Not sure, but my favorite series is BMW's The Hire.
The reason is that it follows the perfect formula for a short film; no formula.
It has always been my opinion that a short should not be a short feature. A three act structure is great if you want to write 90 pages but what about us that prefer to work in under 5? I don't have time or necessity to introduce my character, have three stumbles, a climax and denouement.
The best short films play with the format. My all time favorite short (which I do not know the title of) changed time recklessly. It was about a young guy that met the perfect girl and we saw the bits and pieces that mattered. It felt like we were falling in love with the character. Not through character development or long playing themes. We just see the little vignettes that catch the essence of emotion. A feature would never be successful without fleshing more out but for a short, it worked beautifully.
I believe that the area most auteurs fail is in keeping something simple. Some of the greatest short films are single scenes from movies.
Take the opening scene from Inglourious Basterds
A very compelling and moving short film.
The same goes for the opening to The Brothers Bloom and Casino Royale. Why?
Because these are fully fleshed out characters and motives that we see for only a flash. Characters are what make things interesting and that truth is only amplified in shorts.
Why is it that the best shorts are almost always pitches to make a full movie? Characters have been written, revised and perfected - they shine in the short film and leave us wanting more.
So, write a feature and then take the lead character and put them in a situation. Instant greatness. Unless it was a bad feature.
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