Conventions of Short Films

MONEY BOX- 5 min short film from Muzappar Osman on Vimeo.

Storyline

Short films typically have a more basic storyline, they often focus on a real life situation which can expose the emotion. As a short film doesn't have much time, the narrative needs to be focused allowing the audience to be instantly engaged.

Through this short film, Money Box, we see the storyline unfold at (1:50) here the main character has just collected the money again from the vending machine this time collecting $100. The camera then cuts to this close up of the money, to which we see the eyes of the character behind already thinking about how he can repeat the same action but on a much larger scale. This action connotes how a struggling young man becomes greedy and see's the opportunity to, 'get rich quick', which ultimately wont work out.

The situation created in this film would seem very realistic for the audience, because whilst the action is more abstract, the character created was more down to earth. The short film created empathy for the audience, we ourselves could relate because we too would do the same thing trying to make more money. This in itself allows for the audience to be immersed, but also allows the filmmaker to send a clear message, exhibiting our greed and how powerful money is.

Characters

Short films often use a small number of characters, they aim to have 1-5 characters which are able to exaggerate the emotion. Generally characters in short films don't expose their background as they want to heavily focus on the situation at present.


This short film only contains one character, in which the whole film revolves around him. At (1:36) we see the character perhaps in a more genuine state, he has collected some money that was more unexpected at this point, but then sees a chance to make even more money further on in the film. As the short film only has one character it puts all the focus on him allowing for a large amount of emotion to build up.


By only using one character, it allows the audience to invest their whole time into him, and pay their full attention on the situation. Furthermore, this character has been created as this more normal, 'average Joe' type person, which allows the audience to feel as though they could be in the same position.

Twist

Twists happen towards the end of the film, they reveal some information that was unexpected or completely change the whole narrative. The twist aims to shock the audience and in a climatic turn of events, or in some cases it can be an anti-climatic twist leaving the audience dissatisfied.


This short film only exhibits one action throughout the whole situation, however at (4:38) we see a twist in the whole story. The main character has just put all of his money from his bank account into the vending machine, expecting to get more back. But, this is not the case, with a power failure the vending machine dispenses the drink instead of the cash. This plot twist really allows the audience to connect with the main character, because he is presented as this very normal person which is easily realatable.

By using this convention, it allows the audience to really feel something towards the character and even the film. As the film was very basic in its story and the action was repetitive, the twist allowed us to feel invested and sad for the main character. Whilst on a more subtle level the audience could feel something bad was about to happen, when it did, the audience were made to feel more disappointed. The twist left the audience posing the question to themselves, at what point do we stop? The twist actually allowed the audience to reflect and think about how money can really take over anyone, which as an overall theme is perhaps a very powerful message.

Abstract/Creativity

Short films are typically more abstract then features, the idea has the potential to be very strong technically, but also allowing the narrative to develop into a surreal situation which visually is very attractive.
This short film takes a simple idea, and becomes technically very strong, it further uses a situation which the audience can identify with. At (0:50) we see how the camera stays stationary through multiple shots, but the edit cuts numerous times, creating a slow pace but still remaining engaging for the audience. The situation at this point is not exciting at all but the way in which the camera and edit is used allows for the scene to take a certain style which can remain throughout the film.

When watching this short film, there are points where it is tedious and slow, however the film contains this certain style which remains a constant. This in itself allows the audience to stay invested and wait for the big plot twist.

Sound

There is often very little sound in a short film, most of the sound is from either dialogue or music. Whilst this short film does contain very little sound it also only has one character meaning that there is very little dialogue and all of the sound actually stems from recurring sound effects and music.

Sound through this short film comes heavily in the form of sound effects and music, which is different as this film doesn't contain much dialogue. At (0:55) we hear this same sound effect which is of the vending machine dispensing then money out. This same sound effect runs throughout the film which is key for the future of this film, as now the audience have something to always keep in mind. This sound effect is something that the audience really get to take in as information, whilst the music makes the film more emotional at times, this recurring sound effect really hooks us.

