I am trying to budget a short film (or more likely video) project and I am trying to get a sense for what type of market exists for seeling short films. I would love to hear first hand from people who have made money on shorts, or people who have good second hand stories or books/links to suggest.

I know there isn't a considerable broadcast market... is there a cable market? I haven't had HBO in a long time, but years and years ago I remember they'd show 3-10 minute shorts to film time between features...

Any other place?

If there is some hope of recovering money from a well-done short I will budget differently, and if there are style/time constraints for what might sell I will consider those things also.

Thanks a bunch.

I wouldn't make a short with the hope of selling it.
I'm not saying you can't sell it, just saying that the odds are low that you will ever make enough to even break even on a short film.

That said, the people I've talked to in the past have told me that they look mainly for 7 minutes or less. Of course these were people from Atom films and some other place (i don't remember) who bought a 25 minute short a friend of mine made.... so I don't know how much creedence I would even give to their guidelines.

-Luis