Short films were first introduced in 1910 as comedy serials, created by comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy.
Editing and Mis En Scene
Short films usually use simple editing techniques in favour of expensive VFX or CGI due to their small budgets. Voiceovers and narration are also common within short films as, due to the time limit, they efficiently give information to audience.
Genre
Short films can be both live action and animated, therefore providing a wide range of genre choices. However it is not unusual to see a short film set in an every day realistic environment, with characters that are relatable, yet still intriguing.
Characters
Most, if not all short films have no more than 3 main characters with a limited number of secondary characters, as there is simply not enough time to establish the history and back story of each individual character. These characters also tend to be relatable to the audience as there is not enough time for the creator to develop a deep, confusing character. There is also generally only one protagonist in order to prevent an overly confusing plot line.
Budget
A feature almost all short films share is their limited budget. Short films are commonly made by independent filmmakers and companies, therefore they do not have a lot of funding to make their film. This results in the director filming in only two or three locations, as well as only hiring one or two actors. These actors are also usually just starting out so typically are between the ages of 16 and 25. They are also inexperienced which can limit the 'star appeal' of a short film. Budget also causes the quality of short films to be worse than that of a feature length film, as the equipment is not as refined as that of a high budget film. Budget also effects the score of the film as creators can not always afford to have a sound track for the film, therefore simplistic music or no music at all is used. For example 'Bottle' by Kirsten Lepore, has no dialogue or background non-diegetic music.
Narrative
Short film plots always contain a twist that creates intrigue. It is a common narrative technique to keep information back from the audience until the end of the story, in order to keep viewers on the edge of their seat. Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied to most short films, meaning that there is a disequilibrium towards the middle of the film that is resolved at the end. For example, 'Paper Man' by Disney is an animated short, following a simple narrative of two characters meeting and falling in love and then trying to find one another once they separate.
Budget
A feature almost all short films share is their limited budget. Short films are commonly made by independent filmmakers and companies, therefore they do not have a lot of funding to make their film. This results in the director filming in only two or three locations, as well as only hiring one or two actors. These actors are also usually just starting out so typically are between the ages of 16 and 25. They are also inexperienced which can limit the 'star appeal' of a short film. Budget also causes the quality of short films to be worse than that of a feature length film, as the equipment is not as refined as that of a high budget film. Budget also effects the score of the film as creators can not always afford to have a sound track for the film, therefore simplistic music or no music at all is used. For example 'Bottle' by Kirsten Lepore, has no dialogue or background non-diegetic music.
Narrative
Short film plots always contain a twist that creates intrigue. It is a common narrative technique to keep information back from the audience until the end of the story, in order to keep viewers on the edge of their seat. Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied to most short films, meaning that there is a disequilibrium towards the middle of the film that is resolved at the end. For example, 'Paper Man' by Disney is an animated short, following a simple narrative of two characters meeting and falling in love and then trying to find one another once they separate.
