Forms and Conventions of Short Films

Short films typically involve a small number of people and only follow a small narrative. Often they don't have a genre as they are not long enough to have a genre that typically fits to it. However, blockbuster and mainstream films follow conventions of genre and narrative which appeal to a vast range of target audiences. An example of a short film I have studied is 'Across the Hall' and this is the theatrical trailer.
When composing trailers for short films, it is very hard as the film is very short and therefore it is hard not to reveal too much to the target audience. This short film is also a very good example of what can happen for short films; it has been re-constructed to become a mainstream blockbuster film due to the popularity and success at film festivals. This means that more from the film is revealed and narrative can be fully introduced. Most often in short films they introduce hybrid genres as keeping to one genre can be difficult. Because so many things happen in a short space of time, a little may be action and some may be romance and therefore the genre has to be a hybrid to make sure the different genres included in the short can be shared with the audience. Short films follow blockbuster and mainstream films in the way of promoting themselves through film festivals. This year, the London Short Film Festival took place in January, they promoted and awarded short films for example 'Here Come the Girls' and 'London Lives'. From my example above, Across the Hall went from being a short film to becoming