PREY-Characters

Characters
Samantha: 18 Year old girl. A student who lives at home with her Mum and Dad. Her relationship with her mum is very good. They are seen as best friends and sisters rather then mother and daughter as they get along so well. Samantha tells her mother everything, but fails to find it easy to tell her mother about this situation as she is too scared of what she might think. Samantha’s mother Karen, see’s Samanth as her sister. She tells her most things including what what bad things Samantha’s dad has done to her in the past. Her dad is the silent part of the family. He has done hurtful things in the past to both Samantha and her mother, which Samantha doesn’t agree of, hence the reason why they don’t get along very well. Both Samantha and her mother, don’t take much notice of him.
Cab Driver: The Cab Driver in this Short Film is seen as silent and mysterious. David is not a liscened cab driver, and has a criminal record of acting as a liscence cab driver and being reported by women as either attacked, raped or being in an unliscened cab. He put’s on a different personality so that women that get into the cab, think he is a helpful gentleman that just wants to make sure they get home safely.

PREY- synopsis

Synopsis

Samantha, an 18 year old girl, enjoys an eventful night out with her girl friends in a club, but has a bit too much to drink. As she stumbles out of the club and leaves her friends, a suspicous man pulls over and asks if she wants a cab. As she thinks about the cab mans proposition, she decides to get in but doesn’t realise that she has just made the wrong move, until she wakes up in a ditch. Samantha talks about her horrific experience, but tries to move on and look past it.

PREY-Logo

For our logo, I went on the internet and searched for a licensed taxi plate, then traced it and changed it in Adobe Illustrator. This is the image off the internet:















This is the image that was made in Adobe Illustrator:

Textual Analysis: Darling do you love me?

Darling do you love me 1968, Martin Sharp.

MISE-EN-SCENE

In this short film, the black and white film, creates a mysterious effect on the sequences, as she is very loud, where as black and white are simple questions. The black and white colours are contrasting, signifying the differences between both characters. White signifies purity and cleanliness, relating to the male. Black is more dark and mysterious, signifying the woman's character.

The woman's pale white face, with dark black eyes and hair, makes her look quite possessive and like a witch. This also relates to her personality as she can seem quite 'crazy' as she sings and screams Darling do you love me to the male that doesn't take much notice. The square surroundings, creates an intense feeling that they are trapped together and that he cannot move.

The males character differs o the woman, as he sits still for quite a while, whereas she is seen running and jumping about. The close up shots of her face, impose a sense 'invading privacy' as she is quite 'in your face,' relating to the fact that she is very loud.

When the two are out in the garden, the big tree's surrounding the pair, creates a feeling like they are stuck in a maze, again, making the guy seem trapped. She runs around him as he tries walking away from her, but her fast pace movement, intensifies the fact that he can't really go anywhere.

The still camera angel of the two walking towards the camera, looks like the same walk, when your walking down the aisle to get married. This resembles the fact that she's saying darling do you love me, as she would want to marry him.

Towards the end, when her hands are around his face, her hand movements make it look like she is forcing him to open his mouth and retaliate.

The sound in this short film, is mainly the voice of the woman singing. She sins in different paces, sometimes low, high, fast and slow. The given effect of the singing, reinforces the fact that this is all about love. Her laughter, sounds similar to a witches cackle, again, reinforcing the evilness in her.

When the couple are walking, there are sound effects of the mans feet hitting the floor. This makes the audience feel that they are coming closer to the screen, and also reinforces the fact that he is trying to get away from her.

Textual Analysis: About A Girl

About a Girl,was released in 2001 by Brian percival. About A Girl was also released around the same time as the film About A Boy 2002, wich shows that About a Boy,may have had ideas form the 2001 version to make this film.

At the beginning of the film, the wording comes in text form. This signifies youth culture, as in 2001, mobile phones started to become more popular with the youth.
In the first shot, the girl is seen singing and dancing to Britney Spears. This shows escapism as she seems like she's living in a different world. The camera angle from the bottom, makes her seem superior, connotating that she wants to be ontop of 'the world'. The clouds in the background are quite dark, profretic phalacy, signifying something bad will happen that day. In the shot, she is dark, connotating her background life could be quite dark and dull.

