Comments Made During the Contest

Andrew Zhou (Level 3)

Wow...simply amazing. What can I say?
Though I'm not a big fan of religion in general, I have to admit, this one is a film that touches everyone.

Of course, alot of that warm fuzzy feeling attributes to how the script was written, but I feel that the lighting and music choice really brought out the mood in each scene. Especially the closeups, which really brought out mood.

THe only complaint I have against this would be that scene on Christmas morning (with the tree). The sudden contrast of stark blue made me feel....naked in a sense xD.
Also, the title image "Behold his Might Hand" seemed a bit cheap. Like you chose a random font and pasted it on. Felt it wasn't integrated with the scene as much.

But overall, amazing job.

Ayal Pinkus (Level 5)

Great movie! I must say, it started about religion so I expected it to go into that direction, but it ended up very differently.

This movie did an amazing job of making the viewer care for the characters. The dialogue was great, the actors, all of them, did such a superb job!

Very touching story.

Image composition, framing, was beautiful.

Great care was taken to get the lighting right, different scenes lit differently but very well handled.

Setting and costumes! That must have been quite an effort! Done to perfection. It gave it all a very 50's feeling, ten years after world war II. It is all so polished, so perfect.

Very professional job! This film should definitely be seen at film festivals.

Bill Clar (Level 5)

FX: Nice computer graphics on the marquee.

Lighting: Nice use of sunlight streaming through the windows, especially at the :40 mark. It lights up Grandma's hairline nicely.

The lighting on Emily around 2:30 is fantastic.

Acting: Everyone did a great job, but Michael is adorable and steals every scene he's in.

Cinematography: Fantastic! Great use of depth of field. I like seeing Father Hanlan in front of the organ and stained glass window at 3:35.

I love the contrast produced by the deepened shadows. The lines feel soft and characters blend into the backgrounds. Visually stunning!

Production Design: The film looks and feels like it came straight out of the 1956. The wardrobe, furniture, jewelry, hairdos. It's all very authentic. Great job!

Script: The dialogue is to the point and there are no wasted scenes or lines. I had difficulty following the story so I consulted the script. That's my fault, not yours. I have trouble processing deep stories that are filled with rich characters.

The added diner scene really gives Emily some depth.

Brian Howell (Level 5)

This is VERY GOOD. Technically everything was in order. The shots were beautifully composed and lit. The editing felt right on; nothing over-the-top or that called attention to itself. The sound was mixed well, and everyone's dialog was easily heard.

The writing was very good. I found myself struggling to follow the conversation at Frosty's. So Michael is the son of this lady's late husband? That part I think is clear. It was when they were talking about the Jewish man's daughter? This is where I was lost. I take it Michael is the son of that woman (who is Jewish), but I'm not sure her relationship to Michael's father. Was it an affair? A previous marriage? Anyway, that didn't bog everything down, I just struggled a bit at that moment.

This is VERY GOOD.

Brian Wind (Level 5)

Script - I gave the original script a Very Good. My comments indicate that I felt the script was very well written, but the story lacked for me. 4/5

Performances - Pretty solid throughout. The majority of the adults were all pretty good, but I felt like the kid was a little inconsistent. Some scenes were credible, others less. 3.5/5

Cinematography - The camera seems to be pretty high quality. Sets look very good. Lighting is phenomenal in some shots, but too dim in many others. 3.5/5

Sound - The audio levels are pretty uneven throughout the first half of the film. 3/5

Editing - Transitions were smooth. Pace was pretty good, but could have been tightened up a little. It seemed odd how the priest somehow knew which movie the kid saw without being told the title. 3.5/5

Score - While the music was well done, I felt like it was a bit over-used in this film. It's in the background almost the entire film which diminishes it's effectiveness. 3.5/5

Direction - I didn't love the title font at the start. Hard to read. There weren't any especially creative or artistic shots that blew me away here, but there wasn't anything that turned me off either. 3/5


Script - 4/5
Performances - 3.5/5
Cinematography - 3.5/5
Sound - 3/5
Editing - 3.5/5
Score - 3.5/5
Direction - 3/5
Overall = 24/35 = 3.43/5 = GOOD

Caroline Coxon (Mod Emeritus)

I was waiting for this!

