Hi sir! I just discovered you now. Can you give us an idea on how much the course would cost? I would love to dive right into it, but I need to prepare in case it is outside the budget
"I just want to make the best thing I can just to see how good of a thing I can make." I went to a film festival over the weekend and every film there was trying to make a statement. The Q and A with all the directors was like listening to a bunch of activists and wannabes, but there was one there who truly made a statement. She said, "Not every film has to change the world. I just wanted to make something entertaining, " and this really resonated with me. I love this mentality.
There are some films that have made me feel giddy. Not simply because of the story, but the atmosphere and environment that can only be, if it is to exist at all, on a screen. Films like La La Land for example, where I truly felt and acknowledged the emotions that cinema can invoke. I thought to myself then "This is truly magical" (for lack of a better word, though this word is overused and therefore I feel it has lost its weight) Film, I believe is the most complicated and complete form of art there is as it is a combination of many other art forms. Literature, acting, architecture, fashion design, videography/cinematography and many others I can't remember at this time. And it is also the most influential in my opinion. For example, lets look at history. I'm bringing up a dark chapter, the Third Reich. It used film extensively to its advantage in its efforts to sway the general public. Take a look at the 'literally me' trend. To have this power is, well its a great responsibility. And people get lost in it sometimes To come back to the roots of why one wishes to create, to have this simple earnest desire to entertain other human beings, to sweep them away and give them a chance to forget about their worries if for only a moment and perhaps make them smile, or even cry as you grant them an opportunity to feel sadness which may also be equally comfortable for some. Its. it is a very honourable thing, and a cause, I'm certain many will find easy to support and sympathize with
There’s nothing bad about social problem films as ling as they aren’t too on the nose and overly biased. I love them especially when they shed light on a problem I know nothing about Hollywood doesn’t have enough of them these days unless it’s making a statement about feminism, LGBT or a racial minority
That's a good point I appreciate it. As film makers it takes the pressure off as well, not every film has to change the world. Maybe we can just make a fun film for the sake of fun..
Discussing films with cinephiles today is a nightmare (I mean when has it not been) It’s like if your favourite movie isn’t some grand, meta, critique on todays world or the current state of cinema your opinion is automatically invalid. My favourite movie of this year so far and still remains John Wick 4, I love the world building, the lore, the story and most importantly the action, it’s everything I wanted and is such a brilliant finale to a brilliant series and a brilliant character. I’d argue it’s the greatest action movie ever made. Nothing for me compares. John wick isn’t some critique on how men are prone to violence or uses it’s criminal underworld to critique capitalism, because that was never what was envisioned for the series, it’s just a film about a man who loved his wife so dearly that he went to great lengths to keep her memory going, through the lens of an action movie. It doesn’t have much to say about anything, it’s pure entertainment made with clear passion. Chad and Keanu created this character over a decade ago and have just been having fun bringing their crazy fantasy world to life for their own entertainment and others. Yet my opinion seems to get invalidated when talking with people because although it’s not in the realm MCU, huge budget, CGI fest, company made movies ultimately aimed at children it’s also not Martin Scorsese or Stanley Kubrick therefore whatever I say is wrong. The way I see it as long as what I’m watching is clearly made with a soul and with the intention to entertain I will appreciate the hell out of it even if it isn’t necessarily catered towards me Edit: also it’s not like I don’t like a film with something to say, it’s just sometimes an idea could be a million times more interesting if it didn’t critique a particular subject or vice versa
This channel continues to wow me in how it asnwers question I have as a filmmaker at just the right moment: I recently started writing a short film, that I want to shoot, and that I eventually want to use as a 'proof of concept' for a TV pilot. Upon my first read-through, I noticed that I was clearly more interested in writing the pilot rather than the short film. Lots of exposition, lots of setting things up that wouldn't get paid off. Now that I know that though, I can start to strip away the TV pilot part and really maximize the short film part. (and continue the TV pilot version as a separate thing of course) It's just wild because I came to this conclusion just this other day, and now Kent here is saying my instinct is very correct the very next day. Love it.
Man!!! That was solid GOLD. I clicked on the video cause of the thumb. I thought you were gonna talk about filters (those pro mist, etc), and as I love making shorts, I was completely glued to the iPad watching your video! Amazing work 👏. Happy to be part of your gang now! Thanks so much for all the great info and advice. Cheers from Italy 🙏
Accurate. Consider this: How many shorts have you seen where you actually REMEMBER the characters names, the way you remember those from features, shows & books?
