conventions of short films

Brevity

Short films are distinguished by their brief duration, which typically ranges from a few minutes to approximately forty minutes. Because of this limitation, filmmakers are forced to distil their story to the bare minimum in order to deliver a strong message or arouse particular feelings in a condensed amount of time.

The Goddess of Spring:
9 minutes and 27 seconds

The Big Shave:
5 minutes and 51 seconds

Exploration of Themes

Short films frequently thoroughly and accurately examine a particular theme or idea because of their shorter running times. In order to rapidly captivate the audience, filmmakers must carefully select their subject matter, digging deep into the heart of their story.Short films frequently thoroughly and accurately examine a particular theme or idea because of their shorter running times. In order to rapidly captivate the audience, filmmakers must carefully select their subject matter, digging deep into the heart of their story.

Taking 'The Big Shave' as an example, we can see that it is trying to explore themes of perfectionism. Moreover, the self-destructive American involvement in the Vietnam War is symbolised by the young man's act of self-mutilation. The short only plays with these two themes in a very subtle way. Featured films on the other hand have multiple themes since they have more time to explore them.

Experimental Storytelling

Short films provide a platform for experimental storytelling techniques. Filmmakers can push the boundaries of traditional narratives, experimenting with structure, timelines, and visual styles to create a unique and memorable viewing experience.

Again taking the example of 'The Big Shave': the short film uses a single shot and concept to tackle themes of perfectionism implicitly. It goes against traditional narrative structures and direct story telling, instead opting for a more open ended interpretation.

Limited Character Development

While feature films have the luxury of extended runtimes to develop complex characters, short films demand concise character arcs. Filmmakers must establish relatable and compelling characters swiftly, often relying on visual and atmospheric elements to convey depth.

As we can see in 'The Goddess Of Spring', we have already established characters in the form of hades as the villain and persephone as the damsel in distress. At the end, even though hades lets persephone return to the overworld, he still isn't completely reform as he makes her promise to return to the underworld every 6 months, thus having limited development.

Resource Efficiency:

Short films are often produced with smaller budgets and resources compared to feature-length productions. This limitation encourages filmmakers to embrace creativity, innovative techniques, and resourcefulness to bring their vision to life.

Short Films VS Featured films

Runtime

The most apparent difference lies in the runtime. Short films are concise, ranging from a few minutes to around 40 minutes, while feature films typically have runtimes exceeding an hour and a half.

Narrative Structure

Feature films can explore complex and multi-layered narratives, allowing for in-depth character development and intricate plotlines. Short films, on the other hand, require a more focused and streamlined narrative.

Budget and Production

Feature films often boast larger budgets, enabling filmmakers to invest in elaborate sets, special effects, and star-studded casts. Constrained by smaller budgets, short films rely on creativity and resourcefulness to achieve their vision.

Distribution and Exposure

Feature films commonly enjoy wide theatrical releases and extended distribution networks. Short films, however, may find their audience through film festivals, online platforms, and niche screenings, limiting their exposure compared to feature-length productions

TYPES OF SHORT FILMS

Narrative Short Film

This, like any traditional plot-based piece of storytelling, is often fictional and scripted to present a dramatized version of a story. In other words, it is a “normal” movie with a shorter runtime. The best examples of these would be the live action and animated short film categories at the Oscars each year.

Documentary Short Film

A nonfiction and subject-focused film that presents an authentic exploration of a topic, person, place, or theme, just as feature documentaries do. Great examples of these are also featured as part of the annual Oscars nominations.

Avant-Garde Short Film

This is a very “film school” way of describing a more experimental, stylistic, or abstract motion picture that’s less focused on story or themes and more focused on mood, tone, and aesthetics. Although “avant-garde” is a largely subjective term, this type of short film is typically reserved for teasers, sizzle reels, proofs of concept, and other needs within the industry.

Short Film Analysis

"Betty Boop's Rise to Fame" (1934)

During my research into the live-action + animation genre, I stumbled across the short film “Betty boop’s rise to fame” produced by Fleischer Studios. This black and white short film centers around the famous cartoon character betty boop and the artist behind her, max Fliescher, giving an interview during Betty’s rising popularity in the 1930s. A reporter questions Max Fleischer about Betty Boop in a live-action scene. Fleischer dutifully draws Betty "out of the inkwell" and requests a few songs from her. The Old Man of the Mountain, Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle, and Stopping the Show are among the song and dance pieces that are featured.

Eventually, Betty dives back into the inkwell, causing the reporter's face to get accidently splattered with ink.

The film effectively blends animation and liveaction, making it seem like Max Fleischer and Betty boop are actually interacting. This is precisely what I wanted to achieve when making my short film. The narrative is simple but at the same time pays homage to the studios previous works that include Betty boop. Being such an old short, the camera work in the liveaction sequence isn’t that advanced but this didn’t detract from the overall narrative. What stood out the most was the interview style dialogue between Betty and Fleischer, along with the songs sung by Betty. Moreover, the short included intertexuality by adding songs performed by Betty in her previous film roles. Betty is characterized as a very kind, sweet and happy-go-lucky gal, which can also be easily seen by her enthusiasm during the interview. Furthermore, she is represented and treated as a real life celebrity, being asked about her previous roles in film. A singular real set was used for the entire duration of the film, while betty’s sets were drawn in, which is very common for most short films; it was inspiring to see that even without many fancy sets, the short was still engaging and fun to watch.

Classic rubberhose animation was used for the animated portion; The defining feature is a curving motion that most animated objects possess, resembling the motion and physical properties of a rubber hose. Rubber hose animation being used was expected as it was the main animation style during the 1930s.

In addition, they chose a "Linear narrative" format, which begins the story at the beginning and concludes cleanly. This clear-cut strategy made sure that viewers understood everything and made it easy for them to follow the plot.

"What's A Nice Girl Like You Doing In A Place Like This?" (1963)

Researching dramedy films led me to the 1963 “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this”. The short film is a simple little comedy about a man, who is writer (you know, he writes things), who becomes fixated with this picture. It follows the Harry’s life as becomes more and more obsessed with this picture, leading to him not being able to sleep or eat properly. The film expertly balanced seriousness and humor with the inclusion of serious moments within the silly narrative.

In such a setting, what is a kind girl like you doing? illustrates Harry’s quest for identification, a theme that Scorsese would return to in his later movies. As soon as Harry starts writing a book of confessions, themes of Catholic guilt become apparent. The short uses CLOSE UPS to put emphasis on our writer’s expressions of lost hope.

Additionally, the film uses a very upbeat 60s sound track, a common convention when it comes to comedy films. It even cuts the music at certain times to stress on the jokes as seen when Harry’s friend makes his appearances on screen. Moreover, it uses the same technique to give prominence to the more serious moments with in the film, such as when Harry is stressing over the picture.

While some camera techniques used were limited, they didn't detract from the storytelling. What stood out were the well-written dialogues delivered amidst tense moments. The character’s personalities also played a crucial role; Harry was going through this existential crisis but his cheery personality always somehow managed to shine through creating an effective balance of drama and humor.

Based on my findings, character development is crucial in comedies, and shots may take a backseat to speech. On the other hand, close-ups and extreme close-ups are essential for successfully expressing emotions in theatre. I looked for films that took a similar approach because my short film blends both genres.