Post 5

Why are there short films?

Whats the point?
The purpose of a short film is to create the same effect as a feature length film but retain the time frame to a shorter length. Arguably, one of the most common features of a short film is non-fiction. For example, Public Service Announcements (PSA) videos most frequently cover the topic of bullying, safe sex, drug use etc. Generally the topics that are considered to be most influential for a teenager. However, this was not the case during the silent era (1895-1930) as people would visit the cinema to be entertained as this was not accessible at home. As well as this, sometimes families would go to watch two films in one day and make a whole day trip out of the experience. This film style could be said to be used as a coping mechanism for the bloodshed of World War one, as the families lost fathers, brothers, sons etc. As the families needed a distraction from the horrors of the war (and sometimes a morale booster) they visited the cinema, where most of the films were silent shorts. This is due to the insignificant technology that the directors had access to during this time.

Who makes them?
People who make short films usually have some form of existing knowledge of film making. To elaborate on this, a film student may produce a short film as part of their studies. The existing knowledge from their studies would benefit them in the production of their film. Also, a budding film maker may produce a short film so that they can experiment with the medium of film. For example, the short film would be a useful indicator to determine if film production is something that they wish to pursue in the future as a career. As well as this, famous film directors may decide to create and produce short films. This could arguably be done in order to keep the audience and 'fan base' interested in the means of production and furthermore sustain a respectable reputation from this.

How/where are they exhibited?
Short films are more commonly exhibited online in the 21st Century. For example, film students use  YouTube to showcase their work. This has proven useful for a number of reasons, including benefiting current film students research into short films.

As well as YouTube, film makers use social media to exhibit their short films. This media has proven beneficial to the film maker as they were able to showcase their work and get relevant feedback on the film, which could be used in the evaluative section of their work. Also, as social media is used on a global scale and many people have access to smartphones, posting their work in this platform allows for the potential for their work to go 'viral.'

Another mean in which short films are exhibited is at film festivals across the globe. If the short film is showcased at a festival, then potential success is expected. This is because the film festivals attract critics, publishers and agents. The presence of these roles presents the opportunity for the film to be selected and a career in the film industry could begin from here. A range of films are showcased at these festivals, including a variety of student made short films, professional high budget short films and trailers are also known to be showcased.

Continually, cinematic theatres are used to showcase short films. Although this was a more common method in the Silent Era of film (1985-1930) it is still used in today's society. For example, Vue cinemas use this method in their 'Mini Mornings' viewings. This could be said to entertain the children during the period of time before the film is played, as child orientated films are used. It is not known whether student made films or professionally made films are used during this time.

Has this always been the case?
This has not always been the case in cinematic history. This is because cinema was perceived as a day out experience for families during the Silent Era (1895-1930) of film. This could be argued to be used as a morale booster, as the World War One took place within this era (1914-18) and families were grieving for their lost fathers, uncles, brothers and sons during this period. An average viewing at the cinema during war-time typically consisted of news broadcasts, a short film and a feature length film. However, this has changed drastically over time, as it is no longer wartime and significant technological advantages have been made. For example, families no longer perceive a trip to the cinema as a day out, and usually rope another activity into their day. For example, I went to the beach last summer with my family and went to the cinema to 'round-off' the day out, before heading home. Continually, films were not able to be broadcast on social media platforms as the internet was not founded until 1983 and Facebook was not developed until 2004, this meant that budding film makers before this time were forced to find other means of publication for their short films.