Preliminary Rough Cut: Class Thoughts/Comments

    After my group viewed the preliminary rough cut, we decided to show it to our class in order to get their comments. We could get a more objective viewpoint in getting their comments on our preliminary rough cut. The picture below is the list of comments and criticisms which our classmates communicated to us.

Lighting:

    As mentioned in my prior blog post - specifically about the internal lighting issues - using the light from the TV made it very difficult to see the actors. Despite making the TV show a completely white screen, even then it only had limited success. It was suggested by one of our peers that we use some sort of reflective material around the TV in order to enhance the brightness of the light from the TV.

Characters Walking:

    One of the things our teacher emphasized a lot after we created our first short films is that shooting footage of people walking is incredibly boring and unnecessary unless there is action and/or it serves the plot. Classmates pointed out that there were multiple scenes in which characters were just seen walking, and it served no purpose. It's important that we have these scenes in order to show clear transitions between locations, so we can't really just remove them altogether. However, adding some dialogue or action to these scenes will make them more impactful.

Puddle (Visibility and Purpose):

    The scene in which Jorge steps into the puddle of water on the kitchen floor and questions Gabby on how it got there, confused many people. When we explained that it was meant to foreshadow the appearance of La Llorona - due to her connection to water - many people understood, while still pointing out that those who are unfamiliar with the story of La Llorona would likely remain confused. It was suggested that we add a joke into the script which would help the audience understand the purpose of the puddle and the connection between it and La Llorona.

    Additionally, it is extremely difficult to see the puddle in the shot. The bright lights above, and the light-colored tile on the kitchen floor make it even more difficult to see. One of our classmates suggested that we use some other sort of liquid that would increase visibility - something such as baby oil.

In this shot, Jorge is standing in a puddle. However, it can barely be seen, if at all in this shot.

    Beyond the issues which I just elaborated on, all other issues have been previously addressed or were positive comments.