History of Short Film

Short films would have originally been a 5-10 minute cartoon before a film, or perhaps a short news-documentary. Such artists as Charlie Chaplin were known for his work in short film, and other silent comedians such as Laurel and Hardy would create shorts to entertain the audience.

In the 1930’s there was a rise in double features which were two short films put together.

Short films took an interesting turn when televisions became household in came the rein of advertisements on TV and these in their own right could be considered short films.

Short films predate feature length productions by over a decade, and they have been used for films as diverse as newsreels, cartoons, advertising, technical films, music promos, corporate video, cine-magazines, sponsored filmmaking, student films, gallery installations and amateur cinematography.

In the modern era, short films are often a way for film students to show off in a visual portfollio which would be entered into films

In the modern era, short films are often a way for film students to show off in a visual portfolio which would be entered into film festivals to win awards.

Currently leading companies have reverted back to a stage where they are creating short cartoons before a film, with Disney leading this with Pixar shorts and their own animated creations such as "the paperman".
Some would even state that the recent Vine uprising would be classed as a collection of short films.