Meesh.M
28 Reviews
Reviews
RED RAIN
This one was such a fun watch - super dynamic, with bold coloring, and a fast pace. From the first death, the action just ramps up and up. I lost it when the ghost shows up the second time with a gun and that ghostly giggle. Loved the slow motion gun shooting, complete with great music use and some nice effects on the gun shots. While I found the story a little hard to follow in parts it didn't reduce the joy at the compete insanity of this film. Well done team! Really hope to see your bright chaotic vibe in future competitions.
Mission Impuppetable
This was such a sweet short film that definitely tapped into feelings of nostalgia for the puppet-based shows I loved growing up. It was acted well in a way that allowed the puppets to really feel like full characters and not props.
You leant into a classic heist set up nicely, and there were some very cute and funny moments throughout – in particular we loved the rabbit’s “I’m in!” line and the ‘all normal here’ picture over the security camera.
I do wish some of the obstacles had been a little harder for our heist team to solve as none of them really felt that tricky for them to get past and that lowered the stakes a little bit.
The reveal that the bad guy was actually a good guy culminating in a dance party was so fun, and honestly I can’t imagine any other ending that would’ve matched the tone of your film so well. Just a delightful watch that stands out from the crowd.
Idle Vapourings of a Mind Diseased
This film was just so much fun to watch – from the tooth onwards the slow reveal of each injury and the story behind them kept us entertained. We love a joke at the government’s expense and there were plenty of them here. Perhaps a little more shot variety could add even more visual interest, however the acting and physical comedy were really nicely done to set the tone of this film and kept us engaged. Overall we really enjoyed watching your film – a nice clean and clear story with high entertainment value is always so appreciated!
Whoopies Daisy
I loved this film and it was one of my favourites from a strong heat! I thought your use of multiple types of found footage each with a different style was very clever in giving multiple points of view of the action and keeping things visually interesting while staying on genre. The acting was solid, and the story super entertaining as more and more bodies accumulate. One minor thing: The second guy to arrive - how did he die? Was it heart attack from shock? This was the only bit that felt a little unclear to me. Overall, a very fun film that we really enjoyed and were very surprised to not find on the shortlist. Can’t wait to see what you do in future entries!
Pop's Precious Pranks
This film was super strong - really nice visuals, and a solid story that has that classic 48 hour twist. The loving but somewhat difficult relationship between father and daughter was beautifully done - it felt nuanced and real. My absolute favorite thing about this film was just how well it achieved the switch up in tone and story. The visual elements alone did a great job at this, but what really sold it was the absolutely superb acting! I'm hoping to see this one get a nomination for best acting.
Turpe
A phenomenally acted character short done in the way only Olax can. The shot is pretty static, but works here to heighten the awkwardness and tone of the film – and the fact it is still SO good really shows how masterful the dialogue and acting is.
The sense that the character’s faith was already shaken (now compounded by the previous week’s ‘events’), is established naturally and hints to a complex backstory for this character. As with Hi Santa it’s Charlie, this will be one I rewatch to really notice all the details.
You’ve got such a distinct style and feeling that you bring to the competition, and I always look forward to seeing what you make. A really enjoyable watch once again!
Unspoken Words
This film grabs your attention right from the start! It has classic 48 hour silliness which I love. Your actors had such a good energy together and were a perfect duo. The scene with them accidentally speaking outloud to the girls was particularly funny.
Dropping the plot entirely for an extended flat-scene might not have been the best choice for building your story which needed some details fleshed out a bit (maybe we could see some more proof that they are actually good buds without the rings? help justify them throwing the rings away at the end? why is the phone mini?) but honestly it did make me laugh a lot and built that silly feeling. Overall really good technical skills with audio,edit, and pace being solid, and even with some story elements being pretty light it was a very fun watch :)
Chaos Cabin
This was a super impressive film. I really enjoy watching 3D animation - even though how it works is beyond me, I can appreciate so much must go into an incredible piece like this, and in fact not knowing the secrets of how its done just allows for the awesome work to feel more magic. The shots were so well-thought out and visually stunning, with great dialogue and sound creating a really immersive film. I had a suspicion about the snow globe - but didn't expect that ending! Well done team :)
The Ransom
Can’t believe you only had 1 hour to re-edit this, oof! Massive congrats on getting it done and we are glad you did because we really enjoyed watching your film. The acting, especially from the lead and father character was great – very believable and solid line delivery. “What’s the beef Wellington?” was a standout line for us.
Loved the inclusion of a classic 80s training montage which had some of the more impressive moments from those we saw this year! Some more sound design and dynamic camera movement/shots would’ve amped up the fight scene, but with the editing blow up you had that is totally understandable and likely something you already had in your original cut. For story some parts were played more serious, and some were played more for comedy – I think you could’ve leaned even more into one or the other to really get the tone even stronger.