It is so beautifully conceived and shot and edited and everything.

As we discussed, the only slight thing was the acting of the little boy, which, at the beginning, wasn't quite up to the enormity of the task he had to fulfil.

Gets an excellent from me!

Chris Keaton (Level 5)

Random Thoughts
Not sure the preacher scene was needed. Nice little actions that tell so much like the photo of the soldier. It wasn't preachy. Looked real nice. The sound in the movie theater was overly loud compared to the rest of the film.

Overall a good little film.

Chris Messineo (Founder)

SCRIPT: The script is excellent. A beautiful story with layered characters. One of my all-time favorites.

PERFORMANCES: Fantastic actors. I love them all. If I had one very small critique, it would be that I wish they threw a few of the lines away - at times it feels like they are trying to give great importance to every moment and it can be a little much. But that is a very nit-picky complaint and overall they are wonderful.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Simply phenomenal. I love the look of this film. The compositions are perfect. The lighting is beautiful.

SOUND: The sound is clear and honestly, I barely noticed it, and that is probably the best compliment you can give for sound. :)

EDITING: I love the edit. It moves at a perfect pace, always keeping the story going forward and never lingering just because you fell in love with a shot.

SCORE: The music is beautiful and in constant support of the story.

DIRECTION: You are amazing. Truly an inspiration.

OVERALL: This is fantastic in every way imaginable. I love it!

David Birch (Level 5)

nice production value, although the kid was difficult to hear...the score seemed a little "syrupy" for my taste...wish there had been more conflict to make the story jump from the beginning...i'm sure this will receive high marks from most of the voters...good luck...

David Laffey (Level 3)

Great acting, the costumes and settings felt very authentic. I really liked a lot about the filming, sound, production aspects as well.

I am not so sure about the screenplay, I'm kind of slow, it took me a little while to register what was going on when the grandmother and mother were first talking about when they were alone. Basically it felt like too much exposition and not enough drama between the characters.

If the story had more conflict I think it would be a more interesting short. Overall I see that much talent and work went into this and that is why I feel that it is at least "good"

Elias Farnum (Level 5)

The production values of this film are exceptional.

The performances, are those professionals? Wow.

There at the beginning, I have difficulty hearing the boy's dialogue. His sound level could be raised of course. All other sound recordings were heard, and mixed well.

This was so smooth and seamless, beautiful direction. The cinematography was also, beautiful. The shots, the depth and clarity, sometimes soft. Great craft.

I'm afraid though, I didn't really get what happened with the story/script.

Overall, this is certainly good. But not quite understanding the story I can't rate this what I'm sure it deserves. Feels like part of a feature.

A very professional and good job by everyone, hard work making a film. Congratulations, and good luck.

Faith Friese Nelson (Level 5)

I just loved the boy and know we will see more of him in the future. All around excellent film with a very powerful message. Congratulations.

Fred Koszewnik (Level 5)

Truly a visually spectacular film. Every shot was beautifully filmed and couldn't be made any better than it already was. The opening sequence was completely charming, immediately engaging and the young boy couldn't be more endearing. Having such a young child alone in a theater didn't feel entirely realistic. The acting was totally believable with a great story.

Heather O'Connell (Level 4)

Nice opening shot. Great picture and sound. Love the kid actor. "Sister Agony" LOL
Great job on the costumes and set. Very professional. Powerful for such a short film. Each scene built on the next and the end was satisfying. Sniff.
:) Heather

Heidtmann Oppong (Level 4)

Wow! The script pulled a tear across my face, I really enjoyed reading it and the video -good job. The setting is perfect, diction simple and scenes marvellous. Tell you what, it is good, really good. Credit for such a good script with beautiful video. I like it!

Herman Chow (Level 5)

Script: I haven't read the script but I found the film's pace to be very slow. I was getting little bits of hints here and there, and then when I get to the end, I was disappointed because I wasn't sure what I need to expect in the first place. He finally knows his father is a Jew and he has another grandma, and so?

