who took an interest in leaflets regarding drugs and alcohol. This reveals the truth about how many individuals are interested in this particular area and activities.

I chose to use a controlled observation over naturalistic and participant methods because it was the most suitable observational method. Naturalistic and participant would not of fulfilled the criteria of what I want to achieve in understanding and researching. Using a controlled observation is a more suitable method as this determines when exactly you are able to collect the material and information you want at a specific time.

I have already researched another controlled observational experiment that is based around young individuals and their behaviours of trying to resist eating a marshmallow that is placed in front of them. These children are told that if they want to eat the marshmallow they can however if they wait until the adult has re entered the room they will be given a second marshmallow as a reward. Many of these individuals tried to distract themselves from eating the marshmallow such as wondering their eyes around the room, talking to themselves or another child that was with them, touching the object, smelling the object, licking it, etc.

The Marshmallow Test Video

The Marshmallow Test Book

The method and table that I created are both reliable to an extent as they could potentially be improved. The intensity was from 1-5 but did not state that 1 was the lowest and 5 was the highest intensity which could be a barrier of communication of another researcher using these creations. The table could also be improved by including more intensity elements and titles.

The validity of my observation is positive to an extent although it could be improved. My chosen observation could be increased in its validity by including a second observer to monitor the individuals involved. It can be hard to monitor all individuals who are involved in the experiment. Before conducting the observation I determined that no one would take an interest to the leaflets although I was biased and turned out to be wrong as many participants approached these documents and concluded my initial data. Although I was able to gather positive information I could of improved this by increasing the amount of columns which would allow me to identify different attitudes and behaviours of the monitored individuals.

The strengths of my method are that I am able to tailor my material the way I want in order to gather the relevant information. Conducting a controlled observation I am able to view the participants behaviours of the provided documents which gives me categories and specific information to lead from. It is easier and increasingly quick to analyse data collected from a controlled observation due to this being quantitatively based. This method is less time consuming to conduct rather than a naturalistic observation. Large samples can be obtained in a short period of time when using a controlled observation which will ultimately leave more time to analyse and evaluate the findings.

A weakness in using a controlled observation can be that participants might respond differently if they acknowledge that they are being monitored, however I did not experience this. Participants that I observed were not informed that they were being monitored and recorded regarding their activities with the documents. Individuals that are aware that they are being monitored might not display normal behaviours which is why it is crucial to be careful when observing so that the initial data collection is not incorrect or 'fake'.

Data Collected

The research that I have conducted has furthered my documentary as it gives me an increased amount of reliability and relevance regarding information to use. The research that I have collected is significant towards my documentary as it enables me to observe how many individuals took interest in the documents, furthermore observing their behaviours and comments that they had on these.

Controlled observation

Type of observation: Controlled

Environment: Sixth Form centre

Location: Banstead

Observation of: Drugs, alcohol and smoking

I am observing the amount of individuals who are drawn to leaflets and information about drugs, alcohol and smoking that are displayed in the Sixth Form centre on a table. I will measure and record the amount of individuals that approach these resources and the leaflet(s) they are most interested in.

The template for the recordings that i used are the following;

 The materials that I used are;

Self generated research

Self-generated research

Controlled observation

The researcher makes the decision of where the observation will take place as well as the time, the participants and the circumstances of the procedure.

Instead of writing detailed, lengthy paragraphs of the behaviour observed; they often find it easier to code the behaviours according to a previously agreed scale. The researcher systematically classifies the behaviour they observe into different categories. Coding can involve numbers or letters to describe the characteristics of the behaviour intensity. The categories on the schedule are coded so that the data is able to be collected and analysed easily which can then be turned into statistics.

Naturalistic observation

Naturalistic observation involves studying the spontaneous behaviour of the participants in natural surroundings. The researcher will record what they see.

Participant observation

Participant observation is a variant of the natural observation, however here the researcher joins in and becomes part of the group that are being studied. This approach was used by Leon Festinger in a famous study that was based on different religious cult that believed the end of the world was near. He joined a cult and observed the behaviour and reactions of participants when it did not actually occur.

