Short Film on the Internet

The internet is one of the many forms of media that we have, fortunately.  It provides a cheaper alternative in distribution than any other form would.  Short-film websites include:

• Coffee Shorts
• The BBC Film Network
• Virgin Media Shorts
• Warp
• Atom Films
• Silver Films

......then there are websites for user-created content, but professionals and amateurs use them alike:

• YouTube
• Vimeo
• YouSendIt
• Flickr
• Daily Motion

and many more.  The internet makes short-films a huge success story because everything's so easily accessible and free.  The difference between the websites which allow user-created content to be uploaded freely and the professional short-film websites lies in the purpose.  Websites like YouTube are a tool for mass-media and users who are interested in other peoples' content.  Professional short-film websites such as the BBC and Virgin Media shorts are actually companies which serve to distribute the works of those who are competing to get in to the film industry.  Amateurs and first timers use these as tools to showcase their work.  Their films compete, unlike the user-generated content websites such as YouTube.  

Short-films on the internet have an equal amount of chance to promote aspiring film makers as a portfolio does.  They result in loads of success stories, for instance: Virgin Media Short winners (top 12) have their short-films showcased before feature-length films in UK cinemas nationally.  'Panic Attack' is another success story: advertising director Frederico Alvarez, signed up to the Visual Effects blog on www.motiongrapher.com and posted a short-film he made of a robot attacking a city.  He received calls from Hollywood within days of it being online.  Now he's on to making a sci-fi feature-film due to be released next year.  

Young people use the internet a lot, 16-24 year olds are the prime age group and with so many on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, where there is so much access to videos and people can post links to videos on the internet, it means that young people are more subjected to online short-films than adults and older people.  We could see an uprise in the number of young people who make short films in the future.  

Whilst feature-films are commercial and are exhibited in cinemas in order to make money grow on trees, short-films are a much more feasible option for any purpose.  Short-films on the internet could be a huge hit in the UK - especially with the cuts being made: meaning that less British feature-films can be made and less film stock ordered by exhibitors.  Whether short-film will be a worldwide success is unknown, but what gains popularity in Britain is also recognised as a success story in other countries.  

Aspirational film makers can elevate their careers so speedily on the internet because everybody uses it; whilst the internet can't guarantee success for short films, the internet is definitely one of the main causes for the uprise.