Themes and Genre

Short films allow both small and big time directors to produce more unconventional films, with diverse themes and unpopular genre's. There are many themes that are possible; class and status is an issue in today's society which can be a good theme idea that talks about the gap between the two and how it affects the people of today. Looking into the idea of class and status, we could go into the wealth divide and touch on how this is affecting young people getting into university and instead choosing to opt out. Another theme could be British stereotypes, back in the day the British were stereotyped as being posh and then we can show the dramatic change in that perception.

Celebrity and Fame is a big topic in everyone's lives in Britain. Society has become obsessed with becoming famous through shows such as the x-factor. Last year the x-factor's average UK viewing figures were 14.13 million viewers for the final show which highlights the growing number of interest and a short film could demonstrate the negative side of this new found interest in fame and celebrity. Community and neighbourhoods are known for being closed off and everyone getting on with their everyday life, an idea for the film could be about how one neighbourhood are put into the position where they all need each other to survive, this ties in with the theme of hope and desperation.

Themes and Genre

Either small or big time directors that produce short films have the chance to do unconventional themes that challenge society for example:

• Class and status- some short films tend to show the divide between the rich and poor the employed and the unemployed. This express's there own opinions through film to show a message about the issue they are stating and want to get it across.
• British Stereotype- is another theme that is portrayed in some short films to show the 'lazy' unemployed dull british society with the rubbish weather.
• Multiculturalism, diversity, immigration, racism and discrimination- in most short british film they show the diversity that the country has but also shows the themes of discrimination and racism which is very popular.
• The 'big society'- The idea the communities should come together I.e David Cameroon's idea that we should be closer with our neighbors is portrayed again in short films like in 'Sold' by Nadia Attia. 

After much research in to short films i have a couple of potential ideas of themes and genres, i'm looking to find a clear issue in society and make it into a educational short film. I'm certain on doing a educational short film rather than a conventional short film as i see it more efficient with time and my potential audience. Our short film is a trigger film and links back to british society as the internet can be associated with british culture or the western area's.

As our short film has a educational purpose our target audience is appropriate because we are educating kids aged 12 and over that use social networking sites to be aware of people that are not what they seem to be.

Potential Audiences for short films:

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) limits the audience depending on what age is on the BBFC certificate. If for example the BBFC was 18 then the new generation of young people using the internet will not be able to watch it, which will cut viewing a lot. This means our short film will have to stick to content allowed below the 18 certificate. I think the most appropriate age is a 12a, this is because we will still be able to touch on a deeper topic which is one of the purposes of a short film and they are old enough to give the important message to without cutting views a great deal.

The most practical distribution method as a student would be via the internet. Given the low budget the internet allows anything to be put up without being judged whereas the footage we will get isn’t good enough for mainstream TV or cinema viewings. Also, as a student it is very accessible and will be available for loads of other teenagers, which is what we could possibly target as our audience. In addition, the internet is very easy to use which will make the whole process easier and not time consuming.

Potential Audiences for short films:

There are institutional implications of potential audiences for short films as they tend to consist of a lower budget; this means it affects how it is distributed. It is unlikely for a short film to be shown in the cinema. Films in the cinema have mainstream themes so that the public will go out and buy a ticket to watch the film of their interest whereas short films will usually be shown in places such as a film festival where the producer can target a completely different audience as they are promoting themselves and not trying to entertain the public. In addition, the actors used in mainstream full length films tend to be well known, glamorous and highly professional in order to bring in the audience as their purpose is to make money, whereas short films are not.

The development of the new media will greatly affect the distribution of a short film. The increasing use of the internet allows short films to be easily watched via; YouTube, Facebook and Twitter etc. This works as an advantage to small time directors that want to make themselves known as the internet is used by millions of diverse people which make them more accessible to anyone. Without the internet short films would traditionally have only been shown in film festivals, Film

competitions or on a late night public service channel; however films shown there are likely to only show people that are interested in short film making or the process, which can limit feedback and interest, whereas the internet allows anyone to watch it any time. Also, the films shown on late night are rarely watched as they come on at 3am for example which doesn’t really make the directors known.

Potential audiences for short films

Short film has genres that are very small in the film industry. They are not advertised on posters, television and hardly famous directors make them. Short film caters for a very small niche in the market.

One reason why short film does not cater for the majority of the market is due to the theme it presents. Normally, short films deal with controversial topics that mainstream films would not, themes that make the public audience consider and get them thinking about a moral or ethical issue. However, some of the most popular short films are not thought to tackle theses society issues, but in fact fun and whimsical films like ‘sign language’. Films that try out new ideas like documentaries tend to make the film industry and would be shown on channel 4.