Participant observations can either cover or overt. The researcher takes a false identity and role so that they are able to observe other individual’s behaviours and attitudes.

‘Five Star’- our short film review company in Banstead.

Idea

Naturalistic observation- at a party

WHO TAKES DRUGS?

WHO SMOKES?

WHO DRINKS?

WHO’S UNDERAGE?

The illegal consumption and selling of drugs and alcohol in Banstead

This questionnaire was designed to collect and analyse data of different individuals that either live in Banstead or nearby regarding the consumption and selling of illegal drugs and alcohol. It is interesting as well as important to identify how many members of the public including many teenagers are exposed to illegal drug taking and trade. I prepared 10 different questions for my audience to answer and received 12 responses. Each individual had a different answer which was interesting to see;

Q1. It is important to ask this question as it enables you to understand the individuals that are mostly affected by these illegal and criminal offenses. The majority of people who answered were between the ages of 17 and 18 which provides me with evidence that these people are old enough to know about these sorts of inappropriate behaviours and activities. Most (if not all) of these individuals who completed the questionnaire are aware of the available drugs and alcohol.

Q2. Although it is not essential to collect data on the applicant’s gender; it is interesting to see the contrast. More than half of the people who took part in the survey were female at 66.67% whereas the males was at a low of 33.33%. Stereotypically males are more likely to find trouble, majority of the time it involves drug consumption and trade.

Q3. I felt that it was important to identify what these individuals might have witnessed when in Banstead. Asking them if they have ever seen or smelt anyone using or selling drugs provides me with evidence that this type of criminal activity is going on in public around the area. All the applicants answered yes to witnessing this apart from one individual who said maybe. Receiving 11 ‘Yes’ answers provides me with the evidence that there is serious criminal activity going on within this village. None of the applicants answered to ‘No’ which means that a high number of people in the general public are exposed to these substances and illegal activities and materials.

Q4. The majority of the applicants answered ‘Yes’ to this question apart from 2 individuals who said that they have not been offered anything considered illegal. Although not everyone has said that they have experienced someone offering those illegal substances and alcohol; 83.33% of these applicants have admitted that they have been offered and provided with these materials which is an incredibly high percentage.

Q5. It is essential to understand the types of drugs these individuals are exposed to in Banstead village. Most of the applicants informed me from the questionnaire that Marijuana is the biggest drug that is available however the second highest that has been offered to these individuals is Ecstasy. It is shocking and important to identify how many different types of drugs these people have been exposed to.

Q6. Applicants answers were all very similar in statistics. 41.67% of the individuals said that they had not either consumed or sold drugs within the Banstead environment whereas 33.33% had admitted to this and 25% said 'Maybe'.

Q7. Applicant answers were split between 'Yes' and 'No' at 41.67% whereas 'Maybe' received 16.67% regarding this question. This data provides me with evidence that many of these individuals do consume either drugs or alcohol in Banstead but not everyone feels this urge to do so.

Q8. It is interesting to see how many of these individuals smoke at 58.33% which is over half. It is stereotyped that people who smoke are more likely to consume and be associated with illegal drugs and alcohol instead of those who do not smoke.

Q9. It is shocking to find out that every individual that completed this survey has witnessed at least one person consume drugs or alcohol illegally while in Banstead. Each applicant claimed that they had seen someone take or use drugs or alcohol which proves the risk and harmful effects it can have to others who witness this behaviour and activities.

Q10. Applicant answers were measured at 75% for 'Yes' regarding their knowledge of individuals that are able to sell or provide them with drugs or alcohol. Even though not all applicants answered 'Yes' to this question; three quarters of these individuals did. 75% is an incredibly high percentage and should be taken into account how many of these people could become at risk of harmful behaviour or substances.