You totally nailed this. Short films are all about embracing your limitations. Not only of time, but other resources; actors, locations, etc. Don't over reach. If you only have a messy apartment living room, don't try to dress it up as a Mob bosses office. Just looks dumb. If you have only a couple of qualified actors, use only them and stay within their acting and age range. Only use untrained acting friends as extras and bit roles. Write for what you know, who you know and what you have. Try and be inventive within those limitations and your film will be way better. Embrace the limitations.
This episode absolutely spoke to me more than any piece of filmmaking advice ever. I've been a working filmmaker for 11 years as a director/DP/editor, I have a pretty big network of crew. I'm friends with makeup artists, SFX artists, acting school coaches, etc.. and I'm so glad you showed that "exception to the rule" chapter. I don't particularly care about festival runtimes, or even submitting to film festivals at all honestly. I have a short script I've been working on for a couple years and I just want to make it as a gift to myself. Where just the sheer act of completing it is enough for me and I can die happy, regardless if it's in that no-man's land runtime. Bringing it to life would fulfill me, and that's all I care about.
The biggest problem with people who make short films is that they draw them out even longer than feature length films. Rod Serling told entire stories in 22 minutes every week. These people spend 22 minutes on exposition for their "short films".
I would agree - I've been writing for a looooong time. Condensing a great 10 gallon story down into a pint takes a huge amount of skill and planning. The problem with both of my current projects (full length) is they have surprise twists - in one case it's the entire reveal is the very last *word*. But once you've seen such a film as a short the feature isn't going to be worth it. Looks like it's back to the drawing board and write a screenplay that's tighter than a big fella's underpants.
Perfect timing. I'm attempting an anthology feature film comprised of five 10-20 minute short films (Could be a good idea, could be terrible. We'll see). I've been thinking about some of these films for a long time now and they've definitely grown to the scope of a long short or a feature. It's tempting to cram it all in there, but this was a great reminder to find a small, interesting chunk.
Bro used the same song for his artlist spot that artlist uses for their own spots… I see what you did there! Smooth! …I started looking for the “skip ad” button!
great info and so true! QUESTION: Any way you'd be able to make a video on exporting? I still cant get my premiere settings on a 3-minute video in 4K, less than 500gb. But my DVDs arent even that high haha
Great video as usual, thank you for all the in depth videos actually trying to help us get better at telling stories! Also, this is my personal favorite Artlist ad you've done! hahaha.
If we have a script for a short we’re writing and it feels like it’s going to be a longer one, is there something better we can do with those, or should we just scrap them?
Your videos are always inspirational, even for an older person like me. I've just finished editing my first short film, which takes place in one room, with 2 actors. Anything else would've been a little too ambitious for my directorial film debut. If anyone is interested, it's on my channel and was shot with the GH5 II.
Alright so my friends and I have a project. Gonna film this baby on our samsung phones. Got some cheap mics and lights. Its a road trip up north and we meet a supernatural creature. Gonna be impossible I think, but I hope it turns out well.
@Rillos-_- I completely forgot I made this comment. Thank you so much for replying to this. We're about 90% done. My friend and I are going to make a video about the process and what we've done. Seriously, the timing of your comment is insane 🤣
@@spartan003 was just curious my man , I’m currently working on making my first short film I have multiple I wanna make but they are all in the zombie and horror genre , but my first is gonna be a zombie feel like it’s the easiest one for me to do
i'd flesh out the story more if you're 40 pages in. Better to have something you can at least show on tubi, rather than have languish on youtube. i've heard of too many people making 40 min shorts they can't sign a contract with. Use shorts to refine your vision, use features to define your vision.
Agony is realizing that I could have cut down my 24-page script down to, like, 10-15, if only I had focused on the main storyline instead of having two plotlines, and that now I have the choice to either make the 24 minute film or try and rewrite the script quickly before the golden period for holding auditions at my college passes
This video REALLY helped me out. I've been struggling with a short sci-fi I've been writing/developing. After watching this video, the "struggle", I realized, can be traced to my story idea being more fitting for the scope of a feature film, not a short. Plus, I have only made one previous short film. One that I wrote mainly as practice in writing, editing, adding music for a short film.
