Codes and Conventions of Short Films

Length: A short film will most commonly last between 3 to 15 minutes, however some can last for 40 minutes.

Storylines: Storylines are generally kept simple but are sometimes hard to follow as they contain a sense of ambiguity. Narratives include linear, open, closed, circular which is usually condensed with limited dialogue. In particular, voice over’s are also used instead of dialogue which usually focuses around the central protagonist.  

Character: Due to the length of short films will usually introduce between 1 and 3 main characters. The central protagonist will remain central in the frame. Short films don’t have time to create a deep back story or history of the characters involve; therefore, character numbers are kept low to allow the audience to relate to the characters in the small amount of time.

Twist: Including a twist is a common convention in short film which allows the director to tell a short story in an interesting way or in their own style. A "twist" - usually Short Films contain a ‘Twist’ to make the story line is more interesting and have a new dimension to the short clip. Without a "Twist" in a Short Film the story-line would simply be rather boring and have no story to it.

Creativity: Short films tend to include creativity as they portray ideas in original yet vague way. This is made through a number of creative shots which enables the director to show their own style.

Niche Audience: Short films tend to have a smaller yet niche audience, compared to mainstream work in feature films. Due to the creative nature, length and simple storyline, short films include a unique style which appeals to a much more specific audience.

Emotion: Short films are used to convey a strong emotion to the audience whether this can be sadness, happiness, or anger to make certain comments in society.

Low Budget: This is based on the fact that most Short Film Directors are independent without the sufficient backing in terms of funding. To ensure their budget is low, they stick to one or two locations for their film as well as only using a few actors. Having such a short film allows costs to be little to nothing in some departments, as some actors will work for free if they really like the story line.