After researching my audience, I wanted to explore how short films actually tell stories in such a limited time. Unlike feature-length films, animated shorts often have just a few minutes to make an impact, so I needed to study the techniques that make them effective.
I started by re watching some of the shorts from my inspiration playlist, but this time I focused only on how the story was communicated. Many films didn’t use much dialogue at all. Instead, they relied on visual storytelling—facial expressions, body language, colour changes, and sound effects.
In one scene from Paperman, the two main characters meet by accident when a piece of paper hits the woman’s face. Through their facial expressions and body language, the audience can understand their emotions without any dialogue. The use of subtle movements and timing makes the moment feel natural and romantic.
I also noticed that good shorts often used a simple but powerful narrative structure. Most followed a very clear beginning, middle, and end, but in a compressed way. For example, some introduced a character’s problem within the first 20 seconds, showed their struggle, and ended with a twist or resolution.The Lost Thing is a 2010 Australian animated short film directed by Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann.
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Beginning: We are introduced to the main character, Shaun, a young boy who notices a strange, large, mechanical creature on the beach — his problem is immediately clear: the creature doesn’t belong anywhere.
Middle: Shaun struggles to find a place where the creature fits in. He tries different people and places, showing his persistence and emotional investment.
End: The story resolves with a twist: Shaun discovers a hidden society of lost things where the creature belongs.
Another technique I studied was symbolism. Some films used objects, colours, or repeated actions to represent emotions or ideas. This was a clever way to add depth without needing extra time or dialogue.
I realised that pacing was just as important as the plot. Shorts that lingered too long on one scene felt slow, but films that rushed through moments lost their emotional impact. The best ones had a rhythm that matched the tone of the story.
From this research, I learned that my film should:
Focus on a clear, simple story arc.
Use visuals instead of dialogue to save time.
Include strong expressions, colours, and sound to communicate emotions quickly.
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