One way to do this is to heavily inspect your dialogue. When you’re writing your short movie, make sure you aren’t wasting any time with unnecessary elements. Make Efficient Use of TimeĪccording to Raindance Film Festival, there is one main principle for short films: less is more.
If your short film is comedic, a deeper theme is not as important.
A theme is broader and more universal it could relate to love, friendship, technology, or many other things. In addition to a central question, many short movies aim to also give that question an underlying theme. Either your short film is too complicated or it’s lacking something. If you’re not able to summarize your short film into a logline, then something is wrong.
#Logline meaning how to
You can read more about how to write a great logline here.Ī logline includes the inciting incident of the film, the protagonist, and the protagonist’s goal, and the main conflict. A logline is a brief summary of a screenplay that serves as a pitch for your film. One way to check to see if your short film has a real plot is to see if you can make a logline out of it. You must have a question that drives the action of the story. If your short film is made up of entertaining moments that don’t lead anywhere, the entertainment value doesn’t mean much, since you don’t have a cohesive film.
#Logline meaning movie
Your short movie should only explore one major concept, which leads to the next section: have a central question. You lack the time (and probably the resources) to make your film Christopher Nolan-esque. Because of this, you must keep your plot relatively simple. Obviously, you don’t have that much time to tell your story. By the end of the first minute, you want the audience to have an idea of what your short film is about. If you’re going to use title credits, make sure they appear very briefly. If the setting or type of characters or overall situation is something you don’t see often, that’s one way to get your audience hooked. Your audience is also more likely to be captivated if your concept is unique. Captivate Your AudienceĮven more than feature films, short films are a great way to start the film by starting in the middle of the action. Act 3 can end in the middle of the climax or it can contain a falling action and resolution. This act will take up the majority of your short film.Īct 3 is the end of the story. Whatever main plot you wrote in your logline is going to primarily be occurring in Act 2. The main purpose of this act is to gain the attention of the viewers and introduce them to the story.Īct 2 is the middle of the story, which plays off of its core idea.
If you’re wondering how to make a short film, keep in mind that most short films follow a three-act structure.Īct 1 is the beginning. Make short films first, make your mistakes and learn from them.” How to Make a Short Film: Short Film Structure As acclaimed writer-director, Jason Reitman once said, “I think it’s a mistake for young filmmakers to just buy digital equipment and shoot a feature.
Short films are also a great way to hone in on your technique and learn what to improve. Sofia Coppola’s first film “Lick the Star” was 14 minutes long. Ava DuVernay’s first film “Saturday Night Life” was 12 minutes long. Martin Scorcese’s first film “What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?” was 9 minutes long. Many major film directors who are now known for their feature films got their start by making short films. Remember that short films have just as much artistic merit as feature films. Casual social media users or people scrolling on YouTube are far more likely to watch a short film they never heard of than a feature film. There are tons of film festivals specifically catered to short movies, which you can read more about here.Įven beyond the festival circuit, short movies are easier to post on YouTube and then spread around online. Short films are the best way to start making a name for yourself and to attract attention at film festivals. The Film Fund Podcast: Colleen Brady Why Should I Make Short Films?
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