Part 1- Context
Go to:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/237/
Read the article entitled: “Eat my shorts”
Make notes on:
· Why people go to the trouble of making short films in the first place
· The situation with short filmmaking when shorts were still being shot on celluloid
· The impact that DV technology has had on the short film
· The distribution and exhibition possibilities for short films made in the UK
· The limitations of the format (what, according to some, can’t shorts achieve that features can?)
· The conclusion reached by the writer of the article about the current situation of short film in the UK at the time of the author’s publication
· How up-to-date you think the article is (Providing reasons)
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?
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.
Answer
Why people go to the trouble of making short films in the first place?
Some film-makers see short films as an art form, such film-makers as Derek Jarman and Peter Greenaway to Isaac Julien and Andrew Kötting. Whereas others see short films as personal ads, for directors who are working towards making feature films, as they need experience and evidence of this experience to gain funding for future films. As for everyone else, short films are of little significance, not wanted in cinemas and broadcasters don’t want to screen them till very late at night, as they have a small audience.
The situation with short filmmaking when shorts were still being shot on celluloid?
Caroline Cooper Charles says "The situation in the late 1990s was that there were limited opportunities for a small clique of people to get healthy funding for their shorts but there was very little investment in the discovery of new talent". There were only a few people who could gain access to the funding for celluloid, new directors who had no filming experience weren’t invested in and as celluloid is highly expensive, without the finding they couldn’t make a name for themselves as directors. Films being made under Film 4 and Curlie would cost between £60,000 and £90,000. The problem with this is that short films only had a small audience, which would provide the film-maker with a profit, especially has short films no longer receive screening in cinemas and daytime television.
The impact that DV technology has had on the short film?
DV technology has made it possible for more people to make short films, as DV is a much cheaper format; it also is easier when it comes to editing, as most people can do this from their own homes and therefore reducing the cost of post-production. The UKFC launched a three year scheme in which they donated a total of $1.5 million towards the produce of 100 new short films a year. However this scheme got mixed reviews as some people said that it was restricting as the budget for one of these films would be less than £10,000. Caroline Cooper Charles says "We were angrily told that it was impossible to make a decent film for less than £10,000, and that forcing people to shoot on digital was too restrictive". Many found that the limited time for the film was restrictive as it had to be condensed down to less than 10 minutes; also others believe that celluloid is better than DV. Another criticism was that many people would just assume that errors can be fixed during post-production, “When you're a film student you're very aware of how much film costs, so you're not going to start shooting until you know exactly what you want. There's a danger with digital that you don't make any real decisions until you're on set, and then you assume any problems can be sorted in post-production.” Says Asif Kapadia.
The distribution and exhibition possibilities for short films made in the UK?
The biggest problem about a short film is the challenge to secure theatrical distribution; its best chance is to be programmed alongside a feature but even the chances of this, remains rare. Short Circuit Films, the UK based organisation responsible for distributing films, has tried funding distributors to have cinemas programme a short with features, thought this only works if the cinema manger is enthusiastic about it as the exhibition of the short film is as their discretion. Also according to Meabh O'Donovan from Short Circuit the shorter a short film the better its chances. As it has more chance of being paired with a feature film, if the short film isn’t too long, especially depending on the length of the feature. If the feature is longer than 2 hours, a short would not be paired with it, but a feature that is 90 minutes long, has a chance of a having a short paired with it that is no longer than 10 minutes long. The problem with time restriction in short films is that new directors are not developing their skills, that the short is hardly a film, just more of an idea; it doesn’t provide them with the knowledge of how to develop characterization. Digital projectors are now being introduced to cinemas, which would save money, as it would be cheaper to have the films downloaded directly to the cinema servers, instead of converting digital masters into film prints. Several cinemas now host monthly short film screening events, one cinema loans filming equipment to independent film makers whilst another cinema invites the directors to the screening event to talk to the audience. Also there are underground events where unfunded short films are displayed, in any venue available, such as churches, disused companies and squats.
The limitations of the format? (what, according to some, can’t shorts achieve that features can?)
DV has its limitations, as often films produced on DV can turn out grainy, as the dimensions and proxemics can look different as many digital cameras don’t have the capacity to capture as much as celluloid does, making it harder to fit the film on a festival sized screen. Evan Mather, realised that digital looks best when watched on the internet, some of his own films are said to be better watched in isolation, cocooned by headphones. Film makers do not secure deals through web exposure, therefore failing to gain recognition, but people give more honest feedback through the internet, providing the director with helpful information. Although digital technology is clearly much cheaper, if it isn’t converted to 35mm celluloid, it means that many people can make their own short film. More scripts are being sent into the digital short scheme, around 1000 a year, giving the UKFC a lot of scripts to read, some holding the possibility of becoming produced.
The conclusion reached by the writer of the article about the current situation of short film in the UK?
The UKFC carries through government policy to empower Britain's regions and nations, which means the responsibility for nurturing talent and experiment lies with film commissioners on arts boards across the country - a welcome resistance to a London-centric industry. Each region has its own way of developing its strengths and it is to be hoped that evidence of real talent meets with proper championing to move people on to the next stage. It has to be said, though, that the UK has found it hard to discover great auteurs in recent years. But then, maybe that's not the job of government agencies. Talent will out is the theory, and hundreds of films the practice.
The writer is saying he feels that the new technologies will be successful in the short film industry. But just because more short films are being made, doesn’t mean there’s an increase in the amount of directors being funded. The new technology just merely gives more people of making short films, most of which will still remain unfunded.
How up-to-date you think the article is? (Providing reasons)
This article would have been written a minimum of 5 years ago; I assume it was written within 2003-2004, the most obvious reason for that date is when the article says, “the UKFC plans to have 250 screens in 150 cinemas by summer 2005.” From this we can tell that lots of the information would be out of date, it talks about digital media as being a highly new piece of technology, whereas now in the present we have HD (High Definition) and Blue-Ray as the new technology. Although some of the information within the article still remain current despite it being written 5 years ago. Short films are still failing to capture a mainstream audience, and are only viewed at festivals, where the audience are mainly media professionals. Also despite digital filming equipment not new as it was then, digital technology is the dominant form of filming equipment as HD cameras are still unattainable to most people due to its expensive price. Overall some of the articles content remains modern, especially when it talks about short films, but when it comes to technology, it is still 5 years out of date.
