Focus Groups
Jakob dadd
What stuck out in my film most to you?
- The strange but effective camera shots that implied, to me, Max’s unsteady mental state. I also really enjoyed the effective use of the soundtrack which perfectly complimented the scenes that it accompanied.
What did you dislike and like about my film?
- I liked the symbolism of the bench in the park that Max and James sat on, it appeared to me that the bench was important to Max and he returned to that bench to contemplate ending his life due to the fact that James told him that he was joining the army there, which inevitably ended up killing him.
At times I thought that the intensity of the battle noises didn’t match the subtlety of the imagery but that realistically is my only criticism
Is there anything you would change?
- I would only make the ptsd scene a little bit more intense as far as cinematography goes as I think the camerawork could help convey the stress that Max would be under at that time.
What advice can you give to help me improve in the future?
- Use cinematography to communicate emotion brother. Mashallah.
Ewan Moorfield
What stuck out in my film most to you?
I found the writing to be excellent throughout, particularly with the opening narration using the metaphor of a centipede. I also thought that both performances were much better than most that I’ve seen in student films.
What did you dislike and like about my film?
One thing I didn’t really like was the camera often trying to focus which sometimes made the film come across as unprofessionally made. As stated in the first question, I really enjoyed the writing and performances that sold the struggle of the protagonist.
Is there anything you would change?
I think that the film would have benefited from the camera being set to manual focus rather than auto focus as this would have ensured that the film looked professionally crafted.
What advice can you give to help me improve in the future?
Definitely check back any footage after it has been filmed to make sure that it remains in focus throughout.
Ben Walker
What stuck out in my film most to you?
I like the fact that it is not a typical short film about mental health, it is niche.
What did you dislike and like about my film?
The camera focusing in and out. Although, it does work in some cases.
Is there anything you would change?
The colouring to fade from black to colour more gradually
What advice can you give to help me improve in the future?
Keep script and such out of shot.
James Morgan
What stuck out in my film most to you?
I loved the theme of the short film and it felt quite unique.
What did you dislike and like about my film?
I can’t say there was anything to dislike about the film apart from some parts having deafening noises blasted at you at various points and again i liked the theme of the short film and the story that was told.
Is there anything you would change?
There isn’t really anything i could change about it everything made sense the way it was.
What advice can you give to help me improve in the future?
check the sound so it doesn’t blast into people’s ears next time nut apart from that it was a great film
Editing Diary
Rushes log
Ibrahim Abbasi Media 