Part 1 Context
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/237/
The article ‘Eat My Shorts’, explains that film makers of short films create shorts in order to develop their talent, in the hope they will eventually get the chance to make a feature film. The media industry sees short films as personal adverts for those attempting to break into the art of a feature film. Compared to the media industry and the film makers themselves, other people conclude that short films have little importance than feature films, especially as they don’t have a regular slot in commercial cinemas and anywhere else that has the ability to view them. Television broadcasters aren’t interested in viewing these short films until 3am when they is hardly any audience members awake to view them. If you were minus the film-makers friends, relatives and colleagues than there isn’t enough members of the audience to fulfil an equal amount that are interested in features rather than the shorts. Audience members embrace different kinds of short films in there day to day lifestyles either through advertise or music videos, as they are exploring one issue from the beginning to the end. During the time when the first televisions were about there were adverts in turn they are short films as they told a story.
Over the years upcoming talent have found funding for their short film projects very difficult, in particular in the late 90’s were digital format was rarely available, only a few people had the necessary funding access to expensive Celluloid tapes in which the films needed to be shot on. As they cost about 60 to 90 thousand pounds which is far too expensive to been viewed by niche audience, for this reason short films were no longer viewed in cinemas or as about of daytime television. Inspiring upcoming talent to create short films has a big put off when it comes to funding the project.
Although short films of any kind are used to develop the talent of inspiring filmmakers, there are many obstacles for them to under cover, from not receiving enough audience members interested in the films, to the ‘airplay’ they get; unless making a television advert or a music video, short films aren’t liking to be aired during the day as audience members aren’t interested fence why television broadcasters would allow to air them in three in the morning. Until the development of DV (Digital Video) it was difficult for someone who had never made a film of any sort before, to receive public funding, as there was little interest in meritocracy (development of talent). Digital technology allows more films to be produced on a cheaper format; it can also be edited or manipulated on a day to day computer or laptop. Regardless of this, when DV technology was beginning to create a impact on the filming industry, the UK film council created a 3 year filming scheme which allow a £1.5million to those interested in making films. Within 3 years 100 films had to be made, however producers and directors were finding it difficult to cope with DV especially that this scheme meant that the films cant be no longer than 10 minutes. Many directors indicated that working with celluloid tapes which better than DV format.
To get a short film distributed to the desired audience can be tricky for a producer before 2004. With the arrival of DVD and internet access has increased the opportunities to reach a mass audience; this is a cheaper way of distributing the shorts with some many of the population has access to the internet with websites like YouTube. Having a DVD format of a short film allows people who are already interested in short films to buy them. From many festivals a collection of winners throughout the categories can be put on one DVD called ‘cinema 16’ where the popular shorts are on in. Also Directors Lab is another DVD where producers have come together to create a DVD with some of their shorts on. This has been done so that shorts that have similar or different themes and issues can reach an audience that maybe of the same desired audience. Regardless of online streaming and DVD the mass audience are still not being targeted; this audience can be reached mainly through cinema viewings. However to get the shorts converted to 16mm or 35mm print is costly, can cost up to £3,000, even if you have the funding and can do that actually getting it to the cinema can raise a problem. The UK film council created a programme called Digital Network scheme, which allows screens for short films to be created and dispersed into 250 cinemas. From when this article was made in 2004, the UK film council wanted to achieve by 2005. They now have 240 screens in 210 cinemas this allows distributing the shorts cheaper.
The writer of this article concludes that the UK film council works in line with the government policy that empowers regions and nations to take responsibly in developing talent and disperse it to a wide audience and to gain higher level of skills within the media industry.
The writer has thought deeply into the development of technology to allow short films to be produced and disperse to try and reach the wide mass audience in which they may not be reaching.
Catch 22
Short films represent the way that many if not most filmmakers get recognised initially. Done superbly well, they can become a new director’s ticket onto the restricted access ladder that leads to making a feature film. Yet so many obstacles still stand in the way of short filmmakers and the all important “airplay” of the short films they make. How effectively does the article explain and answer this paradox?
The article explains that the short film industry is increasing and many people are becoming producers creating their own short products and distributing them through online access. Limitations of the industry can create problems when they attempt to reach the mass audience with their products. However new digital technology has increased the interest of the film and internet industry.
Find at least two other articles which examine the importance of short films and their effectiveness as stepping stones to longer format films for emerging filmmakers. Do they address the paradoxes/challenges for short filmmakers?
I couldn’t find any.
Part 2 Funding and Support
The UK Film Council has a variety of schemes to support short filmmakers and the process of the short film making.
¨ The SHORT FILM COMPLETION FUND (2008/2009) this provides financial support to short filmmakers who show an outstanding potential but lack to the funds to finish their projects.
¨ The DIGITAL SHORTS program works along side the new cinema fund to create partnerships with organisations in each region and nation of the UK to allow filmmakers to make short films, using digital technology.
¨ The DIGITAL NATION allows filmmakers who have previously demonstrated work at a similar level. The scheme provides those filmmakers with the opportunity to further their development as a filmmaker in a nationwide talent group.
