The difficulties of a telling a story in a short time is that it's hard to build on your characters and give an adequate portrayal of them in any short space of time. It's also hard to tell the whole plot of your story in a short space of time, which is why short films should get straight to the point or benefit from jumping into a story right in the middle and just capturing the punchline. The benefits of a short film are obvious however, they're cheaper and take much less time to construct and edit, which is good for directors and producers who are just starting out making films.
I have been researching what makes a good short film and what doesn't and found some good points to go by, however there is no rule book.
Here's a list I've found for what makes a good short film;
- An exciting & original Idea
- A strong script
- Good acting
- High production values
- Make it short
- Strong beginning
- Avoid repetition & punchline twists
- Exciting new techniques & style
An Exciting & Original Idea
Original ideas are not easy to come-by but a good
way of avoiding clichéd ideas is to watch lots of other short films, look out
for any trends and stay clear of them. Even if your idea isn't completely original try to look at
the subject matter from a different angle or using a different style/technique.
If you're struggling for ideas, you could try to find inspiration in your
experiences or those of the people that you meet or through the stories that
you read in newspapers, magazines and online.
A good script is key to narrative-based short films
and in many ways it's harder to write a short than a feature because you need
to condense your story and develop your characters in a very short space of
time. All too often films are let down by weak, overwritten or underdeveloped
scripts. Before investing money, time and effort into shooting your film, it's
a good idea to test your script out on friends and strangers (as friends might
fear offending you) and get as much feedback as you can. If you write and direct
your own films, it's a good idea to consider where your strengths lie. It's
great if you can do both but if you think you're stronger at direction/animation
then why not consider collaborating with a talented scriptwriter and see what
results come of it?
Unless your friends are actors or demonstrate
acting talent, it's a good idea to avoid casting them in your film. Even one
bad actor in a film can really let it down and destroy the viewer's belief in
the reality that your film is seeking to create. There are lots of great actors
out there who are willing to work for reduced fees to learn their trade and
make a name for themselves. You can find actors through advertising on the
message boards of filmmaking communities.
Whilst digital filmmaking has had the positive
impact of making the process more accessible and affordable, it's important to
ensure that you still apply the same production values that you would if you
were shooting on film with a crew. Many low-budget shorts are let down by poor
sound, lighting, camera work and editing and/or by directors who are trying to
do it all by themselves without anyone else's input. Filmmaking is
predominantly a collaborative process and it's much better to find crew who are
specialising in these areas who can offer different skills. You can use the
message boards of filmmaking communities If you're new to filmmaking, one of
the best ways to learn the skills required is to assist on other people's
films. Also check the message boards for call outs for volunteers from
filmmakers.
As a general rule, the longer your short film is,
the harder it is to keep the viewer's attention. This is especially true of
online viewing – for instance on Film Network the average time that a viewer
spends watching a film is 4 minutes. Note – exceptions to this rule is documentary,
which viewers will often watch for longer. Many festivals don't accept short
films that are over 30 minutes long; a long film will really have to impress
the programmers for them to include it in their screening, as it means they
will not be able to show so many films in their short film programme. One
filmmaker told us about a film he made that was 26 minutes long. He applied for
festivals all over the world and was rejected by them all. A year later he
re-cut the film to 10 minutes and resubmitted it. His 10-minute cut was shown
at numerous festivals worldwide and was broadcast on a digital channel. Very
short films, especially romance and comedies, can be popular with distributors
and buyers as they are easier to programme and can be sold to multi-platforms
e.g. online, mobile, VOD etc.
Most programmers/distributors will be inundated
with submissions and so your film has to grab their attention from the very
first shot. The harsh reality is that if your film doesn't pique their interest
within the first two minutes, in all likelihood they may not sit through it
till the end. Don't waste time on lengthy introductions and credits – spark
their interest in the story as quickly as you can. Credits at the start can
distract the viewer (especially if the direction, production and editing are
all by the same person!) so leave them out unless you have it written in an
agreement with one of your cast. Similarly if your film starts with a long
establishing shot where nothing really happens, viewers may switch off before
you get to show them your great plot and idea. If the pace of your film is
naturally slow and ambling, make the shots as rich and enticing as possible to
draw the viewer in. Note – a good editor can really transform a film. If you're
directing and editing your own film you might be too attached to certain shots
to know which bits to chop out to make your film a stronger, more coherent
piece. In big blockbusters, scenes that have cost thousands or even millions
can be chopped if the studio/filmmaker feels that they are not integral to the
final edit of the piece.
Whilst sometimes a repetitive scene can be used for
comedy/dramatic effect (Groundhog Day being a classic example of where this can
work), if you are not careful it can end up being repetitive and predictable.
Comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off in short films – if you're looking
to make humorous shorts then it's a good idea to test your idea on an audience
(why not post a short clip on a site like YouTube or MySpace and see what
feedback you get?) or to cast your film carefully and get a funny actor. Be
careful of one-line gag/punchline films. Some shorts can do this to great
successbut many often fall flat. If you've got a great punchline twist then
consider making it short and snappy as viewers might be disappointed if they
sit through 7 minutes for one joke at the end, especially if they've already
seen it coming.
Even an average plot can be made intriguing by an
exciting new technique or style - whether it be a new kind of animation, camera
work or art direction. Try experimenting and developing your own style. Note –
having said that, beware of style over substance.