Well done again on overcoming to get this in! A fun watch and we can’t wait to see what you do next year.
Birthday Wish
I thought this film had a good concept. The opening scene is standout – the set dressing is really well thought out and fun and contrasts with the lead’s emotional state in a way that immediately pulls you in. Some smooth camera work follows this as we see the character answer a mysterious knock at the door with no one there, and then follow her through the house. The stage makeup used for the figure who appears at the table along with the ominous ‘happy birthday’ whistling are striking and create a real unsettling tone. Unfortunately, from this point story became a little unclear for me – likely because I found the dialogue of this part tricky to hear. The final shot of the ominous figure with the party blower is a fun one to end on!
Campaign
We always enjoy your films and this was no exception. Loved bringing 48 hours into your argument, the outright highlighting of elements used, as well as the visual gags throughout. The main performance was fantastic - sold the ramp up in passion as he made his argument and we were all onboard with him. Lots of laugh out loud moments.
Mockumentaries/PSAs also aren’t always my favourite, but I didn’t mind the straight to camera for this one. A film where the viewers are called on directly to unify as a community for Te Waiponamu felt fitting to round out 48 hours which is such a community-based event.
When I saw ‘cathedral explodes’ on the Bingo card I was kind of hoping this would be the grand finale closing shot for the Christchurch heats – though a group chant (at least from our lounge as we watched the livestream) and power-pose was still great.
Thanks for another fun time Toot Toot – you know your audience and what they love you for, and deliver as always.
Finger Ring: The Proposal
This film did awkward in the funniest way! You established the vibe very quickly and stayed consistent throughout. I have to admit I didn’t really ‘get’ the picture with the voices at the beginning, but once the dinner scene began I was hooked.
The genre was done so well, with funny moment after funny moment ramping up the action. Dinner scenes can feel static – but the character actions and shots kept the pace moving and the film engaging.
I was waiting for a choking-on-the-ring scene that felt set up to go and was pleasantly surprised when you went another way. The ring sailing through the air to land on the finger was a great moment!
Echoing other reviewers, the acting was standout - the couple feels like the weirdest and most perfect soulmates for eachother. You really made me root for them throughout, so the happy ending was very satisfying.
Ghost PTSD
As part of a team who also did a sad death film in this heat I hope it doesn't sound too self-congratulatory to say I love it when teams take a chance to do a emotional and heartfelt film! As much as I love the comedies that are the staple of 48 hours it is nice to see teams break out from this and have some different stories being told alongside the funny ones. I thought the acting in your film was really good and was strong enough to carry the serious nature of the film. There were some beautiful shots in this one - particularly the locket in the water, and the scenes on the battlefield were absolute standouts. I enjoyed the play back through the scenes with the father fading out as well, leading to the final door knock. One of the things I would've liked to see included in this film is a bit more detail about what the father meant to his family - maybe a montage or some more dialogue could've been used here so that we get more of a sense of the connection between them. I think this could've made the death announcement really hit the emotional note of this final scene even harder. Well done team :)
Thee Evicted
Some great shots in this one – I especially liked your scene establishment shots when we entered the house. The sibling relationship between the characters, quibbling over chores and being competitive would be relatable to many and I loved their facial expressions as they bicker and compete. The shot variety was very nice including some effective close-ups. I did get a bit lost story wise when we switch-up to horror (maybe I missed something here but who is the visitor at the door and why are they shut out? If our main guy isn’t the brother who is he and why is he here?) but the creepy tone was established really well and ramped up nicely to a cool bloody moment.
Charlie
Always a sucker for an OTT revenge in response to a minor slight set-up.
The opening party scenes had some nice sound design going on, and I loved the link back to the dialogue about the murder from this scene – this was set up as a throw-away piece of conversation used to lead us to the ‘Charlie pissed himself’ story and I didn’t give it much attention at first, so when it was pulled back into the story it felt really satisfying rather than really predictable.
In terms of visuals I thought the confrontation scene in front of the glass windows in particular was lit nicely and were some pretty good looking shots! One thing is some longer scenes in the film happen inside a house with characters in conversation with each other. This can be tricky in not feeling static/flat – some more shot variation here or other visual elements might help to keep the pace up.
The final reveal was fun – loved the music choice and Charlie’s reaction too!
