Rastinha

Hide and Seek

I decided to give this 4 stars because it was really well put together technically and cinematography-wise. I enjoyed watching it because of that, and the acting was good enough that I was drawn in. I too was a bit confused about why she couldn't call the cops or why she wasn't more distraught - I figured she knew she had $11k stashed so wasn't that worried. I did really enjoy the twist at the end though, didn't see it coming. It did leave me wondering how young Jack would be able to spend all of his money on cool stuff without Mum figuring it out though, haha. $11k is a lot of money for a 10 year old! I initially wondered why the kidnapper would ask for only/specifically $11k - it was a bit like Dr. Evil always asking for the wrong ransom sum in Austin powers - but it made sense to me once I saw the twist.

The Heartless Calculating Bastard

Ewan from accounting, who has been causing issues for staff at the hospital with his penny pinching attitude, finds himself in a pickle when he needs medical help.

What went well:
I am a huge fan of a good pun, so as soon as I figured out the connection with the pun at the start, I laughed out loud at your title! Fantastic location, what a score to be able to shoot at the hospital with all that gear! Funny concept to have stingy Ewan from accounting get a heart transplant from generous Santa. Camera up the butt footage was a crackup. Story was well executed with good comedy beats, and a generous amount of splatter.

What could be improved:
For me, I felt like the performances could have been bumped up a notch to emphasise both the intensity of the disdain of everyone towards Ewan, and also the drama in the operating theater as he’s flatlining. Whether they should have felt panicked, or joyful, everyone felt a little subdued in this moment to me,

In terms of the ending, I did find Santa suddenly being a cheapskate funny, but I wonder if, in terms of the story arc, character development, and payoff, it might have been better to see the other side– Ewan with a change of heart and our hospital employees reaping the benefits of their transplant shenanigans? To me that would have righted the film's moral universe a bit more, but this is a minor thing in an otherwise great film :)

Next steps:
I think for me, just trying to draw a bit more intensity out of the performances would bump things up a notch. The lady who discovered Santa had a good level of intensity in her performance and everyone else was perfectly engaging to watch, it would just heighten the drama and emotion, and make the payoff more worthwhile in the end I reckon, something to consider for future films :) Again, no expert! I always love seeing the unique story ideas Team Bob come up with.

Alpaca in the Closet

A charming little film that uses the "Comedy of errors" genre to give us some awkward humor through a series of all-too-relatable dinner date errors. I thought the leads were both lovely and did a good job of making us like them and want them to end up happy.

The concept itself was clever, and great sized "slice of life" for a short film. Technically it was well put together, with solid camera work, good editing, lighting, and sound.

In terms of the story, I like that the twist was that she was also awkward, and so they discovered their match, but I wonder if the payoff might have been bigger if we'd learned a little more about her during his bumbling? This is just me wondering, and the story structure works as is!

But y'know, possibly like some back and forth showing the date not going too well from both of them, and we think it's just that they're super incompatible, or bad at this, before their inn inner tickings are revealed, possibly through a mutual error? Just thoughts that came to mind while watching :)

Anyway, this was a really enjoyable watch, so well done on your film! Looking forward to seeing your next effort :)

Floored

I really enjoyed this, I loved the simplicity of the story line and the animated character was awesome :). Tight editing, good sound and well delivered. I think the only thing that might have improved it for me, were we not talking about having only 48 hours for live action and animation, would have been making the epiphany at the end less explicit and stating it specifically, and trying to show that that was the case through the storytelling and visuals a bit more - maybe we realise Harper has figured that out by whatever happens after she drinks the water? But it was awesome anyway and I had to dig deep to come up with something that could be improved :)

Hide N Seek

This was entertaining as I recently watched SHED which was the reverse concept , but both were executed well and differently from each other.

This was a clever concept, and the setup for the story was really well done, with the circling back around to the end that we saw at the start. Great performances by the actors too. As others have said the cinematography could have been a little more polished in the middle, but some shots are easier than others with the constraints of, well, 48 hours AND lockdown.

The close up shots were really nicely framed and things across the board were simple yet effective. Look forward to seeing more from the Freewis :)

Pass Card

I thought this film was well put together and I liked the way it was short and to the point. It was great how 'Harper' was part of the mistaken identity thread too. I wasn't totally convinced that her actual partner would have been as calm as he was given that he asked what a pass card was, haha, but the punchline was pretty good. The gum was funny but seemed slightly disconnected from the other story. Funny use of prop!

One For All

As other reviews have said, my first thought to comment on was on how it was an uncomfortable watch, haha, but I feel like that is what you ideally want with an impossible situation film, right? The film was technically very well put together, solid camera work, lighting, editing and such. A few places where the audio clipped, but nothing too distracting.

I thought the storyline was good, and, although I can see how there were multiple options for the twist at the end like other reviewers mentioned, I'm inclined to agree with AJ. I feel like it would be hard to pick an ending that would please everyone, because I feel like if the guy got both the girls, that could feel a little... backward, too. It may not have happened in the film itself, but I feel like if we followed the story for a few more mins, this would be more likely to pass the Bechdel test by hearing them talk to each other about something other than him!

In any case, I think you executed what you went with well! It was enjoyable to watch, and kept me engaged throughout, wanting to know what would happen. Nice work team :)

GOOD AS GOLD

This film by Kinaki, from the Cook Islands, was very well shot and executed. Interesting to see a film by an out-of-country team mixed into a small regional heat, so a bit of a different flavor from the usual fare.

It was great jumping straight into the action. The cinematography and location were obviously amazing--though I think you'd be hard-pressed to make Rarotonga look bad! The underwater shots were nice, too. The performance by the lead was great.

I did find it a bit confusing as the beginning felt a lot like drama/adventure style, and then the part suddenly where she was rolling a bunch of places felt like an unexpected and slightly disconcerting comedic beat in what had felt like a dramatic piece up until then? And then it ended as a comedy, with the burger. I think it felt a little out of place to me, and maybe needed an initial comedy beat just a little earlier than that so it didn't feel like such an unexpected change in tone.

Aside from that, the story was simple, and it was a fun twist. Perhaps not so much room for character development, but that's common in shorts this short. It was definitely a satisfying watch, though, given the high production values, amazing scenery, and being very tight technically.

