By Simon Reynolds
Everybody has to start somewhere.
The best and most successful Hollywood directors might find themselves marshalling $200 million epics, but in their formative years big budgets weren't at their disposal and they had to make do only with a good idea and the drive to make it happen. Many filmmakers use shorts to test-run ideas and explore themes they'd circle back to down the line.
From Christopher Nolan to Steven Spielberg, we look at nine short films that helped kick-start careers behind the camera.
1. Christopher Nolan - Doodlebug (1997)
Even before he hit it big, Interstellar director Christopher Nolan was distorting reality with his film work.
Doodlebug - led by Nolan's Following star Jeremy Theobald - played out an intriguing narrative loop over a brisk three minutes as a man chased a 'bug' around his flat with a shoe. A year after he made this film, Nolan took his feature debut Following to festivals and hasn't looked back since.
Doodlebug - led by Nolan's Following star Jeremy Theobald - played out an intriguing narrative loop over a brisk three minutes as a man chased a 'bug' around his flat with a shoe. A year after he made this film, Nolan took his feature debut Following to festivals and hasn't looked back since.
2. George Lucas - THX 1138 (1967)
Before he ventured into a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas crafted this brilliant 15-minute film about a man who makes a break for freedom from a dystopian underground city.
Lucas's USC short was later turned into a spellbinding feature-length film in 1971, with Robert Duvall in the lead role. American Graffiti followed before Lucas took a detour with a little-known space adventure called Star Wars. THX 1138, both in short and long form, is a pertinent reminder of just how talented a filmmaker Lucas was.
Lucas's USC short was later turned into a spellbinding feature-length film in 1971, with Robert Duvall in the lead role. American Graffiti followed before Lucas took a detour with a little-known space adventure called Star Wars. THX 1138, both in short and long form, is a pertinent reminder of just how talented a filmmaker Lucas was.
3. Gareth Edwards - Factory Farmed (2008)
The remarkable thing about Gareth Edwards's short Factory Farmed is that it was completed in just 48 hours as part of a Sci Fi London challenge. Starring The Imitation Game's Allen Leech, the tone and visual aesthetic of his debut feature Monsters is clearly evident here.
In six years, Edwards has gone from this short to directing Godzilla and a Star Wars spinoff. How's that for inspiring?
In six years, Edwards has gone from this short to directing Godzilla and a Star Wars spinoff. How's that for inspiring?
4. Tim Burton - Vincent (1982)
Produced while he was an animator at Disney, Tim Burton's first-ever short is a quirky, eccentric stop-motion animation about a boy who wants to be Vincent Price. What this film shows is that right from the start Burton had a clear idea of exactly who he wanted to be behind the camera.
Price, who later worked with the director on Edward Scissorhands, provided the narration for the short while Burton's Vincent designer Rick Heinrichs still works with the filmmaker to this day.
Price, who later worked with the director on Edward Scissorhands, provided the narration for the short while Burton's Vincent designer Rick Heinrichs still works with the filmmaker to this day.
5. John Lasseter - Luxo Jr (1986)
Pixar's trademark lamp and bouncing ball debuted in John Lasseter's first-ever short for the animation studio in 1986. CG technology may have leapt forward at a fast rate, but Pixar's dedication to story, setup and payoff is immediately evident.
Luxo Jr made its way to the big screen 13 years after its was originally produced when it screened in front of Toy Story 2.
Luxo Jr made its way to the big screen 13 years after its was originally produced when it screened in front of Toy Story 2.
6. Neill Blomkamp - Alive in Joburg (2006)
The DNA of District 9 is clearly evident in Neill Blomkamp's early short, which sees aliens taking up residence in Johannesburg and features an appearance from Sharlto Copley.
Prior to this, Blomkamp was working in the film industry as a visual effects artist, and the incredible scale and ambition of Joburg was enough to convince Hollywood bigwigs that he should direct a Halo movie. That film never materialised, of course, but that didn't stop Blomkamp from establishing himself as one of the most exciting prospects on the blockbuster block.
Prior to this, Blomkamp was working in the film industry as a visual effects artist, and the incredible scale and ambition of Joburg was enough to convince Hollywood bigwigs that he should direct a Halo movie. That film never materialised, of course, but that didn't stop Blomkamp from establishing himself as one of the most exciting prospects on the blockbuster block.
7. Andrea Arnold – Wasp (2003)
Andrea Arnold might not be the biggest name on this list, but her breakthrough short – about a single mother struggling to make ends meet – features the kind of naturalistic performances and intimate visual style she has since shown in Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights.
Wasp also won an Oscar for Best Original Short and featured a great performance from Danny Dyer (yes, that one!). That means Danny has had more luck with the Academy than Leonardo DiCaprio!
Wasp also won an Oscar for Best Original Short and featured a great performance from Danny Dyer (yes, that one!). That means Danny has had more luck with the Academy than Leonardo DiCaprio!
8. Martin Scorsese - The Big Shave (1967)
A mini-symphony of Scorsese tropes in six minutes, The Big Shave featured bloody violence and a deftly chosen soundtrack.
Produced for New York University's film school, many have read this short's self-mutilation as a metaphor for the US's disastrous invasion of Vietnam. The fact that the film's alternate title is Viet '67 is the giveaway.
Produced for New York University's film school, many have read this short's self-mutilation as a metaphor for the US's disastrous invasion of Vietnam. The fact that the film's alternate title is Viet '67 is the giveaway.
9. Steven Spielberg - Amblin' (1968)
A young Steven Spielberg cut his teeth on a feature-length film called Firelight, but it was this short, arriving four years later, that set him on the road to stardom.
A beautifully-shot story of a man and woman wandering across America, there are clear signs of Spielberg's future "open-road" works Duel and The Sugarland Express here. On the strength of Amblin' (a name Spielberg later took for his production company), the director bagged a contract directing TV at Universal Studios.
A beautifully-shot story of a man and woman wandering across America, there are clear signs of Spielberg's future "open-road" works Duel and The Sugarland Express here. On the strength of Amblin' (a name Spielberg later took for his production company), the director bagged a contract directing TV at Universal Studios.
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