EPISODE · Sep 22, 2025 · 6 MIN
Make the Minutes Make Sense: Choose the Short Film Length That Serves Your Goal
from A Phil Svitek Podcast - A Series From Your 360 Creative Coach · host Phil Svitek
If you’re making a short that’s longer than five minutes, be strategic about why. In this episode I break down how to pick a runtime that aligns with your endgame: aiming for TV? Make a 22-minute or 45-minute cut so it functions like a real pilot. Targeting kids’ TV? Try ~12 minutes so two stack into a half-hour block. Building a proof-of-concept for a feature? Keep it lean—ideally 5 minutes or less—so the idea hits fast (think Lights Out). Bottom line: your runtime should open doors, not close them.
What this episode covers
If you’re making a short that’s longer than five minutes, be strategic about why. In this episode I break down how to pick a runtime that aligns with your endgame: aiming for TV? Make a 22-minute or 45-minute cut so it functions like a real pilot. Targeting kids’ TV? Try ~12 minutes so two stack into a half-hour block. Building a proof-of-concept for a feature? Keep it lean—ideally 5 minutes or less—so the idea hits fast (think Lights Out). Bottom line: your runtime should open doors, not close them.
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Make the Minutes Make Sense: Choose the Short Film Length That Serves Your Goal
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