Why are there short films?
What is the point of them? - Short films can be produced for a variety of reasons, could be for education, entertainment, to express a creative vision, for a profit, to win an award, to push a political/social/cultural agenda or they could be produced to get good grades, it ultimately depends on the person making it.
Who makes them? - Anyone with the right resources can produce a short film, and in the modern era the basic only resource to produce a short film is a phone, a phone can record, pick up sound and edit. Short films are smaller projects so don't require studios, large amounts of people, big budgets and so on.
Who is in them? - Anyone can feature in a short film.
How and where are they exhibited? - Short films are primarily uploaded to websites such as YouTube where they can access a much wider audience, they are also shown at events such as film festivals.They can also be viewed on various streaming services.
Has this always been the case? - When film was first made and popularised the majority of films were short films however this was due to a lack of technology at the time of production.
Who watches short films? - Anyone with access to the websites, streaming services and festivals can watch short films and the primary audiences for short films are incredibly diverse from film to film.
