Peer review is an extremely important process that should be conducted at each stage of the production, in order to improve the final product. The first piece of peer feedback I conducted was after I presented my initial ideas within the first week, in the form of a Powerpoint presentation. 

​

After presenting my initial ideas to the class, it was important to gather feedback in order to develop the concept. It was important to highlight the theme of addiction within the concept, and address the primary purpose of raising awareness. Many peers believed the most effective method of creating awareness will be to "portray the film as a Docudrama or a documentary".  The primary research also identified a similar approach. Due to both of these factors, I decided to alter the format from a fictional drama into a docudrama/ docufiction. 

​

Additionally, one peer stated that choosing to create a "silent film will be too challenging to create and the message of creating awareness may not be clearly addressed towards the audience". I listened to this peer feedback and decided to alter the tone and narrative of the concept, as well as changing the format from a fictional drama to a documentary. Because of this, I would not be focusing on a stylistic approach such as creating a silent film. 

​

Furthermore, another peer considered using the "Grosvenor casino" as an alternative option to the Genting casino as it will appear smaller and more private when filming. I acknowledged this advice, and after the Genting casino declined my proposal, I travelled to the Grosvenor casino in hope of them accepting my proposal. However, they also declined my proposal. Peer review has been extremely useful when location scouting. Further peer feedback offered advice regarding myself "creating the set of a casino". With this feedback, I was able to transform my idea as I altered the setting into an online casino. I believed this was a more effective approach compared to using a genuine setting such as an established casino. 

​

Someone also stated that to "help portray the realism of gambling addiction, make sure that you consider a fast-paced edit". I agreed with this advice and will look into editing styles closer to the time of the post-production process. However, I will definitely consider employing a fast-paced edit to highlight the addiction of gambling. 

​

The following stages of production were extremely important as well as I started to identify a unique selling point for my short film. I researched and decided to either create a docudrama or a docufiction, depending on what looked the most effective during the editing process. Nevertheless, one peer questioned the unique selling point of the narrative as they asked: "what is the USP of the narrative, why is it different from any other gambling documentary"? With this in mind, I started to conduct research on a variety of gambling documentaries within the industry, as well as additional research that focused on the most prominent forms of gambling. During this stage, I decide to apply a focus to online gambling as that is one of the biggest causes of the addiction. As well as this, I met with Matt Zarb-Cousin (a client) who also agreed that making "online gambling a focus will be extremely effective and will create awareness". 

​

The founder of the Creative Conscience company came into the college and university and offered advice of creating awareness and effectively making the world a better place. She recommended that "if you are looking to create awareness for your brand or product then submit it to us". With this information, I was able to add this company onto my distribution list amongst many other film festivals and social media platforms where I intend to create the necessary awareness. 

​

I also conducted peer review whilst creating a brand image and ident. During this process, I created four different idents, improving the overall brand image with each concept. I began by creating a logo however many peers believed that the abstract shape resembled an "arrow or plane". I then experimented with a variety of after-effects as I wanted to create a brand that incorporated the production name 'M.J.H Productions'. However, I included far too many effects as peers felt that the ident was too "busy". I utilised the smoke effect which looked more effective on its own, as the production company name fades out. 

​

It is clear that peer review is extremely effective in order to consistently improve a product or service. Because of this, I will continue to conduct peer review and feedback to ultimately improve the overall short film and create the awareness needed regarding the addiction to gambling.