A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits". The term featurette originally applied to a film longer than a short subject, but shorter than a standard feature film.
The increasingly rare term short subject means approximately the same thing. An industry term, it carries more of an assumption that the film is shown as part of a presentation along with a feature film. Short is an abbreviation for either term. Short films can be professional or amateur productions. Short films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals. Short films are often made by independent filmmakers for non profit, either with a low budget, no budget at all, and in rare cases big budgets. Short films are usually funded by film grants, non profit organizations, sponsor, or out of pocket funds. These films are used by indie filmmakers to prove their talent in order to gain funding for future films from private investors, entertainment companies, or film studios. Short films do qualify for Academy Awards if screened in Los Angeles. . . continue reading>>
The increasingly rare term short subject means approximately the same thing. An industry term, it carries more of an assumption that the film is shown as part of a presentation along with a feature film. Short is an abbreviation for either term. Short films can be professional or amateur productions. Short films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals. Short films are often made by independent filmmakers for non profit, either with a low budget, no budget at all, and in rare cases big budgets. Short films are usually funded by film grants, non profit organizations, sponsor, or out of pocket funds. These films are used by indie filmmakers to prove their talent in order to gain funding for future films from private investors, entertainment companies, or film studios. Short films do qualify for Academy Awards if screened in Los Angeles. . . continue reading>>
How to make a short film with practically no budget!
Making a short film with the availability of today’s technology has become a relatively simple endeavor for most people. Assuming that you own a respectable computer, a digital camcorder and some kind of editing software, you are basically ready to go. Add some decent actors, a simple script and you’re a filmmaker!
But, first things first; you will need a story. Remember, most of what filmmakers do is to become a storyteller. And if this is your first attempt at creating a short film, consider a comedy or spoof on a topic that isn’t too serious. With the discriminating taste that has been acquired by most film viewing audiences, even on Youtube, it’s wise to leave the more sobering ideas to those that can spend millions of dollars telling their story.
Now that you have a basic outline for your story using the cast available to you, create a bit of a character for each role. . . continue reading>>
Making a short film with the availability of today’s technology has become a relatively simple endeavor for most people. Assuming that you own a respectable computer, a digital camcorder and some kind of editing software, you are basically ready to go. Add some decent actors, a simple script and you’re a filmmaker!
But, first things first; you will need a story. Remember, most of what filmmakers do is to become a storyteller. And if this is your first attempt at creating a short film, consider a comedy or spoof on a topic that isn’t too serious. With the discriminating taste that has been acquired by most film viewing audiences, even on Youtube, it’s wise to leave the more sobering ideas to those that can spend millions of dollars telling their story.
Now that you have a basic outline for your story using the cast available to you, create a bit of a character for each role. . . continue reading>>
How To Make Your First Short Film
by Lorenda Starfelt
The goal with shorts is to keep it simple. Simple story, a handful of characters and just a few locations. If you do that, you can make your movie for under a few thousand dollars.
How low you can get your budget depends upon how creative you are, how simple your script is and what resources you personally have. With some critical thinking and good producing, you might even keep it under a thousand. The way to keep your budget down is to put together a project that can shot in one or two days. The key to creating a genuinely professional short is to hire highly experienced professionals in key roles - namely, your DP and your editor. These two people will take up the bulk of your budget.You also want highly experienced actors on board. You, as director, must be comfortable with people who know vastly more than you do about what they are doing.
The first step in a movie project is a script. You can either write one or buy one. Writing one requires talent that someone who wants to direct may or may not have. Buying one takes money and drives your budget up.
If you decide to purchase one, you should keep the purchase price to under a few hundred dollars...
continue reading>>
Side Note Link: How to Make a Short Film with No Budget (and Questionable Talent)
by Lorenda Starfelt
The goal with shorts is to keep it simple. Simple story, a handful of characters and just a few locations. If you do that, you can make your movie for under a few thousand dollars.
How low you can get your budget depends upon how creative you are, how simple your script is and what resources you personally have. With some critical thinking and good producing, you might even keep it under a thousand. The way to keep your budget down is to put together a project that can shot in one or two days. The key to creating a genuinely professional short is to hire highly experienced professionals in key roles - namely, your DP and your editor. These two people will take up the bulk of your budget.You also want highly experienced actors on board. You, as director, must be comfortable with people who know vastly more than you do about what they are doing.
The first step in a movie project is a script. You can either write one or buy one. Writing one requires talent that someone who wants to direct may or may not have. Buying one takes money and drives your budget up.
If you decide to purchase one, you should keep the purchase price to under a few hundred dollars...
continue reading>>
Side Note Link: How to Make a Short Film with No Budget (and Questionable Talent)