Great work!

Heir of the Taeral

I thought this was a really solid effort from HavingTechnicalDifficulties. Also--great to see you back in the local comp again! The film was well shot, and the use of darkness well executed for Ultra48. The set design was fantastic for the type of film it was, and the props really made the film.

I loved the ancient 'Lorem Ipsum...' text in the book ;)

The heartbeat was also used really effectively. I may have got a little confused on the details of the storyline, but I still very much enjoyed watching it and the whole vibe was just dark, and eerie, and awesome. Well done!

Fist Puncher and Foot Kicker

Pastafarian Productions is flattered you used the Flying Spaghetti Monster in your film, but not so sure about your treatment of it 🤔... Haha. Unlike the others, however, I (clearly) think the flying spaghetti monster is always relevant 😂

A generally entertaining watch, with some great lines in the script that made me laugh out loud. It looked like you had heaps of fun making this! I agree with some of the other comments about pacing and that a little more of a sense of urgency would draw me into the story and the stakes a bit more.

Otherwise a great effort and a lot of fun!

May you be blessed by his noodly appendage 🍝

Charlie Echo Alfa

These guys do quirky well so I was looking forward to seeing another Currie Street Creatives film after last year. The film had good production values and a funny premise. It had interesting characters that drew us in, and I enjoyed the fun vibe to the editing. Nice one!

In bread, love

I really enjoyed watching this, as creepy as it was, haha. But I love awkward uncomfortable humor! I didn't pick the sibling thing so that was a huge crack up for me. The priest and the psychologist were great touches, and I enjoyed the script. I agree with some of the other comments about pacing and some of the lines feeling forced, but I know what that's like (for us it's usually at 3am trying to get the last long line of dialog shot when were both way too tired and past it). I was actually up and down on the edge of my seat cringing when Mum was on her way in and they were kissing. Not sure if being adopted makes it any better (except genetically) but I thought that was a nice twist. Great movie :)

SHELTER IN PLACE

The photo at the end was amazing, haha. It looks like you had fun with this, and well done on the original soundtrack. The music was used well to drive the story. As others have said, some parts of the story could have been more clear, maybe a photo of the monkey/family that he had with him in the sleepout or something?

Technically, getting the audio levels even and transition smooth will help for a better experience for the viewers. But all in all a fun watch and a good little short! Well done :)

The Stand-In

You can always expect a high quality short with lots of classic, awkward, situational comedy from these guys. They clearly know what they're doing and delivered again this year. Clever concept, with a great setup. Great cinematography and motion graphics as always, and the twists and turns of the story were fantastic. A great performance by Andy Jackson, who I think was a casualty of the combined Best Performer award this year and probably would have got Best Actor if it had still been a thing. Congrats to Brittany for another successful year too. Part of me would really like to see this team branch out and try something a little different, but at the same time, we know that short, sweet, quirky, awkward humor works well for 48 hours so why fix what ain't broke I guess? These guys would certainly be contenders for taking on the Ultra challenge, however, although not sure if they still say you have to have done 5 films already or not. In any case, another great film from these guys, complete with the obligatory puddle of pee!

Sexy Men: Behind the Sex

This was an entertaining watch. I thought the use of multiple bubbles was a good combination with the type of story, and it must have taken a bit of logistics to manage!

I agree the editing/pacing could have added more to the impact of the jokes etc., but pretty hard to nail it for a 3 min short and in a 48s weekend.

Loved that the band and the new guy had such totally different takes on what happened... Unfortunately all too common! The idea of the genrebenders album was a crack up, same song in different genres. Loved it :)

Change Is Good

Based on a poem, this film looks at how things change, but also stay the same between generations. This was visually a really nice looking, well shot, and beautifully crafted piece. It took me a moment to catch on to the retro vs. present footage in the very beginning, but once I did I was very impressed with how it was put together. Seeing the things that 2 generations grew up, with and the similarities and differences, was really cool. Great choices of location and music, and a well put together ending. What a cool concept and well done to this team! Surprised you weren't finalists actually, but very much look forward to what you create next :)

Life Insurance

Ahhh this was awesome. The lead character's costuming and performance were 100% on point, like so on point I was smiling the whole way through.

I loved the way he popped up everywhere-as insurance salespeople tend to do! I was expecting an ultra close up of him right behind her as she turned around after saying "no thanks", but it worked just as well going into the next room. I loved the subtlety of him in the background, and then just the extent of the number of ways you had him appear.

Not only was that funny, but the story line was solid too, perfect for a 3 min short. Lol'd at the terms and conditions and the discount bit was the perfect ending. Awesome!

Jurrasic Park: But For People

Jurassic Park: But for People pretty much sums this one up! Another nice film from Freyberg High School. Great location choice for the comedy night, it really added to the vibe of the film. This film was well put together, and had some awesome VFX, very impressive. The advertising segment was hilarious, along with the trapped 'failed exhibits', and the editing and acting were great too. Loved the terrible jokes too. Good job!

Any Portal will do on a Storm

Ah Julian, great effort again! Love the return of your little cast mate and the costume. I'm always impressed with what you pull off technically in 48 hours, and the masks as characters was an awesome, resourceful idea given the constraints of lockdown.

The story, I felt, was better than your last green screen shoot-em-up adventure, and the production value was higher this time around too. It was just fun to watch and you clearly had fun making it (despite being in hospital half the weekend, yikes!). It was quite a bit to take in in 3 mins but I enjoyed it :)

Love the subtle easter egg of the Wilhelm scream too.

Monday, 12:03

Nice! This was a tight little short. Great production values, well executed. The motion graphics were great and I loved the little 5G nod on the display, haha.

I picked up more from reading the other reviews after I watched it, so agree that some of the clever, subtle things could have been more obvious, but the film is fine without them so that's not a criticism at all.