My first shortfilm was very ambitious: A claustrophobic guy wakes up in a room disoriented with no door. After panicking, he starts to hallucinate alter egos of himself, like a cool/bad guy and good guy versions of himself that argue with him and go through his mental struggle of how he got trapped in the first place. Eventually it gets too much and we see the guy freaking out on a camera monitor in a lab as a social experiment, an "Isolation" room. It was ambitious because I only had a week to plan, shoot and edit everything, I spent my only money on a green screen and lights, and my only assistant was my mom because we shot in a store-room at her work, haha! I learnt a lot during the process, it came out alright for the resources I had, but ultimately, it could have been better if I had more time, money, crew and experience. Which I didn't know I needed, because I didn't have the experience.
I've found to sit with a group of friends over a beer and do a read-through of the first draft, helps pinpoint dull moments, unnecessary details and helps get a feel of the beats and length.
I searched through your channel last week looking for a guidance. Didn’t really find what I was looking for…and sure enough, today you post the exact advice I was seeking. Can’t lie, feels like I manifested this. Appreciate the content. Very helpful!
as far as feature films on TH-cam the works of "5 Dollar Film School" and "Doomed Productions" have done reasonably well with "The Bell Rings" being my favourite, definitely worth checking out
That's honestly so important, I keep taking on these "short film" project ideas that are, in all honesty, way too ambitious and fleshed out for a short film. I've been trying to do a mindset shift for the short film side, and you explained it bang on! Thanks for the awesome videos, they're always so helpful :)
I just screened my 30 minute Zombie short in downtown LA Saturday. I submitted to festivals today, but if no one takes it, I'm not waiting around. I'm booking my own screenings without compromising the film.
Great tips Kent! And thanks again for all of your work adjudicating the DeSales University Film Festival, it was a honor having you be a part of it and screen all of our films!
You should make a video about film making partners. I feel like a lot of successful directors have started off with making films as a pair right from page one (Cohen brothers, Wright and Pegg, Nolan brothers etc.). It seems like it would be be a really good way to make a film (yes I'm jealous of all these people) and you also have done this with Chris so it could be a great niche topic for you. There's also the struggle of finding someone like that; who will be as motivated as you about a film and that you can understand each other and work well together.
Happens in scriptwriting: You write a short story, but notice the sidekicks are cardboard supporting characters only, so you try to give them somewhat interesting backgrounds to make their motives credible. Very well, but that just leaves a sense in the audience that even more is missing. You simply have to build your universe with only small visual or character cues for the side roles, to show how they fit in and nothing more, or you will be shooting a feature film. Audiences are very smart. Tiny clothes or gazes or language use can tell a whole life story.
I started watching your videos two weeks ago, the same time i started pre production on this short film I'm making, its been great; like mr Miyagi watching over my shoulder and giving me tips. it's the biggest film I've worked on and it really exciting, although its only 4 minutes, but we did the first shoot the other day and it went great. anyway i think you are by far the best film advice channel (i'm so sick of vague video essays) I have seen, both with practical techniques, gear, strategy, etc. but also constantly reminding us that you have nothing without story (and actually giving really good, coherent advice on it). it's surprising that you haven't blown up yet, but at least it means you might read my comment. thanks for all the help.
I've had some bad experiences this year that chipped away at my confidence in my filmmaking. Funny, I already know the facts you're saying, but hearing it again, with good examples, really helps me put things in perspective. I feel like I'm stuck in a brain fog of self-doubt. Great video.
I think my goals are just going bigger but simpler with each short film I make. In post production for my 7 minute horror short film and in pre for a 15 minute Christmas movie 😅 but definitely taking your advice for this Christmas one.
I've written features as a screenwriter, but now I'm going to try my hand at short films. I've made 2 micros on my phone and also edited them from there (first time editing... I love it!). Thanks for inspiring me to do shorts. More practical for me to get practice and know-how, in a hands-on approach. Can't wait to get the rest of my equipment for my A7III.
Really good advice. The sweet spot is under 15 or over 75 minutes. But like you said you have to look at who your film is for and what you want it to achieve. I haven't made a short for a few years but i often think my next short I'm pulling out all the stops for costume, set etc. And then i think is it a waste to not tell a few stories in the little universe and shoot a mini series. 😂
One thing I am so very tired of in the realm of shorts is... Woe is my Depression Therapy Films... these are the films where all it is interested in is making viewers depressed or just expressing the filmmakers depression. Yes, there are artists that can channel hardships into sublime masterpieces, but the vast, vast majority of films I see in short forms, are those where I kind of want to nudge the director towards seeking a therapist more than I want to see the rest of the short. Sorry, rant over.
yeap, thats so common to happende here in my city, every body wanna make "short" films that last more than 20 min... and wanna make big films whitout making small films. a huge mistake. since i was introduced to this short film world 5 years ago, i alwas had the idea that its better to make 10 or more shorts films less than 10 min, than a long 30 or 40 or more minutes... if you cant tell a good story in 10 min, what makes you think you can tell a good story with more time?? 🤘😎
I should add that this apllies better for rookies, amateurs, but if you already pass the "learning" stage, and feel like you got what it needs to create a big interesting story, go ahead! cause you already got the tools and knowledge to go for big films.
