Harry Fleetwood

Codes and Conventions – Short Films

Short films are any film short enough to not be considered a feature film in terms of length. The length of the film is what distinguishes if it falls into the short film category. Typically a short film will be around the 20 minute mark allowing the audience enough time to build a bond with the characters and understand the plot. Technically a short film can last anything up to 40 minutes, past that point it’s really pushing the limits of what defines a short film.

The storylines in Short films are normally a lot more simple than the ones in feature films because of the span of time the film is going to last. A complicated plot simply cannot be explained and grasped by the audience in a 20 minute short film. For example producers of the film “Inception” would struggle to explain the plot of the film in a time frame of 20 minutes or less. The short film I will be creating will be around 5 minutes in length meaning the plot has to be simple to an extent so the audience can understand it. The narrative in my film will therefore have to be fairly condensed and there will be limited dialogue if any. Most short films have very condensed dialogue because of the length of their short film. Having very little dialogue isn’t necessarily a disadvantage or an advantage; it can be beneficial depending on the genre. I personally intend to create a short film falling into the genre of horror and thriller meaning that limited speech can help with the tension building. Short films combat the condensed dialogue normally through developing the characters through images and actions rather than long dialogue sequences which you see frequently in feature films.

The length of short films also affects the number of characters you can really introduce in the hopes of building a connection with the audience. Feature films can introduce multiple characters within the first 20 minutes of their films building a sense of connection with the audience. Unfortunately the time span considered the introduction in a feature film is near enough the total amount of time that short film producers have to play with for their entire piece. “CONTACT | (2015 Thriller Short Film)” was almost 15 minutes long and still managed to introduce a character who you feel attached to and build a storyline. Short films on average have 1 to 3 main characters, rarely more than 3, because the time they have to create backstory to the characters is limited. If characters were being introduced in short films the same way they are introduced in feature films the audience would be left feeling bombarded with information and new characters making them film distant rather than a connection.

(Below 1st scene of Contact in which the main character is introduced)

The shot used here is a panning shot slowly zooming in on the protagonist. This slow zooming in camera allows the audience to absorb the environment the protagonist lives in, this gives the audience an impression of the person.

Short films are full of twists and are more frequent in this genre than in the genre of feature films. Including a twist in the story line is a common convention in the short film genre. Admittedly not all short films include this convention an example of this would be “CONTACT | (2015 Thriller Short Film)”. This short film follows the storyline of a regular guy who buys a radio which randomly starts playing a voice reciting numbers. The protagonist then finds out that the numbers are coordinate so decides to go and find this location. The short film itself is rather typical and has been done numerous times before. The film is well produced though and includes lots of decent editing and camera angles. The film isn’t 100% mid shots, the shot types vary going from close ups to tilt downs and even extreme close ups. An example of a typical short film would be Red (2014 Psychological Thriller Mystery Short Film). The plot in this film is very different the previous example. The short film shows a bunch of people waking up and trying to figure out how to get out of a room. The twist in the film is that one of the characters is behind the whole situation.

This shot shows presumably the intended main character the one you feel the most attached to. You can tell this is the character you are meant to feel attached to because he is the first one shown and is shown throughout every scene in the short film.

Short films in many ways are freer in terms of creativity and abstraction. An example of the creativity in the short film genre is shown perfectly in Echoes (Thriller Short Film). In the short film the women sees an alternative reality effectively in the mirror and in a way it is the future which is a very abstract concept. Short films are no way near as expensive as feature films unless they are really extreme. They can be made up of a number of shots which in a feature film may see out of place. Short films therefor in a way offer an experimental branch of film. Short films also have a lot less pressure to make profit out of their piece so experimental shots and storylines are welcomed in a way. Well known directors such as Martin McDonagh and Tim Burton started their careers by creating short films. The whole plot to Red is very experimental in idea and practice. The short film is so experimental and unusual that once the film has finished, you are left wondering “what happens after that?” And “is there ever an end?”.

In terms of budget short films have a lot less funding than feature films. Because of this lack of funding a lot of short films can come across as amateur or homemade despite the well named director directing it. Short films normally however are not made by big names and instead are made by first time film makers and film makers with very little if any funding.

This shot taken out of red shows clearly that there are not very many props needed for this plot. This plot is designed in a very budget focused way so that minimal money is spent. A feature film company would be able to add lots more props because they have the money for it. The minimalistic setting is certainly a selling point to the creators of the short film. The whole short film takes part in one room which also saves a lot of money.

The audience for short films is a lot more niche for numerous reasons. Short films aren’t shown in cinemas or given very much publicity prior to release. Short films are largely accessible and most of the times are free which can attract a certain type of audience. Short films tend to be very specific with their genre and aren’t to money focused so can be free to aim their films at niche audiences.

Short films can connect to the audience in a way feature films cant. Short films tend to convey strong emotions to the viewer either in the form of laughter, pleasure, anger or sadness. Short films can be a lot more powerful because of the focus on emotion and particular topics in a short amount time leaving the viewer contemplating the film after it’s finished. Short films tend to create a strong focus on a particular character leaving the audience attached and feeling a sense of connection with the character.

Unlike feature films, short films are more accessible online and are normally free. Feature films can’t be free because they are out seeking profit. Short films aren’t so you can find most of them on free sites like YouTube which make minimal revenue. On YouTube if you to get a partnership with google you could earn $7.60 per 1,000 ad views which is nothing compared 1000 people going out and buying the film. Short films are mainly based on creativity and experimentation rather than profit. Personally I Think Red (2014 Psychological Thriller Mystery Short Film) was reasonably experimental and unique in plot. The thriller short was also uploaded to YouTube reinforcing that creators of these films aren’t seeking out money for their projects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLwDhH0I2Io - Red

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmzhu3hUjI0 - Contact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxHNWtqiT3A - Echoes