Contrary to the
common belief, short films are not an abridged version of feature movies. Short
movies represent a self enclosed category which has the capacity to deliver an
idiosyncratic cinematic effect. The running time of short films is noticeably
shorter. It goes from 4 to 40 minutes which makes them less demanding as
regards the making budget and the logistical means required (Busch 2007)*.
Short movies
usually display few characters and handful of locations. Their verbal language is
intensely condensed and can be even absent making the audience more inquisitive
and more participative than usual. But the real challenge for the audience lies in the intricacy of causality relations
between the scenes. Short films can be expository, informative or didactic and
they revolve around a single theme.
As regards, the structure of the narrative, short films may include a clear
exposition and a climax but rarely do they give the audience the gift of an
unambiguous ending. If the short film represents the ancestor of feature films,
it has confirmed successfully its status as a distinct cinematic genre.
* Busch, David(2007). The Short Screenplay.
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