"Amateur" Filmmakers making feature films

I can't speak for other filmmakers, but I can tell you why I decided to direct a feature film without even a single short on my resume.

The biggest reason was money. Two years ago I was laid off from a well-paying job where I was able to save a pretty decent chunk of money. I knew it would only dwindle over time if I didn't use it immediately, and since I had all this free time, it was the perfect opportunity to make a movie. I reasoned that I may never get this much money again so if I were to spend it all on a short film, the best that could happen is I have a portfolio piece that could MAYBE lead to me getting funding for a feature, but not likely.

So the other option? Go big and make a feature film. Use every cent of the money, use every resource, every favor, every friend, every location, every ounce of energy I had left to make a piece of cinema that could stand on its own, get into festivals, have a chance at getting picked up for distribution, but at the very least could be self-distributed to make my money back. And even if I release it myself on the internet and it barely breaks even, I have at least began a career in filmmaking and I am no longer an amateur. I did something that most filmmakers only talk about, and I gave it everything I had.

Would I recommend this route for every first-time filmmaker? Definitely not. I had to spend time in the industry, time researching the craft, time watching and learning from others' mistakes and successes before I was ready. I worked on sets as an extra, I held boom poles, I edited music videos, I actively seeked out an understanding for every aspect and every department of filmmaking. Only then was I confident enough that I could direct and produce a feature film that people were going to want to watch. And even then I was taking a leap.

Did it all pay off? I'll find out in these next couple of months.

SplinterX said:

Now, my question is: If you´re an amateur, isn´t much easier to market a short film than a feature?

I mean, who´s gonna watch a low budget feature by a unknown director?

I've watched hundreds of low/no budget shorts, but not features.

Click to expand...

I'm no expert, but lets delve a little deeper anyway..

How many of those short films did you pay to see?
Whats the most money made by a short, ever?
How much money did the blaire witch project make?

sfoster said:

I'm no expert, but lets delve a little deeper anyway..

How many of those short films did you pay to see?
Whats the most money made by a short, ever?
How much money did the blaire witch project make?

Click to expand...

It´s not even so much the money you can make with it. I know almost nobody makes money out of short films. But at least they can get people to know their work easier than with feature films. If i make a 5 minute short, and if it´s good, there´s a chance thousands and thousands will see it. If i make a feature, who´s gonna see it? Who´s gonna give up 90 minutes of their time to see it, other than family and friends?

And yeah, Blair Witch Project made money and was viewed by millions. I never said there wasn´t exceptions. I only asked, because i´m genuinely curious. And let´s not forget the Blair Witch is one movie in many, many, many thousands.

It just seems to me that, if you´re an amateur and don´t have much money, it´s better to invest in shorts. Not that you will receive financial return from them, but your chances of getting noticed would probably be way bigger.

Have you ever made a short? If yes, i will watch it right now. If i like it, i will show it to my friends. A feature i wouldn´t watch. And i know most people also wouldn´t. That´s my point.

blaire witch is definitely an exception for features, which is why i prefaced that by asking the most money made by a short, ever.

It depends on what you're after, but I would say a feature has some chance to make money whereas a short has basically no chance to make money. The only point that I see for shorts is to either prove you have the talent, or to develop that talent, and then seek funding for a feature.

Features are always the end game for anyone that wants to do this for a living. But I agree some people jump into features way too fast.. I won't be ready to attempt a feature for at least another year or two.

