Nathan Parker
SHORT FILMS
…how to make and distribute them
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Context
Experience
Skills
What you will get out of this book
1. TURNING YOUR IDEA INTO A FILM
Developing your idea
Budget
Duration
Time
Don’t let your ideas go to waste
2. SCRIPTING
Treatment
Do you need a script?
Formatted scripts
3. STORYBOARDING
What storyboards look like
Different storyboarding methods
4. COMPOSITION
Camera position
Framing
Angle
Speed
Colour
Types of shot
Camera moves
5. PRODUCER
Producing
Self-producing
Finding a producer
Producers’ duties
Interview with Adrian Sturges
Interview with Wendy Bevan-Mogg
6. PRE-PRODUCTION
Breakdowns
Software scheduling
Scheduling
Schedule dates
Call sheets
Shot list
Shot list tips
Budget
Line budgets
Short film budgets
Top sheet
7. PRODUCTION VALUES
Funding
Types of funding
Applying for funding
8. CASTING
Casting professional actors
Casting non-professional actors
Finding actors
Interview with Rosalie Clayton
9. WHERE TO SHOOT YOUR FILM
Locations
Scouting
Recce
Studios
Non-professional studios
Soundstages
Budget saving
10. INSURANCE
Types of insurance
Small print
Where to get short film insurance
Budget saving
11. SHORT FILM FORMATS
Choosing a format
Exploiting a format
Aspect ratio
12. VIDEO
Resolution
Standard-definition
High-definition
Colour space / sampling
Video cameras
Video that looks like film
Digital video formats and tapes
Choosing a camera
Shooting on video
13. FILM
Why shoot on film?
Film stock
Film cameras
Structure of shooting on film
Processing
Screening prints
Budget saving
Film resolution
14. SUPER 16MM
Super 16mm versus 35mm
Super 16mm versus video
Potential workflows
15. 35MM
Potential workflows
16. LENSES AND FILTERS
Lens basics
Lens types
Focus
Aperture
Lens speed
Matte box
Filters
Follow focus
17. LIGHTING
Exposure
Mood
DP
Lighting yourself
Light temperature and colour
Brightness
Light meter
Types of light
The cheapest light
Light control
The basics of lighting a scene
18. GRIP GEAR
Tripod
Track and dolly
Jib/boom
Steadicam
19. HIRING EQUIPMENT
Wet hire
Dry hire
Budget saving
20. DIRECTING
Working with actors
Shooting ratio
Coverage
Continuity
Problem solving
21. CREW
Production manager
Assistant director
Camera crew
Sound crew
Gaffers/sparks
Riggers
Art department
Continuity supervisor
Costume
Hair and make up
Finding a crew
22. DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Finding a DP
Style
Interview with Simon Minett
23. LOCATION SOUND
Sound mixer
Boom operator
Technique
Equipment
Interview with Oli Cohen
24. POST-PRODUCTION WORKFLOW
Quality preservation
Budget
25. EDITING
Non-linear
Choosing an editing system
Cuts and transitions
Clips and files
Sound editing
26. SOUNDTRACK
Dialogue
Sound effects
Music
Interview with Rachel Hamilton
27. FILM TRANSFER
Telecine
Digital intermediate
28. GRADING
Grading film
Grading video
Digital grading
Professional grading
DIY grading
29. MASTER AND SCREENING FORMATS
30. DISTRIBUTION
Festivals
Interview with Philip Ilson
Interview with Joe Bateman
Submitting to festivals
Online submission
Interview with Joe Neulight
Distribution companies
Markets
Interview with David Russell
31. THE DIRECTORS
Interview with Amanda Boyle
Interview with Laurence Coriat
Interview with Charles Hendley
Interview with Toby Roberts
Resources
Copyright
INTRODUCTION
With a history as long as cinema itself, the short film is a vital format. It provides the opportunity for the filmmaker to experiment and learn in equal measure. Although most filmmakers long for big budgets and the opportunity to direct a feature-length film, it’s easy to forget the artistic and commercial restrictions that come with studio backing; and work dictated by finance rather than creativity often compromises the director’s vision. Short filmmaking offers the chance to express yourself without these limitations, the freedom to deal with ideas, subject matter and aesthetics that might be considered either too radical or commonplace for features.
