jjosland

Undertaking

A good forewarning to dodgy tradesmen. I liked the plot although I felt this took a while to get started. Editing wise a lot of shots could have been shortened a bit as I felt there was a bit of over-indulgance and over-long static shots. All the best for next year!

I'm Gonna

What I liked: -The way the boys captured their youth. Fizzy, excess lollies, fun! What I wanted more of: -I felt the ending was a bit of a cop out, I was curious to see what the boys thought their jobs would be, like designing toys or playing music on a giant keyboard with their boss, or fighting aliens on a distant planet with mini-guns. I wasn't sure if this was still part of their imagination or a flash forward to them as adults, driving a car and all. (Was this the car they wanted? Sorry, I couldn't remember) Looks like you guys had fun eating the sweet stuff! Fun times. Well done for creating something in 48hours.

Stuck Together

A well laid out story within the time frame. Congratulations on making boring everyday objects more interesting. A fridge! I particularly liked the changes in shadow across the animations when the lighting changed. Totally reminded me of the teeny little super guy from sesame street- combining live action and animation. Thanks for the memories!

Dumb Cult

Hi team, apologies for the harsh review, but I there are a few things that have me questioning this. Besides, I think you guys have enough support to get by. What I liked: -The male lead acting- some real cool subtle moments, like the glance to the camera at the kitchen sink. -Spit in the bucket What I really wanted more of: -From a seasoned team, I really wanted to see more risks taken. Too many teams are playing it safe, and personally I just wouldn't go to the cinema to see a documentary. I felt the grand tour of the inside of the container was a bit of a throwaway gag that could have maybe included some more though out props. It just seemed a bit lazy to me. As well as filming in the kitchen. What confused me was who was filming when the camera crew were 'raptured', and what was the purpose of the container as a safety place if they were raptured from within? Next time please please please go a bit harder- the cinema should be a visual feast! 3/7 mini-guns for the camera crew disappearing.

Last Christmas

Nice high quality images. Obviously there is some hi-tech gear involved with this team! Not quite sure what the deal was with multiple Santas; some of the interviews I found a bit cringy and jokes forced a bit. It would have been great to see more special effects near the end, even if they were subtle.

Duck Off!

As above. I can't think properly after I think about what I saw and I've seen some stuff. My favourite parts were the car smashing bits. In 2006 it was my 2nd time in the competition- I was with Gorilla Pictures and we had a car parking nazi flip an actual car upside-down. Rubix Dude and Wheelchair Mania! It made the CHCH Finals and picked up several awards. In your short, I was hoping for more to do with the car smashing in the narrative, rather than just a randomness. I think most audience members were expected to just go with it. Gave me a bit of a headache and the whole duck thing being stolen and retrieved didn't make sense to me- maybe I missed key information due to numerous on screen distractions! Love the energy and dedication to characters though. I would like to see what would happen if your team had an arsenal of miniguns.

Best Before

This was one of my favourites in the heat. Nice, simple, yet well rounded story with a clever ending. Lots of different locations to mix it up as well.

Unbe-weeb-able

I loved the letterbox mattes and transitions- with a bit more practice you could get some real quick and snappy shots- especially with multiple mattes and clips at once. I liked your enthusiasm. It was a bit minimalistic for me- perhaps could have been enhanced with some snappy clips of the exchange student arriving in another country, like:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPiE62JYiGQ Thanks for the references!

Another Day, Another Dance

A really clever twist on the dance film. Although it was a one joke movie it was filmed well with appropriate sound and the various scenarios were entertaining. Well done for coping with the genre.

Raspberry & Cola

Haha love how we make the films we want to make! Not sure how this one was a 'race' against time, as the characters definitely paced themselves while they collected their thoughts. Nevertheless, I ​love how serious and dedicated your acting talent is. Keep doing what you love!
Love love love the True-Detective Style team intro too! Tried to do that myself with a school team a few years ago. Definitely like yours better.

JJ

The Blind Date

I really enjoyed the silent performance of the villain. It had a real comic approach, using speech balloons to cover dialogue, which I thought was quite unique. I felt the filming/editing got a bit awkward after the cemetery scene and left me feeling slightly unsatisfied despite a terrific start.

It's A Trap

What I liked: -The acting of the first female character -Guns and bullet hits What I wanted more of: -Blood -Over the top performances- I reckon you could have made this more insane with some maniacal over the top craziness, which is what I really enjoy seeing. Thanks, and well done for making a film in 48hours!

