Our final brief is a short film, which should be up to five minutes long. I believe that creating a short film is perhaps the most creative of the production briefs, given the diverse range of genres a short film could be about, from Documentaries to Dramas. As a result of this, I feel as though there wouldn't be such a need to conform to codes and conventions. Short films are also innovative; the sub-genre is going from strength to strength and is becoming increasingly popular as social media such as Youtube comes to the fore- you don't need any money whatsoever to create a viral hit, which is what fascinates me so much about short film. I've decided to look at various different short films that have inspired me, featuring film-makers whom I admire:
'Umbrella', Pixar:
No short film video could go without Pixar! Makers of the most notable short films, I truly admire and respect the quality of their short pictures. Here is a clip from 'Umbrella', Pixars most recent short and, dare I say it, there best short film ever. Featuring some astounding animation that really does look life-like, the short film is a beautifully simple tale of two umbrella's who fall in love in a rain-swept American city. Such an abstract idea sounds ridiculous on paper (or, in this instance, on a computer screen) but... well, it's Pixar. Whilst I probably won't be making an animation on account of the fact that it would just be plain difficult, I like the idea of simplicity and minimalism within short film. The shortened time length is more challenging because one has to create a beginning, middle and end whilst still creating characters whom are sufficiently developed. Consequently, I feel Umbrella has taught me the importance of simplicity, as well as creating characters who the audience can root for within such a short time frame.
When I Grow Up, GBFilmProductions:
This is an example of a really well made short-film documentary I came across. The aspects of this I like include the question that binds these people together; although this isn't the kind of documentary that's a scathing expose, it's a question that unites all these different people together, from all walks of life. Technically speaking, I like the cinematography and the various shots that have been used to connect audience with subject (ie. extreme close-ups). On top of this, I like the simplistic choice of music- although rather sentimental, it isn't too overbearing and adds a charming tone to the piece. This is an example of a documentary that I could realistically do myself, and I like some of the ideas displayed within this piece.
'Sight', Sight Systems:
Sight, the last short film I looked at, was an interesting proposition because it was the first time I'd seen a futuristic short film. However, I found the film to be original and inventive, exploring ideas that are wholly interesting, such as the takeover of technology in a Web 2.0 era. Added to this, I thought the exploration of ideas (such as the 'cooking apps') as well as the developed and complex plot made the short feel like a proper feature film. One could overlook the slightly cheapened budget because of the inventiveness of the script, and because of this I can see how a short film doesn't necessarily have to compensate it's narrative because of its shortened length.
Summary:
In summation, I've been truly impressed by some of the short films I've researched and watched critically. The work and inventiveness that has been put into these video's has paid dividends, reflected the number of views and likes each one has on YouTube. Each of the above three videos has given me ideas to reflect upon, and I'm definitely happy to select the short film production brief...
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