Emergency Key
A night-time shoot is hard to pull off, but really works for the tension in this story. My favourite shot in the film is when our character gets into his car and we see his opponent suddenly illuminated in the dark running towards him - I knew it was coming and it still gave me a jump scare. With this film we start with a great action filled opening of the main character jumping into frame and sprinting away from camera - very captivating! However, there isn't much change up from this in tone or pace from this point - I wish there had been a bit more variety here or perhaps the film could've been shortened to help it maintain impact. I did really enjoy the scenery during the foot-chase though - particularly the stunning backdrop of Christchurch lit up during the hill part of the chase.
Spoiler Alert
I always look forward to seeing what Rabid Aunty Jean do for 48 hours and this might be my favourite of theirs so far! Obviously they are very strong on the technical side, but what I love most from this team is the story.
Rabid Aunty Jean's incorporation of the elements, and the use of genre are perfectly built into this story rather than feeling shoehorned in - which is difficult to do this well! The story is clean, well paced, funny, and engaging. I loved the main actor in this - they played the obsessive disgruntled character in a charming and humorous way.
I have to disagree with the comment about the settings; while houses/nice outdoor spots are commonly used in the competition it makes sense given that these are the types of settings most teams have access to. I don't think it's a flaw if they are used in a visually interesting way that makes sense for the story being told, which I felt this film definitely achieved.
Overall this was a really visually pleasing film with a strong story - Rabid Aunty Jean continue to set a very high bar on what can be achieved in just 48 hours!
Mon Amour
Really enjoyed the opening to this one – following the different characters around the space was a great way to introduce us to them and visually interesting. One shot is a tricky beast and with such a large cast it was really impressive how seamlessly this flowed. I would’ve enjoyed seeing even more of this, with maybe some more time here spent hinting at the relationships between characters and Theodore Windsor. On our watch the footage seemed a little stuttery especially when panning – potentially you may have had an issue with the exporting framerate or shutter speed too low.
I also really enjoyed the attention to detail in this film. Loved the music coming from a piano in the space itself - really nice having it grow in volume as we reach the room where it’s being played and where everything comes to a head with the will reading. Costuming and set dressing were also great and fit the story nicely, and “whore” “dervs?” was a standout line that gave us a good chuckle!
love you, baby
I was not expecting this from Rip Focus – a different vibe from your usual for sure, and one you pulled off really well! This short was one of my personal favorites this year– what an absolutely fantastic use of one-take.
I thought the tension build was super effective, and while rewatching it at home in the daylight still felt creepy, at the heats I was thoroughly spooked. Definitely one to watch in a dark room for full impact!
The rising threat in-line with the rising toxicity of the partner gave deeper meaning to the story, and the character being silenced as the hands wrap over her mouth at the end really hit that parallel home. I thought the acting got stronger across the course of the film too.
Congrats on a great short - expecting to see this at city finals!
Flat Meeting
I really enjoyed this film in the heats - the premise had that fun 48 hours silliness that worked well for your story and was played well by your actors. Great incorporation of the miniatures element into the story. This film kept up a good sense of humor throughout, and was a very enjoyable watch! I was not expecting to go from the vibe that is initially set up to an earnest note about being vulnerable and communicating with those close to you but man that moment really hit in a very realistic and actually quite impactful way
The Pursuit Of Murder
I reallly enjoyed the opening of this film, and immediately felt like we were in for a treat! The costuming is really great for your main character, and the actor had some brilliant expressive movements and physical comedy that was fun to watch and gave a lot of character even though we can't see their face. The story was also engaging and worked well for 48 hour's short film format.
Personally I didnt think the straight to camera explanatory dialogue was needed, and that the film could've been even stronger with these parts being told within the events of the film itself.
Overall this was a really fun film to watch - as you continue to build your skills with audio/edit I think your team will do well in future 48 hour entries :)
Misplaced Death
This film is an absolute wow! By far the strongest film of the first 2 heats, and a great contender that I expect to see in the Christchurch finals. This film excelled at telling a great story - one that is clear, concise, and perfectly suited for the limitations imposed by the competition. Its a great comedic premise and the film delivers! Massive kudos for the incorporation of elements as central parts of the plot - it is a difficult thing to achieve and this team did so flawlessly. I was impressed by the visual storytelling in your film - for instance the visual techniques to make it clear to the audience that others can't see death. In doing so you save yourself a lot of time to really focus in on the core parts of your story. I was also impressed by the technical elements of the film - overall great shots, good audio, well paced and well edited. The slow-mo shot of death with cape flowing out behind him in particular was just awesome.
I have very little to give in terms of feedback for next time, my one suggestion would be to check your dialogue lines are sounding natural. I think this film could've even fully done away with the dialogue - although it has now been a bit since the heats so I may need a rewatch to see if I still agree with myself on that!
