Evaluation - Question 3

What have you learned from audience feedback?

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK #1

Okay, so I’d like to start off by saying I LOVE the film; one of the best student films I’ve ever seen. In fact it’s so polished that there’s very little to say on the negative side. But anything and everything has room to improve slightly so here we go!
The opening is very intriguing. Though the first shot could have more focus on the girl, as the shot makes me want to focus on the chair in the middle of the frame. When the boy sits down to talk, the music is too loud, or the dialogue is too quiet, but everything can be heard so this is a nit-picky issue. The delivery of the dialogue isn’t fully in-keeping with the music, but that’s more of a note for the actors. At 4:07-4:08, the line “Hey give me my book back” should be heard sooner, there is slightly too large a gap between when the girl stops running and says her line. 4:25, music changes too suddenly, this could have been done in a more seamless manner (maybe the big orchestral music could have started sooner at a much lower volume and slowly increased in volume as the scene’s intensity arose). Not all of the attacks blend into each other; it looks like sometimes the wand is used but doesn’t go anywhere. 5:14, music begins to fade out but comes to a sudden stop, this can be a little jarring. 5:17, goes silent for a second, sounds jumpy. 6:10 more sudden silence, 6:45 takes a while to focus. Title “SPARK” doesn’t stay in focus long enough, it fades out very quickly and we never see it very clearly. I assume “Fran Wallace” was added in later? It’s jittery and a different shade of white but not a real issue.
Now I’ve been super nit-picky here, I think SPARK is absolutely fantastic. Special effects are done really well, my favourite scene is the fight between you and Connor as Bruce walks in. The shots and cuts are perfect as is the timing. I’m glad you use simple cuts instead of all the special fades and cross-cuts and pre-rendered transition nonsense that most student films use; they’re barely ever used professionally and when they are, there’s a real purpose for it. To some extent I wish you were allowed a longer duration as it feels a little rushed due to the duration limit in the course requirements. But it is clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into this film and I BEG you to keep doing this, you’re so talented. Even if you choose a different path you have a knack for film making and should continue to do so, even if they’re just short amateur films. I particularly love the lens flares caused by the wands, very well done.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK 2

It's incredibly well shot, brilliant effects! There's not a lot wrong with it apart from perhaps the story? Apart from that it's wonderful! 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK 3

Good things: Well shot, great effects, the Bruce cameo! Less good bits: The story wasn't obvious until the monologue at the end, some of the shots were over exposed (unless that was the look you were going for???) and the music sometimes over powered peoples voices!

All of the feedback that I have been given has been very useful as it has allowed me to see what other people think of the film that I have created. Some feedback is more useful and analytical than others, but all have proved to be very useful. The main thing that needs improving from the audience feedback is my sound, as some people feel like this needs to be quieter or louder in some parts, and this I agree with.

The feedback that I have had from teachers has also been very useful and has influenced the path and outcome of my film. The feedback from teachers included tips on sound and also some visuals (such as the scene where the Albert Einstein quote is heard; I wasn't planning on using visuals, but my teachers suggested hat the use of he spells would link in with he imagination themes of my film and emphasis the quote).

Harry Potter Poster Analysis

This poster is for the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The actor Daniel Radcliffe is placed in the center of the poster, suggesting to the audience that he is the main character in this film. Surrounding him are several other important charaters and important objects from the film and also locations included within the film. The characters are wearing school uniform which suggests to the audience that the events of a film takes place at a school of some sort. The owl, candles and castle in the background are connotations of magic and wizardry. Also, fog is surround all of the characters and objects within the poster, suggesting that the world that we are about to go into is mysterious and dark, nine like we have ever before seen. The tag line for the film reads 'Journey beyond your imagination', suggesting to the audience that this is a magical world filled with imaginative ideas, targeted toward the younger audience. The title of the film is also central to the poster. The yellow colouring of the text draws the readers eyes to the poster as it is a stark difference from the blue colourisation of the background.

This is a poster for the 4th Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The colours within this poster is noticably darker than the first poster, as within the Harry Potter series the narrative gets darker as the audience grows with the films. The main character is sized the largest within the poster and other main characters are positioned behind him, informing the audience of his role within the films. The tag line of this film is "Dark and terrible times lie ahead", and with our characters wands in view, this suggests that this film includes danger as a wand is a form of protection for a wizard or witch, and the darkness of the sky and the darkness of the poster also accentuates the danger. Hogwarts can be seen in the background, and further in the foreground we can see a lake with three audience stands visible. This foreshadows the events within the film.

This is one of the last posters of the Harry Potter franchise. I really like how dark the posters and the feel of the films have gotten and really like the use of fire ember in the foreground of the poster surrounding the characters and the title. The fire like embers suggest that destruction could be a theme within this film, or fire. This poster shows the three main characters running from something, but the audience are not sure what they are running from, thus surrounding it with mystery. In the foreground, the audience can tell that the characters are in a forest of some sort, which is different from the usual background of Hogwarts, suggesting that the narrative of this film has forced the characters to go out of their comfort zone and into a completely different environment, also connoting danger by the darkness of the forest. The tag line of this film is 'The end begins' suggesting that the characters times are almost up, and also signifying the end of the worlds most successful franchise ever, which also plays with the audiences emotions as most of them would have grown up with the characters form the books and the films, and now it is all ending.

I'm not going to to analyse this poster, but I really liked the idea of a moving poster. I am not sure of how I would achieve a moving poster, but I thought that it is a very good way to grab people attention towards both the poster and the film.