Research Task - Chosen Media

WHAT IS A SHORT FILM?

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. Although no consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits".

Short films generally follows a protagonist as they face a dilemma, the film will watch it unfold and be resolved. They tend to follow simple plots due to the limited running time. It is rare for a short film to include lots of character development as there isn't enough time to fully introduce characters. 

Short films were first introduced in 1910 as comedy serials, created by comedians as Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. 

WHAT ARE THE KEY ASPECTS OF A SHORT FILM?

NARRATIVE:

• Short films tend to only have two to three characters at most, this is due to the limited running time. There isn't time to introduce multiple characters in such a short time period as it would confuse the audience and make them uninterested.
• Short films tend to focus on plot more frequently than character development. Due to the short length there isn't time for the audience to see a change in the behaviour of a character. Its also hard for the audience to build a relationship and care so quickly for the character, this would make them uninterested in the development and difference in them.
• Short films tend to stick in the same locations to keep the plot as simple as possible but still entertaining for the audience. 
• Many short films take the idea of a plot which follows an ordinary mundane task that the audience will relate to and putting an interesting spin on it. 
• Todorov's film theory of equilibrium can be applied to short films as there is generally a problem or conflict half way through the film which is revealed at the end. 

BUDGET:

• Short films tend to have a smaller budget due to their independent nature, therefore its unusual to see expensive props and lots of extras as it would be too costly for the production.   
• Short films also tend to stick to few if not one location due to their low budget. 
• Actors tend to be inexperienced a younger inn age as they are cheaper to hire, which can also limit the 'star appeal' of the short film. 
• Thye tend to be lower quality than larger productions, this is because they tend to have to use cheaper lower quality filming equipment due to their small budget. 
• Budget can also affect the score for the film as the creators don't have to money to hire an artist to create original music, therefore they end up using copyright free music but this can affect the overall quality of the film when compared with a feature length film. 

EDITING AND MIS EN SCENE:

• It is rare to see VFX and Special Effects to be used in a short film due to their small budget.
• Voiceovers are popular within short films as they can tell a story

GENRE:

• Short films can be either animated or live action, therefore not putting a limit on the the choice of genre. 
• A short film can be any genre.