'The Birthday Gift' by Max Myers.

1. Cinematography: It was the professional visuals that drew to to love this short film. It was professionally shot and felt like it could have been taken from a hollywood blockbuster. The lighting in all of the scenes was discreet but effective and lens flares added to the urban, contemporary feel. The shots also differed to reflect the location (and feel of this location) in which the scene would take place.

2. Sound: All of the dialogue in this film was only what was necessary whilst remaining truthful. and believable. The primary way in which tension was build was through the incredibly well written musical score. It continually felt as though it belonged at each particular stage of the film.

3. Editing: There were not outlandish editing techniques but the editor had simply used seamless editing in order for us to feel as though we were watching this occur from a third person point of view, thus adhering to the present conventions of film.

4. Acting: I thought that the acting in this short film was good but not exceptional. All of the actors (including the children) maintained a high standard however the female actor playing the baby-sitter I did not full believe.

5. Narrative: The narrative of this piece was good however I did not think that the whole concept was incredible and occasionally played it safe with some aspects of the storyline.

6. Mise-en-Scene: All of the objects in the house, office and restaurant looked as though they belonged there and added something to the overall aesthetic of the short film. The locations selected also added a great amount of production value to the film as they were professionally appointed.