Performances: All of them are pretty good. The boy's acting is out of place in the beginning, but hey, he's still a young boy.

Cinematography: It's very good, especially inside the church.

Sound: This is the most problematic for me. The sound mixing part is not that good. The dialogue was too light while the background music was booming.

Editing: Pretty good, nothing bad stands out to me.

Score: I love the score, one of the highlights on this script. The music during the last scene was quite emotional.

Direction: I think it's a well-directed piece. Maybe trim a little bit to move the pace up.

VERY GOOD.

James Hughes (Level 5)

This had some of the best acting of the contest. The boy is very cute and a good actor.

this looked great, had such a rich warm look to it especially for the night scenes.

The sound and music was also very good.

excellent.

Jamie Collins (Level 3)

This was a very good short film...It was very emotional and the characters were well developed. I enjoyed it very much.

Jeannie Sconzo (Level 5)

I was not at all surprised to see that Daniel Piatt directed this piece.
It was definitely high quality. Story and Cinematography were great!
If I got nit-picky, I'd say that I wished the priest was a bit older, wiser and more natural. Also a bit more post audio may be needed. There were two times I turned up the volume on lines that were particularly low and then on later lines, I had to turn it back down.
Excellent though and my choice for first place!

JeanPierre Chapoteau (Moderator)

Are jews magical? is that what he said? Haha!

First impression: I wasn't too interested, but felt as though the story was better than me.

Directing: Great. Have no complaints. I loved every bit of it. Looked very professional.

Sound: On point. Never noticed it, so that makes it perfect.

Acting: The boy could have been better, but I said this before on a previous review and will say it again, excellent child actor's are the hardest thing to come by. Everyone else did an amazing job.

Music: Of course it was good.

Story: I love religious screenplays that don't shove it down your throat. Great job on that. I wasn't that interested in what was happening though. I loved watching it, because it was one on moviepoeter's screenplays coming to life, but if this was just a short film I stumbled upon I would be bored with it.

I'll still give this a VG, because everything else was beautifully done.

Jeff Ferry (Level 4)

The quality of the film and actors are second to none. This is as professional as any film your likely to see. I thought the subject and the script were okay. It was very soundly done, but it didn't stand out in a crowd. It was technically above average, but an average story.

Kenneth Hurd (Level 4)

I thought this was really well done. Your actors do an amazing job with the script. The only thing I would have liked to have would be a little bit more on the back story of Emily and her mother-in-law's relationship. It was mentioned that she never forgave her son for marrying Emily, but I think the relationship could have been expanded a bit more.

Your camerawork is flawless. The film had excellent production design and you really captured the time period that you were going for.

Your editing was really good and the film moved at a nice pace. It never got boring and the cuts smoothly flowed together. Your sound design was good, but sometimes I felt that it was a bit uneven. The movie theater scene at the beginning was loud and I set my volume to that scene, but the next scene at the house was very soft and I had to turn my volume back up again. I also noticed this throughout the film where some characters would sound louder than others. You can probably go through the mix again and smoothen it out a bit more and this would be a flawless film.

Overall, I think you did a great job with this movie. It's effective and very well done. Your story is great and your actors really bring it to life.

Khamanna Iskandarova (Level 5)

This is an Excellent movie. I loved it.

Every aspect of it is impressive. I cried at the end. I don't even know what to say here, I don't have any critique here. And even if I did it would be funny to offer since this is quite professional work and I wouldn't dare. Anyway glad I didn't have to:)

Excellent thanks.

Kirk White (Level 5)

I remember really liking this script. beautiful shots...I'd love to steal your dp. Strong performances, especially your Emily. very curious as to your budget..how you managed this fantastic production value! I have nothing to say about this one...it's excellent! I predict you'll place...

