Indie Filmmaking Tips: Feature or Short?

There’s a history behind the length of feature films. In motion picture terminology, feature length is the duration of a film considered long enough to fill the principle or solo spot of a cinema program.

According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the American Film Institute and the British Film Institute, a feature film runs for at least 40 minutes, while the Screen Actors Guild asserts that a feature’s running time is 80 minutes or longer.

But why? Namely, that films were once designed primarily for distribution to, and consumption in, a theatre. In other words: a cinema, with a big screen and a number of seats set in rows.

History of the feature length film

The length of a cinema film evolved throughout the 20th century. At one point, 90 minutes was considered to be the optimal length. This duration took into consideration a number of factors. One was a need to attract an audience with something substantial enough to take a trip to their local cinema.

Once the novelty of seeing moving images wore off, there needed to be something more. Few people would make the journey, buy a $10 – $20 ticket, plus popcorn, sit through advertising and trailers, for a main feature that lasts 20 minutes.

But also it shouldn’t be so long people get bored. Plus, cinema owners also saw the 90 minute feature as just the right length to allow them to screen 3 showings at the prime times (after most people finish work).

The 3 hour epic has been in and out of fashion since TV threatened to take away audiences back in the 1950s and 60s. Cinema owners would accept a 3 hour film if it promised to bring in enough audience numbers to justify the loss in showings.

As audiences for little 90 minute mid and low budget films dwindled, there has followed a rise of the epic blockbuster.

The future of indie film

So if people aren’t leaving their homes to watch your 90 minute indie comedy, where are they watching it? Via streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon.

But you see, with video on demand, the reasons behind the evolution of the 90 minute feature no longer apply. There’s no journey to the theatre. No queuing to buy a $20 ticket. There’s no ads and trailers to sit through. And no cinema owners to keep happy.

So then, why are you making a 90-120 minute feature film?

The audience are the only people to keep happy. And they’re more likely to watch your indie film on the train on the way to the cinema to watch the latest 3 our epic blockbuster, than in the actual cinema.

So look on the bright side

It’s sad, I know. Many of us are still in mourning. Of course, there’s still a healthy appetite for feature-length indies… online.

So, if you really want to make a 90 minute film – that’s cool. But remember, online revenues for films are smaller than revenues which came from the old distribution methods.

The new reality is – those restrictions no longer apply. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t make a 47 minute indie thriller. or 27 minutes. Or 10027 minutes (you might want to break that into episodes).

Yes, festivals are still working under the old premise of feature length. One, because they’re living in the past. And two, because most are still about theatrical screenings.

There’s a reason underlying the recent fall-out between streaming giant Netflix and guardians of the golden age of film.

Do you sense a changing of the guard?

Get used to thinking in new formats

Even old school TV had (and has) it’s formats. In the UK, BBC TV generally works in 30 minute or 60 minute slots. With commercial TV, you add ad breaks. Then its down to 20-25 minutes, or 40-50 minutes.

Streaming doesn’t care what length your film or show is. As long as it keeps the audience watching and clicking “next episode” at the end.

The streaming platforms are working under a different premise to the cinema and TV station owners. Their underlying goal isn’t to get as many people into a theatre for as many showings as possible, during the prime time hours. Or even to get people sat down in front of their TV for the 6 O’Clock News.

Their main goal is to have as many people as possible streaming video from their platform at any one time. Once they have you there, they want to keep you there.

A 48 hour binge of Game of Thrones? Be their guest. You want to finish the last 30 minutes of episode 14 on the way to work? Please do.

How long have you got?

I recently watched The Haunting of Hill House via Netflix. Now, this is a show from a book written in 1959. There have already been 2 previous feature length adaptations (1963 & 1999).

So why is it we now need a version of the story that runs over 8 hours (10 episodes)? Was it not possible to tell the story in 90 minutes? Of course it was. The original novel actually has quite a simple story (which is probably an influence on Stephen King’s The Shining).

But they decided to stretch it out for another 6 or more hours. That’s an awful lot of extra story.

And it works because each episode leaves you wanting to click next (at least it did for us).

What does this mean for screenplay structure

The old 90-120 minute 3 act screenplay arc was designed primarily for those cinema-owner-pleasing feature length films. You had to draw your audience in, lift them up and bring them down for a satisfying final act in the space of 120 pages or less.

But if you’re aiming at streaming, that is no longer the case. The goal for a screenwriter working in this medium is to keep your audience in a persistent state of anticipation. Even past the end episode (if you’re thinking of season 2…).

So, in a way, we’re all soap writers and makers now. The challenge maybe to make these soaps into something as rich and rewarding as those great movies which inspired us.

How about a 3 seasons of The Night of the Hunter? Or a 9 hour version of Chinatown? Have you seen Memento episode 27 yet?

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