In this Power Point Presentation I have tried to Give an Overview about The History and importance of Short Films .

1. Short Films-
Shorts Stories
,Big Ideas .
Prepared By : Sima Rathod
Paper – 15 Mass Communication and
Media Studies
Email Id : rsima144@gmail.com
Submitted To : Smt S. B. Gardi
Department of English, Mkbu

2. Table Of Content
• What is A Short Film ?
• History of Short Films.
• Types Of Short Films.
• Purpose of Short Films.

3. What is a Short Film ?
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences defines a short film as
"an original motion picture that has a
running time of 40 minutes or less,
including all credits". In the United
States, short films were generally
termed short subjects from the 1920s
into the 1970s when confined to two
35mm reels or less, and featurettes for
a film of three or four reels. "Short"
was an abbreviation for either term.

4. History of Short Films.
• In the beginning all films were short
films only lasting a few seconds. The
very first films were on Thomas Edison’s
Kinetoscope, a device that allowed one
viewer to see a series of photographs on
film telling a story or an action. These
first films were filled with celebrities,
current affairs and small exhibition
shows. The first ever U.S. copyright for a
motion picture was given to Thomas
Edison for a five-second film of Thomas’
assistant Fred Ott sneezing.

5. Continue….
• As film technology took off so did the
film industry. Filmmakers started making
longer pictures. Georges Méliès 1902
short film A Trip to the Moon was one of
the first longer (but still short) films. This
was an internationally successful film
about a group of astronomers who take a
trip to the moon. A Trip to the Moon was
an inspiration to other filmmakers
because Méliès used innovative editing
and special effects techniques.

6. Continue…
• During the 1910’s and 1920’s,
Charlie Chaplin was claimed to
be the most famous man alive.
His comedy short films
like Laughing Gas (1914) and
The Champion (1915) made him
the first real international star. It
was considered as the Golden
Era for short films.

7. Continue…
• The short film started to lose favor to bigger and
longer feature films. Films began to require
dialogue and actors as stories grew from short
scenes to longer stories. Eventually sound was
played in time with the film, which lead to the
invention of the talking pictures or “talkies.” As
longer pictures increased in popularity, the short
film moved into the world of animation. The
addition of sound and color to films led way to the
popularity of the Disney universe and the creation
of the Warner Bros Merrie Melodies and Looney
Tunes series. These short, animated films were
often shown before feature length movies from the
1920s to the 1960s. As audiences moved from
movie theaters to televisions, so did the short films
giving life to shows such as The Jetsons, Top
Cat, and Scooby Doo.

8. Continue…..
• The internet gave a new life to the short
film. YouTube, Vimeo and many other free
video streaming services offer anyone with
a phone and motivation and a chance to
make a short film for wide audiences. The
2014 movie Whiplash started off as a short
film from Director Damien Chazelle. He was
unable to get financing for the movie but
knew he had a great idea. So Chazelle made
an 18 minute short film. After winning the
2013 Sundance Film festival short film Jury
Award, Chazelle was able to entice enough
backers to make his Oscar winning, feature
film Whiplash.

9. Types of Short Films
• Drama Short Films.
• Comedy Short Films.
• Horror Short Films.
• Sci-Fi Short Films.
• Animated Short Films.
• Experimental Short Films.
• Documentary Short Films

10. Characteristics of Short Films
• "I love how the short film tests the rigour of every medium of cinema"
• Mira Nayar
• The structure of short films has been now experimented with, but usually,
it follows the simplest structure of introduction, conflict and resolution.
• A short film screenplay just focuses on the theme and concept.
• Presented scenes are explored way more in depth as compared to feature
films.
• The theme needs to be well thought out as that would then lead to better
storytelling.
•

11. So What ?
• Short films are budget friendly, Easy to make and
more easy to watch.
• It provides a wide scope for Experiment and
Creativity.
Short films provide an outlet for creative expression,
an opportunity for learning and the chance to be
discovered.
• It has Universal Appeal.

12. References
• Burt, Kayti . Den Of Geek. 23 November 2019. 29 April 2021 <https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-tribute-to-
the-first-ever-science-fiction-film-a-trip-to-the-moon/>.
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Georges Méliès". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Jan. 2021,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-Melies. Accessed 29 April 2021
• Hall, Mark. "WarnerMedia". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Time-
Warner-Inc. Accessed 29 April 2021.
• HENDRICKSON, PAULA . Script. 30 October 2020. 29 April 2021 <https://scriptmag.com/screenplays/the-power-of-
short-films>.
• Josephson , Matthew . Britanica. 7 February 2021. 29 April 2021 <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-
Edison>.
• Kamath, Sudhish . The Hindu. 24 May 2016. 29 April 2021 <https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-
reviews/whiplash-review-the-music-of-violence-works/article6919751.ece>.

13. Continue..
• MANJULAA. 7 July 2017. 29 April 2021 <http://asu.thehoot.org/research/special-
reports/why-short-films-have-begun-to-make-it-big-10217>.
• RICH, KATEY . Vanity Fair. 16 FEBRUARY 2017. 29 April 2021
<https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/02/the-big-script-cne-josh-
hutcherson>.
• Stein, Frankie . Film Daily. 11 January 2020. 29 April 2021
<https://filmdaily.co/craft/short-films/>.
• Ziegler, Jacob . TOPEKA & SHAWNEE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY. 12 September 2019.
29 April 2021 <https://tscpl.org/books-movies-music/short-films-a-short-history>.