The only short I have online right now didn't involve any filming, I remixed existing footage from david attenborough. But I'm proud of it (aside from the fact that I should have cut out the intro credits/explanation in the first 20 seconds and jumped right into the action)

http://vimeo.com/66193779

I'll speak from my own personal experience, as I'm currently making my first feature film as well (check it out here, and help us out if you're feeling generous! - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jasmerrin/sleepwalkers-feature-film)

I certainly wouldn't recommend making a feature film to someone with absolutely no filmmaking experience. I've been making zero budget shorts for years and years, using my own personal equipment, friends as actors, and music I don't necessarily own (oops). That was a great way to cut my teeth and really learn the trade. But when it came time to invest in something that I could really hang my hat on, something that would act as my calling card, I knew I wanted to do a feature film. Here are all the reasons why:

1. It gives you an opportunity to stand out. You mentioned you've seen a lot of amateurs doing feature films, but there are SO many more putting out short films. These days it takes a miracle to gain any traction on sites like Vimeo or YouTube, because there is so much content coming out all the time. And if you notice, most videos that get sent around aren't narratives. There are far fewer people who actually commit to making a feature film, and far fewer than that who manage to pull it off. Finishing a feature film is an accomplishment in its own right. People might not watch your feature, but they'll be impressed that you managed to get it done. And if you manage to get it in any festivals, that's a huge step forward in terms of your career and credibility.

2. It's a learning experience. I have almost 80+ shorts of all kinds (music videos, narrative, documentary, animation) on my YouTube page, and nothing I've ever done prepared me for making a feature film. We shot with a crew of about 10, a main cast of about 6, a budget of about $15,000 and a timespan of about 3 weeks, and as small a production as we were the scale was like nothing I could have anticipated. I feel like I learned as much on that three week shoot as I had in five years of making shorts. If I hadn't had those five years of shorts, the production would have completely bowled me over, so again - I recommend shorts first (even just rough, shoddy, experimental work).

3. It's a challenge. Okay, maybe this is sort of the same as #2, but every time I go to see a feature I think to myself "man, I wish I could do that." So this was an opportunity for me to put my money where my mouth is and try to actually accomplish something monumental.

4. Shorts and features are different beasts. I'd say a feature gives you more room to play. This one is really big, which is why I saved it for last. It's really hard to reinvent the wheel in the short format, especially if what you're interested in is narrative structure and well rounded characters. There's so little time to really develop and flesh out that you need to make hard choices. You wind up having to cut things, or hinge on a gimmick. The short film District 9 had no characters - it was all premise and world building. The wonderful short Mama was based on hinged on a gimmick, the whole short film being in one shot. And many other short films forgo high concepts and complicated narratives in favor of just spending a lot of time with one character and getting to know him/her really well. The idea being, there's not really an opportunity to flex all of your muscles as a storyteller. I think there's a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of those limitations in short film to really craft something special, but it changes your approach completely. Most of my feature scripts are really wordy and dialogue heavy... Most of my short films are silent (well, dialogue free anyway). All my work tends to be pretty high concept. But if I'm going to make a calling card that shows people what kind of a feature I would make if given the chance, I'd like that to be an actual feature.

Anyway, I hope I answered the question clearly. Long story short: I'd say practice by making cheap short films, but if you're blowing all your money on one production to try and break in (which is what I did) and you really want to make a feature, I'd say go for it. It will be much harder, but if you succeed you will learn more and shine more brightly.

And again, if you want to check out my movie (currently in post production) and decide for yourself if my investment will pay off, check out our Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jasmerrin/sleepwalkers-feature-film

SplinterX said:

It just seems to me that, if you´re an amateur and don´t have much money, it´s better to invest in shorts. Not that you will receive financial return from them, but your chances of getting noticed would probably be way bigger.

Have you ever made a short? If yes, i will watch it right now. If i like it, i will show it to my friends. A feature i wouldn´t watch. And i know most people also wouldn´t. That´s my point.

Click to expand...

I see where you're coming from, and mostly agree, but here's where I disagree:

A good film is a good film and a bad film is a bad film no matter how long it is. If I start watching a feature film and the first few minutes are awful, I'll turn it off. Same thing with a short film after first few minutes. I haven't wasted any more or less time because of how long the runtime is.

