Differences between short and feature length films

There are many different features of short films and feature length films, some are stereotypical whereas some are true to each, there are interesting facts about each of these. In addition these differences have helped me to find out what I will be working with (not budget wise) but the different characters etc. These are just some of the differences between the two.

Short Films

- Firstly short films are concise and to the point as there are no subplots and therefore must convey the theme through a different way therefore needing to be concise. It can then allow the audience to still remain interested for the short amount of time that the film is being shown.
- Short films are normally low budget therefore there are less cast and crew members working on it and they are unable to do the amount of things that a feature length film would be able to include.
- They are normally factual and shown on the tv
- They have to establish the characters quickly
- They are not as complex than feature length films
- short films are aimed at niche audiences 
- they are usually produced at lower quality
- Short films are generally produced and distributed by less established media institutions
- They are not as popular and make less money
- They are normally shown at film festivals where they try and advertise their film
- They are normally 5 mins in length

Feature length films

- They are normally part of a collection and are more likely to have more opportunities to create franchises
- They have a higher budget and funding for their films so they can afford highly recognised actors and special effects, this makes it more interesting for the 2 hours that people are paying to see the film.
- They are normally shown in the cinema before appearing on DVD. This allows more people to talk about it to their friends so word of mouth is used to allow it to become more popular, also if it is in the cinema then they will therefore receive more money for other films.
- The location is special as they pay to cut off streets etc to make it more realistic, short films have to deal with ordinary public which therefore make it more difficult as they do not know what they are working with.
- They can have a duration of up to 4 hours
- Feature length seem to have a more complicated plot so they can keep the audience interested. Making the film have a complicated plot allows the film to be longer as there will be more to explain, audiences prefer a film to have a complicated plot and to be long so they can have the time to figure it out themselves. 
- They have a lot of cast and crew members
- They are aimed at the mass universal market
They are normally produced and distributed by well established media institutions like the big 6

In my opinion I much prefer a feature length film as they are easier to watch there is much more happening and therefore are more successful. I would prefer to watch a film that have a good plot and more dialogue as I get bored of watching the same two characters. My favourite film is part of a franchise and is a feature length film (Harry Potter) however I do believe that short films are interesting. When watching two short length films they can convey a theme that is important in 5 minutes which is better than watching a film for 3 hours about that subject matter. Although they both have their advantages and disadvantages short films work well when they are shown to a wider audience as they can be turned into a successful film.