Producing a Short - Advice Needed

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  • Producing a Short - Advice Needed

    hi everyone.

    i don't know where to place this question. i've been thinking about shooting a short at some point in the future, say, the next year or so.

    i am totally ignorant, i admit it. i have recently gained some insights on film production from the MasterClasses i've taken: Jodi Foster, Ron Howard, Spike Lee, Scorsese, Finch...

    my first bit of business would be a camera, i think. can anyone offer some idea of what i might need? like a handheld camera? i guess i could play around with my iphone, but i'd like the quality to be as good as possible.

    i have written a short (one recently), but it's a period piece. it's the 8 page i wrote for Story Writer's contest here on DDP recently.

    but...

    i posted the opening page of Wasteland: The Sixth State pilot on twitter and a cinematographer responded with, "I love this! Seriously love the visuals, the storytelling. This sequence alone, I'd love to film."

    so it got me thinking. maybe i should try to shoot something that i've written. here is the one page... can anyone give me some idea of what it would take to do this? and if i wanted to collaborate with this DP how do i approach that. i'd like to have a well thought out plan. something executable.

    would it be cost prohibited to shoot 1 1/4 pages as opposed to an eight page short that's a 1920s throwback thriller? the latter would cost more. what's important to me is the film quality. i might be able to find investors, i'm not sure.

    i suspect money would be involved.

    so ,can someone give me some advice on how to approach filming one scene? consider i'm like Jon Snow - i know nothing. any insights would be helpful. as you read the page you'll see it has a very specific esthetic. it's black and white, color enhancing where applicable would have to be done in post, right? i'm not looking for notes on the scene as i am happy with it as written.

    i live near Dallas and there is a women's film industry here. could that be a resource of support?

    i know this might seem ambitious, but i follow a lot of working writers on Twitter and one of the "big" advices they give is to produce a short.

    here is the one page.

    Code:
                                          [FONT="Courier New"][B][U] TEASER[/U][/B]
    
                   [B]EXT. CITY STREET, LONDON - GRAINY BLACK & WHITE - DAY [/B]
    
                   A DESERTED STREET overflowing with GARBAGE. WIND BATTERS
                   plastic bags, tossing contents down the road. 
    
                   INFECTED DEAD and DECAYING BODIES as far as the eye can see.
                   BLACK STREAKS of blood from every orifice. Scabbed over BOILS
                   BLISTER their faces. A painful death to be certain.
    
                   BOARDED UP homes with a BLACK "P" sprayed on their doors. 
    
                   A QUIET THRUM RESONATES through us. Barely audible beneath
                   the wind, but it's there--
    
                   Something bad is coming...
    
                   Then, the SLAP of TINY DIRTY FEET. Glimpses of RUFFLED LINEN
                   and LACE. SHE passes us. We TILT UP, and PULL BACK, as: 
    
                   [B]TIME SLOWS TO A CRAWL:[/B]
    
                   ROSALIE, 4, runs away from us. Blonde locks whipping in the
                   wind. Her NIGHTGOWN BILLOWING behind her. A RED RIBBON slips
                   from her hair, the wind catches it, carries it away-- 
    
                   It is the only speck of color in this grim, monotone world.
    
                   She holds the hand of her BABY DOLL. She slows, turning in
                   every direction, desperately searching for someone-- 
    
                   The DISTANT THRUM RISES--
    
                   Rosalie faces us. BLOODSHOT EYES brimming with tears. Irises
                   so light they almost seem silver. Her chin quivers in fear--
    
                                       ROSALIE
                             Mama? Mama, where are you?
                                 (trying to be strong)
                             Mama? I can't find you.
                                 (forlorn)
                             Mama?
    
                   The THRUMMING IS ON TOP OF US NOW, we can't hide from it, and
                   neither can she. A DARK SHADOW passes over her. She glances
                   up, can't keep her fear at bay any longer as--
    
                   Tears slip from her eyes, except when they fall they turn
                   RED, filled with blood as we realize-- 
    
                   She is one of the infected.
    
                   A BOMBER SOARS overhead, its PAYLOAD FALLING... 
    
                   Rosalie brings Baby Doll to her lips, WHISPERING URGENTLY-- 
    
                                       ROSALIE
                             It's okay, Baby. It's okay. Mama's
                             here. Mama won't let anything happen
                             to you. Close your eyes, Baby.
    
