Short Film Genres

RomancePlots that follow the focus of passion, lust and emotion, usually makes allows the audience to follow the characters journey for love. Examples of short films in the Romance Genre;0 RPG OKC (An unlikely romance between two video game characters).0 The Youth In Us (A young couple confronting a painful future, by looking at

the past).0 Stanley Pickle (A chance encounter with a girl turns his world upside

down).0 Long Branch (A quest for a one night stand gets complicated when the guy

lives two hours away by public transport).

Comedy/Dark ComedyAre often light hearted dramas and can sometimes be humorously dark but are used to make the audience laugh and usually have happy endings. Examples of short films in the Comedy genre;0 My Mom Smokes Weed (A mother and son go to replenish their supply of

certain herbs).0 ‘92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (Brothers unite to continue their

childish rivalry).0 The Promise (A five year old promise leads friends to seek their darker

personalities).0 Erica Wexler Is Online (Everyone writes to Erica on her Facebook and she’s

great at responding, but she’s dead).

Sci-Fi/FantasyAre often set in futuristic environments that show advances in technology, special effects are widely used throughout(Sci-Fi). Usually influenced by scientific truths and is often dependant on the audiences imagination and beliefs(Fantasy). Examples of short films in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre;0 Post Human (A genius hacker and his dog help an enigmatic woman free a

test subject of black ops).0 True Skin (Where human cyber modification is the norm, Kaye finds himself

on the run).0 Carn (A young boy lost in the woods, makes a bloody pact with a dying

wolf).0 Caterpillar (An eerie world comes alive with an elderly woman’s

transformation.

DramaOften portrays real life situations and based on real people and often used to show humans in their best and worst light. Examples of short films in the Drama genre;0 Margo Lily (A young couple go to plant a tree in the middle of winter for the

loss of their child).0 Requiem For Romance (A “Crouching Love, Hidden Break Up” story). 0 Get Back (A relationship stressed by technical distractions).0 Obey The Giant (The early life of street artist Shepard Fairey and the origins

of the ‘Obey The Giant’ campaign).

Animation/Stop MotionThe use of stop motion cinematography or hand drawn, computerised drawings to tell a story of any kind. Animation or Stop motion is more based as a style of short film rather than genre. Examples of short films in the Animation/Stop Motion genre;0 La Nuit De L’ours (A woman living in nature gets disrupted by a hunters

arrival).0 Heart (An intense battle for love).0 The Maker (A strange creatures races against time to make the most

beautiful creation of his entire life).0 Zero (Born into a world of numbers, Zero discovers that nothing can truly

be something).

HorrorCreated to scare and terrify the audience and often play on audiences worst fears. Horrors focus on the darker side of life and provoke audiences imaginations to make things worse. Examples of short films in the Horror genre;0 Don’t Move (Six friends accidently unleash a demonic force that aims to tear

them and their friendship apart).0 Bite Me (A group of slackers are more interested in video games and the girl

next door than the zombies infesting the world).0 Comedy (A swordsman of legend is somehow persuaded to protect a girl’s

village but what is she hiding?).0 Gakko No Kaidan G/Katasumi (Takashi Shizumi’s proving his edgy take on

horror).

DocumentaryNon fictional, factual works which are mainly narrative based. Examples of short films in the Documentary genre;0 Baseball In The Time Of Cholera (The story of Joseph, a young baseball

player and a Haitian lawyer fighting for compensation for Cholera victims).0 Caine’s Arcade (A kid’s fantastic dream that came true).0 The Accidental Sea (A Poetic look at the doomed inland desert oasis).0 Kitty & Lala, 80’s Impression (Chinese wedding photography through 80’s

impressionist work).

Film NoirIs not specifically a genre but rather the mood, style, point of view and tone of a film. Often Film Noir storylines were based around cynical, hard hearted, disillusioned male characters who encounter a promiscuous, seductive femme fatale. An mainly focuses on the Crime genre. Examples of short films in the Film Noir genre;0 Tell-Tale ( A stylish, erotic noir film take on the femme fatale).0 Reign Of Death (A stylish, Sci-Fi take on the 1940’s hardboiled gumshoe).0 The Bloody Olive (A Christmas classic full of murder, love triangles and

double crossing).0 The Replacement Child (A tough choice between an oath of non violence or

a letting a friend die).

Action/AdventureDesigned for audience escapism and often have fight scenes, stunts and continuous action that is fast paced due to editing techniques(Action). Often a lot of energy and excitement for audiences when the hero/heroine goes on an expedition. Examples of short films in the Action/Adventure genre;0 The Chase (Four sassy cougars enjoy the thrill of an action packed chase).0 The Action Hero’s Guide To Saving Lives (The making of a classic action

hero).0 9 (A post apocalyptic CG).0 Jojo In The Stars (A circus performer and the admirer who tries to free her).

Epics/HistoricalBased on historical/past events. Epics are usually more dramatic and add elaborate costumes and settings to emphasise the period in which they were set. Examples of short films in the Epics/Historical genre;0 Rest (An art house film with compassion for the dead).0 The Eagleman Stag (In which peter finds a cure for the quick passing of time

in a little beetle).0 Voice Over (a narrator full of conflict leads the viewer throw three extreme

situations).0 Seed (About an egg and an apple competing in the struggle to survive).

Gay & LesbianUsually feature significant factors related to LGBT characters or issues and often use same sex relationships or romances as an important key to the plot. They also allow for directors, writers and actors to delve into the issues that mainstream films rarely do. Examples of short films in the Gay & Lesbian genre;0 13 Or So Minutes (A conversation between two guys who just kissed).0 Basketball & Maths (a story of disgust, denial and acceptance).0 She Said, She Said (A lesbian couple on the brink of divorce try to divide

their possessions).0 Raw Love ( A story of untold something's and mixed emotions).

References/Useful Sites

0 Shortoftheweek.com – A good site for shorts of many genres, topics, styles and plenty of information.

0 Filmsshort.com – a site with short films from many top categories and from all around the world.