Production research

Content
Could be original or optioned- both require research to be done
An option is a contractual agreement between a potential film producer and a writer or third party that is holding ownership of a screenplay.
The owner of a piece of writing can sell a specific script to a film producer however if they have not created a film or production using this within 2 years the owner of the script has the authority and right to sell this piece of work to another producer.

Copyright- cannot use another individuals or organisations work as your own. You have to have permission to use work that has been copyrighted.
Copyright owners can decide to licence others to use their own work retaining the ownership over the rights themselves.
Short film makers unlikely to not have the correct funds or budget to afford or pay for copyright or use another individuals sound or music in their production.

Viability
It is important to demonstrate that your planned production is viable.
Testing the viability of your short film at a number of different levels is important:

• Is the production financially viable?
• Do you have the skills that are necessary to undertake the process?
• Do you have access to the required equipment and technology that is available?
• Will you require help and support and if need be what is it?
• Do you have enough time to create the production?

Placement media

Financial costs
Is the production financially viable?
Short film producers have to consider significant costs such as:

• Crew
• Locations
• Props/ Costume
• Talent
• Permissions
• Equipment
• Miscellaneous (food and drink)

The overall costs of the production will differ depending on what sort of short film you are looking to create.

Technological resources
Hardware and software options are available to use in the creation of your production. If you choose to work independently your equipment will have to be purchased or hired for the duration of the production process. Looking at this aspect you will have to undertake researching what equipment you will require and how much it will cost. Software will help you to tailor, cut and frame the short film how you want where as the hardware is the equipment that helps you to create the production.

Personnel
Hiring creative individuals to help research and develop your ideas is an important factor within creating a production. It is useful to also look at technical expertise to support you in the production stages. Marketing people can help sell the production and generate a significant income from advertising and merchandising. Marketing and advertising are important factors that need to be looked into in detail in order to determine how much it will cost and how it will be done.

Locations
The filmmaker needs to research potential locations that can be used and accessed to film the production. Using a Recce is useful in identifying suitable venues for the filming of the production, assisting in the planning of specific shots, assess potential problems or health and safety issues that might be faced by the crew.

Market research

Product market
Competition
Competitor analysis
Advertising placement
Advertising effect

Audience research

Audience research

Audience data- information that is received from the audience. I.e. screen testing, reviewing

Audience profiling- social and economic characteristics within the audience

Demographics- individuals that are linked together in some way. I.e. ethnicity, race, genders, social class.

Geodemographics- segments individuals included in this into further categories. 

Consumer behaviour- the study of the behaviour of these people that are included in this and what their needs and wants specifically are. I.e. types of productions, effects and storylines that attract the target audience.

Consumer attitudes- these can include the audiences beliefs, feelings and behaviour. This can have a significant affect on the production as you will be able to identify what these individuals are interested in, what issues they are effected by etc.

Audience awareness- recognising what your audiences interests and preferences are. Doing so will increase your reputation and amount of viewers you receive.

Self generated research

Self generated research is data that you have created yourself; it is your own original piece of work. I.e. script, photographs, audio, footage.

Advantages

• Authentic
• Fresh idea(s)
• Can tailor the production to how you want
• Up-to-date

Disadvantages

• Can be very time consuming
• Can have a significant cost for the materials required

Advantages

Authentication is an important factor of using Self generated research; it can have a significant outcome on the production. It is illegal to copy or use anyone else's work as your own without the proper authority/ permission to do so; this is called Plagiarism. The advantage of creating your own piece of work is that it is your own authentic thoughts and ideas that have created the production. Furthermore, creating an authentic piece of work will give the audience something new instead of being hit with the same idea and purpose as they have seen many times before.

Linking together with this is fresh ideas. The advantage that this has is that no one else has the same story line or ideas that you do. Creating new and original pieces of work will potentially draw the audience in as it'll be something different and improved from what they might have seen already. Creating fresh, new ideas for a production will draw your viewers in and potentially increase your number of viewers and the reputation of the creation. Introducing a new creation to your audience will get them interested and excited about the production, Viewers may also recommend the creation to their peers if they think it is of a high enough standard.

