The Algorithm

This was certainly different, as someone gets stuck in a scroll-hole on their phone and we the audience are taken along for the ride watching the person watching said tiktok and ig snippets.

Going for a PSA approach had merit and you're not wrong about the influence of meta and the like, and clearly this was visually unique...BUT, for me, it just didn't work in terms of a narrative. I applaud the inventiveness with your visual but utilising 10% of your screen real estate throughout was not a choice I would have gone with myself. I think given you went so hard on the unique visual meant you really really needed to go ultra hard on the audio, not just capturing what was on the phone but giving us a soundscape that elevated proceedings. Interesting concept but focus on story is key for this comp.

Technical hiccups aside, the final moment of this film was a SLAM DUNK at the in-person screening, the crowd lost it.

I reckon, with a little upskilling in the technical area - sound mix, framing etc. A concept like this can be a real strong contender. You guys were certainly onto something! Come back next year with another great idea and some practice on the tools and you could have some real potential in this comp.

What I liked:
Always love an approach to a 48Hour film that challenges the very format of a film!

What I didn't like:
The problem with this format is often it can be hard to mine drama or any creative tension in your story - it's not impossible. Check out Cop Out (2022) by Herms Heroes for the gold standard here.

Something else I liked:
A message is cool! But the cool thing about stories is we get to exaggerate ideas and moments to make a greater point, so if the algorithm WAS the monster, then maybe we should have seen it become truly scary and monstrous? What if the videos being scrolled through took a horror turn? What if the phone consumed the person scrolling on it? And by extension US the audience?