The types of people that tend to go see short films are not the average movie addict that is interested in action, thriller, etc… but those that appreciate the art and purpose of the short film; those that like to think about public issues and are thinkers. But to find the potential audiences for short films we should look at who makes them first.

Typically short films are made by media students in college or universities studying the subject or aspiring directors, people wanting to show off their directing and producing talents to try make it into the film industry. So the first potential audience would of course be other film directors that could spot the talent. Directors of short films are familiar with the certain audience they aim to please therefore the conventions they portray intend to meet the likes of these niche audiences. For example if an independent director wanted to become noticed by a big Hollywood director they would use different themes narrative and cinematography. Through having such a low budget to produce the short film if it is noticed by major film directors they would see the talent as they could produce an amazing short film with such a low budget.

Critics would also have to be part of the main target audience. As if a short film gains the recognition of critics and respect for the short film it most likely would become viral as it will be spoken about through reviews that would gain the interest of bigger things like Hollywood. A short film named 'Alive in Joburg' directed by a man named Neill Blomkamp was intentionally created to meet the likes of big Hollywood directors- a specific audience. His short film was successful and has gained thousands of hits on Youtube.

Furthermore another potential audience would of course be the students studying media studies or people in sixth form as short films do normally tackle hard hitting issues that younger children in high school might not be able to handle cause of the content but people aged 16-18 have a mental mind frame that could handle that sort of content and have their own opinion on the themes present.

In conclusion the target film is made up of a wide range of people,but tend to be viewed by other big directors, critics or for educational purposes in school.

BBFC-British Board of Film Classification

Our audience for short film can not be under the age of '12' because of the theme of the motion the 'bbfc' cleary staes there policy on age limits and film i.e for something with explicit sexual material, inapropriate words and discouraging themes they will have the age classification of:

'18': No one under the age of 18 could see this film in cinema or buy and rent it.

As our short film is for educational purposes and would be shown in secondary school and does not have a explicit nature just a unconventional theme we decided it is most suitable to put our film for age '12'. This is the criteria of the 'BBFC' website:

"Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.

The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

Discrimination-Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs-Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.

Horror-Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Imitable behaviour-Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free.  Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language-Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.

Nudity-Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sex-Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme-Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers

Violence-Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification."

Difference between a short film from a mainstream full length film

The first major difference between a short film to a mainstream full length movie of course is the length . Normally a short movie can vary in time length between three minutes-fourty minutes depending on the budget. However a mainstream film can go on from one hour and a half to about three hours.

The second major difference between the two is that short films have a much lower budget this budget can restrict many things like camera's , editing, characters, mise on scene. On the other hand mainstream movies have a much higher budget so they tend to make it to cinema's and then on television and finally made into Blu-ray Dvd's standard Dvd's.

Third major comparison is the characters unlike short films, mainstream feature length movies have a-list celebrities which of course would attract more viewers so in the long term benefits produce a major profit. Otherwise short films have unknown actors and have a tendency of using less characters due to the budget.

The other difference between them both is the obvious quality and cinematography of them both ; short films would be more hand held camera work that produces raw footage but mainstream movies would be all fancy with the hi-tech quality of filming and special effects. Additionally better props and camera would be used as it has a higher budget.

Additionally the way the movies would be shown; Mainstream films would be dispersed in the cinema, electric cinema , adverts, film posters, magazine reviews, internet trailers bringing awareness to the film however short films are more seen at film festivals, competitions, youtube and channel 4 late night viewings where they can tackle controversial issues and send a public message across when hardly viewers would be awake.

Finally the purpose is different between mainstream feature length films and short films as short films have either a educational purpose or self promotion to try make it big to make feature length films unlike mainstream films that are for profit and entertainment.

To conclude there are many differences between them both and the purpose have different outcomes as the themes also vary as short films tend to tackle a issue but mainstream go for the conventional genre of films and stick to a theme that all mainstream movies ten to do either a romantic comedy, action, thriller etc...

Purpose of short film-Entertainment

Like regular movies, short films either aim to entertain or inform. Short films for entertainment are movies that last for a few minutes and have the purpose of providing amusement. Short films that are meant to entertain usually evoke emotion and imagination of the audience. These films may come in the form of movies that focus on either the character, plot or the visual drama. A example of a short movie that is only made for entertainment purposes and not for fame or self promotion in 'Runaway' by Kanye West as he is known for being successful everywhere so fame was not what he was trying to achieve i think he was trying to express his music through a film.

