Opening sequence peer review

Feedback: “My review: This video, created by Liz, Hailey, Margaret, and Jason made a very good opening. The key thing that stuck out was their brilliant use of sound to convey what was happening in the scene. At the beginning everything is happy and there is a song playing while they are joyfully getting ice cream but then an alarming score and heartbeats begin to start when the killer is close to the girl. It’s dark when they leave which also contributes to it being a horror opening which was a good idea. Another thing that was good was mid shot following the girl through the ally. Your mise en scene and cinematography was well done and it really conveyed that it was a horror movie opening. Finally, the setting was well thought out and the alley played into horror tropes which is smart.

There are a couple  negatives but they are very minor and not super detrimental to the quality of the film opening. The first critique is it could be longer. There could be more to the opening and it’s pretty simple. It’s right at 1:30 so it could be longer. Another critique is some of the scenes are poorly lit. Since it was at night it was difficult to have better lighting in the alley but it definitely could use more lighting. Finally, the shot of the killers face is very blurry and it is slightly distracting.”

Feedback: My review: This video is made by Jeffrey Parker and Alexa Roenicke portrays a smooth storyline that draws the viewer in. All the shots are well done especially the transitions making the storyline flow well. The lighting and locations chose to film were perfect as it added a sense of mystery and suspense. The sudden sounds of what seems to be an organ playing really draws the viewer in as it introduces a new character that can be interpreted as a stalker. I like the different shots of both the inside and outside of the car driving to contrast the main characters view and the stalkers view in the film. The last shot showing the main character laying dead on the floor enhances the mise en scene in this film as the viewers can very well understand this is a murder mystery/ crime genre. Overall I think this film is very well thought out and was executed well to the viewer.  As for the weaknesses, theres not too many. While most of the transitions are good but some of the shots of the car driving away make the scene kinda choppy. I like the suspenseful music used in the shots of the stalker/ killer but with it being so sudden and loud it does create a dramatic effect but I don't think it needs to be as loud. The shots toward the end in the living room are a bit confusing to me. It is implied the eerie organ music is played when the stalker/ killer man is apparent but in the clip of her laying down on the couch I can't understand if the killer is in the room, are we in his pov? A little confusing. The last shot is great with the actor laying down in the blood but the filter throws it off a little since the rest of the film doesn't have a filter. Other than that I think this is a great film!

Reflection: I am so grateful for this feedback! I'm glad to see people enjoyed are film and understood what we were trying to convey. Im also glad they picked up the small details in the film that we thought could be potentially overlooked. As for the feedback I agree with some of their points. I love how detailed their critique is even down to the second. I agree we couldve done a better job with lighting. Although there wasn't much we could do about it we can still go back and edit it a bit lighter.