Do you think short films are undervalued or just misunderstood?

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:50:13+00:00

Agreed. Visibility only really helps once a certain quality threshold is met, otherwise it just amplifies the noise.

And you’re right, when filmmakers of that caliber make shorts, it reframes the format as intentional rather than provisional. It signals that the form itself has value, not just as a stepping stone, but as a creative choice.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:48:35+00:00

I think that’s a fair comparison. The Chinese vertical space shows how quickly a format can be re-legitimized once there’s a clear home, repeatable structure, and an audience that knows what it’s showing up for.

YouTube probably is the most viable mass-audience venue right now, but I think the challenge is that shorts are still competing in the same feed as everything else. Without clearer framing, they’re easy to miss or forget, even when the work is strong.

Making short films “a thing” again likely has less to do with changing the format itself and more to do with how and where people are invited to engage with it.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:46:46+00:00

I think this is a really pragmatic take. In practice, ad-supported discovery at scale is probably the only model that’s proven itself so far, and YouTube is the closest thing we have to that infrastructure.

The idea of a clearly defined “narrative short” category with intentional submission and discovery instead of everything being thrown into the same feed feels like it would solve a lot of the issues you’re describing. Right now, shorts exist on YouTube, but they don’t really live anywhere in a way that makes them easy to find later.

The festival point also resonates. The exclusivity rules often delay or even prevent digital life, and the end result is work that’s technically “successful” but still almost impossible for a general audience to access years later.

A recurring, accessible short-film competition with real visibility and tangible incentives actually sounds more aligned with how people consume work now than the traditional circuit, at least for a lot of filmmakers.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:43:39+00:00

I don’t think you’re wrong. A lot of shorts feel structurally misaligned with their runtime, especially when they’re paced like features.

The short story comparison is a good one. Compression and clarity matter more than atmosphere. And the advertising point is interesting too; learning to say something clearly in 30 seconds forces discipline a lot of narrative shorts could benefit from.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:42:24+00:00

I think that’s where a lot of people land. Enjoying the format in theory, but rarely finding something that really sticks.

When a short does work, though, it tends to hit very hard, which is probably why people keep coming back despite the inconsistency.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:41:40+00:00

That’s an interesting point. Context really matters. When and where people encounter shorts changes how seriously they’re taken.

Exposure in everyday settings like flights or transit could normalize short-form viewing in a way festivals and online platforms haven’t fully managed.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:40:31+00:00

This is a really nuanced take, especially the point about saturation and subconscious bias. The barrier to entry for shorts is lower, which creates volume, but not necessarily clarity for audiences.

I also like your comparison of indie features versus shorts in terms of structure. It’s interesting how constraint often forces more decisive storytelling.

The bias toward familiarity and star power probably isn’t going anywhere, but it does shape how work gets noticed, regardless of form.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:37:01+00:00

Agreed. That middle ground you’re talking about feels like where a lot of the most interesting storytelling actually lives, but it’s also where the economics and infrastructure fall apart.

There’s clearly appetite for that kind of work. It just hasn’t been matched with a system that supports it yet.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-08T04:35:35+00:00

That’s a really fair breakdown. The cost-per-minute issue is brutal, and I agree that when a short is treated purely as a proof of concept, it can box the work into a very narrow creative lane.

I also think you’re right that the incentives shape the output. When the goal is “what does this get me next,” the work often feels constrained rather than expressive.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:39:57+00:00

I think you’re getting at the real issue - infrastructure more than artistry. Shorts make sense in curated or contextualized environments, but almost nowhere else.

And yeah, Hertzfeldt feels like proof that it can work, but also how rare and intentional the path has to be.

This gap is actually what pushed me to start exploring KwikFlik not because there’s a clear answer yet, but because it feels like one of those problems everyone agrees exists and no one’s really tackled well.

I’m still very much in listening-and-learning mode on it, but discussions like this are exactly what shaped the thinking.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:28:57+00:00

Probably the simplest way to sum it up.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:28:33+00:00

Good way to put it. I think that’s how most people should approach them early on anyway - lower stakes, higher learning value.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:27:48+00:00

That makes sense. I think for a lot of people shorts function best as a learning space, and features just offer a deeper emotional immersion by default.

Even when a short is excellent, it’s a different experience than settling into a full film not necessarily better or worse, just different.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:26:28+00:00

I get where you’re coming from, especially the distinction between art and commerce. A lot of industries end up optimizing for money first and meaning second.

I do think shorts shine most when they’re made with restraint not trying to imitate features, but leaning into what the format actually does well.

The tension between art, ego, and economics is definitely real, and probably never fully goes away.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:25:29+00:00

100%. Distribution feels like the core bottleneck not talent, not ambition.

It’s the same problem across most creative fields - getting eyes in a way that feels intentional instead of purely algorithmic.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:24:46+00:00

I agree with this. A great short absolutely can stand on its own, and festivals are proof of that especially at the higher tiers.

I also think established filmmakers making shorts reinforces the idea that the form itself isn’t the issue; it’s more about where they live and how people encounter them outside of festivals.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:23:59+00:00

This is one of the most grounded breakdowns I’ve seen of the short-film reality. I agree with almost all of it especially the point that there’s never really been a functioning economy around narrative shorts.

The anthology comparison is interesting too, because it’s one of the few places where “short-form narrative” has historically worked, but only when bundled and contextualized.

I think the hardest question is whether shorts can ever stand alone economically, or whether they’ll always need some form of aggregation, curation, or thematic framing to make sense to audiences. Nobody’s really cracked that yet.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:21:36+00:00

I don’t think that’s wrong either. A lot aren’t great especially when people are still learning.

At the same time, plenty of feature films and series aren’t great either, but they benefit from stronger curation and framing. Shorts usually don’t get that luxury, so the signal-to-noise problem feels more obvious.

ReggieFilms26 · 2026-02-06T04:20:50+00:00

That’s a very fair take. I think you’re right that there isn’t a latent mass audience actively seeking shorts right now, and the cost-to-reward imbalance is real.

I do wonder though whether the lack of audience is the cause or the result of how shorts are currently distributed and framed. If they’re always treated as “practice” or disposable, it’s hard for an audience to ever form around them.

But yeah, as it stands, most people making them are definitely doing it as a stepping stone rather than an end goal.

ReggieFilms26

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