Purposes Of Research (Production Research)

Production Research

Production Research is the final major part of research that will have to be carried out. This type of research comes after audience and market. It is research to help a company/individual find out what materials/items will be needed. This section of research will help the individual have a better understanding of what costings will be needed to produce the products and how many units of that product can be produced.

Different types of costings that can be figured out will be.....

Viability - viability means do you have the resources and materials to make what you are doing happen. Is it doable? For example do I have access to locations, cast and the finance that Is needed to fund the video. I will have to carefully plan out everything before I start to ensure nothing will go wrong. I would also have to check if everything is realistic and doable. If a producer was going to make a music video they would have to sit down and think out every option as well as putting contingency plans in place in case it doesn't work out.

Finance/Costs - Finance and costs covers the funding I have for the video and where the money will be spent. I need to receive an understanding of how much money I will need and what the costs will be spent on. If I was doing a music video I could produce a small budget which would outline what money is going to be spent and how much of it. This will enable me to keep track of my funding at all times, If a producer was to make a music video doing a budget would be essential so they know that they actually have the appropriate amount of fundings for the video.

Personnel - If I was to produce a music video I would need to know how many personnel I need and whether I am able to get access to them. I would have to work out all individual costs for each member of personnel as it will be different. Some personnel will cost more within a music as they will have more involvement within the music video. However, some personnel are going to be at a low price as they are located in the background for the majority of the video. 

Above are links and screen shots from a useful website that provides potential actors/actresses willing to take part in films, music videos etc.

Locations - If I was making a music video I would need to find out if the locations I was choosing to film in were realistic as well as accessible. If I choose a location that I cannot get access to for a long period of time it is going to be difficult to film. I will have to ensure the location is available most of the time so it is easier for my crew to turn up. When location scouting it is important to consider  the limitations to the venue you are choosing like accessibility of the venue. It would be useful to carry out location breakdowns and risk assessment forms. This will help you to narrow down the key locations that can be used. Once all of the risks and limitations of the location are written down on paper you are able to narrow down the best possible locations to film the music video. I did some research into locations around the surrey area. I found an extremely usefully website called sutton film office which displayed 100's of different possible locations.

The image above is a screen shot showing small previews of locations in sutton that can be accessed to film in. There are a total of 63 albums with thousands of different images and locations that can be accessed.

Content - I am going to look closely at content of other music videos, this will give me a better understanding of how I want my music video to look and what style I will be aiming for. I will also look at other music videos to see the type of framing and shots that have been used in the most viewed videos. If a music producer wanted to get an idea of how to use there resources before filming it would be extremely useful to view music videos. If the producer has a better understanding of popular shots then they could be included into the music video.

placement media (product placement) - Product placement is when a certain product will be spoken about, or shown in something media related. Product placement is becoming a popular way of advertising products as the media and television is getting more advanced. A company may decided that they want there product to be shown in a new movie coming out so for example, if a business had a new game out they may show one of the main characters playing this game in the movie. That is what product placement is. This is benefiting that business as word will get around that celebrities are using there products. The way this form of advertisement works is through both the owner of the product and the person in the media department coming to an agreement and a small fee being payed out.

All of these costings will be worked out once audience and market research is completed. Production research is in place to ensure that before a company launches a new media product they know whether they will actually make some sort of a profit with the end result. You are going to have to ensure you have enough funds and finance so you have enough supplies and materials to actually manufacture your media product. You need to find out whether the money will be a loan or your own personal funds which you will be putting into the making of the product. You will have to plan out the amount of personnel which will be needed to efficiently make and distribute the media product.

During the process of production research it is essential you make a rough budget that outlines all of the different sections of costs that need to be covered. It will be a good idea to set aside a large amount of funds for advertisement for your product. You will have to think out carefully where and how you want it to be advertised, whether that is via TV, Magazine, newspaper etc. TV would probably be the best choice as it is a favourable use of media. However, it is most likely the most expensive one. This is why it is important to know how much money you will be using for different areas so you know how much funding you have to work with.

It is important to think about the time of year you will be releasing your media product. If it is around important seasons like christmas then it may be a good idea to release it then as individuals are more likely to spend money on buying your product.