                   She's so scared and so alone-- she just wants her mama.
    
                   Then, a BLINDING FLASH OF LIGHT-- [/FONT]
    i appreciate any advice you can offer.
    best,
    FA4
    "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

  • #2
    Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

    The reason to make a short is to see your work produced or you want to be a director as well. I feel it used to be a huge gateway to the industry, and still can be, but I wouldn't make a short as a career move unless your heart is fully in it. I would do it for fun and if it turns out well, then you can use it. You know?

    A period piece is going to cost more money to make obviously than 2 people talking at a diner. Or 2 people in a car. So is this the right idea for you to make first time out or should you write to your budget?

    As someone who went to film school and dreamed of making my own CLERKS which is about 90% of people probably on this board a few years back, I'm always dreaming on making the indie feature. Technology is so much better now that it's almost begging you to make a feature over a short. Now that sounds crazy I know, but it used to be such a cost difference and now people do making feature films using their iPhone with attachments, etc.

    Back to short idea -- you find a DP with a camera. They are everywhere looking for work. Most you would have to pay of course, but there's always up and coming college kids who are just excited to use the camera they bought. Back in the day it was the Sony VX-1000, than the Panasonic DVX 100, Canon XL... I dreamed of those cameras, now it's the Mark 2 and Red Camera and HD on your iphone... it's endless. Truth is it doesn't matter as the new cameras are so damn good. And a good DP can make almost any camera look great. And a worse camera may help a period piece, you know?

    So my advice is make sure this is the best short for you to tackle, working backwards into your budget and find people to do all the things you don't know. Maybe you don't even want to direct and you can fill that role. It all depends.

    What you wrote seems like it would require top notch attention to details and a great DP -- it seems crazy ambitious...

    I would 100% say write an easier scene you know you can shoot with locations you have access to, so you can figure out how it all works before you try to film this short below.

    Also, you could take a scene in one of your feature scripts you like... we did that... it was fun... so it's sort of a marketing tool for your feature.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I1Ylynes8A

      this short cost $3 dollars. just saying.

      best part of shorts is when they could never be a feature film and are just 1 crazy idea. shorter the better in 2019 though.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

        Originally posted by Bono View Post
        The reason to make a short is to see your work produced or you want to be a director as well. I feel it used to be a huge gateway to the industry, and still can be, but I wouldn't make a short as a career move unless your heart is fully in it. I would do it for fun and if it turns out well, then you can use it. You know?
        i'm going off of what several writers working in the industry are suggesting writers do to help jumpstart their careers. i don' know what you mean by, "unless your heart is fully in it." yes, i'm invested. i'm not doing it for fun, i want to do it to showcase my writing, my brand, and my capabilities.

        but i also don't want to be wasteful. i don't want to do it unless it will help. i don't want to be self-indulgent. i only want to do it if i can execute it well. with or without a hired DP.

        and, i would like to direct. right now, writing is most important.

        A period piece is going to cost more money to make obviously than 2 people talking at a diner. Or 2 people in a car. So is this the right idea for you to make first time out or should you write to your budget?
        if i'm going to do it, the idea of producing something that is reflective of my film making esthetic and style is important to me. i write primarily action driven, sci-fi thriller specs with a moderate budget to high budget. to produce something similar seems (i could be wrong i guess) the right idea, in the sense that it is reflective of my style and esthetic. all my specs with the exception of the new rom-com i'm finishing have this visual aspect to it. i want to showcase the visual aspect of storytelling. i might be able to do something with the funnier rom-com scenes, but there's still a SFX even in those scenes. idk, i'll have to think about that.

        i do not want to produce something other than what i've written. IOW, i am not interested in producing a micro budget or indy budget kind of piece as that is not what i write, nor is it what i'm interested in writing.

        As someone who went to film school and dreamed of making my own CLERKS which is about 90% of people probably on this board a few years back, I'm always dreaming on making the indie feature. Technology is so much better now that it's almost begging you to make a feature over a short. Now that sounds crazy I know, but it used to be such a cost difference and now people do making feature films using their iPhone with attachments, etc.
        CLERKS is a feature that was done on $27k budget. this is not what i'm interested in writing or producing.

