CHENNAI: The Little Shows company, which started out as a small website to promote short films, has grown big enough to hold its second Short Films Awards on June 22. Little shows was co-founded by Vignesh, Shashank and Lokesh, with support from their research and planning head Sarath Kumar, tech team head N Vignesh and head of operations R Vignesh. They open up to CE about their dreams and ambitions:
About Little Shows
After watching a lot of short films in college, we were inspired and wanted to provide a platform for short film makers to shine and at the same time, build contacts. We have a huge database of talent. We conduct workshops and training to make 40-minute films, and will soon be producing short films.
Why short films?
These days, people can’t sit through two to three hours of a bad film. Short films provide much more entertainment to people, without taking up much of their time. We see many short films made by people, but we hardly remember their names, unless it was made by a friend. We wanted to change that and give an exposure to short film makers. We wanted inspire people to create and watch more short films.
What inspired you to start an awards show?
When someone makes a short film, they don’t expect to get anything in return for their effort. The makers only make a silent plea to recognise their talent and that’s what we do. We create a platform for them to grow. With an award show — lights, music and dance — we bring the work of young dreamers to the world.
What kind of short films are common?
The best part of short films is that it can be of any genre without getting the viewers bored. However, we have observed that viewers generally prefer prefer romantic or comedy movies. The filmmakers of today have widened their horizons by including action films since high-end equipment that are required for pulling off such stunts are easily available. Films for a social cause have always been a rage among the youth. They not only serve the purpose of entertainment, but also make a statement and help bring in a change in at least one person’s life.
While the award show was a hit last year, what are the expectations for this year and the years to come?
Last year, we had about 400 people who attended the show and this year there are about 1,200 people expected. This in itself is a huge leap for us. We want to make this award show a huge event, touching the standards of The Vijay Awards and The Filmfare awards. We also plan to travel to other states to host the function in the years to come.
Would short films do well if they are extended to 10-15 minutes?
The basic concept of short films is misunderstood in India. If we look at films made in other countries, they last for 40 to 60 minutes. Our country needs to expand its standards when it comes to the timeframe. These films are made based on an incident or more. Sometimes they can be conveyed in 10 minutes, but other times they need to be extended for better understanding of the audience.
While we see sequels to full length feature films, do you think the concept will work out for short films?
To make a sequel to a short film, it needs to be well planned and executed with great care. The first film should be a massive hit if you are planning to make a sequel to it. Making a sequel to something not good enough is of no use. We plan on making sequels to some really good short films along with the film makers. It is definitely something that film makers should try.
Where do you see the scene of short films in 10 years?
In 10 years, the world is going to become much more fast paced. People are not going to have time to watch movies for three hours and that is where short films will step in. They provide instant entertainment and do not not require people to go to a certain place to watch a film. Short films can be viewed while waiting for a bus or when one is stuck in traffic. It will act as not only a source of entertainment but also provide a small break during a busy schedule.