Survey Results
I was pleasantly surprised that many of you filled out my online survey for my video series project. Thanks to all of you who participated! I found the results fascinating, many of the responses reinforced what I had concluded on my own which is significant; it’s hard for me to step outside of my own head and see the project through the eyes of my target audience. Many people suggested some small details that I hadn’t thought of. For example, someone from Europe said that it would be good to have the option to watch the videos with subtitles so they could understand better.
Across the board, people emphasized how important it is to have professional videos with excellent audio, clean editing, a wide range of camera views, and HD quality. Pacing was another issue that people felt strongly about. Most of the tutorials people had seen were achingly slow and boring, so much so that they would just skip through the video instead of watching from start to finish. Some videos were so fast to the point that important steps in the process were left out. A few months back, I was talking to a friend who seemed to think that as long as the content was there, the technical execution of the video was not as critical. Apparently, that theory isn’t true according to the survey results. One person commented: “People say looks aren’t everything….they are dead wrong. Looks are everything.”
People seemed to respond enthusiastically to the idea of making the project as interactive as possible. I like the idea of interacting with viewers because it’s a way to make the project more similar to what actually happens in my classroom. Even though I do lectures and demonstrations where it’s just me talking, the vast majority of my time in the classroom is devoted to responding to questions from students. If there’s no dialogue between myself and the viewers in this project, then I’ll just talking at my audience, not with them. This project needs to be constantly reacting and growing with the audience.
Another major concern was having concrete supply lists. In addition to being explicit about what to buy for each tutorial, people really wanted to have several options for what they could buy. This makes sense, not all of us can afford to spend $50 on a 1.25 oz. tube of oil paint, and art supplies can really add up. Having been a poor art student myself, it’s really useful to know when you can cut corners. There are some items where I do think you absolutely must have a specific supply, but there are also times when it’s okay to get a super cheap item that will get the job done just as well as the more expensive option.
Another mistake many tutorials seem to make as well is the assumption that people have previous experience, and therefore they leave out fundamental concepts in the video. One person said they wanted to see “basic, basic technique.” Another commented that they found skipping over fundamentals very intimidating, because they felt that the video was only for people who are at a more advanced level.
Finally, this was one of my favorite comments: “I have high hopes for this video. I’m your target audience! I’m in my 50’s. I can’t go to art school, and I have no artist friends.” I’m excited to hear that I’ve already reached some of you.
The survey is still open, so you can still participate! I would love to hear more.