Awesome effort, and great acting too :)

A Change In The Weather

An unlikely pair exist in the same space, seeing it differently and never quite in sync with each other. Bread and Butter Productions are pretty much the bread and butter of 48s in Taranaki, having been competing pretty much the whole time it's been a region I think? So it's great that they have signed up for the ultra challenge all 3 years that it has been offered, and good on them for twisting a couple of other arms to give it a go this year :) This film was another testament to their experience with great looking cinematography, and effective use of the split screen and 4th wall ultra elements as well. Some of the split screen transitions were a little quick in places, and it might have been nice to have spent a bit more time with some of the really beatiful shots, but I know how hard it is to get things like that exactly right even when it's not 48 hours and you're not doing ultra! It was nice to see the shots converge at the end, and the choice of music really carried the story. Great performances by the actors and just overall another really nice B&BP film to watch. Nice work Louise and team!

ARTIST'S BLOCK

An overbearing director leads a team trying to come up with a film idea through to chaos and ultimately disaster. Nice work Chai and team!

This film had great performances by the actors and a good variety of shots. I love a good meta film, and this one is super relatable for 48 Hours participants, trying to come up with an idea, and having it lead you to places you didn't expect! Thankfully, most of us don't end up burying our teammates, but then this makes for a more exciting story to watch, haha.

Editing was done well for tension, and music was also used well. Loved the "so drunk" driving moment, the inevitable accident, and brains. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the music with the visuals at the end.

I was a bit tired by the end of heat 2 at 4:20am where I was, so my notes are a little thin... Look forward to seeing this again and will add more thoughts later if needed!

Nice work team :)

Attempted Villain

Attempted Villain was another great effort by MuseCrew. It's been awesome seeing their work develop over the years they've been in the comp! This film had pretty good production values, particularly audio, and I definitely commend you on making a musical!

I thought this was a cool, unique take on the superhero genre--a nice guy trying not to be a hero but somehow managing to save the day every time.

Performances by the actors were great, songs were good, and the general story arc/structure was sound. Awesome work, MuseCrew-a shame to not see you in the finals!

13 going on 14

A young lad reflects on life and changes as he turns 14 years old. A great effors from a young team! The start was awesome and there were great comedic moments throughout that were awkward and adhered well to the 'Cringe Comedy' genre. Some cross fades in the audio would have helped the transitions between scenes as in places the audio levels could be a bit jarring, but that comes with more editing experience and is an easy fix when you've already got a handle on how to put a story together. The actors were very enthusiastic and there was some great contrast between the characters' personalities. Nice ending :) Look forward to seeing more from this team in future, well done!

Quick and Dirty

I always like Tanked Engines films, and even though they had a stripped back team this year I wasn't disappointed. Effective use of sound for telling the story with just 2 actors. It had a simple but effective plot and I loved the stunts and "not-so-stunts". Great twist :)

Weeping Waters

A touching retelling of the Tangiwai disaster, this was a unique take on the "Impossible Situation" genre. I always enjoy Louise's efforts, with Bread and Butter Productions literally being the bread and butter of the Taranaki 48Hours efforts.

What went well:
What an interesting idea to use a snippet of history for your story! The style, in black and white, looked really good, with a wide variety of shots used throughout. I particularly liked the dolly shot on the train tracks, and wow, you got so many people in your film! Great choice of location to make the film feel authentic, rather than dressing a lounge up like a train. Decent performances by the characters.

What could be improved:
I felt like some of the dialog scenes that were done with locked off wider shots could have benefitted from having some closer shots worked in, making them more dynamic, and bringing more emotion into the scene through deeper connection with the characters.

Next steps:
Bread and Butter always come up with unique story ideas, that are well executed and put together cleanly. I would love to see the direction draw a little more depth and intensity out of the characters/actors in future shorts just to really put the icing on the cake :)

Well done team, another fantastic effort!

Free As The Wind

Nifty little film with a great use of the required wind element. The makeup and characterisation of the wind was awesome, and I lived the wind effects at the start! I think as others have said I would have liked to have 'seen' a few more things about the nature of being the wind rather than being 'told' it all through the dialog. It's always hard with 48 hours to judge whether people will pick up things that are more implicit without being explicitly told them, but that's what creates more immersive stories and something to practice (that's about where I am on my own film journey too!). Did you redo your credits to be longer for upload since it is 6:14? Another great little film from ChCh, always look forward to seeing how teams like this develop!

The Fifth Wave

Very beautifully shot, looks like you had a nice little lockdown possie.

I was really intrigued by what was going on, and it drew me in. The voicemail messages were a great idea, and definitely got me enthralled and wanting to know what happened.

I'm guessing that the story was that 5G was responsible for all the people being dead (or unreachable on their non-5G phones?), but after the shot of the feet in the dirt (was that blood or water?) I really felt like we were going to discover them all dead, and the killer was in the shower. Maybe it just felt like a darker film to me right up until the answer of whodunnit because that felt like a gag? I wanted an ending as intense and interesting as the lead up, whereas that was more like "Hey! It was 5G!". I feel likemaybe this was one of those common 48 hours things where you have a great idea for an ending, plan a story around it, the story gets a bit deeper, but you don't really have time to replan the ending, or adjust the story, so you just kind of have to make the best of it.

But, that's the only thing that really I felt could have been improved, everything else was engaging to watch and I was on the edge of my seat up until then!

Common Scents

I loved this film, really enjoyed watching it. It was a great take on a superhero film, and an interesting choice of power! The film was technically sound, with good lighting, and looked really polished. I don't care how overdone people say they are--I always love a good mockumentary!

One thing to be cautious of was the Bob the Builder song... Got to be careful with that copyright stuff.

The performance by the lead was fantastic--a really captivating character and the other actors were also great. I liked that this had a good story arc and some character development, as well as looking good and tidy. Sometimes films are technically amazing but lacking story and character development, and sometimes they have a great story and character development but a lot of technical issues. This film did well on both fronts I think! One of my favorites of the heat :)

Misfits

This film had a great, engaging beginning, where we were launched straight into the action. Music was used well to drive the tension. I loved the three characters and the sequence of shots showing who they would be undercover. The script was well written with some real gems and comedic gold in there. Well done team, look forward to seeing more from you in future!