Also, I usually feel more satisfied after a good feature than I do after a good short.

jasmerrin said:

I'll speak from my own personal experience, as I'm currently making my first feature film as well (check it out here, and help us out if you're feeling generous! - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jasmerrin/sleepwalkers-feature-film)

I certainly wouldn't recommend making a feature film to someone with absolutely no filmmaking experience. I've been making zero budget shorts for years and years, using my own personal equipment, friends as actors, and music I don't necessarily own (oops). That was a great way to cut my teeth and really learn the trade. But when it came time to invest in something that I could really hang my hat on, something that would act as my calling card, I knew I wanted to do a feature film. Here are all the reasons why:

1. It gives you an opportunity to stand out. You mentioned you've seen a lot of amateurs doing feature films, but there are SO many more putting out short films. These days it takes a miracle to gain any traction on sites like Vimeo or YouTube, because there is so much content coming out all the time. And if you notice, most videos that get sent around aren't narratives. There are far fewer people who actually commit to making a feature film, and far fewer than that who manage to pull it off. Finishing a feature film is an accomplishment in its own right. People might not watch your feature, but they'll be impressed that you managed to get it done. And if you manage to get it in any festivals, that's a huge step forward in terms of your career and credibility.

2. It's a learning experience. I have almost 80+ shorts of all kinds (music videos, narrative, documentary, animation) on my YouTube page, and nothing I've ever done prepared me for making a feature film. We shot with a crew of about 10, a main cast of about 6, a budget of about $15,000 and a timespan of about 3 weeks, and as small a production as we were the scale was like nothing I could have anticipated. I feel like I learned as much on that three week shoot as I had in five years of making shorts. If I hadn't had those five years of shorts, the production would have completely bowled me over, so again - I recommend shorts first (even just rough, shoddy, experimental work).

3. It's a challenge. Okay, maybe this is sort of the same as #2, but every time I go to see a feature I think to myself "man, I wish I could do that." So this was an opportunity for me to put my money where my mouth is and try to actually accomplish something monumental.

4. Shorts and features are different beasts. I'd say a feature gives you more room to play. This one is really big, which is why I saved it for last. It's really hard to reinvent the wheel in the short format, especially if what you're interested in is narrative structure and well rounded characters. There's so little time to really develop and flesh out that you need to make hard choices. You wind up having to cut things, or hinge on a gimmick. The short film District 9 had no characters - it was all premise and world building. The wonderful short Mama was based on hinged on a gimmick, the whole short film being in one shot. And many other short films forgo high concepts and complicated narratives in favor of just spending a lot of time with one character and getting to know him/her really well. The idea being, there's not really an opportunity to flex all of your muscles as a storyteller. I think there's a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of those limitations in short film to really craft something special, but it changes your approach completely. Most of my feature scripts are really wordy and dialogue heavy... Most of my short films are silent (well, dialogue free anyway). All my work tends to be pretty high concept. But if I'm going to make a calling card that shows people what kind of a feature I would make if given the chance, I'd like that to be an actual feature.

Anyway, I hope I answered the question clearly. Long story short: I'd say practice by making cheap short films, but if you're blowing all your money on one production to try and break in (which is what I did) and you really want to make a feature, I'd say go for it. It will be much harder, but if you succeed you will learn more and shine more brightly.

And again, if you want to check out my movie (currently in post production) and decide for yourself if my investment will pay off, check out our Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jasmerrin/sleepwalkers-feature-film

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Thanks for sharing this, I just watched your trailer. I know you didn't ask for my advice, but I think you should really think about changing the title of your film...

There's a feature film called Sleepwalkers already coming out next year by an indie filmmaker whose article on how he did it has been widely shared on film blogs: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3266324/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Also, Sundance recently announced a film in their 2014 lineup called The Sleepwalker: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2723576/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

Not to mention the 7 other features/shorts/series variations of Sleepwalker/Sleepwalkers listed on IMDb over the past years.

