FEEDBACK SAMPLE
"CHROMOPHOBIA"
The director of Chromophobia wanted to receive honest feedback and get a deeper understanding of how the viewers interpret his film.
You can watch the film below and read a sample of the feedback the filmmaker received below, or you can read the feedback in Excel.
FEEDBACK #6
Age - 22
Gender - Male
Profession - Freelance Director
Did you like the film?
Sort Of
Anything you'd like more of?
Personally, I’d like more of an explanation as to who the patient was and how he was connected to Dr. Haver. I left the film understanding that there was a connection between them but was not 100% sure on what it was and what powers the patient had over her. I think it was just a bit unclear at the end for me. Was he able to convince her to commit suicide and that’s what he also did to her Mother and the previous patient or were his drawings just predictions of things that were bound to happen? What drew this confusion for me was seeing his reflection in the mirror during the imagining of her suicide after she finds the drawing on the wall, as if he physically was telling her to do something, when I was under the impression that he could just see the future. What might have helped me understand (if he is the one telling people to commit suicide under some sort of supernatural ability) would have been seeing him stood in the scene during the flashbacks of the dead bodies of the patient and her mother. That might have solidified that we was behind it all and not just able to see what was going to happen.
Were there any moments/scenes you particularly liked? (Please list and explain)
I really liked the way it was filmed overall. Going in, I was getting some serious Layers of Fear vibes and I think that worked really well with the art side of the patient’s character in expressing that he seems to have a hold over everything that’s happening in the film. The cinematography was gorgeous and really nice to watch, one of the best aspects of the film for me.
Were there any moments/scenes you particularly disliked, or felt didn't work? (Please list and explain)
For me, the use of the fade cuts didn’t work in this film. I normally associate fade cuts with other genres, such as comedies, not horrors or thrillers, and in this film with the fast paced nature of the editing and the story, the fade cuts pulled me out of the action because their speed didn’t match everything else. It felt like they slowed the action down but I wasn’t sure why and it felt almost random and out of place.
Were there any moments you felt annoyed or frustrated by the movie? (Please list and explain)
There was nothing that particularly annoyed or frustrated me, overall I was happy watching the film and enjoyed it. However, there were two aspects of the film that I didn’t enjoy as much as the rest. The first was the character of Dr. Haver. It may be her character or the way that the actress played her but I was never able to engage with her because I was never entirely sure what emotions she was feeling in a certain scenario. The only time I was sure was the anger she showed towards the patient after going to his studio, which I didn’t feel was founded as it was her decision to go to the studio and her decision to try and help him. It didn’t feel like she had enough evidence to assume he was in any way involved above speculation and so her reaction seemed a bit over dramatic in comparison with her character in the rest of the film. The second thing was the ending. I think for a film that took it’s time in building up this relationship between the two characters, the ending was rushed in comparison and left me wanting to know more, but not in the good way of a good cliffhanger, more in the way of I didn’t entirely understand the emotions of the characters and where the fit into the events of the story.
Were you confused at any given time? (Please list and explain)
Only at the very end of the film. I think a lot of information was thrown into the last couple of minutes and I didn’t have enough time or accompanying information to process what was happening and understand it. I think the film could have benefited from some breathing room after certain parts, like after Haver finds the drawings in the studio, to allow the characters to feel the emotion and show the audience their reactions to what happened.
If this film was going to be expanded into a feature film, what part of the story would interest you to see expanded most? Please explain why.
I’d be interested in seeing who the patient was and how he fitted into the story overall. He seemed to know a lot about Haver and her past and it was almost insinuated that he was involved in some way, so being able to explore the way that these characters fit into each other’s lives would be interesting and would help understand his stance in the overall narrative.
How would you explain Arthur's character?
Arthur seems to possess a supernatural ability of some description, although what it is I’m not entirely sure. He seems to be able to open up to Haver in particular, but again I’m not sure if that’s because he’s luring her into a trap or if it’s because he genuinely feels comfortable with her and she’s just unfortunately involved. In all honesty, Arthur was the character I was confused about the most. I don’t understand his motives and how he fits into the story and what powers he possesses, so I don’t think I can accurately explain his character.
How would you explain Arthur's powers and what part of his power would you like to see more of?
Honestly, I don’t understand his power. I don’t understand if his power is the ability to predict the future through his drawings or if his power is to influence the future with his drawings and push people to do certain things, like visit his studio or commit suicide. I think I’d like to see more of an explanation as to what he can do and to who he can do it to. Is he only able to influence people who are directly connected to Haver (e.g the patient and her mother?) or is he just choosing to target those people to mess with Haver? Also, why has he chosen Haver in particular? Or is that not a choice he has and it’s just luck of the draw with his visions? If this story were to be expanded, I would definitely like to see more of his backstory and motivations.
What do you think is happening with Dr. Haver's character?
I think that she stills holds a considerable amount of guilt regarding her Mother’s suicide during her childhood and she’s trying to earn a redemption of some sort by helping those who try to hurt themselves get better. She also seems to go above and beyond for her patients to try and help them, for example visiting a personal space of Arthur’s (her studio) which she didn’t necessarily have to do. I think, when it comes to her interactions with Arthur, she’s unknowingly got herself involved with a powerful patient who has abilities of a paranormal nature. I don’t think she’s at all been previously involved with him or has known she has been, and is just treating him like another one of her patients.
If Arthur's character were a figment of Dr. Haver's psyche and Dr. Haver was actually a patient — would you find this to be a predictable story twist?
I don’t think it would be predictable because I don’t think there were any clear indications that this was the case. Looking back, I guess the fact that she only interacts with one patient might be a sign and her being the only doctor might be a sign but I never got the indication that that was the case, so it would definitely be unexpected. That being said, I don’t think it would be a welcome twist. I think it’s a bit cliche (Shutter Island, for example) and almost feels like an easy way to explain what’s happening without thinking outside the box. I wouldn’t feel happy as an audience member if that was the twist I was given. It feels similar to all “it was all just a dream”.
Is there a direction the story might go that you would suggest would be very unexpected?
I can’t think of any suggestions, personally. When I finished watching the film, I didn’t necessarily think that I would have liked to have seen more. The story itself seemed pretty clear cut, apart from the extent and rules of Arthur’s powers, and so I didn’t want to watch anything else in that world with these two characters. However, I think the idea of having a person who has the power of influencing events with his drawings is very interesting, so I would like to see Arthur’s story be explored further, maybe with Haver as just a side character?
Any other comments or feelings about the film?
Overall, I did really enjoy the film and it had my attention hooked from the opening. I think the way it was filmed and put together was apt for the story it was telling and the characters it featured, and I would happily watch it again. Great work.