I liked this video. It is a good basis guideline, but of course...there are exceptions to everything you are telling, even including those exceptions in your video. The best advice I would say is to shoot, and then learn while you shoot, and learn what went right and what went wrong before your next project.
I learned this term from Seth Meyers when discussing skit writing with Bill Hader. "This skit has a hat on a hat." Meaning (as you say here) there's too many ideas happening in a short time frame. Remove one hat or the other, because wearing two hats is too much
Interesting video, I am shooting a short film in two weeks and yes I think it suffers a bit form wanting to be a feature. I have tried to narrow the scope, tho the world is large I think the stroy is small enough. I dunno, something to think about thanks.
Actually yeah I’m able to add automatic subtitle translations to the course, but it may not be as good as a translation from a real person. What language are you looking for?
I always hated these dumb rules with festivals. You gotta let people find their own voice and that happens with trial and error. If someone makes a really great short with a "no-man's land" run time then why should the artist be punished? It's ridiculous
Because the goal of a short film festivals is to show as many great shorts as possible. And if you make a 45 minute short film that’s potentially 3-5 other shorts that they can’t show. It’s just simple math.
High quality vs. high quantity bro, trying to have both is nearly impossible. Short films should be the high quality section, cause you run the risk of wasting more time and doing more errors if you make them longer. Time is a rule, not a constraint bro. This is a competition first, an art form second.
@@murk4552 Or you run the risk of having to little just to make a time limit. It should be an art form first, but I understand. They gotta make their money.
Great no-budget feature that has actually gotten some great viewership is Joel Haver’s “Pretend That You Love Me”. Beautiful movie. Highly recommend. Inspired me to make my own no-budget feature that I’m uploading in November
A friend of mine wrote an entire season of a web series, but we realized we didn’t want to raise the money to fund 60 minutes worth of material. We took all that character development we did, selected one single scene from the web series, and made that scene into an 8 minute short that got on Short of the Week (it’s called ‘Giselle’ for those curious). And yea I wanna see this bank heist short now 🫨
Want to make a great short film in a month? Join us at WRAPPED in 30 Days: wrapped.school
Hi sir! I just discovered you now. Can you give us an idea on how much the course would cost? I would love to dive right into it, but I need to prepare in case it is outside the budget
"I just want to make the best thing I can just to see how good of a thing I can make."
I went to a film festival over the weekend and every film there was trying to make a statement. The Q and A with all the directors was like listening to a bunch of activists and wannabes, but there was one there who truly made a statement. She said, "Not every film has to change the world. I just wanted to make something entertaining, " and this really resonated with me. I love this mentality.
There are some films that have made me feel giddy. Not simply because of the story, but the atmosphere and environment that can only be, if it is to exist at all, on a screen.
Films like La La Land for example, where I truly felt and acknowledged the emotions that cinema can invoke. I thought to myself then "This is truly magical" (for lack of a better word, though this word is overused and therefore I feel it has lost its weight)
Film, I believe is the most complicated and complete form of art there is as it is a combination of many other art forms. Literature, acting, architecture, fashion design, videography/cinematography and many others I can't remember at this time. And it is also the most influential in my opinion.
For example, lets look at history. I'm bringing up a dark chapter, the Third Reich. It used film extensively to its advantage in its efforts to sway the general public. Take a look at the 'literally me' trend. To have this power is, well its a great responsibility. And people get lost in it sometimes
To come back to the roots of why one wishes to create, to have this simple earnest desire to entertain other human beings, to sweep them away and give them a chance to forget about their worries if for only a moment and perhaps make them smile, or even cry as you grant them an opportunity to feel sadness which may also be equally comfortable for some. Its.
it is a very honourable thing, and a cause, I'm certain many will find easy to support and sympathize with
what's wrong with trying to make a statement tho
There’s nothing bad about social problem films as ling as they aren’t too on the nose and overly biased.
I love them especially when they shed light on a problem I know nothing about
Hollywood doesn’t have enough of them these days unless it’s making a statement about feminism, LGBT or a racial minority
That's a good point I appreciate it. As film makers it takes the pressure off as well, not every film has to change the world. Maybe we can just make a fun film for the sake of fun..
Discussing films with cinephiles today is a nightmare (I mean when has it not been) It’s like if your favourite movie isn’t some grand, meta, critique on todays world or the current state of cinema your opinion is automatically invalid.
My favourite movie of this year so far and still remains John Wick 4, I love the world building, the lore, the story and most importantly the action, it’s everything I wanted and is such a brilliant finale to a brilliant series and a brilliant character. I’d argue it’s the greatest action movie ever made. Nothing for me compares. John wick isn’t some critique on how men are prone to violence or uses it’s criminal underworld to critique capitalism, because that was never what was envisioned for the series, it’s just a film about a man who loved his wife so dearly that he went to great lengths to keep her memory going, through the lens of an action movie.
It doesn’t have much to say about anything, it’s pure entertainment made with clear passion. Chad and Keanu created this character over a decade ago and have just been having fun bringing their crazy fantasy world to life for their own entertainment and others. Yet my opinion seems to get invalidated when talking with people because although it’s not in the realm MCU, huge budget, CGI fest, company made movies ultimately aimed at children it’s also not Martin Scorsese or Stanley Kubrick therefore whatever I say is wrong.
The way I see it as long as what I’m watching is clearly made with a soul and with the intention to entertain I will appreciate the hell out of it even if it isn’t necessarily catered towards me
Edit: also it’s not like I don’t like a film with something to say, it’s just sometimes an idea could be a million times more interesting if it didn’t critique a particular subject or vice versa
Okay, but can we actually see that bank heist short though?
The feature version would be Killing Zoe (1993).
@zeblunz7882 sure we can. go make it.
@@ray-mc-lI’m personally thinking about it, you think it would be considered stealing?
The footage used is from a movie called The Driver (1978)
and The Getaway (1972)@@ckrug32
This channel continues to wow me in how it asnwers question I have as a filmmaker at just the right moment:
I recently started writing a short film, that I want to shoot, and that I eventually want to use as a 'proof of concept' for a TV pilot. Upon my first read-through, I noticed that I was clearly more interested in writing the pilot rather than the short film. Lots of exposition, lots of setting things up that wouldn't get paid off. Now that I know that though, I can start to strip away the TV pilot part and really maximize the short film part. (and continue the TV pilot version as a separate thing of course)
It's just wild because I came to this conclusion just this other day, and now Kent here is saying my instinct is very correct the very next day. Love it.
Man!!! That was solid GOLD. I clicked on the video cause of the thumb. I thought you were gonna talk about filters (those pro mist, etc), and as I love making shorts, I was completely glued to the iPad watching your video! Amazing work 👏. Happy to be part of your gang now! Thanks so much for all the great info and advice. Cheers from Italy 🙏
Accurate. Consider this: How many shorts have you seen where you actually REMEMBER the characters names, the way you remember those from features, shows & books?
You totally nailed this. Short films are all about embracing your limitations. Not only of time, but other resources; actors, locations, etc. Don't over reach. If you only have a messy apartment living room, don't try to dress it up as a Mob bosses office. Just looks dumb. If you have only a couple of qualified actors, use only them and stay within their acting and age range. Only use untrained acting friends as extras and bit roles. Write for what you know, who you know and what you have. Try and be inventive within those limitations and your film will be way better. Embrace the limitations.
This episode absolutely spoke to me more than any piece of filmmaking advice ever. I've been a working filmmaker for 11 years as a director/DP/editor, I have a pretty big network of crew. I'm friends with makeup artists, SFX artists, acting school coaches, etc.. and I'm so glad you showed that "exception to the rule" chapter. I don't particularly care about festival runtimes, or even submitting to film festivals at all honestly. I have a short script I've been working on for a couple years and I just want to make it as a gift to myself. Where just the sheer act of completing it is enough for me and I can die happy, regardless if it's in that no-man's land runtime. Bringing it to life would fulfill me, and that's all I care about.
Do it!
@@daniellawrencewilson oh trust me, I'm gonna direct the SHIT out of it!
All the pointers are really very valid and helpful. Thank you so much for bringing them up and making this video.
The biggest problem with people who make short films is that they draw them out even longer than feature length films. Rod Serling told entire stories in 22 minutes every week. These people spend 22 minutes on exposition for their "short films".
Love this channel! Excited to finally be working on some horror shorts, your videos are always a big help!
I would agree - I've been writing for a looooong time. Condensing a great 10 gallon story down into a pint takes a huge amount of skill and planning. The problem with both of my current projects (full length) is they have surprise twists - in one case it's the entire reveal is the very last *word*. But once you've seen such a film as a short the feature isn't going to be worth it. Looks like it's back to the drawing board and write a screenplay that's tighter than a big fella's underpants.
Perfect timing. I'm attempting an anthology feature film comprised of five 10-20 minute short films (Could be a good idea, could be terrible. We'll see). I've been thinking about some of these films for a long time now and they've definitely grown to the scope of a long short or a feature. It's tempting to cram it all in there, but this was a great reminder to find a small, interesting chunk.
Bro used the same song for his artlist spot that artlist uses for their own spots… I see what you did there! Smooth! …I started looking for the “skip ad” button!
What if we split a 40 min short film and release on TH-cam like a 4 parter, that might get more views right 🤔
I get a Reservoir Dogs vibe from the bank heist. I think you could do it in 12 minutes with some flashbacks.
great info and so true! QUESTION: Any way you'd be able to make a video on exporting? I still cant get my premiere settings on a 3-minute video in 4K, less than 500gb. But my DVDs arent even that high haha
I’m new to your channel, I just want to say that I really like your presentation style. Great work and insightful!
Great video as usual, thank you for all the in depth videos actually trying to help us get better at telling stories! Also, this is my personal favorite Artlist ad you've done! hahaha.
Ian Hubert commanded a huge audience on youtube with his first episode of his Dynamo Dream Series
If we have a script for a short we’re writing and it feels like it’s going to be a longer one, is there something better we can do with those, or should we just scrap them?
2:11, u can see the green line in the phone
how can i use classical music (mozart, bach, beethoven etc) in a short film?
Thank you for the amazing tips! Very inspiring!
@6:45 Yeah, nothing quite as punk rock as having to climb the career ladder of an ad man to make your art.
He sounds like he is going to teach Leo how to beat his chest and Humm
What is the name of the movie in the part 2 segment?
thank you for concise
Your videos are always inspirational, even for an older person like me. I've just finished editing my first short film, which takes place in one room, with 2 actors. Anything else would've been a little too ambitious for my directorial film debut. If anyone is interested, it's on my channel and was shot with the GH5 II.
2:30
there is a short film called stalled and released on the omeleto channel
it has 1,4 mln views and it has just 9 months so not bad i think
Lighting and audio
Alright so my friends and I have a project. Gonna film this baby on our samsung phones. Got some cheap mics and lights. Its a road trip up north and we meet a supernatural creature. Gonna be impossible I think, but I hope it turns out well.
Did you do it
@Rillos-_- I completely forgot I made this comment. Thank you so much for replying to this. We're about 90% done. My friend and I are going to make a video about the process and what we've done. Seriously, the timing of your comment is insane 🤣
@@spartan003 was just curious my man , I’m currently working on making my first short film I have multiple I wanna make but they are all in the zombie and horror genre , but my first is gonna be a zombie feel like it’s the easiest one for me to do
@@Rillos-_- Goodluck!
Nigerian Films are currently doing good on YT as features
very helpful vid
False alarm the weekend
Now that were no longer paying big bucks for film processing, what's the point of a short film?
A brush of violence is sooo good.
Keep it up!
Consider adding your face to thr thumbnail, I skipped over this video before realizing it was yours!
good vid..
i'd flesh out the story more if you're 40 pages in. Better to have something you can at least show on tubi, rather than have languish on youtube. i've heard of too many people making 40 min shorts they can't sign a contract with. Use shorts to refine your vision, use features to define your vision.
Some great directors should hire screenwriters instead of always trying to write and direct everything.
If you have more than 20 minutes it is time to make your low budget feature. Stop lying to yourself.
Here before 10 comments
Great video until I saw those fools with a mask.
Agony is realizing that I could have cut down my 24-page script down to, like, 10-15, if only I had focused on the main storyline instead of having two plotlines, and that now I have the choice to either make the 24 minute film or try and rewrite the script quickly before the golden period for holding auditions at my college passes
If it's possible (talking about time), try to reduce 1 page per day. You can do it.
