Independent short films have no strict definition, but are typically under 80 minutes and produced outside of traditional cinemas. They receive little funding from major companies and often have a unique perspective. Short films in the US are between 40 and 80 minutes. They have a specific culture and popularity, but lack major distribution networks. Success depends on spreading awareness through word of mouth and internet advertising. Major film companies have started producing independent shorts, blurring the distinction between bottom-up and professionally funded productions.
There is no strict definition of an independent short film, despite it being an established art form. In the broadest sense, an independent short film is a production that runs under 80 minutes and is produced outside of the larger, more traditional cinemas. In reality, independent shorts encompass a wide range of genres and lengths. Some animated shorts can be as short as two minutes long, while dramatic productions can be up to an hour or more.
An independent film, regardless of its length, is defined as one that receives little or no funding from major film production companies. These films are often highly stylized, expressing the director’s unique perspective. Limited funding for some independent films means that creating a short film is often profitable due to limited resources. The production time for most independent shorts is also significantly less than that of feature films.
Short films have a strict definition in the United States, where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has set the length at between 40 and 80 minutes. When combined with the limitations of independent films, short films often become very focused on a single event, character or moment in time. This has given rise to short films that tell a story in a way that seems to leave an abrupt punchline due to time constraints.
Independent shorts have a genre-specific popularity and culture. There are cinema circuits that only show or judge this type of film. There are also a number of prizes awarded each year. One reason is the lack of major distribution networks for independently financed films.
The unfunded release of independent shorts means they are rarely shown in many cinemas. Other forms of distribution arose, including posting films directly to the Internet or attempting to sell films directly on DVD, skipping the theatrical release. The commercial success of an independent short film depends on spreading awareness of the film to the general public. Methods such as word of mouth and Internet advertising are both popular and have led to alternative advertising such as guerrilla marketing which seeks to promote the film through methods that do not seem immediately related to the film.
The commercial success of some independent shorts has led many major film companies to start their own productions. This made the distinction between a bottom-up and a professionally funded independent short film less obvious. This has also led directors and actors who usually work on mainstream films to invest in their own independent short films.
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