        Back to short idea -- you find a DP with a camera. They are everywhere looking for work. Most you would have to pay of course, but there's always up and coming college kids who are just excited to use the camera they bought. Back in the day it was the Sony VX-1000, than the Panasonic DVX 100, Canon XL... I dreamed of those cameras, now it's the Mark 2 and Red Camera and HD on your iphone... it's endless. Truth is it doesn't matter as the new cameras are so damn good. And a good DP can make almost any camera look great. And a worse camera may help a period piece, you know?
        okay, so i do have a DP that that said he was interested in this one + page. i'm trying to discern what the cost of hiring one might be? i have no idea. and if i hire a DP it seems prudent to understand other costs as well. otherwise it's kind of futile. so, if i went that route instead of buying a camera, i'd have a camera for that project. but ONLY for that project.

        i don't know, but when you hire a DP is it normal that they are able to use the footage they shoot as a sample? or is it at my discretion? is that something that can be negotiated as part of the hiring process? i have no clue, but if it would help in convincing someone who has the chops, to work with me, i'd like to better understand how all that works. clearly i'm a novice at best. at worse, a complete idiot about such things.

        i do think i could story board it out to save time in creating a shot list. there is an actor's studio in the city circle in my community in North Dallas, so i might be able to find a 4year-old, or better yet a small 6 year-old. i know i have a lot to consider.

        i've thought about buying a camera for several years now. man, i love the capabilities of the Sony's A7S II for the shallow depth of field, slow motion and low light capabilities. watched a test, it's beautiful. i also like the Sony PWX-FS5 and the Blackmagic URSA mini pro, but clearly there's a lot of research i still must do. i was thinking of a budget of like, $6k

        and what about editing? i need an editor, too, right? and sound? yikes! this is kinda exciting.

        So my advice is make sure this is the best short for you to tackle, working backwards into your budget and find people to do all the things you don't know. Maybe you don't even want to direct and you can fill that role. It all depends.
        i do want to direct it. that's very important to me. okay, i will take your advice into serious consideration. there might be other scenes i can practice on, since i'm serious about directing myself and not leaving that to someone else. i guess i have to consider a lot of things.

        but producing this one page would go a long way as a representation of my work. i mean, i have no idea of the budget, but i'm certainly looking at writing in a whole new way-- haha. i mean are we talking $10 grand or $30?

        What you wrote seems like it would require top notch attention to details and a great DP -- it seems crazy ambitious...
        yes, i know. i did mention that. details are important. i mean, shot properly, this would be beautiful.

        I would 100% say write an easier scene you know you can shoot with locations you have access to, so you can figure out how it all works before you try to film this short below.
        okay, that's good advice.

        Also, you could take a scene in one of your feature scripts you like... we did that... it was fun... so it's sort of a marketing tool for your feature.
        i don't know what you mean, this is a scene from my pilot. it's the opening moments. i've written a feature as well.

        responding to your second post... not for me.

        thanks for all the comments. i have a lot to consider. not in a rush. working on it on the side. will have to google resources to help with how to create a budget and other things.

        post edit: i wonder if i could do a go fund me? i've also been thinking about starting a prodco or LLC as a way to write off expenses like this. i even have a name for it.
        Last edited by finalact4; 05-17-2019, 09:40 AM.
        "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

          This is why, several weeks ago, I threw some of my limited discretionary income toward the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund.

          In addition to the thrusts and jabs of the arguments over the value of shorts, as seen in this thread and others like it, here's their logic of the usefulness of a finished short film in your repertoire:

          From the Shore Script FAQ

          For one thing, if I were so lucky as to win this, I don't have to do anything to get the short made (ie. find director, casting, locations, equipment, etc.) or distributed, like when you do it yourself.

          $15,000 isn't much for a short: The one I gave them was a 20-pager with ordinary urban locations (office, cafe, etc.) and then some road traffic scenes. I don't know how far that budget will go. But if I were told I could have $15K and HAD to make a short film with it, or let experienced experts do it for the same amount, I'm only too happy to leave it to the professionals - and still own all the rights to it.

          Of course, one factor to consider is that I may have different career goals when compared to most here - for instance, I've absolutely no interest in directing, acting, scoring, etc., but have considerable interest in aiding with the actual production (ie. helping to arrange the money, casting or distribution through my contacts made over 10 years, etc.)

          The idea of doing a short had bounced around in my head before, in that I'd considered trying to take one of my scripts to a local film school. It fell through when financing issues arose. See? It all starts with the money.

          No matter, a short is a no-loss proposition, and seems like the way to go if you have the time, funds and inclination.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

            FA4 -- my posts are my best creative writing, I'm not writing a term paper, so just know that... I'm just writing from the heart, very quickly and throwing all ideas that come out of me at the wall. If you want perfection and reading comprehension on DD posts, that is not me. I'm just trying to get my thoughts out! Ha.

            I'm just being honest. I'm just hoping 1 out of 100 random thoughts will lead to some help.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

              Originally posted by Bono View Post
              FA4 -- my posts are my best creative writing, I'm not writing a term paper, so just know that... I'm just writing from the heart, very quickly and throwing all ideas that come out of me at the wall. If you want perfection and reading comprehension on DD posts, that is not me. I'm just trying to get my thoughts out! Ha.

              I'm just being honest. I'm just hoping 1 out of 100 random thoughts will lead to some help.
              hey, Bono, i'm not sure what you mean here. but did i offend you somehow? because i haven't said anything about your writing, creative of otherwise. just really trying to clarify my position, which admittedly might change.

              i very much appreciate everything you've offered thus far, so i'm a little confused by this post. i think i've responded in the same candid manner you did.

              i'm taking everything you've offered to heart. so if i've somehow offended you, my apologies as that was not my intent. a lot of thoughts came rushing out.

              best,
              FA4

              PE: i didn't say anything about perfection or reading comprehension. i simply said where i didn't understand your meaning.
              "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                Originally posted by catcon View Post
                This is why, several weeks ago, I threw some of my limited discretionary income toward the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund.

                In addition to the thrusts and jabs of the arguments over the value of shorts, as seen in this thread and others like it, here's their logic of the usefulness of a finished short film in your repertoire:

                From the Shore Script FAQ

                For one thing, if I were so lucky as to win this, I don't have to do anything to get the short made (ie. find director, casting, locations, equipment, etc.) or distributed, like when you do it yourself.

                $15,000 isn't much for a short: The one I gave them was a 20-pager with ordinary urban locations (office, cafe, etc.) and then some road traffic scenes. I don't know how far that budget will go. But if I were told I could have $15K and HAD to make a short film with it, or let experienced experts do it for the same amount, I'm only too happy to leave it to the professionals - and still own all the rights to it.

                Of course, one factor to consider is that I may have different career goals when compared to most here - for instance, I've absolutely no interest in directing, acting, scoring, etc., but have considerable interest in aiding with the actual production (ie. helping to arrange the money, casting or distribution through my contacts made over 10 years, etc.)

                The idea of doing a short had bounced around in my head before, in that I'd considered trying to take one of my scripts to a local film school. It fell through when financing issues arose. See? It all starts with the money.

                No matter, a short is a no-loss proposition, and seems like the way to go if you have the time, funds and inclination.
                thank you, catcon, very interesting site. thank you for your comments as well. much appreciated. producing a short is complex.

                best,
                FA4
                "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                  Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
                  hey, Bono, i'm not sure what you mean here. but did i offend you somehow? because i haven't said anything about your writing, creative of otherwise. just really trying to clarify my position, which admittedly might change.

                  i very much appreciate everything you've offered thus far, so i'm a little confused by this post. i think i've responded in the same candid manner you did.

                  i'm taking everything you've offered to heart. so if i've somehow offended you, my apologies as that was not my intent. a lot of thoughts came rushing out.


                  best,
                  FA4

                  PE: i didn't say anything about perfection or reading comprehension. i simply said where i didn't understand your meaning.
                  No no no - not at all. I was making fun of you myself mostly and that when you read my ramblings, there is no need to respond to everything as even I know most of it is just me going off the deep end. My post did read a little angry and I did not mean it at all that way. I was just throwing it out there, that just ignore my stupid thoughts as my wife does.

                  i was trying to say you often respond to the full post a person makes and I just don't want you to waste time on my entire posts -- that's what I was trying to say. I will not be offended if you write "okay, good thoughts." or "i disagree with it all." I was just trying to save you time, but you do what makes you happy. Maybe you love to respond to the whole posts. But I did not want you to be obligated.

                  I have yet to be offended by anyone on this board. Some people stir me up more than others, but you are not one of them FA4.

