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La cinematografía es excelente; no obstante, la escenografía es menos impresionante de lo que creíamos.

La cinematografía es excelente; no obstante, la escenografía es menos impresionante de lo que creíamos.
The cinematography is excellent; nevertheless, the set design is less impressive than we believed.
From Lesson 323:However and nevertheless (ahora bien, no obstante)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about La cinematografía es excelente; no obstante, la escenografía es menos impresionante de lo que creíamos.

How is no obstante used here, and is it different from sin embargo?
No obstante means "nevertheless" or "however." It is a contrast connector used to introduce a statement that opposes or limits the previous one. It functions almost exactly like sin embargo, but it tends to sound slightly more formal or literary. Notice the punctuation often used with it in writing: a semicolon before and a comma after.
Why do we use de lo que instead of just que in menos impresionante de lo que creíamos?
When you compare an adjective (impresionante) to an entire phrase that has a conjugated verb (creíamos), you must use de lo que instead of just que. If you were comparing the set design to a simple noun (for example, "less impressive than the music"), you would use a simple que.
Why is creíamos in the imperfect tense rather than the preterite?
The imperfect tense is used for creíamos because it refers to an ongoing belief or expectation held before seeing the movie. It sets up the background context of what you were thinking. If you used the preterite (creímos), it would sound like a sudden, one-time thought rather than an expectation built up over time.
What is the exact difference between cinematografía and escenografía in this context?
Cinematografía is the art of capturing the movie on camera, including the lighting, framing, and photography. Escenografía, on the other hand, refers to the "set design" or the physical scenery built for the actors. This sentence uses no obstante to contrast the high quality of the camera work with the disappointing physical sets.

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