What is a short film?

We've been aiming to uncover the answer through the course of our film studies lesson. I will guide you through the various thoughts and decisions we've made before coming to as accurate an answer as I can reach. 

We began by exploring the differences between a standard feature length film and a standard short film: 

Feature-length film	Short film
Big budget	Low budget
Professional	Amateur
Long running time	Short running time
Complex plot	Simple plot
Blockbuster style	Art-house style
Well known cast and crew	Less well known cast and crew
Bigger crew	Smaller crew

  

We then asked some general questions about short films to consider all aspects of them: 

1. How would you define the term ‘short film’? 

The academy of motion picture arts and sciences (OSACARS) defines a short as 'an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less including all credits'.  I think this a good margin for running time, which is necessary for awards etc., however I would also aim define it as a short film based on whether the film maker chooses to describe it as a short. 

2. What are your expectations of a text that is described as a ‘short film’? 

A low-budget film with a short running time, centering around a specific theme, which has a narrative that draws you in quickly.  I would expect them to be more experimental than feature length films as their purpose is to explore cinema rather than make a profit, allowing the film maker to take more risks. 

3. Where might you expect to be able to view short films? Who are they made for? 

They are made for anyone, but often those studying or working in film. They can be viewed on Youtube and streaming services such as Netflix, as well as in short film festivals. They are rarely shown in cinemas but due to the recent surge in streaming and the internet, they are far more accessible as they have ever been before. 

4. If we consider Catherine Des Forges’ notion that short films comprise: 

‘spare, economic narrative, interesting storytelling; well structured work which draws in the audience quickly’ 

Who makes short films? How many different types of media texts can be described as short film? 

Anyone can make them, but mostly filmmakers and film students. Any media with a narrative can be described as a short film , eg. Adverts with narrative (Think of the John Lewis adverts!), music videos with a narrative(Most Taylor Swift of videos!).  

Having asked all these questions, I'd say there is no single way to define a short film as it's a category in which you would have generalize, but a short film usually follows this definition: 

An experimental, low-budget video revolving around a simple narrative or plot with a running time of 40 minutes or less.