The Maestro (I) (2011) User Reviews

A heart warming tale with stunning visuals

[wolves_tog · 10/10 · 19 July 2011]

I really enjoyed this short film.

I love the time and effort that have gone into creating the main characters appearance, so believable. I found myself feeling both sorry and happy for him at the same time.

The stunning time lapse visuals combined with the orchestral score were breathtaking. It was also impressive to find out that only two of the time lapse shots were shot with a green screen, as the technical skills involved with creating a sequence like that are very challenging and have been executed with a high degree of skill and a refreshing eye for detail.

Definitely one to watch.

Playing with the functions

[bob the moo · 20 February 2014]

Most people love their gadgets and there are always things on there that we never really use but at least spend some time messing around with them. For most people it is just messing around with long exposures or composite images on their digital camera but in the case of Adam Anthony it seems that he went beyond this and decided to make a short film. The plot is a homeless man on the streets of Sydney wanders around the night and finds himself in control of things, being able to speed them up at will.

The plot doesn't really matter because the whole reason for the film is a sequence of time lapse filming where we see traffic, fairground rides, elevators and other things sped up to be a blur of lights and movement around the main character. It is a nice sight to see and well done but as a reason for a short film I am not so sure. There is emotion in there if you really dig I imagine – the idea of someone looking for control, looking to be at the core of things when really he is on the edges, but this is me reaching because the film never really does this itself. Technically it is well made though – it is shot at night but yet everything close or distant looks clear and crisp as an image, the costumes and use of locations are good and of course the main sequence is well done.

For me it never felt like more than playing with the functions on a new toy – albeit in the form of a short film with credits, a cast, a plot etc. Me feeling this way I know does a disservice to those who put the effort into making this film, but I do wish they had used the technology in support of a short, rather than it being the whole short.