Through the lens: Abundance in brevity

By Arn Alinea & Pauline Torino Photomanipulation by Kassandra Duño & Allian Pelayo

My view of Filipino games changed after watching Taya, a short film by Adi Bontuyan. Highlighting how kids have created their own little world through the likes of bangsak, bente-uno, and langit-lupa, the film subtly conceals an underlying message that mirrors a harsh reality far from the knowledge of these youngsters —from how bangsak refers to both a gun (the sound bang) and a knife (saksak —a knife thrust), to how langit-lupa (earth-heaven) can be the divide between social classes.

Taya captivated me with how it metaphorically portrayed truth within society. It opened my eyes to how people, regardless of age, are all “players” in their own battles —in the game of life. What made it more special was that the film’s duration was only eight minutes.

This representation of reality in short films just goes on to prove that narration is not limited nor bound by time: even the tiniest details can contribute to a profound message. Like the imaginative kids in Taya, short films become the box which the filmmakers have to think out of; it’s an opportunity to create one’s own little world. Unfortunately, in the local context, the demand for short films of this type is lacking. Thus, I aimed to learn more about the creative process behind the art and how makers of short films deal with the accompanying challenges. A bigger frame

As a variety of full-length and short films became readily available for audiences through online streaming platforms, I have been gradually exposed to diverse content which have made me realize that the story and artists are just a part of a bigger frame in a motion picture. There are a lot of things that can greatly affect the outcome of a film such as visual aesthetics, musical scoring, and narration more than the usual things we appreciate.

Consequently, the influx of accessible films has created a hunger for quality rather than quantity. Audiences need to have assortment in their plate —a buffet of features. Thus, producing quality short films may be similar to providing an innovative menu to satiate the viewer’s cravings for a unique piece that distinguishes itself from the usual offering.

My hunger for unique film pieces made me explore other platforms in the likes of documentaries and animated films. But with the emergence of social media sites, I was more exposed to different kinds of short films, everything from the narratives in product advertisements to school projects that can pull off their story in a span of just a minute.

From that moment, I started having a greater appreciation towards the art and form of short films, from the flow and structuring of the plot to how the scenes are meticulously chosen to improve the clarity and delivery of the content in such a limited space of time.

Short yet content-packed

According to film festival guidelines, duration is what distinguishes full-length feature films from short films. Indie or short films are standalone motion picture concepts that run for less than forty minutes, in fact, a majority of short films run for only five to twenty minutes.

Going beyond the technicalities, Richard Soriano Lesgaspi, an advocacy filmmaker who made the awardwinning film ‘‘Paano Ko Sasabihin” and one of Philippine Film Ambassadors of 2018 (as acknowledged by the Film Development Council of the Philippines) believes that short films are more than just the time; it is showcasing the filmmaker’s artistry in the field despite the time constraint.

“A short film is a powerful cinematic tool; it is the soul of all full-length films. Short films represent our attempt to immortalize our passion to tell, narrate, and converse stories in a diminutive limited time,” Legaspi explained. As a result, efficient strategies and wise decisions are prerequisites in formulating the narration given the limited amount of time. Shots must be carefully arranged to form a structure that best suits the platform where it will be viewed.

Short films break the usual storytelling format of a feature film which requires significant investment in setting up a specific scene. Instead, it goes directly to showcasing the message it wanted to relay for it needs to escalate the short timeframe given.

“Don’t waste time on introductions and establishing shots/scenes. Go straight to the point. Start in the middle,” said Adi Bontuyan, the video producer and director behind “Taya” which won the Special Jury Prize and People’s Choice Award during the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Awards.

To establish the structure well, the process of choosing shots to be included is a critical part. Unlike full-length films where different kinds of shots can be inserted to prove a specific point, short films magnify every element that is added. Everything should be worthy of its screen time, so it is a must to painstakingly think this part through as early as the storyboarding process.

In choosing the shots to be included, Nadjoua E. Bansil, a current film consultant in Brillante Mendoza’s ongoing film Bangsa and Mindanao, explained the things that should be considered.

“Choosing carefully what has to be included in a short film may be a feeling, an action or both. This is not to say it is limited to two things; the possibilities are endless. It’s just the storytelling should be clear, and if not, then it should pose a question,” Bansil suggested.

