Presentation 1: Research Component

1. Introduction:

The city in which we live is a multifaceted thing, different for every person. For some, it may be the home that we will never tire of, while for others it may be a pit stop onto the next destination. Whatever it may be, the city of Kuala Lumpur is the main star of this Television show, but while that may be, it’s the 4 people that we interview and follow each episode that makes this Documentary/TV Series different. With each of the 4 people coming from very different social structures and because of the difference in race and culture, the idea of following these 4 exciting people as they show us their side of their city is one that will interest Malaysians and travelers alike.

The topic, “Society and Culture” means that the show, currently titled “A Slice of Life”, will explore the social/cultural side of these people and their city, while also teaching about what it is like to live in Malaysia. It’s an interesting take on a Travel/Documentary that also teaches us about life as a Student, a Housewife, a Working Adult and a Senior Citizen.

The problem that I wish to address with this series is that of racism and tension or misunderstanding between cultures. Especially within such a multi-cultural society as Malaysia, racial harmony is a very important thing. By learning more about these 4 people’s lives and the way that they see Kuala Lumpur, we hope to rid people of their stereotypes or previous misgivings they may have had.

Getting back to the targeted audience of “A Slice of Life”, I hope to capture a wide audience of Malaysians, and foreigners living within Malaysia; specifically, those living within Kuala Lumpur. However, because of the different races, ages and social structures involved, it would be incredibly hard to cater to a specific age or race, as the majority of them will be represented, creating interest for them.

Looking at this audience of Malaysians and Expatriates in the format of a Demographic and Psychographic study (which is defined as “the study of personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles"), we can classify the audience as:

Demographics:
- Between the ages of 16 to 45 years old.
- Malaysians (Malay/Chinese/Indian etc) and KL Expatriates.

Psychographics:
- Active, outgoing people who wish to explore KL.
- Malaysians who may be history buffs.
- People who enjoy traveling or trying new things.


2. Problem Statement
The Problem Statement of the topic, as mentioned before, is the lack of racial harmony within Malaysia, as well as a lack of understanding between social levels or hierarchies. For a simple example, a middle-age Father who keeps very busy with his career would not quite understand what is going on in the life of his teenage daughter who, while still studying, still has a life of her own. Likewise, men and women brought up in a Chinese household have a very different background to that of an Indian or Malay household. Thus, further insight into the life of any of these races would cause understanding that could make way for a common livelihood.

This content needs to be created so as to create understanding and awareness of the many races and cultures within Malaysia, as well as a feeling of patriotism for Malaysia, their home. The Documentary may attract others who wish to visit Malaysia, however, as it shows a side of Asia that one does not see on packages or tours; the real side of Kuala Lumpur.


3. Purpose of the content

The purpose of this TV Show is to:
- Entertain and Inform the audience.
- To bring Malaysians together under a common homeland.
- To show where some people frequent in KL, what they might do; essentially showing their life in Kuala Lumpur as well as their perspective on their own city.
- To display Kuala Lumpur as a possible tourist destination.
- To reveal Kuala Lumpur's less-well-known locations for fun etc.



4. Review of Content

Similar Work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6nXQSSNBCQ
The above link is “Kuala Lumpur My City”, a look at Kuala Lumpur which almost advertises the city to possible businessmen. Thus, it is quite different in its aim and message. However, it may act as a possibility or example to follow.

There are also many countless Travel shows that deal with South East Asia. However, either the hosts are the center of the show, or the message is different. This TV Series that I'm presenting, however, deals with Kuala Lumpur and it's people directly, in a non-scripted format that ensures for a much more "real" feeling from the audience.


5. Research Questions (sample)
- Should “hate speech” or racism be tolerated?
- Do working parents harm children?
- Does day care harm children?
- What are the effects of living in different neighbourhoods?
- How can racism be overcome?
- What is the most interesting part of a person?
- Where are the most interesting locations within Kuala Lumpur?
- Where is your favourite place to eat?


6. Examples of work to watch:
First Example: The Concept and Interviewing, Travelling side.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guM-lTjiN2Y

Second Example: Cinematography, Editing Style and Music are all excellent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFwmMFq_xlc

Radio Stations in Malaysia

One FM

Hot FM

Hitz FM

Hitz FM 2

In this task, we were told to conduct research on a variety of Malaysian Radio Stations/TV Channels, discovering their audience demographic and classifying them in accordance with their stationed programs. I looked at three of these stations that had outliers in the TV industry, focusing on their audience market and the message that they typically send to viewers, which of course ties into the psychographics of their chosen market.

First, I looked at Hitz.fm which chiefly uses the English language and a fun, youthful approach to the way they market to their consumers.

This works well for them, as according to the following article Hitz.fm has an estimated 1.5 million listeners. (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42133505/ns/today-entertainment/)

This means that Hitz.fm is reaching a huge audience because of the English language and the demographics that they are targeting. As you can see from the following screenshot, their website is reaching a younger crowd consisting of 13 year olds to 30 year olds, due to the type of music they play (Pop hits, Club songs and International, American acts). Combined with their use of social media which presents them with a more friendly platform to reach their target audience, Hitz.fm does an excellent job of catering to their listeners.

Next, I went to Hot.fm which uses Bahasa Melayu to attract a wide range of BM speakers, who are typically Malay. If we look at their website, we can see that the news and music genre is predominantly traditional Malay in nature. On top of that, their website is only available in Bahasa Melayu, making it clear that this channel is only for locals between the age of 15 and 50 years old. Because of that, they have millions of listeners, outranking many of the other Malaysian radio stations.

As you can already guess, these radio stations split up their audience markets into racial stereotypes, providing certain styles of music and radio personalities that work for the different races and age groups.

Thus, it was no surprise to find the last of the three radio stations, One FM, is broadcasted for the Chinese audience of Malaysia. As can be seen from the website and the type of music played on a regular basis, it is easy to see how both traditional and modern Chinese songs appeal to them, along with the predominance of Mandarin as a language. This radio station is interesting in particular, however, due to its ability to follow a trend that is popular with its audience. Specifically, One FM plays Korean Pop to attract the Chinese population of Malaysia (aged 14 to 28) who follow the trend known as K-POP. This tactic is a very good ploy that seems to work as One FM is a very successful station, although there is very little in the way of statistics.

In conclusion, it is easy to understand how these radio stations that are partly owned by larger TV networks are used to capture the attention of certain stereotypes, factoring in such things as race, age and language used.

Exercise 2 (Week 1)

First of all, my group mates and I decided upon BMW as our product of choice. We then proceeded to figure out how BMW would be best communicated through the many mediums that were on offer:

1. Radio (Hire a prestigious DJ or Celebrity to use Radio to invite the public to BMW showrooms)

2. Television (Use the latest BMW models in hip, urban television shows as Product Placement)

3. Mobile Phones (Send Bluetooth information and pictures when customers enter a showroom)

4. Pamphlet (Price, Specifications and Choices of cars to be included, then distributed around shopping malls)

5. Newspaper (A 3D advertisement to be made of a BMW car, as it’s the latest in cutting edge technology)

6. Billboards (Large BMW Logo, bold tagline that plays with humour and rivalry between other car companies)

We ranked Television as the most desirable distribution mode due to the wide network coverage that it offers, along with the broadest racial and age demographic. We decided the Pamphlet medium would be the least desirable distribution mode because of the nature of people to simply throw away pamphlets, even when they are aesthetically pleasing. We believed that the mode with the biggest communication advantage was the Billboards as the audience assuredly owns a car since he/she is already driving. This means that the audience is targeted better and the non-verbal nature is subtle, just like BMW (the brand) is. Meanwhile, the biggest communication disadvantage was the Radio because although the majority of listeners are drivers, many people dislike radio advertising and switch channels to another station to avoid such things.

How Does Audience Equal Profit?

In the following essay I will address the question, "What is a profitable source of media in South East Asia Context?", analyzing the Asian film industry based upon demographics, distribution systems and other criteria.

The mass media audience of South East Asia is a wide demographic, with many ages and religions involved. This means that drawing a singular conclusion about the people is difficult, to say the least. What we are able to confirm is the strong work ethic, familial ties and a respect of elders. This, tied with strong traditions means that when we tie this to the film industry, there is little in the means of a revolution of creativity. Films are produced with a specific format in mind, with little deviation that’s commonly seen in Western countries. Of course, there are always exceptions to this; however, in this case we will suppose that South East Asian films are produced with a formula for profitability in mind.

However, this does not answer our question of profitability. In order to do so, we must look back at the people of South East Asia on a micro-level. For one, their traditions imply a strong history of myths, fables and scary stories, and looking at demographics, we can learn that the majority of South East Asians are aged between 30 to 60 years old; an aging demographic. This means that a more serious, myth-based film would entice more viewers into the cinemas.

That, combined with the low-cost budgeting of horror films means that, even though a production company may spend less on a Horror film, the demand is high and profitability is assured. This is why the film industry, though riddled with action and drama movies, finds the genre of Horror to be one of the most successful.

Interests, Dreams & Aspirations

I come from: Australia, where men and women of all ages ride around on kangaroo's.

My childhood was: interesting as I moved around a lot, sampling all kinds of cultures and food.

Family conditions: I have two sisters, two parents and one dog.

Three Experiences that made a Lasting Impression:
1. Breaking my collarbone.
2. Entering another country for the first time.
3. Singing in front thousands of people in a musical I once performed in.

Five Most Powerful Members of my Private Audience:
1. My mother, who once nearly died due to cancer.
2. My two sisters who have been through a lot.
3. My grandmother who is both wise and funny.
4. My grandfather who, despite being deceased, has taught me a lot.
5. My dog, who greets me only when I have food.

Three Biggest Dreams & Aspirations:
1. To record an album.
2. To write a book.
3. To be happy.

Five Favourite Interests:
1. Spending time with friends.
2. Martial Arts of all kinds.
3. Science Fiction and Fantasy books.
4. Writing. Any form of writing.
5. Directing and producing short films.

- Will Beale