In recent years, "vertical short films" from China have risen strongly, creating a wave of short film production worldwide. Even the North American market has begun to join the trend.
In a conversation between MC Phung Ba Han and Ronan Wong - CEO of AR Asia Production, and Justin Saucedo - Head of script development at Lunar Tickets LLC (USA), they discussed the current situation of this emerging industry.
Regarding the reason for the explosion of short films, Justin Saucedo answered frankly: "Because short films do not teach".
Unlike traditional TV series that often try to convey values or messages, short films are designed to meet the emotional needs of the audience. They are like a channel to relieve emotions, giving viewers the experience of things they can't do in real life.
Justin further explained the process of writing short film scripts in the US. He collaborated with Chinese-language screenwriters to find popular short films on Chinese platforms, record content, translate them into English, and then adapt them to suit Western culture.
When asked whether this method violates the law? Justin said that does not constitute copyright infringement, because they only borrow the core idea and create different content. Even if someone adapted his short film, he didn't care. Because according to him, short films are not super art.
Justin and Ronan both believe that the important thing for short films is to create something that the audience wants to watch. When audiences like to watch revenge or domineering CEO stories, each company will release its own version.
Ronan Wong advised that new filmmakers should choose 1-2 Chinese shorts that are causing a stir and film the version of the original script. These model products can be used to offer goods to the platform.
Phung Ba Han agreed, saying that it was a way to test the ability to "view scripts", know what was effective, what was not, and prove the ability to complete a short film project.
As people spend more and more time on phones, vertical screen shorts have become a popular format.
Ronan pointed out that the rise of vertical shorts has opened up opportunities for actresses of modest height. Previously, Hollywood favored tall actors, and actresses under 1m65 often had little chance. But with a vertical frame, a close-up of the face, focusing on one character, height is no longer important.
This breaks prejudice in favor of the elderly and opens the door for unknown talents. Now, those who have not had the opportunity are stepping into the spotlight, bringing a new breeze to the industry.
At the end of the program, MC Phung Ba Han shared his thoughts. He believes that although short films are designed to suit the audience's taste and avoid causing fatigue, they still require creativity and pose great challenges. The production process requires the team to have strong performance, and only those who maintain that can create attractive content.
