what are short films?

SHORT FILMS Tyra chuck

WHAT ARE SHORT FILMS ? Short films, or shots, are films of a short duration (40 minuets or less)

Simplistic yet are interestingly executed narrative plot .

Short films are can be an independent or relatively low budget films that young or upcoming film director use as a way to gain experience and further establish their work in the film industry.

This could help them generate future film opportunities, such as making a feature length film.

SHORT FILM EXAMPLES- PIXAR

• short films can also be produced by established film/animation companies such as Pixar, who have an increasingly higher budget compared to ‘rookie film makers’ such as James Wan his shot for ‘Saw’

• Shots can generate film industry attraction while seeking establishment, attract greater financial investments, and encourage feature lengths…

SHORT FILM JUMP STARTS

(2003)

• Many short films can be used to jump start a feature length film. Here are some examples:

(2004)

Example #1:• Director, Jared Hess, made a 7 minuet black and white short film called

‘Peluca’ which was about a character named Seth; which was changed for the feature when the character Seth, still played by Jon Heder, became Napoleon Dynamite.

Saw Short Film (2003)

Saw Feature Length(2004)

• James Wan took the head trap scene in the original shot for ‘Saw’, and used it as the opening to its feature length to incise investors.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING A SHORT…

1. Try to keep the short as short as possible (between 15 minuets or less) to avoid it being…

TIME CONSUMING

COSTLY!!!


2. Show, don’t tell…

• Film is a visual medium, you communicate with using images, so when making a short film be cautious about making it ‘too

chatty’

• Eg: If a character is being a bully, visually communicate them picking on someone rather than using extended and excessive dialogue that is not necessary when portraying characters and exhibiting your short film.


3. An interesting/engaging opening…

ACTION

CONFLICT

INTERESTING CAMERA SHOT

• This should be something powerful and engaging that will hook your audience and keep their attention.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SHOT? What makes a good short film?

There are a number of factors and aspects to take into consideration when making a shot film that should stimulate or grab the attention of your consumer/ target audience, in order to gain success at a high quality standard.

•Strong narrative script

•Original and compelling idea/theme/concept

•Strong Visuals

•Engage the audience

•Keep the audience asking questions