Genre

Short film posters

Film festivals

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single locality. Film festivals are highly popular and involve a range of films, from feature to short to documentary etc. Film festivals date all the way back to 1932 where the first festival was held, in Venice. Since then they have became increasingly popular, with festivals held in nearly all the major cities including Berlin, Edinburgh, Toronto, Melbourne and San Fransisco. Perhaps the most renowned festival, is the 'Cannes Film Festival' which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world. A lot of film festivals have specific focus, a number specialise in short films, each with its defined maximum length. Film festivals are typically annual events.

There are also film festivals dedicated to particular types of films, including short films. Short film festivals are usually held in a lot smaller venues, but are still scheduled annually and share the purpose of exhibiting the hottest short films of the year. These festivals were once a rather rare occasion but have recently gained some prominence and have found themselves on almost all of our continents, including Asia, Australia, Europe and most commonly in North America. The continent to hold the most popular short film festival is Europe, hosting the 'Short film Rain Dance festival', derived from their larger 'Rain Dance festival' (Europes largest indie film festival). The short film Rain Dance festival was voted the best short film festival on the globe. This festival offers many opportunities for prospective film makers hoping to make it on the big screen with their projects, many 'short film buyers' attend events like the Rain Dance, desperately searching for content for the dozens of fledgling websites. Screening at a film festival is simply a sure way to start creating a buzz around both your film and (hopefully) your soon to be career.

Short films I like: 3

Too Shy: 'Too Shy' was one of the few short films I liked that did not have an overly original concept. However, for an amateur production, I thought that the cinematography, editing and sound techniques were all brilliant. It showed that the producers made the best of what they had, they used a range of location, actors, instruments and props to create what I thought was a very impressive piece. It's understandable that people may be interested in producing but no so much in the acting, therefore the use of the voice-over running throughout was very effective. It created an emotional attachment without being cringeworthy in any way. I thought there was a clear message/moral that most short films fail to convey which was what gave the suggestive lack of originality it's appeal.

Short films I like: 2

Skwerl: 'Skwerl' is my personal favourite. It is such an interesting and quirky concept that is appealing to any English audience. We can all agree that it is not something that has been touched on before and is captured excellently in this short film. I feel like again it captures the essence of a short film well, the point is to produce something that would not necessarily work feature length. As the short progresses you find yourself wondering what exactly the couple are arguing about which shows just how well the actors portray the roles, something that is key to any short. Short films are something that are very beneficial to youngsters hoping to break into the film industry and I believe it is original ideas like this that will get them the recognition they deserve.

Short films I like: 1

Spin: I think Spin offers something no feature film can. It kept me enticed regardless of the fact there was no speech. A dialogue-free film is something very difficult to achieve with a feature film, 8 minutes and 16 seconds was perfect timing. It has a clear identity, many short films can often appear to be simply a segment from a feature film and the point of a short is often missed. The rewinding and fast forwarding and blatant selective sound techniques give 'Spin' a very creative touch that would definitely become very tedious after a long while. I think Spin captures something that not many films do and is so fascinating that you could re-watch many times with it still retaining its full effect.

Short film Prezi

Why I am making this blog

My name is Joss Harvey, a student at Prior Pursglove and this blog will eventually come to present my A2 coursework portfolio for Media Studies. This is my second year in my Media and I am now familiar with the process of blogging, however this time we are taking a different approach to our blog content. Whereas last year we focused on a magazine, this year we are focusing on short films. Making our own short films, researching, analysing, evaluating etc. All will be posted here on my blog. I am hoping of one day becoming a journalist, so last years syllabus was particularly useful for me. I am also extremely interested in the film industry and have been since I was young, I like to know who won what award for which film, who directed it and if they have been given the respect for their work. I am aware of just how competitive and difficult it is to break into the film industry and it was something I stopped considering before college. I am also a regular watcher of short films, particularly on YouTube, so it will be very useful and a great opportunity for me to take some inspiration and incorporate it into my own short film. I am majorly excited to delve into the course and make the most of it, I can only hope this year goes as well as last year, if not better!