Short or Feature Length decision.

dsd_uk · Jul 20, 2011

Hello,
In recent times I have finished a script, they are essentially four shorts roughly 20 minutes a piece all loosely based around a similar theme, I have no friends, agents or representatives so plan to put them/it onto ‘Inktip’ to see if I gather any interest, but basically what I am wondering is should I mould the shorts together and promote it as one feature length script, or go the freebie route and place each short up as an individual entity? This could perhaps be a case of only I can answer this question, but if anyone has been in a similar ball park then I’d be interested in hearing your approach.
Cheers.
Dan.

Murdock · Jul 20, 2011

Its not a unheard of aproach. The Twilight Zone, Creap Show, and some others have done this. Or you could try and make each individualy may be easier to raise the funds???

Urlevich · Jul 20, 2011

Anthology films are a tough sell, unless it is one story connected in your four parts. I would suggest selling them from the ground up. Pick some film festivals, low key talent agencies, submit them and start getting your name out.

harmonica44 · Jul 20, 2011

Yeah anthologies can be a tough sell. But perhaps critics at festivals might think it works depending on the subject matter on the anthologies and if they work well together? Any input on what they are about or anything?

dsd_uk · Jul 20, 2011

To be honest any material from me is going to prove a hard sell if it involves me having to communicate and pitch my works, especially in a face to face scenario as my comm skills have always been quite marred. That’s why I was probably just going to opt for the approach of sticking it up online somewhere in a place like Inktip to see if it tickles anybodies fancy. The theme is WWII related, 4 different stories set in 4 different seasons evolving around a series of forests that are supernaturally linked across Europe. All represented in a different narrative and style to of course to try and entail some form of originality....naturally! Reading that back it seems like an altogether terrible synopsis, but I have faith in what lies within. I think we have to right?
So what’s the deal generally with people that can sell their wares? Walk around a film festival with a fistful of script and throw it into the faces of randoms in hope that they will take the bait?

harmonica44 · Jul 20, 2011

This sounds like a good idea, depending on what you do for each short of course. If I may make a suggestion perhaps you can have other places besides Europe only, since WWII was fought in Asia, North Africa and the Pacific as well.

dsd_uk · Jul 20, 2011

Well that would certainly spice things up a bit, but I wrote in a way whereby I was bearing in mind location and budget, if I was to take the bull bull by the horns and film this badboy myself then I already have locations scouted out within my local area as to where I would film and taking into account the realism of more than likely having a very limited budget. I know the forests round my parts like the back of my hands, so a bit of inspiration has also been derived from them I would say. But obviously the yarn doesnt have to end here, if my script was to ever gain any attention then yes broading the horizons much further a field would definately make for a good idea.

harmonica44 · Jul 21, 2011

For sure. Good luck.

cameronchapman · Jul 21, 2011

dsd_uk said:
To be honest any material from me is going to prove a hard sell if it involves me having to communicate and pitch my works, especially in a face to face scenario as my comm skills have always been quite marred. That’s why I was probably just going to opt for the approach of sticking it up online somewhere in a place like Inktip to see if it tickles anybodies fancy. The theme is WWII related, 4 different stories set in 4 different seasons evolving around a series of forests that are supernaturally linked across Europe. All represented in a different narrative and style to of course to try and entail some form of originality....naturally! Reading that back it seems like an altogether terrible synopsis, but I have faith in what lies within. I think we have to right?
So what’s the deal generally with people that can sell their wares? Walk around a film festival with a fistful of script and throw it into the faces of randoms in hope that they will take the bait?

Based on the above, have you thought about doing a web series with it? It sounds like it would be well-suited to that format, especially with 20 minute episodes. You could even split up each short into two episodes. Look at what Felicia Day has done with The Guild for ideas of what's possible (it's now her full time job and all of her cast and crew are paid, so it's turned into a really great project for her).

dsd_uk · Jul 21, 2011

That could possibly be a worthwhile prospect, although I have got another project in the pipeline comprising of a 6 part series of 10 minute shorts that I've been working on, of which is slowly getting filmed by me and my one single friend, and upon its completion would be looking at releasing it via the web. Which I should ideally be prioritising but as progress is so slow I can't help but look at getting other written works out there, ones that I don't have to make myself, as I'll never get around to filming half the stuff I've written over the years. Just got to keep plugging away I guess and let fate decide the future of my writings.