Beast Mode

Fantastically shot and edited, I really loved the pacing of the build up as the guy was heading into beast mode. The shots in the bathroom were great, the lighting really reinforced the tone, and the editing especially that night to day transition was smooth as butter. I, too, felt that the explicit mention of "another victim of social media" line detracted from the story as it was already being told so well, but then I know that in 48 hours it can be really hard to judge how much the audience needs to be told, especially when we're all quite used to easily digestible films. By the time you're in the Nth hour of writing, and then again at editing, it is hard to judge how much others can read into it, and many films suffer from the opposite of having some deeper subtext that's really not apparent to anybody but the team. So, all in all, I enjoyed watching this, it was entertaining and well put together :)

A Boaring End

Hilarious, great looking film, very professional looking and Dinnie was a crack up. Love the "Kupu o te rā" segments! I quite enjoyed the play on the word "tracks" in the ending. Also, I'm totally jealous of the RC drone camera as those shots were really cool and added to the fantastic cinematography. Clearly a team who have the know-how and all the right gear :) Ka mau te wehi guys!

Potem Immortales

Musical is always an extra layer of challenge, but you guys look like you had fun with it! I liked the jazz hands on the scientists in the lab, and the chase scene was just the right kind of comical. Some SFX in the fight scene on top of the music may have heightened the impact of that scene which was the climax of the film, as well as switching to a different mood of music for that part to break it up a bit from the rest of the film? Nice twist at the end, although a touch confusing since the silhouette was recognisable, but most probably wouldn't notice that on the first watch so it was still effective. Nice work :)

Read, are the tea leaves

This film felt like an experience, haha. I enjoyed it a lot. I feel like with a couple of watches you can kind of get an idea for the story, but I have no idea if I'm right or not, but I don't think it matters. It was engaging; both the visuals and the sound design were excellent. I also loved the idea for the animation or the mouths.

Nice work, and as Stu said earlier this is probably one of my favorites of yours :)

Canniversary

Ohhh such a shame about the DQ, were you guys late? This was great :) Nice storyline, tightly edited, great music choices and soundscape, and even though they were little paper cutouts, the characters' personalities were vivid and engaging and my attention was carried through the whole story. Such an unfortunate misunderstanding! Awesome work team :)

The poacher

Nice work man! Great story line and twist. The cinematography, lighting, editing, and soundscape really added to the mood of the film and drove the story. A great effort for what I know was a 1 person technical team with obliging family members as actors.

Dog played its part wonderfully and great cameo by you! Some of the dialog was a little quiet but that was mainly the kids and that's always a bit of a challenge. Awesome work Grazed Lockley!

Breakfast

I enjoyed the cinematography in this film, and it was a clever story line. In some ways it's a shame that we see the genre of the movie before we watch it as I also figured out the plot twist early given that it was a horror! Felt it moved a little slow covering all the days of the week, but they did really good job of putting it together and making all of the shots varied despite the same things happening every morning. If you guys were first-timers then well done, I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!

Rough Trade

This was a great quirky little film, I enjoyed watching it. I always enjoy awkward humor and this had it in spades in it's "bad film-esque" style. The special effects and stunts were good fun and a creative idea. A little tighter editing and pacing in places could have helped build the drama but keep the tone. I'd love to see what this team would put together without time constraints, but then the constraints of 48 Hours are the perfect primordial soup conditions to breed this particular flavor of comedy. Nice one :)

Fly With Me

Two children venture outside and rediscover some magic. This was a very cute little tale about childhood and fairies. Real time is a challenging genre to do in the 48 hour comp for sure, but the premise was really good, a good slice of time for a 48 hour film. The ending felt a little abrupt, but I'm guessing it's part of trying to make a story arc feel like it fits into a 5 minute real-time slice of time, so understandable :). The actors, children and adults included, were really enthusiastic and gave great performances, and some great music at the end :) Well done to all involved!

Double Booked

I enjoyed the way this movie was structured, and the dark haired girl was a great actor. Some of the sound was a bit harsh outside, and I was a little bit confused as to why he was leading one girl away while the other was following clearly in view of them - was there any point in trying to hide the one girl if the other one had already seen her? I also thought the second one took a wrong turn at one point, but ended up right behind them again, but maybe I just need to see it again :). All in all though, I was impressed, and the script was really well written, especially the lines that meant one thing to the lead actor and another to the person on the other end of the phone - they all sounded legitimate and not forced, and that can be a challenge to pull of well. Nice work!

Binary Love

Really well shot. A great use of the anti-romcom genre, with a quirky premise, and great performances by the lead and other actors. I loved the Granddad gag complete with dial up modem tone :). Church scene looked really nice, I liked the shot with the rows of pews and the lead looking isolated in the middle--really supported the feels of the movie in that moment. It's not that relevant, but I really loved your team intro bit too (or just film intro? The channel 341 stuff anyway). Was that someone in your team that did the TV voice, or did you actually have THAT GUY? It was spot on anyway, loved it :)

Ringo and the Gatekeeper

I caught this in the heats and really enjoyed it then. I enjoyed it again on the rewatch! Very nicely put together with excellent camera work, fantastic performances by the leads, both human and canine, and well edited with good use of music and sound.

I've seen a few meta films this year about needing to make films, and although it could seem like that's a cop-out storyline to choose, they've actually all been pretty creative, unique, and distinct from each other! The good thing about using that trope is at least everyone can relate to it :)

Excellent effort on the Ringo impression, and I loved the Beatles lyric references dropped into the script.

Always enjoy catching Team Spielberg's films, so well done again Craig :)

Bad Eggs

I tuned in specifically to see what Toowit Toowoo would produce this year, as I always love their shorts and we animators gotta have each others' backs :) They did not disappoint! I was following your posts over the weekend and saw you post the small ocean snippet at the 24-hour mark #theanimationstruggleisreal!

But it was so worth it, I love love love how the animation on the ocean looked, and I'm a big fan of a musical as you know so love that you took on the sea shanty challenge. The eggs were great, and as steelpotato said the mouth movements were great.

It was the same for me though--I just wanted more! Which I know is just a time constraints thing given 48 hours, so not really a critique. I just enjoyed watching and wasn't ready for it to end yet. Fantastic effort, and really inspiring!

