Now that I'm officially set with making a short film for my portfolio project, I need to actually UNDERSTAND what makes a great short film (before I jump right into writing, filming, and regrettably editing at 2AM way too close to my deadlines). Let's be honest, making a short film that's actually funny, technically sound, and resolved within 5 minutes is easier said than done. So, I'll cut to the chase and get right into learning:
Short Film 101: What makes it WORK?
I did some digging, and here's what I found:
1. Keep it simple
Short films work best when they focus on just one idea or storyline. Unlike larger productions, time constraints limit how much world and character development you can do, so it works out better if the plot shows a shorter "snippet."
Though not a short film, an example of this technique is shown in the movie Stalled (2013), a comedy-horror about a janitor who gets stuck in a bathroom during a zombie apocalypse. Rather than including unnecessary 'fluff' or subplots, like exploring the origin of the zombie virus or the janitor's life story, the creators kept it simple. It takes place in primarily one location, which allows it to be very engaging.
2. Start late, leave early
As I briefly mentioned in #1, short films DO NOT have time for long introductions. It's best to get right into the action, so that you can fully develop the main plotline.
It's Not You, It's Me (2013) does a good job at showing this. It's another dark-comedy where a woman breaks up with her boyfriend because he is LITERALLY trying to murder her -- zero time wasted.
There is no need for "hello, my name is" when it comes to short films.
3. Make every frame count
Again, with such a short runtime, every shot should either push the story forward or add to the humor. I need to think about framing, pacing, and visual gags—maybe even play with mockumentary elements and lots of shot variety to make the montage in my "breakup rehearsal" short engaging.
The Gunfighter (2014) does this beautifully. The entire short is set in a saloon, but the use of voiceover narration as a plot device makes it feel dynamic and hilarious. I audibly laughed at this one and I absolutely recommend it ( I will be sharing this with my classmates next time we do recommendations).
4. Dialogue vs. Visual Comedy
Since I'm making a comedy, I need to balance sharp dialogue with visual storytelling. If a joke works without dialogue, it’s probably stronger. Think of exaggerated reactions, comedic timing, and physical humor.
The Elevator (2010) shows how you don't always need to say the joke to make it funny—it’s almost entirely visual comedy. The funniest part of this to me was when the main character started trying to add up the weights of the people in the elevator, purely guessing of course. When looking at the "heavier set" people, the shot would last longer before he estimates their weight.
Apart from the embedded/linked films above, here are the articles I read that helped guide my research in Short Film 101:
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