Codes and Conventions of a Short Film

Codes and Conventions

There are different conventions that short films tend to follow. These are the amount of characters, a twist in the storyline, the budget, the length of the film, the situation and Todorov's theory.

Characters: During short films it's likely that only 2 or 3 characters are used. The reason being there isn't enough time to develop a deep storyline which would initially allow you to get more aqainted with the characters, however by having less, it's easier for a viewer to relate the the characters that are there.

Twist: A twist in a short film is important. This is because it enables the film plot to get more interesting whereas without it, it just isn't.

Budget: Typically a short film doesn't need a large budget and tends to stick to a small budget. The reason behind this is that many directors are independent and don't tend to have much money to invest. However by saying this, the concept of the film is then kept quite simple as there are few locations used and little actors who appear, which again doesn't matter when using a small amount of money.

Length: The maximum length of a short film is usually 35 minutes, however many short films tend to be between 5 and 10 minutes long.

Situation: To help allow viewers relate to the short film an everyday situation is normally used. But the concept is normally changed to keep the story interesting as well as keeping the viewer intrigued by what's going on.

Todorov's Theory: Torodov's theory is made up of five different stages. These are:-

1. A state of equilibrium where all is as it should be.
2. A disruption of that order by an event.
3. A recognition that the disorder has occured.
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
5. A return or restoration of a new equilibrium.

The five stages are used to make the film successful and understandable as there is only 5 - 10 minutes to tell the story.