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.
The article explains mainly how digital technology is changing the short film industry; more amateurs can make their own films giving them the opportunity to enter the film industry. It also discusses the limitations of digital technology and the schemes offered and how they don’t allow directors and writers to develop characterisation or an affective narrative. Due to the more available options of distribution for products on a digital format, a wider audience can be achieved.
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?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/introduction/what-makes-a-good-short
This link above goes into detail about what makes a short film successful; it discusses 11 different aspects of making a short film. The article covers all the aspects needed for short film making, such as, initial idea, scripts, acting, etc. It encourages the reader and offers them a lot of helpful advice on different matters; it gives them information on how to make their short film more broadly seen by getting it shown at as many festivals and competitions as possible. Overall this is a good source of information for someone wanting to make a short film as it contains sub categories of information, each offering information on how to make their short film to its highest potential.
http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/winter2004/line_items/short_films.php
The link above, also like the previous link, explains and gives information on how to make a good short film. The article was written by Mike Plante a film coordinator at the Sundance film festival, from the sight and sound article, we learnt that shorts are often the choice when working towards a feature and that shorter the short film, the better. This article presents similar information; it suggests that a 60 minute short film is more like a feature, as it conveys too much information. This article also gives a table of information about festivals, their contact details, entry fees, dates and deadlines. This gives the reader extensive information about how to get the short film seen by short film fans, professionals and future possible funders. Overall this is also a very good source of information for short film makers as it provides lots of information about the construction of short films and information on how to get their product broadcasted.
Part 2 – Funding
Go to:
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/
Arguably the most important section of your research.
What is the UK Film Council doing to support short filmmakers and short film making?
Undertake a systematic breakdown and analysis of the various lines of support and funding that are available, and make detailed notes.
What are the nine Regional Screen Agencies (RSAs) that Film Council funding is delivered through?
Make notes on the organisations, the awards they facilitate and the application processes.
As a short filmmaker, what funds could you yourself apply for?
Answer
What is the UK Film Council doing to support short filmmakers and short film making?The UK Film Council have introduced several schemes, created for the funding of production and distribution of short film products, made by aspiring short film directors. These schemes are open for directors looking to gain experience through the making of short films, to become qualified and prove their worth towards possible investors when they go on to make a feature film.
The schemes available for short film directors are:
The Cinema Extreme, was first launched in 2002, the UKFC and Film 4 joined together to fund directors who have previous success with other schemes and have a clear idea what they want to do next. Films funded by this scheme commonly go on to be screened at festivals, for example Andrea Arnold has had multiple of her films screened at festivals and have won awards for her films. Cinema Extreme is more suitable for directors who are closer to making feature films, as their short film can show their ability in developing characterization and narrative.
Innovation Fund will be launched in autumn 2010, the objective of this fund is to, like the name suggests, unlocking innovation across the production sector. It is also to ensure that the UKFC can support all digital opportunities and develop new ways of distributing products to the audience.
The Digital Shorts scheme was set up so that it would allow film makers from all regions to collaborate with a variety of regional companies. This scheme branched out from The New Cinema Fund; its aim is to encourage the use of digital equipment and to produce films of the same quality that would have been made using 35mm celluloid.
Digital Nation, was originally called Digital Shorts Plus, this scheme is the next one up from Digital Shorts. The difference between them is that this scheme allows more established directors to work with companies throughout the UK. Films made under this scheme are usually used as evidence of their experience and talent so that they can secure future funding. At the end of this process only around 12 films are turned from their scripts and into short films, receiving £17,500 to £20,000 in their funding. This scheme builds up a reputation for the director, granting them the possibility to move on into making feature films.
Short Films Completion Fund was created in 2002, it aims to help in the completion of short film that show potential but just lack the funds needed to complete them. This scheme receives a generous annual fund of £70,000; over 150 films have been completed under this scheme, many of these films have gone on to receive awards. Many directors begin making their short films with their own money but then during making the short film they run out of money, with the Short Completion Fund, directors can receive the finding to finish their films.
What are the nine Regional screen Agencies (RSAs) that the film council funding is delivered though?
Each year the UKFC allocates 6.3 million towards the following agencies:
EM Media – Located in the East Midlands, their prime aim is to secure fiancé and to help new talent grow, and to raise their regions profile in terms of film and media. They have made over 600 investments; many of these investments have gone on to win awards, such films being “This is England”. The process of receiving an investment is to have a meeting with a member of the agency, where they will advise the applicant on what to do.
Film London – Covering all of the London area, making it one of the largest agencies. Provides most aspects film, including production, research resources and location development. Working with festival partners, they aim to encourage film viewing culture and increase audiences through supporting organizations.
Northern Film and Media – Set up in 2002, covering the north east of England, this agency focuses on helping people within the industry to be able to enter into any type of media. Supplying support they have training for professional and non-professionals, schemes and services, workshops and networking events. Their aim is to bring people to their fullest potential, bringing support to the area and showing people how to use the landscape affectively.
North West Vision and Media – They offer vary of services towards the UKFC, providing people with extensive knowledge of the industry. They also help with the production of projects, for example helping people find suitable locations for filming. They aim to stimulate the creativity within the area and grow the amount of digital equipment being used. They do this through the helping of individuals and companies grow into the industry, making them thrive. They aim to bring more film culture to the area, holding festivals, for the goal of bringing creativity.
Screen East – Working in the east of England, they aim to provide facilities, crew and locations and skills to people working in the industry. They aim to flourish the industry of media through the four different departments of audiences and education, location, enterprise and skills and production.
Screen South – Representing the south of England, including Kent and Surrey, they maintain a close relationship with UKFC through digital short films. They cover six different departments, production and development, training, communities and learning, film commission and inward investment, exhibition, film heritage and archive. Using these departments they help people by getting their projects in motion. Their prime aim is to bring fourth and sustain an environment that stimulates the film industry within the south.
Screen West Midlands – Representing the West Midlands, they are most known for the success of their film, Faintheart, the first to be made through Myspace. Their aim is to increase the wealth of the film industry within this region, by supporting screen industries. They supply a online calendar, which contains information on the yearly events, such as festivals and competitions. Giving people within the industry the information they need to be able to participate and expand their skills.
