The document discusses conventions of short films based on a analysis of children's cartoons like Bob the Builder and Postman Pat. It notes that short films and episodes of cartoons tend to be around 10-15 minutes to maintain young viewers' attention spans. Main conventions discussed include short runtimes (3-6 minutes typically for short films), classic narrative structures with 5 stages (equilibrium, disruption, recognition, action, new equilibrium), a limited number of main characters (typically 2-3) to allow audience connection, and inclusion of both protagonists and antagonists in stories. The document examines how these conventions are followed in the film "For the Birds" and the author's own short film "Bernard the Bird."

2. Convention 1:
Short Films Are Short
From my research I have discovered that children's
cartoons/animations are very short. The reason why they are
short is to keep the children watching engaged to the short
film. An example of this is Bob The Builder, which is only 10
minutes long in length. This is to keep the young audience
(children aged 2-7) entertained.

3. This is a list of some
of the episode in
Bob The Builder
and as you can see
they are all around
10 minuets long. A
typical length for
short films.
This is a list of some
of the episode in
Bob The Builder
and as you can see
they are all around
10 minuets long. A
typical length for
short films.
This is a list of some
of the episode in
Bob The Builder
and as you can see
they are all around
10 minuets long. A
typical length for
short films.
This is a list of some
of the episode in
Bob The Builder
and as you can see
they are all around
10 minuets long. A
typical length for
short films.
This is a list of some
of the episode in
Bob The Builder
and as you can see
they are all around
10 minuets long. A
typical length for
short films.
This is a list of some
of the episode in
Bob The Builder, a
very popular
children cartoon
and as you can see
they are all around
10 minuets long. A
typical length for
short films.

4. Post Man Pat is another
extremely popular short
children's cartoon from
the 90’s. Even though it
is 15 minutes (longer
then Bob The Builder)
its is still very short
compared to featured
films. Post Man Pat and
Bob The Builder are not
short films, they are
series, but they do have
different narratives
within each of the
episodes which are
based within a grand
narrative of the series.
Post Man Pat is another
extremely popular short
children's cartoon from
the 90’s. Even though it
is 15 minutes (longer
then Bob The Builder)
its is still very short
compared to featured
films. Post Man Pat and
Bob The Builder are not
short films, they are
series, but they do have
different narratives
within each of the
episodes which are
based within a grand
narrative of the series.
Post Man Pat is another
extremely popular short
children's cartoon from
the 90’s. Even though it
is 15 minutes (longer
then Bob The Builder)
its is still very short
compared to featured
films. Post Man Pat and
Bob The Builder are not
short films, they are
series, but they do have
different narratives
within each of the
episodes which are
based within a grand
narrative of the series.
Post Man Pat is another
extremely popular short
children's cartoon from
the 90’s. Even though it
is 15 minutes (longer
then Bob The Builder)
its is still very short
compared to featured
films. Post Man Pat and
Bob The Builder are not
short films, they are
series, but they do have
different narratives
within each of the
episodes which are
based within a grand
narrative of the series.
Post Man Pat is another
extremely popular short
children's cartoon from
the 90’s. Even though it
is 15 minutes (longer
then Bob The Builder)
its is still very short
compared to featured
films. Post Man Pat and
Bob The Builder are not
short films, they are
series, but they do have
different narratives
within each of the
episodes which are
based within a grand
narrative of the series.

5. An example of a short film that was very popular with
younger children was ‘for the birds’ made by Pixar. It is
3 minuets 30 seconds so is classed as a short film. It
sticks to the typical conventions of been a short film as
if the three and a half minutes it tell a really quick but
detailed story about a few birds.

6. In order to follow
this convention I
made my animation
(Bernard the Bird) a
maximum of six
minutes long, and
stuck to this so that
I keep the audience
engaged and the
narrative flowing.
In order to follow
this convention I
made my animation
(Bernard the Bird) a
maximum of six
minutes long, and
stuck to this so that
I keep the audience
engaged and the
narrative flowing.

7. Convention 2:
Classic Narrative Structure
Films, whether they are full length featured films or short films all stick to the same
narrative structure, hence why it is called the classic narrative structure:
Stage 1: A point of stable equilibrium, where everything is satisfied, calm and
normal.
Stage 2: This stability is disrupted by some kind of force, which creates a state of
disequilibrium.
Stage 3: Recognition that a disruption has taken place.
Stage 4: It is only possible to re-create equilibrium through action directed against
the disruption.
Stage 5: Restoration of a new state of equilibrium. The consequences of the reaction
is to change the world of the narrative and/or the character so that the final state of
equilibrium in not the same as the initial state.
Tzvetan Todorov (1977)

8. Example Of his Theory:
For the Birds
(Real Media)
Bernard the Bird
(My Work)
Stage 1:
What we can see her is all
of the birds meeting on the
wire, it may not be calm
but it is a normal
environment for them, the
equilibrium
In this scene the Jocks
are all sat there with
nothing happening
which makes it the
equilibrium

9. Example Of his Theory:
For the Birds
(Real Media)
Bernard the Bird
(My Work)
Stage 2:
At this point in the short
film the disruption to the
equilibrium as the
occurred as this new bird
has arrived causing the
disequilibrium
As Bernard sits on the
wire, he is disturbing the
environment that was
before calm and normal
making Bernard the
cause of the

10. Example Of his Theory:
For the Birds
(Real Media)
Bernard the Bird
(My Work)
Stage 3:
At this point the birds have
now realised how much of
a disruption this new bird
is been
As Bernard has
interrupted the
environment, the Jock
bird his now starting to
understand who the
intruder is.

11. Example Of his Theory:
For the Birds
(Real Media)
Bernard the Bird
(My Work)
Stage 4:
As a result of the
disequilibrium, the birds
try to restore the
equilibrium by removing
the intruder
As Bernard is been the
disequilibrium and the
Jocks do not like him,
they decide to hit him a
way to get rid of him to
restore the equilibrium

12. Example Of his Theory:
For the Birds
(Real Media)
Bernard the Bird
(My Work)
Stage 5:
When they tried to restore
the equilibrium, it went
wrong and they ended up
affected making a new
equilibrium
As Bernard has now been
hit away and the intruder
is removed a new
equilibrium has been
restored

13. From comparing my work to the 5 stages of Tzvetan
Todorov (1977) theory of the ‘classic narrative structure’ I
am confident to say my work fits in, therefor fits into the
conventions of the narrative structure of short films.
However, ‘Bernard the Bird’ does challenge the theory, as
the character that causes the disequilibrium's is meant to
be the protagonist.
Also in my short film all of the stages are repeated for the
Jock, Girly Girls and Nerd Scene. But you could say that the
hole story is one big classic narrative structure as Bernard
gets kicked out of his nest (disequilibrium) then tries to
find a new nest (restoring equilibrium) but gives up and
finds new friend in the end creating a new equilibrium.

14. Convention 3:
Characters
Characters are a clear convention of short film’s and they
tend to have around 2-3 main characters. This is because
in short films they don’t have enough time to go into
depth about the characters background. Therefore with
a smaller amount of characters, the audience will be able
to relate to them better in the shorter amount of time.

15. Examples Of Characters In Short
Films:
2 main Characters: Birds (Group)
Bigger Bird
3 main Characters: Minions
2 main Characters: Cloud
Bird

16. Main Characters In Bernard
Bernard: Main Character
Main characters for each friendship group

17. As my short film has mini narratives within a grand narrative
(when he goes to the different friendship groups). Bernard
meets 4 friends ship groups, all with a main characters and
aroud2-3 extras. Therefore within Bernard The Bird there are
5 main character's and 10 extras all together.
I chose to only have 5 main characters in my short film
because if I had more then one main character in each
friendship group you would be able to connects with any of
the main characters because you wouldn't have enough
screen time with them. So keeping it down to only 4 main
characters means the younger aged audience can relate to the
characters better.
As I have kept the main characters down to 5, I think that is
within the conventions of a short film.

18. Convention 4:
Protagonist, Antagonist
In all films, not just short films, you get protagonists and
antagonist (good and bad). Levi Strauss was a theorist
who came up with the idea that films contain binary
opposites. He argued that all narratives could be reduced
down to binary opposites. He suggested that this links
heavily with out ideological values. For example in most
films you get a hero/good character therefore you get a
villain/bad character.

19. Examples Of Protagonists &
Antagonists
These are two
examples of
protagonists and
antagonists from
films. I have
picked these
examples because
these hero's and
villains are the
two best known
for good Vs bad.

20. Protagonists & Antagonists in
Bernard
Protagonists
Protagonists
Antagonists
Antagonists Antagonists

21. Protagonists & Antagonists in
Bernard
In ‘Bernard the Bird’ I have to protagonists and 3
antagonists. This is because I have 5 different friendship
groups. Bernard is the main characters and
conventionally the main character should be the
protagonist, therefore Bernard is a protagonist. When
Bernard goes to the different friendship groups to find
his friends, the other birds, the jocks, girly girls and the
nerds are mean to him making them the antagonists.
But when Bernard gives up and the misfit birds find him
as become friends with him, that makes them
protagonists as well.

22. Convention 5:
Genre