Tailoring the production to how you want is important and can be an advantage as it means that you can have full control over what you want to happen. No one else has permission or access to change what you have created.

The piece of work that you create will also be up-to-date, giving you an advantage in attracting your audience further. Having your production up-to-date with real life events and footage can have the affect of attracting more viewers. The higher quality of the production the higher number of viewers and individuals interested is likely to be received.


Disadvantages

Creating the production from your original thoughts and ideas can be very time consuming whereas it is a lot easier and faster to use Secondary research or already founded materials in your production. Cost is also very important in including within self generated research. Sometimes the amount of money an individual has access to will determine whether they are able to create their own footage, sounds etc. You also have to keep in mind that the production will have to have some sort of budget set in order to attract the target audience; otherwise the creation has just gone to waste.

Primary Research methods

Interview techniques- formal, informal
Formal

• A set time for the interview to take place
• Dress appearance- suit, smartly dressed
• Questions tailored to the applicant
• Most commonly taken place for a job interview

Informal

• A specific time is not set
• The individuals are dressed normally

Observations (studying behaviour)
Observations often study human behaviour and gather an understanding of why individuals do and act a certain way. For example someone could observe the amount of television an individual watches a week and could develop this into how and why they do this. If this individual has a lot of free time and does not work during the day they will be able to relax and watch TV a lot more so than someone who works full-time and has many responsibilities and roles they have to complete in the day. This would be the process of observing these individuals and understanding why they do this.

Questionnaires
Questionnaires can be useful in gathering people's opinions and views on certain aspects of your subject. You will be able to identify potential strengths and weaknesses within your topic after conducting the questionnaire. Once you have gathered all of your audience responses you will be able to analyse these and make a decision with what to do to improve your research or subject.

Surveys
Quantitative
Types of questions- open (can have multiple outcomes and responses), closed (restricted answers; yes or no)

Focus Groups- small groups that discuss specific topics

Audience panels- Focus group where the viewers are assembled to give feedback and their opinions to the producers of the show
Participation in internet forums

The purpose and nature of Primary Research

Primary Research is original research that the individual gathers regarding their topic/ subject.

Advantages

• It's your own findings
• You can tailor the information how you want
• Recency of the data

Disadvantages

• Time consuming
• High cost
• An increase of resources may be required

Collecting Primary research is an advantage as it allows you to create and tailor your material in gathering the information to your own preferences. With Secondary research you are less likely to be able to collect data that is specific to your topic furthermore using Primary research can assist you in gathering relevant and important information that can help you in your production process. Collecting Primary research will also allow and show your audience that you are able to identify and investigate data and collect this regarding your subject. Using Primary research will enable you to gather information that will be of great use to you in this section of the process of production. Primary data will also allow you to collect information that is up to date and new. Collecting data that is new enables you to work with material that is fresh which means that it will essentially give you a more accurate outcome.

Collecting Primary research can however be a disadvantage as it can be very time consuming as well as cost a significant amount. The timing and cost of the production are two of the most important elements as you do not want to go over the planned amount that you are setting yourself furthermore you want to ensure that you use the appropriate amount as well. You want to make sure that you use your time effectively and do not waste it. You also need to ensure that you spend enough money on collecting the data you require however you do not want to spend too much as you need enough money to make the overall creation of the production successful. When creating Primary research it can require more resources than what it would to collect Secondary research. For example you might want to create a questionnaire for your audience or the public to complete and gather the information  you receive from that; you might decide to create your questionnaire document on Microsoft Word which is a resource that you require furthermore deciding where you want to display this; do you want to print it off and hand it out to individuals? do you want to display this on social media websites?

The nature and purposes of Secondary research

Secondary research is the process of collecting data that has been originally found by another individual.

