Oct 6, 2022

Short Of The Week Launches Shortverse, a New Home for Short Filmmakers, Industry Professionals and Fans

Short of the Week, one of the most authoritative sites on the Internet for short films, has launched an expanded new platform designed to be an essential utility for filmmakers, industry professionals, and fans Shortverse was launched.

Shortverse will not replace Short of the Week, but rather complement it, and will continue the curation and promotion of the original site. However, it aims to replace and improve upon several other platforms currently used by filmmakers and industry professionals by consolidating services important to the business of short filmmaking in one easy-to-use location.

The Short of the Week team has been working on Shortverse for two years, building the platform from the ground up. The new tool helps filmmakers find audiences, host film pages, manage screenings, connect with experts, and find collaborators.

The platform is free for those who want to watch short films, but there is also a paid tier ($9/month) for filmmakers who want to set up a Shortverse profile and for industry professionals who want to use the tools the site offers.

It is worth noting that Shortverse does not actually host the films, but rather provides a customizable landing page where filmmakers can link to their films on streaming platforms such as Youtube and Vimeo. Filmmakers would not have to lose viewership, monetization potential, or archived content from other profiles by migrating their films to the new platform.

What users can do with that landing page and its functionality is what the Shortverse team believes has created something new and essential.

Prior to the launch of the platform, Cartoon Brew spoke with Short of the Week co-founders Andy Allen and Jason Sondhi about the launch of their new endeavor and what they hope to offer the filmmaking and fan community. We spoke with them.

Cartoon Brew: How do artists benefit from participating in Shortverse? We believe that artists involved in short films should come together on a digital platform designed for them. Instead of fighting just to get attention on social and video platforms that want to be all things to all people, short film artists need spaces and tools thoughtfully tailored to their needs. If we succeed in this, the community around Shortverse will grow and become a place where filmmakers at various stages of development can showcase their work, receive real and thoughtful feedback, gain the attention of collaborators, and in turn, be inspired by the work of their peers!

Creators.

As a creator, what excites you most about this new platform? I'm excited about that. To see such filmmakers put themselves out there and then be given a great opportunity to shape the culture at large is what makes our lives worth living.

What problems do you see creators facing today that you plan to solve with Shortverse? The first major problem is that there is no "home" for short films on the web; Vimeo has been the closest to achieving this, but in recent years they have shifted their corporate strategy. A "home" for short films means a thoughtful place to present oneself and one's work, where the attention of people inside and outside of the industry is intentionally focused on quality, rather than being imposed by algorithms.

Second, as I wrote in 2018, there is a tendency to treat the various aspects of being a contemporary creative as distinct from one another. Production and exhibition are disconnected, online is disconnected from festivals, and pitching is only done after the current project is finished Shortverse is designed to be a useful resource throughout the life of your project and ultimately your career. [Allen: Shortverse integrates a variety of tools that are distributed across the many platforms filmmakers use today. Filmmakers can now host their film pages, manage privacy, gain fans, and connect with industry experts. It's like a never-ending film festival open to the world.

What is the most practical way for artists to use this platform to promote their work, either before or long after their films are released: filmmakers can launch a website for their film, just as soon as it is finished. You can set up a page for your film on Shortverse. If your film is to be screened at a film festival, you will have a URL with all of your film information, images, and contact information so that you can contact the festival and set up a private screening. When you are ready to publish your film online, you can instantly notify all your fans and get it in front of industry members who can contact you directly.