You utilized that poem so perfectly, it brought out the large amount of emotion that you could fit into this short.

5/5.

This is a truely wonderful short and I wish Ash all the success with it. This short really brings back so many great memories of my Grandad who used to sell poppies around our area.

Well done and thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Wonderful use of verse and image. Great shooting, great editing. Was the poem written for the film, or the other way round? The only fear I would have is the ignorance of American audiences...I only know about the poppies because I lived in New Zealand for a year. It also seemed like some of the shots in the fighting scene were used more than once, and the look on the young man's face after he's blown up was a bit fake.
I can't wait to see more of your work soon

I think it's a real person, not a fake one. (just kidding) I also think it's the younger version of the old man as the shots flow nicely into the shot where you see the closeup of old man.

Great work, Ash!

Cheers,
Siddhartha Barnhoorn
Film Composer
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Truly excellent, thats all I can say!

Ash, you continue to amaze me

I've already told you what I think of this, but watching it again, I like it even more. Still not that much of a fan of the way the 'present day' bits are shot/light/graded for some reason. I dunno, something about how saturated it is. I would've like me apparent (and yet more diffused, reminiscent) lighting on the indoor bits and a more stringer rule-of-thirds adherence on the outdoor bits. Again, small complaints, no big deal.

The war parts, however, particularly the 'barrage' are excellence. More than excellence, they're superb. I dunno if I think this sticks together well enough in my head as a quick little short, but for the content that is in it, I appreciate the effort and, more importantly, the execution.

VERY TOUCHING, I really liked the poem and all. But what's a Poppie

Thank you for your kind comments, I'm glad you like the short. I'm aware there are still flaws in my filmmaking and I strive to improve upon this. I appreciate all your feedback.

For those unsure about rememberance day.

November the 11th was known as Armistice Day, now known as Rememberance day or poppy day. It is a time of the year we take time out and pay our respects to the men and women who fought and died for their country. Every year in November we see volunteers selling poppies, much like Bill in the short.

But why poppies? I hear you ask.

Poppies make a very good symbol for remembrance for several reasons. They were the only flower that grew easily on the battlefields after World War One. They're very delicate flowers too, that only live for a short time, which is rather like the young men killed in battle.

The colour is important too - what does the bright red remind you of? Can you see why some people might think that fields of poppies look like fields of blood?

The Royal British Legion use money raised on Poppy Day and at other events through the year to help thousands of ex-soldiers and their families. They also organise festivals, parades and church services of Remembrance.

So - now you know! Those bright red paper flowers are full of history and meaning. They're very special to many, many people.

If your interested please go to the official poppy appeal website here:

http://www.poppy.org.uk/

All the Best
Ash

A slightly overblown intro there, I think. The short film is effective enough on its own without needing hyperbole.

Anyway, you know what I think of this - great stuff. Decent poem, superb music and nicely shot. I'd agree with Ben that the flashback stuff is stronger than the 'present day' bits, although the shot just before and after the flashback I really like, particularly due to the older actor's performance which is subtle and affecting.

Best work I've seen of yours so far - does exactly what it sets out to do.

There aren't many movies in the FXhome Cinema that come close to being as powerful as this one is, and after viewing this twice I cannot find any real flaws. As it stands, this is the only movie in the entire cinema that I have rated five stars. Excellent Job.

Really good movie, everything is great.

Most of the effects in the war scene were done really nicely, but others looked like you stopped correcting the half way (not saying they were bad). To me the war scene was very strong, but could have been stronger. With the camera movement a little faster and the shooting/killing could have been more dramatic so the audience would get more of a shock. The effects that I really didn't like is the fog/smoke on some shots, the composition bothered me.

But, this is really professional, amazing.

Wow...this basically blows away everything else in the cinema I actually disagree with the other responses in that the war scene was stronger...the action, grading, etc. were more intense obviously, but that alone wouldn't have had nearly the amount of emotional impact without the rest of it.

Absolutely fantastic. Quite nearly flawless. The whole thing grabs your attention, and doesn't let go till the end. Superb work from all involved!