Purpose of short film-educational

Short films are often used to educate people and portray on current, political, ethical or moral issues. Short films may also be used for information purposes by imparting knowledge on certain things. This types of short films usually come in the form of a documentary. A video advertisement may also be classified under short films for information. Many short films find a issue and send a strong message through the theme of the short film they make the audience aware of this issue in a controversial way  a British short film directed by Tom Harper is explores an controversial theme that is set in the near future. The film addresses the issue of the youths of today and how it can affect there whole life and family if they have to go to national service. This short film director seen the issue and made a film to make people aware of the outcomes of certain actions like the recent riots.

Purpose of short film-Self promotion

Short films are often created in order to promote directors or film makers (Self promotion) that are young, unheard of by making short films they have the chance to gain recognition and credit for their work. The directors and film makers would earn this recognition either by entering the film into contests or European film festivals and well known film festivals such as the BFI London Film Festival or British Independent Film Festival alongside promoting it on either Youtube or late at night on Channel 4 or distributed over the internet in a way. An example of a film director that got recognition of his $300 short film that went viral over youtube is Fede Alvarez with his short clip 'Panic Attack' within forty eight hours Alvarez had been acknowledged by Hollywood film companies who offered him the opportunity to create a mainstream, full length film with a budget of $30 million.

Purposes of a short film:

Short Films are usually made by film students that want to promote themselves who are on a budget and do this by entering into a film competition. Another reason is to build awareness around a certain topic that is close to them or to illustrate how a director feels about society, which a short film can do my sending a short but strong message across to those that watch it. For example the short film made by Tom Harper called ‘Cherries’ highlights the aggression between young males in contemporary British society and the idea of CCTV watching our every move, as Britain is the most watched country.

This shows how strongly the director feels about society in contrasts to mainstream full length films which are usually made for the audience’s enjoyment purposes as they can cover a lot more themes and the audience watching are going to want to enjoy the film whereas short films are usually designed to prove point. For example a recent film that just got realised is ‘planet of the apes’ the fiction storyline shows it doesn’t really have a meaning to the film it’s just there to entertain. Short and full length films have completely different motives, which is why the conventions would be different. However a full length film could go into depth of a short film and end up with the same effect whereas a short film would not be able to put in half the amount of information, time, production etc. to get the same effect as a full length film. Short films tend to cover real life situations and be non-fiction whereas full length films are more made up and fiction.

Like/Dislikes of analysed films and what can be used in my production

'Sold'- likes: Linear narrative, circular narrative i also like the camera work as the grainy effect and the raw footage add such an effect to the clip. The titles having a score that suited the theme or emotion of the clip.

I like the themes that underlie in the short film as it sends a message out in a subtle way.

Dislikes- subjective narrative, and purpose to bring fame and self promotion.

'Double take'-Likes: the linear narrative with the non linear components the plot twist and circular narrative, furthermore i liked the kinetic camera work and raw footage for the realism effect with that washed out filming effect. Yet again i liked the themes the fact it sends a message out to the audience. The purpose of exploring an issue to build awareness i think is the best purpose of a short film alongside ones for educational purposes.

Dislikes- no dialogue makes it the story seem dull and was very predictable.

'Cherries'-likes: objective narrative, the silence at the end credits as it was a sad situation , yet again the themes of this short film interest me like the aggression between males, national service, war and the youths of today. the purpose sends a strong message across.

'Sign Language'-likes: the fact its a 'mocumentry', the hand held camera work for the realism. the whimsical theme.

Dislikes- the purpose of self promotion and fame

'Veronique'-likes: voice over, the titles and themes of the teenage crush.

'Ten minutes'-likes: linear with non linear elements the objective narrative, the circular narrative, the colours to represent the mood, the dialogue throughout, italian score representing the culture of the short film, the themes ; war, poverty, class segregation, family and love. Finally purpose to send a public message across.

Through the analysis of the short films, it gave me ideas and concepts that id introduce into my production like id like my short film to have a linear narrative that may contain non linear elements. Furthermore id rather have a objective narrative rather that a subjective narrative because id rather make the viewers more interested in the clip than focus on one character. Additionally i would like to incorporate a circular narrative with a plot twist as this is common with most short films as its short in length it needs a twist. 

I was inspired by the hand held camera work in 'Sign Language' i like the raw footage to give a sense of realism and would like to do that in my film. From watching 'Veronique' i will have a voice over in my production with the antagonist narrating the story as a twist.

My purpose have been taken more from '10 minutes' or 'Cherries' to send a educational message across make the public be aware of a clear issue.

I would not have on set dialogue as short films are low budget so the camera's sound quality would not be great. Furthermore unlike 'Sign Language' i would not film on a busy road more home filming with some outside set filming. Using one character makes the short film more boring so ill avoid keeping one character as focus. 

