What is Short Film
A film that is too short to be considered a Feature Film. 'The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' define short films as "An original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits."
The History of Short Films
A timeline of Key Moments/People in History who contributed to the Short Film Industry.
1882 - Etienne-Jules Marey
Creator of the “Chronophotographic gun”. This gun captured 12 consecutive frames per second which allowed him to create high speed films of 60 images per second. 1890 - Le Prince Creator the the first moving picture on paper film, using a single lens camera. However, Edison was credited for his work as he disappeared. 1895 - 1907 - Lumiere Brothers Creators of the first films which were no longer than a minute 1903 - Edwin Stanton Porter An American film pioneer. Famous director of silent films such as; ‘The Great Train Robbery’ 1919 - 1930 - Charlie Chaplin Filmmaker, comedian, screenplay writer, composer, editor and director. Famous for slapstick short films. Although sound was available he chose to use silent films as he preferred it. 1958 - French New Wave New wave refers to a group of French filmmakers between 50s and 60s. Known for discontinued editing, fragmented and long takes. Most famous film: 400 Blows. 1963 - Martin Scorsese Director, producer, actor and screenwriter. Is an award winning director and has been named one of the greatest directors of all time. Known for ‘Taxi’ and ‘Good Fella’s’ however he started off by making short films. 1978 - Present - Sundance Film Festival The most established film festival. Founded in 1978 by Sterling Van Wagenen. Many short films have been displayed by ‘artsy’ film makers however, they do not always gain recognition. 1979 - Ridley Scott Director/Producer known for working on ‘Alien’ and ‘Blade Runner’ however, he has also created several short films. His style has influenced many other directors. 1982 - Tim Burton Director, producer, writer, poet, artist and animator. Burton is known for blockbusters such as ‘Edward Scissorhands’ and ‘Batman Return’ however he begun by making 13 short films after being fired from Disney. 2011 - Youtube Youtube launched an online short film festival which would allow winners to participate in the Venice film festival. This was done in order to find fresh talent and to cement themselves as the number one location for video on demand. |
Short Films have evolved drastically over time. In the beginning they were the norm and were the highest standard and were only made by a small amount of people, whereas now short films are low budget and can be made and published by anybody thanks to mobile phones and YouTube. However, this has caused a significant portion of short films to be made in very low quality due to how accessible equipment is nowadays.
Theory
TODOROV'S THEORY of EQUILIBRIUM
Todorov defined 5 different stages in a narrative: Stage 1 - Equilibrium (Referring to whatever the norm of the world is, this is shown through exposition) Stage 2 - A disruption of equilibrium by an event Stage 3 - Recognition that the disruption has taken place Stage 4 - An attempt to repair damage of disruption (to restore equilibrium) Stage 5 - The return to stage 1 equilibrium or a new equilibrium The Exposition referred to in Stage 1 is how the scene is set (Where? When? Who? What genre? etc.) This is shown through a series of markers that allow for quick and economical delivery of information to the audience: |
Geographical Markers
Temporal Markers Historical Markers Generic Markers Character Markers |
> The location
> Time of Day > Era in History > What genre the film is > Information on characters |
However there are ways that directors have subverted Todorov's theory. Subversion refers to going against stereotypical expectations in films, for example:
Flashback - Where an event from the past is is referred back to
Flash-forward - Where an event from the future is shown before the natural timeline
Twist - Where part of the film is unpredictable (for example the Hero dying)
Parallel Narrative - Where the stories of two or more protagonists move alongside each other, without them meeting
Flashback - Where an event from the past is is referred back to
Flash-forward - Where an event from the future is shown before the natural timeline
Twist - Where part of the film is unpredictable (for example the Hero dying)
Parallel Narrative - Where the stories of two or more protagonists move alongside each other, without them meeting
Research into the theory of equilibrium is necessary in the creation of any story and of all the packages it is most prominent in the short film and film promotion package, as in both one must create a story in its entirety, the only difference is that in the film promotion package you only need to show certain key moments whereas in the short film package you must show the story in its entirety.
Todorov's theory of equilibrium will aid in creating a clear narrative that is easy to follow for the audience, however it may be difficult to show all 5 stages clearly due to the limited amount of time.
