Why are there short films?

 

Short films are produced for a huge variety of reasons. They can simply exist

just for pure entertainment, however often they are there with other intentions

too. For example, a short film may be produced for educational purposes in

order to enlighten the viewer on a topic that the producer deems important. Or,

creating a short film may be a way of a creator to express themselves through

the art form of film. There are also many other purposes to creating short film:

to create a profit, to gain exposure, to express a political point, or even to get

good grades...

Anyone can make a short film. The great thing about it is that you don't need

expensive and fancy cameras, microphones and equipment - the technology

we have now makes the physical production elements of creating film so much

easier! As well as this, anyone can be in a short film. More often then not, the

people playing the roles in a short film are not Hollywood film stars. As long

as the person in front of the camera is confident enough to do so, the film can

still turn out exactly as intended.

Online video streaming services such as YouTube are the main platform for

the output of short films, as they are so easily accessible and can reach large

audiences. However, for some short film creators (often a little more

experienced), physical events such as film festivals are a great way of

showcasing their work, and gaining recognition.

When film was first invented, they didn't have the access or the technology to

produce films of much length - therefore, most films were short anyway. These

were presented to an audience at a theatre, or even in a gallery.

Anyone with access to the internet and/or film festivals can take part in

watching short films, and there are so many different types/genres to choose

from.