2. Research
Within my research I analysed multiple short films. This gave me a great
understanding that they are defined by their length and that there is no
precise criteria or characteristics that apply to all short films. However we
can identify some codes and conventions of short productions.
3. Characters
In my research I found that typically short films do not have many
characters. Perhaps it would be 2-4 characters, this is because of the length
of the features being around 5-10 minutes. There it is important to portray
each characters storyline in a space of a few minutes.
I believe that short films don’t always follow Vladmir Propp’s theory which
classifies them in 7 broad character functions. E.g. hero, villain, donor etc.
4. Budget
The budget is often low when directors produce a short film, due to a lack
of funding they receive. However this does not affect the creative aspects
of short films and this is why a lot of short films are good, they create very
interesting productions at a low cost.
5. Creativity
Many short films are artistic, not all of them but a lot of them are. Directors
of these productions incorporate many aspects that do this.
Camera techniques are typically a big aspect of this as in the short
“unleaded” they used many different camera techniques which created a
tense atmosphere and sometimes tricked the viewer.
Editing is the same, post production is where a short comes together and
the editor can input different features into the film.
6. Storyline
Typically the storyline is simple so the audience can grasp the plot in the
short amount of time. However in some shorts they create very complex
storylines but this is usually in the art aspect of short films.
When I say simple storylines I often compare it to Todorovs theory and this
is usually the case, from equilibrium at the outset to a disruption and then
a return to the equilibrium by the end. But like I said it’s not always the
case.
7. Conclusion
In conclusion due to my research have gathered a great understanding of
short films code and conventions. Hopefully I can put my own twist on
these when creating my short film whilst still following them to create a
true short film.
