16 Days 2-4: Contemporary Short Films 1.Introduction (print out or project on screen): 2. An Overview of the Conventions of Short Films Traditional Shorts vs. Art Shorts: In a traditional short film, the story, characters, and endings are easy to understand. There is “closure” at the end, so we know how things turn out for the characters (i.e., we understand “what happened”). Art shorts often tell more ambiguous stories. For example, they often leave out narrative or character details, and endings are left “open,” so we cannot be entirely sure how things or events turned out. Such films are open to viewers’ interpretations. Dialogue or No Dialogue: Compared to longer, feature-length films, short films often have little dialogue and, sometimes, no dialogue at all. Endings: Short films often have surprise or twist endings that we do not expect. Settings: Short films usually have few settings and often occur in a single location. Characters: Usually, shorts have only a few characters (one or two). Unlike longer films, shorts often present a “portrait” of a character as they are. It is rare for characters to have complicated goals or to embark on big journeys. Time and Story: The stories and events in short films are usually brief. Shorts often focus on select moments or “fragments” of time. Simple Story: Short films usually tell simple stories with one plot (no subplots). Sometimes, shorts focus on what is called a “slice of life.”
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