Buddy

Deep

This film FUCKS! Absolutely loved it!! The ambition is extremely inspirational and exactly what I want to see from a 48 hour competition. The ONLY criticism I can think of is a few frames of the greenscreen, and the hands controlling the creature, but I honestly think that adds to the charm of a VFX project like this. 99/100. This sets the bar for me

Office Dispute

had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen for the first time and i LOVED IT!! I think it really sums up what this competition is all about and manages to balance humor and plot perfectly. Really great use of genre here team. I think the shooting jokes got the strongest laughs from me and my team all night

The True Story of Billy the Horse

Another Planet Fox Films banger! P.F.F has such a strong and unique style that I can never seem to quantify. Something about it is very innocent, but also weird as fuck, but also lo-fi, but also high effort? Either way, it's always super entertaining. I LOVED seeing that miniature saloon on fire! I really wish more teams did that! The locations were great! The only downside for me (and this is very personal, so don't listen if you don't want to) but I think the film gets a bit too repetitive, or just doesn't mix it up fast enough for me. The rewatch was slooowww. If this was trimmed down, I think it would really shine. At the same time, I don't ever want P.F.F to change. Keep making stuff, keep it weird, keep making funny props and costumes. I would LOVE to see you guys make a full blown action film. I want to see that horse with a machine gun kill 100 cowboys.

Noise Complaint

Love this!! I fuck with the vision. The blood effect at 2:08 is SO GOOD!!!

The Haast and The Furious

Alright meme teme, you asked for it, so heres a brutally honest review.

In a lot of ways, I think this was a good 48 hours short. I think this film would have done really well in earlier years of the competition, but its 2024 and things are different now.

The positives. I think there is a clear step up from your 2022 worm film in terms of storytelling, scope and audio. You set up the characters and premise quickly. Im glad we see the drone guy in the first scene, because that makes for a good set up and pay off. I also like that the bin was acknowledged early on, because its such a huge prop that its hard to ignore. Most of the shots around the bush look really nice, and it seemed like a classic Invercargill grey day, so you did well to pull as much nice lighting as possible. The sequence where they first catch the bird is pretty funny. Love the use of the drone shots here. I also think this leads to my favourite joke in the film, where the Texas Trophy Hunter shows his list of animals hes killed (probably should have held on this shot for longer) I also thought the kick to the head was great. The best shots of the film are right at the end, after the car chase, when they let the bird free. There's some really nice depth of field and the trees are glowing with the last of the daylight. And then theres the big final joke with the foreshadowed drone pilot, which is a great way to finish off the film and I loved the use of sound effects plus the bird feathers (probably should have used the feathers more throughout the film) Overall a really charming little story that fits perfectly into this style of competition. I also think the name is GREAT, but im very biased because I love the Fast movies and Fast related jokes. I also think that you NAILED the genre in a way that other teams didnt. Most teams just made vaguely 'animal' related films, but this felt like a true animal adventure. Theres a lot of be proud of here :)

But then there are the negatives...and theres a few. I didnt like how the opening shot was completely silent, until the characters bump into each other. Then, the sound of the jackets rubbing against the microphone start, and they stick around for the whole movie. Audio is really tough, and I think you got very unlucky here. Speaking of audio, the Texas accent really threw me off and was hard to understand on first watch. Im also surprised by how unsure our main character sounds when she explains whats shes doing "im on a quest to find it?...uuummmm...i need that cash?" and this is always a concerning thing to see in an opening of a short film. You need your actors to bring some energy in a competition like this. I think the 2022 worm film works in this regard because the opening scene with the lady bullying the worm boy is so mean and funny. I also think we should have seen a shot of the drone fly past the characters, because the sound effect on its own was a bit distracting. The match cut was very safe and forgettable, could have been much more creative. The drone shot after the match cut was ROUGH and shouldn't have been included. The net in the face gag was also a bit dull and probably could have been cut. The reaction to finding a dead body was shockingly dull. I think this was a bad choice to include, because it isnt brought up again. We later see that the eagle is easy to catch. Why would they let it free if it was killing people?? also the shot of the foot prints didnt work at all. I could barely see them (check out 'The Hatchling' from Wellington for how to do this effect better) I also couldn't understand what the guy says at this point because his jacket is hitting the microphone (something about big foot???) Again, catching the bird was actually pretty great, but following it up with the world slowest car chase sequence was an odd choice. Was it supposed to be funny? or energetic? The awkwardly long shot of the girl opening the boot threw me off (the music cuts out so i guess it was supposed to be funny?) The stand off with the bin was nice, but the bro fumbled his line so hard at the end "i do wish the, there were a few more big foot that i, that i could get". And then it ends. You really need to work on your audio for next year. The sound effects were all over the place in terms of volume, and the background music wasn't loud enough (and was pretty dull even when it was there) The lav microphones are a tough one when charcterts are moving around, but sound great when characters are still. I think this film lacked some much needed energy from our main actors. I also think the film needed a cheesy CGI bird, or a silly bird prop to help tie it all together. If the worm film didn't have a worm, it wouldn't have worked. Remember, its a 48 hour film. Its supposed to be fun, and a big ugly bird prop would have fit in so nicely (in my opinion). I really think you should watch 'The Hatchling' (it didnt make the short list so its on the screening room) and take some notes from that. Its like if the worm film and this film had a baby.

There's clearly a lot of love for this competition and filmmaking in general in this entry. I appreciate how funny your posts have been in the chch 48 hours page. Clearly you're improving at a fast rate, and I have no doubts you will make it to the city finals and win a ton of awards in the future. Please please please keep making films and entering the competition every year meme teme 🦅🦅🦅

Burnt

HUGE REVIEW FROM STU!