Screen Yorkshire – Offering their help to the areas of Yorkshire and Humber, similar to the other agencies, they aim to develop creativity within the area and to increase the wealth of the industry. They advise people to order their free brochure so that they would get information on whether or not this agency is right for them. They offer schemes, to enhance their skills and prepare them for what they need to do if they choose to go into the industry. They also enter their products into festivals in the hope of winning awards.
South West Screen – They offer schemes to the public including the scheme Media Box, which is for disadvantaged teens, using these schemes they aim to bring innovation. This screen, like other screens, help fund the media industries within the region. This screen receives its funding through three partners, these being the UKFC, SkillSet and the South West Screen.
As a short film maker myself who is passionate about the industry, I could apply for the UKFC, under the digital shorts scheme. I would apply for this, as I am still not that experienced within the industry and this scheme would be my next step up. An alternative to the UKFC is one of the nine regional screen agencies, I would originally apply for Film London as it is in an area that the film industry thrives in, but it is for that reason I choose not to go there as it would attract a lot of competition between people wanting funding. But the one I would apply to would be Screen South, the reason for this being that is represents my area and offers vary of services to the people it funds, helping achieve their full potential. But to apply I would need to have a story in mind, that has a strong narrative, as I will need this to pitch my idea to whoever I choose to apply for.
Part 3 – Other Sources of Funding
Outside of the UK Film Council, are there any other schemes that exist to help fund short films?
Answer
BFI – British Film Institute
Receiving 16 million a year from the UKFC, the British Film Institute aims to widen the audience and deepen the popularity of the film industry. They preserve cinema heritage with a collection of television and films. They broaden education of films and promote moving image culture. The British Film Institute also runs the annual London Film Festival.
Skillset
Opened in 2002, Skillset aims to maintain the world class status of the UK creative industries. They do this by ensuring that the UK always has a consistent supply of professionals in the industry. They aim to help people and industries gain a wide range of skills and talents, making them professionals and making them thrive within the film industry, ensuring that the success of the industry only increases in the future.
First Light Movies
Funded by the UKFC, receiving £1.1 million a year from them, they aim to offer children and young people opportunities to learn and develop skills within filmmaking. This scheme enables initiative to grow in young people and increase the amount of films being made by them. The prime audience of this scheme is particularly directed towards disadvantaged youths, as it offers a option to them that is less accessible to them than other youths.
Part 4 – Festivals
Go to:
http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk/http://www.kinofilm.org.uk/http://www.sohoshorts.com/http://www.shortfilms.org.uk/http://www.leedsfilm.com/Make notes about the kinds of festivals that short filmmakers can apply to, to have their works entered in.
How do the festivals market and promote themselves?
Why is it important to be screened at one?
Who attends them?
How are these festivals supported?
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites?What are the other key national festivals for short films?What are the key international festivals for short films?
Find out about any national or international student film festivals.
Answer
http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk/
Encounters International Film Festival
Established in 1995
Festival Location: Bristol
Festival Date: 16 – 21 November
Main Sponsors: Bristol City Council, South West Screen, Skillset, South West Of England Regional Development Agency, Films @ 59, HP, UKFC and Watershed
http://www.kinofilm.org.uk/
Kinofilm Manchester European Short Film Festival
Established in 1995
Festival Location: Manchester
Festival Date: April – May
Main Sponsors: UKFC and Vision Media
Main Supporting Sponsors: Parcel Force Worldwide, Phat Design and AMC
Polish Posters Exhibition Funders: Polska, Adam Mickiewicz and Consul
Cultural Partners: Cervantes, Alliance Francaise, Norwegian Embassy, Polish Cultural Institute, Dante, Goethe Institute and UniFrance
Award Sponsors: Mofilm, Futureworks, Shorts on Demand and Mike and Ike
Supporting Sponsors: Procam, Firmstart, Unit 4 Films, Kasteel Cru, Blue Moon, British Academy Of Film And Television Arts and Epernay Bar
Additional Information: Kino’s mission is to create awareness and understanding of the short film format, through exhibition, distribution, promotion and education. Their key aims are to promote, educate, celebrate and champion the medium of short film and thought this medium, cultural diversity.
http://www.sohoshorts.com/
Rushes Soho Short Film Festival
Established in 1998
Festival Location: London West End
Festival Date: July
Programme Supporters: DFG, Dazzle, BFG, Own It, Shorts Film Festival, Kerry Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Woman in Film and TV, Directors Guild of Great Britain, Fuji Film, Satusfaction, APA, Straight 8, London Film Academy, Hollyshorts Film Festival, Renderyard, Vision Pictures, Arthertz, Dogwoof, Short and Sweet, Nexus, Hit Entertainment, Ebeling Group, RADA, Thinksync, Lifesize Picture, Mosaic Productions, Rotorliefs, Directors UK, Radar, Fujifilm Recording Media, VBS.TV, SLV, Protein Networks, Open Cinema, Dorset Cereals, Brighton University, Next Generation, Virgin Media, Harbottle and Lewis and FEREF.
Media Partners: Aesthetica, Shooting People, UK Screen, The Reel, BBC Film Network, Who’s Jack and Promo News
Venues: Apple Store – Regent Street, Curzon Cinemas, British Academy of Film and Television Art, Framestore, Tenderpixel, The Roxy, Soho Film Lab, The Movieum of London, Institute of Contemporary Art, Teatro and Stanza
In Kind Sponsors: Jameson, Audio Network, Dorset Cereals and Lemmi
Additional Information: Its budget ranges from £50 - £2.5 million and has seven categories, these being Short Film, New Comers, Animation, International, Music Video, Documentary and Long Form Broad Cast Design
http://www.shortfilms.org.uk/
London Short Film Festival
Established in 1956
Festival Location: London
Festival Date: January
Key Sponsor: UKFC
Key Media Sponsor: Shooting People
Media Transfer Sponsor: Clear Cut Pictures
Web Sponsor: b-side
Programme Partners: British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Kino Live, Branchage International Film Festival, East End Film Festival, Depict, Vision Pictures, The Institute of Psychoanalysis, Frontline, Mosaic, London Film Academy, Own It, Roundhouse, Nexus, Hamburg, Peccadillo Pictures, The Voice Of Women In Creative Media, Doc Heads, Birds Eye View, Club Des Femmes, Curzon and Dazzle,
Media Partners: Electric Sheep, Mishorts, Hotoneten, BBC Film Network, Aesthetica, Wallflower, The Quietus and Jamesons.