Todorov's theory of equilibrium will aid in creating a clear narrative that is easy to follow for the audience, however it may be difficult to show all 5 stages clearly due to the limited amount of time.
PROPP'S CHARACTER THEORY
Propp's character theory shows that there are 8 different character types: Hero - The protagonist (the main character) typically is the "good guy" Villain - The antagonist, typically is the "bad guy" Dispatcher - The one who makes the Hero aware of the problem, issues the quest Helper - The sidekick to the Hero Princess / Prize - The Hero's goal / prize, usually withheld by responsibility Donor - The one who prepares the Hero for their quest False Hero - Tries to steal the Hero's place, taking the Princess / Prize Father - Acts to reward the Hero for his/her efforts, sometimes with the princess |
Propp's character theory in relation to short films is more difficult to apply as there is a very limited amount of time in order to develop and introduce characters. However, some character types are becoming increasingly less popular as stories are evolving and they are no longer needed, or multiple character types are played by the same person. This will aid me in creating a narrative for my short film that is logical
CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS
Levi-Strauss founded the idea that conflict drives narrative (the story). The term for this is Binary Opposition, this is because they tend to be polar opposites. Furthermore, he states that one must be able to identify a narratives equal and opposite to make sense of any narrative, and how this conflict is resolved determines the moral ideology of the text (film) and usually reflects the views of society. Example of Conflict in Films:
Applying Levi-Strauss' idea of conflict on a basic level should be relatively simple however, it is likely that I would not be able to do a fully developed conflict in the 5 minutes.
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BARTHES - ENIGMA CODE
Barthes talked about how enigma is used in films in order to "hook" audiences, this is done through mystery and ambiguity throughout the film. This makes the audience feel compelled or "hooked" and must finish the film in order to uncover the enigma. Genres that stereotypical contain the most enigmas are: Thriller - One must create a lot of tension and suspense in order to keep the audience engaged Crime - Directors aim to simulate the same mystery that detectives/cops would feel whilst investigating, and prevent revealing a culprit until the end. |
I believe the enigma code is the most important of all the Theories in relation to short films. Because there is such a limited amount of time (5 minutes), one would aim to capture the full attention of their audience for the entirety of the time.
Types of Short Films
There are several genres in film and they translate directly into short films however, there are a variety of sub-genres that are more specific than their overarching main themes.
These main themes include:
Action / Adventure - A film designed for the sake of escapism. This is created through the implementation of; fight scenes, stunts and continuous fast paced action.
Comedy - A film with the aim to make the audience laugh through humor however, so are made with dark humor and are less lighthearted. Tend to have happy endings.
Crime / Gangster - A film developed around the conflict between the law and criminals, can be found from both perspectives. Also known to be taken from true events.
Drama - A film that portrays real life situations, done to show both the best and worst of people. Can be fiction or based or real events.
Historical - A film based off of historic / past events. Tend to be drama but aim to simulate life in the past.
Horror - A film that is created in order to frighten the audience, often playing off of common phobias or other unsettling creatures/people.
Musical - A film created to display the combination of music, dance and song. Alongside of a narrative that comes from other main genres.
Romance - A film that focuses of emotions, more specifically passion and lust. Typically follows a story of love.
Sci-Fi - A film that is (typically) set in futuristic environments. Aims to create a foreseeable / unrealistic future filled with advanced technology. Occurs alongside other genres.
These main themes include:
Action / Adventure - A film designed for the sake of escapism. This is created through the implementation of; fight scenes, stunts and continuous fast paced action.
Comedy - A film with the aim to make the audience laugh through humor however, so are made with dark humor and are less lighthearted. Tend to have happy endings.
Crime / Gangster - A film developed around the conflict between the law and criminals, can be found from both perspectives. Also known to be taken from true events.
Drama - A film that portrays real life situations, done to show both the best and worst of people. Can be fiction or based or real events.
Historical - A film based off of historic / past events. Tend to be drama but aim to simulate life in the past.
Horror - A film that is created in order to frighten the audience, often playing off of common phobias or other unsettling creatures/people.
Musical - A film created to display the combination of music, dance and song. Alongside of a narrative that comes from other main genres.
Romance - A film that focuses of emotions, more specifically passion and lust. Typically follows a story of love.
