Pre-Production: Animatic feedback

The lesson today fell to a lesson of importance and beneficial help as we gained feedback for our animatic. For instance, we visually showed a group of people, covering a target audience our animatic video and they constructively gave us their response. As we haven’t got long left to prepare, it was useful completing a feedback session as it allowed my group and I to gather possible issues or problems before moving forward into final the last aspects of preparation. We created an animatic in order for viewers and my group and I to visually see what works well and what needs to be attended to but also if our video and concept is successfully communicated and accepted.

For instance, the feedback from the target audience was broadly successful and held both positive and beneficially negative comments. Viewers enjoyed watching our animatic and no sense of tiresome or repetitive aspects were shown throughout. Firstly, aside feedback on the concept of our video, viewers made an effort to appreciate the use of colour and annotation used in our animatic and storyboard, which helped the audience connect to our concept but also to clearly see, picture and imagine our video. They were similarly fond of the clear layout and the careful concentration to cutting the images to the beat of the song, which fell mostly effective.

However, our animatic held some discussion as one member of the audience primarily began explaining he was unsure of the narrative or if he was missing a particular concept to our idea, but we clearly explained we were journeying down the route of as group of teenagers smashing down a building, forcing the aesthetics of making our video look cool. Therefore, from hearing this he felt it would be of importance to additionally include aspects of slow motion when our cast is ruining the house, to help strength our concept.

Likewise, some viewers questioned the idea of the element of roller skating not fitting in within our concept and felt aspects of the roller skating could look out of place and fall random as our other elements involve aspects of the house. However, we explained the element of roller skating was needed to break down our video and add a sense of light humour as they would purposely fall over whilst skating. However, viewers concluded it might work but feel somewhat different, therefore, we will notably consider this. As well as this, one member raised the comment that the lip syncing sequences, showing Juli could occur to often and so to be careful of not dragging this element out or show it for too long a period; so therefore we will acknowledge altering this in the editing process.

On the other hand, members of the audience were drawn to the way the animatic clearly showed a video arc as it comes across clearly to the audience through the use of cutting. For example, they were fond of the fact is starts steadily and slow and then beneficially and successfully builds to the beat of the song, showing all the increased damage at the end. Nonetheless, the element of the water spilling and flooding was raised as a problem as individuals felt this could not realistically be achieved due to risks and health and safety, although it would effectively look great.

Similarly, one member curiously asked if we were going to have all still shots or if some were going to be moving shots? This was a question in which we had not yet asked ourselves, but we all agreed still shots would potentially work better as the song is quite slow paced, however we aim to test this with a mix of shots to see the best results.

Lastly, some individuals didn’t quite understand the concept behind the good dancing and bad dancing. However, we carefully explained when we had the meeting with the set designers, they explained it would be effective to include aspects of dance and movement within out video, although not all our cast are dancers; therefore, we felt it would be of humour to allow some bad dancing in our product. However, members of the audience argued the song doesn’t sound like a comedy song at all and therefore we should revisit this. My group and I also understand the track falls more cool rather than aspects of humour and therefore accept we have to go all the way in one direction as our concept won’t work including bits of quite contrasting things, such as, good dancing and bad dancing.

Summarising all the points from our feedback, we also understand we need to revisit what inspired us and the influencing videos, as we need to make it clear who are cast members are. For instance, my group and I have got to think through what we’re trying to say about them and have got to be fairly consistent with our decisions. For instance, in one video, we’ve got to make it clear who they are and represent this in our product, as this is the first video of theirs. Therefore, my group and I agreed our cast members are meant to be different but cool in their own way, so we crucially need to make this our central idea for our video and stick to this fairly vigorously.

Overall, from listening and evaluating their feedback, we are very pleased with the response from our target audience but feel it is of huge importance and vitality to complete a test shoot as close to our final product as we can. This will help us to visually see the problems raised in our feedback today and will help us assess them. However, we will pay particular attention to ideas of the lip syncing becoming tiresome or the humouress aspects not working. Prior to this, we also understand we need to consider the element of flooding when the risk assessment is happening on Tuesday 8^th. Similarly, from completing this it is important for us to note that our target audience falls between the ages of 17 and 18, covering both genders. However, due to previous research regarding the conventions of the genre, indie pop, this similar age range and target audience appeared and were expected to enjoy and appreciate our product.