                  Take my posts as a fat guy like Kevin Smith used to be who just talks a lot and only intention is to make people laugh/smile and hopefully offer some help. I'm the harmless best friend in a rom com.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                    Originally posted by Bono View Post
                    No no no - not at all. I was making fun of you myself mostly and that when you read my ramblings, there is no need to respond to everything as even I know most of it is just me going off the deep end. My post did read a little angry and I did not mean it at all that way. I was just throwing it out there, that just ignore my stupid thoughts as my wife does.

                    i was trying to say you often respond to the full post a person makes and I just don't want you to waste time on my entire posts -- that's what I was trying to say. I will not be offended if you write "okay, good thoughts." or "i disagree with it all." I was just trying to save you time, but you do what makes you happy. Maybe you love to respond to the whole posts. But I did not want you to be obligated.

                    I have yet to be offended by anyone on this board. Some people stir me up more than others, but you are not one of them FA4.

                    Take my posts as a fat guy like Kevin Smith used to be who just talks a lot and only intention is to make people laugh/smile and hopefully offer some help. I'm the harmless best friend in a rom com.
                    okay. so good to know. it's just a process for me. how i think through things, more than anything it's to myself-- it's how i commit things to memory. it's a little akin to when you meet someone new if you say their name 7 times you won't forget it.

                    thanks for the thoughts.
                    "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                      Back to real advice.

                      I was saying filmmaking is hard. If you don't want to be a director as well as a writer, then I'm not seeing a huge benefit. But if you want to direct like most writers do, then I see it. And I mean even if you don't think you want to direct, shooting a short is a good learning experience, or as I called it "fun."

                      I think I learned over the years that I hate production and like the idea of writing and directing my own stuff better than doing it, because well ****, I haven't done it yet. And I've been thinking about it for over 20 years. That's just sad. I told myself it's because I'm a writer, maybe I'm just scared and lazy.

                      See I would suggest using the location around you -- dallas -- and find something unique. I don't know Dallas well, but I dont' think it looks like London. We all know what LA nyc Toronto atlanta look like, but what about Dallas? To me you start with what you can get and work backwards. Maybe write something new, that is your style, but maybe you shoot it at the Alamo. Is that a real place or just a joke in Pee Wee? (just a joke, but I honestly know nothing about it). What's a cool location in Dallas that you can write a scene with 1 or 2 people... you know?

                      Filmmaking is crazy hard. It's perfect on the page and it never comes out the same. Rare times it does or even better, is a miracle. That's why we have movies that are great and most are terrible. It's hard to make a good film, let alone a great one.

                      DP can be free to whatever they want to charge. Last DP we hired was a friend and he still charged us 400 bucks for the short film which is fair because renting the camera would 150-200 bucks and he provided all the equipment plus knows how to use it. I'd say 500-1500 a day for DP with a camera and that may not include lights or not. Thats' what I recall from NYC days, but it's been a long time. I suspect Dallas would be cheaper and maybe more people eager to get involved as less going on, you know?

                      Why wouldn't you want a DP to put this movie on their reel? Yes if you aren't paying them, that's their reward. If you are, I guess you can decide, but what's the harm?

                      Again as someone who spent years, years, years looking at camera, maybe even buying some, it was a mistake. It's outdated in 3 weeks and I still don't want to be the DP myself. I'm not good at it. It takes mad skills. So why worry about it, hire the DP with the camera. It's so much easier.

                      Yes, sound and editing is huge. Huge. I thought I wanted to be an editor. I still love it. But it turns out I'm better at doing what a director would do which is tell the editor what to try... actually sitting there and using Final Cut Pro I just couldn't take it. I know so much about it, but worrying about all the technically stuff, drove me mad. It's the exact opposite feeling of writing.

                      We can forgive bad picture quality, but bad sound is the worst. A sound person on set is needed most of the time to get it right.

                      You may not like that Duplass mumblecore short from Sundance, but find some other shorts, find ones that did it well so you know what you're goal is.

                      Overall, I don't see how making a short film of 1 page of your script is going to help you much, even if it's amazing.

                      It's just hard to get noticed... I"m not saying you can't do it... but I'm just saying, it's another thing you have to market in a way and it's going to take time away from writing.

                      I was trying to say, I disagree that a short film is good next step for advancing ones career. It's a very specific thing and you have to know why you're doing it.

