Research into short films

Research into short films

People make short films for a number of different reasons. These might be to portray a message, like the short film ‘smashed’ which I studied at the very beginning of the project. Somerset and Avon council to try and show the dangers of drinking funded this. Other times short films might be produced in order to show what a director can do, in order to prove his/herself to large film companies to try and land a larger directing job. In my case as is the case with many others I created a short film as part of my studies at school. Another main reason people may make short films is simply for fun and personal pleasure, not aiming to achieve much else than personal enjoyment. People may work on short films to find out if they can work with certain people in future partnerships. People may also want to test an idea out in short film form, before moving their ideas to the big screen.

Short films may receive funding from a variety of different sources, including the UK film council/British film institute. National and regional screen agencies. Local councils (as was the case with ‘smashed’). Charities may also fund short films in the form of dramas or documentaries to raise awareness for their cause as I did in AS level for my website project. And one more major source of funding is from production schemes and competitions where broadcasters might give someone the opportunity to have their work created that might not have had the chance.

Distributors for short films are either individuals or an organization that will spread the film around, attempting to generate as much exposure as they can at film festivals, television or anywhere else that may be a marketable place for a short film. Distributors will need to be negotiated with as to what they will benefit from the deal however and this will affect profits in the project in question or future ones. After the deal has been reached (agreeing the territory the film can be shown in and the term they will control distribution for.) the distributor will need to make sure the film does not break certain laws in its actual distribution I.e. copyright.

Whilst on the class trip to the Paris independent Film festival at the ‘seven cinema’ I saw many short films that had been distributed in a number of ways. For example the short film ‘My friend the thief’ was produced for a students work. This was distributed by the festival itself after the student approached the organizers and became involved. 

(At the bottom of section 2, 'my friend the thief')