I know it feels unthinkable to have to change the name of your film this late in the game (I had to do it during production) but just a suggestion if you want your film to stand out.

@SplinterX:

Personally I would rather create a multitude of short films to increase skills and learn before making a feature. It's not only about learning how to operate a camera, lighting equipment, sound equipment or things of that nature. It's also about learning how to deal with actors (if you're a Director and even if you're not), how to adapt when something previously set in place falls apart and you need to make an on the spot decision to get the production back on track, how to make the most out of the time you have for filming each day/night so you can stay on schedule.

There's all these other aspects to learn that if you're on a feature length production as your first show and you don't know how to deal with, or at least communicate with the relevant department to solve problems that may arise you may find yourself feeling embarrassed because you don't know what to do to get everything back on track.

It may help an unknown to have a short for potential viewers of their feature to see so they can determine if the filmmaker can craft something that is entertaining and engaging. I think some people may be more confident or willing to take time out of their day to watch a feature by a new filmmaker if they can trust they are giving their time over to a film that will be worth it. Many people have busy lives and they are very selective with how they spend their free time and so they may prefer to see short films because they can view them in bursts, whereas with a feature they have to decide whether giving up 90+ minutes of their free time is worth it. They may not like the film anyway but at least if they have some idea of whether the movie may be worth watching you have a better chance of successfully entertaining them.

Personally I can be very selective about the run-time of a feature film, even made by professionals. Sometimes I will look at a movie and think, "I wouldn't mind watching this movie, it's a great film but it's 138 mins so I will go with this other movie because it's 115 mins and that's all I feel I can spend watching a movie".

In terms of people being drawn in by a movie, with a feature you at least have a bit more time to grab an audience member's attention because some viewers understand that there's some movies that need a bit of time to establish things before it kicks into high gear. Whereas with a short, even if it's only 5 mins in length, you almost have to grab a viewer's attention within the first 30 to 60 seconds!

Everyone starts somewhere. To name a few examples, what do Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, JJ Abrams and Sam Raimi have in common? They all started making short movies of some form or another which was part of their early training grounds. A current example of this too is James Rolfe, an Independent filmmaker who created the Angry Video Game Nerd character and is currently in post-production of his first feature length movie - The Angry Video Game Nerd.

Even before creating the Angry Video Game Nerd he already had made more than 20 short films and then afterwards he went on to make over 200 and counting! So he has a very lengthy filmography made up of short films, music videos, video game reviews, documentaries and more, and all this before making his first feature film.

He has a solid fan base that was formed because a) fans of classic video games were drawn to the character of the AVGN because of nostalgia for those games and they have followed him ever since, b) some of those fans who were drawn in by the AVGN have become interested in James Rolfe's other work and follow that side of his career, c) people who were first interested in his short films have become followers of the AVGN and d) people who enjoy his shorts have kept watching them.

So for aspiring filmmakers of all descriptions just get out there and do because, as one of Devo's songs is titled "Later is Now", so instead of making films later go make them now.

RE: Blair Witch Project:

What really helped this film was the fact that in 1999 the internet wasn't a huge thing yet so when they did all their online promotions for the film, having made people really think it was true, they had a phenomenon on their hands and helped put a new genre in a place of prominence - the found footage genre. But the thing is that now movies of this genre cannot just pretend that the footage is actual found footage to garner curiosity. The main thing they have to accomplish now is making people forget while watching that the film is made to look like the footage is actual found footage. If you can accomplish that with a found footage movie then it will be a success. It has already been a thing for decades that if a film of any kind can grab your attention and make you forget you're watching a movie then it is successful so the same is for found footage.

An example of this being achieved for me as a viewer was with The Last Exorcism. I knew going in it was found footage style but because the acting was very believable I forgot that and became engrossed in the story.