Whether you are planning on making a 15-second video piece or a 30-minute drama on 35mm, you will be dealing with the same principles and processes of filmmaking. You may intend to make a short either as a chance to experiment or as a stepping-stone to feature directing, but the process of producing it will give you invaluable first-hand experience and also the potential to influence and inspire others through your film.
Due to technological advances, filmmaking is no longer a medium reserved for professionals. With the ever-increasing quality of domestic cameras and computer-based editing systems, it’s now possible to create a film with a high-end look for very little. With the accessibility and quality of this equipment, more and more people are now becoming involved in short filmmaking. As a result, there are more places to screen your film once it’s made, whether through Internet streaming, or at one of the many worldwide film fe
stivals.
While it’s a great time to be making short films, the journey can be perilous. There are endless choices to be made at every stage, from formats, through casting to distribution. If you aren’t armed with the right knowledge, it’s easy to become unstuck along the way. Many potential filmmakers find the process daunting, and this can lead to unfinished films or shorts that, once made, simply never get seen. This book is designed to help you to overcome these hurdles and facilitate the entire short filmmaking process, giving you insight into the options available to you, and helping you find the right route for your film; from the initial idea to the moment when an audience finally watches it on the screen.
CONTEXT
Although the first films ever made were short in nature, the longer-duration format – or feature film – evolved quickly. Traditionally, filmmaking has belonged to large film studios that generated their monopoly on cinema through commercial productions, with feature-length films their most financially viable products. Due to its lack of commercial viability, short film has almost exclusively existed as an independent art form, often the only type of filmmaking available to people unconnected to or backed by large studios.
Short film’s independent nature has ensured it as a fertile area of innovation and experimentation, at the cutting edge of film, both technically and ideologically. Unhindered by more conservative studio systems, shorts have really been the breeding ground for many of the ideas and approaches that have then been re-absorbed into features. Short filmmaking therefore provides you with an opportunity to influence the way that films are made and how they look, as well as audiences and other filmmakers. Just one short film – Maya Deren’s experimental Meshes of the Afternoon for example – is capable of redefining how people perceive films and cinema in general.
EXPERIENCE
At the beginning of your filmmaking process you need to build enough knowledge of all the different elements that go into creating a complete film. This does not mean reading every book and manual on the subject. While books on filmmaking are a valuable resource, filmmaking cannot be learned theoretically. Although it requires meticulous planning and coordination, it also relies on intuition, creativity and experience. The real learning process occurs when you put your ideas into practice. It’s only by getting out there and making your own films, or helping others to make theirs, that you will begin to gain a thorough understanding of how films are really made. It’s this experience that will ultimately help you develop a sense for filmmaking and allow you to hone your skills.
If you are a novice filmmaker you may strive for perfection, but you’ll learn a great deal through your mistakes. The disappointment you may feel when your film on screen doesn’t match up with your original vision shouldn’t discourage, but rather inspire you. You can use what you have learned to make your next project better, and it’s largely through this process that you will develop into a skilful and well-rounded filmmaker.
SKILLS
Filmmaking by its very nature doesn’t depend on the talent of just one person, and what makes a good film is a unique combination of skilled people. The most important skill that you need as a director, or filmmaker, is the ability to communicate your vision to other people, not just with your finished film but to those involved in the process of making it. Whether it’s with an actor, cinematographer or composer, you will need to communicate clearly what you have in mind and what you require of them to make your ideas possible. For this you need to develop specific communication skills and learn the languages of filmmaking. Each filmmaking discipline has its own specific terminology and mode of expression. Explaining to an actor what emotion you would like them to manifest is very different to explaining to a Director of Photography (DP) how you would like a shot to be framed and lit. One of the key purposes of this book is to explain the languages of the different roles involved in filmmaking and help you to communicate your ideas.
WHAT YOU WILL GET OUT OF THIS BOOK
These days short film is an ubiquitous art form. You can make one on your phone in 20 seconds, have it on the net in a few minutes and potentially broadcast it to millions on YOUTUBE in a matter of days. This book, however, is designed for people that want to push their ideas and skills towards more complex productions. Creating short films that are well-thought out, well-crafted and well-executed.
This book is designed to cover the majority of technical aspects and options involved in completing a short film. It should provide you with a comprehensive overview that will allow you to choose from a range of established methods and techniques to create your own unique film. Although these methods are based on conventional filmmaking practices, the films you make don’t have to be. It merely provides a structure within which you can create your own vision. Subjects such as cinematography or scriptwriting are discussed but for more in-depth treatment you would be wise to look elsewhere.
