Any movie that lasts less than 45 minutes is considered a short movie. Before beginning a feature-length production, filmmakers make short films to hone their skills.
We definitely advise trying a short movie filmmaker first if you are writing a screenplay or producing a movie. Directors, producers, and screenwriters have all emailed me to say they are all working on their first feature-length movie.
There are many benefits to producing a short film before a feature. These reasons will be broken down in this essay, along with some tips on how to create your first short film.
Making short films is practice.
It’s unlikely that your first movie will be a masterpiece. Like any other art form, filmmaking requires practice to become good. The process of making a movie is expensive, demanding, and time-consuming. During production, things will go wrong. Without being under financial constraints, making short films enables you to practice what to do when something goes wrong.
Write a short film before a feature-length screenplay if you’re a screenwriter. Practice your direction in the short form if you’re a director, and practice effectively financing shorts if you’re a producer. Any job position, in fact, should be practiced on short films first.
Making short films is proof.
If you’re a producer, having made short films will make it easier for you to raise money for your feature-length movie. You will be questioned about your prior producing work whether you approach a private investor, tax incentive, or BFI Film financing. The completion and successful funding of a good short film can serve as proof.
Short films can also be used by directors and screenwriters to seek more significant positions. It will be challenging to persuade investors and experienced actors to believe in production with a new director. But if the director has a strong short film to support them, they might be persuaded. Short scripts are another way for screenwriters to showcase their talent for producers and directors.
Making short films professionally.
Around thirty years ago, directors used to make their low-budget debut features. The directors would be hired by studios for bigger, more important projects once these films won awards at film festivals. That now occurs very infrequently. I don’t think Clerks would garner the same attention now if Kevin Smith had made it.
These days, a few criteria are used to recruit directors. Obviously, their prior experience, but also whether or not they can be trusted with money. This is the reason why short movies have replaced low-budget features. And not just any short film, but rather high-quality, low-budget ones.
Making short films is inexpensive.
A short film can be made without spending any money. Use whatever camera you have access to, edit with a free editing program, and submit it to free film festivals—this is undeniably true. You may hone your craft with short films without spending any money. Making movies is challenging; there is plenty to learn from screenwriting to casting to hiring crew to scheduling to finishing. You must understand how to properly handle the issues that productions inevitably encounter. For instance, the weather could completely wreck your plans.
For this reason, the majority of filmmakers throughout time have produced short films. Making short films teaches you how to make movies and goes through the same procedure as making a feature. Therefore, you will be well on your way to creating a fantastic feature if you can create, write, and direct a superb short.
Making A Short Film: A Guide.
Any short under 45 minutes is considered a short film. But most film festivals only let in shorts of no more than 15 minutes. To start, you must choose the type of budget you will use. There is no need for a budget, however, you might want to compensate the cast and crew. If so, you should think about your financing choices for movies.