Advantages

• The data is already collected
• The information that has been gathered is sometimes extensive
• Cost efficient

Disadvantages

• The findings could be out of date
• The data could be inaccurate
• Might not be specific enough

Collecting Secondary research is an advantage as it can save you valuable time that you could've spent else where in the production process. Collecting your own data (Primary research) can also have a significant cost whereas it is a lot cheaper to use Secondary research in your work. The money that you save from collecting Secondary research you could spend on different aspects of the production. It is important to remember that you have a small budget when making your short film, you do not want to spend too much money on the research process of the creation and ensure that you have enough money to spend on other significant parts of the production. In some cases the information that has been gathered in the Secondary research can be extensive. You might not be able to access certain things that have been used in order to obtain this research, furthermore it can be an advantage to include this in your work as someone else has gone and completed this already and the data is already presented for you.

However, Secondary research can be a disadvantage as the data might be out of date. Secondary research can be done at any time and can be left for the public to view however it might not stay updated. Although Secondary research can still be valuable even if it is out of date; sometimes it can only be used if it is new material or is kept updated. In many cases the data that has been collected is inaccurate and incorrect. Many individuals or organisations can make mistakes and misread information and display this, in conclusion giving you the wrong or incorrect data. Using incorrect data in your work will not give you a positive completion and can lead to you ultimately misreading this information and making mistakes from this. Secondary research can also be a disadvantage as the information that has been collected might not be specific enough regarding your topic. Unlike Primary research you will not be able to edit or tailor your material to suit your subject.

Short film proposal presentation

https://prezi.com/8py80grbfiqb/short-film-proposal-pitch/

Secondary Research- 'The Importance of research in short film production'

Swimming Upstream: A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution by Sharon Badal

These two pieces of text taken from Swimming Upstream are significant in my secondary research as they identify some key elements that can be taken into consideration. For example viewing similar short films and examples and picking out features from these can be helpful in the planning and making of my own short film. The author also states that even though you may not agree with the research that is being presented it can be useful to know regardless. In the second piece of text Badal states that there are various different approaches in gathering this type of research and information; libraries, marketing divisions, distribution departments etc. 

It is important to be able to identify the various facilities and resources that are accessable in gathering the information required. It is helpful to use as many different methods of secondary research as you can so that you are expanding and developing your understanding of this type of research as well as gathering information of other people's experiences, opinions and views.

Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video by Peter Rea, David K. Irving 

This piece of text is important in my research as it tells the reader what to do when trying to gather the information. It states that the reader would benefit from contacting as many companies that is possible and to avoid wasting time they should identify the types of projects each company has funded in the past that will link to their theme or subject. Identifying specific information that relates to your subject will give you an advantage in developing the research making your planning and making of the short film stronger.

Writing the Short Film by Patricia Cooper, Ken Dancyger

This piece of text explains how you can use various ways in conducting research and tailoring it to your own preferences. You are able to do your Secondary research gathering information that is relevent and significant in your studies furthermore digging deeper into this finding other pieces of data that can be used and analysed. Secondary research can lead to other pieces of text and authors which will improve and develop the information gathered however this first initial research can always be gone back to.

The purpose of using these pieces of text and the reason for including it in my Secondary research is because it evidences some key points that can be taken into consideration and help to build the research gathered. This will enable you to progress with the making of films and understanding relevent facts and opinions of certain aspects of film making and the research needed to be able to create these. Every image that has been taken from the three books is significant in my Secondary research as it allows me to see these individuals perspectives and opinions on the research they have undertaken and how important they think it is themselves with the work and film making they have done.

Using the Internet

https://shortofstories.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/writing-a-short-film-research/

This author states that they use their own personal process to undergo research while working on the writing of their own short film script. The author explains how important it is to evidence research in your work. You need to be able to develop your research increasing your chances and possibilities of creating high quality and positive films that are more likely to survive in the market. It is important to research so that mistakes are not made within the film, characters etc. It is easy for the audience to spot mistakes and disadvantages within a film which can have a negative affect on the producer as well as the film itself.

Using Forums

http://www.filmmakerforum.org/general-discussion/6142-tips-for-writing-an-interrogation-short.html

Using Journals

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/sfs/2014/00000004/00000001