For some, sitting for two hours straight on the same chair watching the same screen is almost unbearable, unless the movie shown is incredibly phenomenal. To avoid this monotonous activity, audiences can watch short films ranging from horror, comedy, animation, and drama as a great and concise source of entertainment. Whereas a feature length film is much longer and can fit in many more scenes, short films are, obviously, a lot shorter and do not have as much content. However, these restraints do not negatively affect the essence of short films and may even benefit them.

An important aspect of all films is sending a message to the viewers. Short films do not receive as much attention as movies, but many of them generate an equally, if not more, powerful message than longer works. The extremely small length of short films can be utilized to create a sudden wow factor and emphasize the meaning synthesized by each scene, as seen in masterpieces like the horror short film about the dramatic rise in plastic surgery trends, “Human Form,” the inspirational short film, “Identity,” which addresses the power in being true to oneself, and the animated short film, “Zero,” which depicts a story about overcoming prejudice, all of which share a symbolic message. They utilize societal concerns to hopefully cause the viewers to reflect upon themselves and be inspired to think and do more with their lives.

“Short films usually feel much more real than feature length films, and they also have a more creative or bizarre feel to them,” junior and Movie Club member Terren Hughes said.

“I think because we have a shorter amount of time, you try to put in all these details in ways that are not so obvious. It’s sort of an abstract method. To get a point across, you would have to… put little hints here and there,” freshman and Introduction to Video Production student Madison Parkin said.

Not only are short films able to get a strong message across, they are also a great stepping stone for amateur directors, actors, and video editors. They do not require nearly as much money to produce as feature length films, so therefore can be used to gain fame without risking a huge load of money. The workload is a lot less as well, taking up a smaller amount of time to edit and perfect.

“Right now I’m working on a short film about an underdog that is part of a cooking competition. [This short film] would go under comedy,” Parkin said.

Additionally, many opportunities to share short films are available for everyone to participate in, amateur or professional. Film festivals are generally where short films can be submitted to,  in the hopes of winning awards and spreading the work throughout the world. Some examples of local film festivals are the LA Shorts Fest, HollyShorts Film Festival, and the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films. There is also an upcoming New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles, California on April 25, 2017.

Shorts films are terribly underrated, despite the important impact they have on society. They are simpler to make and there are many methods to introduce them to the world for feedback. One of the best ways to have a strong burst of inspiration or to experience a mind-blowing work of art without having to sit through a two-hour long movie is to plunge into the world of an easily accessible short film. To find short films, one can go on the website, shortoftheweek.com, and experience some award-winning short films. The relatable comedic animation, “Alarm,” which is about the toils of getting up in the morning, and the eye-opening film about a man finding happiness despite his speech impediment, “Stutterer,” are some more short films that anyone can enjoy.