Ok I see the format you’re going for, and i'm back for round 2! (plus im sick and stuck at home with nothing better to do 🤒)

What got my attention:

Some nice closeups. Some good classic 48hours humor right from the get go! The conflict of a man hating a toaster reminds me a lot of great films like Office Space, The Castle, and even Falling Down, so I was primed to have good time. The toaster turning on by itself was a cool effect! When he sticks the knife in the toaster, we used the same body hit sound effect which im very fond of! And you KNOW I laughed when that toast goes in the sink! Great setup and pay off with the overly dramatic music. Really makes you think if maybe it WAS just a performance issue from Greg. There's also no denying that this is a man vs machine film in every aspect, which is great to see in a year when some people are dancing around the genre (Those fuckers at Herms Heroes and Hindsight Productions come to mind)

Take it or leave it:
Hope this doesn't leave you feeling too BURNT! (you’re not woke so I know you can handle it)

-What the hell was that AI intro?? Thank god that wasn't in the heats! I know you’re having a lot of fun with chatGPT, but the overwhelming majority of artists do NOT like seeing it! Its soooooo deeply uncanny. I would recommend scaling back your use of it, or just keep it as a storyboarding tool. I know you've got it in you to make that intro for real, or to sketch it out. It would be very charming to see you hand draw it!

-Same thing goes for the AI thumbnail. I know it looks ‘good enough’, but you have to resist the devil's temptation to use it! The use of AI is the REAL man vs machine conflict of our time! Everybody gets one, so I will forgive you…..this time…….but I don't want to see it next year!

-Turn off your auto focus! It's breathing all over the place. I feel like i'm slipping in and out of consciousness! (all good for the party/drunk sequence though) I could forgive it if you were filming a fast moving object in a huge space, but a toaster in a break room doesn't need it.

-Toaster should have had some clunky sound effects. (I would have made it sound like a loud gun reloading, but that’s just me and not really part of the review) Instead we are left with echoey background audio. Remember, the toaster is the second most important character. Give it some personality!

-The drunk/party flashback is a nice switchup, but the lighting is SO dull. That’s not what a green /pink light looks like in a small room. Ramp up that saturation! Make it pop! It would have been 10 times better if you used a real colour changing light, which I know you didn't because the colour filter layer ends right before the end of the shot? Sloppy work on the edit there, in a film that doesn't seem overly complex to edit?

-The back and forth between the girls could be faster. Seems like there is some dead air.

-Is the burnt toast he grabs with scissors the miniature? Because its all out of focus, it just looks like a charred crumb (manual focus would have saved this one. Perhaps the battle with the camera is the REAL man vs Machine all along😉)

-We don't need to see Greg on the computer. It's such a messy shot. It's barely in focus. We already know he wants to kill the toaster. There's SO MUCH TEXT on the screen that it becomes a visual mess. I have learned this the hard way, ONLY show the text you want people to read. It doesn't even have the word toaster in focus for fucks sake. Why didn't you just film it AGAIN! You can do a second take Stu. You can do infinite takes! It's digital! You should have re-shot that part after seeing it in the edit, or cut it!

-Why does the line ‘Greg, its a fucking toaster’ sound SOOO different? Did the mic turn off? Was it brought down in the edit by mistake? The credits say you shot, recorded and edited this one, so this is on you. It's the EXACT same setup as the other shots??? I just don't understand how this happened??

-The ‘This ends now’ shot is another victim of the autofocus.

-The sink shot is the best use of visual storytelling. The top down is a new angle we haven't seen yet, and the way it's framed as to not show the water is actually great! Also good use of slow motion! Maybe it would be better if we got to see our man ecstatic at the opportunity to eat some yummy toast. Just a little more character moments would be nice.

-The final shot of Greg is fine…but didn't need to be slow motion. May as well be regular motion. Also a missed opportunity to see the girl's reaction to his small win and subsequent pathetic failure. Think of the hilarious sassy banter they could say about his wet bread!

-The little quip at the end has the same sound issue as before??! That's your big final joke!! Not sure how that could happen as it’s in the same space as everything else, and hopefully shot on the same day? The joke itself is very Marvel core, but you don't strike me as a guy who likes the current state of superhero movies (in fact I would love to hear your thoughts on them, unfiltered and uncensored because I reckon that would hilarious)

Final Thoughts:
This is Everything Sticks doing their thing so fair play. It was a real crowd pleaser at the heats, but unfortunately will not be shown at entX due to the judges not taking cash bribes. I have such a soft spot for Everything Sticks, and look forward to their entry every year, and this is VERY ‘Everything Sticks’ style. I'm guessing this took a few hours to write (please don't tell me you put this into chatgpt), and maybe 3 hours at most to film? There's so much room in the day for more! Not to mention the lack of lights! If it's not about lighting or setups or making a big mess, then what's it for? You could take a hint from the MILK film and maybe the guy sharts? There was a FANTASTIC film from Dunedin called TOAST that had a similar concept in a super small space and it’s BEAUTIFUL! Really pushed the boundaries, and I say it's required watching for you (I'm assigning you media studies homework that’s due before next year) I do feel like you had fun making this, which is the most important thing. In my previous review I suggested Everything Sticks does a Herms Heroes, but maybe that’s not what this team needs, but dammit it's what I want to see!! You would look very cool as an uzi wielding super spy with sassy quips. Maybe that's a Mad Scientist thing, but there's always room for more! I don’t imagine that Stu is ready to pull an all nighter from Saturday to 7pm Sunday for this competition anymore. I do however want to see Everything Sticks in the finals again, but that can only come from a bigger team, and a (slightly) grander vision. Polish up your editing and sound skills for next year. YOU CAN DOOO IIITTTT.

Never stop entering Stu, but also never stop trying new things! Expand the team! I hope to also make 17 + 48hour films!

I will see you at the heats next year for LARVAE GIRL 3: THE FINAL FIGHT! (I know I know… you’re already disappointed, but the crowd is going to LOVE IT!)

P.S If you tell me who lebombjames is, I will give you $20

Substance 1

Awesome film right here! Great locations! Great props! Super creative cinematography! Cool motorbike! Awesome and unexpected use of a drone! The text on screen was such a great point of difference! The crowd LOVED IT!! The thumbnail in the screening room had me worried, but I never should have doubted you! Low key it felt like a Larvae Girl spin off at times! Keep making stuff like this!! This is the way!!

Sundown

Loved seeing this on the big screen. Fantastic pace and the fight scene went really hard. Also had some really fantastic humor that worked well within the universe of the film. Great work team ❤️

Brunch Solstice

So weird, and SO good! Loved the setups and payoffs! Great use of an otherwise dull setting. Loved the all 4 elements at once trope! Just a ton of fun allround! Nothing sub-par about this team!

Going Solo

Loved everything about this. I remember especially liking how well it was shot and lit. The acting was solid! Felt like it could have been plucked right out of Rick and Morty (in the best way) And I love a good crude ending. Laughed my ass off.
Maybe my only "criticism" is that it did FEEL like some other 48 hour films I have seen in the past, but its so well made that I can overlook that aspect. This film was mint. Certified Fresh

Saulé Has No Eyes But His Gaze is Piercing

TUFF!! Such a bold style both visually and tonally that not many 48Hour films go for. You will probably hate this because you got DQ'd, but I feel like this could get into the City final and maybe even grand finals purely through its point of difference! It really stands out next to the sea of light comedy films.

Started to feel a bit repetitive by the 2:17 mark, but then it switches up so beautifully (I never should have doubted you). Such a great use of 'less is more' with the props and setting. Maybe this was unintentional, but I really liked the small camera shakes especially towards the end. It just makes it feel more like the movements of a mechanical film camera, rather than a digital camera.

Shooting under water is such a cool move, and the black and white mixed with the wide lens is killer! I can only imagine the heartbreak of having the edit crash out at 6:30 😭 Keep it up team, you will go far!

Misplaced Death

Misplaced death is a huge technical step up from last year (although I LOVE Tractorius Vehiculus, bringer of destruction). Not much to say that hasn't already been said. Fantastic no dialogue story telling! Definitely a team that's gunning for a win in the future, that's all I will say. I only ask, WHO is running this team? Is its children? Is it adults? I will watch your career with great interest.

Nothing Personal

Awesome energy! Great camera movements! The girl getting fully run over by the car and then getting up and screaming was SO FUNNY! Great work from a school team

The Loch Nest

Such a funny way to open the adults only heat, and such a fun cast!! I hope you all had the best time making this! You NAILED the love island tropes! Would love to see more from you guys!

Kingdom Animalia

This reminds me of a project I made called Johnny Sins 5, featuring local superstar Felix Elliott, which was a fake trailer we made for the 24 hour film competition. I think it's a really fun format to go with if there's no way to make a full short film. Just get some cool shots, add a voice over, and make a trailer. Surprisingly convoluted voice over for what was shot, but i still dig it! Let the idea grow for a bit, then I would love to see you guys have a crack at making this feature length! Don't change the camera or costumes or anything. I can tell from the editing style on display that you guys have all the swag you need to make this happen!

The Occupation

Top 5 most anticipated 48hours for me, and the The Horny Owls did NOT disappoint! This film is CRAZY!!

Technical perfection on screen. The crew know exactly what they're doing! But the whole thing is tied together by Felicia Toa's powerhouse performance! This film gets DARK (even for a 48 hour film, this felt like new level of dark) and Felicia just keeps delivering! I dont think ive ever felt worse for a character in a 48hour film than this. Its absolutely tragic, but the performance is SO magnetic that it kept me fully locked in! Incredible range in such a short film.

On a personal level, I liked this film much more than last years. Not a single critique here. This team is outrageously talented, and I can't wait to see it again.

You broke my space laser!

Oh you Mad scientists are living up to the name! The balls to go out and film in the snow is SO COOL, and I wish more teams would be keen to take a risk like this. Such great use of genre also, being the only first person film I have seen in 48 Hours. Some parts are a little rough around the edges (such as the hilarious green screen), but I think the team knows that, and it adds to the charm of this retro, space laser, james bond loveletter. Surprisingly GREAT looking fake guns, that also stress me out slightly. I was surprised towards the end where he shoots that lady in the face TWICE (there's probably a funny story behind that) and I loved the song in the credits! Reminds me of a spy thriller movie I made with the homies.

On a serious note, because I love this team and want to see them improve, i'm going to list some stuff that I think needs work. Its all friendly, and I'm sure you can handle the crit.
-The punches and kicks feel soft. Either crank those sound effects up, or do the punches and kicks a few more times. Maybe get a dummy. Maybe cut out some frames and speed it up.
-The muzzle flashes could be bigger with a bit more style, and more bass!
-I would love to see some big splatters of fake blood!
-Lean into the parody a bit more (The space laser stuff is SO good, and it works better when its making fun of the tropes, rather than trying to be overly serious)
-cut down the credits, they are like 1 minute long and run at different speeds!

