The first films were shorts. Most leading film-makers made shorts including Chaplin, Keaton, Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Lindsay Anderson and more recently- Lynne Ramsey and Damian O' Donnell.





Though a standard and much-loved part of the cinemagoing experience for decades, short films are now rarely seen, even though more are made than ever. Hundreds of student films are made annually, television stations use shorts as fillers and broadcast whole seasons. Dotcom companies fight to secure rights and short film festivals take place all over the world. There is even the beginning of a comeback for the cinema short.





This book traces the history of the short film and its current role. Focusing on short-film producers and directors, it looks at the short film as a training opportunity for new talent. It covers issues of distribution, funding (including the lottery boom), exhibition, festivals, training and publications.





A history, state of the art report and practical manual, In Short - the first book to be published on the topic for years- is essential reading for the film-maker, producer and indeed everyone interested in cinema.