¨ The CINEMA EXTREME was created in 2002 by the new cinema fund and film4 to support filmmakers with a distinctive directional voice.
There are nine Regional Screen Agencies (RSAs) that the film council is delivered through. They are as follows:
¨ EM Media- They have made over 600 investments in which many have gone on to win awards such as “This is England”
¨ Film London – As this covers the whole of the London region it is the largest agency.
¨ Northern Film and Media – There aim is to bring people together to expand their potential and how to use the landscape affectively.
¨ North West Vision and Media –They help filmmakers to find suitable locations to film.
¨ Screen East – They provide any essential help such as crew or equipment if needed.
¨ Screen South – Their aim is to bring fourth and sustain an environment that stimulates the film industry.
¨ Screen West Midlands- They want to increase to wealth and understanding of the film industry within the region.
¨ Screen Yorkshire- They offer schemes to help people develop their skills and understanding of the industry.
¨ South West Screen – they offer schemes to the public such as media box which aims to help disadvantaged teens.
As a short filmmaker, I believe I would apply for the digital shorts scheme with the UK Film Council. I would do this because I am not experienced enough to create an outstanding short film, so I need to develop my skills and knowledge further. Alternatively I could apply to Screen South agency as they have schemes to help all kinds of people to achieve their full potential and help them along the way in the industry.
Part 3 Other Funding Sources
If the UK Film Council schemes aren’t working for your benefit, there are plenty of other schemes that exist to help fund a short film or films. Here are a few:
¨ First Light Movies, they fund and inspire 5 to 19 year olds throughout the UK to produce their own short films.
¨ Broadcasters are popular with schemes to help produce a series of shorts. Such as BBC New Music Shorts.
¨ Virgin Media Shorts. This was a scheme created by Virgin Media encouraging people to create Short Films, that many would get viewed by the general public and then to vote for the best ones.
¨ Scottish Screen is an agency established in 1997 in Scotland, to help with the development and production of short films and features and disperse them throughout the country.
Part 4 Festivals
Many Short films get viewed at festivals national and internationally, Winning an award at one of the festivals is amazing achievement especially those that are thinking about breaking into the feature film element of filmmaking. Festivals get lots of applications from film makers trying to enter their short films, many get accepted however the ones that don’t re-enter over a numerous amount of festivals so that they might have a chance to win a award at one of them at least.
National listed Festivals include:
Encounters Festival (www.encounters-festival.org.uk) which is located in Bristol that was founded in 1995 and it is held around November every year. Sponsors of this festival include Bristol city Council, South west screen, Skillset and Southwest of England Regional development agency. Primary Sponsors are Aardman, HP invent, Film @59, UK lottery funding and Watershed. Major sponsors are Film 4, ITV west and university of Bristol.
Soho Shorts also referred to Rushes Festival (www.sohoshorts.com) which is located in London’s West end an ionic place where films are premiered in London. Soho Shorts was established in 1998 which is a week long event with over 140 free screening sections in bars and Cinemas. Many Festivals have categories for the short films, here the categories include: Long form, International, Documentary, Short film, animated, music video, broadcast design and newcomers. The main Sponsors of this festival are Rushes, Song, Bablegum and Ascent 142. It also has very strong connections with BBC films, Fujifilm recording and the UK screen association.
International Festivals include:
Halloween Shorts (www.shortfilms.org.uk) this is a London based short film festival, this is also known as Halloween Festival. Despite its name it is held in January. The short films are viewed across several London Venues including ICA (institute of contemporary art).
Hamburg (www.shortfilm.com) first established 1985 under the title of ‘No Budget’, this international short film festival presents unknown, unusual or contradicting media products. This largest short film festival in the worlds likes film-makers who are independent to have challenging media products.
Kinofilm Festival (www.kinofilm.com) Located in Manchester it’s been running since 1995. Kino’s mission is to create an awareness and understanding of short films to do this they just to promote, educate, celebrate and campaign cultural diversity which is demonstrate within short films.
Los Angeles (www.lashorsfest.com) typically is located in Hollywood, this is the most commercial short film festival this is helped by the support of celebrities such as Courtney Cox, Scarlett Johansson and Kanye west; who have featured in at least one short film that has been viewed here. Amongst Celebs that have featured in short films others such as Demi Moore with ‘Streak’ have directed their own short films.
From looking into these International and National short film festivals, some use celebrities to help promote them, and others have supporters of big agencies such as Film 4 or the UK lottery funding as well as getting support from local universities as many of the short films are likely to be viewed or created by students studying media of some aspect. Amongst being viewed by professional people in the industry who are looking for upcoming talent to help them either with funding for their next project or even want them to direct, produce a film of their own. Besides students and people from the filming industry, the shorts have a niche audience to satisfy there products with. Anyone who has a short film entered in a festival would have it hard to get noticed especially if they want to move further in the area of focus or make a name for themselves, this is due to some many candidates for each category.
Part 5 Online Screening
Part 6 Short Screenplay Writing
Part 7 Training and Development
Part 8 Distribution and Exhibition