@jasmerrin:

The concept for your film is unique and interesting. I cracked up at the rewards section on your Kickstarter page. The Sleepwalkers film coming out next year is classified as an action/horror. The Sleepwalker is a drama. I think that calling your film Sleepwalkers is still a good title to go with. But if you are worried about having a similar title then add a tag-line that describes what type of movie yours is to set it apart.

It really depends on what you want to achieve.

In my opinion:

Shorts and features both have a festival market. The difference is, a feature is more likely to be picked up for some sort of distribution. Both can make a filmmaker's career.

A great short is an awesome business card, and a great way to create profile for yourself. Even if you only release your shorts online, people can/will get to know you and you can potentially start to create a career for yourself.
Shorts are also exhibited at festivals, and again, at the right festivals with the right people, if the short's good enough, you can also make a name for yourself.

Features are higher risk, but potentially higher monetary reward. If you're looking to make money from a filmmaking endeavour (as opposed to simply attempting to make some kind of name or reputation for yourself), a feature is really the only potential way of making some money back on your investment.

I would suggest not creating a feature until you've made a few shorts, crewed on other films and learnt about the filmmaking process.

The reality is a lot of independent films (some might even say a vast majority) are mediocre. But, they still have greater distribution, and therefore monetary gain, options than even the best short film. Even average indie features can find some distribution model that will net them some sort of return on investment.

I like the example of James Wan, the Director of the original Saw, who has now Directed Insidious, The Conjuring, and is currently Directing Fast and Furious 7.
He co-wrote and co-directed an independent horror feature named Stygian. It did very little. It was the short he Directed and co-wrote with Leigh Whanell that got him/them noticed, started Saw and kickstarted his career.

SplinterX said:

Now, my question is: If you´re an amateur, isn´t much easier to market a short film than a feature?

Click to expand...

In some ways, yes. But some filmmakers aren't making projects because
one is easier than another. Some stories just need to be feature length.
Some filmmakers like the challenge of doing something harder. And many
filmmakers who make features have already made several short films so
it becomes time to move on.

SplinterX said:

I mean, who´s gonna watch a low budget feature by a unknown director? A short is actually easy to promote and get people to watch it, since most of the time it is just 5 or 10 minutes. And plus, it can cost a lot less money to produce.

Click to expand...

You may be right. A short takes less money to produce and might be easier
to promote but in general people do not watch short films.

SplinterX said:

I´ve watched hundreds of low/no budget shorts,
but not features. And i can say the same for everyone i know. And i´m not
talking about movies who actually end up in theaters.

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You're one of the only people who has every said that. Everyone you know
watches short films? That's amazing. I rarely meet anyone (even filmmakers)
who watch short films. People will post their shorts here for comment and
get, maybe, five or ten views and comments. Maybe that.

SplinterX said:

You can show your feature on festivals, and if it wins a big one, it might get some attention. But otherwise, who´s gonna watch it? Who´s gonna buy it?

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Well, the is a market for low budget features. Distributors do buy them.
People do buy them. I know of no one who buys short films. Everyone
you know watches short films. None of them buy short films. Okay, you
don't know anyone who would watch or buy an independent feature. But
many people do.

As a filmmaker there is at least the possibility that a feature can find a
paying audience. There is almost no possibility that a short can. So many
filmmaker try.

Moonshieldmedia and Phantom Screenwriter: Thank you both for the advice! As you might expect, my production team and I were disappointed to see another movie with the same name coming out right before our movie. But we haven't been able to think of a better title for it. I'm probably too close at this point... "Sleepwalkers" has been the title since I wrote the first draft almost 4 years ago. So unless I can think of anything better, I might go the "interesting tagline" route. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

You're one of the only people who has every said that. Everyone you know
watches short films? That's amazing. I rarely meet anyone (even filmmakers)
who watch short films. People will post their shorts here for comment and
get, maybe, five or ten views and comments. Maybe that.

Click to expand...