Additional Information: It screens over 200 films and is the UK’s largest public advent.
http://www.leedsfilm.com/
Leeds International Film Festival
Established in 2007
Festival Location: Leeds
Festival Date: November
Presented by: Leeds City Council
Leading Partners: Ancnoc, Northern Rail, VUE Cinemas and Magnitude
Funding Partners: Media andScreen Yorkshire
Media Partners: Yorkshire Evening Post, The Leeds Guide, Twitch, Little White Lies, Netribution and New Internationalists
Hospitality Partners: Nation of Shopkeepers, Casa Mia, Tampopo and Leeds Brewery
Supporting Partners: Leeds City College, University of Leeds, Louis Le Prince, Sheffield Hallam University, Hyde Park Picture House, The Carriageworks Theatre, Howard Assembly Room, Opera North, The Light, Valid, Travelling Man, Signes Du Nuit, North Leeds Life, Second Run DVD, Grant Midwinter and Polish Cultural Institute
Additional Information: They screen any genre and all short films must be under 45 minutes.
How do the festivals market and promote themselves?
Film Festivals have plenty of options when it comes to promotion; with the sponsors they receive they already get a secure amount of promotion. If their sponsors have their own website then people who frequently visit it, will see the promotion. Other than using their sponsors to promote themselves they can use social networking sites, such as Myspace or Facebook, they attract a huge mainstream audience and would be great for promotion. Also the festivals can use newspapers to print advertisements, these also attract a significant mainstream audience, and some of that audience are bound to have an interest about the film festivals. Instead of newspapers festivals can turn to film magazines for advertisement, the most popular being Sight and Sound, it has a set audience all interested in the film industry and the majority being interested in attending festivals. More promotion options are, using radio, flyers, e-mail or Youtube is now becoming popular in advertisements and would be good for promoting festivals. Festivals could also spread the word to regular clients asking them to suggest to people to attend the festival, providing more promotion through word of mouth.
Why is it important to be screened at one?
Short films are not as widely popular as feature films; therefore they are not marketed, distributed or consumed as much as a feature. Festivals attract lots of people, all of whom are prime audience members for short films. The majority of the audience attracted are film professionals, the rest being short film enthusiasts. Festivals are also a great opportunity for directors to showcase their talent and to receive constructive/critical/positive feedback on their work. Filmmakers are looking to improve, so that they get a good reputation and can move up in the industry, so this feedback is extremely valuable to them. Many festivals also hand out awards to some of the directors; these awards improve their reputation and make the directors more acknowledged.
Who attends them?
The festivals attract people of the public, people from the film industry, people within the public eye, or representatives for institutes. The people who attend them are agencies, celebrities, critics, directors, fans, film lovers, film professionals, journalist, judges, locals, the press and producers. People go to the festivals for many different reasons such as entertainment, business and for celebrities to promote themselves by attending a prestigious and press invested advent.
How are these festivals supported?
Their initial support comes from their sponsors, who provide them with both the money and locations needed for the festival to occur. Some of the festivals are lucky to have prestigious international/national institutes supporting them. Many British festivals have UKFC supporting them; UKFC is the best film institution in UK, providing others in the film industry with immense support with both their money and vast film cultural knowledge. Or they may be extremely lucky to receive funding from a thriving internationally known institution such as SONY. They have lots of money to give to festivals, many ways to advertise them and who can offer them advice from their well experienced reputation within the industry. Also fans of festivals also can offer funding to festivals, whether it is a large or small amount of money, but most festivals restrict the funding to a minimum of £50. Festivals offer an exchange for funding from fans, but what the festivals offers the fans, depends on how much they offer to fund.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites?
Upon looking at these sites, it was clear they are effective towards the audience, the graphological features makes the sites aesthetically pleasing, making the site more compelling to the audience. The different use of textology allows the audience to identify key pieces of information about the audience, making it easier for them to know what is important. Also the sites spilt the information up into different categories/sections making it very easy for the audience to search through or locate information. Overall these sites are very affective, as they make the sites look nice, show important pieces of information, make finding information easy and less of a hassle and making the information understandable and digestible.
What are the other key national festivals for short films?
http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/
Edinburgh International Film Festival
Established in 1947
Festival Location: Edinburgh
Festival Date: June
Funder: UKFC
Donor: Bailie Gifford
Festival Partners: Cineworld and Standard Life
Funders: City of Edinburgh Council, Event Scotland, Scottish Government and Scottish Screen
Sponsors: Apex Hotels, National Lottery Funding, Bank of Scotland, BMW, Bright Grey, BAFTA Scotland, The British Council, Burstfire Network, The Caledonian Hilton, CityJet, EQSN Ltd, Great Silence Media, Line Digital, Loc8 Solutions, Mercure Hotels, Metro Ecosse, Moet and Chandon, Novotel, Park Circus, PPG, Montgomery Litho Group, Projector.tv, Quadrille, Scotland Food and Drink, Seric Systems Limited, Skillset, Steedman and Company and Vast Blue.
Media Partners: BBC Film Networks, Radio Forth, The List, The Scotsman Publications Ltd, Sight and Sound and Variety
Event Supporters: Ad-Cab Taxi Advertising, Arts and Business, Charlie Miller, Clarksons of Edinburgh, Caledonian Brewing, Edinburgh Castle, European Film Academy, Glenmorangie, Hawke and Hunter, Highland Spring, Hotel du Vin and Bistro Edinburgh, The Living Room, MAC Cosmetics, McGrigors LLP, Le Monde, National Library of Scotland, RealD, The Real Mark King’s Close, The Rutland Hotel, The Scotch Whisky Experience, SPD Print Solutions, Upbeat Communications and Berberana.
