Short films are a valid form of storytelling that should be accepted and appreciated in their own right. They are self-contained stories generally told in under thirty minutes and aren’t a less valid art form. After all, a two hour film isn’t definitively twice as good as a one hour film – although it might be.
Aside from being popular in film festivals, short films can act as a calling card for budding filmmakers. They can showcase acting, technical, or screenwriting talent and act as a barometer for the market appetite for a short film. They can attract more influential talent to help them build a career.
In other cases, short films are the first step to something bigger. If all the required resources aren’t available to make a feature film or TV show at the time, filmmakers might make a short as a proof of concept to set up a premise, characters, situations, or a locale for a feature film, television or web series, or other storytelling experience.
A short film shouldn’t ever have the feeling of being a component of something bigger although that might be its intention. It shouldn’t ever feel incomplete, but rather it might stimulate the writer’s imagination to expand a short story into a longer form narrative. Hollywood routinely sources its longer form stories from shorter formats such as social media videos, short stories, or even magazine articles.
There are numerous examples of short films effectively acting as the springboard for a bigger idea including successful films. Here are some notable examples below:
1) Whiplash
Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning Whiplash, began its creative life as an eighteen minute short film. Whiplash tells the story of a passionate jazz drumming student Andrew and Fletcher, his brutally abusive instructor who mercilessly whips him into drumming greatness. J.K. Simmons plays the role of Fletcher in both the short and feature versions and Miles Teller plays the character in the feature and Johnny Simmons (unrelated to J.K. Simmons) plays the role in the short.
The short focuses on one point in the volatile relationship between Andrew and Fletcher. Chazelle captures the moment where Fletcher cruelly dismisses Andrew’s drumming after much practice with the piercing line, “Not quite my tempo,” which became the essence of the movie. Fletcher subsequently hurls chairs and deep insults at Andrew as he systematically strips him of his dignity and confidence.
Of note, both short and feature are both considered autonomous quality pieces of filmmaking, although the chair hurling scene plays out similarly in both versions.
2) What We Do In The Shadows
Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi knew they were onto a winner when they filmed a thirty minute mockumentary to showcase their idea for a television series.
The core idea of the hilarious antics between roommates, especially if they’re vampires, laid the foundation for their popular TV series which is currently into its sixth season. Both short film and TV series taps into their low-key and largely-improvised style of deadpan horror comedy. Each of the four roommates posses supernatural powers to full comic effect.
Main cast of What We Do in The Shadow. Photo courtesy of FX Productions
The TV series may not have reached its level of success had the short not been made because this allowed Clement and Waititi to develop the characters and the comedy style of the short. And don’t discriminate against the non-wolf “Weres.”
3) The Babadook
Jennifer Kent made a short film called Monster about a child’s doll coming to life and terrorizing a mother and her child in shadowy black and white. It explores themes of maternal anxiety, loss, grief, and survival instinct. The eleven minute film was eventually expanded into a a feature film called The Babadook about a character in a story book coming to life and impart physical and psychological evil on mother and child.
Amelia Vanek Essie Davis) & Samuel Vanek (Noah Wiseman) in The Babadook. Photo courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment
The movie version provided Kent the time and space for additional character layering that couldn’t be shown in the short film.
3) Lights Out
The core idea of a monster only coming to life in the darkness after lights out was the basis of David F. Samberg’s insanely popular three minute horror film. It went viral on numerous online platforms. The 2016 feature film version allowed the characters to be fleshed out and explore deeper supernatural themes while retaining the original idea.
Martin (Gabriel Bateman) & Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) Photo by Ron Batzdorff / Warner Bros.)
4) This Is The End
The apocalyptic end of the world comedy starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and James Franco about a group of friends being trapped in a Hollywood house with celebrities during doomsday was originally filmed as a short film called Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse. It wasn’t as star-studded back then and only focused on the relationship between Seth and Jay on their last day on earth.
Main cast of This Is The End. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures
The rapturous short film was initially intended for the festival circuit, but eventually found its way onto more screens. After building a solid fanbase, the time was ripe for a fully-fledged movie.
5) District 9
Neil Blomkamp made a six minute mockumentary short film called Alive In Joberg about refugee camps where aliens were forced to live in urban slums. Years later after his Halo video game venture didn’t take off, he expanded the allegorical themes of South African Apartheid into a movie called District 9 after attracting the attention of Peter Jackson. The short was designed to highlight government oppression, forced eviction, inequality, segregation, racism, xenophobia, and class structures which were apparent in the feature film version.
Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley) in District 9. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures
Alive In Joberg was originally made to showcase Blomkamp’s mastery of low-budget special effects, but the much lauded story eventually garnered several Academy Award nominations as District 9, including visual effects and best writing.
6) The Evil Dead
In 1978, little-known young filmmaker Sam Raimi made a visceral, gore-filled horror film called Within The Woods on a shoestring budget which was inspired by his earlier short film Clockwork. His goal was simple – to attract investors. After convincing a local theater to screen his terrifying short before the main event, Raimi became one of the biggest influences in horror filmmaking. Within The Woods is widely considered to be a prequel to The Evil Dead.
Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) in The Evil Dead. Photo courtesy of Renaissance Pictures
