What is a short film?

"Spare economic narratives, interesting storytelling, well structured, work which draws in the audience quickly" - Catherine Des Forges

"Short films are long films that end earlier. A good idea, sufficiently told, less is more" - Gareth Evans


Of course, it is endlessly impossible to define the term, 'short films', due to style, narrative and structure forever changing, with a forever changing society. However, there are many noticeable aspects of a short film (also coined 'short subjects'), that are not developed through feature films. 

MAINSTREAM/FEATURE FILM	SHORT SUBJECT/FILM
Large cast - Usually consisting of hundreds, they can afford to employ as many people as they need.	Short cast - Cannot afford to employ people for every role, therefore most members of the team will take on two roles, for example, the lighting designer may also be the producer.
Complicated storyline - The storyline needs to have underlying twists and turns to keep the audience intrigued and interested to continue watching for, on average, 90 minutes.	Simple storyline - The storyline needs to be simple to keep to the restricted time-limit, budget and relatively small cast.
Famous actors/actresses - The feature film is primarily produced to make a profit, therefore the ‘stars’ of the film are acquired to lure in the targeted audience.	Aspiring, amateur actors/actresses - These actors/actresses usually star in the short for free, in exchange for gaining experience and building up a portfolio.
Big budget - The idea of making a feature film is to make more money, therefore more money needs to be invested into the production process.	Small budget - The initial idea of producing a short film is to experiment on new ideas, techniques and post-production styles, therefore if the film is not a success, there will only be a small loss of money.
Expensive special effects - Some production companies will spend years working on 3D animation and CGI effects.	No special effects - The budget would come nowhere near to covering special effects. Some effects may be added in post production, for example, ghosting, color correction or stop frame animation.
Stereotypical/Conventional plot - Some may say a ‘predictable plot’, as scriptwriters know certain story lines are safe as similar films have been a box office success before. For example the “girl falls in love with boy, boy doesn’t notice, in the end they get together”. This idea has been developed hundreds of times, yet people still want to go to the cinema to see it.	Abstract, philosophical plot - As short subject production companies are not trying to produce a multi-million box office success, they can afford to experiment with quirky, new story lines that could be turned into feature films at a later date.
Exhibited in Cinema - Most feature films are exhibited in a cinema, as they can afford the celluloid film roll for hundreds of cinemas across several countries.	Streamed Online - The small budget would usually not be able to cover exhibiting in the cinema, therefore production companies would stream their shorts online via YouTube, Vimeo or other free hosting websites.
Hollywood - produced for a business/profit - The film has been produced by a mass production company, only looking to make a profit	Produced to illustrate personal story, practice new techniques - Allowed to experiment, express personal opinions and experiences
Professional industry producer	Amateur, aspiring producer
Long production schedule - Usually about 2 years	Short production schedule - Usually about 3 - 4 months
Vast access to equipment	Using old/borrowed equipment
Slow developing narrative - The narrative needs to be the driving force for the film for 90 minutes. The whole film relies on this to keep the audience intrigued and want to purchase at DVD stage.	Fast moving narrative - Needs to carry the short subject, not making it feel like it is dragging along, as the idea of a short is to progress quickly to confuse and puzzle the audience, leaving a longer lasting impression.