KP Mackie (Level 5)

A touching film. Love the simplicity of the story. Particularly ambitious to tackle a period script and pull it off so well.
The strongest element is the cast. A top notch ensemble of actors. The young actor playing Michael, Tristin Thomas, is amazing. The film hinges on his believability and likability as Michael. He is terrific. His scene in the movie theater is well acted, and he looks adorable. The chemistry between Michael and his mother, played by Arianne Martin, is evident. She looks like a woman from the WWII time period too.
The scene between Michael's mother and Grandma where they discuss Michael visiting his paternal grandmother might need a little tweaking. Michael's Mother's appearance is different, maybe it's lighting; thought at first she was a new character. Grandma says, "And if he wants to see her?" Might need a line before with a bit more information to understand that Grandma is referring to Michael and his father's mother. Up to that point there's been no mention of dad or the other grandma. A minor fix.

Margaret Avnet (Level 4)

Overall I enjoyed this movie, however, the sound could have been better. At first I thought perhaps it was just the young boy, but during the rest of the movie at times it was difficult to hear the actors.

I like the idea of the boy having a Catholic mother and a Jewish father, perhaps because of my own background. So in a way I could relate to, though I always knew that I came from a mixed religious background.

The boy, thought young has a deep spritual side. I think it would have served the movie better if he had asked his mother more questions about his father and why she waited until then to tell him that his father was Jewish. Was she motivated by the fact that he now was asking so many questions about religion? Or was there another reason.

While I thought the acting overall was good perhaps the best was the mother-in-law who without saying a word showed her love for meeting her grandson for the first time.

Margaret Ricke (Level 5)

Good work, Bill! The lighting was a bit dark, but the acting and sets were perfect. The kid's a natural.

Great story, too.

Very good work.

Marko Trcic (Level 2)

What can I say, a masterpiece, everything is perfect, as if watching blogbuster, photos, music, dramaturgy, actors, editing, scriptwriting, lighting, directing. I really thought that shorts are working people who are just entering the world of film, but I see that this work of people who certainly know their job.Bravo.

Marnie Mitchell Lister (Level 5)

Not surprised at all by who directed this. I remember Daniel's films from last year. Everything about this film was done so well.

Great story and great acting by all. Excellent work!

Martin Jensen (Level 5)

I like the theme. The period details are great and the acting was good, especially the child. I also appreciated how the backstory was revealed - almost all of the time the dialogue felt natural and authentic while revealing information.

All around a very professional, moving film. Very good.

Martin Lancaster (Level 4)

Thi is very good. The acting, camerawork and lighting are especially strong. The child actor is excellent.

I enjoyed the story, too. The emotion felt real and engaging.

I now realise this is a Daniel Piatt film. I knew I recognised the title.

Great work, as usual.

Matthew Fettig (Level 5)

I was confused by the dialogue at times, but it came together.

Visually, this was beautifully done, and the score matched the mood and tempo.

The acting was superb. I loved the child's comment and reaction when talking about Sister "Agony"! Priceless!

I gave this an excellent.

Michael Cornetto (Level 5)

There aren't enough characters on the keyboard to explain how well done that was.

Michael Hughes (Level 4)

Congratulations, this was very nicely done. I thought the acting was very good, the direction and editing was also very well done. I also thought the music worked well. In all, a very professional feeling production.
The story itself left me a little flat. It might have just been the subject matter. The script did a nice job of letting the story unfold through presenting the different concerns of the various characters but I was not completely sure why there was an unwillingness of the boys Grandmother, on his father's side, to communicate with her daughter in-law and her grandson. I will have to watch again to be sure because at different times I thought it was because of the difference in faith, perhaps illegitamacy of the grandchild, or maybe anger over the loss of her son in the war.
Again, nice job.

MJ Hermanny (Level 5)

High quality and excellent work on display here so it came as no surprise to see that the talented director is last year's winner. Congratulations Daniel, you have another excellent short on your hands.

Flawless to me, I'm not a film maker so it's hard for me to pick up on any technical points. I thoroughly enjoyed this, was completely absorbed by the story, nothing detracted and my attention was focused throughout.

It looks gorgeous and kudos for creating a period piece so well. I loved the radio ( I think it's a radio) in the living room, christmas morning scene. Beautiful, warm lighting throughout, I particularly liked the church scene, it had a wonderful glow to it.

The acting is just top-notch throughout. Tristin Thomas in particular is a delight.

It was interesting to read both versions of the script and yet the final film still has some differences most notably the church scene which I think is much better - I like how the priest now praises Michael's question rather than shooting him down.

Excellent, well done.

Nina Lescher (Level 2)

Great production value. It would have been great if the Jewish mom would have showed up at the house instead of them talking about her. It all came to easily to her at the end when the mother delivered her son to the his long lost grandma. Let her do some work to gain access to her grandson. Or let someone do some work here. It all came about too easily, so it made the religious and moral themes seem forced.

Paul De Vrijer (Level 5)

This is pretty amazing, I'm pretty sure that this thing will score high, the production value is amazing and all the actors do a really nice job.

So I don't want to be harsh here, but I feel the script is keeping everything down. The dialog is often stilted and the scene progression makes little sense. What is said sounds pretty cliché. I think it sort of fits with the theme, but still...

It's not bad, it's just not as good as the rest in my honest opinion. Could have used another rewrite. In particular in the choices taken, looks like you often took the easy route.

Congrats on the production, and on the probable placement, but don't relax, I still think there's plenty of potential growth here.

Paul Williams (Level 5)

I haven't read this script before watching the movie, so this one is new to me.

The only thing to really comment on here is the story itself because every other aspect of this movie is almost perfect.

I was worried we were going to get a little too much into the religion here, but we don't, and I didn't interpret that as the central theme or conflict.

Michael felt a little young to me to be tackling all these mature issues. His conversation with the priest, for example, and even him watching "The Ten Commandments" felt like they'd ring a little more true if he was a few years older, but I could be wrong.

Excellent.

Pete Barry (Level 5)

Absolutely a professional production. The sound, music, acting, and even the minute attention paid to the set dressing is all top notch. You made me feel the time period and had me hooked from the first shot of the kid in the movie theater, stuffing his face with popcorn and staring up, wide eyed. Superb.

Every actor should be commended. The quiet scenes with the mother and grandmother, the discussion with the friendly but obviously devout priest, the grandfather's plea for forgiveness, all were performed with honesty and without overreaching.

The script is powerful and flows well, though there are minor issues with the dialogue. Some of the discussion between mom and grandma feels forced, although the actors really sell it as is. Same with the priest, who has the only scene that falls flat. His opening is so powerful because he really engages Michael, and you assume he will really answer the question, even if his viewpoint is skewed, or biased, or even subtly anti-Semitic. But his reply doesn't answer Michael's question, or even have anything do with the message of the movie - it has nothing to do with "following God's will" - unless the point is that the priest simply is of no help. It turns what could be a poignant moment and a powerful performance into an unnecessary scene.

These are nitpicks, however; overall, this is a tremendous achievement.

Philip Whitcroft (Level 5)

This is fantastic. The quality seems very high. Visually it's great to look at, the acting works for me, and the story has good energy and an effective message.

The only problem I had was that with my iffy hearing and not very good speakers, I was struggling to pick up some of what was being said. At one point I thought I notice some after filming voice work being added on. I might be wrong about that, but if I'm right I wonder if that confirms the idea that this was a problem.

Pia Cook (Level 5)

This one was great! And what a fantastic little boy!!!

This film had the look and feel of a real high production value pro film. Really nice work!

If I had to complain about anything it would be the occasional uneven sound levels!

You guys get an Excellent from me. Great work!!

Rich Keel (Level 4)

Holy smokes this is the best looking film I have watched so far. From the acting to the scenes to the audio...wow simply amazing!!!! This director should be doing feature length films. As good as it gets right there.

The story I was excited about and pulled in until the end and then I just started thinking. The kid hasn't met his grandmother? Big deal...I thought it the young lady was his aunt the way the Grandmother said "She wasn't there for when he woke up sick..." So I was thinking it was his mom they were referring too that had never been around. Like the army husband had him before he married the main character lady. But then thought how was that possible if they said she never knew. I get the story I just felt it was a big build up to meeting a grandparent for the 1st time. Maybe it's because I am not close with mine. Also I see the Jewish underlying story(with the movie, dradel and the "grandfather?") but what does it have to do with the story. Because the husband who died in the war was Jewish that made them want to take the son to see her? I would think they would do that regardless of their beliefs...so it just kinda lost me on the whole point of the story...besides introducing a grandson to his grandmother.

I am sure you will fair well but I had to go with "Good" on this one.

Richard Bell (Level 3)

Sweet. Loved the beginning and the boy is very talented and full of life. Really liked the references to magical life and the juxtaposition with religious thought, but I was a little disappointed that it was simply about a someone coming to terms with accepting another religion as part of her life. I know it was a period piece, but for me to care about her and her decision, I think it would take much more than seven minutes. Very well acted and filmed, though.

Rob Gross (Level 4)

Good job on the snow effect at the beginning. I really felt like I was taken back in time. The acting performances by ALL were so good.

I liked the cinematography - in the church especially.

The sets were awesome- church, theater, diner - Like you were there.

A touching story about a boy asking some good questions. When the grandma met michael, some dust blew in my eye that made me tear up. I'm sure it was just the dust!

Sally Meyer (Moderator)

The cinematography is wonderful. It captures the tone, mood and feel of the era that your film is set. I loved every little detail of this movie. The props and sets were authentic and just added a layer to the story.

I loved this from start to finish, it was eye candy, just the attention to detail. The story was good and I've read the script before and enjoyed it, and this did not disappoint at all.

Your child actor was very appealing and did a wonderful job. All the actors were exceptional.

The lighting was beautiful. The music inspiring.

This felt like a bigger movie, ready to spread its' wings. The attention to detail made this seem flawless.

The camera angles were very well done.

I was sucked in from the start to finish. Wonderful William. You wrote a beautiful story and I'm sure you are very very proud of this.

Kudos to all involved from writer to actors, to director, editing, sound, music and all those who had a hand in creating this.

I'm so glad that you submitted it and I hope it wins!!!!!

Shawn Cottrill (Level 3)

I was impressed from the first shot.

This was shot perfectly. The team that worked on this has obviosly done this before. It was proffesional. From the lighting to the acting even the hair and makeup was perfect.

I would have given it an exellent but I was not a big fan of the actual storyline.
I hope to be able to make films like this someday.

Truly inspiring.

Tim Westland (Moderator)

This was Very Good.

All of the performances were excellent. The cinematography was outstanding. The sound and lighting, wonderful.

I think the only issues were the editing/story. I'm not sure which, though. The story is obviously in there, but it seems the editing may have served to confuse or short circuit the story.

There is a yearning in this child to understand his faith, but the story with the mom struggling with the memory of her husband and her relationship with her mother-in-law... it just felt rushed. I know this is short format, but I think you needed to provide a bit more depth for that story to feel properly fleshed out.

Everyone involved did a fine job. Great work.

Travis DeStein (Level 5)

I know it's a cheapshot, but the kid is an absolutely terrible actor. Is it THAT hard to find a decent child actor? He's the main character of your story so it really hurts the film. The other actors are really solid, though. Although, the grandma's monologue halfway through felt a little forced and fake. I'm not much of a fan of the priest telling the kid not to question god/think for himself... although that's a personal issue, I suppose. I thought the camerawork and sounds were awesome, although I just wish I could like the story itself. This would make a fantastic Lifetime movie.

Wayne Morrical (Level 4)

Nice use of natural light. Nice camera work-moving camera adds a professional look. Nice rack focus shots. I did not realize it was a period piece until halfway through: I thought the kid was at retro film theater, and could not imagine a kid today making it through the Ten Commandments. Glad they addressed it at dinner. Using old cars in diner scene at open theater shot would have helped: also some period music. I also got a little lost figuring out who the 'she' was the ladies were discussing: great blocking in that scene. Payoff at end was little odd: Grandma should have been angry when she saw the daughter-in-law: then she sees the kid, holding the dradle, asking for guidance, could have melted Grandma's heart. Always easy to Monday Morning QB films: overall excellent work. Good message.

Wes Worthing (Level 5)

Well, this was simply beautiful. Every shot and angle and look was brilliant. Bravo to the wardrobe and makeup/hair department. I love how you have so many extra actors to really bring up the production value. The settings were candy for the eyes. The actors were believable as well. Definitely leaves me wanting to see any features the producers/director perhaps have. Wow - Thank you!

William D. Prystauk (Level 5)

Well shot - great production!

Story-wise, I wanted more - and I hope you explore this in a longer piece of writing. I wanted the boy to take a more active role in the end as he did in the beginning. The thematic element waned near the finale and left me feeling a bit cheated.

Otherwise, it was good.

Zach Jansen (Level 4)

SCRIPT
A great coming of age film. I liked the mystery in the orginal script better -- not knowing Michael's Jewish -- but the sentiment works in the final draft. The dialogue was real, very true, but I think some more subtext could have been squeezed out of a few more lines. And although it might be too obvious, I love the symbolism of Michael retreiving the dreidel from behind the Christmas tree. Great action there.

PERFORMANCES
Very good performances throughout. Except maybe Grandma. I don't know if it was the actor's approach to the role, or if her style just doesn't... jive with the other actors. The child actor is good, but he's seems too dreamy for what the character demanded. I understand keeping the childhood awe and wonder, but a more assertive actor might have worked better -- at least for me.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Loved the church scene -- the light streaming in is so magical and surreal. Competently lighted throughout. The camera movements were odd for me -- I think the floating establishing shots drifted too much. But, again that's my taste. I like moving the camera, but it seemed unnecessary for some shots.

SOUND
Nothing to really comment on here -- the soundtrack was balanced and perfect the intimacy of the film.

EDITING
Good, seamless edits. Again, perfect the type of film.

SCORE
Great choices here. The music keeps the story close, making want to lean in and be a part of the action. But the score did sound generic at some points.

DIRECTION
Good shot choices, but they served no other function than to tell the story. There didn't seem to much effort put into the mise en scene composition -- and this story could have had quite a bit of it.

Comments Made After the Contest

Chris Messineo (Founder) ~ 1/1/2011 12:15 AM

Congratulations! Awesome and amazing. Daniel Piatt you are truly an inspiration!

Marnie Mitchell Lister (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 12:18 AM

Again I'm blown away by your talent Daniel. You just have "it". Congrats!

Margaret Ricke (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 12:21 AM

This was beautiful!! Congratulations!

Caroline Coxon (Mod Emeritus) ~ 1/1/2011 12:27 AM

Fantastic job! Second place seems to be its preferred place at MP. Could easily have been first :)

Brian Wind (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 12:33 AM

Congratulations to William and all involved! Well done!

MJ Hermanny (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 5:13 AM

Well done William and Daniel, great film - has it done festivals yet?

Wes Worthing (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 9:17 AM

I was hoping this would make top 3 - awesome!

Matias Caruso (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 11:02 AM

Congrats, William. Well done!

Sally Meyer (Moderator) ~ 1/1/2011 1:33 PM

William, this was amazing! I really thought you would win with this, it was excellent from start to finish.

I love loved it so much. the whole mood was right there, spot on. It was THE WINNER!!!

Khamanna Iskandarova (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 2:43 PM

Congrats, William. This was amazing!

Paul Williams (Level 5) ~ 1/1/2011 6:06 PM

I didn't know when I started watching this movie that it'd been directed by Daniel Piatt, but when I saw his name in the closing credits, I was not surprised at all.

Great job all around, guys. One of my favorites of the month.

William Bienes (Mod Emeritus) ~ 1/2/2011 2:53 PM

Thank you for all your wonderful comments.

Daniel is not only a marvelous director with a great eye, he's a wonderful person. The working relationship was professional and it was just a joy to be a part of the process.

Every writer should be so lucky to work with a director like Daniel. A special note of thanks to all the cast and crew. They were marvelous.

Abel Zerai (Level 2) ~ 1/25/2011 5:14 PM

I really enjoyed this story it was well written and provided a great message. It's awful how this competed with the film that one because this was just as engaging if not more. Can't wait to see what else is in store.