Example of a short film analysis-'Veronique'

'Veronique' by Patrik Bergh is another short film i analysed. As the other short films i analysed it is also a linear narrative which contain some non-linear parts it shows a progression on a school boy's week with a romantic 'teen crush' it is also a subjective narrative as the boy is the main focus.

The dialogue however is a different technique the use of a voice over rather than on set dialogue which for a low budget film is much more effective because the sound is clear and is the protagonist narrating the story with a few little twist to add the comedy to the motion. It shows the contrast between narrative and image which is very effective.

The titles are at the beginning the original background to blend it to the film alongside having end credits all conventions of a short film.

The themes that run throughout this short film portray teenage crushes and national stereotype of 'the glamour of france vs the reserved british' and finally the purpose for this movie was self promotion for the orange film 4 competition.

Example of a short film analysis-'Sign Language'

In class we also analysed a film called 'Sign Language' by Oscar Sharp this motion is a linear narrative as in continues in chronological order as it is a documentary of a guy at work on a daily basis. This short film differed from the others as it was in a documentary format and is a monologue throughout as it breaks the fourth wall and the protagonist talks to the camera. Furthermore it is a subjective narrative as the film focuses on the protagonist and his job and he is the main focus of the short film. This short film can also be seen as a 'mocumentry' and is clearly a circular narrative as he starts with a promotional job and moves to another promotional job.

Whats interesting about the techniques of this motion is the camera is hand held makes the motion seem more raw and realistic. Moreover the lighting is very realistic as it is filmed outdoors 'open set filming' unlike other short films.

Additionally titles were used effectively and compared to the others i preferred the use of them in this motion most as the titles ran throughout and during the end credits it shows us the protagonists life afterwards as a extended clip which i thought was intelligent.

Unlike other short films this expressed a whimsical theme it was light hearted more funny and less intense although it portrays a stereotype message about british identity that we as a nation have dull lives and are eccentric. this short film had a similar theme to '10 minutes' as it shows the theme that people don't notice what else is going on except in there own lives.

To conclude the purpose of this film was a 'mocumentry' but still portraying a message in a light hearted way also this was for fame and self promotion for Oscar.

Example analysis of short films-'Ten minutes'

An example of a short film i analysed was called 'Ten minutes' made by Ahmed Imamovic. This short film was very incisive and capturing and was ranked number one in the european film festival.

It portrayed a linear narrative with some non-linear elements as it shows what happens in two different parts of the same country in 10 minutes. Also it shows a clear message to the audience as it segregates and distinguishes between the rich and the poor and the tendency that ' the people that are well off financially are not aware what is happening in other parts of the world' hence showing the harsh reality of life that so much is happening in 'ten minutes'. Furthermore the director shows a objective narrative because throughout it is not only focused on one particular character but showing two main protagonists with two different lives. Additionally a circular narrative is seen in the clip as it begins with the photo's being processed then cross cuts to the slums and a state thats still going through war to then cross cut back to the photo's being developed.

The film begins in colour as it represents the rich side (Rome) and as it cross cuts to the slums of Italy the footage becomes grainy and black and white clearly representing the emotions and moods of the characters.

The titles are used effectively in this film as the title is seen at the beginning and end credits as it finished. the score is played in the beginning and end and is italian music , the score was picked as it represents the culture of the film which i believe was genius because it gives an Italian theme to the film. Moreover dialogue is used throughout the motion and subtitles are used to translate the language broadening the audience as people from all over the world that can read and understand english could understand whats going on. This defies the conventional ideas of a short film as usually in a low budget motion there is hardly any dialect.

On the other hand although this was a European production the themes that embed the story can relate to British identity as it shows themes of : war, poverty, class segregation between the rich and poor, death, family and love.

In my production of a short film i could use some of the elements present especially some of the themes as it sends a clear message and is sort of a educational purpose like what id like to achieve out of my production , making the viewer weary of what actually goes on but people don't take notice.

Finally i believe the purpose of the short film is to send a message across that people are oblivious to the fact children, parents are dieing due to war and poverty and shows what is happening as time goes by; alongside sending a message Ahmed did enter it into a film festival and was ranked number 1 so he gave himself self promotion with a short film that has a message embedded.

The conventions of a short film

I have watched around 8 short films, as I anaIysed each I started to notice similarities within the short films and now able to get a clear view of the requirements needed to make a short film and could relate them in the production of my own. As I have increased my knowledge of short films I can draw a link that the similarities that are shown in each represents the conventions of a short film.