Sure. They don´t go out of their way to search for short films. But if they come across one in a particular website, or if someone suggests one to them, they´ll watch it. A couple of days ago i showed all my friends the short "Suckablood" and they all loved it. I can honestly tell you that every one i know has watched amateur short films. But i don´t really think they´ve watched a feature.

As i said, my point is simply that it´s easier to get people to watch a short than a feature. And even if most likely i´m not gonna make money from any of these two options, at least i´d like people to watch it. And i don´t mean just my family.

I´ve watched a lot of shorts from members of this site, but never watched a feature. Maybe one day. And i´d bet my house that if i uploaded a short to the internet and a feature, and promoted them in the same way, i would probably get 50 times more people to watch the short. It´s a short. It´s like watching a sketch or a kitty clip. It doesn´t take much of anyone´s time.

Eventually anyone who wants to become a filmmaker should try to make a feature film. But that takes a lot of resources, and if you don´t have resources, you will most likely end up producing something that looks very amateurish. Even if the feature looks visually OK, most of the time is just painful to watch the acting. That´s why i´m looking to make a short with little to no dialogue. To find a decent actor is just a pain in the ass.

SplinterX said:

I can honestly tell you that every one i know has watched amateur short films. But i don´t really think they´ve watched a feature.

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if there is a feature online for free, i do agree that the perception is that something is wrong with it. That's because features are much more likely to make money. If it's a good feature why isn't it selling?

that perception doesn't exist for short films, but profit doesn't exist for short films either.
if all you care about is trying to get 1,000 youtube views, then yes you're better off making a short. but then again you're better off not even having a narrative structure or telling a story. if all you want are views then film a cat playing with a baby or something

that perception doesn't exist for short films, but profit doesn't exist for short films either.
if all you care about is trying to get 1,000 youtube views, then yes you're better off making a short. but then again you're better off not even having a narrative structure or telling a story. if all you want are views then film a cat playing with a baby or something

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It´s not about having X Youtube videos. It´s about having people actually noticing my work. That´s the most important thing in the beginning. To make money is cool, but also a little bit delusional at this stage. Maybe i´m just a realistic guy. I don´t know.

A while ago a guy in my country made a short film. He had A LOT of views and eventually a national TV station aired the short. Due to his short works, he now works for a national tv and film producer. This is a good example of how getting people to simply notice you can be very good. And he is not the only case that i know of. Obviously, he is an exception. But he didn´t make the short thinking about selling it, because that usually never happens. But this shows how a good work viewed by many people can eventually pay off.

In this day and age, you´re better off approaching this film thing as an hobby. At least that´s what i plan to do. Play around a little bit, trying to do a good job, but always without dreaming too much.

If i make a feature, the risk will be much bigger, it will cost more, less people will watch it and the chances of become "viral" are much, much, much lower. What am i gonna do with a feature? Try to sell DVDs? Big ass produtions sometimes don´t even sell their DVDs, let alone a cheap Indie film made by a lunatic in his pajamas, covered with chocolate stains.

This is just my opinion. I think people gotta pursue what they think is best for them. It´s a little bit like gambling.

Another thing that´s interesting to me is that some people actually have money, but don´t invest it trying to create something meaningful. Just look at all those half million dollar slashers and zombie movies popping up every year. They look like shit. I mean...you have 500.000 dollars and you´re gonna make Friday The 13th all over again? Bad move.

SplinterX said:

As i said, my point is simply that it´s easier to get people to watch a short than a feature. And even if most likely i´m not gonna make money from any of these two options, at least i´d like people to watch it. And i don´t mean just my family.

Click to expand...

So you want to make short films. Great! Make short films. It's easier
and cheaper. I look forward to seeing your first one.

SplinterX said:

I´ve watched a lot of shorts from members of this site,

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What short films have you watched from members of this site? Which
ones did you recommend to your friends? Any that stand out to you?

You've never left any comments on any short film you've watched
from members of this site.

SplinterX said:

Even if the feature looks visually OK, most of the time is just painful to watch the acting.

