If you're an aspiring filmmaker, you probably have a short film planned on your slate. It could be a proof of concept or something you'd like to do to test the extent of your skills or tools. It's a more accessible way into filmmaking circles and festivals. But they're also notoriously difficult to make for reasons of their own.Writing instructor John Matthew Fox (who runs Bookfox, a resource for fiction writers) recently shared advice about crafting short stories that we can use over in the film community, too. If you're writing a short story or a short film, the challenges will be surprisingly similar. You've got limited time for complete narratives, and every element has to earn its place.Watch his video and then see how we can adapt these tips to your short film. - YouTube www.youtube.com Your Film Should Start in the First FrameFox says that short stories must begin immediately, in the first line. You don't have space to waste. The same applies to short films. While features have some time for set-up and backstory, short filmmakers need to grab attention even faster. That means hooking the audience from the moment you cut in from black.According to Fox, your opening would benefit from movement, tension, or mystery (or some combination of all of them). That could be a character already in motion, a problem already unfolding, and we aren't sure what it is.As someone who has screened short films for festivals, I beg of you—you don't need an...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday