Writing scripts for a short film is a great opportunity for a writer. These type of films have just the same form of storytelling. If you compare a short film script and a full length script, the skills required are the same but only on a smaller scale. Opportunities for featuring on the T.V. maybe less but there are many other mediums for short films to flourish.
Back then, short films were written just for the sake of art. But now, there is a sudden liking for film making in the industry. Short films tend to fascinate people more with the addition to all the new technology. With so many people making short films nowadays, plenty of them are easily available on the web.
But in the midst of making short films and putting it on the internet, we’ve completely forgot about the main purpose of the short films. Most of the short films today fail to pass on the message they’re trying to portray. When you’re writing a script, it is important to express your thoughts properly on the paper. If you don’t have much experience, it’s a good way to develop your writing skills. You’ll be less nervous compared to writing your first feature story with no experience.
Being able to deliver the message to the people is the sign of a successful short story apart from the direction, film production etc. Interested in learning a few essentials for making short films? Well in this post, we are going to learn about some important rules you need to know regarding short films.
1) The Shorter The Better –
A short film can comprise of fifteen seconds to forty five seconds in duration. Try to keep your short films shorter because the cost of producing the film will also be less. Even with the advancement in digital technology, you must remember that time costs money and you also have to pay your crew. Just because it costs more, doesn’t mean you go and shoot it as fast as possible. Your film will end up looking very amateurish.
Remember, try to make keep your production cost low, not the standards of film making. If you want to get your short story at some festival, keep it no more than eight to ten minutes which can be comprised of 7-8 pages at the max. You can put real emotions in a short times. Keep it small because festivals love to play as many short films as possible and it will grab a longer slot.
2) Keeping The Practicalities Of Writing In Mind –
The best thing about making up short stories is that you can make it however you want it to be but don’t discard the practicalities of writing you script. While writing the script, writers today don’t realize how time consuming the shoot will be when write on themes like chase-action scenes and car crashes. Writing a short story will make you be careful of each line you put down on paper. Keep it simple. A vision of a horse running in the moonlight will surely look mesmerizing but do you have good enough contacts that will provide you a horse? Think and analyze about all the resource you have access to.
3) Make It Visual –
The experts of film making have a golden rules when it comes to screenwriting. They are “ Film is a visual medium” and “Show, don’t tell”. Your film should be able to tell stories in pictures and not making it full of chat which is also a really economic way. Economy is everything, even when you write a story. While writing down a character, create a visual backstory and externalize through visual images about their traits and their status.
4) Find The Single Moments –
The single moment that is played out in a good short film is the moment that has the story at its heart. A story is basically a conflict that needs to be resolved, for eg, the protagonist has to make proper decisions in order to solve the problem that is hanging in. Make sure you add a deadline, not a compulsion but it will definitely add tension in your short film.
5) Tell A Story –
Try to make your story as compelling as possible. Take care of the ideas that are made to break the boundaries just because they are capable to do so. Short stories offer great opportunities to make things what cinematic storytelling can do but it should also be able to get your audience engaged to the film. According to a the thumb rule, a short film must have a hero who has a goal and a problem or obstacle in the way unless it is a brief.
So, these were some of the point you need to remember while making a short story. These are essential pointer which will make you short film a success. Keep in mind all of the tips mentioned above to avoid mistakes. Hope you found the information you were searching for.
Like what you read? Don’t forget to share the post and spread the word.
Thanks for reading.