Narration in Short Films

Narration is not often used in short films. Usually, shorts tend either to be told with no or hardly any speech, or entirely through speech. Full-length films tend to be more likely to use a narrator so that they can offer vital background knowledge for the story which is rarely necessary in a short.Tim Burton's Vincent is told entirely through the tellings of the narrator.

I've already mentioned Vincent, by Tim Burton. This story is mostly told through narration, and without this to guide the visuals it is likely that the film would be difficult for the audience to follow. At the beginning of the short, the narrator introduces the character and gives an indication of the boy's personality. Throughout the film, the narrator continues to speak; but there are constant pauses to allow the story to progress on screen. 

One of the reasons why I think this works so well is because of the rhythm and rhyme in the wording. At 1:57: He likes to experiment on his dog Abercrombie... in the hopes of creating a horrible zombie is my favourite example. The pause in between the two lines in the second half of the sentence helps emphasise its meaning. When the narrator then goes on to saying, so he and his horrible zombie dog... it is far more constant. During the sections where the boy is Vincent, the narration tends to speed up and slow down to suggest it is reaching a point of significance. 

The way the words are said are also a valuable part of why the narration works so well. A great example is at 4:50, but fell limp and lifeless down on the floor and 5:10, shall be lifted never more. It is also the fact that Vincent Price narrated the video which makes it so relevant and so successful. If a different narrator was used then it is very unlikely to have been as effective and as acknowledged.