Here is a list of the conventions that I have found:
- Characters - In a short film, their tend to be a maximum of 3 main characters because short films doesn't have enough time to create well developed characters with a deep back story therefore when creating a short film, we should keep the number of characters low so the audience can relate to that one character in a short amount of time.
- Twist - Almost all short films include a plot twist as it is needed to make the story more interesting due to the short amount of time as without the twist, the story can become uninteresting and boring to the audience therefore it is important to create a twist. If a twist isn't included, then there are usually a moral behind the story or a specific message that the producers would want to portray. This can also keep the audience interested as it can give them a new outlook on a important topic in current society.
- Location - Due to the low budget of short films, there tend to be only a few locations used as short film directors are usually independent with limited backing of funding so few locations can be used in order to minimize costs.
- Length - As a short film is defined to be under 40 minutes long, most award winning films such as the films from my research, tend to be around 5 minutes long so when creating our short film, we will aim to achieve the 5 minute mark.
- Situation - In all short films that I have viewed with my research, they all use locations or stories that are relatable to everyday events however that change it by giving a new turn to it. A good example of this is the film "The life and death of a pumpkin" as it creates a new idea onto a normal situation.
From this, I can now use this information by either following these conventions into my short film or subverting them to create more originality into the film.
