Positives of using short films:
- Money- One positive of using short films is that they don't cost as much money to make as feature length films, also if made effectively can bring in a good amount of revenue. A good example of this is the short film Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (2000). Although being 39 minutes long it is still a short film and didn't take as many resources to make including time and money as a feature length version would have. In its opening weekend the film made $49,837 and by 2003 it had grossed $15,186,747. Although the exact cost of the film is un known the film made a large profit, which took much less time than would've been spent making a feature film. This profit can now be reinvested.
- Experience- One positive of using short films is that it will help the company gain experience and improve skills that are needed for feature length films without needing to make a feature length film. This can save resources and allow you to make better feature films in the future. One example of this is director Benh Zeitlin, in 2008 he directed the short film Glory at Sea which won an award at South by Southwest. This allowed funding to be possible for him to direct a feature film Beasts of the Southern Wild which was released in 2012, winning top prizes at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals and ultimately picked up four Oscar nominations. He believed he couldn't have made this success without creating the short Glory at Sea.
- Partnership- Another positive is that you can work with other companies for shorter amounts of time allowing you to test weather or not you like them and to form relationships with other companies that could help your company positively in the future. All so partner ships can be used to learn new methods of film making films and also new skills. One example of this is Marc James Roels, in 2007 he directed his first film Mompelaar alongside Wim Reygaert. He then directed A gentle Creature by himself in 2009 however this wasn't as successful. Then in 2012 he directed Oh Willy alongside Emma De Swaef, this was much more successful. By collaborating he was able to learn more skill and able to make successful short films and in the future he may now have the skill to direct a short or even feature film by himself.
- Time- A short film doesn't take as long as a feature length film to create but can have the same positive effects and can even in some areas be more effective than feature length film. The time taken to make a feature length film if used effectively could be used to create two or more short films. After the animated film Cars came out and was very successful, they made a short film related to the film called Mater and the ghostlight, including the character Mater from the film. This film was released in November of the same year taking less than half the time to make. Although this was no where near as successful it took barely any time to create and lots of cinemas used the short film to be played in between the adverts before films to keep viewers entertained. Also this may have helped them to train new employee's or practice/ test new skills that they may have used in the sequel Cars 2 which was also very successful.
- Testing out an idea- If you have a risky idea or an idea you feel will either be really effective or could go badly then its a better idea to make a short film rather than jump straight into a feature length film. One example of this would be the new film coming out Hardcore Henry. This is a full length first person movie that is coming out on the 8th of April. Before creating this feature length film writer and director Iyla Naishuller made several music videos for a Russian indie rock band called Biting elbows. The videos where shot in this style with the first person perspective to test if they felt it was effective.
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