Opening Sequence Peer Review

 I reviewed Nava's opening sequence!

Every single scene was beautifully shot, the colors, lighting and costuming all contributed to a very bright and airy atmosphere. This made it nice to watch even without sound. It definitely gives carefree fantasy enchanted forest vibes, so there is no questioning the genre. Also, it is impressive how smooth and steady the camera movement is. I love the slow turns-- in fact, the shot of Saoirse standing with her hand on the tree towards the end is one of my favorites, as well as the shot of her walking around the tree, which is nicely edited. Other than that, I admire the attention to detail as far as clothing, hairstyling, and make-up goes, especially since that plays such a significant part in establishing the narrative. 

I think the font at the beginning should be changed as to stand out since it is the title. Additionally, I think some shots should be re-ordered to make more sequential sense. For instance, the shot of Saoirse pushing the chair down should probably happen after the dog hops off of it rather than before. Also, the blinking at the end-- does that imply the person holding the camera has been watching the entire time? It does not make sense to me, because only at the point they are perceived by the main character. Although, I could be misinterpreting it, or there could be intention behind that. This is just an area of confusion for me, and potentially a part that could use clarification somewhere within the opening. 

Nava also gave us feedback on ours:

"I really like the concept of your film opening and how it's a cohesive story. The shadows add depth to this video, as they bounce in the dark from a multitude of light sources. The sounds throughout are so crisp and clear, aiding in continuity and plot line. Also, the opening shot in the graveyard sets the scene well, letting the audience know where the story starts, on a tragic note. Having the basic action of washing your face adds normalcy to a seemingly spooky movie. To add on to that, the piano playing in the dark was really cool, with the black screen and background sound drawing attention to the faint music. The unplugging of the lamp and addition of the photo made for great touches. Lastly, the bags under Christy's eyes, whether through makeup/shadow or both is beautiful in the graveyard shot, it makes me feel for her as the emotion pours off her face.

The shot as Christy comes in the door from the garage is a little choppy, as she appears in the dark before the light is switched on. I'm not sure if you were going for a jump cut, or if it wasn't cohesive but it threw me off a little. Also, the hallway shot after picture is hung on the board is a little confusing, is there something/someone in the dark, or is it just there? And is the door next to the bedroom the bathroom? That could've been more clear if there was a shot connecting rather than the blank hallway. Some of the lighting with the flashlights create green light and it was a little distracting from the white light. Overall, there was more good than bad, I had trouble finding the bad, just minor things."

I am glad that Nava appreciates a lot of my own favorite aspects of our opening, especially the lighting and sound. It is good to know that the story does feel cohesive from an outside perspective, which is what I prioritized the most while editing. I also find it nice that she was a fan of the opening shot, which I did not like at first. It took quite a bit of editing for the shot to grow on me, I absolutely agree with her about the choppy shot where Christy enters the house, which had to be edited that way since we took out a shot. It looks better than it did, but it still bugs me, and I am most likely going to just remove the scene entirely. Since she was watching with the sound on, and it was not entirely clear that the room next to the bedroom is the bathroom, I am either going to increase the volume of the clip, or I am going to add in a fake shower sound. We unfortunately did not get footage of Christy walking into the bathroom, but there is a shot that I could readd before to make that scene make more sense. I am not sure what can be done about the green light. I did not notice it before, but now that I see it, I do agree that it is a little distracting. I am not overly concerned about it though.