Keep the same intro! Also GREAT poster!!
Keep it up you madlads. Would love to see a feature! Can't wait to see what you make next!

For When You Wake

I wasn't expecting something SO heavy after that sassy little team logo! Very bold move here. Only critique is that the 'couple' at the end didn't seem very coupleish? But I don't think that matters, because the emotion weight carries the film. Not a critique, just a suggestion, but i wonder if this film would have played differently if the camera had been a bit more 'lo-fi'? If the shots felt less framed and static? Similar to Andrew Todds second film last year. Good choice on the sound and lighting though! I think this will do very well!

The Pursuit Of Murder

I liked the idea, and I loved seeing my old tennis court and the Ilam Apartments as a setting! We planned to do the red string pin board thing, but ran out of time, so that was nice to see. Plenty of room for improvement here, with the biggest issue being audio and the edit. I suspect you had some ideas that didn't make the cut. Hey, that's all part of the competition. Also not much of a road movie, but who am I to judge. I eagerly await the next one! 🎃

Cop Out

What can you make when all of your friends are either busy or working? you make COP OUT!! From the twisted minds of the creators of S.I.S, this "film" will blow you away!! What it lacks in plot or characters, it makes up for in jokes (hopefully) We took AJs notes from last years film ("...perhaps in the end it comes down to more earnestly told stories striking more of a chord with the judging panel"...) and spat all over them. We refuse to tell a good story and maybe we never will. We at Herms Heroes hope you found this both shocking and offensive❤️

Hi Santa, it's Charlie

Ho ho ho boy. This was a real delight for me. This is sooooooo niche, but it took me back to my second year of film school, where Olly showed Fisi and I a short film about calling winz, and also greenpeace? Or maybe he was trying to pay off a parking ticket on the lowest repayments possible? Either way, it was a similar format with a long uncut phone call, and minimal camera movement, and it was SO fun to watch the same concept many years later. Fuck its funny. Its SOOOOO kiwi. Obviously its not for everyone, and in many ways I would put this into the category of ‘punishing jokes’ that are designed to torture the audience. If less is more, then this is the MOST. You have peaked in the pursuit of minimalism, and the time for MAXIMALISM has come. Olax, please please please, next year go all out, swing for the fences, and make a crazy shootout with blood, guts and gore. Chop someone's head off. Run them over with a car. Fight a demonic Monchhichi. Buy the miniature train set and blow it up in the backyard. Herms Heroes it, I beg! I want to see chaos, Olax style.

RED RAIN

Robbed of audience favourite! This got a HUGE reaction from the crowd. I fear the votes may have come from people watching the live stream. Never change you crazy mustache boys 🥸

Unspoken

So bold! Its really brave to go for such a heavy subject matter in this competition, and I think a lot of people loved it! The little twist at the end was nice!

Tiny Pricks

Love the location! Love the 360 cam! Love the use of drone! You really gotta get some more people involved in these!! There's some awesome stuff here that's being held back by the lack of crew. P.S, can I film a scifi movie at your cactus farm? Hit me up

Unspoken Words

Crazy team name, with a not so crazy film, but still a bit crazy I guess. Some really fun performances here, and you guys clearly knew what you were making. Love the 'did you just say that out loud' moment. Still not sure WHY they threw away their telepathy rings at the end (it seemed like they were better friends when they had telepathy? This is a classic American movie trope where buddy films spend the majority of the movie not being buddies) Also maybe the best credits of the whole competition so far! Really loved that! Keep it up Sexually Transmitted Cinema!

Stuck in Invercargill

As someone who loves Invercargill, and someone who once got stuck in Invercargill, this film really speaks to me! I was VERY entertained! I love Meme Teme so much, and I want to see them firing on all cylinders. I think this is a good step up from last year's film, and the jokes KILLED at the heat! “My precious glue!!” ‘The pool!! the museum!! “You're right, this place sucks!” There's a handful of ways the film could improve with better cinematography, better sound, and better music, but I can't quite put my finger on what's missing. I think your actors are quite reserved, but in a way that actually fits the Invercargill archetype. Maybe it would work better if they had extremely contrasting personalities? IDK. I would love to have seen more of Invercargill, similar to how Paris is depicted in French New Wave films. It could be the Hollywood of the south!
Have you ever seen Eagle vs Shark? I feel like that format would work SO WELL in Invercargill, Bluff and Gore, filled with all sorts of retro colourful characters and settings. Keep reaching for the stars Meme Teme!! If i'm ever back down there, I will hit you up!

One Star

On a one star scale, with one start being the highest, this would get my highest rating yet, One entire star! SO. MUCH. FUN!!! Fucking awesome use of driving shots with the rotating lighting (I was watching that, WISHING we had done a sequence like that!) Killing the dog was INSPIRED!! I don't know ANY other teams that would have the balls to do that! The slow motion sword slice may just be my favourite use of slow motion in the city! THE DOUBLE HANDBRAKE TURN!! THE DRONE!!! WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE??!! Would love to work together on some shit. Hit me up. Amazing work team, no critiques here!

I MetaMan™

Well, this could be the winner BUT I really do wonder if the genre is gonna hold this back for maximum points with the judges. Clearly these are the pros at work. The set ups, the locations, the beautifully shot montage. The super quick edits are what I aspire for! This team does not need to be glazed up, they know they cooked with this. But it REALLY feels like a man vs machine film, rather than man vs nature. I have seen some “creative” takes explaining WHY this actually a clever subversion of the man vs nature genre, but I don’t know if the judges will see it that way (and I know that’s rich coming from me and my “””road’’’ film / ’’’fairytale’’’’ film but im playing a whole different game here) I will say that SOMEHOW it's a step up from last year, which already set the bar SO SO high. Curse this local talent!! Can’t think of anything else these guys need to improve on. Although it’s not the style of 48hours film I want to make, it is VERY inspiring from a filmmaking perspective, with how much went into this and how it pays off, all within one weekend. I would love to see these guys have a crack at a local no-budget comedy feature. Nicely done An Evening With, I look forward to seeing this at the finals.

Crimson Snow

Hard to judge this movie purely on story or plot, when the main meat of this film for me was the location. Absolutely stunning and puts almost every other film to shame in some regards. The balls to film in the snow with the last of the daylight definitely pays off. Really inspiring stuff here

A Helping Hand

Best looking film from this team by far! Really stunning work and it’s such a shame about the last minute DQ! Personally, I think that if this team went for a lighter tone, like ‘An Evening With’, or ‘Rabid Aunty Jean’ then they could win the city! There's SO MUCH good stuff here, and I want to see this team UNLEASHED!

Glove Box

YO where did THIS come from?? Some really stunning setups here! In a competition filled with ugly ugly car interiors, Sons of the Broadmeadow really showed how it’s DONE! Was a projector used for the driving scenes?? Either way, it kept me locked in as I eagerly awaited the next big thing…and then…it never came. I was loving the bogan actors! Just the way the driver kept saying.''nah, not the glove box" is SO FUNNY TO ME!! The car crash sound was a real shame, and i have real mixed feeling on the use of the mini cop car, which could have looked seamless if it was slightly out of focus? Maybe the miniature should have been a wrecked car? BOLD use of title at the end! Maybe less is more in this case, but I feel like these filmmakers still have some juice in the tank. Would love to see more of this! This was a real breakout for me this year. Another team I would LOVE to collab with. Hit me up! Keep it up team.

Pop's Precious Pranks

I think this is classic 48hours in the best way. High effort, high production value, and just the right amount of jokes and twists to fill the run time in a really nice and mature way. The contrast in pranks from the opening to the middle section is actually so good! I really couldn't tell how dark it was going to get. It looks good, it sounds GREAT, and the actors involved really sell it with a good point of difference. Although its smaller than last years film, on a personal level I like this one more! Only crit would be the uniform at the end could be better (I think i got the same hat from looksharp), but I know from experience how hard it is to get. Nicely done Eleven Monkeys! P.S My dad really loved this one!

Ta Da

What an absolute honor to watch <3 About as close to perfect as you can get from this competition.
Loved the character design, and it almost looked like claymation. The comedic elements were perfect, and added to the charm. I really expected just 5 minutes of funny accents, and I was NOT prepared for the places this film goes.
The buildup and fantastical elements were done so perfectly and paced so fuckin well. I was HOOKED from beginning to end, and I was left stunned. But its also remarkably simple in terms of scope. A great example of 'Less is More' and I mean that in the best possible way. I really can not think of a single negative. Clearly Andrew Todd did not come to fuck around. This is his competition to lose.

The Plot Thickens

GOOD VIBES and I like this much more than last years film! Knows what it is, and delivers! Andrew and Clem look like they're having so much fun doing these fuckass accents and climbing all over the place. Such a crazy switch up. In some ways, felt a bit like a school team idea, but with adults. Would have liked to have seen more settings, more camera setups, and a few more well crafted jokes, but i'm just stoked they got this in on time, and on budget!

Misplaced Death

That's incredible and certainly adds to the overall film! Fantastic work James! It was awesome seeing him at the heats, even the ones with some questionable subject matter 🕷️ For sure, this team is gonna win the whole thing one day. Mark my words 🏆

The Shroud

Stunning work! Haven't seen something like this in this competition for a long time! Don't even know how to judge it or give it feedback. All I will say is that I hope this makes the Auckland city finals!

Stage Four Law

Damn. Im baffled by this one.

Some really beautiful cinematography here, which is no surprise. King julian strikes again. Sounds great, looks great, and all the actors are great. The neighbor element was a bit clunky (I could be remembering it wrong, but I think he even says "Hi, its me....your neighbor...how are you holding up?")

Rabid Aunty Jean are kings at setting up a serious situation and creating a dark yet comedic twist at the end. However, this year they have done the opposite.

Making a """comedy""" film about sentient cancer is certainly a choice. I don't even know if you could call it a comedy, but it opens with a comedic reveal and it even has a few jokes, but it quickly starts to play it very straight, so im not really sure what to call it.

As the film goes on, it gets darker and darker until all the comedy is sucked out of it, and it's just a man grieving his dead wife in a real graveyard. I felt like I was losing my mind. I kept expecting some sort of joke or twist, but it never comes. Its a REAL downer of a film. I didn't watch it with a crowd, so I don't know what the reaction was to it.

Practically everyone in the country has had some sort of horrible experience with cancer, be it a loved one or relative. Its a horrible and traumatic thing to go through. And the older you get, the more people you see dealing with the fallout of cancer, the larger that trauma gets. Im sure this will tug at those heart strings and create a strong emotional response. It will probably make some people cry.

Its not the sort of film I would ever think of making for the 48 hours, but im fascinated to see how its recieved. I could be completely wrong here (as usual) and maybe everyone else will love how fresh and bold it is. This feels like a 'jumping the shark' moment for the competition. Im sure this will do well and probably win the city finals.