                      My buddies are making shorts and shot a TV pilot because they are trying to get considered to be directors of their feature film scripts -- they had a big comedy last year -- so they hope next script they may get to direct it.

                      Of course there are plenty of stories of writers who got to direct their own work and it's the first thing they ever did. Usually it's after they sold 1-2 projects and they go "this one is one I will only sell to you if you let me direct" sort of thing...

                      I wish you and anyone who wants to make stuff, good luck.

                      Myself, I'm always thinking of web series that I can make. To me that's a good mix of short films and the current 2019 landscape.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                        great stuff, Bono.

                        i'm not limited to Dallas alone. my daughter and close friend live in CT which is 2+ hours outside NYC. another close friend in the Bronx that would let me use her place. beautiful scenery up north. there's a women's film industry here, but i'm not telling female specific stories necessarily.

                        i'm new to North Dallas but it seems really flat here. and it's going to be really hot outside in a couple weeks. but the Alamo is a real place and a good suggestion. New Orleans is a short flight away, but flights are always expensive to go there for some reason.

                        i do travel a lot so if i had a camera, i could do some landscape establishing shots that might help. or exteriors that i might be able to use. i have a high shot from the Duomo of Florence. i might be able to find a home in CT that i could match up. i'm going to be traveling with an entirely new eye now. time to check out some iphone apps.

                        i'm going back to paris in a couple of weeks, can't make cannes, but i might have an opportunity to shoot some footage of cafes, hotels, the yellow vests, haha. cuz you never know what you might be able to use, right. maybe good practice. i'll be hitting Finland, Sweden, Norway for a little more than a day each. or at least that's the plan. i just wish i had something other than my iphone Xs, you know?

                        i need to take all this in. it's kind of exciting to ponder, you know. at least i know i can write a short now. haha.

                        thanks so much for the advice.
                        "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                          This is an interesting topic for me as I have been going down this path for the last few years of directing my own work. I apologize in advance if any of this comes across as discouraging or condescending. And also for the meandering, rambling nature of it. I just want to share my experience in the hope that it might prove useful to you in some way.

                          I directed my first two short films, based on my own writing, about six years ago. At the time I had delusions of how talented I was and how I was going to make this short that would blow everyone away and everyone and their uncle would be lining up to pay me to write and direct my first feature.

                          While my skills as a writer were decent-ish at the time I had no experience of directing, nor had I put in serious time into property studying the craft. And make no mistake about it, directing is just as much a craft as writing and requires a lot of work, study and practice to develop your skill in it to a decent level.

                          In my opinion, there are three main areas of directing. Storytelling, cinematography and working with actors. As a skilled writer you have one of these down already which gives you an advantage over a lot of other people trying to direct their first piece. (Decent scripts are hard to find). However, you need to get really good in at least one other key skill if you want to succeed as a director and by that I mean make a short film that is halfway decent.

                          So back to my first short. I found a cinematographer with a decent camera and lenses who was keen to shoot some material for his reel. I offered to pay him €500 as well as free room and board at my grandparents house in India for two months to help me shoot my two short films.

                          Both of these had a pretty decent script. I also lucked out in finding some very talented actors for the piece. The cinematography was competent and in places genuinely beautiful. However, both pieces contained some basic errors of directing. This was because I simply did not possess the requisite knowledge and I was relying on the cinematographer who had his own ideas that were sadly also not informed by a solid grounding in filmmaking. We made basic errors in blocking as well as not knowing how to properly shoot an action piece to the extent that we had to edit these out in the final versions.

                          So I ended up with two short pieces that looked quite beautiful in places, had some really nice moments but at the same time it would be obvious to anyone watching the whole film that I was not yet ready to direct a feature of any budget level. However, it proved to be a valuable learning experience. I did manage to get them into some local festivals as well.

                          My next opportunity to direct came when I was selected as one of five filmmakers for a funding scheme by the Irish film Board to make a short promo for a low budget feature concept. This was in collaboration with an acting school and so I had a lot of support in the project. This was about three years or so after I had made my two initial shorts and I had put in considerable time into studying directing and filmmaking during the interval.

                          The producers found me an excellent crew and a brilliant cinematographer. I had developed my craft to the point where I was starting to gain an understanding of visual storytelling and had some original ideas for shots that actually ended up looking quite beautiful in the final piece. My two previous shorts had enough in them that convinced the producers to give me a chance on this scheme. They also loved the concept that I had pitched as my project.

