The first films were presented to the public in 1894 through Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope and these, along with the projected films that succeeded them, were all short. As the 20th century began, improvements were made in recording and editing technology which allowed longer films to be made. Higher demand for longer films eventually resulted in feature length films being created, and they were regarded as more respectable than short films- they had the ability to include a more complex narrative and therefore attract a larger and richer audience. However, short films were not completely disregarded. They especially came into use during World War II, primarily for the purpose of propaganda. Throughout the 1950s-60s, the documentary theme and informative nature short films continued to follow played a large role in their demise- audiences were bored. Their removal from cinema programmes was very financially motivated, and by the 1980’s even short cartoons stopped being shown at the start of children’s films. Although short films were struggling with mainstream and commercial cinema, their content was (and still is) still greatly appreciated by visual artists, now commonly on websites such as short of the week or at film festivals.
Conventions associated with short film include a small number of characters, as there isn't enough time to create an in-depth character with a detailed back story. Keeping the numbers low enables short films to have characters that the audience can still relate to and/or connect with. Due to a smaller time frame in which to fit in an interesting and memorable storyline, they nearly always contain a plot twist. When brainstorming for our own film, we found it difficult to create a "purpose" for the film to have, and a twist is an easy and effective method of resolving that particular issue. Short films are also typically low budget as most of their production companies are independent. One way to help keep spending low is limit things such as props, locations and actors. Occasionally small film shoots can convince an actor to work for free if they really like the storyline, as it doesn't take up much time and can be added to their own showreel, or just be a favour for a friend (evidence towards networking being a filmmaker's best friend). Short films have a max length of around 35 minutes before being classified as a feature length, but most are around 5-10 minutes. The narrative of a majority of short films are similar- taking place in a situation a mass audience will encounter everyday and adding their own spin on it. This enables the audience to relate to the situation and feel a part of the short film, but at the same time remaining interesting. This is why the drama genre is a common theme amongst short films, as it can be made on a lower budget and easily keeps the audience interested.
The early years of film consisted primarily of pantomime styled melodrama in silent films- it was an extraordinarily popular genre as it didn't necessarily require a large budget. The 1950s saw a rise in well-known dramatic actors such as Marilyn Monroe and these films focused on character relationships and development. During the 1960s more politically driven dramas such as Judgement at Nuremberg (1961) were being made. 1970 saw the introduction of some more modern dramatic directors such as Francis Ford (The Godfather 1972) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky 1976, Rocky II 1979). Sport dramas and intensely realistic war films. In the 1980s dramatic films put more of an emphasis on highly emotional themes such as racism. 1990 saw the release of Goodfellas (1990), a highly regarded crime drama. Dramas also began to include themes such as hope and comedy, so as to bring in a larger audience. From then until the present day, there's a high demand for drama films and a majority of short films will use that genre.
Conventions associated with short film include a small number of characters, as there isn't enough time to create an in-depth character with a detailed back story. Keeping the numbers low enables short films to have characters that the audience can still relate to and/or connect with. Due to a smaller time frame in which to fit in an interesting and memorable storyline, they nearly always contain a plot twist. When brainstorming for our own film, we found it difficult to create a "purpose" for the film to have, and a twist is an easy and effective method of resolving that particular issue. Short films are also typically low budget as most of their production companies are independent. One way to help keep spending low is limit things such as props, locations and actors. Occasionally small film shoots can convince an actor to work for free if they really like the storyline, as it doesn't take up much time and can be added to their own showreel, or just be a favour for a friend (evidence towards networking being a filmmaker's best friend). Short films have a max length of around 35 minutes before being classified as a feature length, but most are around 5-10 minutes. The narrative of a majority of short films are similar- taking place in a situation a mass audience will encounter everyday and adding their own spin on it. This enables the audience to relate to the situation and feel a part of the short film, but at the same time remaining interesting. This is why the drama genre is a common theme amongst short films, as it can be made on a lower budget and easily keeps the audience interested.
The early years of film consisted primarily of pantomime styled melodrama in silent films- it was an extraordinarily popular genre as it didn't necessarily require a large budget. The 1950s saw a rise in well-known dramatic actors such as Marilyn Monroe and these films focused on character relationships and development. During the 1960s more politically driven dramas such as Judgement at Nuremberg (1961) were being made. 1970 saw the introduction of some more modern dramatic directors such as Francis Ford (The Godfather 1972) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky 1976, Rocky II 1979). Sport dramas and intensely realistic war films. In the 1980s dramatic films put more of an emphasis on highly emotional themes such as racism. 1990 saw the release of Goodfellas (1990), a highly regarded crime drama. Dramas also began to include themes such as hope and comedy, so as to bring in a larger audience. From then until the present day, there's a high demand for drama films and a majority of short films will use that genre.
Excellent research - detailed and thorough
ReplyDelete