It cannot be said enough just how incredibly impressive this film is for a young team - you've excelled at things many teams with more experience struggle with. I will be keeping an eye out for your films in future competitions and can't wait to see what you do next! Ka pai to mahi!
Blowing Smoke
Who amongst us in childhood didn’t have our candles blown out by someone else – such a relatable grudge and funny motivator for this action-filled revenge film! This film was a standout – really great pace, dynamic camera work, great cuts and transitions, solid sound design, and fun acting all combine for a hell of a good time. The SFX makeup with crackers slicing into the face – oh my god! One of our favourite action-based shorts this year.
Reset Day
From the opening details of the implanted chip and reset day with memory loss I was expecting this film to take a sort of black mirror path - what a wonderful suprise for me to find it was actually such a heartfelt and sweet story! I wish we had a little more explanation about what kind of world this is in order to understand the existence of reset day - is it futuristic? are these chips common practice? Regardless, I thought making your own holiday for the holiday movie genre was a smart idea in letting you branch out from what other teams might do, and allowed you to tell a story that is unique to you. The ending scene was a particularly great part of the story that will hit viewers in their feels. I am personally a sucker for films in 48 hours that break the mold by not shying away from being emotional and earnest, so I loved this about your film. There were some technical aspects that could be improved upon - particularly sound levels (unfortunately this is not something I do so I have no good advice on this - but I see some other commenters have given advice!) This might be something to focus on to improve further for next time.
Can't wait to see what you do next! :)
A Silence In Sam's Town
Wow, the emotion in this film was intense. This film was very strong in many ways, but I want to highlight the acting of your main character - they portrayed a really raw grief that was captivating and heartbreaking to watch, and absolutely necessary to pull off this concept so well done! A really beautiful film - that one shot of the hands in the water was STUNNING, probably the most beautiful shot I've seen this year in the competition. We've been going back and forth trying to figure out how you did it - very impressive! There were a couple of shots that pulled me out of the story a bit - the camera went a bit bumpy during the main character walking down the sand dunes and all I could think about was your camera person trying to walk backwards down the dunes!
More than anything I loved the heart in this story, which was consistently so strong and lingers well after the film ends. As I've said in other reviews I love it when teams give us something more earnest and serious to change it up from the comedies 48 hours is known for, and your team killed it at that! Well done :)
Elijah's Ladder
This film was incredibly special, and had the biggest impact for us this year.
Elijah’s journey was so specific to the queer experience. Finding items along the way, the meaning associated with each as part of the larger narrative of Elijah’s life, the moments external words become internalized, and how you can interpret each repeated line in different ways with each tonal difference all draws you in.
The intensity of the findings and events of Elijah’s life ramp up, building tension, and a deep pain for what this character experiences. And then… Elijah is in love – something which cannot undo the things that came before but which is a beautiful and hopeful finale. To experience queer love and to be yourself accepted in love both drives one to endure the painful parts and is a balm to it.
I suppose there are many ways to interpret this story, but a great film is one where the audience can shape meaning through their own experiences, and your film allows this on such a deep level. Elijah’s ladder is a beautiful short that proves that films do not need to be high-budget slick productions to have a lasting impact.
As a side note – thank you for your incredibly kind and thoughtful reviews for our films also. Long may we continue to see moving queer stories in the performing arts indeed!
The Deadly Extinction
As said by other reviewers I thought your story concept was a great one. There were some nice visuals in this film – the use of a beautiful landscape is always appreciated, and the poem scene in particular was gorgeous with some very nice lighting and beautiful music creating a clear mood.
I thought you played the fear of the virus nicely, and the use of bird song as an ominous note that the virus had reached them was a nice touch!
Some minor aspects of the story were a little unclear for me – how is going to this new place going to keep them safe when they are already pretty isolated at the beginning? How does the friend get the virus? Maybe there was potential for some more clarification here, but that’s not to detract from this being a well done short. The point of view you bring to the competition and the thoughtful questions your film raises are really valuable.
From Dad
A really nice take on the family genre here – you have a lovely emotional base to your story as we watch these two sisters work through grief and lean on each other following their Dad’s passing.
Some beautiful use of music, montage, locations, and shots set a very soft and sweet tone that suits the emotional foundational of the story. I think this short would benefit from a change in the core story to montage ratio – a bit more story that focusses in on the sister’s relationship to their Dad, their emotions, and Dad’s purpose in leading them to the final destination could’ve elevated the emotional impact even further.
The final scene is a great one to leave us on – looking over the city at golden hour with Dad having set the sisters up to have this moment together finishes the film off on the perfect note.
Emotional earnest films are few and far between in this competition and it’s always great to see a team not shy away from this.