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Of course since you and your friends never watch features then you
really can't say with any experience that most of the time it's just
painful to watch the acting. Perhaps if you watch some feature films
you would find many really great ones with excellent acting.

When are you going to make your first short film?

Splinter I am discussing this topic with you, but I share your game plan. Personally I think someone jumping into a feature without working on shorts first is grandiose and unrealistic thinking. I too would like to make shorts first.

In fact I have a couple of really fantastic ideas for shorts, but I won't even touch THOSE yet, much less a feature length. My storytelling abilities simply aren't at a level that I have confidence to do those narratives justice. I filmed my first short, which is in post production limbo but man i made some mistakes and i learned from it. On to the next one.

What short films have you watched from members of this site? Which
ones did you recommend to your friends? Any that stand out to you?

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I´ve watched lots of them. Very few stand out, to be honest. Though i enjoyed a lot the one about the Army with the head removal. Can´t remember the name. Maybe you can.

The last two movies i´ve recomended to my friends were 3 AM and Suckablood. Can´t remember if i came across them in this site or in another.

You've never left any comments on any short film you've watched
from members of this site.

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Yeah, i don´t participate that much. Sometimes i spend months without logging in. But i still watch them. Better than nothing.

Of course since you and your friends never watch features then you
really can't say with any experience that most of the time it's just
painful to watch the acting. Perhaps if you watch some feature films
you would find many really great ones with excellent acting.

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You sound a little bit defensive. If i came across as offensive or something like that, i apologize. But, just out of curiosity, you don´t agree with me? You think the acting in amateur features is actually good, most of the time?

You´re right. I don´t watch them. But i watch trailers. If the acting in the trailers sounds awful, i doubt that in the movie it changes at all.

I´m sorry, but to found a decent actor is just a pain in the ass, unless you have a lot of money to pay. I don´t wanna sound like an asshole, but i can´t pretend that i like something that i actually don´t.

I´ve never seen nothing from you. But i know you´ve made some works. I just don´t pay much attention to names and titles when i watch something. Pheraps you could show me something.

When are you going to make your first short film?

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I´m trying to do it within 2 or 3 months. I´m still working on the script. The ideal would be to work on someone else´s script. But to find one doesn´t seem very easy.

It will be a low budget short. When you´re making something with little or no money, you have to deal with all sorts of obstacles. And i wanna make something i´m proud of, wich only makes everything even more difficult.

BTW, english isn´t my main lang, so if i sound weird, that´s why.

My friend who's feature I am acting also wanted to make a feature her first movie. The script started out as a short, but then got longer and longer, until feature length and she decided she wanted to it.

Perhaps it too was a money thing, and she new this was her one chance to make a whole movie, or nothing but shorts for the rest of her life perhaps. She also was able to get trying to start his own production company to back her up with all sorts of movie making equipment.

Shorts can get you noticed but so many people are making them that perhaps wanting to make a feature stands out more, which is why she was able to find a producer, and cast and crew. Compared to short films where not near as many people show interest where I live it seems.

Shorts equals small to a lot of people, where as features equal big. I also was able to get actors wanting to do a feature script of mine, far easier than trying to get actors to want to do a short myself. I said no, cause I wasn't ready to do a feature script so far, but my point is, is that features just seem to attract more people, and therefore you might be able to make a better more competent feature with a cast and crew, compared to the people that would show interest in shorts.

But that's just my experience from people in my community and do not know what a lot of others are like.

I think the main issue is that in the current film industry the first feature is a big test of whether or not you can make it. Unless you can pick up traction on your feature it can quite easily be seen as a fail. Plus the costs between making a feature and a short are massively different. Even getting a micro budget (lets say 50k) can be a stress and from what I have heard making a feature for even less than that can lead to being messed around by amateur editors/ crewmembers. Some films have never seen the light of day because an editor never properly finished the film.