Britney Spears, at the time was seen to be 'innocen' which, she wasn't. This shows that maybe, she relates to Britney and possibly looks up to her as her idol. When she is singing and dancing , the audience may find this amusing and laugh. this is because we can relate to her character as of a younger age, as we probably were doing similar things.

The next shot, her working class background is shown as she is seen quite 'chaved' up. The surroundings are quite dark, with walls connotating she feels trapped in her surroundings e.g.family. She is seen as not close to her family as she talks to herself. She has very much to say, but there is no-one she can confide in and talk to, so the only other person is herself. In the backgrond of the flashback, noises include dogs, playground and birds.

There is a feeling of a broken family. The mum and dad have broken up. The shot with her dad, she says 'I'm not a kid,' showing she's growing up. Dad doesn't respond to her, showing he doesn't care much. He carries on reading his newspaper. The dad is on the doll, always to busy to see her and cannot provide for her neeeds. He plays football, a working class sport, signifying his social state. Most weekends she spends with her dad, he takes her to watch the football which he would do with or without her. When she is seen sitting by herself on the benh, the camera pan makes her look young, feable and alone. When she and her friends are on the bus, the singing and dancing makes them look younger, but shows them elebrating youth.

In the shot where she is in the chemist, the sales assistant asks if she would like any help. She starts to talk and says 'looking after image.' From this and also what we already know of her, you can see she doesn't lead a good life. She wants a piano but mum cannot afford to buy one for her and thinks she's always difficult. The mother usually only thinks of herself instead of herself and her children.

From the way she talks, we see that she has a mind of someone older. She starts to talk about her parents' relationship and how she fits in. We as an audience, establish that she wants to move out. This element of her personality, again, shows her being more mature, as she feels she can fend for herself. We also see that she mentions many celebrity names such as Nirvana, Britney, Bono, Madonna and Stereophonics. This connotates to the audience that she realises that she's currently not living the best of lives, hence the reason for aiming to be with the celebrities.

We feel that she has learnt a way of life from her mum, as she throws a dog in the canal. We see a colour change before she throws the baby into the canal. the dark, grey and dull surroundings, signifies to the audience that something is going to happen. The pace of things are finally slowed down, including her dialogue. She then drops the baby and says 'still gunna have a 99.' This shows that this is her unique way of dealing with personal issues like this and no matter how big it is, she can just start over again and forget about everything. The carrier bag is significant to her, she is disposable and the baby came out of the bag and floats to gate, then she will traapped again.

At the end, one side of the river is very bright contrasting he other as its very dark. This relates to the saying, 'the grass is greener on the other side.' Now she has disposed of the baby, she can be happy now.

Short Film Animation

PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS

Pixar is a production company based in California and started in 1979 as part of Lucasfilms, as the Graphics Group. In 1986, Pixar was bought by Apple, then in 2006, Walt Disney then bought it over. Pixar is well known for its computer aimated feature length and short films. Pixar has created around 10 feature films to date, with many short films. The studio itself has won many awards, including six Golden Globes.

Here is a section of Geri's Game, 1979.

Online Cinemas

Many short films a re avaliable to view on the internet on websites such as youtube. Submitting your work over the internet allows you to attract a wider audience, and receive more recognition for your style. Web cinemas are good for students who want to show people other then the ones surrounding them. Some of these websites include:

• The New Venue: www.newvenue.com
• Tank TV: www.tank.tv
• Channel 4: www.channel4.com/film/shortclips/shorts.html
• BBC Film Network: www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork

BBC FILM NETWORK

The BBC Film Network, allows anyone to upload their work onto their website. The website is dedicated to showcasing new British filmakers and their films. On the website, you can browse the films by category (genre), organisation or event. To sumbit your film, you need to register with film network, then fill out the online form and send in a hasrdcopy of your film. Every film is not guaranteed to be showcased on the website, but if your film indicates individuality and flare, your on the right track.

What is Short Film?

Short film is defined by its length. Short films are under 50 minutes long, apart from Micro Shorts, which are under 5 minutes in length. They usually have a small budget, meaning small cast. Short films are usually experimental with content and techniques, attracting a niche audience. Young students and aspiring directors usually make short films. This is usually a calling card by making a name for themselves, getting recognition for their work and also develop a unique style. Short films are usually realistic and grainy, portraying real subjects. Most short films can be seen in film festivals, art galleries, awards ceremonies (BAFTA's), internet, specific TV channels like Channel 4 and in the cinema.

In comparison....Mainstream cinema has feature length films with more surreal narratives, making the films more commercial attracting a wider audience. With a larger budget, more marketing is avaliable, which means advertisments on TV, Newspapers, Radio and Billboards, hence the larger audience. A larger budget means well known actors, with funds to employ extra's. Mainstream film's will also take longer to film, as they are longer and will have more 'glamorous' locations, with differnt settings. Mainstream makes more profit as it is more commercial, but watchers may be passive rather then active, as some Mainstream films can be similar.

Short Film Codes and Conventions

Short film is defined by its length. There are no set codes and conventions for Short film, as there are different genres. These include:

• Documentary
• Animation
• Black and White
• Drama/Horror/Thriller
• Fiction
• Colour

Some conventions include:

• Asthetic complexity-The way some shots and sequences in Short films may look complicated in itself. This can be seen in Berlin Horse (1970). Although it's just a horse, visually, the horse constantly moving round then going backwards may look complicated to the audience, but its about experimenting with new and different techniques.

• Plurality of content-Content is usually detailed and catchy, making the audience passive rather then active viewers. The film is usually quirky, keeping the audience more interested in the film.
• Breaking the fourth wall-Some Short films can break the fourth wall, with the actor/actress looking directly at the audience, creating a more realistic and intense atmosphere.

Short film history-18th January 2010

In the year 1895, the first ever Short Film was created. The first films that were ever created, are short, which are due to technological reasons, meaning that technology in the 1890's was no where near developed as in 1950's and onwards. These short films were also seen as experimental sequences. This allowed directors to creates something very short, and experiment with different ideas. The Lumiere Brothers are one of the first filmmakers with the first film: La Sortie de l'Usine Lumière à Lyon (Workers leaving the Lumiere factory, which is 46 seconds long).

SHORT FILM AND HOLLYWOOD

Short film was very popular with short, quirky sequences. The Classical Hollywood narrative came into action in roughly 1910, and wiped out Short Film. The style of Classic Hollywood narrative consisted of:

• A narrative
• Actions in chronological order
• Protagonist with an antagonist in conflict with the protagonist
• Equilibrium, disequilibrium, equilibrium. Closure to a narrative.
• Continuity
• Mise-en-scene
• 90 minutes long
• Genre's of film

When Hollywood was introduced, Genre's were produced. This meant that viewers could watch different films depending on its genre. The Hollywood Studio System was also introduced which was most dominant between the 1920's to 1950's. The studio system referred to Motion picture studio's creating their own films, with Human Resource's signed to a long term contract, persisting on vertical intergration. This would mean them having total control over cinema's/theatres and distrubutors, increasing sales of movies. In 1954, any connection between production studio's and theatre's was broken due to the 1948 Supreme Court ruling.

Cinema exhibits required the films to be no longer then 100 minutes long, allowing cinema to have 2 hour blocks for food, advertising and trailers. By the 1930's and onwaqrds, short film was hardly interesting to anyone.