The first main convention that I realized that shows up in many of the short films that I viewed is that they tend to keep minimal characters in the film, either tending from one to two characters. The production focuses on one character usually. An example of this is seen in ‘Sold’ by Nadia Attia as the protagonist male is the main character in this film, there is also a female character but the audience don’t see much of her as she is not the main focus of the film. The male protagonist remained center of the frame and was the main focus. I believe they tend to use less characters because either the budget is low and the director cant afford mainstream A-list actors as well as removing the main focus of the short film because the audience would have to focus on other characters in such a short space of time.

A second point, is that they all mostly have a twist to the storyline by either having a restrictive narrative and a circular narrative; by the director adding these plot twist they are able to present there skills and present underline modern society issues to challenge. Furthermore as it is short in timing without a plot twist the short film would simply not interest the viewer.

Thirdly in short films there are many point of view shot’s as you have to interact and see how the character see’s things. An example of a short film with many point of view shots is seen in 'Sign Language' hand held camera work and raw footage.

Voice over is very popular in short films. The use of voice over would be used instead of dialogue usually due to the insufficient funds that the camera’s used are of a low standard, another reason voice over is used it is cheaper.

Finally I have found with short films is that most of them are low budget, and this can be noticed wile watching them, there are no expensive titles used or a-list stars with a tendency to show raw footage as the funds can not cover the same quality of a feature length film.

Short Films (Research)

There are several conventions of a short film; narrative structure is one of the main elements. A linear narrative is almost always used, this is when the film is shown in chronological order and is usually in sync with real time which is often used due to the short time period given to make a storyline. Short films tend to have simple plots with clever twists; the director therefore has to immediately introduce the main focus and end on it, which tend to give short films a circular narrative. An example of this is a film made by Nadia Attia called ‘Sold’, her storyline begins and ends on ‘the ladle’ which I think makes her film a bit comical as it wasn’t in his intentions. In terms of techniques used I found that many short films had a grainy look which added realism in contrast to the bright and glossy look many full length films tend to have. ‘Sold’ is shot in a living room with straightforward editing used which gives it continuity which again would have been used due to the amount of time given.

Another convention to a short film is limited dialog; it is kept to a minimum as it allows the viewers to focus on what is happening in the film. In ‘Sold’ there is a lot of pre-recorded dialog from the television and the answer phone which is another technique used to keep editing to a minimum in short films. The frosted glass between the man and woman in the film acts almost like a barrier between the two, the fact that the boy doesn’t open his door to his neighbour and speaks through the front door highlights the lack of community in the British culture, however I think this is a good way to subtly add to the narrative and I will be using prompts like this in my short film.

The time constraints also affect subjectivity, as most 5 minute short films focus on one person’s point of view making it a subject narrative; as it is harder for the director to switch back and forth from characters. In addition, a restricted narrative is common convention of a short film which brings an element of surprise as we find out information at the same time as the characters. A good example of this is the film made by Toa Stappard called ‘Double Take’ this is a different short film as it does technically have a linear narrative however it holds elements of a non-linear narrative as it cuts back to footage filmed earlier. As a viewer we only find out information as the actor does, which builds suspense in such a short period of time.

Another convention of a short film is limited pre-opening titles which usually consist of the director and the title of the film, sometimes the company that produced it if it’s a well-known director. There are never any titles during the short film which again is due to time constrains and the end credits are usually the longest as it includes the cast, crew members, production information, logos etc

The themes of ‘Sold’ directly relates to contemporary British identity as its focus is on unemployed young people, stereotypically being lazy and recluse. This is shown through the voicemail his mother leaves him about finding a job instead of sitting around. I find it very interesting how such a short film can have such a deep meaning which is what i will try and include in my short film. Commercialisation appears to be very important to young people in today’s society; this is another theme this film demonstrates, as the young boy thinks his found the answer to all his problems on an online shopping channel. In addition, this presents the British culture in a negative light which is what I found many short films tend to highlight the negative parts of society.

Short film research

A short film could be any film that is not long enough to be a feature length film. Generally short films can range from three minutes in length to about fourty minutes depending on the films budget, the tendency that occurs in most short films portray that the longer it is the higher the budget it had. Short films are normally made by starting up movie directors to show different skills and talents which could segregate them from other amateur film makers. Additionally short films are made with more challenging alternative themes that gives the audience a clear message that is being portrayed in modern society that may not be taken notice of, short films reinforces this issue in there motion. Furthermore they are mostly not profit orientated as it gives the film makers a chance to be more experimental in the themes, narrative structure, style and genre. Examples of short films i have reviewed at home:

• Sign Language by Oscar Sharp:

• Cherries by Tom Harper:

• 10 minutes by Ahmed Imamovic:
  

• Veronique by Patrik bergh: