Start Short, Think Tall

So you don't have a couple million bucks, right?  Wait, you don't even have a couple hundred thousand bucks!  The shame of it all.  Yeah right!  Most of us don't.  The majority of us trying to make a first feature doesn't have anyone in their life willing to give that kind of money for a very high risk investment such as your film.  How do we get started then? My advice is to make a short film.  Short films can be a very effective, low-cost way to show people in the industry what you can do.  I've definitely mentioned this before, but what does it really take to make a short film and what's the difference between that and a feature?  I know what the wise-ass in you is thinking: "um, they're different lengths."  I know, but what I'm asking is what does that mean to the process of making a short film?

In the world of high definition video, short films are cheaper to make than they used to be.  My advice is to get started right after film school.  Use whatever short film you made and submit it to festivals.  That way you don't have to spend thousands of more dollars... yet.  Maybe that's all you'll need.  Most likely, though, after your senior year film's run, you're ready to make another, even better one.  There's a lot to be said for an indie short film that isn't your student film.  Believe it or not, from my experience, it'll get taken much more seriously right off the bat.  But let's start at the beginning.  I've been writing a lot about writing for a reason.  If a screenplay is bad, you're movie is more-or-less guaranteed to be bad.  It all starts there.  If you make a movie with a boring screenplay, you've not only wasted a lot of your money, but you've wasted a lot of your time.

I think short films are so much easier to write than features, but also much harder in unexpected ways.  It's a no-brainer that getting 20 pages out of your system versus 100 takes less time.  Features require sub-plots, extra characters, and a richer story.  I like doing that.  You get to play in your new world for a little longer and have more time to state your theme to the audience.  I've always been one to struggle shortening my scripts because they are too long.  But, there's something to say about writing short films too.  It's so much more to the point.  Short films are mini-features.  Most features are 90-120 minutes.  Let's say Act I, the setup, is about 25 pages.  Act II is about 50 pages.  The conclusion, Act III, is about another 25 pages.  Now imagine you have 20 minutes to just do the whole thing.  You know what that is?  It's a 5 page Act I, 10 page Act II, and 5 page Act III.  It's not about the less work involved, it's about the fact that you can introduce the characters and problems in 5 minutes, have them unfold in 10, then resolve everything in 5!  Now that's to the point!  Before you know you're done with the setup, the story's already afoot and it's time to conclude it.  Now, a 20 minute film that drags is the worst thing in the world, and a lot of them do.  We don't want that, right?  Think tall with your short and make sure it's the best it can be!

The ending of a short film is so, so important.  Okay, this can depend on the kind of story you have, but the one thing that I believe makes short films infinitely tougher to write than features, is that so much more pressure is on the fact that it needs a good ending.  An unexpected ending... now that's gold.  There's only so much one can do in 20 minutes, so unless the film is visually stunning or has a memorable twist ending, or at least an unpredictable one, it won't get noticed.  I think a big problem today is people aren't always aware of what's unexpected anymore.  What used to be unexpected isn't anymore.  For example, everyone dies in the end.  How many times have you seen that in a short film?  It used to be cool and inventive; now it's a dime a dozen.  Those are almost more common these days than everything working out, which used to be the cliché even longer ago.  Maybe I'm alone in this, but isn't the happy ending in a horror movie more of a twist than an unhappy one?  Wait, they actually survived?!  That never happens anymore!  Oh, look, they think they've won but the ten gunshots to the head didn't work and he's back... roll credits!  Raise your hand if you're sick of that.  Okay, maybe I'm blowing off steam.  Still, if you are doing a mystery or thriller, the endings need that "what the...?" factor.  Those usually are the best.  My advice is to avoid clichés at all costs.  Sounds easy, but it isn't.  If twists were easy, they suddenly wouldn't be twists anymore.  Think of something really, really good.  Turn the expected on its head.  Sometimes I like to think about what the two most likely endings are, then come up with some crazy third.  I know, easier said than done of course, but take the extra time to think up a great ending and it could really mean sink or swim at the festivals.

A short film is the best and cheapest way to prove what you can do as a director.  Festivals are a great way to show it.  So go for it and do what you've always wanted to do by starting short, thinking tall.