A short film is usually around 5-10 minutes (some can be up to 35 minutes) and is centered around a short narrative.
On a website called depict.org , I found a series of short films that are created to be around 90 seconds. One of my favourites is Cool Unicorn Bruv which you can watch here. The whole production has been edited to 1.40 and manages to provide entertainment in the little time provided. I personally find, the shorter the film, the more engaged your audience will be, because they would not get bored easily. I aim to make my short film around 5 minutes so that is concise and meets the duration convention. Although this particular short film was great, it lacked more depth from their actors, which is why I aim to make my short film a little longer.
2. Budget
A short film is usually produced on the cheaper side as they are aimed to be a short amount of time, therefore, their priorities differ. This is often reflected in their mise-en-scene and location. Hardly any short films would use a well known actor as short films are known to be low profile.
An example of a low budget film is Western Spaghetti. This short film is lowbudget as it does not include any fancy locations,actors or props. The producer has taken household items and created a abstract type of spaghetti. Other short films may not be surreal in this concept, but can still be low budget. You can create a shortfilm with very little spending as long as there is a clear narrative. For my own shortfilm, I would also use household items if any props are needed. This would make my short film much more realistic and also cheap!
3. Storylines
One key convention in a short film, is a strong storyline. They are usually simple and easy to follow as there isn't a long amount of time to explain to the audience. However, some short films are bizzare and can also lack a storyline. Some many follow a strict narrative such as Todorov's theory, where as some are non-linear.
'What's wrong Jimmy?' is an enjoyable shortfilm based on a super simple concept! Jimmy was known for always putting his hand up in class when he was younger, always asking questions, and one day he is stuck with his in the air, forever. The storyline is very basic yet humorous , so it is very easy for the audience to endure entertainment with. The narrative is non-linear as he refers back to his past quite often, and then he speaks back into the present day. I felt like this structure made the shortfilm much more understandable and unique as it explained a storyline rather just stating his condition. In my own shortfilm , I am aiming for a very simple storyline to ensure my audience are aware of its message. However, I am still undecided on the structure being non-linear or linear.
4. Characters
Short films are based on a live piece of action rather than a character's past, therefore the characters need to be strongly connoted to the audience so they can grown to like the character in the short time frame. Short films often use only 1-3 key characters so we can be more familiar to them.
The above short film, Flashbacks, is centered around the death of a young girl. Although the narrative itself is touching, the constant use of flashbacks made the shortfilm more amateur and more like a music video. The characters did not stand out to me and would of been composed much better if there were no flashbacks and we could learn more about the characters rather than a series of action. In my own shortfilm I would work towards making my characters stand out and to get my audience to identify with them, I feel like dialogue would be a better way to do this, with a series of live action that the audience could follow along with, rather than past action that the audience could not identify the character with.
5. Twist
A 'twist' feature is part of a short film narrative. To begin a short film , usually a twist is introduced in the beginning of the short film so the narrative can play on from there , rather than creating an equilibrium which used in full length films as they have more time to play with.
The short film Baklava uses the twist convention right at the beginning of the short film. The couple are on a game show and they lose the free hoildays - therefore the short film loses any wasted time on explaining a storyline as it shows us very quickly and effectively , what happens and the aftermath. The shortfilm was cleverly executed as we are cut straight to the couple at a diner.Having a twist in the beginning of the short film allows you to use the time much more wisely on a narrative and character profile. For my short film, I will place the twist at the very beginning so I can center my shortfilm around it rather than waste time building up to it, which is unconventional of a short film.
6. Abstract creativity
Short films are often created by imaginative individuals who want to express themselves. Their short films are often used to display ideology , whether that be dominant , emerging or even oppositional. The idea of a short film is to allow different film makers be able to produce something that is creative for them.
The short film Jupiter | | is completely abstract as we unaware of what the storyline is ,and there seems to be mystery to the message. Short films are often aimed towards the more artsy and intellectual film makers who would enjoy these type of short films because they allow you to think anything you want. There is no preferred reading for most shortfilms because they tend to be abstract so they can enforce discussion or perhaps build a message from there. This shortfilm was abstract as there was no indication of what the consequences of the actors actions were and there was also no dialogue to help send a message across to the audience. In my shortfilm, I think an abstract idea would make my audience think more , making them more active as they would discuss the reason behind my production and what inspired it. More recognition would be given to an abstract idea rather than a simple one, as there would be more questions to it.
7. Niche
Short films are known to be low profile, therefore they do not cater for everyone and are often aimed at more intellectual individuals. This is due to the fact they lack traditional sellability and can often be perceived as an antagonist against mainstream culture.
Niche In The Market is exactly what the name suggests - Niche! Short films are often low profile, therefore their target audience is very niche and can vary between each short film.It is a mainstream mannerism to watch full length films in the cinema rather than a short film because they get less recognition. 'Niche In The Market' follows three markets in Brixton,London. This would not appeal to everyone because it is about the culture in London specifically - therefore , not everyone would identify with it. This shortfilm is therefore Niche as its only made for the London audience. I would try to make my shortfilm cater to everyone so I can build a bigger target audience.
8. Emotional
A short film is made to be emotional by reflecting a strong narrative or character that the audience would sympathise with. This is often used to convey a strong message that could also bring a discussion from the audience as they could reflect their own thoughts and feelings and possibly even experience to the short film itself.
'Shadows of Time' is an emotional short film because it is based on a real life tragedy - the 7/7 bombings in London. The music is gentle and does not overpower the imagery itself ,leaving more room for the audience to focus on the narrative. The narrative itself does however, include flashbacks. Although this is seen as a big NO in the short film world, it works very effectively. The flash backs help us understand the protagonists experience and grief as we begin to sympathise with her loss. To be honest , I did shed a tear because it was based on a real life tragedy that affected so many families. I felt like the flashbacks and her hallucinations of her partner made me feel more emotionally involved with the short film because I know the protagonist herself was hurting. In my own short film , I would love to create something equally emotional that could get my audience react, just like I did. The strongest way to really grab your audience is by getting them to become mentally involved , and the best way for this is to get them to feel a strong sense of emotion, whether this be crestfallen or even happy. A great idea is to also center my short film on perhaps a real life event.
9. Sound
Short films are made to be simplistic , therefore they often use minimal dialogue. One way a short film can inform their audience through out the production is via voice over.
'The Question?' uses sound as a key convention throughout the production as it uses a voice over to explain exactly what the protagonist is thinking. Using a voice over rather than a dialogue makes the audience feel more involved with the storyline as the protagonist is speaking directly to us, rather than an actor. At the very beginning of the shortfilm , we hear an eery sound along with the imagery of a black building, which creates a sense of enigma to the audience as they wonder what is inside. It is inside the building that the short film takes full effect , and the music helps define the isolation it is in, rather than the character discussing it. The soundtrack used reminds me of a game. The game like music along side the protagonist acting upon actions, gives a sense of routine which helps highlight how he is 'slaving away...day in and day out'. The music is simple yet effective and sounds almost sci-fi, which mirrors the questioning theme that the short film is about. In my own shortfilm , I am going to experiment with all sorts of sound effect , from a foley sound to just a simple sound track ans SFX. This way I can my short film much more interesting and unique as it uses different types of sound , which is very effective in calling in the audiences attention.
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