What is a short film? A feature-length film typically runs anywhere from ninety minutes to two and a half hours. Occasionally they will play even longer. Short films can be anywhere from thirty seconds to thirty minutes long, sometimes longer.

It is said that the best length for a short is less than ten minutes. You’re making a short to demonstrate that you can direct. If you can’t demonstrate that you can direct in less than ten minutes, you’re probably running around in circles.

It is a short so you can demonstrate if your skills are lighting try to show that skill often a good example is Michael Bay. I was at the 55th anniversary of the Golden Reel awards for sound editors and the unanimous consists is that Michael Bay loves sound and that is his passion. If you have see transformers that you can hear it. Well he had to start somewhere. After film school he did music videos but that is him you need to find you place.

Remember you need to get something out of it – either a lesson, or a laugh, or a scary beat, whatever it is. . You want to get it like a joke. I tell you this and you have a reaction. That should determine the length of the short film. Whatever it takes you to tell that joke.

However the script sometimes is the leader and if there is a story that needs to be told stay a true as possible but remember your audience doesn’t always see the direction you are going and will get board no matter how many bells and whistles you put in there. Aka: lighting change, seen change, special effect.

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