Video - Short Film Competition: What It Is, Where It's Run and How It's Judged

A live-action film of up to fifteen minutes, written, shot and edited by one entrant and rated by a panel on story, direction, camera, editing and sound.

Video - Short Film is the middle film class in the Multimedia division: one entrant submits a finished live-action film running up to fifteen minutes. That is long enough for a proper story with characters, a setting and a resolution, and short enough that one person, or one person with willing friends in front of the camera, can realistically finish it.

Nothing is performed live. The entry is made beforehand and handed in as a finished file, which the panel watches on a screen with the sound on. Because the film is far longer than a two-minute clip, judges can see whether the entrant can sustain pace, build to a turning point and end with purpose, rather than only whether a single idea is neat.

On eTalenter the item is carried by the international teen talent template, in the Multimedia category, as an individual item for ages 13 to 19, open to both genders, in English. The template sets a fifteen-minute ceiling and a rating out of 10 as the score label, with a maximum score of 5 recorded for the group. The runtime ceilings of the three film lengths, two, fifteen and thirty minutes, come from the source list of categories.

Organisers use the class to widen a programme beyond the stage. It needs only a screen and speakers at the venue, and entries can be watched in advance by judges, which keeps the event day short.

Where Video - Short Film is run

On eTalenter this item is carried by one template, the international teen talent template, where it sits between Video - Short Clips and Video - Long Film, alongside the animated classes, photography, computer graphics, multimedia presentation and website design. Short film categories also appear in school media festivals, youth film events and community arts programmes, but this page records only the template that carries the item, so organisers should check their own notice for file format, delivery and judging headings.

• United States
• Worldwide

Key facts

• Individual item: one entrant writes, films and edits the film
• Maximum running time is fifteen minutes, set in the template
• Rating out of 10 score label; maximum score of 5 recorded for the group
• Ages 13 to 19, open to both genders, English language
• Sits in the Multimedia category between Video - Short Clips (2 minutes) and Video - Long Film (30 minutes)
• Submitted as a finished file and watched by the panel, not performed live

On eTalenter, Video - Short Film is filed under Multimedia and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Video - Short Film is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 5, commonly time-limited to around 15 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Video - Short Film

What a Video - Short Film panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Story: a clear beginning, a turning point and an ending that pays off the setup within fifteen minutes
• Direction: consistent tone, believable performances and scenes that each move the story forward
• Camera work: stable, well-framed and well-lit shots, with variety between wide, medium and close views
• Editing and pace: cuts that follow the action, scenes trimmed to what matters, and no stretches that drag
• Sound: clear dialogue, balanced music and effects, and no hiss, echo or clipped audio
• Originality: a personal idea and treatment rather than a copy of a well-known film or trend
• Time discipline: a film that finishes inside fifteen minutes, with credits fitting the limit

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Video - Short Film under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring software guide.

How to prepare for Video - Short Film

How entrants and their teachers usually get Video - Short Film right on the day:

• Write the story in three sentences first, then a short script; if the script runs past about ten pages, cut it
• Make a shot list and a simple schedule so every scene is filmed with light and sound planned
• Use a tripod or a firm surface and shoot dialogue close to the microphone or a phone placed near the speakers
• Film extra coverage of each scene, such as a wide shot, a medium shot and reaction close-ups, so the edit has choices
• Cut a rough version early and check the real running time against the fifteen-minute ceiling
• Watch the film once with someone who has not seen it and note where they lose interest
• Mix sound with headphones, keeping music below speech, and export in a common format at the size the notice asks for
• Keep a backup of the final file on a second device before delivery

Frequently asked questions

Is Video - Short Film judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

How long can a Video - Short Film entry be?

The teen template sets a fifteen-minute maximum. The shorter clip class is two minutes and the long film class is thirty minutes, each a separate item.

What is the difference between Video - Short Film and Animated - Short Film?

Both have a fifteen-minute ceiling, but this class is filmed live action while the animated class is drawn, modelled or stop-motion. The template lists them as separate items.

Is it a team item?

No. In the teen template it is an individual item, so one entrant is rated for the film. Check your own notice for rules on friends appearing on camera or helping.

Is the film performed live in front of the judges?

No. It is made beforehand and submitted as a finished file for the panel to watch.

Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring software guide, or browse every multimedia competition item.

Try Video - Short Film in eTalenter

See every ready-made template that runs Video - Short Film, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.

See where Video - Short Film is used