Tonight On Extreme Quickfire Trivia

A cute metaphor for the brutality of reality TV gameshow competitions! I really liked the subtle rivalry between the contestants, nice use of music and effort that has gone into the animation. A real artistic flair in your palette. Well done!

Thirsty

What I loved: -The asian guy. So awesome and with excellent enthusiasm. I felt his input added to the motivations of the main character. What I wanted more of: -Cooler props other than bananas. A banana was a compulsory prop back in 2005. Find a way to work in a mini-gun or flamethrower next time. Please Please Please Seigan be part of my next film! Was so cool to meet you the other night.

Anarchy in Year 10

A girl conforms to the peer pressure. Such a topical subject for teens all over the world. Reminds me of my early university days of stalking people while cladded in military boots, trenchcoat and dark glasses. Thanks for the memories.

Natalie & Gregory

Congratulations team on completing a film in 48hours. What I liked: The acting by the lead; justifying his actions hiding in the bushes. What confused me: The purpose of the documentary. I appreciate it as a simpler vehicle to get a finished film made, but I just have a preference for more over-the top things. It felt like a paraody of a TV episode rather than a short film. Fun to watch though. 4/7mini-guns for all those lone soldiers out there in a similar love-stricken situation.

Full Banjo presents An Excuse for a Montage

I really liked the way the text boxes came up with the phone- nice movements. I also really liked how you used a human dog. (We had a similar human dog creature so will be interested to see what you think of ours). The whole thing reminded me of a similar one last year that was in the finals- where they didn't reveal it was a dog until the end- but there were clues, like the colour of clothes so nice work for going for the animal touch. A lot of people are really enjoying the animal cuteness this year. What I would change: I did feel there were a lot of static shots, but they were well framed. I had to rewind the last piece of dialogue as I couldn't quite make it out- something about a rowing machine? Perhaps I would have used a match shot to work on the transition between human/dog, but what you did made sense and was easy to follow. Final comment: I really enjoyed the last shot of the dog food- if it was me I would have had the actor eat it for real, but I am glad you didn't as it would have made me feel sick.

The Claire Witch Project

A fine performance from the lead. I wonder how much of the weekend had to be spent in makeup? I am a big fan of the Office (Both UK and American) and enjoyed the mockumentary style. Some shots could have perhaps been tighter, but I enjoyed the story- quite a metaphor for so many situations in life; the fads that come and go, willingness to impress, popularity contests etc.

Wired

An electrician's nightmare. Great use of children- showing their not so innocent side. Not far from the truth either- I have been bitten by children before, even drawing blood. Kept me guessing up to the end.

The Spares

A band of 'spare' animals procreate to produce a new creature. I thought the opening scenes were very well polished, from the footsteps on the dock, to the cages. Some creative use of silhouette. I did see the ending coming, but felt slightly confused as to the outcomes of the 3 main animals and their matching offspring- how would that come about? Well done for attempting a biblical epic, but I felt some of the less serious cutaways let this piece down, especially in comparison to the opening scenes, it felt like this short deteriorated. It also relied more heavily on the performances of the actors, rather than costumes, which led to me taking a while to process what was going on with the people in the cages (I was a bit slow in reading the signs and can't remember what the first ones said). Where did you find the creature at the end? Or was it stock footage? Thanks for your film, 4/7 mini-guns from me

Shed

Love your films Stu! Always encourages the audience to think reflectively. To me the sound is a real strength, and there was also good use of age related props and cast members. Nicely done!

The Scary One with the Kid in the Photo

Really enjoyed that one! You should offer your services to real estate agents. Was that a real switchblade? Far out- can't believe you filmed and edited on Sunday. Must have been a mad rush! Nice work team!

One Man Army

This is the kind of film I can watch over and over again. Get rid of boring dialogue, I say and get straight to the action! A great start to the heat- it plausibly didn't take itself too seriously- the audience was howling with laughter the entire way through. My favourite type of genre (If it actually is a genre).

The Marquis de Sade

Wow this was the most polished film I have seen in the competition! Great range of locations, excellent camerawork. Felt like I was back in Italy. Cool props and lighting. Dedicated performances. Nice pacing. It was like taking Gus Van Sant and dipping him in a puddle of Kubrik. Reminds me of ticking time-bomb films like Gerry and Elephant with purposefully long, awkward takes. Just missing.....a mini-gun for full marks!

Tomcat Down

Well done sir! A lot of effort put into this film. Many people would not have been able to pull this off singlehandedly. Would love to work someday on similar projects with somebody who has the same kind of energy and enthusiasm. Excellent stuff!