This video REALLY helped me out. I've been struggling with a short sci-fi I've been writing/developing. After watching this video, the "struggle", I realized, can be traced to my story idea being more fitting for the scope of a feature film, not a short. Plus, I have only made one previous short film. One that I wrote mainly as practice in writing, editing, adding music for a short film.
My first shortfilm was very ambitious: A claustrophobic guy wakes up in a room disoriented with no door. After panicking, he starts to hallucinate alter egos of himself, like a cool/bad guy and good guy versions of himself that argue with him and go through his mental struggle of how he got trapped in the first place. Eventually it gets too much and we see the guy freaking out on a camera monitor in a lab as a social experiment, an "Isolation" room. It was ambitious because I only had a week to plan, shoot and edit everything, I spent my only money on a green screen and lights, and my only assistant was my mom because we shot in a store-room at her work, haha!
I learnt a lot during the process, it came out alright for the resources I had, but ultimately, it could have been better if I had more time, money, crew and experience. Which I didn't know I needed, because I didn't have the experience.
I've found to sit with a group of friends over a beer and do a read-through of the first draft, helps pinpoint dull moments, unnecessary details and helps get a feel of the beats and length.
I searched through your channel last week looking for a guidance. Didn’t really find what I was looking for…and sure enough, today you post the exact advice I was seeking. Can’t lie, feels like I manifested this. Appreciate the content. Very helpful!
That's the best thing I could hear, glad it was helpful!
as far as feature films on TH-cam the works of "5 Dollar Film School" and "Doomed Productions" have done reasonably well with "The Bell Rings" being my favourite, definitely worth checking out
That's honestly so important, I keep taking on these "short film" project ideas that are, in all honesty, way too ambitious and fleshed out for a short film. I've been trying to do a mindset shift for the short film side, and you explained it bang on! Thanks for the awesome videos, they're always so helpful :)
I just screened my 30 minute Zombie short in downtown LA Saturday. I submitted to festivals today, but if no one takes it, I'm not waiting around. I'm booking my own screenings without compromising the film.
hi can i pay you 200 dollars to buy it from you
Thanks for having me man! 🤘🏻
bro
This is why I love Omeletto’s shorts with clear scope and story in the title
The short is definitely very difficult. It has to be both interesting and efficient. Two traits I don't possess. 😉
Great tips Kent! And thanks again for all of your work adjudicating the DeSales University Film Festival, it was a honor having you be a part of it and screen all of our films!
You should make a video about film making partners. I feel like a lot of successful directors have started off with making films as a pair right from page one (Cohen brothers, Wright and Pegg, Nolan brothers etc.). It seems like it would be be a really good way to make a film (yes I'm jealous of all these people) and you also have done this with Chris so it could be a great niche topic for you. There's also the struggle of finding someone like that; who will be as motivated as you about a film and that you can understand each other and work well together.
Happens in scriptwriting: You write a short story, but notice the sidekicks are cardboard supporting characters only, so you try to give them somewhat interesting backgrounds to make their motives credible. Very well, but that just leaves a sense in the audience that even more is missing. You simply have to build your universe with only small visual or character cues for the side roles, to show how they fit in and nothing more, or you will be shooting a feature film. Audiences are very smart. Tiny clothes or gazes or language use can tell a whole life story.
I started watching your videos two weeks ago, the same time i started pre production on this short film I'm making, its been great; like mr Miyagi watching over my shoulder and giving me tips. it's the biggest film I've worked on and it really exciting, although its only 4 minutes, but we did the first shoot the other day and it went great. anyway i think you are by far the best film advice channel (i'm so sick of vague video essays) I have seen, both with practical techniques, gear, strategy, etc. but also constantly reminding us that you have nothing without story (and actually giving really good, coherent advice on it). it's surprising that you haven't blown up yet, but at least it means you might read my comment. thanks for all the help.
We novelists have a similar problem with writing short stories, which usually end up being short, incomplete novels instead of short stories.
I've had some bad experiences this year that chipped away at my confidence in my filmmaking. Funny, I already know the facts you're saying, but hearing it again, with good examples, really helps me put things in perspective. I feel like I'm stuck in a brain fog of self-doubt. Great video.
"emesis blue" 2023 is example of good feature movie that pops out in youtube
Really helpful tips about short films! Thanks for putting this together.
Does 20 minutes still work?
I think my goals are just going bigger but simpler with each short film I make. In post production for my 7 minute horror short film and in pre for a 15 minute Christmas movie 😅 but definitely taking your advice for this Christmas one.