http://www.swanseafilmfestival.com/2010/home10.htm
Swansea Bay Film Festival
Festival Location: Swansea
Festival Date: May
In Association with: Paradise Cruise Planners and KSW Productions
Sponsors: Days Rental, Swansea Life, CS Media, Swansea Sound, Evening Post, BBC, Swansea BID, Colegsirgar, Sienna, Dylan Thomas, Telesgop, The Wave, Eleo’s Restaurant, Lava, Format Hire, Couture, Brian Brown and Odeon
http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk/strawberry-shorts.php
Strawberry Shorts Film Festival
Established in 2001
Festival Location: Cambridge
Festival Date: June
http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/
Raindance Film Festival
Festival Location: London
Partners: Apollo Cinemas, Delta, The Blake Penthhouses, Pearl and Dean and Student Filmakers.com
Cultural Partners: Instituto Cervantes, Instituto Italiano di Cultura, Japan Foundation and UK China Film Association
Support: Bitch Rabbit, 142 Ascent, The Independent Film Trust, New Day Pictures and Raindance.TV
Media Partners: Little White Lies, Total Film, Don’t Panic, Electric Sheep, Absolute Radio and London Calling
What are the key international festivals for short films?
www.aspenfilm.org
Aspen ShortFest
Established in 1979
Festival Location: Aspen
Festival Date: April
Main Sponsors: National Endowment For The Arts, Colorado Council On The Arts and The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation
www.clermont-filmfest.com
International Short Film Festival
Established in 1981
Festival Location: Clermont – Ferrand
Festival: February
Institutional Partners: Ville De Clermont Ferrand, Clermont Communaute, Conseil Regional Auvergne, Puy-De-Dom Conseil General, CNC, Republique Francaise, European Commision and Media
Media Partners: France Culture, France Info, Telerama and L’Humanite
Corporate Sponsors: Canal, Audi, Adami, Procirep, Centre France, Fuji Film, Centre Cinematographique Marocain, CCME, SACD, Sacem, Scam, La Culture Avec La Copie Privee, Kodak, CVS, SFR Neuf Box, Apple Solution Expert, Soft Audiovisuel, Barco, Eiffage Construction, Forezienne, Fnac, DVD Pocket, Vice Versa, Transpalux and Auvergnat Cola
www.psfilmfest.org
Palms Spring International Short Fest
Festival Location: Palm Springs
Festival Date: June
Sponsors: City of Palm Springs, Cartier, Hertz, Bank Of America, Mercedes-Benz, Wells Fargo, Ciroc, Stella Artois, Rutherford, Starbucks Coffee, Coca Cola, Evian, Dasani Plus, Chipotle, Sam’s Club, Monster, IZZE, Bossa Nova, Pop Chips, California Pizza Kitchen, Parker Palm Springs, Riviera, Vice Roy, Hyatt, Hilton, John Kennedy Studio, Indian Wells, Riverside County, Southern California Edison, Fredrick Loewe Foundation, Gannet Foundation, The Auen Foundation, National Endowment For the Arts, En Route, Daily Varity, Movie Pictures Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, In Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Univision, Local 2 KPSP, KMIR 6, Time Warner Cable, TV 5 Monde, Indie Films, Lake Air and Konica Minolta.
www.flickerfest.com.au
FlickerFest International Short Film Festival
Established in 1991
Festival Location: Sydney
Festival Date: January
Government Partners: Australian Government and Screen Australia
Principal Partners: SBS, SAE Institute, Movie Extra, NSW Government and Screen NSW
State Touring Partners: Screen Queensland, Screen West, Lottery West, Screen Tasmania and Northern Territory Film Office
Partners: Rosnay, Delux Australia, Charlie’s, Alphabet Studio, Ravesi’s, International Film School, Avid, Dendy Cinema’s, Iceberg, Jameson, National Geographic Channel, Chaotic Pictures and Eco-Farms
Media Partners: City Hub, Inside Film Awards, The Brag, Avant Card, Grazia and The Bondi View
Official Restaurant Partner: Trattoria
Accommodation Partner: Swiss-Grand
www.interfilm.de
KUKI Film Festival
Festival Location: Berlin
Festival Date: November
Main Supporters: Medienboard and Media
Award Sponsors: Ampelmann and Zapf Der Umzug
www.shortfilm.com
Hamburg International Short Film Festival
Established in 1985
Festival Location: Hamburg
Festival Date: June
Principal Supporters: Media and Freie Und Hansestadt Hamburg
Supporters: Skoda, Natural American Sprit, Gema Stiftung, Pilsner Urquell and HypoVereinsbank
Sponsors: Subs, Optical Art, Limousine Services, Cine Postproduction, Candela, Totec, ABO, Apple, Cartel X, Reset, Filmprojektion Mondt, New In The City Hamburg, Rock City and Sprinkenhof AG
Media Partners: Arte, DE-BUG, Schnitt, Zdf Neo and Animago
Affiliations: AG Kurzfilm and International Short Film Confrence
www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com
Worldwide Short Film Festival
Festival Location: Canada
Festival Date: June
Presenting Partner: Telus
Partner: Doug and Serge and Deluxe
Patron: Babelgum and Withoutabox
Media Sponsors: National Post, Macleans, Showcase, Eye Weekly, CBS Outdoor, Screen International, Playback, Movieola, Indie Wire and Outdoor Broadcast Network
Sponsors: CineSpace, Belvedere, Panasonic, Quick Mobile and Jackson-Triggs
Members: Kodak, Astral Media, Four Seasons Hotel, Bravo Fact, Luna, Steam Whistle and Lounge
Friends: Southern Accent, Pizzaville, Sassafraz, Licks, Fiji Water, Fresco, Lolli Cakes, Bakerhaus Veit, Chair-man Mills, Shorts!, DHL Express, Heenan Blaikie, WIFT, Carbon, Art Square and Super
Public Supporters: Telefilm Canada, Toronto Economic Development, Ontario and Toronto Arts Council
Find out about any national or international student film festivals.
http://www.screentestfest.org.uk/
The National Student Film Festival
Established in 2004
Festival Location: Bristol
Festival Date: February
Partners: Cambridge Student Film Festival
http://www.cam-era.org/
The Cambridge International Student Film Festival
Established in 2009
Festival Location: Cambridge
Festival Date: June
Partners: London Film Academy, Dotfest, Screen Test, TTP Group, KISFVF, World Film Collective, Kleinwort Benson, Step TV, Brea King Ground, The Cambridge Film and Media Academy, S2F2 and Early Melons
Part 5 – Online Screening
The following sites offer a range of short films:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/
http://www.film4.com/videos/film4-shorts
http://www.triggerstreet.com/gbase/Trigger/Homepage
http://www.atom.com/
http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/
http://www.vimeo.com/
http://www.youtube.com
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?