Sci-Fi - A film that is (typically) set in futuristic environments. Aims to create a foreseeable / unrealistic future filled with advanced technology. Occurs alongside other genres.
All of the genres listed above are possible to complete for my short film package however, I need to weigh out the pros and the cons in order to make an educated choice.
GENRE
Action / Adventure Comedy Crime / Gangster Drama Historical Horror Musical Romance Sci-Fi |
PROS
Most appealing to audience. Allows variety of close ups and long shots. Most entertaining to audience (if done correctly). Simple in comparison to other genres. Variety of different humor Many possibilities for the story. Allows for a variety of camera shots/techniques. Many possibilities for the story. Props/Set/Actors will be easy to get as it would most likely be naturalistic. Allows camera skills. Variety of genres can fall under this. Allows for a wide range of camera skills/techniques. Can have a complete story (suspense/cliffhanger if unfinished) Allows for a wide range of camera skills/techniques. Simple story compared to other genres (stereotypical) Tends to go alongside other genres (e.g. comedy, drama, crime). Can have a complete story. Allows camera skills to be used. Allows the display of variety of skills in editing and filming. Can go alongside other genres (e.g. Sci-Fi, Historical) |
CONS
Likely to have unfinished or rushed story. Choreography / quality is not guaranteed Humor mustn't be too select or else it will lose its appeal. Doesn't allow variety of camera shots. Realistic props would be required (e.g. guns) as well as sets Likely to have an unfinished or rushed story. Unable to get historically accurate props / sets If done incorrectly, could unintentionally be a comedic horror movie Unable to write/choreograph groups or individuals in order to create an original musical Story may not be accepted by audience due to "falseness" of romance Require high level of editing in order to create realism in the short film. |
After weighing the pros and the cons for the selection of my genre, I shortlisted genres which were most appealing or could be combined together:
Drama - Drama is a very broad genre which accompanies and goes well with several other genres. Furthermore is the one genre that can most easily create verisimilitude in order to draw in the largest audience and allow them to relate and connect to the story and its characters. However I must be cautious when creating the narrative in order to ensure that the story can come to some sort of an end, be it a finished story or a cliffhanger or else the story will not have a positive reception with the audience.
Sci-Fi - Sci-Fi is one of the few genres that will allow me to display the largest amount of editing skills due to the implementation of special effects/CGI whilst still allowing me to use a wide range of camera shots/techniques. However, Sci-Fi is also a genre which can very easily be messed up, this is because if the CGI isn't of high enough quality the audience will begin to lose interest as well as the belief that whatever is portrayed in the short film is a foreseeable future.
Drama - Drama is a very broad genre which accompanies and goes well with several other genres. Furthermore is the one genre that can most easily create verisimilitude in order to draw in the largest audience and allow them to relate and connect to the story and its characters. However I must be cautious when creating the narrative in order to ensure that the story can come to some sort of an end, be it a finished story or a cliffhanger or else the story will not have a positive reception with the audience.
Sci-Fi - Sci-Fi is one of the few genres that will allow me to display the largest amount of editing skills due to the implementation of special effects/CGI whilst still allowing me to use a wide range of camera shots/techniques. However, Sci-Fi is also a genre which can very easily be messed up, this is because if the CGI isn't of high enough quality the audience will begin to lose interest as well as the belief that whatever is portrayed in the short film is a foreseeable future.
Institutions in Short Film Industry
A large issue in terms of researching institutions in the short films is because a majority of short films are independently made and tend to solely rely on institutions in terms of distribution through events such as film festivals or other online means.
ShortsTV - Production, Exhibition, Distribution, Marketing
ShortsTV is an branch of Shorts International Ltd. (Based in London, England) which aim to create and distribute short films to wider audience. ShortsTV has the world's largest catalogue of high quality short films which can be accessed; on television 24/7 in the US and Europe, Online in over |
90 countries, and in theaters in order to produce and distribute the annual Oscar Nominated Short Films theatrical release. Finally, ShortsTV aid in the production of short films of their own as well as those of smaller institutions in order to create high quality short films to better and grow the short film industry.
