This document discusses common codes and conventions used in short films, including simple narratives that relate to real-life issues, fast-paced editing and music, and close-ups and tracking shots used to engage audiences and efficiently develop characters and stories within short timeframes. Common elements are dark tones, limited dialogue, straight cuts, close-ups, fast pacing, and ordinary settings to reflect moods and allow audiences to relate to the narratives.

1. Codes and Conventions – Short
Films
Andrew and Georgia
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2. Narrative
•Simple narrative – morale underlying story
•Interesting and engaging – relate to real
life issues
•Dark tone and mood are often seen in
short films
•An exception to this rule would be
documentary short films in which the
narrative is based on real cases

3. Sound
•Non diegetic sound musical score is either fast
paced rock OR slow paced minimalist
instrumental piece
•There’s commonly either no dialogue or limited
in short films – events and storylines told through
camera and action

4. Editing
•Fast paced – matches non diegetic music
•Match on action engages audience
•Transitions commonly are straight cuts to
enforce feeling of reality in text for e.g. if the
text only consisted of fade transitions it wouldn’t
flow and feel real

5. Camera
•Close ups are dominant within short films as it
increases engagement with audience – links with
editing to create in your face feel
•CU’s also help to carry a narrative so audience
feel involved and helps to build on mood of the
text
•Tracking is also a technique commonly used to
help the audience to understand the characters
profile in a short period of time

6. Mise-en-scene
•Setting is usually dark and gritty to reflect the
mood of the texts
•Commonly set in locations which are ordinary to
every day life E.g. – house, car park, town
centres. – Helps the audience to relate to the
text