Type of production task

A1 Type of Production Task                                     By Ivan Newsome

A short film is considered to be a film that is under 40 minutes in running time, and is therefore not a feature length film.  Independent filmmakers who have a very limited budget usually make these films.

A feature film is a film that is considered to be the sole film to fill a program. It must be over 40 minutes running time and is usually between 75 and 120 minutes.

SHORT FILM	FEATURE FILM
Normally independently made	Usually requires a big crew and budget
Under 40 minutes	Over 40 minutes
Small/limited budget	Big Budget
Normally gets directors noticed to lead them onto bigger and better things	Seen as the pinnacle of filmmaking due to the audience it draws in
Natural lighting is used in order to keep costs at a low	Greenscreens can be used as well as shooting inside and create own forms of lighting
Audio is usually built into a camera and therefore background noise can be heard	Lav mics are used as they reduce background noise
Hardly any extra takes are used	Many takes can be used to get a perfect shot
Most short films end up on youtube/vimeo	Normally is featured in cinemas
Shorter scripts usually 30-40 pages	Far longer scripts that are usually between 80-130 pages
Less time to get to know and understand characters	Far more time to be able to build a relationship with characters
Normally only follows one story/viewpoint	Can follow many stories simultaneously
Focuses on getting to the core of the character and theme	Many different themes and structures used
Has to focus on one part of the three act structure	Can use the three act structure in full

                                                                       

Many people creating short films	Not as many creating feature films due to the cost
Digital cinema has had an affect on popularity of short films	Digital cinema has not had as much of an affect
Short films can be used to visualize bigger and better films for the future
Easier to watch due to the shorter time
Seen as the first step of a career	Seen as an aspiration
Critical success	Commercial success

A short film is seen primarily as the first step on a director’s journey, almost like setting the foundations of their portfolio. In direct contrast every director wants the chance to direct a feature film in order to break through onto the filmmaking scene. However the best way for this breakthrough is seen through producing short films. These films are almost always independently made and have an extremely low or limited budget, which is a direct contrast to the blockbuster style feature films that feature many crew members. A short film is classified as a film that has a running time of under 40 minutes. Due to the short running time, the three act structure cannot be utilised and therefore only one part is focussed on. Furthermore the shorter time also means that relationships with characters and themes cannot be as easily built. This therefore means that they must focus on the core of the character and themes very quickly to give the audience a better understanding. Feature films do not have this problem as they have as long as they want to develop the relationship between audience and character. A short film will also only follow one characters viewpoint due to the time restrictions whilst a feature can follow multiple. Due to such a low budget takes are almost always done once, something that feature films will hardly ever do in order to get the perfect shot. A reason why not many short film directors make the big time is due to the fact that there are so many other people in their position and just wanting to get noticed, hence why directors must think outside the box in order to get their breakthrough. A key difference between short and feature length films is the success that directors look for. Short film directors look for critical success in order to gain feedback as well as interest from backers and companies in order to help them on their journey. On the other hand feature film directors look for commercial success due to how much money a good feature films can bring in. In conclusion, short films are very useful for filmmakers to get noticed and build up to bigger and better things. They are essential for making the step into feature films and the commercial success that they bring.