Feature Films That Began As Shorts: Watch The Originals Including ‘Whiplash’, ‘Napoleon Dynamite’, ‘Reservoir Dogs‘, ‘Saw’ & More

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Writing and directing a short is a potential passageway to creating a full-length feature film. Aspiring directors use this medium to create a proof of concept on a small budget that can go on to win on the short film festival circuit and be picked up by investors, leading to larger projects and paving the way to a career in Hollywood.

Shorts are not uncommon to be made as proof of concept for a feature film, especially by first-time directors. Multiple Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper, for example, had to prove to the studio heads that he was capable of directing A Star Is Born, also starring Lady Gaga, in 2019 by creating a short.

The box office hit Smile, directed by Parker Finn, is a recent success story of how a short can go on to launch a career. Finn’s short film for Smile initially titled Laura Hasn’t Slept was picked up by Paramount+ after winning the Special Jury Award at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.

Famous and acclaimed directors such as Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson all started with shorts and went on to make the respective cult classics Bottle Rocket, Reservoir Dogs and Boogie Nights early in their careers.