Short Film Directors

Short Films for a number of directors have been the starting point to the careers that they have built for themselves, they gave them the chance to showcase and develope their techniques and style ultimetly streaching their abilities as many directors are also writers of the short films that they make. Example of such directors range wide and far as a short film gives the perfect platform to create a piece of film that can be made without a budget leaving the mind to roam free on narrative and concepts that captivate and challenge the mind instead of the many feature length that are created for entertainment and profit purposes.

Martin Scoursese produced a graduation short film at New York University ‘The Big Shave’ this the making of the successful careeer that he has had over the past 40 years. ‘The Big Shave’ shows a man shaving but dosen’t stop and continues to shave his skin besides the fact that he’s bleeding, the film is know to reflect to the Vietnam war. Martin didn't stop producing short films with his most recent dating back to the year 2007.

Another director who gained critical aclaim form their graduation film is, Winta Yohannes, writer and director of Cherish an award winning director who agained credit in the British cinema industry through the release of her graduation student film Cherish. Yohannes an Eritea native is also a respected photogrpher and videographer having graduated from New Yorks film Academy and London Film School she’s perfect example of how short films can introduce new talent to an audience and ultimely build a career. In 2009 she made a series “Nation of Islam” also directing a number of music video for the likes of Patrice and The Bohemian.

Cherish is a seventeen minute film about a young girl who after growing up in London meets her father for the first time.

The freedom that short films give a director means that they are able to create partical anything that they see fit, the hardest thing is which broadcaster accept an idea that doesn’t seem steady on it foundations. This is what Nick Park Creator of Creature Comforts 1989 had to convice channel four after joining the staff as Aardman Animations were he worked as an animator, initialy wanting to produce a show that would intrest the public and an oppotunity opended up for him and staff that he worked with to talk to channel four about as short film that they created.

Creature Comforts an animated short film about animals feeling on living in a zoo, the creative element of the animation is the voice featured, syncrinised with the animation are of the british public. For any broadcaster that would be a worring factor as how can you be sure that you will be able to get what you want, this is something that Park soon found out his intial idea of gpin to the zoo and unknowing to the public record the spectectues view this soon failed and found that when he places them in an interview sitiation he gained better material for the show. The animation five minutes was featured on a Channel 4 series called lip Synch.

Park has moved on to have an outstandning career, as believe this is due to the fact that he created a piece that captures a wider audience than most short films due. Park was able to draw from an area that relatable to but seen unfamiliar, for the public to be going to the zoo to see animals he was able to question weather the animals see human in the way human view them.

Damien O'Donnell

Damien O’Donnell an irish film director and writer, he’s best known for directing British Independednt Fim Awards East is East. After making a number of short films he moved to direct the feature film East is East.

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