Evaluation Questions- 3

After our Short Film, Film Review and Postcard had been completed, our next task was to receive audience feedback on them. The aim of our task was to ask a range of people, from parents, to teachers, to our target audience about each product. Receiving such feedback allows us to to hear different opinions, with both positive comments and critical comments, so we could improve our products or consider how we would do things differently in the future.



Bruises

First of all, we received some comments from our parents. Once our final product was complete, I showed my parents the DVD, as Jenna and I decided that if we were to have a target audience that didn't include people in the industry, it would be parents. After collecting the notes from the feedback from parents and teachers, we filmed them on the Flip camera.
It was important that for evaluation we needed constructive criticism, so I made a series of questions to ask, in order to get the preferred reaction.


As a collective, from parents, teachers and people within the industry, we thought there were a mixture of comments, but many of them were similar. We received a lot of positive feedback, merely from the reflection of the font to the character of 'Grace' and how the music choice complimented editing of the shots. We also found that most people liked how the father is unidentifiable, creating a menacing character, which is important to develop and construct in a short film.


However, there was a critical comment which appeared a few times during feedback. There was a confusion about the conclusion, and how the ending didn't make as much sense as Jenna and I had hoped to portray. We received a comment about how it wasn't clear that we aren't meant to know if the father is physically abusive to Grace, creating her bruises, or if it is Grace, self inflicting the bruises on herself.



If we had the chance to make this product again, I think that the use of props in the film would aid us enormously. I believe if we had an art set in the final scenes, and maybe more use of the drugs in Grace's bag, the message of a murder or suicide would be clear. I would choose less aggressive scripting for the father, as people believed that it was clear the father was abusive, and no interpretations of Grace self inflicting much.

This is my media teachers (Lindsay Rolfe) feedback:

As Miss Rofle is our media theory teacher, it was helpful to recieve her feedback. She made me realise all the conventions about the film that were good that I hadn't noticed before, such as the font of the title 'Bruises', reflecting the character of Grace. Her criticism was also very helpful, with which Jenna and I have recognised where we have gone wrong, and what decisions we will make in the future to ensure that these confusions about the final messages will not happen again.

I then asked Sara Thomson, a screenplay analyst, to read over my script and watch my final product.

This feedback has been incredibly useful for me. Having someone in the industry comment on my short film has helped me understand the importance of how the script is developed in production. Sara referred to how the script is reflected in the film, and that it was written well, however the lack of dialogue was somewhat difficult to develop the character of Grace.

However, she did mention how the film develops Grace's character well. Sara also gave me feedback on the film, which was helpful, as it gave me an insight into what people in the film industry may look for in the short film. She mentioned how the ending lacked in clarity, this is a fundamental comment, as it was one that was made often in my feedback.

Postcard and film review layouts:

This is my mum's postcard feedback:

The feedback I received for my postcard was positive and most people I asked commented on the effectiveness of the product, as well as the overall product, which is a good reaction. However, there were also a few constructive criticisms. This is an example of feedback I received. I was also told in feedback that my postcard needed more on the front, as they thought the minimalism didn't draw them in, even though for a lot of people, it did.
Also that my postcard didn't have a tagline on the front. This is conventional for a postcard, however, my aim was to challenge most conventions for a postcard, as I thought this would only draw the audience in, as it is different from most postcards that promote Short Films.

This is my mum's feedback on my film review:

The feedback I received from my film review was what I was expecting. Most people I asked said the same thing about the picture, and how maybe there should be another one, which I didn't agree with as this didn't follow the conventions of a Sight and Sound review, or choosing a different picture from my postcard one.
Although promotional pictures are conventionally used for the pictures in film reviews, if I had the choice to change it or do it again, I would possibly choose a different picture as well.

Overall, I believe the audience feedback I received has been very helpful in my editing of my final products. Due to my audience feedback, I have edited the font on my postcard and made the colouring more blue. With my feedback on 'Bruises', I have recognised the errors we have made in our film, and this is important for future reference.