Stealing Thoughts

This film looked awesome and the editing was great. I loved the intro sequence with the people's thoughts and the effects with the film speeding up and slowing down. I think you guys did a great job with the music as it matched the tone of what was going on on screen perfectly in my mind. All of the shots looked really good, and I really like the concept. Like some of the others I found parts a bit confusing like the note on the screen and why he was hearing the voices. It also took me a while to get how he was "thoughtless", but that's probably just me, haha. I did find myself wondering what would happen next, and it might have been nice with maybe on more bit of drama to draw me in before the ending, to help make sense of the story. But this was really well done and I think I'll have to go watch it again a few times to see if I can answer some of my questions. Awesome effort!

Mannequin Shenanigans

Loved this film! Performance from the lead was hilarious and on point. Great beginning sequence, which, although it has been used a bit before, was very well suited to the genre and the style of movie. Was great to dive straight into the action with no idea what's going on, and then have that slowly unfold. Great use of the silhouettes to tell that part of the story. I wasn't sure if the Trump footage was public domain or you had the rights for it though? I guess perhaps it was since the film is not DQ'd, but something to make sure of :). Great concept though, loved it. Where did you get so many mannequins from?? Music was used really well, as was audio in general, and some VFX. Great trial scene and some good comedy with the fight. Well done, and hope to see you enter again next year. Also I know your teacher Mr. Tairea, so hi Ian if you read this, from Hannah at Code Avengers!

A Bad Goodbye

Great! I loved it, so many great moments of farce and hilarity. I loved the way the story unfolded. Great acting and well put together. I thought the using Google Now (or Siri) for advice on disposal of the body was really funny, and the funeral service itself. The juxtaposition of them celebrating finding the body with the dismay of the other attendees was great. Used the genre well, really enjoyed the film!

Sweet Child Of Time

I love a good "what the...?" feeling after a totally random film, and this gave it in spades. I really liked the animation style, although as others have said some of the audio could have been a bit more polished. But that's the thing with 48 hours, there's always a million "couldas" and some of them you run out of time or people power for. Great work, so good to have films like these in the comp still to maintain the diversity rather than everyone following the light hearted simple comedy formula that can often be successful in the comp :)

Arthur's Adventure

This film was a great watch! The opening scene was really good for capturing our attention and getting us intrigued. The performances by all were fantastic and engaging. I thought it was a really good idea to have the invisible object element drive the story by being the key aspect of the superhero's powers--well done!

I personally loved the invisible remote control turning on the TV moment, haha. And yeah, the newscasts were very well done.

An Unexpected Lifespan

Hobbit twins, Michael and Michaela, celebrate their next birthday in a fun little middle-earth mockumentary.

What went well:
Some people hate them, but I love a good mockumentary! I think this was a great choice for the coming of age genre, one which I haven't seen in the other heats I've watched. But when you think about, it's a great idea to chronicle a coming of age moment in a character's life! This was set in a perfect location for the middle earth feel. The voice-over was well done and very engaging, and there were decent performances by the hobbits. Loved the names Michael and Michaela, and the kind of bittersweet revelation that Michael is adopted. There was a very subtle level of emotional depth added by the fact that he'd never left his 'shire' because he had plenty of time left.

What could be improved/next steps:
I think the only thing I thought when I watched this was that I guess using hobbits wasn't super original, but the actual execution of the story was well done and it was entertaining to watch, and that's the goal right? Technically, it could perhaps have been a little tighter, but I guess that's a common thing in 48 Hours! Well done team, look forward to seeing this again, and seeing what you bring next time too!

A Slip In Time

A man's daily routine is suddenly interrupted. Another great short from CSC. It was really nice to see a slightly more serious film from this team, as they definitely do quirky awkward comedy really well, but it's always nice to see a team's versatility. I'd love to see something dark from them one day, but this was a nice step in that direction! A nice little story, very well shot as always from these guys. Was nice to see you actually filmed each day's shots again given the different shirts, rather than recycling the footage, was a nice added touch. The kids were great actors too! One thing I felt like I wanted at the end of the story was 'what happened' to him after that experience? How did he change? Did he get up on Monday and put Monday's shirt on? What happened the next time he saw the kids? Hopefully I didn't miss that in the story, so look forward to seeing it again. Would love to see this very capable team do ultra next year (I think they're eligible then?) :)

The Stile

I really like it when teams make serious movies. Film as a vehicle for social commentary is, I think, really important and powerful. It's even more so when you have to work out how to get people thinking about the heart of the issues in the film in 5 mins, and with only 48 hours to make it. With that in mind, I think you guys have done a great job! I didn't quite get that the other character was death until towards the end, although I understood the concept of the stile, perhaps it was to do with the actor being young? Perhaps not. It's hard to say, but I wonder how you would have cast it if you hadn't been doing ultra and had to have children? Obviously just a thought exercise since you had no actual choice in the matter :) As the others have said the sharp audio transitions were a bit jarring, and I found the close ups quite intense for how many there were, but maybe that's a good thing, I'm forced to look at her and feel uncomfortable about it for the duration of the film. Really well done :)

Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

Nice setup and hook at start, was instantly curious to find out more about Santa. Clever premise, good acting, and some good witty quips--loved the jingles!

We'll just have to do things the long way.

Super mammoth effort doing solo ultra with a 4 month old! Really impressed, it was so much fun to watch. I love watching movies that you just know the team loved making and that they did because *they* would enjoy it, rather than ones created because they're trying to make what they think others will enjoy. Film making is a creative and expressive media, and your films give a great glimpse into your mind, haha. I was really impressed with how much you managed with the green screen and masking in 48 hours, so hats off for that. Will have to watch some of your earlier films now and can't wait to see what comes next :)

Science Fact or Science Fiction

Haha, loved this :) This is a topic that's close to my heart! Especially at the moment--you can't escape it on social media right now!

But back to the film. What an awesome family effort. I loved the premise, and the script was well written. The voice acting was great, the kids did a great job. There were a few plosives causing clipping in the VO audio, so when you're recording audio make sure you're far enough away for it to be clear but not clip on those P's etc. Of course, always easy when you have infinite time, but not so much in 48 hours!

Great way to use Lego for an animation. Loved the pies in the face too!

The Long Walk Home

This film by team Such & Such had great opening shots and it was nice to be taken straight into the middle of the action and drama. The cinematography was nice and pleasing to watch. The audio clipped a bit in places which I found a little distracting, but performances by the actors were excellent.

