WHAT IS A SHORT FILM?

By Rumaana Haq

Wikipedia definition of a short film

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: 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".[1] The term featurette originally applied to a film longer than a short subject, but shorter than a standard feature film.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_film

How long is a short film?

Any film shorter than 50 minutes qualifies as a short film for most film festivals, while any film with a run-time under 40 minutes is eligible for the short film categories at the Academy Awards.

The longest of the ten movies nominated for either best live-action or best animated short at the 83rd Academy Awards is The Gruffalo. At 27 minutes

Feature-length Short film Around 100 minutes Around 10 minutes Big budget Low budget Professional Amateur Mainstream Alternative Formulaic Experimental Widely distributed Rarely screened Mass audience Niche audience Large casts Small casts Glossy Grainy

What makes a good short film?

Ask yourself:

Who is the main character?

What is their problem?

How will the audience recognise the problem?

Are the stakes high enough?

Am I telling the story from the best point of view?