A short film’s duration, structure, and narrative are what separates it from full-length films. But this brevity in time is a working through the form itself that captivates the attention of the audience.

Coming to grips with a film’s budget and profit

Due to its compact nature, short films do not necessarily need to be expensive. Just like the time when we were doing shorts for our own film class, we could get by with what we could fish out of our own pockets. Aside from the transportation fee that we spent to reach our locations, we barely spent money for other production costs. Unlike full-length films, short films experience more freedom from expensive studio demands, which make it more flexible when it comes to budget and money matters.

For instance, Carmela Honrado, producer of the award-winning indie movie of 2010, Sigwa, explained that the Php 20 million fund for the said movie can be cut to 3 to 10 million pesos if it were produced as a short film instead. Keeping the story short without compromising its message reduces spending excessively on resources. This is another reason why some filmmakers prefer venturing into short films because not everyone has millions to back them up in the production costs. Some filmmakers even say that with today’s technology, anyone can produce short films with the use of only their mobile phones throughout the whole production process. On the contrary, full-length films require complex and expensive shooting and editing equipment. Innovative filmmakers already produce experimental films using phones as their main camera, relying on other resources in postproduction to make up for what they lack in equipment.

As a result however, short films do not profit so much compared to the commercialized full length films that have the privilege of available platforms and marketing agencies to promote their work.

Fortunately, filmmakers suggest ways to raise funds and gain monetary support when producing short films. Bontuyan explained that posting these shorts on online platforms is a new way of generating income and at the same time makes it more accessible for everyone; the more views a film can get, the higher the possibility it will earn from advertisements. Also, building partnerships with production houses who are willing to take monetary risks for the sake of art could also be a bonus especially in the distribution and marketing of short films.

Short films as a means for social change

Though making short films is always accompanied by challenges like establishing realistic budgets and accepting lack of monetary gain, filmmakers still continuously produce films to create discussions around important issues.

Legaspi believes that short films can impact and create a new way to communicate with other people, thanks to its accessibility.

“[The] more short films that we can produce, the better we can generate dialogues between people from different cultural, religious, and political backgrounds. It will serve as a powerful tool to educate the public and promote inspiring and accessible narratives whether in film festivals, advertising, art galleries or online,” Legaspi said.

Twenty-four-year-old Bansil whose film Piloto, a Visayan language medical film about tuberculosis, aims to educate people from impoverished areas, particularly from the rural communities in Mindanao. As short films are timeconscious, it becomes a more efficient instrument for delivering a message.

Meanwhile, Director Hugh Montero, a cultural artist since the 1980s affiliated with the mass-oriented theater group Kulturang Atin Foundation, bagged the Best Film of the 11th Mindanao Film Festival with his short entitled Pakot, a film which revolves around an education graduate who chose to volunteer in a community school for Lumads amidst threats from soldiers and Lumad para-military groups. Highlighting the closure of schools in Bukidnon and Surigao and the killings of a school director and two lumad leaders in Surigao del Sur, the awardwinning film ignited empathy for Lumad students and their communities.

These among many more show how short films are maximized by filmmakers to inspire, raise awareness, and advocate on community-relevant issues. Combining artistry with compassion, they were able to create an abundance of meaning and impact on a scarcity of time and resources.

More than brevity

Filmmakers, in general, see no difference at all in the content of short films and full length and believe that both should be treated with the same value, as both of them have the same purpose of giving out a specific message to its audience. However, short films’ limited time creates a far more extensive impact as it can easily reach a wide array of people with more accessible platforms such as social media.

Some will argue that the film industry is experiencing a drought as a result of the constant recycling of cliché plots. However, one or two ideas come along from time to time that challenges an audience’s view of the world, and it is greatly more apparent in short films.

Just like the kids in the short film Taya, short filmmakers create their own little worlds to produce films that impart messages that are not motivated by profit and which are time-efficient in expressing the story inside the maker’s mind. As with any production, there are plenty of obstacles and other things to challenge the skills, talents and street smarts, yet, with the right platform and an open mind from the audience, a message, no matter how simple or short, can find its way to make changes to society.