Eat My Shorts
Why do people go to the trouble of making short films in the first place?
People go to the trouble of making short films as they see it as a form of art e.g. Derek Jarman and Peter Greenaway. Furthermore, it's a chance for directors to showcase their talent and work.
What was the situation with short filmmaking when shorts were still being shot on celluloid?
Even though the quality and look of the film can be stunning when shot on celluloid, unfortunately its very expensive, e.g. Film 4's Shadowscan cost a whopping £90,00. As these films were only being seen by a handful of people, these large costs were difficult to justify.
What is impact that DV technology has had on the short film?
The UK Film Council have set up a 3 year scheme to support digital shorts (August 2001). They have pledged £1.5 million to support 100 digital short films a year.
What are the distribution and exhibition possibilities for short films made in the UK?
As it is expensive to distribute. It will need to have been shot in a certain format in order to be shown in cinemas. However, a steady introduction of digital projection equipment into UK cinemas will save money as the film could be downloaded straight to the cinema. Some cinemas even host monthly ‘shorts’ events, e.g. The Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh.
Short Films used to be easily accessible due to the films being streamed online, however, many websites have had to close down due to loss of money. iFilm offer short film makers the option of paying to upload their film for a 3 OR 6 month period. Streaming also helps the film reach a larger audience.
What was the conclusion reached by the writer about the situation of short film in the UK at the time of the article’s publication?
The writer outlined that DV cameras have enabled 100s of film makers to create short films. However, it can be very time consuming and funding can be hard to get hold of.
How up-to-date you think the article is (providing reasons)? – Written May 2004:
I feel that it needs to be updated; YouTube (which came out in 2005), for example, is one of the largest sites to upload and view short films in this day and age. Moreover, most cinemas now use digital projections which means short films are easily watchable.
