7 Rules for Writing Short Films
1. The Shorter the Better
A short film can be anything from fifteen seconds to forty five minutes in length.
Make your short film script as short as possible because the shorter the short, the
less costly it will be to produce.
If you shoot too fast your short film might end up looking amateurish.
It has to be cheap but shouldn’t LOOK cheap! Plus, if you want to get your short
into a festival, then keep it to no more than ten minutes, which is usually 7-8 pages
maximum. Why? Because if your short film is longer, it will eat up a longer slot and
festivals love to play as many shorts as possible! You can also create real emotion
in just a few minutes.
EXAMPLE:Sebastian’s Voodoo.(WRITE THE CONCEPT/MAIN FOCUS OF THE SHORT FILM)
2. Keep the Practicalities of Writing in Mind
The great thing about writing short films is that they can be anything since
you don!’ have studio execs on your tail.
don’t discard the practicalities of writing your script.
become more aware of what each line you put down on paper implies and
costs.
Examples:
Apricot is a good example of short film that could have been done on a low
budget (it shows such impeccable production value I doubt it was actually
done on the cheap) because it deals with two people sitting at a table at a
cafe yet manages to show a wide range of emotion.
Just a Love Story .(WRITE THE CONCEPT/MAIN FOCUS OF THE SHORT FILM)
3. Make It Visual
“Film is a visual medium”. “Show, don’t tell.” Those are the golden rules of
screenwriting the gurus keep telling us.
Film is about telling stories in pictures, which is the most economical way
of telling a story – and when you write short films, economy is everything.
Create visual backstories for your characters. Externalize through visual
images their temperament, their profession, their status, etc.
Example:Lunch Date .(WRITE THE CONCEPT/MAIN FOCUS OF THE
SHORT FILM)
4. Find Single Moments
The best short films are often a single moment that is played out, but
one that has a story at its heart.
a conflict that has to be resolved, where there’s a dilemma at stake
and a choice that the protagonist has to make.
Strive to add a deadline, or ticking clock. It is not necessary but it will
add some tension to your short film.
Example:On Time .(WRITE THE CONCEPT/MAIN FOCUS OF THE
SHORT FILM)
5. Tell a Story
You should always try to tell a compelling story.
Beware of ideas that are concept-driven or just aim at breaking all the rules for the
sake of breaking rules.
Short films are a great opportunity to push the boundaries of what cinematic
storytelling can do, yet they must still engage your audience emotionally.
As a rule of thumb, unless it is extremely brief a short film should have a hero with
a goal and an obstacle/antagonist in the way.
Example: I love Sarah Jane. .(WRITE THE CONCEPT/MAIN FOCUS OF THE
SHORT FILM)
6. Engage the Reader
Since you have so little time to make an impression the impact
of page one is crucial, just as it is crucial to hook the reader in
the first 10 pages of a feature length script.
What is the world of the film? Do we root for the main character?
Does the world and story of the film feel authentic?
The ending is also essential as it’s rare to truly feel moved at the
end of a short, so work towards a meaningful, satisfying ending.
7. Beware of Cliches when Writing Short Films
There are many clichés in short films, and much navel gazing.
Avoid stereotypes unless you have a fresh slant on them.
Write what you’re familiar with and what resonates with you rather
than writing something you borrowed from other films.
Don’t shy away from small stories, short formats are the perfect
vehicle for them and you won’t often get the opportunity to tell
small stories as a professional writer.
CONCEPT
1.Sebastian’s Voodoo.
It’sa 4 minute animated short about a
Voodoo doll who must pierce his own heart
to save his friend from being impaled and it
is absolutely heartbreaking.
CONCEPT
2. Just a Love Story
It takes place almost entirely in an elevator.
CONCEPT
3. Lunch Date
the posh lady polishes her fork before using
it.
CONCEPT
4. On Time
isa good example of a short film that
meets all these conditions. It tells the story
of a heart-broken young man can peek into
the future and must act on it on the spot.
CONCEPT
5.I love Sarah Jane.
Itshows a bunch of teenagers in a ghost
town where adults have turned into
zombies, yet at the core it is a love story
about a young boy who can’t reach through
to the older girl he loves.
QUIZ(2points each)
A.PART A
For number 1 to 5
a. Shooting the film b. Completing Pre-production
c. Creating the script and Story board d. Editing the film
1. Rehearse the scene
2. Write a short script
3. Draw a story board
4. Focus on visuals
5. Get actors for the movie
6.When thinking an idea of a short film which of the following is not considered?
a.scope of the story b. interesting event c. core idea d. search online for scripts
For numbers 7-15
a. Tell a story b. Keep the practicalities of writing in mind
c. Make it visual d. engage the reader
d. Find Single moments e. The shorter the better
f. beware of clichés when writing short films
7.Lunch date
8.On time
9.I love Sarah Jane
10. Apricot
11. Sebastian’s Voodoo
12. You should always try to tell a compelling story
13 .”Film is a visual medium”. “Show, don’t tell”.
14. Strive to add a deadline, or ticking clock, a short film should have a story at its heart.
15. Avoid stereotypes unless you have a fresh slant on them
PART B.
1.In your short film write the a short summary about the story. follow the format below
Title:
1st scene(2-3 sentences only)
middle part of the story
ending of the story
2.Review the concept of each short film that you have watched in preparation of the exam
