How can you tap into this omnipresent yet often elusive club? The simple answer: through short film.<\/p>\n
A short film is defined as\u00a0\u201can original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits\u201d\u00a0by\u00a0The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n
Having been involved with many short films as a producer, writer and actor myself, I often get asked for advice about making shorts. I co-founded my production company as we had several feature films and long form series on our slate, but we wanted to build our credibility within the industry by producing high-quality short films as a showcase and steppingstone to larger scale projects.<\/p>\n
There are various ways you can make a short film, but here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned so far\u2026<\/p>\n
Make a Short Film for a Reason<\/h3>\n
Short films can be important practice for a filmmaker \u2013 whether you\u2019re an actor, writer, director, producer, editor, makeup artist, composer or any member of the crew. It\u2019s a way to grow your art, develop your craft, style, or idea, and expand your contact pool.<\/p>\n
Be clear about why\u00a0you\u2019re making your short film. Is it a vehicle to a bigger story? An opportunity for you to act? A proof of concept for a feature or a series? It doesn’t have to be any of these things, or it could be all of them at once. It could even be a story that you are compelled to tell, that\u2019s simply best suited to the short form.<\/p>\n
Ask yourself:<\/p>\n
- \n
- What am I trying to say as a filmmaker?<\/li>\n
- Why am I making this now?<\/li>\n
- What’s in it for everyone else: the audience, my crew, the political landscape, etc.?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A lot of love, sweat, tears, time and money go into making a short film, so make sure you\u2019re clear on the\u00a0why.<\/p>\n
Finding Cast and Crew<\/h3>\n
Like other aspects of the industry, filmmaking is about relationships. Once you\u2019re clear on why you want to make the film, you need to convince others to come and join you in creating it.<\/p>\n
Actors<\/strong><\/h4>\n
If you want to\u00a0create a compelling character<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0scene for a showreel<\/a>, why not go further and develop the idea into a short film script? Your character is more likely to be more developed \u2013 and you\u2019ll also gain a credit for your CV. There will also be more opportunity to collaborate with other filmmakers, submit your project to film festivals and share your work with a wider audience. Actors are storytellers who can develop a character arc or storyline, but you can also team up with writers.<\/p>\n
Writers<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Coming up with a conceptual, narrative arc or hook is essential for the short form. Telling a complete story within a limited amount of time and gripping the audience is one of the main challenges. Consider how the narrative might play out on screen, in cinemas, laptops, televisions and even on mobile phones.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s not really the job of a writer to concern themselves with budgets, it\u2019s useful in this instance to consider the logistical elements of delivering a short film. Try to keep the idea simple and make use of locations that can be easily achieved. Be prepared to develop your screenplay further with your director and producer and allow it to evolve.<\/p>\n
Read more about\u00a0writing for screen<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0how to create your own screenwork<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Directors<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Create materials to help deliver your vision; mood boards, storyboards, and audio-visual samples of what direction you want to take the film in. They\u2019ll help with the clarity of the project and add value to what you and the team are building. You have a tight schedule on a short film, so the more prepared you are the better. These materials will also assist with pitching and raising finance. Your writer is your spirit guide, and your producer is your main support, facilitator and voice of reason.<\/p>\n
Producers<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How are you going to pitch the project to financiers? How will you convince cast and crew to come on board? The screenplay needs to be sensational for a start \u2013 this is your blueprint which you\u2019ll need to spend time developing with the writer and director \u2013 but what other nuggets can you decipher from the project to help package and sell it?<\/p>\n
Are there any unique and beautiful filming locations that can attract an established cinematographer? Are there moving and thought-provoking themes with rich dialogue scenes?<\/p>\n
If you can attach a lead actor that other cast and crew would be excited to work with and who might help finance the film, that\u2019s a real coup and can really help move things forwards. For crew, it\u2019s often about catching people at the right time \u2013 can you offer a step up in their role? Consider offering a Head of Department role and a chance to gain leading production roles on their CVs.<\/p>\n