A Silence In Sam's Town

Ok I have to address the elephant in the room with this one. In many ways this is VERY done. Beautiful cinematography, beautiful pace, great sound. For some reason, I thought it was going to turn into a dark comedy, but that moment never came. HOWEVER, there is something really unfortunately funny about seeing the guys ripped underwear in the final shot(s) of the film. It was such a massive distraction and really took away from what should have been a serious and beautiful moment. That's the kind of unforgiving mistake that you just can't make when doing a serious film. I'm really sorry team. I'm sure you noticed in the edit, or maybe it didn't bother you, but PLEASE, for next time, don't let that slide. Looking forward to what this team cooks up next.

Love Machine

I have such a soft spot for stop motion animation, so this hooked me right away. Very cute little film with slick professional lighting and a great musical number. Only criticism is that the animation could have been a bit smother in places, but I also know how difficult and time consuming this art form is. Absolutely the hardest genre in my opinion, so you should be very proud of what you made. Good job team <3

ACAB: All Cops Are Builders

I love this film because its exactly what I wanted to make with my team, but there was just no way we could pull it off. Im so happy that your team did this, and made it 10 times better than we ever could. The opening is a bit slow, but the reveal is amazing and all the jokes are absolutely hilarious. I cant stop thinking about 'I like the cut of this gib'. also the cinematography has no right to be this good! Seriously great stuff here team

Precision Response Enforcement Command Intervention Operative Unit Specialists

The best depiction of Osama-ben-Ladin I have ever seen put to screen! I see you also shop at looksharp. The robot twist was INSPIRED! The helicopter car joke is SO FUCKING GOOD and I think im just going to take it. Its MY joke now. I would love to collab with you group of freaks! Please hit me up

Ghost PTSD

Super interested in the team behind this one.It seems like there's some really good technical stuff going on here. I also think the choice of the soldier getting chased by the drone is FUCKING AWESOME and TERRIFYING!! The underwater shot with the locket was beautiful! I think this film needed to be more of a surreal montage/music video to really land. And unfortunately, the drone death didn't work for me. The sound and visual of being chased by one of those things is absolutely terrifying, and its a shame you didnt lean into that more. Those fpv drones get right up into people before exploding! I think this team did show off that they have all the technical abilities, as well as costume and locations to make something GREAT in the future! I hope to see you guys stick the landing next year

eggy hoas

What a treat it is to be the first to review the 'king of reviews' film!

This was really sweet and cute. The 1995 setting is awesome, and made for some great costumes and character designs! The film felt like low budget kiwi version of Stranger Things, and I think the concept is SO solid and could be expanded upon easily.

However, there's some really unique technical issues with this one. I have the inside scoop that there was a big computer issue over the weekend, so maybe this one just didn't get the polish it deserved.

Im not gonna tell someone with over 1400 reviews (probably more from the old website 🫡 Thank you for your service) what they should do differently. Its all part of the competition.

I was delighted to see the taniwha hand pop up!! I would love to see more of that!

Keep it up Steelpotato 2.0

Flat Meeting

Na for real though, not bad Rip Focus 2. Not bad at all. After the Q&A, I was worried about the lack of editing and filming experience from James, but you mofos seemed to have pulled it off! I was charmed! I would even say I was pleasantly surprised, and dare I say the goofy ‘you know you can talk to me about this man’ moment actually landed so much stronger compared to other films with more serious subject matter! It just felt very believable. I would like to see MORE! Bravo!

Inspection

This absolutely FUCKS!!! 10 thumbs up for me!! I wish i could have seen this in the heats🔥well done team

Hot Crumbz

This film really speaks to me!

Super charming! Lots to love here, and I feel like this team knows exactly where they went wrong, so no need to dwell on that 🎙️.

Absolutely love that little clanker! Clearly just a gimbal and a phone, but the effect works great. Also a super strong opening shot and love that the film started with a bit of momentum.

There's a ton of potential here. Next year, fix your audio, tighten up your edit, lean into your tropes more, and try to use locations like the boat docs ❤️‍🔥

MILK!

NEATO!! You glorious clowns!! You gave me everything I wanted and more!! Such a great use of everything! Opening with the quote is SO FUCKIN GOOOOOD!! Great foreshadowing! Just a delight all round!

SCUM

SICK LOGO!
ANother film I was hyped for! Great drone shots! I do think the tone gets a but muddy, and maybe this would have worked better if it was a bit retro? or maybe a bit of a parody. Having our main guy saying 'you don't fucking know who the fuck you're fucking with' was unfortunately very funny. I did not believe these were 'bad guys' at all, so if it was more of a parody, it would landed better for me. I also thought the scene when he chokes out that lady went on for a bit too long, while the scene where she stabbed him didn't go on for long enough!. Loved the ambition though, and i'm seriously impressed with the drone shots, in a year that's had many great drone shots. Keep it up team!

S I S

How the hell did this make the short list??

In Light of the Day

I was HYPED when I saw the 15 second trailer on the 48 hours page. The drone shots and landscaped DELIVER! To critique, I think the film would have massively improved if the zoom call audio was cut, and the office sequence was seriously cut down into a 20 second montage, while our main character talks on the phone. Beautiful work and it was nice to see a serious film.

Gates To Castle Yonder

Great little films, great little switch up, and such a funny ending that only cactus can do! I never would have guessed the direction this was heading! Very Rick and Morty improv style by the end, but it works. Clearly you leaned into the fairytale aspect more than us, and for that ,my hat goes off to you. Biggest crit is that I want to see more of that miniature!! And I want you to also blow that miniature up!! Its SOOO GOOD!!!

Chaos Cabin

Such a trippy film, but surely this will win best animation! Also the best team logo by far! I think this style would pair really nicely with something super abstract and bazaar! Imagine a toot toot style film, with this animation! Looking forward to seeing what else you Render Rebels make!

