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Humans are natural storytellers. Since the beginning of time, people have been chronicling about life, as seen through cave markings made by our ancestors, paintings inside the great pyramids, to manuscripts left by historians. Storytelling is also a means to pass down culture and tradition from one generation to the next. This is called Oral tradition. Stage dramas are also popular throughout the world; with the Greek plays done in amphitheaters in the west and Kabuki performed at theaters in Japan in the east.

There are several ways of telling a story. Today, with technological advancements and the rise of automated machinery, state-of-the-art equipment like professional video cameras are easily accessible for individuals choosing short films as a means of conveying a story. 

Today, plenty of budding filmmakers looking to start a name for themselves in the industry start with short films. Unlike before where resources are difficult to gather, short films are now very common and relatively easier to produce. Let us explore how short films have revolutionized modern-day storytelling,

Cheap Production

One thing that sets short films apart from features is the cost of production. Feature films often cost millions to produce from expensive equipment, labor, catering, actor’s fees to location rentals. Short films, on the other hand, are relatively cheap to produce. There are plenty of budget-friendly professional video cameras available in the market today, so there is no way to compensate for quality. 

Since everything is available on the internet, editing software is almost free of cost. Several editing software for audio mixing and video are available online for free. For other short filmmakers, investing in quality video editing software is a must. But then again, it’s always the choice of the team if the budget allows it.

With regards to equipment, short filmmakers improvise as much as they can. While having tripods, gimbals or stabilizers are essential, other film paraphernalia is improvised with common household items and gadgets. For instance, a hoverboard can be used as a substitute for tracks and dollies. Crane shots can be produced using a drone. There are also many ways to improvise the operation of professional video cameras to take better shots. 

Artistic License

Almost all short films are self- produced, without any media agency or a major production house backing up the finances, which often places a creative restriction for feature films. This is one reason why short films let the filmmaker have so much artistic license. 

Short filmmakers take storytelling to a whole new level. The crazier the idea, the more out-of-the-box the concept is, the better. Short films often respond to global social issues and problems that commercial feature films fail to do. Issues that are not commonly addressed are expressed in short films. Answers to societal questions are shed light on, and minorities are given a voice. This is why short films are unapologetic with their messages.

Easy Distribution

The thing with short films is that they are easily distributed through multiple channels that are for free. YouTube and Vimeo are popular platforms to distribute short films. Social media is also an effective way. Since short films are accessible, it can reach a multitude of audiences, with social media consumers sharing links. 

Short films can easily be monetized as well. Whenever your channel reaches a certain number of subscribers and achieves the required viewing hours, YouTube can offer partnership so ads can be displayed on videos- which invites revenue.

These are a few of the reasons how short films revolutionize how stories are told. And even today, filmmakers are continuing to innovate in ways to narrate stories. If you’re a budding filmmaker in the UAE, you can invest in professional video cameras in Dubai to give you the leverage in telling your story.