ASSIGNMENT #4 – TEST SCREENINGS REFLECTION

Note: As I was unable to have a test screening in class, I organised a small group of friends to come and watch my fine cut & see what their thoughts were.

Overall they all were very positive, but I asked them to be honest and give me their criticism and they pointed out a few things, some that I already noticed and others that opened my eyes slightly. For starters, a couple said they were a little confused at the premise of what was happening, but enjoyed it nonetheless. One mentioned the set being a bit strange and just ‘looking like my garage’. I knew this going in but I think I should’ve had a bit more exposition. All of them recognised the waitress at the end from the beginning, but most of them knew the actress personally so I imagine she’s harder to miss. One person also commented saying they liked the effect of the cigarette smoke going over and through the view of the camera. This is an example of a cool spatial effect I hadn’t considered while making but adds to the experience. All in all it was a very helpful activity for future reference and will inform my ‘360 Filmmaking Tips’, however it is slightly annoying that I don’t have time to re-shoot some things that would fix a couple problems. Here is the list I jotted down of comments people had:

• colour grading
• “what did he say?”
• I was a bit confused about what was happening
• set is a bit strange
• All recognised the waitress from the start
• smoke was cool, saw it over my head
• noises around table were a little loud, sounded like knocking the microphone
• more explanation required