There Came a Big Spider

The vision needed to execute a project like this is unreal. With a team name like Shrek 2 for blu-Ray, I really thought this was going to rot my brain, but it buzzed me like a fine wine. The art direction is SO INSPIRED!! What house did you film this in?? The shots are SO GOOD!! The long awkward engagement is stunning! The tasteful nipple! the AWESOME BARREL SHOT!! I just don't understand how a team like this exists, but im SO glad they do! What a delight! Really awesome to watch in the heats! Hit me up

2025 national 48 hours winner

Oh so so so so SO GOOD!! I don't know what to call the Toot toot style of humor, because it feels dry, but also fast and choppy? It's perfect, and it's a perfect encapsulation of the competition. You killed it, and the audience loved it! A cherry on top of a beautifully run event! Such a sick space to hold the heats, and I'm SO SO grateful that we get to watch these films in the coolest little bar in town, compared to sticky ol Wellington watching the heats at the university lecture rooms! Give me beer, chicken, chips, and some of the best worst short films you have ever seen! I bow down to you, king Toot Toot

Burnt

OOHHHH Stu you beautiful battler! I just listened to your Plains Media show, and in the first minute you explained that your camera man got gastro and had to bail!! Im so sorry for ripping into you like that! I assumed you always planned to film + edit, so hearing that it was a last minute decision clears everything up. It sounds like a miracle that the film even got made! Ignore my advice about getting a bigger team. If I had the ability to delete my review, I would do it!! All is forgiven ✨

Spicing Things Up

Such a fun film. Another that I wish I got to see at the heats. A 10/10 for me

Flat Meeting

It's crazy to think that this was fully AI generated! From ideas, to script, to visuals to sound. I guess that's why everyone looks so creepy!

Spoiler Alert

Well well well, Rabid Aunty Jean have done it again, or have they? This is one of those films I love to watch from a filmmaking perspective, but it's not a film that I ‘love’. Fully recognize the talent of the pros on display. AJ would have LOVED the green apple joke!

https://www.tiktok.com/@ajinhd123/video/6989157123355577602?lang=en

Great use/BEST use of Cat and Mouse genre! Honestly the genre aspect is what will set you apart from the rest, and will probably give you the win! Stunning stunning stunning cinematography!!! This is in the top 3 for the city, and I look forward to watching it again on the big screen at entX!

The Missing Engagement Ring

Peak 48 Hours right here

USBrie

I have such a soft spot for any team that films around UC, or Ilam. I just love seeing local neighborhoods on screen! I don't know much about representation, but seeing local settings shot by other filmmakers makes me feel like i'm part of a real city! I have a feeling some stuff got lost in the process of making this, but I fuck with the vision and would love to see these guys have another shot! Only cirt is the scene where he corners that girl at night was unintentionally terrifying, but luckily it never jumped the shark. Keep practicing, there's a ton of good energy here waiting to be harnessed! And if you want to collab, hit me up!

Prank Monster

SO MUCH FUN!!! i fuck with the vision 👁️ best film from Wellington so far for me

Data Management and Security Training

A very slick Severance style short film about a sinister retro future company. Theres a lot to like here, and the films creepy creepiness creeps up in a satisfying way. HOWEVER, and I say this in the best possible way, I was left wanting MORE. More creepy vibes, a bigger creepy set, and more mystery to be revealed. I think this team got unlucky with their genre, because I know that they have all the toys camera wise. I want to see PIE FACE unleashed, with a super slick gorgeous film, shot in a beautiful Christchurch location, with a big team of actors. If anyone can pull it off, it’s these guys.

Brought back for the Shot

Just wanted to say how much I loved the cinematography for this! Maybe the first time I have ever seen a split diopter shot used in this competition, and it looked SO good!! Well done

Never Ever say Never Ever Ever Again

Mad Scientists you've done it again!! Easily your best work yet, and i loved the team intro. Slightly confused about the space this was filmed in (was this a house, or a hotel, or a casino?) but I was extremely entertained the whole time. I would love to see this up on the big screen at city finals!!

Ta Da

Absolutely devastated that you only got runner up, but thats only because its such a good film!! I cant wait to see what you make next year ❤️

Emergency Key

Samuel Wallace Productions, this was one of my most highly anticipated films, and I hate to say it, but this is a step backwards compared to last year's entry. I want ACTION!! I want VIOLENCE!! I want a bunch of boys throwing hands, and I KNOW you can do it! I'm a big fan of your feature length movies, so I know you can deliver! Next year I want to see you go all out, and blow the competition away!!

Singularity

Look I have a lot to say about this film, the project itself and the creative powerhouses behind it, so this is going to come off as a bit scatterbrained and rambly. You have been warned!

I was lucky enough to watch this before the heats. It was on the Sunday night, hours after the competition had closed. I had just spent the last 24 hours editing 2 films, both filmed and recorded on a cellphone without a microphone. My footage had no colour grading, and no depth of field, purely in the pursuit of capturing energy and movement (and as a quasi protest against the overly technical road the competition seems to be going down). I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself and my silly little films, and the sleep deprivation was definitely getting to me.

Watching SINGULARITY was unlike anything I have ever experienced in terms of 48 hours. The only thing I can think to compare it to, would be the work of Disqualified Tim, and even now, I think that this “team” has outdone Tim at his own game. HO-LE-SHIT! This film absolutely FUCKS from the moment the title cards come up all the way to the end. I could not BELIEVE what I was watching on the Sunday night, and in this competition, first impressions are everything!

