Looking for Unbiased Feedback
Hello.
I'm an amateur filmmaker and I just recently released my newest short film, Not for Me, and am looking for some feedback. I've shared the film with my family and friends, but of course, they're not going to give me much constructive criticism. So I've decided to post the film here where I have a higher chance of getting more unbiased feedback. I've included two separate polls: What you think was the strongest aspect and what you think could have been improved on. And don't be afraid to provide any additional feedback in the comments. Any feedback or constructive criticism in general would be much appreciated. Thank you.
(Strongest Aspect)
http://www.strawpoll.me/14712073
(What Could Have Been Improved On)
http://www.strawpoll.me/14712074
Comments
I really enjoyed this. In the beginning, I felt the deeper meaning for this film, was John didn't wanna be loved, hence the title "Not for Me". And he just wanted to be in solitude and feel sorry for himself cause he screwed things up with Amy. Not sure, it doesn't feel like that's all though. However my favorite scene was John and Amy toasting with a rose in the middle of them. I like the tone of the shot. There are so many questions!
But all honesty I think "Not for Me" was really great. You're on the right route as far as filming goes in my opinion. It's original, well put together and you can tell everyone involved is truly talented. Nice job all around.
Thank you for the feedback. Really glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
Sorry, took me a while to have time to check it out.
The story is a bit artsy but works if the viewer thinks about it. It wouldn't work for a standard Hollywood production geared at a mass audience that doesn't want to think, just be entertained.
I had problems figuring out which scenes are real and which are just drunken illusions, which I'm sure is intended, but it switched so much that I had to decide that I couldn't trust any scene at all to be real. It might have been better to be able to distinguish them somehow.
I had to turn my volume all the way up to hear the extended conversation at the end. You're not the only video where I have to do that, but a louder audio level to match the music would have been better.
The main distracting thing for me is the lighting. I understand it's low-budget and you can't afford studio lighting, and some scenes are supposed to be darker and some lighter, but I think it could have been done better. You should always be lit enough to see someone's entire face (unless there's something enigmatic going on with that person), and there shouldn't be automatic camera brightness adjustments in the final video.
If this were a commercial venture, you'd have to pay attention to corporate logos, but I'm sure I'm the only one who notices those kinds of things.
I think some of the stumbling around could have been edited to make the video shorter. Most of the general public won't watch a 26 minute video on the Internet without the promise of something good.
Sorry if it sounds like I'm ripping your work to shreds, but you asked.
As I said, I think it works for the right audience, who wants to think about what they're seeing and doesn't mind a few distractions or a story that's not 100% resolved at the end.
"Sorry if it sounds like I'm ripping your work to shreds, but you asked."
No need to apologize. I'm well aware that the film isn't perfect and expected some criticism in the technical department especially. This is the reason I posted it here after all. Your feedback is much appreciated. Your criticisms are very fair and I'm glad I now have a better understanding on what I can improve on in the future.