How to make a Short Film

A number of Shorts Film Festivals are coming up. India-EU Film Initiative believes in providing the necessary tools and training to those who are new to film-making. Before you embark on a film career we suggest why don't you read the following feature on how to make good shorts. To start with, what should be the duration of a short film?

The definition of a Short Film

According to online knowledge guru Wikipedia, Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American film industry in the early period of cinema. The description is now used almost interchangeably with short film; either term is often abbreviated to short (as a noun, e.g. 'a short').

Although the North American definition generally refers to films of between 20 and 40 minutes long, the definition refers to much shorter films in Europe, Latin America and Australasia. In New Zealand, for instance, the description can be used to describe any film that has a duration longer than 1 minute and shorter than 15 minutes.

The North American definition also tends to focus much more on character whereas the European and Australasian forms tend to depend much more on visual drama and plot twists. In this way, the North American form can be understood to be a derivation of the feature film form, usually acting as a platform for aspirant Hollywood directors. Elsewhere, short films tend to work as showcases for cinematographers and commercial directors.

Duration of a Short Film

According to BBC Film Network, Short means really short. As a general rule, the longer your short film is, the harder it is to keep the viewer’s attention. This is especially true of online viewing – for instance on Film Network the average time that a viewer spends watching a film is 4 minutes. Note – exceptions to this rule is documentary, which viewers will often watch for longer.

Many festivals don’t accept short films that are over 30 minutes long; a long film will really have to impress the programmers for them to include it in their screening, as it means they will not be able to show so many films in their short film programme.

One filmmaker told us about a film he made that was 26 minutes long. He applied for festivals all over the world and was rejected by them all. A year later he re-cut the film to 10 minutes and resubmitted it. His 10-minute cut was shown at numerous festivals worldwide and was broadcast on a digital channel. Very short films, especially romance and comedies, can be popular with distributors and buyers as they are easier to programme and can be sold to multi-platforms e.g. online, mobile, VOD etc.

The Screenonline features a tour of short films to illustrate the key questions facing anyone making a short film over five minutes in length. The ten-minute film has been a major focus for public funding in the UK for over ten years, with support from the BBC in 10x10 and Brief Encounters; Channel Four in Short and Curlies; the British Film Institute's New Directors programme and the Film Council's Digital Shorts.

Storyboard

As a result of this support the short has been the starting point for new writer/directors like Lynne Ramsey and Shane Meadows, and a new generation of screenwriters like Simon Beaufoy and Lucy Floyd.

One of the striking features of the last decade of short film making in the UK has been the steady rise of story-driven narratives, and the increasing attention placed on the screenplay. At the heart of all the short films in this collection is a character's story, which is first fully realised in a screenplay, and it is with this in mind that this tour seeks to answer six key questions about writing a good short film screenplay:

• Who is the protagonist?

• What is the active question, which is the basis of the action in film?

• Who or what opposes the protagonist?

• From whose point of view is the audience being shown the story?

• What is it about? or, What is the theme?

• What is the style of the film?

What makes a good Short

Channel 4's 'After Dark Masterclass One' explains what makes a good short.
"We've seen literally hundreds of shorts. When you go to film festivals, you might see fifty shorts but only three will stick out. Remember you are making a short film, not a mini feature. It has to work in its own right. The film has to have a voice, something that makes it stand out. One of our favourites is a short probably made about 15 years ago called Scratch by Jamie Thraves. It's about a guy who can't stop scratching and how it affects the relationship with his dad. It's simple, highly visual and about something. It helps to watch a lot of shorts for inspiration."

Check for how to fund your short: http://www.iefilmi.co.uk/film-bazar/film-funds

Links to watch Shorts:
http://www.shortfilms.org.uk/
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/shortfilm/tour1.html
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/insideindies/shortsfest/