Everything you need to know about short films
Short films, a genre that has become popular in recent times, are films that can be any length between 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the critic asked. The earliest short films were usually simple, usually comic but with time, short films have evolved into a genre of their own and are now more about the controversial or the obscure topic.
Social, cultural and political issues are popular themes of the genre. They have created their niche in the film industry, which works similarly as feature films with mainstream and popular short films or lesser-known short films that are works of art.
They are commonly released and premiered at film festivals and art theatres, which signify the genres place in the world of art and movies. They are also treated as stepping-stones for young directors and starting actors. Due to most short films having a low budget, the risks of failure are significantly less than typical feature films and are the perfect avenue to showcase or discover upcoming talent.
Short films are also showcased as bonus features for feature films. Sometimes they can be used to resolve a minor conflict or shed light on an unresolved theme of the feature film or even give the audience a glimpse of the aftermath of the conclusion of the original storyline.
Where can you find and watch short films?
With the current advancement in tech, short films can be easily viewed online too, especially those which are released online. Some online websites have databases of short films as separate genres. There are also websites solely focused on short movies where you can only watch short films.
The key differences between short and feature films
No doubt, they are definitely still films, but they differ significantly from feature films. Besides the short length, short films are also structurally and script-wise different, more indie so to speak. The structure of short films has been now experimented with, but usually, it follows the simplest structure of introduction, conflict and resolution.
As short films are short in length, long scripts are avoided. A short film screenplay just focuses on the theme and concept. Presented scenes are explored way more in depth as compared to feature films. However, on the flip side it is harder to introduce a lot of characters in short films and develop them with the storyline as is the case with feature films.
How impactful can short films be?
The question that is raised then is, how can their short length deliver a powerful and lasting effect on the audience? The answer to this very important question lies in the capability of the directors and particularly their research. The theme needs to be well thought out as that would then lead to better storytelling.
Usually, a short film has one major issue that is explained or shown through a character. This singular focus makes it easier to affect the audience, as they do not have to follow a complicated story.
Filmmakers are exploring this genre and using experimental techniques to stand out and awe audiences. This has now become easier because of easy to access film-editing technology and software, and online release has made outreach easier and wider than before.
