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Yeah, But is it Any Good? Learning from Mediocre Video

People hate going to the movies with me. It’s not because I talk or text during films, because I religiously don’t do either. It’s what happens after the lights come up.  “That was good” says my wife. “I enjoyed it” says my daughter. “The dialogue in the battle scene in act three sounded like it was cribbed from ‘Alien'” I say. And that’s when the conversation usually slows way down.

As you get better at the film and video thing, what has happened to me may also happen to you: Your tolerance for mediocre work plummets.

Terrible is terrible. Most people can agree on that. And that rare brilliant show or film? Lots of consensus there too, at least in my family. But the mediocre middle? That’s where it’s tough.

Mediocre films and videos are full of things that obviously could have been done better. Worse, you can see exactly how– and how much better the finished product could have been. Instead of getting lost in the story, I’m getting pissed off about the art direction. The more you know about making video, the tougher it gets to watch.

That said, mediocre video is good for two things. First, you learn by critiquing. And second, it’s a hothouse of great ideas.  You can steal everything they didn’t do right and do it right in YOUR next video.

With that in mind, let’s consider how to critique what you watch. This will be fun if you go to the movies with a bunch of directors, less fun with relatives. I’ll leave it to you how much to discuss over drinks:

OVERALL: Big picture–was watching it better than doing something else, or did I want my hour back? Was I lost in the experience, or did I check the time a lot? This is a big one, because no matter how we might nit-pick, if it worked, it worked. And that has to be appreciated. But if you did zone out- when, exactly? Can you figure out why?

STORY: What was the hero’s journey? Did things happen because of choices the hero made, or because a screenwriter was manipulating their way to a conclusion? What about the hero felt (emotionally) real? What did I not buy?

INTRIGUE: Was I actively wondering what would happen next? Was I worried about the hero? Did I figure things out before they happened, so that I felt like I was ahead of the movie? Did the filmmakers drop clues that kept me interested along the way?

AFTER: Did the film leave me with something? After “the end” was I still processing? If it’s a TV show or video, was I ready to dive into the next episode, or did I click to the another show in my queue?

FUTURE IMPROVEMENT: Critiquing film and video shouldn’t (just) be a blood sport- let’s give credit where credit is due and learn from other peoples’ perspectives. What did the filmmaker do that I would never have thought of? What did they do that was way better than the way I would have done it? What can I steal that will improve my work?

There’s no Official Board of Film to rule on whether or not your opinions are right. Think what you like and learn what you can to make your next project better. Owning and defending your opinion (if your family can stand it) is a great learning exercise in and of itself.

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About The Author

Steve Stockman

Steve Stockman, president of LA-based Custom Productions, Inc., is a prolific producer, writer, and director, known for over 200 diverse media projects. He is also the author of the best-selling book "How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck," taught globally from middle school to graduate level, and available in 9 languages.

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