Aside from an all-round practical and theoretical knowledge, a range of interviews also offers you the opportunity to observe how other filmmakers have created their films.
1. TURNING YOUR IDEA INTO A FILM
Although there is no one filmmaking formula, there are many established filmmaking methods, some of which have evolved from the feature film industry and are often adapted and downsized for the purposes of short filmmaking.
Although a number may not apply to small-budget short films, several are extremely useful if not essential in planning and shooting a short of any length or budget.
Filmmaking protocol is of course always in flux. Established methods can suddenly become obsolete with the advent of a new piece of technology. Even well-established conventions are constantly being modified and tailored to suit the needs of an individual film. Most feature filmmaking methods have come about in order to make the process of production more efficient and minimise the potential for problems.
The result is a series of tried and tested methods, which are practiced in all areas of filmmaking. They aren’t rules as such, and no one is going to insist you adhere to them, but there is a great deal to be learned from the experiences of thousands of other filmmakers.
The methods described in this book are derived from established techniques. While films vary in style, content and duration, making it practically impossible to follow a specific model from start to finish, having a good understanding of conventional practices allows you to pick and choose which ones work best for you. For this, you will need to evaluate the specific needs of your film and work through a process of elimination to determine which are most applicable to your short. Ultimately they are designed to help you make your film with greater ease.
DEVELOPING YOUR IDEA
The concept for a short film can come from anywhere. There are no rules about what makes for good subject matter, no rules about the way in which you present it to an audience; both can be as direct or abstract as you want. While this freedom is short filmmaking’s obvious appeal, it can sometimes be overwhelming.
One of the most useful strategies for finding and developing ideas is to work out what limitations you will face during the creation of your film. The key to turning a good idea into a good film is to work within your means and you should carefully evaluate your potential ideas in light of the following considerations:
BUDGET
Although short filmmaking is a chance to let your imagination manifest itself on screen, more often than not you will find that imagination can be very expensive in practical terms.
Generally the main limitation when making shorts is budget. The budget – or lack of it – will dictate what kinds of ideas you can develop and eventually realise. Large casts and elaborate sets are expensive to incorporate; and while you should aim high with your overall production values, you need to be realistic to achieve optimum results within the boundaries of your budget.
DURATION
Short films can range from a few seconds to 30 minutes. You don’t have to squeeze your action into one minute or five, but can cre
ate a bespoke length, developing an appropriate pace and rhythm over an unspecified period. This means you can explore topics or events that would seldom sustain a feature-length film or follow more common structures; and this is something that you should try and use to your advantage.
When choosing a subject, try and think about a topic that lends itself to both the medium of film and the duration of a short. For instance, unlike a feature, you often don’t have much time to develop plots or characters. Trying to compress a significant amount of either can thus prove both futile and impossible. Shorts that attempt to shoehorn too much material can seem chaotic and leave an audience confused. Faced with a blank page, it’s tempting to work with an abundance of ideas, but it’s important as your film develops to eliminate anything extraneous and really focus in on what it is you’re trying to say.
TIME
The experience of watching a film is designed to be deceptive: the audience should remain unaware of the effort that goes into a production, which makes it easy to forget just how much time and energy is really involved.
You therefore need to consider not just how much time you can devote to the project, but also how much you can expect other people to give. The film will be a passion for you and hopefully this enthusiasm will be infectious enough to attract people to the project, but you have to be realistic about their commitments, particularly in terms of your budget.
DON’T LET YOUR IDEAS GO TO WASTE
Given the chance, most filmmakers would of course welcome a large budget, professional crew and talented cast, but only a few are ever given access to all these components; and the chances are they didn’t start out with them.
Your ideal story may be set on an alien space station or in the 16th century, but rather than shelve these ideas until a big budget materialises, knowing your limitations can actually help you turn your ideas into films. Try and locate what it is about these particular topics/situations that interests you, and then devise more unusual ways in which you can make them work within other, more feasible contexts.
Many successful short films are created from the most basic premise, and the simplest of ideas can be turned into extremely complex films; complex as a viewing experience doesn’t necessarily mean complex to make.
Short Films Page 1