PRESENT

After the 1954 Supreme court ruling, Hollywood no longer follows the Studio System. Now, Short film is seen as a cheap way of experimentation and room for innovation, taking risks with minimal finance. The studio's have developed a system of scouting directoriall talent using film festivals. One director successful from this system is Martin Scorsese. One of his most famous Short films was The Big Shave, 1967. His brutal, American gangster style was involved in the short film. The film was directed to America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Scorsese uses shots establishing that the short film is set in a bathroom e.g. shots of the toilet, tap, bath tub and mirror. The colour of both the bathroom and the clothes of the protagonist is white, signifying purity. The sense of clean and purity opposes to the vast amount of blood seenin the short film. The blood also stands out amongst the white background. Close up's are used to show the audience the protagonist shaving his face. The idea of him shaving repeatedly taking away layers of his skin, relates to the idea that in the Vietnam war, group's of people's lives were taken away, repetitively. Gradually, more blood starts to pour from his face whilst shaving, especially at the end. Again, this signifies the more war there is, the more people are going to die. From the protagonist's facial expressions, you can see that shaving his face this violently, seems like a normal thing to him. This again relates to the soldiers that fought in the war, as they seemed to think that this was 'normal', when actually, by going to war, they were basically killing themselves.

EXPERIMENTAL/AVANT GARDE/ARTHOUSE

Because Short film couldn't compete with Hollywood and Mainstream, it found its own home with the art. Experimental cinema is a style that is the opposite of mainstream. The use of techniques such as out of focus, non-diegetic sounds and non-linear narrative, with out of chronological order shots playing on structure are some of the noticeable traits of Experimental cinema and are used to keep viewers active rather then passive watchers. There is usually a low budget involved with a small crew. One example of Experimental Cinema is 'Mothlight' 1963 by Stan Brakhage. Mothlight is a 3 minute long film and was made on a 16mm film.

Brakhage used bits of grass, bug and moths to cerate this naturalistic short film. As there is no sound to the film, the silence allows you to soley concentrate on one thing, which is the film itself. When watching Mothlight, it made me think of the cycle of seasons because of the use of leaves, moths and other garden bugs. There is a shot with small particles falling, which reminds me of a moth in its catepillar stage and the cycle of the life of a catepillar/moth.



‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ 1943, created by Maya Deren, located a place for USA Avant Garde film making. Deren created Avant Garde films between 1940-1961 and displayed a highly individualistic sensibility towards short film. As well as an Avant Garde film maker, she was also a film theorist, where she’s criticised Hollywood cinema and created her work to oppose Hollywood.


Art house film, is relatively similar to experimental and Avant Garde. It differs to Hollywood mainstream, with its social realistic style, concentrating on the characters ideas and dreams. Art house films are usually directed towards a niche audience, meaning a small budget with less finance to market the film, employ professional actors and experiment with special effects. Producers usually show films at Art house cinema’s/speciality cinema’s and film festivals. One famous Art house film festival is the Bethany Art house film festival. Because the budget is so small for Art house films, it depends on magazine reviews and Art house authors to ‘rake’ in a larger audience.

Short film history-20th January

PROTEST AND FREE CINEMA

The Free cinema movement came in the 1950's resulting from a protest to the supremacy of mainstream. After the Second World War, conventional films were still being created, until the mid 1950's where Liz Anderson, Karl Reisz and Tony Richardson founded the Free cinema movement. Initially, there was 6 short programmes of short documentaries which were shown at the National Film Theatre between February 1956-March 1959. They were put together by young film creators. Due to problems of getting their work out, they decided to come together. Although the documentaries were made individually, there was a similar style that each documentary shared. The six films were funded by the BFI Experimental film fund, created in 1952.

Free cinema mainly looked at the class system, especially the working class, and drew attention to the problems some people were suffering in that day and age.They featured working class people at work and also in society. Most of the films from the Free cinema movement are short film and have a shoe string budget. The crew were usually unpaid, and the footage is usually shot with a 16mm Bolex camera, creating an 'home movie' effect.

'We are the Lambeth Boys,' 1959 by Karl Reisz, explores a group of young working class teenagers at work, school and with their friendship group, usually in a club.





SHORT FILM ON TV

In the 1960's and 70's, TV provided some small viewing of short films. They were scheduled into 'Filler,' which is when short films are used to either fill in small gaps like an interlude, or if a live broadcast was suffering from technical difficulties, a short film would be used, 'filling' the amount of time needed to fix the problem. In the 1990's, BBC2 series 10 x 10 in association with the BFI, started to showcase short film. Then, later in 1993, the BBC launched 'Video Nation,' which is a mass observation. One of the noticeable techniques used when filming, is the use of close up shots, establishing the persons facial expressions. The video diary was to influence the generation of reality TV online in 2001. From this point, video camera's started to become less expensive, and more small and compact, making it easier to get hold of and allowing more people to make video's like similar to the one's on Video Nation.

The Short Film Industry-Development

DEVELOPMENT


When film first came out in 1895, film was around 15 seconds long and was based on simple activity. Through the silent era, there was no sound to film until the 1920's. Now, short film is a reputable form of film with many directors, with different forms including Video Activism, Free cinema and Experimental. Although short film is aimed towards a niche audience, there are ways to exhibit Short film.

Actors

Most short films have a small production budget. This means that there is not enough budget to have famous actors. In many short films, there are no actors involved, but when there are actors involved, there are very few, and are usually friends of the film-makers/directors or normal people. Shane Meadows used his friends in his short film productions. This is easy and probably more economical as friends may volunteer and not be paid.

Directors and Film-makers

For many Short Films, film-makers are also the director, producer and script-writer for their production, which can be due to the low budget. In Hollywood, most directors in mainly made short films, then moved onto making feature length films, sometimes 'Hollywood'style.Shane Meadows born 26th December 1972 is an up and coming British film-maker. After being caught stealing from places such as Sainsbury's and Boots, Meadows realised it was time to make something of himself, which was to become a film-maker. In 1994, Meadows made a deal with Intermedia Film and Video Ltd in Nottingham, so that he could borrow their equipment, and he would work at the company for free. His friends started to become interested in his work, after viewing the short films he had made by himself.

Shane and his friends decided to create their own low key event which was called 'Six of the Best' after consideration for the fact that there was hardly any festivals showcasing short films. This event allowed people to bring their short video's and pay a small amount to have the film showcased to an audience. 'Six of the Best' eventually turned into 'Flip Side' after popularity with its audience.

Shane Meadows is a perfect example of a film-maker taking on each production role, to make his own piece of work. Meadows has been approached by places like Channel 4 to create a film making workshop, because of his experiences and knowledge on film. One of Meadows' short films is called 'The Stairwell' 2005. This is a 15 second film about two people bumping into eachother on the stairs.



This Short film produces subliminal messages that the audience can take. One of these is that you never know what may happen. This is because both people were walking up the stairs, and were extremly shocked when they bumped into eachother. Another message that Shane could be trying to get the audience to understand is that you must be carfeul and look where your going. Another message that Meadows may be trying to portray is that in Engalnd, people are always in a hurry. Some of his film portray's elements of British lifestyle, in A room for Romeo Brass and This is England. In The Stairwell, Meadows may be trying to show the audience that some elements of British lifestyle is rushed, which may end up with people suffering consequences.

In the titling sequence, the flickering words that appear on the screen, represents the flickering lights on the stairway. Also, at the end of the film, the flickering words are seen again, with sound of a flikering light, enhancing the silence in the film. The jaunty camera angle at the end of the sequence, can represent seeing this short film from a different point of view. Different viewers may take this film in different ways, thinking that there was a message behind it, or that the film was purely based on the fact that the two characters bumped into eachother on the stairs. The below angle also represents superiority. The flickering light, creating a tense atmosphere in the sequence, seems to have great significance to the film. By watching it from underneath, this makes the audience feel quite intimidated and vulnerable, just like a thriller would.

The camera attached to the woman character, makes it look like she's gliding, and away thinking in her own world. This shows that she wasn't paying attention. There are no static shots of her walking up the stairs for more then roughly 3 seconds. But this could also be due to the fact that most shots are cut to the beat of the music. The male character is seen dressed in dark colours, with his hood up, making his character seem quite mysterious. There's a shot focusing on his hand and watch, which could signify that he is in a rush to go somewhere, hence the reason for him running down the stairs at a rapid speed.

The music in this short film, intesifies the fact that we don't know what is going to happen, until the bang, of when both characters smash into eachotheras the music changes. The dark colours on the wall, sets a dull tone to the personalities of each character. There is no expression from the characters until they bump into eachother.

Some Directors like to work on both feature length and short film. Short film ideas, can 'spark' off a feature length film, which is what happened with some Hollywood Cinema. Terry Gilliam, is a film direcrtor, screenwriter and animator, and directs both short and feature length films. He has worked with people like Tony Grisoni, a British screenwriter on the recent Kingsland #1 The Dreamer. Gilliam mainly specialises in feature length films and short animated films. This is The Miracle to Fly, 1974, an animation short film.



DIRECTORS IN HOLLYWOOD

Directors in Hollywood mainly made short films, then moved onto feature length films. Steven Spielberg, born 18th December 1946, is a producer, screenwriter and director. spielberg's first short film was Amblin', which was based on a hippie love story from the 60's. The 26 minute long film was shown to producer Dennis Hoffman and Sid Sheinberg at Universal Studios, and was then signed to a long term contract.

Short Film Production Companies.

COFFEE SHORTS

Coffee shorts is an independent production company specialising in independent short films, advertising filmakers work. Films are usually found on the internet and are usually spread around on online channels where people can view. Their website specialises in Documentary, Narrative, Animated, Documentary and Experimental films.

ATOM FILMS

Founded in 1998 in Seattle, Atom Films offers short films and animations from independent creators. Atom Entertainment was bought out in 2006 by MTV Networks, where the name changed to Atom.com. Atom specialises in mainly comedy short films. Just like Coffee shorts, Atom finds people with films, publish the films on the internet, where they can build an audiencde and recognition.

On some distribution company websites, there is a link to Atom films, where viewers can watch the films on the website.

The distribution and exhibition of short film

DISTRIBUTION OF SHORT FILM

Short film's have a much smaller budget then Mainstream, which means that it is harder for films to be distributed. But for the fact that Short films have a lower budget, they are not expecting to make a great deal of profit. But, because of the fact that short films don't usually make an income, profitable distribution is not usually found In Mainstream cinema, the distribution side deals with Box Office sales and merchandise, which is where they make a profit. Again, Short film doesn't really provide merchandise for its viewers, therefore is not expecting to make a profit out of nothing.There are companies such as 'Dazzle' and 'Future Shorts' that distribute and exhibit short films. On the Future Shorts website, it states that they have there own post- production studio where people can edit their material. They also set out to reach the target audience and future buyers of films, as this website is like a catalogue, to pick any films that are interesting. Some Short films can be found on DVD. Compilations can be made after an awards ceremony/film festival showcasing films that won, and also DVD's for schools/colleges. Short films are mainly distributed on the internet, where directors and film makers can also search to find raw talent.

RUBBER JOHNNY

This is an experimental short film which got turned into a music video irected by Chris Cunningham in 2005. This is a good example of distribution as the short film was turned into a music video. It comes on DVD format with an art book and photographs from he film.

EXHIBITION

The most effective way of showcasing short films is at a film festival. Most cinema's will not play short films. Short films are also avliable on youtube to view and many different websites such as atom.com. The BFI, is also another place where British films are showcased. You can watch both feature length and short films. Each computer is equipped with headsets, and on the computer, it gives you some information on each film with the director and actors names.

DEPICT!

Watershed Media Centre enhances creativity and talent that they see in one. Watershed have their own competition called DepicT! This competition is part of the Encounters film festival which allows international and national film-makers to create a 90 second piece of experimental cinematography. To enter the competition, you have to fill out the online form, send in your dvd with the film being no longer then 90 seconds, and you cannot enter more then twice.

