What makes a short film criteria different to a feature film?
A short film is fundamentally similar to that of a feature film in the sense that it carries a lot of the same principles in; style of directing and they both can have narrative with main characters etc. However there are subtle differences in the production and planning side of a short film compared to a feature film, which make a lot of difference to the final product and the way that the media is received by the audience.
DURATION
One main focal point is its length/duration, obviously being much shorter than that of a feature film, roughly 1.5hrs, a short film will run for about 5 minutes to 15 minutes. Some producers or critics may tend to say the shorter the better because it’s a significant part to identifying a short film with its criteria. Furthermore short films that are from the range of 5-8 minutes can usually be more successful in reaching the audience by meeting their expectations and keeping them interested. The content of a short film is quite limited and in that time will be expressed effectively and clearly when compressed without being dragged out over another 7 minutes, where possibly the audience may drift off and lose focus on the film.
CONTEXT
Short films can range in their context and main theme, but to be successful they need to conduct a strong and concise idea to the audience. Compared to a feature film there is not much time to build knowledge or relevant footage to fill in the gaps, the short film has to be precise and to the point. The idea for the film can tell a story of one specific event or an experience which people have or a short narrative of one main character not focussing on character building/introduction. Many successful short films are innovative in many ways; emotive message or narrative, comedy sketch, thriller and so on. Directing style and again precision is what makes these shorts successful in their genre.
Scripts will need to be simple and short with lots of detail on each scene and changes in the scene. Every frame is important because there is so little footage there comes a high level of attention to detail required. Without this the audience would be able to quickly identify the flaws in the short film and there would be a limited impact on the viewers because content was lacking in consistent quality. Precision in production comes from considerable planning and research without, the short film may appear armature or tacky. If the media is not believable the audience might then focus more on the irrelevant aspects comparing to what they wouldn’t expect in a feature film.
SCRIPTS
PROP
Prop and characters play a vital role of any film, though possibly more so in non-feature films. This is because they lack efficient time to develop depth of narrative and a conclusion effectively for the audience to understand fully and enjoy. Furthermore there is no time for character building, making the expectations of an actor’s performance to be high, so that they build an instant connection or have immediate impact on the audience. Quality acting is key to gaining a professional looking short film, because all of the audiences and cameras focusses are usually toward the one actor, due to the length of the film which is contrasting to feature films. The use of prop depends on the genre of short film, its script and location. Aspects that can be what makes or breaks its success. Things like if the setting looks realistic and if there is dramatic use of a single prop is it a high enough quality as the camera will be focussing on it in some shots, repetitively.
CONTINUITY
Continuity is a key element both in feature film and short film however it is much more noticeable on errors in short films because there are less scenes to fill gaps, everything needs to flow naturally within the small number of scenes. That’s why it is important that in every frame the location and mise en scene is exactly how it should be to continue the narrative effectively on camera.