Useful resources for finding local crew are the regional film offices which have crew databases as well as databases like\u00a0Staff Me Up<\/a>,\u00a0etc. There are also crew agencies such as\u00a0Suz Cruz North<\/a>.<\/p>\n
How to Fund Your Short Film<\/h3>\n
There are various ways to finance your short film. Here are some of the useful funding methods to look into:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Crowdfunding<\/a>\u00a0is the way a lot of first-time filmmakers get their short films made. You can offer incentivised ‘perks’ to people in exchange for investment in your film. Like the short film itself, you\u2019ll need to be clear on the sell and have a unique, fun, accessible and attractive campaign for the crowdfund.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Public funding bodies also offer money to short filmmakers in the UK by way of non-recoupable grants. The main fund is the\u00a0BFI Network National Lottery\u00a0short film fund<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Private funds like\u00a0First Flights<\/a>,\u00a0Genera Film Fund<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0The Pitch<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Keep an eye out for other opportunities that pop up among broadcasters and streamers such as the recent Film 4 and BFI backed\u00a0Future Takes<\/a>\u00a0short film fund, the\u00a0Disney Imagine\u00a0programme or the\u00a0Sky Arts\u00a0Shortflix<\/a>\u00a0initiative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you\u2019re unsure how to apply for funding, take a look at these\u00a0tips for tackling your first funding application<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Submitting Your Film to Short Film Festivals<\/h3>\n
You can make money from short films \u2013 or at least some return on what you spend making them. Certain festivals have prize money available for winners of various categories and the prestige of a good festival run and awards can also lead to sales and distribution. There are film distributors specific to the short film market and digital platforms that you can sell your short films to.<\/p>\n
To take advantage of this, have a planned strategy for your festival approach. Have an ideal plan of which festivals you\u2019d really like your film to screen and favour those first for your world, international, national and regional premieres.<\/p>\n
Some questions to ask yourself:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Is there a specific genre strand of festival that your film might appeal to?<\/li>\n
- Are you hoping to get into festivals that support and develop writers or directors?<\/li>\n
- Are you hoping to qualify for\u00a0BAFTAs\u00a0or\u00a0BIFAs? If so, make sure you know which festivals are qualifying.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are also festival strategy consultancy companies that you can pay to assist you such as\u00a0Festival Formula<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Cost of Festivals<\/h4>\n
Festival submissions can be expensive, so make sure you have a clear plan of what you\u2019re hoping to achieve. Try to be organised so you can submit to festivals early as most have a sliding scale of cost depending on how near the festival the submission is \u2013 this can save you a lot of money. There are also less expensive routes to consider in getting your film to an audience such as going for\u00a0Vimeo Staff Picks<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Short of the Week<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Self-Submitting for Festivals<\/h4>\n
If you want to self-submit to festivals, you can do so via\u00a0Filmfreeway<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Shortfilmdepot<\/a>. Some higher profile festivals require you to upload films and submission information directly to their own sites, so read their application process guides properly.<\/p>\n
Beware of Scam Festivals<\/h4>\n
Be warned that not all film festivals are real. Some are set up to attract money, so do your research to confirm they\u2019re legitimate.<\/p>\n
Networking Through Festivals<\/h4>\n
- Private funds like\u00a0First Flights<\/a>,\u00a0Genera Film Fund<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0The Pitch<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Public funding bodies also offer money to short filmmakers in the UK by way of non-recoupable grants. The main fund is the\u00a0BFI Network National Lottery\u00a0short film fund<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Crowdfunding<\/a>\u00a0is the way a lot of first-time filmmakers get their short films made. You can offer incentivised ‘perks’ to people in exchange for investment in your film. Like the short film itself, you\u2019ll need to be clear on the sell and have a unique, fun, accessible and attractive campaign for the crowdfund.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/spotlightuk\/image\/fetch\/w_{width},c_limit\/https:\/\/spotlight-cmsmedia.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/media\/3269\/justin-mcdonald-headshot.jpeg\")
<\/span>Justin is an award-winning actor, writer and producer. He has produced four short films with his production company,\u00a0