How long is a short?

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I attended the Fearless Filmmakers Screening Event at The Oak Street Cinema last week and walked away with a lot of information to think about. During the Q&A session someone from the audience asked, "How long should a short be?" The answer to this question assumes we are talking about short films that will be uploaded to a video sharing site.

Melody Gilbert noted the explosion of shorts online. iTunes Music Store is currently selling Sundance short films on for $1.99.

"We are in the Wild West," according to Julie Rappaport of Smokin Yogi Films. Both the panel and I agree. There are no rules or conventions set in place. It's a great time to be a filmmaker.

Some might claim that 1-2 minute videos are best for the low attention span of an internet viewer. In all actuality, the sweet spot might be more around 6-7 minutes for a really great story that is shot and edited well.

Ryan Wood, of Fear of Girls fame, stated that pacing is more important than length.

Pacing.

It's all about pacing.