Show Me Shorts - Production, Exhibition
Show Me Shorts is a New Zealand found short film festival/institution that aims to create and cultivate a short film infrastructure in New Zealand. In order to do so they provide workshops and a variety of lectures in order to inform and educate young film makers as to how to create short films. They then follow on from this by providing young aspiring film makers with the funding and equipment in order for them to go out and create their own short films. |
Film Festivals - Exhibition
Annually the Sundance Institute host the Sundance film festival in the USA and is the largest independent film festival in the United States. Within the Sundance Film Festival they have a variety of different categories for all films, one of these is the Short Film category. The Sundance Film Festival is a way that independent developers can showcase their short films in order to gain appropriate recognition for short films that have hopes of becoming full feature length films. Without festivals such as Sundance, Cannes Film Festival, Aspen Shortfest, short films would be unable to be recognized and independent developers wouldn't grow. |
Short films that are successful at film festivals can receive a variety of awards, for example the current short film that has the largest number of awards is an Argentine short film called "Luminaris" by Pablo Zaramella with a total of 327 international awards whilst also being nominated for others, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film 2011.
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Regulations
Short films are ones that push the boundaries of regulation/classification as they do not need to fall under theater rules and regulations. This leads to controversial films that would not be allowed in theaters if they were feature length films. For "The Cat With Hands" By Robert Morgan.
This film features a cat wishing to become human, he does by stealing the body parts of people and eating them, starting with a young boy.
The film includes a mix of life action as well as 3D stop motion animation whilst showing a flashback to a young boy first meeting the cat. Under Theater Regulations this film would not be allowed to be screened in cinemas due to the gore and violence that is displayed however, as it is a short film it does not need to go through classification and doesn't receive an age restriction such as feature length films which are required to do so. |
Comparing Short Films
Below are 3 short films I found on shortsoftheweek.com all around 5 mins long. I searched for films that would be similar length as well as have key ideas that would appeal to my target audience:
Strange Beasts - 5 min
Key ideas: Augmented reality Award winning Plot twist/revelation Technology pros and cons Strange Beast is a short film centered around augmented reality, more specifically in the form of a game called "Strange Beasts". The film begins like an advert/interview, the founder speaking of the game using a clear and confident tone whilst describing the game however, as the film goes on the music changes from an upbeat tune to a somewhat eerie one. All this before a final revelation of the truth/falseness of augmented reality and the illusion it creates. |
This film follows Barthes’ enigma code as an aura of anonymity is created through the use of music mentioned previously. Furthermore, this film appeals to the theory of Utopian possibilities by providing a “fantastical” way of living however, as you watch the film you realize how this is too good to be true and once you have this realization you begin questioning how could this possibly turn out negatively? By this point, you’ve been hooked by the enigma code.
The Answers- 8 min
"Future technologies" Infinite knowledge Life after death The Answers is a short film that follows the experiences of a man who has just died and is currently in a form of limbo. Within this space he can ask any question possible. Asking about his life, facts, other people’s lives. Some are obscure and funny, others give insight to his life and his emotions all before providing him with the answers he’s been searching for. |
This film follows the uses and gratification model developed by McQuail, Blumer and Brown. This theory describes how people actively watch to seek particular gratifications / pleasures. In regards to this short film it appeals to the millions of answered question we ask in our lifetime and how we wish to know them. No matter how potentially painful we as humans are always seeking the truth and this film allows people to experience this. The effect it further enhanced by intimacy created by the constant close up of the protagonist.
This film has one primary set up which is used throughout, this consists of camera at eye level with a ring light around it. This ring lights creates a white glow around the protagonist's pupils, connoting a sense of evolution or transcendence which is reflective of both the genre (sci-fi) as well as the theme of this particular short film (after death). The idea of being in purgatory is further enhanced by the high key lighting which partially blurs the outline of the protagonist which helps draw our focus towards his expressions as well as the light in his eyes. The excessive negative space also connotes the sense of isolation and develop a deeper connection between the viewers and the protagonist as the only thing that he can look at is us. This is emphasized when he starts turning trying to see if there is anything around him, only to find himself looking directly into the camera each time.
In order to clearly establish the gap in time between the flashbacks and his current situation the protagonist has a scruffy beard, this prevents the audience from being confused and assuming that this is set shortly after the break up seen in the flashback. The beard also reflects how he as an individual changed after the breakup as we saw several memories but all included him being clean shaven which could show the importance of him maintaining image for her.