I've written features as a screenwriter, but now I'm going to try my hand at short films. I've made 2 micros on my phone and also edited them from there (first time editing... I love it!). Thanks for inspiring me to do shorts. More practical for me to get practice and know-how, in a hands-on approach. Can't wait to get the rest of my equipment for my A7III.
Really good advice. The sweet spot is under 15 or over 75 minutes. But like you said you have to look at who your film is for and what you want it to achieve. I haven't made a short for a few years but i often think my next short I'm pulling out all the stops for costume, set etc. And then i think is it a waste to not tell a few stories in the little universe and shoot a mini series. 😂
Daniel Lawrence Wilson is great. I love that film and his story.
One thing I am so very tired of in the realm of shorts is... Woe is my Depression Therapy Films... these are the films where all it is interested in is making viewers depressed or just expressing the filmmakers depression.
Yes, there are artists that can channel hardships into sublime masterpieces, but the vast, vast majority of films I see in short forms, are those where I kind of want to nudge the director towards seeking a therapist more than I want to see the rest of the short.
Sorry, rant over.
Osm 🔥
Killer Bean Forever. 'Nuff said. 😂
Are you based out of Richmond?
yeap, thats so common to happende here in my city, every body wanna make "short" films that last more than 20 min... and wanna make big films whitout making small films. a huge mistake. since i was introduced to this short film world 5 years ago, i alwas had the idea that its better to make 10 or more shorts films less than 10 min, than a long 30 or 40 or more minutes... if you cant tell a good story in 10 min, what makes you think you can tell a good story with more time??
🤘😎
I should add that this apllies better for rookies, amateurs, but if you already pass the "learning" stage, and feel like you got what it needs to create a big interesting story, go ahead! cause you already got the tools and knowledge to go for big films.
3:02 what movie is this
Looks like The Driver 1978.
Great video 😊 thanks
I liked this video. It is a good basis guideline, but of course...there are exceptions to everything you are telling, even including those exceptions in your video. The best advice I would say is to shoot, and then learn while you shoot, and learn what went right and what went wrong before your next project.
I learned this term from Seth Meyers when discussing skit writing with Bill Hader. "This skit has a hat on a hat." Meaning (as you say here) there's too many ideas happening in a short time frame. Remove one hat or the other, because wearing two hats is too much
new upload wooo! this is definitely a problem I struggle with
Interesting video, I am shooting a short film in two weeks and yes I think it suffers a bit form wanting to be a feature. I have tried to narrow the scope, tho the world is large I think the stroy is small enough. I dunno, something to think about thanks.
Thank you for your help - here and in general 😘
Does the course, wrapped in 30 days, have subtitles in other languages?
Can anyone help me with this?
Actually yeah I’m able to add automatic subtitle translations to the course, but it may not be as good as a translation from a real person. What language are you looking for?
@@StandardStoryCo thank you for response me. i'm looking for portuguese, i'm from brazil.
@@gabrielmendes1393 Cool, I just added Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. They are computer-generated though, so they're not perfect!
I always hated these dumb rules with festivals. You gotta let people find their own voice and that happens with trial and error. If someone makes a really great short with a "no-man's land" run time then why should the artist be punished? It's ridiculous
Because the goal of a short film festivals is to show as many great shorts as possible. And if you make a 45 minute short film that’s potentially 3-5 other shorts that they can’t show. It’s just simple math.
High quality vs. high quantity bro, trying to have both is nearly impossible. Short films should be the high quality section, cause you run the risk of wasting more time and doing more errors if you make them longer.
Time is a rule, not a constraint bro. This is a competition first, an art form second.
@@JakeMautner I didn't mention a 45 minute short film though. Yeah, that is not a short film lol. But 15-20 minutes is a great length imo.
@@murk4552 Or you run the risk of having to little just to make a time limit. It should be an art form first, but I understand. They gotta make their money.
lol... your intermediate at best. One should learn before one tries to teach.
Great no-budget feature that has actually gotten some great viewership is Joel Haver’s “Pretend That You Love Me”. Beautiful movie. Highly recommend. Inspired me to make my own no-budget feature that I’m uploading in November
you do alot of videos about short films, but could you do another video about your thoughts on making feature films?
A friend of mine wrote an entire season of a web series, but we realized we didn’t want to raise the money to fund 60 minutes worth of material. We took all that character development we did, selected one single scene from the web series, and made that scene into an 8 minute short that got on Short of the Week (it’s called ‘Giselle’ for those curious).
And yea I wanna see this bank heist short now 🫨