Isolation

Though I was watching an episode of Black Mirror- high production value as always from this team. What a cool house! How many secret passages does it have? Was the security footage live? So many questions. In order to improve, I would have like to see more effort with props etc, like a minigun. That's just me though. JJ

Trap

I was really looking forward to this team's entry- My favourite entry from this team being 'Bearly', due to the great acting of the lead. In this one I felt it was taken away by the gimmick POV mouse shots. Got any grapes? I did feel let down by this one due to the gain on the screen with the lesser quality and was looking forwards to being more immersed in the role of a rodent, such as running through gib-board, dwangs and pipes and more twitching, rather than static shots. My favourite moments were when trapped in the bowl, and when the actress was playing with the noose- perhaps a channel back to her 'Bearly' character. Perhaps having more time to convert to higher quality and setting up more elaborate shots would have enhanced it considerably. Keep up the stellar acting performances! I look forwards to seeing more in the future!

Clock - the second hand

Great re-cap of the first one- I have to admit I did watch the original and got a bit confused but the recap helped to explain it. (I am one of those viewers that needs things spelled out to me a bit). I found it much easier to follow than the original. Great to see original cast! That dance at the end was mesmerising.

Ghosted

I don't really know what to say about this. You guys always give me such great feedback, have a 7 mini-gun salute from me anyway. JJ

Son & Moon

A really pleasant to watch short. A good range of emotions resulting from good choreography puppetry. Would have been nice to have seen the film-makers go for a wider scope with more scenery and locations.

Cheernobyl: A Holiday Meltdown

My favourite entry of Crab Crab Crab since their Bread one. Love how the ending backfired for the main character, loved the mad-hatter type holiday entity type, especially their accent and the pacing of the gags, visually as well. Surely, you MUST be all ready for ULTRA next year, which will give the rest of the teams some breathing space at least! Awesome work,

Pads of Passion

Really enjoyed the Scottish lad's performance. I got a bit confused when he told his apparently father that he was going to a computer course and then was at some arts and crafts thing? Maybe I wasn't listening properly, like when you listen to a popular song and think the words are different to what they actually are. A cool sequence where the paddle sticks are dropped to reveal the symbol- quite clever :)

That Time of The Month

Dragon V Mouse has a history of having strong female leads. I applaud them for covering content that draws on suggestions about female pre-pubescent teenage confusion that I would not be able to do myself. Having myself grown up on time-travel classics like like Terminator 2, I found it difficult to relate to this subject content, conceivably oblivious, which is also covered in this piece by the video-game playing, sensitive and helpful males. To quote from the greatest time travel movie ever, "I know now why you cry, but it is something I could never do". Gag timing was solid and took the audience for an enjoyable ride. Full stars for an appropriate title! As it seems, this team seems very comfortable in their element, and as a previous finalist nominee multiple times they must be surely warming up to get involved in ULTRA next year to challenge and extend their filmmaking craft.

Checkpoint

I was starting to day-dream a bit during this, but (I think it was this film) there was a moment where I noticed there was a wall with heaps of movie posters on it. One of them was Commando. I have thought hard about this for many years and Commando is my favourite film. It is a pure action movie where every line is limited to bare minimum in order to get to the action, or sum up the character. "You should know, you trained me" "Slitting a girl's throat is like cutting warm butter" etc etc. Top marks for having great taste in films.

The Stile

Cool film! I couldn't think of 13 reasons why I liked this film, but here are 6: -Taylors Mistake -Strong performance from the lead. -Good use of focus -The noise of the ocean in the background. -Clear dialogue -Reminded me of the Seventh Seal, which reminded me of Last Action Hero where the character from the Seventh Seal appears, which then reminded me of the scene in Last Action Hero where the mini-gun and 50cal machine guns on the helicopter shoot the elevator and windows on the building where the funeral is taking place.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwTf9WurF4U Thanks Stu, my favourite one of yours yet. Was just waiting for them to pull out a chess set.

Versace Flows

The first I saw of many documentary type shorts. What I liked: The end video shoot where the aspect ratio changed, showing the difference between the intended final music video shoot and the outtakes. What I disliked: Some of the actors seemed a bit young for their age. Maybe next time, if you can't use older people, perhaps mask their face or have adult characters out of focus/frame.

Scarfface

What a superb horror film! My fellow uber-driver friend found this extremely entertaining-starting with the suggestive creepy taxi driver. The scary thing is that these kinds of things are never far from the truth. I liked the use of the chainsaw to free the victim from their shackles. And then the twist- a nightmare to all taxi drivers! Great use of blood, lighting and specific camera shots.

