A micro movie is a type of

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

characterized by a low budget and distribution via

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

. Micro movies originated in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

in 2010.

Karen Mok Karen Joy Morris (; born 2 June 1970), better known as Karen Mok, is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She is considered one of the leading East Asian pop singers and actresses with a career spanning three decades. Mok is the first female Hong Kong ...

(Hong Kong–based singer and actress) and Adam Duke starred in "

Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...

," which is regarded as the first micro movie. Afterwards, micro movies became a trend in South Asia. As professional-grade technology has become more accessible, amateurs hoping to enter the film industry have turned to the micro movie format to avoid limitations imposed by television and film studios. The accessibility of production, along with a growing popularity, has led to a wide range of subjects being featured and examined in the micro movie format.

Characteristics

* Short film duration * Distributed via

websites * Good connection to daily lives * Low budget * Commercial or non-commercial * Includes all genres

Censorship

Movie censorship is the legal process that regulates whether a movie, film, video, or cinema has content that is permissible to undergo broadcast and distribution. While certain movies are permitted to undergo public disbursement and release, other types of movies are limited to private screenings—in certain cases, movies are prohibited and banned in their entirety. Movie censorship regulation takes length, content, and subject matter into consideration with regard to altering or banning the work. Obscene and violent content is avoided in the process of making micro movies due to national

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...

policies. In

, all films are required to undergo the motion picture rating system, which is organized by the Office for Film Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA). Movies are rated I, IIA, IIB, or III. Scenes deemed to be unacceptable are censored. The Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Video, Film and Television oversees the theatrical release, to ensure that immoral content is not promoted in the movies. The goal of these measures is to protect the audience from receiving extreme and unhealthy messages. In

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, The Office of Film and Literature Classification is responsible for classifying films,

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

publications, and

PC games ''PC Games'' is a monthly-released PC gaming magazine published by the Computec Media GmbH in Germany. History ''PC Games'' was founded in 1992 and included a 3½-in floppy disk, which was changed to a CD-ROM in 1995. By 1999 it became the ...

according to the National Classification Code and the Classification Guidelines, which are approved by the Commonwealth State and Territory Ministers responsible for censorship. There is, however, more leniency in censorship online—especially on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. That is why most micro movies are accessed through social media websites and online databases. Some countries even block all internet access to YouTube.

Cinematography

Micro movies are created by cinematographers of all skill levels, ranging from a first-time producer to a high-level producer with a top-level cast and crew. Film techniques used in micro movies are similar to those of traditional movies seen in theaters. For instance, the types of shots and angles are the same, but they typically differ in film length, equipment level, budget, number of cast and crew, and acting skill. There are, however, exceptions to the rule such as the grou
Rocket Jump
or prime-time TV commercials.

Application

Micro movies are used for

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

and entertainment purposes. The short length of micro movies allows them to be promoted and published on platforms such as

and

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

. This makes micro movies free, easy to access, and able to go viral online. There are both

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

and noncommercial needs for micro movies. Commercials are now not only selling a product, but telling a story— th
Budweiser
an
Extra Gum
commercials are examples of this. Micro movies have become a new way to promote products and brands. People also create and shoot micro movies for fun. There are several micro movie film festivals and platforms for both amateurs and professionals to tell their stories and be recognized for their work.

Examples of micro movies

* OPPO endorsement film Find Me * Route 66 * The Bright Eleven-Old Boys * Rapido (Long Distance Love) * J'attendrai le Suivant Sub Chinois * Love is All You Need * Finch's Landing * Holding the Rain * The Elevator * 2088 * Curtains Down: The Last Rod! *The Black Hole

Examples of micro movie competitions

* Nottingham International Microfilm Festival (NIM) * Beijing International Micro Film Festival * Lander University Film Festival * New Jersey Micro Minute Film Festival

References

{{reflist Chinese culture Film genres