In Short: A Guide to Short Film-Making in the Digital Age

The first films were shorts. Most leading filmmakers made shorts, including Chaplin, Keaton, Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Lindsay Anderson, and-more recently-Lynne Ramsey and Damian O' Donnell. Though a standard and much-loved part of the cinemagoing experience for decades, short films are now rarely seen, even though more are made than ever. Hundreds of student films are made annually and television stations use shorts as fillers. Dotcom companies fight to secure rights and short film festivals take place all over the world. There is even the beginning of a comeback for the cinema short. This book traces the history of the short film and its current role. Focusing on short-film producers and directors, it looks at the short film as a training opportunity for new talent. It covers issues of distribution, funding (including the lottery boom), exhibition, festivals, training, and publications. Illustrations: Illustrated TOC: Foreward by Gareth Evans 1. Introduction: Shorts in the Field of Film 2 A Short History of Shorts 3. Conversation with Film-makers Nick Park Emma Calder Tessa Sheridan Lynne Ramsey Damien O'Donnell Anthony Mingella John Smith Jonathan Glazer Winta Youannis Keith Wright 4. Contemporary Film-makers and Shorts Production 5. How Shorts (Can) Get Made 6. Short Film-Making Resource Guide Bilbilography Filmographies of contributing Film-makers

About the Author:
Eileen Elsey is Principal Lecturer in Time Based Media at the Faculty of Art, Media and Design, University of the West of England. Andrew Kelly is Director of the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership and Founder of Brief Encounters.