The choice of location was great, the setting and the natural soundscape really added to the mood of the film, along with good music choices.

I found the story a little predictable, however, and reminiscent of some existing films. And it seemed a little overly inevitable that she told him not to go back because he'd die, and then she went back, and then naturally the 'predator' appears in the thermal camera so they're probably both going to die.

Aside from that, it was well executed, and I did enjoy watching it, so good work team such & such!

Carpe Diem

A jewellery box ballerina gets a day of life to make the most of. I always love seeing what Muse Crew come up with and how their craft evolves year to year.

What went well:
Stunningly shot, the cinematography is awesome. The birds eye view shots were well incorporated. It was a great take on dance film, and really refreshing to see a story crafter around dance, rather than some dance plugged into a story. A variety of locations and shots used kept this film visually engaging, and music was used pretty effectively. It was really nice to watch, and the dancer was clearly talented and a huge highlight, along with the beautiful local scenery chosen. This would have been a great one to win last year's city managers award for showing off local scenery!

What could be improved/Next steps:
For me, although the use of many locations made for a very visually engaging film, I wanted a little more of a story arc and character development. What led our dancer to become human for a while? Why does she desire this? Why is the gatekeeper keeping the gate?

The literal ticking clock in the background felt like a slightly rough way to communicate this as well. We could perhaps have been shown a more figurative ticking clock through a tiny bit of backstory, clearly changing features of the day, more urgency in the character’s mannerisms, and/or a more dramatic shift in the music. These are minor things though, and this was a really great film by Muse Crew once again. Looking forward to seeing what they bring next year!

40 Candles

As their poster says, life begins at 40. Two friends from way back relive the past and look forward into the future as they turn 40. This was a solid effort from Spacies Crew, and I'm glad they got it in on time after the drama of bringing the wrong USB stick in from Waitara! The acting was obviously top class (someone should recruit those guys for TV or something, har har), although the audio was a bit rough in some places like when filming outside (always a challenge). The kids used for the flashbacks were cast brilliantly, and I loved the play on their different recollections of their childhood interactions. The OHS was used effectively in the story. The ending was very twisty, and it looks like ou had a lot of fun making this :)

Burgled on high

This was a fun musical number, I enjoyed the songs and thought the lyrics were pretty cleverly put together. I know what a challenge doing ultra plus musical was, as I did it too (albeit I foisted musical upon myself!), so well done for surviving that combo! I liked the playoff between the different personalities/reactions of the woman and the man in the situation, and the prized vintage playstation as the target. It was a real challenge to have to do split screen for the entire film for Ultra--normally there's an inciting incident that causes the screen to split and a good reason for it to be that way, but with the whole thing split screen it was much harder. This was a good effort, but I did feel it was a little hard to watch in places such as when we were seeing part of the same thing just from a slightly different angle, as it wasn't always intuitive which frame to look at, and sometime the juxtaposition was just a little jarring. It might have helped to have had it so one screen had specific action in it and the other had more of a status update of something. The parts where it worked best were where the woman was inside the cupboard and the man outside protecting the playstation for instance. It might have been nice to have seen what the burglars were doing out side juxtaposed with what was happening inside, and vice versa at times. This is pretty nitpicky, just the main thing that stood out to me in what was otherwise a great humorous take on a break in, executed well musically and the other productions stuff - audio, video etc. - were all fine :) I've enjoyed looking back over some Team Spielberg films as you've been around forever so it's cool to see how they've evolved! Keep up the good work :)

Dog Days

This was a fun movie, I really liked the overall vibe and the pacing felt good. The concept was cool, and I liked the way it was done from the dog perspective with the paw, haha. The music was pretty well done, a few lyrics that made me giggle. The only one that felt strange was the "best boy" one when the dog was a girl? Super minor, and not that relevant, but stood out to me :) Liked the cinematography, well put together so good effort team!

Daddy's Girl

Great title graphics on this one and I really liked the story line. The little girl and the shots of her were uber creepy (very children of the corn with the blonde hair and blue eyes). The end felt a little rushed to me, like it could have been fleshed out a little more for a bit more impact. But a cool idea. I would like to watch it again because I'm not 100% if I got this right, but the mother was Harper and the thoughtlessness was leaving the toast there? If I am right about that then those two elements felt a little forced into the story line and it would have been cool to see them a bit more integrated. Almost would have been a good story line for the "liar" character last year, with the little girl being Morgan. If I got that wrong then I will come back and amend my review! Really enjoyed watching it though :)

Who's Bob?

A funeral for Bob ends up taking a slightly unusual turn down memory lane. This was a great little short from Team Bob. They sourced an awesome location for the shoot, and their OHSs were really well done and lent themselves well to the narrative. I loved the juxtaposition of the bathroom scene with the hymn, it was a nice contrast, and the film itself had a good change in mood as the story unfolded. I also felt like it possibly could have been truer to the musical genre by having some of the songs drive the story rather than just being in the story, but it was a fun and effective short that looked and sounded good. Well done team, hope to see more from you in future!

Surface Pressure

I just wanted to say well done, first up, for a touching, expertly crafted watch. The cinematography was excellent (I also loved the lens flare, and think it's a good reminder that rules are never black and white!), and music was used very effectively. In fact, the entire soundscape was fantastic! The music choices effectively complemented the emotion. The scenery noises and editing of echo/texture in voices/whispers combined so well to set the mood!

Excellent chemistry between leads, and a fantastic performance by the loved one left behind. Grief is raw, non-linear, and unpredictable, and I felt you showed this really clearly.

Generally speaking, it's been so nice this year to see such a variety of relationship types coming through films, and I think the "anniversary movie" was a good catalyst for more of that!

The dramatic climax is well built up, and has a good payoff into the ending.
All the elements in this film combine really well to create a lot of feeling in a film where, action-wise, very little happens. And that's not a complaint--you know you're doing something right when you can make people feel something with minimal action, and still have a significant emotional shift in the characters.