                          Despite producer support and €5000 funding from the film board for my project, I really had to bust my ass over three months getting various elements of the piece together before we could shoot. I was also very lucky in that I had a pool of talented upcoming actors to choose from from this acting school and was given my first choice of actors who happened to be among the best in the group.

                          At the end of the process, I ended up with a promo that meets a professional standard and was a strong showcase of my craft as a director. However, I had chosen quite controversial subject matter and soon realized that I could not really show it to everyone out there. While the promo was considered strong, I ultimately failed to secure funding for the feature script that I wrote again because of the subject matter, primarily, but also, I think it fair to say in hindsight, in my own skill as a writer still not quite as strong as it needed to be to really become undeniable.

                          Some more years passed. I spent two years writing a play that started out as a feature script. This got me a lot of attention and was probably the first truly undeniable piece that I wrote. But it was also experimental and different and not exactly commercial. It won an award at a literature Festival and was subsequently commissioned by a director I met at the award ceremony.

                          This play had its first run in November of last year. I had the privilege of being able to attend in the lead up and watch rehearsals and follow the director around for a little while. Here too, I had harbored notions of directing the play myself at some point and indeed had scuppered an opportunity to have it produced elsewhere by sticking to this ambition. But watching the director at work, I quickly learned just how much I lacked in terms of my knowledge of stagecraft. Maybe if this had been a play with three or four characters and minimal set and aesthetic design I might have been able to pull it off. But I was in no way prepared to be able to do justice to the epic that I had written and this became painfully apparent to me when I saw the director at work.

                          Last year, I decided to film a short as a promo for another feature-length project that I have been working on. I felt that now I had the experience and skill to be able to do justice to the intentioned piece. And perhaps this is the part of my journey that is most relevant to what you are trying to do.

                          A friend of mine, with a background in finance, who is married to an Emmy award-winning documentary director agreed to come on board as a producer. Initially, I had intended to shoot a five minute promo. I ended up with a 26 page script which was then finally cut down to 16 pages.

                          We started with a budget of Canadian $5000 and ended up spending almost $15,000, $3000 of which was the insurance deductible for a large transport van that was damaged by one of the production assistance who had been working for free on the project.

                          We shot this piece over three days. I found an incredibly talented cinematographer and some superb actors. While most of the crew agreed to work for free with only transport and food paid for the actors were all paid. It really made a huge difference in the quality of the actors that we were able to secure.

                          It was a roller coaster ride and we had to bust our asses for many months to get the shoot done. We are now finally putting the finishing touches on the short film and hope to have it ready for submission to festivals soon. I think this is actually a very strong piece that is going to open a lot of doors for me but it has taken a lot of work, study and failure for me to get to this stage. And how the story will unfold is yet to be seen.

                          Bottom line, directing a short film, at least one that is of any quality, is neither straightforward nor easy. We have all heard stories of people who direct their first piece and find immediate fame and fortune. We have no way of knowing how much work they had put in into understanding the craft before they got to that stage.

                          There is also the story of the writer of 'The Usual Suspects' who got funding to direct his first feature, made a rookie mistakes because of a lack of experience and almost ended up losing his entire career to the point where he considered quitting the business before finding success with another screenplay after almost a decade in the wilderness.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                            Thanks for posting your great story (and lessons learned)!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Producing a Short - Advice Needed

                              I haven't read through everything, but I did read FA4's first response to Bono, and while I've never shot anything, I have worked production and my wife used to be an AD (she has also shot a few shorts and commercials). So I think I have something to offer in terms of advice.

                              If you've never shot anything before, it might be worth considering shooting a few short scenes like that Duplass one Bono posted to get your feet wet. Really simple films with one location, 1-2 actors, etc. There are so many things you have to consider on a shoot outside of the obvious -- blocking, continuity, lighting, coverage, etc., and really the only way to learn is by doing it. I think it's a good idea to find a scene from one of your scripts, cast a couple of actors, and shoot it on an Iphone. You can do it in a day. Do that a few times to get used to the process, and when you're ready, dive into the one you really want to do. To me, shooting a period piece with child actors and a crew as your very first experience with production will be, at best, a major headache. And to be blunt, at worst it could be an absolute cluster****. Just something to think about.

                              Edit: Klazart's post is incredibly insightful.

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