Banana Chick and Cat Girl

I overheard people in the audience saying that this team's original idea fell apart, and that they were forced to make 'something' at the last minute. I felt like I was watching something out of Scared Scriptless; quick impromptu and entertaining, but I think this team realises it is a bit far off from making the finals this year. I am glad you guys had fun, and persevered to make something to show. The audience was definitely amused, and it hit the intended marks. JJ

Sweet Child Of Time

Man this was like watching a weird episode of Rick and Morty! A real breath of fresh air here. What I liked: -Johnny 5 robot wheel tracks -Zapping weird alien -Facial expressions Not sure if it suits a theater, or more home TV, but very enjoyable if you have a sense of humour. Thank you for sharing!!

Let Them Air Dry

Tough genre to crack- There were also some weird gender issues going on. I will need to watch again to listen more carefully to the lyrics as I was distracted by the clash of the cymbals near the end and forgot what it was about. I liked the cool transition effects.

The Wish (hopefully nobody else picked that title)

Man this was funny! What I liked: Breaking the 4th wall Biblical references The Estuary Suggestive ending Improvements? I think the pot could have been more authentic. The tea-pot seemed like a lazy choice. Perhaps it would have had higher production value if some aspects of the film were taken more seriously. Hope that doesn't sound too harsh- A lot to accomplish in 48hours! A 5/7 mini-gun salute!

An Appointment with a Poo

Some flies discuss the seemingly impossible to comprehend scale of their universe. What I liked: Some fluid green screen, cut together nicely with POV of flies. Out of focus background action from girl on bed. What I wanted: I felt there was no payoff as I wanted the fly to get to the poo!! 4/7 mini-guns from me.

Fused

I can't imagine having done this at your age- would have loved to though! What I really liked: -Neon signs -Tunnel Driving -Wigs -Computer chip thing on arm -Humans only sign What I wanted more of: -Cyborg wars Well done on completing a film on your own in 48hours. I now know from my own film this year what a challenge it can be- I really admire how you have been able to pull resources and create a world that draws the audience in. Well done!

Lil' Bro

Loved it! Watched online so I went back and rewatched it immediately. So cool to see an action film in 48Hours. A real breath of fresh air after seeing so many films just set in a kitchen or house.

PC High

Cool take on the Zombie Genre. What I liked: -The juice spilling -Awkward cultural sensitivity What I felt could have been improved: It felt like I was watching a weird version of an episode from Summer Heights High with older people playing students, and co-existing in documentary style It seemed like an episode from a low budget TV show rather than a polished short film. 4/7 mini-guns from me!

Potem Immortales

I really enjoyed the quick pacing, with shots particularly at the start and more throughout cut in time to the music. Also: -Fun costumes, also used well for ending. -Security guard's teethy expressions (Kind of reminds me of Brick Top a bit from Snatch). -Hostages dancing along. -Cool use of location and facilities. -Blood on the shirt! What else I would have liked to see: The shadow shot with the sword was cool, although I would have liked to se perhaps a splatter of blood on the wall to drive it home, and I felt the fight scenes needed a bit more choreography. Tough to accomplish in 48hours! A solid 5/7 miniguns.

Cushy: A Pull Story

I really appreciate the effort this team went through to achieve their storytelling. In particular: -Moving not just a couch to various locations, but it looked like a whole lot of other stuff as well -Intercutting day/night sequences to show passages of time -Helping a couch to drink- and being brave about the continuity if there was a mistake. -Party times! If the girl used a mini-gun to get her tooth out after the door slam attempt failed, that is the only thing missing in order to earn full marks from me. Well done!

STARSEED

Thanks you for a pleasurable viewing experience. I found this piece to be a refreshing break from reality, with a well rounded ride of emotions.

Grey Falling

I tried really hard to follow what was going on and struggled terribly. I am guessing that one of the guys from the video clips was the older guy looking through the window? Not quite sure if there were clues to suggest this- would have to watch it again to see.

Pretty Boy

A funny misadventure about a recluse who dies and must earn his life back by completing a series of tasks in 48 hours. Some awkward moments as the ball kicking sequence appears to hit harder than expected so they go with it. I liked Death's voice, but the actual moment of death and dialogue around the banana could have been more convincing.

Tadpole

Wow so cool you got to film in the casino! I'd be real keen to try that next time. Team up perhaps? Or maybe I could share my props or something in exchange for "who do I talk to to film in the casino" type information.
Nice blood effects too. Awesome.

Utka

Wow this got me in the feels. Well done guys, brilliantly executed. A lot of work here- even the subtle details of the mother bobbing in the water waiting- so haunting and foreshadowing. Just needed a mini-gun somewhere in the film to unlock the 7 star rating from me.

Re-maid

What I liked: Easy to follow story with a payoff cyclical ending. What I wanted to see more of: Maybe more hints of others in the same predicament- I didn't quite get the pirate outfit- perhaps some more clues as to the backstories of the other characters. For example, a military helicopter pilot with a mini-gun from the Vietnam war would have been cool, even just siting there next to the pirate lady.

Pop goes the Weasel

What I liked: -Cool location -Dedication to characters -They were not afraid to push the boundaries -Nice effect using the chainsaw and shadow. -Guts What I wanted more of: I did feel at the start there was a cop out as the chainsaw appeared to be making noises but wasn't turning, but then later it was running quickly, so I was happy again. Personally I used an electric chainsaw so it only made noises when I was actually using it. -I was surprised to see that it was a musical- tough genre to pull off, but as mentioned above, the nursery rhymes did add mainly to the creepiness!

Mind Camp

I really really enjoyed this. I loved the sheer effort that obviously went into it. So many films seem to make it into the finals each year that simply lack the energy and awe that deserves to be on the big screen. Keep up the great work! Love it :)

Mega Sock Force

Thank you- that made me really happy. I no longer feel alone when I binge watch Power Rangers. Even had a Robocop gun! Wow. Why can't there be more films like this? This is in my top 5 at least. Had all my favourite things in it, jam packed into a tight 3 minutes. The judges must have been sleeping if they missed this, Nice work team- what a terrific vibe this film gives off. Thank you again.

Sibling Rivalry

This made me quite jealous when I saw they were at laser strike. Strong acting performances from the younger sibling. The chase got a bit tiring, however and after the jet-ski sequence I felt a bit unsatisfied at the end. Worth waiting for the post-credit moment, which summed up the plot.

The Deal

This had a good start with some strong performances and powerful lighting. I got a bit bored in the middle, however, as the filming seemed to focus on face washing. A great twist at the end though!

Stopping World War II

So awesome to see in the theatre. Terrific performances too. Can't wait to see it again!

Tech Support: Don't Call for Help

Cool concept- reminds me of a whole lot of similar themes drawing on the fear of technology. What I liked: - Great expressions form characters - The robot family eating simultaneously- and age approprate casting for the family. -3 characters in their stories. Apolologies, but I was distracted by a guy next to me who had his cell phone out in the auditorium the WHOLE TIME! Not sure if he was writing reviews on his phone or something. Not your fault, but I can't remember what the 2nd or 3rd stories were from the characters. What I think could be improved: -Age appropriate actor- while the therapist character had some great facial expressions and clear dialogue delivery, it was still obvious that they were too young to play such a professional. Perhaps in the future, have their face in shadow or out of frame. This could potentially provide an additional dimension to provide mystery/ominosity to the character. Congratulations on making a film in 48hours! Look forwards to seeing what you projects you undertake in the future.

Claws and Effect

Crab Crab Crab makes the only films in this competition I enjoyably watch more than once (other than my own ones). In fact their film last year I can't remember how many times I watched it. I really admire the sheer amount of content and effort put in. Awesome stuff!

The How, The What, The Who and The Why

Cool to see the children getting involved! An easy to follow story, underpinned by the voice-over. I liked how the shadow was used to explain the plan, and use of the sword. Things to watch out for when my boy gets older! A few red herrings: I thought the plumber might have come back to steal something, given the look at the inside of the door. And that the plumbing / puddle might have been connected. Maybe next time it might pay to experiment with additional lights to set a style or mood, rather than rely on natural lighting. Well done for completing the ULTRA task!

My Boo

Wow what a lot of work with the edge work around the ghost! What I loved: -Going through the door -Lyttelton Just needed an R. Lee Ermey type to shoot some bad ghosts at the cemetery with 2 mini-guns (One in each hand, like the original Wolfenstein boss).

Velociraptor

Oh man I couldn't remember this at all- until I started re-watching your upload and with the literal toilet humour, it all came flooding back! What I liked: -Classic romantic shots in the park -The ending What I wanted to see more of: -I kept thinking the waiter would turn up again, since such a big deal had been made of him at the start- I thought that was him coming at the end!