Look forward to seeing what you create next :)

The Land Before Rhyme

I was so excited about this one from the time I saw the poster, haha. I really liked it, but I am a total dinosaur/educational song geek so I am probably very biased! Loved it. Technically, the backing vocals could have been aligned a bit better as the other review said, but I just really loved everything about this. You should get into the business of making educational animated raps for schools :P Probably my only other 'constructive' thing would be that a musical probably needs some change in the tone of music throughout, otherwise it's more of a music video? But that aside, loved it!

Permanent Resident

This was a cool concept, and I think it was shot well. Framing etc. were good and the music and sound design did a great job of creating the atmosphere. It would have been great to see this exchange between characters get more intense before the ending, but I guess it's one of the trade offs with a 3 min film.

The audio levels were quite low in the phone scenes compared to the very start, so potential advice for future would be to try to get that a bit more even. But it had a great vibe, good performances, and the end was creepy and well done :)

PINCH

A woman with a busy mind, going through the motions, finds herself stuck in a surreal dream landscape. This film was an enthralling visual experience, and trippy ride!

What went well:
Nice intro and ending sequences sandwiching the dreamscape in the middle, and I liked the use of the whisper element with her thoughts running through her mind. The beach shots were stunning, and a great variety of locations were used. The cinematography was awesome, making it very visually appealing. I love how surreal and fever-dreamy this film felt, and it reminded me of the year back in the day that we had "pretentious artsy film" as a genre--not because it was pretentious, but because that year produced some trippy as doozies of films and I loved watching them, haha. Briar's creepy blue-dressed character in the fernery was hilarious. And of course, this had another fantastic performance by Toni Marie Smith that can't go unmentioned! She's a truly talented gem to have as a lead! Elvisa's dancing and the pool scenes were also a big highlight.

What could be improved:
I guess the thing about dreams, is they don't necessarily have a coherent story arc and character development. I think for me, I just wanted a little more story arc/character development because it raised a lot of questions I wanted answered to feel satisfied. Why was her mind so busy? Why couldn’t she wake up? Why didn’t the gatekeeper stop her? Why was he there after she woke up? Was she her own gatekeeper?

Next steps:
It could just be me, not understanding it fully, as sometimes the intent is to leave the viewer with questions, rather than resolution! If that was the plan then well done :) It's also common with 48 hours to have layers of your story that you know you planned, but that don't necessarily make it into the final edit through just shortage of time (either in the 5 mins, or in the 48 hours) It was definitely engaging to watch, but I wanted a little more substance to grab onto to leave me with something more after the experience :)

Broken Tracks

A real shame about the DQ guys! This was a solid effort.

What went well:
Great performances by all, always a delight to see Charlie performing and George was excellent too. Loved the eccentric character too :) Very well chosen location to make this film feel authentic, and there's something about a story of right and wrong, ethics, and choices taking place on train tracks--great work. The original soundtrack was also rally good.

What could be improved/next steps:
For me, I think the only thing that wasn't quite so clear, was the driver for the sheriff's emotional transformation and eventual change of heart. What led him to change his mind? It was nice to see the change, I just wanted a little more depth to that moment. Again, sorry about the DQ, I hope you guys come back next year because I'm sure what you make will be even better!

The Box

Nice one Ephraim, this was an awesome effort! Some parts int here that weren't the easiest to do technically, tight editing, and good performances :) Awesome first time effort!

#apocalypse2k15

I really enjoyed this film, it was well put together and technically really sound. The shots looked great and the acting was really good. I too wondered what had killed everyone, and would have liked to have kept watching to find out what happened with Harper and the car dude - did they end up friends? I loved all the funny hipster dietary references, and cracked up at the toaster, and the 50 twitter accounts with the tweet showing up on the screen. The opening shot of the carpark was cool, and I think it was pretty creative of you using the overseas shots. Others said it was indulgent, but isn't the whole 48 hours process self-indulgent? We spend 48 hours making what we want and think is cool, and I thought that was original. Maybe others are jealous they didn't think of it, haha :) Nah, they probably just know more about film than me. But I really liked this one, I felt like I was watching a story, wanting to know what happened next, and didn't feel like I was watching attempted acting, so well done :)

Sound Sleep

Really loved this. I can't add too much more to what has been said, but it was in my top 4 at the grand final, my top 4 being the actual top 3 and this one sitting at first equal position! This film really clearly highlights, and plays on, the mantra "audio is more important than video". Of course, their video is excellent as well, but the sounds and score played together really well with the acting and storyline to create a cinematic experience. And it really was an experience, I was moved at the end and it is always refreshing to see films make it to the finals that move the audience with more than just humor. Looking forward to your next one!

The Plant Plunderer

Two detectives set about investigating a case of stolen plants. Another solid effort from one of the younger Taranaki teams, Nerdcouch.

What went well:
The characters in this were diverse in their personalities, and brought to life well by the engaging performances from the cast. Amelia was a particular highlight for me, along with the tall detective's attempted attack using long words from the dictionary, haha (sorry I forgot which detective was named which!). Music and sound were done well, and the writing was really good with several moments of comedic gold. A good variety of locations were used to maintain interest.

What could be improved:
I felt like the pacing could have been a little tighter, but this is always one of the main challenges with 48 hours--picking the right sized story for a 5 min film. I thought your story arc was really good, but perhaps a touch full for 5 mins, which probably made it a little more challenging to get the pacing to carry the viewer along. A slightly less complex story arc might have allowed for parts with faster pacing, and for space for the story to breathe in other parts.

Next steps:
Don't get me wrong, what you had was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm no expert either so just my thoughts :) But sometimes simplifying the story, or number of characters, can help take a 5 min film from good to great for 48 Hours. Awesome effort, and can't wait to see what you come up with next time!

Breathless

A really well shot and technically sound film I thought. Lighting and music were used really well to tell the story and create the mood. I liked the twist on the Rom Com genre. The therapist realising what was going on was great. I agree the pacing felt a little off in a few places, but in 48 hours there are only a handful of folks who will nail that perfectly along with everything else (see: finalists), and you guys did a great job of this and an excellent job of everything else so well done!

Pray, Love, Eat

I really enjoyed this, dark and quirky just like I like it! Haha. Footage looked pretty good, i loved the bits where the male was talking and his mouth bits were moving along too. That was cool, though obviously hard to orchestrate for the whole lot.

