The Gardener

WOW! An incredibly professional film, that impressed the whole theatre to unprecedented levels. Your cinematography was excellent and I hope you will be rewarded for it in the Finals. We had our breath caught the whole way, and even though it was a simple idea, it excited the audience and came across brilliantly! Your camera work was very professional, with very competent management of DOF, and excellent composition. You picked up clear, noise free sound which was a nice change to some shorts in the competition. Your actors carried the parts well, and I think the whole cinema breathed out together at the end. Editing was concise, and the music fitted well. What a BEAUTIFUL film. Best one I've seen so far this year. Good Luck, and good job.

Incredibly beautiful film. Amazing cinematography, the shot of the girl getting onto the trampoline with the leaves starting to bounce might be the best single shot I've ever seen in 48 hours. The story was a really cool take on the genre, a wonderful perspective on what a quest means to a little girl (by the way, great acting performance from the kid!). A genuinely tense climax led to a lovely ending. Magical.

Clearly one of the best in this Heat. If this isn't amongst the City Finalists there should be rioting in the cinema. The only dialogue was the compulsory line (apart from some throw away words near the beginning) and the rest is a visual treat. For owners of DSLRs, pay attention. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE! Damn sexy, high res, shallow DOF and right on the glass precise. Pat the cinematographer on the back and buy that fella a beer. But make the screenwriter(s) pay for it. A thin, frail story, (possibly not enough to see it rise into the finalists), but its going to be a tough call. I wouldn't like to be in the room when the Judging Panel crack this little number open. Yes, its gorgeous, a perfect harmony of tone, picture and nuance. A super subtle story, the female lead travelled through the undergrowth, and so did we. We could piece together how she felt without too much effort. Nice. Bad, really bad, clumsy sound effect of a really big dog, that morphs in a cute puppy. Maybe I'm nit-picking. And while we're examining the flaws...there's Aaron. Not a handsome set of features, I'm afraid and a jarring, crushing, hamfisted delivery of the line. The balance of this film is so very, very fine that he may have just buggered it up. In many ways, it reminds me of the voice over in one version of 'Blade Runner'. We're really into the emotional, psychological and temporal space of the piece, and then...Aaron talks. The young lead is a serious contender for Best Actress, in spite of the absence of dialogue. Being more than words may just be her winning factor here. Musically, and emotionally, its PERFECT. 100% on the money. Never far from the heart, it emotionally connected with me, and I'm a tough nut to crack. I've never been affected by a v48Hours film in the way that this score did. Respect. The Trampoline Sequence will be Cinematography winner. Or you can have your money back.

Easily the most beautiful film of the night, and possibly of the city for the competition. Wonderful acting by the young girl, visually stunning, and altogether arresting. The only let downs in an otherwise wonderfully executed film were the man's delivery of the line, and the ending, which was a minor disappointment. Regardless of those minor quibbles, there is little doubt that this will feature heavily on city finals night.

This is the film everyone wants to give 10 stars even though the scale only goes to 5. It is a slick production clearly using good kit and a team who know how to use it. But when I notice your use of shallow depth of field, you have gone to far. A simple quest story, a child that wants to play in a garden. The start was strong, the curiosity of the child was transferred to the viewer but once in the garden the story went out of focus. Although the action progressed, the essential jeopardy, the threat of being discovered never developed. The angry dog sounds followed by the release of the fluffy white beast was a moment of comedy out of step with the rest of the writing. And to the ending, she hides, she's discovered, she runs, she trips, he catches her…., he isn't really a bad guy. As lovely and predictable as a Hallmark card

Incredibly beautiful film. Amazing cinematography, the shot of the girl getting onto the trampoline with the leaves starting to bounce might be the best single shot I've ever seen in 48 hours. The story was a really cool take on the genre, a wonderful perspective on what a quest means to a little girl (by the way, great acting performance from the kid!). A genuinely tense climax led to a lovely ending. Magical.

Clearly one of the best in this Heat. If this isn't amongst the City Finalists there should be rioting in the cinema. The only dialogue was the compulsory line (apart from some throw away words near the beginning) and the rest is a visual treat. For owners of DSLRs, pay attention. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE! Damn sexy, high res, shallow DOF and right on the glass precise. Pat the cinematographer on the back and buy that fella a beer. But make the screenwriter(s) pay for it. A thin, frail story, (possibly not enough to see it rise into the finalists), but its going to be a tough call. I wouldn't like to be in the room when the Judging Panel crack this little number open. Yes, its gorgeous, a perfect harmony of tone, picture and nuance. A super subtle story, the female lead travelled through the undergrowth, and so did we. We could piece together how she felt without too much effort. Nice. Bad, really bad, clumsy sound effect of a really big dog, that morphs in a cute puppy. Maybe I'm nit-picking. And while we're examining the flaws...there's Aaron. Not a handsome set of features, I'm afraid and a jarring, crushing, hamfisted delivery of the line. The balance of this film is so very, very fine that he may have just buggered it up. In many ways, it reminds me of the voice over in one version of 'Blade Runner'. We're really into the emotional, psychological and temporal space of the piece, and then...Aaron talks. The young lead is a serious contender for Best Actress, in spite of the absence of dialogue. Being more than words may just be her winning factor here. Musically, and emotionally, its PERFECT. 100% on the money. Never far from the heart, it emotionally connected with me, and I'm a tough nut to crack. I've never been affected by a v48Hours film in the way that this score did. Respect. The Trampoline Sequence will be Cinematography winner. Or you can have your money back.

This is the film everyone wants to give 10 stars even though the scale only goes to 5. It is a slick production clearly using good kit and a team who know how to use it. But when I notice your use of shallow depth of field, you have gone to far. A simple quest story, a child that wants to play in a garden. The start was strong, the curiosity of the child was transferred to the viewer but once in the garden the story went out of focus. Although the action progressed, the essential jeopardy, the threat of being discovered never developed. The angry dog sounds followed by the release of the fluffy white beast was a moment of comedy out of step with the rest of the writing. And to the ending, she hides, she's discovered, she runs, she trips, he catches her…., he isn't really a bad guy. As lovely and predictable as a Hallmark card