Nope! Writing a great short film takes a lot of editing, rewriting and general head scratching.
You might think that the hard part’s over once you’ve got the first draft done. Short film example: Irregulars Rewrite the script
We’ve got tonnes of script writing advice in our free guide: how to write a script. That said, other writers like to know every scene or beat in their short film before they start writing. So once you’ve distilled your brainstorming session down into a single idea that you can carry forward, it’s time to start outlining the story.Īt the storyboarding stage, you’re trying to flesh out the general structure of the film, so you don’t need to know what’ll happen at every moment. Whatever the genre – sci-fi, live-action or rom-com – short films, like feature films, need a beginning, middle and end. Short film example: Best Storyboard the outline There’ll be plenty of time to edit and refine your ideas later. Just start writing and see what comes out. From there, you can start listing out the moments, beats and dialogue that you want to feature in your short film.Īt this stage, it’s important not to critique your ideas too much. These prompts can throw up a theme that you can explore further, like a particular relationship or event. What is it that you love about your favourite films? Just ask Damien Chazelle, whose movie Whiplash started as a short film and went on to pick up tonnes of awards.
Successful short films can act as a proof of concept for a larger project, enabling the screenwriter or director to secure cash for a full-length feature film or TV show. Uploading your film to a platform is no guarantee that people will see it. Just remember that you’ll need to do a bunch of research to find your target audience. But short films are easy to post online thanks to sites like Vimeo and YouTube. Self-distributeĭistributing an independent feature film to a wide audience can be pretty tricky. Just remember that the shorter the film, the better your chances – most film festival programmers want to screen as many shorts as possible.
Get noticedįilm festivals like Sundance have helped countless directors make an impression, so submitting your short film to a film festival can be a way to get noticed. It’s easy to distribute a short film and it helps hotshot agents and managers get a feel for a filmmaker’s way of working. Short films act as a calling card to help you find future directing or writing work, or secure representation – especially if you’re just starting out. In fact, the best short films set your filmmaking career on a whole new trajectory. Not so fast! Creating short films isn’t merely a bit of film school homework. If you want to work in feature-length films, you might think that making short films is a waste of time. Short film Paperman Why are short films important for aspiring filmmakers? Successful short films tend to be super focused with a compelling story, and are often shot at one location with a very small cast. The main difference is that they’re… well, a lot shorter. Just like feature films, short films are complete stories with a beginning, middle and end. Most filmmakers keep their short films to an absolute maximum of 50 minutes (but that’s on the long side). That said, the average length of short films is about 20 minutes. Hollywood doesn’t have any specific rules about how long short movies should be. With a gripping five-minute short story, you’ll be able to flex your filmmaking muscles and start picking up awards for your trophy cabinet. If you’re new to the filmmaking or screenwriting game, then a short film can be a great way to make a statement and get noticed. In this post, we’ll show you how to write your own. Short films win Oscars, launch careers, and delight audiences with tasty, bite-sized stories.