CONVERGENCE'S

Convergence's allows the public to view video's and short films on your technical appliances. Many of these new appliances have the internet on them, which means that you can view these video's from your mobile. The Apple iPhone is an important piece of technology as I know it has an youtube app. Other convergence's that can be used are you internet, xbox,ps3 and wii.

Bibliography

• Wikipedia
• youtube
• kineticeye.blogspot.com
• bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/a695496
• screeline.org.uk
• exposuresfestival.co.uk
• festival.sundance.org
• coffeeshorts.co.uk
• atom.com
• ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/shortfilms
• dazzlefilms.co.uk
• omnifilmdistribution.com
• pixar.com/shorts/index/html

Short Film and Film Festivals

FILM FESTIVALS

There are thousands of film festivals held around the world, all differing on content and aim. The longest running film festival is the Edinburgh International Film Festival, running since 1947.

There are different reasons as to why people want to win at a film festival. One of the reasons is money. At the Encounters short film festival, the totalling prize money was £12,500. Another reason is recognition. Even if contestants do not win an award, but have produced excellent material, they will still get noticed for their raw talent. You also get to meet directors. Some Hollywood films have been influenced by Short films, which means, director will approach filmmakers about their ideas, if they are good. By showcasing your work, many people can see this and later show an interest. This is why it's also good to publish your work on the Internet.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Sundance Film Festival, held in Park City, Utah, takes place in January. Sundance accepts films both internationally and nationally and is the biggest independent film festival in the U.S.A. The festival first called US Film Festival, began in 1978 in Salt Lake City, founded by Sterling Van Wagenen, John Earle and Cirina Hampton Catania. The original plan was to bring more filmmakers to Utah, broadcast American films and show to the audience what independent films were about, showing what film making is like outside the Hollywood 'system.' The festival name later changed in 1985, to Sundance Film Festival, when Sterling Van Wagenen later returned, after running the Sundance Institute.

Films that can be entered into the festival include US, Documentary, US Dramatic, World Cinema, Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, Shorts Programs and Animation Spotlight. To apply, you must fill out an online application. There are fee's that apply:

EARLY SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Monday, August 17th, 2009 - $35 ENTRY FEE

U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Monday, August 17th, 2009 - $45 ENTRY FEE

OFFICIAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 - $50 ENTRY FEE

U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 - $75 ENTRY FEE

LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Monday, September 21st, 2009 - $75 ENTRY FEE

U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Friday, September 25th, 2009 - $100 ENTRY FEE

Here is a trailer from the film 'New Low,' from Sundance;


EXPOSURES FILM FESTIVAL

Exposures film festival, held in Manchester, is usually held in mid November, with the first festival held in 1994, with the original name 'Northern Exposures.' It is the largest festival in the UK, showcasing students work. In 2003, the rules were that Exposures accepts videos from students 19 and under from the North West only, until 2005, where students from all over the UK could enter. To enter the Exposures film festival, you have to fill out the form and send it off, but you must read the guidelines to make sure your work is eligible for entry:

Rules and Guidelines at a glance

•To be eligible for entry work must have been produced whilst studying at a UK institution between August 2009 and July 2010 (detailed explanations can be found in the exposures 2010 Rules & Guidelines
•Work can be of any genre, theme or type.
•Work must be under 30 minutes long.
•You must fill in one form per artwork submitted.
•Films will not be accepted without a completed entry form.
•Do not send your only copy or original.
•Send your entries on DVD only, and make sure it works before you send it.
•Make sure your work does not infringe any copyright – you must have permission for any music or images used.
•Incomplete or invalid entries will not be returned.
•Don’t forget to sign and date the entry form

Video Activism

VIDEO ACTIVISM

Video activism, is where a group of people record evidence on video, to support and circulate any issues regarding the environment and society etc. The topic will be important to the individual and you will film the evidence. There is a symbolic link between Video Activism and Short film, which is that they both provide the audeince with 'impactful' information, making them active watchers rather then passive.

Green Peace and Amnesty International, commission specialist subject short films. Here is a video on whaling and how the maker disagrees with it: