WHY ARE SHORT FILMS IMPORTANT?

*PREVIOUS PRESENTATION*

You’ll have noticed that the last presentation (not documented on film) I did described the genre I’ve chosen to base my own short film on. This genre is Sci-Fi film. I’ve said before how it’s a challenge to choose such as genre but I am determined to use the resources and facilities/ equipment I have in order to produce a film that can come at least close to the impact of major-budget short film. It’s unlikely this might happen but as long as the process of creating a short film (particularly Sci-Fi) develops my experience, then it can’t be an unforgivable option to turn towards.

INSTITUTIONS

To institutions, what’s most salient about short films is how they allow companies to promote a full length feature film. An institution uses a short film as a teaser in order to get an idea for the success that can be attained from producing a major film. For example, Warp Films created the short film ‘Dog Altogether’, receiving multiple awards, and this then acted as a preliminary film to ‘Tyrannosaur’. Therefore what we can say about short films is that they are important as the success gained informs an institution of how much critical acclaim can be expected for a full length feature film. It also builds hype. Thus in both building hype and procuring an idea of success, short films allow institutions to see how much capital can be gained, without the threat of making a loss in profit.

AUDIENCES

Short films are important to audiences because they create hype. Fundamentally short films offer a pre-cursor to a full-length film (as explained) and by creating them the audience can become interested in the short film and therefore feel supportive of the following film. The benefit here is that the consumer receives information about a possible full-length film, which is exciting.

Essentially the audience will be looking for something exciting and short films offer this.

The only exception to the benefit I outlined is that in most cases institutions aren’t the ones creating short films, rather the producers/directors are amateurs (prosumers) on YouTube. Due to the rising success of short films the benefit of creating short films for audiences is that it’s possible for them to create short films with award-winning potential, therefore creating a profit themselves.