Sound is a substance in film that is used to really manipulate the audience emotions, with this sound effect, it always makes the audience feel this apprehension and to a certain extent pleasure. The audience concern the sound with the dispense of money, but when the sound is replaced during the twist there is a major shift in the audiences emotional response.






INSiDE from INSiDE Short on Vimeo.

Emotional

As a short film has considerably less time to unravel a complex narrative, they tend to focus heavily on the emotion of either the characters, the situation etc. Their aim is to really make the audience feel a strong specific emotion to captivate them.


During this short film, there is a real emphasis on emotion and what the audience are made to feel. At (2:22) we see all of the personas argue, which is not only in his mind but it explodes out into what the audience think is reality with the doctor. At this point the audience are almost confused on what to feel, because there is so much happening we ourselves dont know who to listen to or who will take charge. The audience are made to feel confused by the situation because it is so overwhelming, but perhaps the overall emotion is one of sadness as we look into this mans life.

The film, creates chaos, which for the audience becomes to much to take in, and whilst we are made to feel very anxious we do see the bigger picture. The audience see this man with no control, we see all of these characters fighting to be the loudest voice, but actually the main character himself never gets to speak. This for the audience is perhaps very hard to take and actually the emotional state of the audience is not anxiety but deep sadness for the man.

Niche

Having a niche appeal means that the short film uses a theme or situation that is not considered to have mainstream appeal. The idea would generally only appeal to a specific audience or deliberately change the role of some characters.


This film certainly has a niche appeal, it perhaps is something that not everyone can watch or would find enjoyable. At (1:19) we see how these voices or characters have taken this person over, and now anything that they want to say will come out into reality. This segment of the film highlights the crux of its appeal, which is of this man with a very severe disorder trying to get ready for a review, but ultimately everything that he says stems from the voices in his head.

The films aim is to exhibit mental disorders perhaps in the most extreme cases, which when presented in this thriller genre is not what everyone finds enjoyable. However this film is something that anyone can watch and really feel emotional towards, as well as understanding that this man has more then an internal battle but rather any hope for a more 'normal' life.

Abstract/Creativity

Abstract and creativity, during this film, depicts the themes and ideology to be very unique. The film follows a more niche idea, which has allowed the short film to technically be very strong but also allowed the concept to be more 'out there' and unique.
The films technical strength can be clearly seen through the camera work as well as the edit. At (0:39) we see the main character walking down the hallway with 2 nurses, in which the camera is in a low angle framed in a long shot. The physical shot makes the main character look weaker as the camera makes him look smaller, this coupled with the lack of light accept from the flashing light creates a horror tone for the audience. Furthermore, through the edit the shot has been colour graded giving it a darker, and almost greener look to it.
The technical aspects of this film play a large part in creating its style and its appeal. Whilst this film has a more difficult storyline the technical aspects also needed to ensure that the audience could follow the film easily, whilst still maintain a very specific style.

Characters

This short film breaks the conventional 1-3 characters, however each one is very unique and different in their own right. The short film though does follow convention in the sense that we know each individual as they are in the current situation, and not how they have developed.


This film actually uses 12 characters, which greatly breaks convention, however the audience are not confused by the influx of characters because they are all presented inn very different ways. At (3:04) we see 9 characters which perhaps are the most influential during the film. We see the doctor along with the main character and all of his delusional characters that are fictional. Whilst usually having this many characters in a short film would be confusing as there isn't enough time to introduce them all, this film takes a different route. It bundles the characters together which actually allows the audience to understand them and realise what role they play.

By using a number of different characters it follows this theme of chaos which is what the filmmaker wants to create to try and confuse the audience. However the filmmaker also groups the characters together, they separate the doctor from the main character, (sitting across the table) they separate tall of the fictional characters which all stand behind him etc.

Storyline

Often storylines in short films are more basic, revolving the whole film on a certain situation. During this short film though, although it does concern itself with one situation because the idea is more abstract, the storyline becomes more complex. The way in which the filmmaker presents the storyline though is very careful and almost simple which allows the audience to follow more easily.


