Codes and Conventions

looking into short films i have found that its not the actual short film that follows codes and conventions but the production side that does follow them for example films are considered to be short films when there under 50 minutes in length. short film. the main common features that short films share is that the production is the same they have small budgets, small crew. short films can range from "rubber johnny" to avante-garde "the berlin horse" it doesn't have code or rules to follow you can be as independent and different as you want.

video activism

some artists and film makers use video activism to support economical, environmental and justice campaigns, they use short film to capture there point and get it across in a quick and informal way. witness videos are one of the most common form of video activism used mainly by protest group but one of the most famous was the Rodney king case. Rodney king was an African American man when on the 3rd of march 1991 was a victim of police brutality a bystander, George Holliday videotaped much of the incident from a distance. when the four police were trailed the got off without charge this then sparked the Los Angeles riots. to this day video activism is still trying to get there points across from the japanese whaling industry to the war on terror, Green peace and many other activist groups are making these short films to teach the world and make us understand about issues we need to stop.

protest and free cinema

free cinema was a british documentary film movment that was founded in the 1950's. the movement began with a programme of three short films at the national film theatre, London on 5 February 1956. The programme was such a success that five further programmes appeared under the Free Cinema banner before the founders decided to end the series; the last event was held in March 1959. 'we are the lambeth boys' by Karel reisz was the fisrt showing of working class people on british television documentries like these was influence to fly on the wall documentaries and incedently britsh new wave cinema. a manifesto was written for free cinema by Lindsay Anderson and Lorenza Mazzetti it said:

These films were not made together; nor with the

idea of showing them together. But when they came

together, we felt they had an attitude in common.

Implicit in this attitude is a belief in freedom,

in the importance of people and the significance of

the everyday.

As filmmakers we believe that

No film can be too personal.

The image speaks. Sound amplifies and comments.

Size is irrelevant. Perfection is not an aim.

An attitude means a style. A style means an attitude.

free cinema films were made with a next to none budget with small 16mm cameras they had unpaid staff, funded by the bfi and most importantly style and attitude.

the history of short film

Short film started of the cinema industry in 1985 you would go to a cinema and pay to see short film the first being 'sortie de l'usine' created by the Lumière brothers this was the first commercial film to make money. Short film carried on untill in 1914 when the hollywood studio system came to be which made 90 minute films and put death to the short film. the studio system brought in genres and longer films so people could eat drink see a film in the genre they prefered and it will all have been done in a 2 hour slot ready for the next veiwing this dominated cinema leaving no breathing space for short film. from the 1930's onwards short film was regarded as an activity rather than a profession. currentley hollywood makes short films for cheap experimentation to scout new talent try new characters, storys, themes and so on.

beyond worlds by armand de saint-salvy

the film is about a deaf woman having the feeling she is being stalked by a man but at the end of her day when she returns to her car to go home, a man tries to car jack her and the man she thought to be stalking her turns out to be her saviour.

the film cut back and fouth to the deaf womans perspective and the blind mans perspective to really convince you and show how hard it is esspesially in the car jacking scene it make it very frightening.

the film shows odinary life with disabilities and how in a real life situation people can come together and over come these situations wilst not being able to see or hear which are what we rely on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJlVNxBbrU8

Alive in joburg by Neill Blomkamp

Alivie in joburg is a fictional sci-fi but with a documentary style twist. it looks at the contact of an alien space ship which brakes down directly over johannesburg. the aliens are rescued from the ship and relocated into a massive refugee camp called district 9 quickly turns into a slum. the film looks at both sides of the problem the human side wants the aliens to go, they raid and roit to afford enough for the next meal. the aliens can't leave and they want electricity and running water but they are denied these things and kept inside disctirct 9. the "MNU" werec the corperation who took over the alien operation and there the ones who keep them detained in district 9 but also the "MNU" keep alot of secrets and mistreat the aliens. the film keeps you wondering who are the protagonists with the aliens mugging and murdering or the humans keeping them in slums and not giving them proper rights. the film cut from documentary style to cinimatic style but it still uses a handheld feel to make it seem like it was filmed by someone there and keeps it flowing. lastly the film must of had quite a substantual budget as it has two helicopters and very good special effects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTll8k_BBys

tales of horror

33 5 minuet film were on this dvd by various different director some famous including takashi shimizu "the grudge" and hiroshi takahashi "ring 2" nearly all of the films were based around one person in there small flat, also alot of them are about ghosts.

my favorite of them all was a film called "spilt water" by norio tsuruta. the film is of a mum and daughter who have lost the father of the family, this is explained in the first 5 seconds by the daughter reminiscing about her father. the final scene is the key scene where the ghost of the father walks past subtley the mother notices but the daughter dosn't see him. the mum tells the daughter that he was smiling showing the father has always been there and the fact he was smiling shows that there is life after death and that he has always been with them.