I knew about the concept, and I even knew about the spaceship set (I even helped paint a small portion of it) but NEVER could I have predicted that this “”team”” could have pulled it off. It's worth noting that this film feels HUGE. Like a crew of 20 people put this together. But the truth is, this was made by 4 people (closer to 3 people if you really think about it). Felix, Luke, Rob and Abby. I still can't wrap my head around it. From what I understand, Felix was the DP, Luke was the grip + DP for the minis, Rob made the incredible soundtrack and managed the ADR, as well as being another grip, and Abby was the main actress. That's it. Maybe there was some help from the parents, but not in a way that tips the scales.

Felix, Abby and Rob all worked together on 2024s “God Has Abandoned Us (The Devil Is Here)”, and it's fantastic to see the set up in quality from all of them. Not to say that “God Has Abandoned Us” is in any way bad. I would even say it's great! But the step up in quality in only 1 year is WILD!! The production design in 2024 was great, but this year it's FANTASTIC! Abby's role in 2024 was great, but this year it's FANTASTIC!! Rob’s role in 2024 was great, but this year it's FANTASTIC!! The music in 2024 was great, but this year its FUCKING FANTASTIC!!! And all of the ambition and scale and weirdness and surrealness and BALLS of 2024 is still there, but ramped up to 1000!! (Seriously, go and watch last year's film, the foreshadowing is crazy!) It's also worth noting that Luke has collabed with Felix on a number of smaller projects since last year's 48 Hours (some mad max inspired wasteland short films, a spy thriller action film, and some short genre films) but this is on a whole new level. This is clearly Lukes best 48 Hours work, and I love that his infectious love of space, retro futurism, and set building has maranatied into this project beautifully!

On first watch, I didn't fully grasp the full story, but it didn't matter. I incorrectly interpreted the film as Abby trying to save her childhood VHS home movies before abandoning her spaceship. All of the themes of family and trying to restore the ship's OS were lost on me, but it didn't matter. I knew I was watching a masterpiece, and I was only there to soak up the vibes. The race against time aspect, mixed with the KILLER soundtrack creates such a strong feeling of tension and claustrophobia, that carries the weight and urgence of the film perfectly (This may also be Rob/DJ slieking best publicly available work to date). Fuck this team lucked out with the genre, and im SO THANKFULL! In another universe, with a different genre, they would have made a ‘Starwars Holiday Special’!!

Visually, the film is peak. A beautiful combination of yellows and greens, grain and aberration tie every shot together perfectly. From miniatures to closeups, to fully CGI wormholes, and even miniatures mixed with live action shots, it never once feels out of place. Despite the stunning spaceship set, it's almost never in focus, keeping the visual language LOCKED IN on story, character, and motivation. EVERY. SECOND. COUNTS! I thought I had cracked the code of camera movement, but this film has movement for days! Constant wipe pants, punch ins and zooms that keep the energy alive! As well as constantly changing lighting for each new environment. The lack of green screen is UNREAL!! From what I understand, all of the shots that would have been green screened, are actually displayed on a giant TV, like a poormans volume that ironically looks 1000 times better than anything shot on a volume!! There are STUNNING miniatures that are on screen for only a fraction of a second. There are entire set pieces that hardly get shown. There isnt a single repeating shot in the entire fuckin thing. Other teams would have panicked, and created long, self indulgent shots that show off the miniatures and props long after the charm is gone, but in this film, there's some real ‘blink and you will miss it’ moments. It just KEEPS ESCALATING. Every time you think you've seen it all, these FREAKS remind you that you haven't seen SHIT!

I have no critiques. I can't offer a single piece of constructive advice. I think the sound mix is perfect, and where it ‘dips’ works perfectly as a moment of contrast that quickly ramps back up. Maybe the slow motion shot is the only thing that lacks, but even then its a KILLER style change to end the movie on. Hats off.

From what I have seen from the competition so far, it seems a lot of Christchurch powerhouse teams (roughly 5 teams that make the city finals) arent competing this year, with a lot of other teams either playing it safe, or toning it down. A power vacuum has formed. This is THE YEAR to swing for the fences, to change the hierarchy of power, and I'm CERTAIN that Luke and Felix have done it. WIthout gimmicks, without 3D or a 2 parter or any BS like that, it's just hard work and love of the game on screen for all to see.

This competition is impossibly hard to predict. I often think the judges play it safe, and lean towards films with big casts of actors all bouncing off each other, rather than films of this nature. But I don't care about that, and for me this is as good as it gets. This is peak, and I'm sorry to say for everyone else, but it’s over. It’s done. Maybe you tried real hard, but not as hard as Felix and Luke. Better luck next year.

If you missed this at the heats, it doesn't matter. It's going to the city finals and it's going to look and sound beautiful on that entX screen. I think the odds of this going to Wellington for the Grand Finals are incredibly high, and if the judges somehome overlook this one, I'm going to lose a lot of faith in the competition. This isn't just a ‘good’ 48 Hours film, this is the future of New Zealand filmmaking right here.

Congratulations Luke, Felix, Rob and Abby!

A fantastic film for girls aged 3 - 13.

Toast

This was suuuuuch a TREAT!! A beautiful escalation of style and comedy!! Such a small set, but it JUST. KEEPS. GIVING!! I will have to give it a rewatch

Burnt

Another nice film from everything sticks, BUT what I really want to see is the team go balls to the wall! Stop playing it safe! I got some good chuckles, but with 17 years of experience, I want to have my mind BLOWN!! I don't want to see a toaster in a small white break room, I want to see a middle aged man wielding a submachine gun in the Halswell quarry!! I know you have it in you STICKS!! YOU CAN DO IT