Throughout the film there are several key moments when the tone changes, these changes are created through a combination of changes of sound and lighting. One of the most noticeable is after Nathan answers his own question about how many waves he's surfed, the tone changes very quickly from serious and insightful which was supported by his speech and looking into the distance as well as the music choice to something completely off topic by having the music glitch to a stop and have the lens flare that was previously cast across his face disappears. The music is then replaced with a fast paced tune that matches his enthusiasm whilst asking several less important and thought inducing questions.
The next change occurs towards the end of the film when he begins having his own revelations about the truth behind the possibilities of his failed relationship and how important Paige truly was to him. This change is done through a change of pace that is shown in the longer sequences of flashbacks that are much slower paced than before as well as the change in music to a progressive piece that climaxes as we reach the end of the film before coming to an abrupt end along with the shutting of a door on his relationship.
This film has one primary set up which is used throughout, this consists of camera at eye level with a ring light around it. This ring lights creates a white glow around the protagonist's pupils, connoting a sense of evolution or transcendence which is reflective of both the genre (sci-fi) as well as the theme of this particular short film (after death). The idea of being in purgatory is further enhanced by the high key lighting which partially blurs the outline of the protagonist which helps draw our focus towards his expressions as well as the light in his eyes. The excessive negative space also connotes the sense of isolation and develop a deeper connection between the viewers and the protagonist as the only thing that he can look at is us. This is emphasized when he starts turning trying to see if there is anything around him, only to find himself looking directly into the camera each time.
In order to clearly establish the gap in time between the flashbacks and his current situation the protagonist has a scruffy beard, this prevents the audience from being confused and assuming that this is set shortly after the break up seen in the flashback. The beard also reflects how he as an individual changed after the breakup as we saw several memories but all included him being clean shaven which could show the importance of him maintaining image for her.
Throughout the film there are several key moments when the tone changes, these changes are created through a combination of changes of sound and lighting. One of the most noticeable is after Nathan answers his own question about how many waves he's surfed, the tone changes very quickly from serious and insightful which was supported by his speech and looking into the distance as well as the music choice to something completely off topic by having the music glitch to a stop and have the lens flare that was previously cast across his face disappears. The music is then replaced with a fast paced tune that matches his enthusiasm whilst asking several less important and thought inducing questions.
The next change occurs towards the end of the film when he begins having his own revelations about the truth behind the possibilities of his failed relationship and how important Paige truly was to him. This change is done through a change of pace that is shown in the longer sequences of flashbacks that are much slower paced than before as well as the change in music to a progressive piece that climaxes as we reach the end of the film before coming to an abrupt end along with the shutting of a door on his relationship.
This film heavily explores the hypodermic needle model which describes how media texts such as advertisements wish to inject a message directly into your head (assuming you are a passive audience). This film aims to combat how media is using the evolution of technology to transform us into passive creatures that simply accept whatever it is they feed us, this is further shown in the revelation at the end of the film.
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Hyper-Reality - 6 min
Augmented Reality International Technology pros an cons Near future This is a short film following part a Spanish lady’s which goes awry when her augmented reality starts glitching out. This is a world in which technology has taken over and can be seen in every aspect of their lives, to the point where their vision is being clouded by advertisements and notifications. Some aspects of the augmented reality do not enhance one’s life, they have little to no purpose other than obscuring and distracting us. As the film progresses the technology fails and a bleak world is revealed which reflects the idea that although the world through technology may be nicer and more colorful our reality is still there, ever present and no matter how much we hide it, it will still be there. |
Audience Testing
In order to create a short film that would appeal to my target audience i conducted audience testing based upon the genres that I established earlier in my research. I created a survey using google forms in order to send it to multiple people at the same time. I asked participants to simply select which genre they found most appealing within their age group:
From these results I was able to establish which genre I would create a film for. To have a more specific area of interest within my genre I chose to look at: future technologies in the present or near future. This involves ideas/concepts that exist now but are currently quite limited, this means that the ideas I create will be building on these existing concepts or by creating my own that are inspired by/similar to those already existing.