Who is the audience?
What is the submission process?
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
Evaluate their effectiveness in terms of the exposure they achieve for the films and their makers, and also in terms of their potential audience.
Answer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/
BBC Film Network
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?
The BBC Film network exhibits a range of different short films, varying in different categories. These categories being animation, artists moving image, music, drama, comedy and documentary. All of the short films being exhibited on this site vary in their duration and genres.
Who is the audience?
The website can be access by anyone, although some areas of the site require registration for access. The site is organized by BBC an institution that attracts a mainstream audience, but due to the subject of the website, most followers of BBC wouldn’t be interested in the site. This is due to the popularity of short films; the people this site would attract are people within the film industry, admirers of short films or students studying the industry.
What is the submission process?
In order for your film to be published on the site, the filmmaker has to go through a certain submission process. The BBC Film Network first requires you to be registered with the website, next you will need to fill out a submission form. Within the form you need to put in information about your film, the needed information is, contact details, film details, a synopsis, festival screenings, award details, crew and cast details and a short fact about the making of the film. After the form you will be required to supply a hard copy of your film on either VHS or DVD. At the end of the submission process you will be supplied with an address to send the film copy to, if your film is chosen to be published, then they will require you to send a broadcast quality copy of you film and stills from the film.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
The BBC Film Network site gives each director the opportunity to create their own profile for their film, themselves and their cast and crew. Due the website attracting an audience of people within or interested in the film industry, the director can get ratings and feedback on their film, feedback that can help them when making more short films in the future. The website also has been keeping short films published on the site since 2004, this is beneficial as it allows more time for it to be viewed by more people.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
The website is very organized, splitting all of the different categories of films, making it easier when looking for a specific film. When looking within the categories they also give the option of splitting the search between duration, date, recently added, rating, views, region and titles making searching for a film very easy. On the main page they have new films being shown on a list; this list can also be split by recently added, most popular and highest rated. Overall the organized layout of the website and its colour and variation in textology makes this website easy to locate information and aesthetically pleasing.
http://www.film4.com/videos/film4-shorts
Film 4
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?
The Film 4 site contains over 150 short films, the genre for these being animation, comedy, celebrity and extreme shorts. Film 4 is a more prestigious website compared to the others, so any film you see on there will be much better in quality.
Who is the audience?
The audience will be people who watch the channel on a regular basis, or film makers watching new short films. The audience will be limited due to the popularity of the subject of the site as not too many people are interested in short films.
What is the submission process?
Whilst looking on the Film 4 channel I found no information about submitting films, as there is no submitting option on the website I assume that the films are selected from festivals entries and then put on the site.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
Exposure would be the main benefit as having a piece of your own work on Film 4 would be great exposure, as Film 4 is a prestigious institution within the film industry. If your work is published on the site then gaining funding will be easier as Film 4 would have to hold your work in high regard for it to be published.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
Although this website is aesthetically pleasing, finding information is very hard; finding other short films beside the top 12 is difficult. Also this site is very commercial by displaying advertisements. Overall the site is too hard to navigate through and this reflects badly on Film 4.
http://www.triggerstreet.com/gbase/Trigger/Homepage
Trigger Street
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?
Trigger Street is a web based community where undiscovered talent can publish their work and receive feedback from peers. The website not only publishes short films but also comics, screenplays, books, short stories and plays. Anyone who registers with the site can upload their short films so a wide range of genres will be present on the site and the level of quality will vary.
Who is the audience?
The audience for this website are amateur film makers; people who make films for wither recreational purposes, people wanting to break into the film industry or people who enjoy watching short films. The tag line of the website shows the sites amateur status, “Help others, help yourself – Feedback – Exposure – Opportunity”. The website is mainly just for directors on a amateur status to gain exposure and feedback.
What is the submission process?
There is hardly a submission process for this website; all that is needed is for the submitter to be registered on the site. The file must be on either Real (.rm) or Quicktime (.mov) format. But there is one requirement set by the website administers and that is that up loaders must of reviewed a certain amount of other material, so that the aim of the website is upheld.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
The benefit of uploading your short film onto this website is that you are pretty much guaranteed honest feedback, feedback that can help you grow as a director and improve your skills. Also anyone can upload their short films, where as with the BBC Film Network only limited people can get their films published.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
Personally I think the layout reflects badly on the website, it looks cluttered the choice of colours makes it harsher to read and the lack of any images makes the website look dull, plain and unattractive.
http://www.atom.com/
Atom
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?Atom is a collection of funny videos, both animation and real footage, they aim to discover talented directors within the comedy genre and then expose them on the internet.
Who is the audience?
The audience will be either those who contribute to the website, or others who are looking to watch funny videos. A website like this, if successful will pick up a reoccurring audience, who will tell their friends, if the videos uploaded are actually funny then this will be a popular website due young people being very interested in comedy videos.
What is the submission process?
The submission process for this website is far simpler than the other website; all you have to do is to register with the website then upload whilst logged in.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
Out of all the other websites, especially if you’re a amateur director, you can earn money from the website if you get a lot of views they also get distribution for their product via mobile, Xbox, etc. But if the video uploaded isn’t within the comedy genre or successful with the audience these benefits don’t apply.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
Atom isn’t as well presented as BBC Film Network but is a much improvement on Trigger Street. The website is structure well, easy to find what you’re looking for, they have tables when listing video, alongside ratings, views and dates. The colour is nice and contains many visual aids. Overall the website is both aesthetically pleasing and easily navigated by the audience.
http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/
Virgin Media Shorts
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?
This website only has short films as it is a short film competition site, which is funded by the UKFC the aim of the competition is to find new talent.
Who is the audience?
The audience would consist of the judges, the competitors and their families and also people who want to see the entries and watch the films.
What is the submission process?