It also reminded me of La Coquille. I admire your perseverance sticking it out in the rain to get it filmed, haha. And great ending! Oh oh and I loved the little slug that just swung by to sniff her butt, great addition, haha.

Evie

My initial takeaway thought was definitely "How on earth did she get in that ocean this time of year?" haha. But I did enjoy the movie and I thought it was better than their one from last year, so well done team. I liked the shots of the beach, although some maybe went a little long without knowing what was really going on in her mind or back in reality. I thought the dude could have used a bit more emotion when trying to decide whether to turn the life support off - that's his wife and mother of his kids there! But well put together and it looked good. Nice use of the heart monitor and a good ending. Look forward to seeing more from these guys :) Edit: Something wasn't sitting right with me about this one, and after the second viewing I put my finger on it when I thought: "Wait a minute... If she just woke up then doesn't that mean she doesn't need the life support anymore? Surely her brain would have got the lungs, heart etc. in order before getting conscious thought and open eyes back on the agenda." So now I think the story could have been improved a little by having her dream sequences end with her swimming towards the surface, or climbing a hill, and almost reaching the top, just about to get there, before Harper comes and unplugs the machine. Still enjoyed the short though :)

Pupper Paleolithic

This was amazing! As a new animator, it was really inspiring for me to see. I loved the tight storyline and characterization. The animation is as slick as it gets. I'd totally watch this if it were a TV show! Also underneath all that it's an awesome little vignette of how we ended up with furry friends which is a cool angle.

This was 100% my pick for winner, so hopefully you're proud of your achievement even without the top spot. Love love love it!

DOGZILLA

This was awesome, and nowhere near as rough as I expected from the description, haha. The story was tight, no fat on it. Loved the way it was told, voice performances were good, and the black and white was great.

The special effects added to the vibe even though they technically looked a little out of place compared to the style of the rest, but I think it just added to the character. I was drawn into the story, and I loved the little dog accessories like the headset made out of the button and paperclip or whatever, haha.

A Midday Murder

Wow! This was awesome Sarah! Great, slick production values, excellent poetry for the VO, and very, very well done as a solo effort.

I did guess whodunnit, although I hadn't picked up all of the clues as some were a bit more subtle. Must have picked up just enough though :)

This was a great format for a 3 minute whodunnit without trying to fit a whole feature length storyline in there, haha.

Really enjoyed this short!

Shed

I really enjoyed this! Simple but clever premise, well executed with no over-the-top-ness. The sound design was fantastic. I did wonder what it might be like with some kind of ethereal music, but it was really good without and that might not have added anything--I'm probably just used to it!

The stick was a great example to show what the shed was doing. And in fact, this whole film was a great example of "show don't tell" so well done. My only other suggestion would be to watch the 180 degree rule as I got a bit disoriented when we first cut back to him looking at the shed after he walked off the right hand side of the frame. But I've done this in 48 hours and realised in editing that I did it from the wrong side.

Totally not criticisms, as I really enjoyed it, just things I noticed. So well done!

Lambshank Redemption

Great to see a Taranaki team do Ultra, so well done B&B. I think this was a great sequel for those of us who saw the original, although it may have been a tad confusing for those who hadn't. Still, the production values were good, there was action right from the beginning which drew you in, the characters and performances were engaging, and it was fun to watch. I liked the sheep (again), and enjoyed the witty/dark quips peppered throughout.

Josie

Another great short by Hello Stranger. I'll have to admit I was still waking up a bit for the first few films in heat 1 (it was 1:45am in Texas!) so my notes were a little thin! I may have to come back and update after I see this again at the finals screening. For now I'll just say I thought the performances were fantastic, with the young lead doing an excellent job. The cinematography, and post production were excellent, with the shots doing very well to establish things and connect us with the characters as the story unfolded.

I have found, after watching a number of films, that it's a little jarring each time the "gatekeeper" is explicitly mentioned, so that's maybe one thing that took me out of being immersed in this one as well. But otherwise, this was a lovely little mother/daughter tale that was delightfully put together and a joy to watch :)

Soul Sucking

Nice job! I like that this moved at a good pace, even though it felt like maybe it would have been even better a little more tension in the middle, but 3 mins is a quick turn around, and I think it was really good as is. The shots used, the acting etc. all added to the atmosphere, and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the scary seance with the ridiculous crude messages :) Great title too, btw, very appropriate!

Farm Stay

Another high quality Bread and Butter Production! This team did Ultra because, y'know, they're good at what they do. It was definitely an interesting and welcome twist on the High School genre, having exchange students come from Japan, and then the story that unfolds from there. The news report was well done, and the "activist" played her role well. I loved the marmite bit "welcome to NZ!" haha. I think we've all done that to some poor person visiting! I liked the concept, although it felt a tiny bit convenient that they happened to cross paths. I may need to read the whole news article again though as didn't quite get to read the whole thing on screen and that may have held some more clues as to how they got there and did what they did. All in all, well done on the film and the cinematography award, I always enjoy your shorts and look forward to seeing more! Good work team :)

An Extra Shot

A group of daughters experiment with making Mum young again for a day. It was so good to see so many young teams this year, and this team did not disappoint. I have to say they did a very good job of including the required elements as part of the story, the wind was done well, as were the laughter and double take. Great concept for a short film, and it was cool to see that you ventured out and filmed in a range of locations. Loved the driving scene, haha. And also the ingredients of the adult smoothie! Editing and other technical skills develop over time but this was an awesome effort in terms of story telling and performance by these guys. Oh and well done to 'mum' for acting in 2 films that weekend!

Gluten Free

Wow, this is amazing for a first-time effort! I loved it. I'm a huge fan of ridiculous musicals (watching and making them) and this was right up my alley, haha. The storyline was well put together, the humor was great. The makeup! I laughed out loud several times.

Thank you for making something so delightfully weird and funny. Also lovely voice and great music!

Also 48 hours is pretty much the best time to learn new skills if you're a bit of a masochist (based on your forum post about premiere experience!) I learned to animate in last year's one and you can't get much of a better accelerator than spending like 40 hours just doing the thing in one weekend, haha.

Hope to see you in the next comp!