The storyline of this short film is more complex then others, whilst it still revolves around the present and a single situation its has more content to follow for the audience. At (4:42) we see the storyline change, the doctor we once thought was our reality has now become another delusion of the mans, which is widely confusing and on some level overwhelming with emotion for the audience. As we dont know what to think, the audience are left to try and understand whats happened and how we feel about it. Perhaps though there is a real element of sadness in this final scene, because the character that represented reality and thus hope is not, which may lead us to think that this man has no hope.

From an audience perspective the storyline for this film was very complex, whilst it was presented well and we thought we knew everyone and everything, the twist allows this story to grow, aside from the fact that this storyline considers themes that are not always addressed.






The Present from Jacob Frey on Vimeo.

Duration

Duration simply means any film under 35 minutes would count as a short film, although they are normally between 5-10 minutes. Short films typically are all about the current situation and the entirety of the film focuses on the present.


The duration of this short film is 3:26 seconds, which is shorter then the conventional 5-10 minutes. However considering the film only revolves around a small situation, the duration is actually more fitting, because it allows for some shots to linger but doesn't bore the audience.

By having a shorter the duration, it of course does mean that the filmmaker has to be very strict on what shots to keep and what to cut. This in itself means that every shot needs to convey a meaning every time and can't dwell for to long on the emotion of the scene.

Storyline

The storyline through this short film is very basic, it focuses all on one situation which could easily reflect real life. Storylines typically stay very basic during short films and often try to relate to real life, which gives the film more audience appeal.

The storyline for this film can be seen at (0:58) where we see the boy stop playing video games and pick up his new puppy. The story as a whole shows this new relationship between the boy and the dog and what binds them together is the fact that they have both lost a leg. The storyline portrays the boy as almost a nasty individual and it is only till later on that we see why he was upset, but also the birth of a lasting friendship.

For the audience this storyline turns out to be a sweet, loving one, as the filmmaker depicts the boy in a dark light we don't get to see his reasoning behind his behaviour towards the dog. However when we see why he was like that and we see the complete turn around effect that the dog has on him, the audience too turn. The manipulation of the audiences emotions is perhaps the crux of what makes this film very good.

 Abstract/Creativity

This film perhaps is more creative rather then abstract. However the themes put forward exhibit how a film can take a real life situation and turn it into something, both sad and warming for the audience.


The creativity of this film perhaps stems from the twist that happens towards the end of the short film. At (1:18) we see the dog again go back to the boy trying to play, but the boy rejects him for the second time. At this point in the film the audience feel a really anger towards the boy, but at (2:56) we see why he acted that way. perhaps though the creativity of this film comes from the fact that the boy also is an amputee which fuelled his anger at the start, and makes it different to other dog, boy relationships.

From an audience perspective, the film really becomes an emotional piece through this abstract way that the filmmaker chose to take. Perhaps without the common factor that they both have, the film would not be as heightened as it was.

Emotional

Much of the time short films try to attach themselves to certain emotions. They aim to manipulate the audience and make them feel certain emotions which ultimately engages them and connects them more too the film.


The film creates a number of emotions for the audience to feel, the film manipulates the audience into disliking the boy for his anger towards the dog, however the film will again manipulate the audience by understanding the reasons. At (2:56) we see the big reveal which from a long shot, we see the boy hop into frame revealing that he too is an amputee like the dog. For the audience we are now able to understand the character and his frustrations, which makes us completely feel something different for him.

This film, in a short space of time, manipulates the audience numerous times, which perhaps is something that many short films try to do. As the storyline and the situation are more simple, it does allow for the filmmaker and the audience to attach themselves to the emotional state of the characters and the actions that are happening.

Genre

Short films tend to be bound more tightly to a specific genre, eg thriller, action, animation etc. By being more strict to a genre the film can focus more on the right style they wish to create and the emotions that they want the audience to feel.


The genre of this film is animation and at (0:08) we can see the real detail by the animator. The shot denotes a close up of the boys face as he plays video games, the shot is able to see all the little detail from the different light movements on the TV to the freckles on his face. The audience can therefore appreciate the detail and technical work that has gone into this film, and still the film manipulates the audiences emotional response throughout.

The genre allows the film to almost take a fresh angle on a relationship that has happened in film numerous times. The animation allows for a more surreal tone whilst still allowing the audience to identify with the scene.