HISTORY OF SHORT FILM

Prior the end of the 20th century when films had become longer, however when the moving image technology was first invented films were often short.

Through Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope, a peepshow-like device which only allowed individual viewing, the very first short film was revealed in 1894. The very first short films depicted various topics that had appealed to their audiences of that time such as celebrities, sports, current affairs, ceremonial processions and even everyday footage. Theses were all presented through one shot films.

Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope

"A Trip to the Moon" (1902) by Georges Méliès.

In the early 1900s films had become longer and consisted of multiple shots due to the improvements in recording and editing technology.

Some of the most famous early films include Edwin S Porters' The Great Train Robbery (1903), which is celebrated as the first western and Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin (1925) which presents a dramatized version of a mutiny of the crew against the officers.

In the early 20th century the film makers had begun using longer multi-reel films which led to the creation of the first feature film due to the audience demand and film studio competition.

Features had been viewed as the more respectable art form because of their narrative complexity and length, which compared them to theatre and opera, than the previously popular short films.

D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of Nation (1915) is considered to be the first feature film.

Richard III (1912) was co-directed André Calmettesand James Keane as the movie was a French/U.S. international co-production

After the increasing popularity of feature films, short films had only been shown along side news-reel and occasionally live acts.

They were used as an war effective propaganda tool by the government during the second world war.

Despite the British short films during the war being very popular with the people, there was fear that the cinema would loose its artistic neutrality and be seen and gain a reputation as an ‘interfering marm’.

Aventure Malgache (1944) The New Lot (1943)

In the 50s and 60s Hollywood industry established itself with a well-known narrative structure and stories featuring everyday escapism which subsequently led to overshadowing of the informative short films which led to their gradual demise.

Short films had been completely cast out of commercial cinema programs during the end of the 60s due to their lack of public appeal. Only short cartoons had remained as a pre-show for PG films at the late 80s.

Although the short film had become less commercially successful and wanted by the cinemas audience who were more attracted to the feature film, it had still remained a prominent story-telling medium for visual artists.

Critically acclaimed and globally recognized surreal artists such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol had both experimented with this medium to exhibit their art.

Un Chien Andalou (1929) directed by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali

The velvet underground in Boston (1967) was directed by Andy Warhol

With the creation of MTV, a TV channel whose purpose was to broadcast music to its audiences, in the early 80s the music short films quickly gained popularity as an alternative medium amongst film makers.

The birth of music videos signified another type of short film making. Modern film-making has been influenced greatly by the culture and language of music videos.

The Who “You Better You Bet” was of the first songs aired on MTV.

The 90s can be seen as the most significant decade for short films due to affordable video recording equipment for everyone which instigated and promoted independent film making amongst people. The preferred type of films shot were short films due to being cheaper and less demanding.

Although short films have been looked down by the audiences compared to feature films, they are still a still a critical part of the film industry as it allows new and directors to breakthrough and showcase their talent without the need for spending a lot of money on equipment to create a full-length film. To promote and discover new directors many short film festivals are held for the companies to scout out the best directors.

The largest demand for short films is the internet due to people being attracted to bite-size pieces of information and its accessibility. People are interested in this ‘bite-sized; shortness due to it being short and providing quick entertainment in their busy lives, when they aren't able to find the time to see a feature film. The fact that they view via the internet allows people more comfort as they can watch from and device at any place they are connected online.

YouTube is the most popular short film viewing formant on the internet due to its simplicity and straightforwardness. Film-makers also use this as an alternative method of distribution instead of DVDs due to their costs.