# Short Film 5-15 min — Format

> Standard short film length. Full 3-act story with developed character. Festival staple.

## Format basics

- Length: 5-15 min (sweet spot 8-12 min)
- Self-contained narrative
- Main festival category
- Director showcase
- Bridge to feature work

## Structure (3-act standard)

```
0-2 min     ACT 1 — Setup
            World, character, problem
            Inciting incident at ~1.5 min
            First act break at ~2 min

2-10 min    ACT 2 — Confrontation
            Try / fail cycles
            Rising stakes
            Midpoint reversal at ~6 min
            Crisis at ~9 min

10-15 min   ACT 3 — Resolution
            Final attempt
            Climax at ~12 min
            Resolution at ~14 min
            Final image at ~15 min
```

## Key principles

### Full character arc
Unlike 1-5 min shorts, 5-15 min allows:
- Character flaw established
- Multiple challenges
- Real change (positive or negative arc)
- Earned ending

### Subplot light
- Main plot focused
- One supporting character with own micro-arc
- Don't try multiple full subplots

### Genre conventions ok
- Audience knows you're playing in genre sandbox
- Use conventions strategically
- Subvert when smart

### Production manageable
- 2-5 locations max
- 3-8 cast typical
- 3-7 day shoot
- Mid-budget feasible

## Sample structure: 10-min short

```
0-1:30      ACT 1
            Establish protagonist in normal life
            Show their flaw through small choice
            Inciting incident: something disrupts normal

1:30-2:00   First act break
            Protagonist commits to action

2:00-5:30   ACT 2A
            First attempt — fails
            New approach
            Subplot character introduced
            Stakes raised

5:30-6:00   MIDPOINT
            Reversal: thing they thought wrong is right
            (or vice versa)

6:00-8:30   ACT 2B
            New obstacles
            Reaching breaking point
            Subplot resolved or escalated

8:30-9:00   CRISIS / All-is-lost
            Lowest point
            Old approach fully fails

9:00-9:30   Choice
            Protagonist commits to new way

9:30-10:00  ACT 3 / RESOLUTION
            Final attempt
            Climax
            New normal
            Final image echoes opening
```

## Sample concept (8-min short)

```
TITLE: "The Coffee Shop"

GENRE: Drama, magical realism
LENGTH: 8 minutes
LOGLINE: A barista who has stopped speaking finds her voice again
when an old man visits the cafe every day for one week.

ACT 1 (0-1:30):
SARAH (28), barista, hasn't spoken to anyone in months since her
mother died. The cafe is quiet, her routine mechanical. An OLD MAN
(70) arrives, orders coffee with a smile but doesn't speak either.

ACT 2A (1:30-4:00):
Each day for a week, the old man returns. Same time. Orders the
same coffee. Smiles. Sits. Reads. Leaves.

Sarah begins anticipating his arrival. Notices small things. He
always tips exactly the same. He never finishes the coffee.

ACT 2 MIDPOINT (4:00-5:00):
On day five, she notices he's reading the same book her mother
used to read. She nearly speaks. Doesn't.

ACT 2B (5:00-6:30):
On day six, he doesn't come. Sarah feels the loss. The cafe feels
emptier without him.

CRISIS (6:30-7:00):
Sarah realizes she may never see him again. She leaves the cafe
mid-shift, runs through the streets.

ACT 3 (7:00-8:00):
She finds him at a park bench, the same book in his hands. She
sits beside him. Takes a breath.

SARAH
(barely a whisper)
That was my mother's favorite book.

The old man looks up. Smiles.

OLD MAN
Mine too.

Final image: They sit together in companionable silence as the
park comes alive around them.
```

## Best practices

### Open with intrigue
- Don't lead with backstory
- Drop audience into a moment
- Question planted

### Show character through detail
- Specific habit
- Specific object
- Specific expression
- Don't tell us, show us

### Earn the ending
- Setup what pays off
- Don't introduce new elements in Act 3
- Final image earned by all that came

### Visual storytelling
- Less dialogue than feature
- Trust the image
- One key visual moment per act

## Common mistakes

- Trying to fit feature plot into short form
- Too much exposition in Act 1
- Multiple subplots competing
- Ending too rushed
- Adding scenes that don't serve arc
- Dialogue when image would work
- Generic protagonist

## Production typical

- Director + small crew (10-20)
- 5-7 day shoot
- 3-5 locations
- 5-10 page script
- $5K-50K budget (low end)
- Festival circuit aim

## Awards / festivals

- Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca shorts
- Oscar Live Action Short qualifier
- BAFTA Short Film
- Berlinale Shorts
- Online: Vimeo, YouTube short film
