How many actors should I use for a short film?

I am currently planning a low budget thriller/horror short but it got me thinking. If I were planning a five minute short film how many characters should I use? Would it hurt my shoot if I use too many actors? And should the number of actors increase or decrease by certain time lengths? For example, 4 actors for 1-5 minutes, 5 actors for 6-11 minutes, etc. Crazy questions,but I had to ask.|||Use as many actors as you have characters. Do not worry about the amount of actors. worry about the quality of the ones that you chose. A movie will not be taken seriously if the actors are not taken seriously. Do not settle for what you can get. Get the best you can. You will thank me in the end, I promise you.|||if its a thriller/horror i would say 5 max..using to little would be pointless in watching, but using 5 would be like watching a full length movie with a plot and the horror an such, only its in the sense of a "short film".|||if you had a lot of actors in a really short film it would just be confusing