Short Films. By Kadeem Reid

What is a short film? When we hear the term short film we often think of film that last between 1 – 15 minutes long. Very true but you do get the odd film short that last 30 mins. We sometimes mistake short films for an actual genre of film, in fact it was used a generic term to describe all types of film when cinema first started. Short film rarely have huge budgets, therefore you wont see much cgi and special effects. So Hollywood studio lovers, be warned!

Conventions of short films After watching a few short films I have noticed that they tend to only have a few characters, this is a good idea as you do not have time to produce a back-story for an entire cast. A second point I found when watching short films, is that a lot of the time they have twist at the end, as it is a short film without a twist it would fail to leave a lasting impression on the viewer, I love a good twist! Short film directors often choose to use point of view camera angles, this because short films show us a segment of someone's lives, and it makes the audience feel part of there experiences.

Who Produces short films ? Most short films are made by independent film makers trying to promote themselves. As they have a low budget, directors will often edit the film themselves. Its now easier and cheaper to edit your own film by using your computer, you don’t have to spend large amounts of money on professional editors and editing software. Three cheers for imovie!!! Animators who want to try and get noticed may create short films and show reels to showcase their talents to an employer. Also students such as my self will embark on making a short film for there media studies or just for the fun of being a director, and if a person is serious about becoming a film director he or she will find it’s a good idea to start making short films in your own time as this shows of your skill, and dedication to the subject.

Where are short films screened? Short films are normally screened in small niche theatres, short films are also shown in large cinemas before the main film during the previews. Also we can now stream or download short films on sites such as you tube, here you can also view comments and see other peoples opinions. Another great place to view short films are short film festivals. These events are held all over the world it’s a great way to promote your self to film (nerds) enthusiasts.

Who watches short films? People who are most likely to watch short films are not bothered to sit through a 2 hour film. Also fans of short film are directors. People who use YouTube will find hundreds of short films for free, amongst other annoying virals. Film festivals are also a great place to view short films as a lot of people use these to promote themselves.

How are short films funded short films? Short films in Britain are mainly funded by the British film council and they get there money from the national lottery. Here are some other funding agencies: EM Media Film London Northern Film & Media Vision and Media Screen East Screen South Screen West Midlands Screen Yorkshire South West Screen R.I.P

The black hole.

The black hole is a short film that depicts a bored and tired office, who discover a piece of paper that allow him to reach through solid objects, his luck soon run out as greed gets the better of him, director Philip Samson & Olly Williams. Good points Story was simple. Editing a special effects are complicated but come across easy and simple One main character and no dialog. Bad points A bit depressing, as it shows a tired office worker finally getting some luck in life to have it all taken away.

Stripes.

Stripes Stripes is a 10 minute long drama which was made in It was directed and written by Sean Spencer and produced by Doug Holloway. It took place in one location, an apartment. There are 2 characters, one is an ex high school bully, and the other is the victim. Over the course of the morning, the 2 men violently reminisce about memories that still give the victim nightmares. It ends with sharp words and weapons. Good points.Bad points Unexpected twist at the end Strong consistent theme Used a basic idea Kept it short, did not try to compress a long film into a short one The idea was a bit over the top. I didn’t like the way the victim was at the end seen as a bad guy. I think that the whole torture scene was very over the top and made us feel sorry for the original bad guy.