There’s a lot to be said for short films. Although sometimes relegated to the sidelines in favour of full-length films, the best short films have many aspects in common with their popular counterparts. This includes compelling and concise storytelling, engaging performances, an interesting concept and impactful visuals. You might also be surprised to discover some of the well-known films that started as short films too.

Let’s look at short films in greater detail.

What are short films?

A short film is a motion picture that is too short in duration to be considered a feature film. They can still garner a cinema release. Short films, however, are a popular format for independent film makers who have a limited budget and are a great way for them to cut their teeth.

How long are short films?

According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the official definition of a short film is "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits."

Where are short films screened?

Generally, short films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals. Many famous film festivals feature short films in their programmes.

How are short films funded?

It’s common for short films to have a low budget or no budget at all, as short films are frequently made by independent filmmakers. Funding avenues for short films include grants, non-profit funds and organisations, sponsors, investors or personal funds.

Why create a short film?

Short films are an excellent platform to showcase talent and secure funding for future projects from production companies or film studios. They are generally used for industry experience, and are a great way for people to discover new, talented filmmakers.

How do I write a short film?

It’s understandable if writing a full-length script feels daunting. If you haven’t written one before, then writing a short film might be a good option for you.

Crafting a short film is a great way to explore what goes into writing and editing a script. We’ve also explored ways to come up with ideas for short films.

Where to watch short films?

One of the most popular places to watch short films online is Short of The Week. New short films are also often screened at local, national, or international film festivals. Many famous film festivals feature short films in their programmes.

5 films that began as short films

It might surprise you to discover some popular feature films that started as short films. As a screenwriter, there’s a lot to learn from each one about storytelling, concept, visuals and performance, but which are the best ones to watch?

Diversion (1980), known as Fatal Attraction (1987)

You might not have heard of the 1980 film, Diversion, but you’ve almost certainly heard of the thriller film, Fatal Attraction, which debuted seven years later. James Dearden wrote the original short film that was later commissioned by Paramount Pictures to a full-length feature film and went on to become 1987’s second highest-grossing film at the global box office, receiving six Academy Award nominations.

The Dirk Diggler Story (1988), known as Boogie Nights (1997)

The 32-minute mockumentary short film later served as the basis for the 1997 film, Boogie Nights. Writer and director, Paul Thomas Anderson, cleaned cages at a pet shop to raise the money to make the movie, shooting the film with a Betamax camera from his father. It paid off, as the Oscar-nominated movie, starring Mark Wahlberg and Julianne Moore, later grossed $43million at the box office.

Peluca (2003), known as Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

After Peluca was shown at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival, a classmate convinced Jared Hess to drop out of school and expand the short film into Napoleon Dynamite, the cult favorite it is today.

Saw (2003), still known as Saw (2004)

A number of horror short films have later been adapted to feature films. The original short film version of Saw was just nine minutes long, and was shot in two days with almost no budget. James Wan and Leigh Whannell then screened their film to executives at Lionsgate, who offered them $1.2million to make the full-length version. Incredibly, the Saw franchise has now made more than $1billion worldwide.

Whiplash (2013), still known as Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash debuted at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival when writer and director Damien Chazelle based the 18-minute short film on his intense experience in his high school jazz band. After its debut, Chazelle secured the backing to make the full film. The feature premiered at Sundance the following year and won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize before winning three Academy Awards.

What can screenwriters learn from short films?

Short films offer excellent lessons, especially about concise and compelling storylines, as it’s much more challenging to tell a story in a much shorter time period than a feature-length film. It’s absolutely worth watching some short films, and potentially having a go at writing a short film script if it’s an element of your screenwriting craft that you want to refine.

Arc Studio can help you get your screenplay off the ground, regardless of whether it's your first short film or you're working on a full length screenplay for Netflix. Our software is FREE to download today, no credit card required.