MovieChat Forums > Short Films > I hate short films...

I hate short films...

posted 13 years ago by ydobon-1
4 replies | jump to latest

Or to be more precise, I hate the fact that 99% of short films can never be seen by the general public.

People spend time and money to make these films, they put trailers and promo pics up on the net, they show them at a few festivals where they're seen by a few hundred people, and then they fade into obscurity.

They're not released on DVD, they're not put on the net. It's like they're considered precious treasures that must be locked away and never seen.

Every time I search for something on this site, I end up on the pages for at least 1-2 short films. I start reading the description, it sounds like something I'd want to see, and then I see that it's a "short film" and I know I'll never get to see it.

The short film Drone (2011/II) looks very interesting, but I'll never see it. I don't go to festivals and that's probably the only way anyone will ever see this. At least they can for maybe a year or two. Then the director will make something else, and Drone will be forgotten.

I would honestly rather not know about these films than to read about them and then be told that I can't watch them.

[–] reddpill 13 years ago

Every year there are showings of Academy Award nominated shorts (one for live-action and one for animated) that shows here in L.A. and (I presume) other cities as well. There are also a lot of short films that are on DVD compilations. When I was growing up in the 60s & 70s, sometimes (if they weren't showing a double feature) they would throw a short film in before the feature. This past year I went to the Laemmle's theaters (art house chain here in L.A.) a few times where a short animated film was mixed in with the ads and trivia slides before showtime. Maybe there's hope.

[–] ydobon-1 13 years ago

Unfortunately I'm on the East coast, and I can't afford to travel across the country just to see some short films.

As for the DVD collections, there are only a small percentage of short films available that way, and they almost never seem to be the ones I want.

The director of one film posted the trailer to YouTube. I commented that I wanted to see the full film, not just the trailer and he said it could never be released because they used a copyrighted song in it and couldn't afford the licensing fee for a public release.

Over just the past few years, I've compiled a list of various short films that I check for occasionally. Out of maybe 30, I think I've managed to find one.

Not a true short film, but I'd love to see Richard Hatch's speculative trailer for Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming. There's a blurry camcorder bootleg of it on YouTube, but because of copyrights, a true copy can never be released.

[–] jdb922 13 years ago

I totally agree with you. It's a real shame the lack of exposure short films get. If your movie has no way of being seen, then there's no point in even making it to begin with. Why go to all that trouble for nothing? I think all short films should be made available to watch online after their initial run at festivals.

It's actually stupid NOT to put your short film online. If it's really truly good, then it'll catch on and maybe you'll get discovered and can strike up a deal to get a bigger feature length film financed. It is very important that your work is in some way, shape or form showcased. The internet is one of the best ways to share your work, because I think these days people spend more time online then in front of the TV or at theater or festival.

I upload all short films I make to YouTube. They're non-profit movies, so using copyrighted music and such isn't an issue.

[–] Michael_Griffin_Aust 12 years ago

ur post id so acurate & truthful its funny. i laughed so much reading it. Thanks u made my day.