The process is as simple as it was for Atom, all the submitter has to do is click on film spec and then from there just upload their film.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
Like Atom entering this competition can be greatly beneficial to the submitter, 12 filmmakers will win the chance to have their product exhibited in 214 cinema screens nationwide. Another person will receive £30000 funding on their next film, another will take thousands of pounds worth of new filming technology home and whatever school or college with the most entrants will receive lots of new equipment.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
The website is very appealing; all the information is separated into different web pages making navigation easy. All of the videos are in one place on the homepage but unfortunately has no way to specify the films, but that will be due to the fact it’s a competition so it won’t receive ratings, feedback, nothing to narrow down the search. Overall all aspects apart from the film layout, is very good and simple.
http://www.vimeo.com/
Vimeo
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?Vimeo is a web based community of creative film makers, the website allows them to publish their work and receive feedback from other film makers. Any genre can be uploaded except for commercial, pornography and gaming videos, so other film makers or fans havea wide choice on what they can watch on Vimeo.
Who is the audience?
The majority of the audience will most likely be the up loaders viewing both their own and others work. But this website will attract film fans looking for something enjoyable to watch, but also film professionals may watch videos on Vimeo as well, exploring it for new talent.
What is the submission process?
All you have to do is register with Vimeo and the click the upload button, Vimeo accepts many different formats, so submitting is not a problem.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
Not only will you get a decent amount of feedback, but you will get ii from fellow film makers, feedback that is trustworthy, reliable and accurate. If you also submit a video that is considered great by Vimeo administrators, they put your video on the home page making it more acknowledged. Also competitions are held and the best piece submitted wins the film maker $25000.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
The website has a mixture of light colours, images and a variation in textology making the site aesthetically pleasing. Also when exploring the videos, they are split up into different categories making finding the genre you want, much easier. Overall Vimeo is well structured and is easy to use.
http://www.youtube.com
YouTube
What sorts of films are exhibited at these sites?
Everything besides violence and pornography is exhibited on Youtube, it can be trailers, music videos, adverts, montages or just videos from when people have been hanging out together. People can watch anything they like, but now Youtube is working with other institutions and showing their products for example Youtube now display videos from 4od.
Who is the audience?
Youtube attracts the largest mainstream audience out of all the other websites as it has every genre on it, it contains something for everyone. Only a small portion of the audience upload but now music institutions now start their own official pages on Youtube, making pages for artists on their record label.
What is the submission process?
All the submitter has to do is start a Youtube account and once that account is set up, just click the upload button and then it is up for display.
What are the benefits to having a film screened on site as opposed to another?
There are no real benefits for Youtube, except for the huge amount of feedback you get, but many people tend to be very critical at points when it’s not needed, so the feedback isn’t always reliable.
What have you noticed about the structure/style of the sites and their presentation of the material?
Youtube’s layout is very basic, it doesn’t have a lot of colour, the homepage separates into categories, such categories as, “recommended for you” this is where they chose videos you may enjoy based on the videos you previously watched. When you get search results it lists videos, presents there duration, parts of the details given on the video and its number of views. Overall Youtube has a very basic layout, but this is due to the amount of videos uploaded, it would be hard to organise them when there are so many uploaded daily.
Part 6 – Short Screen Play Writing
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/shortfilm/tour1/html
http://www.netribution.co.uk/features/howto/scriptwriting_5_short_film.html
http://www.shootingpeople.org
http://www.scriptfactory.co.uk/
Investigate the advice given to new writers. Make notes.
Answer
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/shortfilm/tour1/html
This link above took me to a page illustrating the importance of screenwriting when making a 10 minute short film. It states how 10 minute films have been a major focus in public funding for 10 years. It talks about the support institutions provide for directors in order to make these 10 minute films, such institutes as the BBC, Channel 4, British Film Institute and The UKFC. They all have set up schemes which help supply funding to directors and give examples of who have benefited from these schemes. The most successful people benefited are the writers/directors Lynne Ramsey and Shane Meadows and the new generation of screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Lucy Floyd. Then is goes on to say about the raise in story-driven narratives and the attention placed on screenplay. It says that there are 6 questions they need to seek an answer to in order to writing a good screenplay. These questions being:
Who is the protagonist?
The protagonist is central to the story, being at the heart of a film, they are essentially the main character dominating the narrative. They are what make the narrative progress although they may not be the person who is telling the story.
What is the active question, which is the basis of the action in film?
In order for the film to be successful something needs to happen, a dilemma, a incident, some form of trouble. Something for the audience to follow and be interested in, something for them to be able to relate to or sympathise with or even something to attach themselves to.
Who or what opposes the protagonist?
There are always two sides to things, good and evil, positive and negative and protagonist and antagonist. For the character to be engaged with the protagonist, they need an antagonist who can mix things up, make the protagonist act in a way that they wouldn’t do usually when facing certain situations.
From whose point of view is the audience being shown the story?
This is a difficult stage when writing as if you use the wrong person’s point of view then the audience may get lost with the story. You need chose carefully as with different points of view you’ll have different personal interpretations; it’s up to the writer to pick what interpretation they think ads to the effect of the story instead of destroying it.
What is it about? or, What is the theme?
One of the most difficult questions as the theme is the emotional core of the story, it is what the audience will relate to and it is what the film is all about. Although the theme is not typically discovered in till the drafting of the screenplay.
What is the style of the film?
When making a short film you need to consider the level of information you give to the audience, too much and the film will be too clustered, but too little and the audience is not getting enough information about the narrative. This task is not necessarily down to the screenwriter but can be the task of either the director or the actors.
http://www.netribution.co.uk/features/howto/scriptwriting_5_short_film.html
The link above took me to a article called “Screenwriting Guide” written by Andrew Lowes. This article is written as his own point of view and he begins by saying to ignore all those who say making a short is pointless as it is just as or more challenging as making a feature. Next he goes on by tackling the always controversial question of, how short is a short? He offers the advice of not doing what many other writers do and try to put too much information within the film. Andrew says that shorts are great with experimenting with narratives, as a feature is more expensive and harder to male therefore you cannot afford to be lacking in experience. When it comes to casting Andrew says focus on a small cast and don’t bother with too much extras as that would cause unnecessary hassle. Finally he goes onto the dialogue and location, he says not to worry about the location too much due to the low budget and with dialogue he says that every word should mean something, making the film more effective.
http://www.shootingpeople.org
The link above took me to a website called Shooting People, it is an international networking organisation dedicated to the support of independent film makers. It acts as a professional social networking site bringing together all these independent film makers onto one site. It offers lots of information and resources to members and also shows them prize winning short films, giving them the examples of successful short films. It also gives details about training that is offered, different workshops that are going to happen, and ones that are for both amateurs and more experienced film makers.
Part 7 – Training and Development
Investigate other agencies and organisations that offer support to filmmakers and make notes on the training they offer and how they help to develop projects.
http://www.lighthouse.org.uk/
http://www.skillset.org/
http://www.scriptfactory.co.uk/
Answer
http://www.lighthouse.org.uk/
Lighthouse is the leading arts agency within south east of England supporting creative and professional development opportunities for film makers, screenwriters, digital artists and animators. Lighthouse identifies and develops creativity and innovation in filmmaking and media arts. Their aim is to increase skills in, enjoyment of and engagement with, film and media art and to provide pathways into further education and the creative industries. Lighthouse as three programmes work which are aimed to benefit people in, or interested of getting into the film industry:
The Media Arts Programme
Provides opportunities for people in their early or mid careers within the industry, to help them progress with digital technology and moving image media and helping them showcase their work within a supportive environment. They also arrange informed critical debates about the developments in contemporary practice and its relation to its historical and cultural context.
The Film Programme
Supports emerging filmmaking talent by providing opportunities for creative and professional development through training courses, project development workshops, master classes, mentoring and production support, and by facilitating access into the UK film industry through our close working relationships with a wide range of filmmaking professionals and companies.
The Youth Education Programme
The aim of this programme is to help people gain qualifications for this industry and help them to see working in the film industry a possible and viable career option. This programme is specially aimed towards disadvantaged and marginalised young people giving them the opportunities to explore their creativity through filmmaking and digital technology.
http://www.skillset.org/
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Creative Media, this comprises of TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, facilities, photo imaging, publishing, advertising and fashion and textiles. Their aim is to support the improvements to the productivity of the film industry and to ensure it remains globally competitive. They achieve this aim through developing skills, training and education policy. They conduct consultation work with the film industry, publish research and strategic documents, run funding schemes and project work and provide information to anyone who needs to know how to work within the film industry. They offer a range of different resources to people, whether its students, freelance directors, etc.
http://www.scriptfactory.co.uk/
The link above took me to a website called Script Factory, is a European organisation that was set up in 1996. They find and develop new screenwriting talent, they support who work with screenwriters and screenplay material. They also present invaluable live filmmaking events that have some of the industry’s top creative talent. They offer a wide variety of help when it comes to making a film, such as training, events, preformed readings, and development tools including script feedback and one to one development meetings.
Part 8 – Distribution and Exhibition
The ratio of shorts that make money through more conventional channels of distribution and exhibition to those that don’t is diminutive. Why do you think this is?
In what contexts have the following anthologies/collections of short films been created and how have they been put together?
http://www.cinema16.org/home.php
http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/movingshorts/
http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/index.php?aid=720
http://shootingpeoplefilms.com/content/bvb1and2
http://www.shortfilmsdvd.com/
What is the implication of shorts being offered alongside features for direct download at sites such as http://mubi.com/ ?
Answer
The ratio of shorts that make money through more conventional channels of distribution and exhibition to those that don’t is diminutive. Why do you think this is?
I think it is due to the process in which directors receive funding for them films, they not only receive the money for the making of the film but get money for getting their film to the audiences. Funders are most likely to give their money to more qualified directors, directors who have either made previous successful films or received satisfactory grades at a film school. Due to how money from funders is mainly funded to more experienced directors, it creates a gap between the numbers of directors with money. As only some directors have money available to them, they can afford to distribute and exhibit their film through more conventional channels, whereas non-funded directors have to use initiative to get their film seen.
In what contexts have the following anthologies/collections of short films been created and how have they been put together?
http://www.cinema16.org/home.php
Cinema 16
Cinema 16 compose some of the greatest short films onto DVD’s, these short films are separated into different anthologies, these depending on the nationality of the short film. The anthologies being World Short Films, British Short Films, European Short Films, American Short Films and European Short Films (US Edition). Next to each anthology a Buy option is now available, Cinema 16 others a compilation of significantly successful short films from all over the world to a audience.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/movingshorts/
BFI
The BFI compiles these collections of short films for the purpose of further developing creativity, literacy and cinelietracy. The short films chosen for this anthology are narrowed down to 10 short films all suitable for an audience of 12+. The BFI state that this anthology is ideal for educational purposes and that it is relevant to the media component in English curriculum. Also they state that the anthology would be useful for developing speaking, writing skills, concepts, listening and drama. Also the DVD comes with a teaching guide and a starter booklet.
http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/index.php?aid=720
Raindance
Raindance make compile together some of the most popular short films shown at festivals. Having made two anthologies of short films, “Best of 15th Film Festival Shorts” and “Best of 16th Film Festival Shorts” they also sell some of the most credited short films by themselves such as “Gingerbread Man”.
http://shootingpeoplefilms.com/content/bvb1and2
Shooting People Films
Shooting People offers two volumes of short films, the volume being called “Best vs Best”. They bring films from some of the most influential film festivals and both volumes receive very positive reviews, “Quirky, clever, concise...there's not a weak link in here" – DVD Review. Shooting People describe these two volumes as “the must have collection”
http://www.shortfilmsdvd.com/
Short Film DVD
Currently only to have released one DVD named “Short Cinema Journel” they have compiled 13 short films. But only some are award winning films, the others not. They are range of different genres, such as tribute and monologue.
What is the implication of shorts being offered alongside features for direct download at sites such as http://mubi.com/ ?
Both negative and positive implications come from offering direct downloads. The most obvious positive is knowing that the short film is being downloaded for the purpose of watching, showing the director that their film has an audience. But some of the negative implications are that if a person downloads it they will deviate from the website, decreasing the chance of them later reviewing the film on the website, depriving the director of any feedback. Also the point of offering a short film alongside features is contradicted as people would rather download features due to their length. Features have more complex plots, more characters more things to digest, whereas shorts provide a shorter experience negating the point of downloading it instead of wathing it online. Overall offering short films for download is negative due to its lack of point and decrease in chance of feedback.
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