Thoughts on short films

F

Fdprod

Hey gang,

I have been pondering lately about my different short film scripts as a viable way to get noticed professionally and how marketable they could be.

Here's the issue, I don't fancy myself a writer. I like what I write, such as the ideas and action/visuals, but I would much rather direct and collaborate with a writer to formulate and flesh out ideas. That being said, I have several, at least a dozen, short film scripts that I have written over the years. Had I the money, I would shoot each one, but then what would be the end game? I know there is really no market for short films in able to pay back investors, or even make enough money to validate purchasing all the gear needed.

I have written, produced, and directed many short films and at best they have gotten me editing work. I can tell that my directing craft has gotten far better with each short, but how viable is that to move up to the bigger leagues? I have even won awards for Best Short Film at a couple tests with a couple different films. My end goal is to be a feature film director, though.

I would love to direct a simple feature film and market myself that way, and I have met many writers who want to work with me, yet it comes down to the money game at that point. So, I am back at making short films to at least continue honing in on my craft.

Here have been my ideas -

- Talk all my short film scripts and turn them into a fun anthology feature

- Shoot the short films and travel the festival circuit (expensive with no solid backers)

- Shoot short films and try to get a stronger following on YouTube

- Write a feature film and try hitting up investors

So, what are your thoughts on short films? Should I try to focus on something bigger? Or work with what I got?

Discuss...
 
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Fdprod said:
Here have been my ideas -

- Talk all my short film scripts and turn them into a fun anthology feature

- Shoot the short films and travel the festival circuit (expensive with no solid backers)

- Shoot short films and try to get a stronger following on YouTube

- Write a feature film and try hitting up investors

So, what are your thoughts on short films? Should I try to focus on something bigger? Or work with what I got?
Click to expand...
I see no reason not to do all of these ideas.

Shoot a couple of your best shorts and enter festivals. As you do that
work on the fun anthology feature. Shoot a couple of shorts for YouTube
and as you do all of that you can write a feature, finish it, polish it, do
a budget and schedule and hit up investors.

The feature idea will take several months and by the time you have a
great, finished feature script you will have several great finished short
films, a bigger YouTube following and even a few festival screening -
maybe even a fun anthology feature. All of that will help when hitting
up investors for the feature.

Quite a challenge.
 
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I do have all of my short films on youtube. The are mainly horror based. Right now, that's the best way for me to display them. Here's the link to my Short Film playlist

Short films on YouTube

I have been wanting to do a feature for a few years now, and have one completed script with a few others written out just as concept ideas.

I've always been drawn to doing an anthology.
 
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Fdprod said:
I have been wanting to do a feature for a few years now, and have one completed script with a few others written out just as concept ideas.

I've always been drawn to doing an anthology.
Click to expand...
So what's holding you back?

You have one completed script - you could be hitting up investors.
You have wanted to do an anthology - you could be working on that.
 
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directorik said:
So what's holding you back?

You have one completed script - you could be hitting up investors.
You have wanted to do an anthology - you could be working on that.
Click to expand...

Oh nothing has held me back at all outside of getting the money we need.

I have been hitting up investors for the past several years. Nothing has really moved forward on that on, so we are re-evaluating the script and project, yet not letting that hold us back from future projects.

This post is more about the several short film scripts that I have. I would hate for them to not be filmed, because I really enjoy them and would love to make them. However, since money can't really be made on a bunch of short films, and no proven way inn making money back on them, what would be the best plan of action? That's where I got the idea for the anthology piece.

This is why I came to you guys, to see your opinions about what to do with my short film scripts.
 
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Fdprod said:
Oh nothing has held me back at all outside of getting the money we need.

I have been hitting up investors for the past several years. Nothing has really moved forward on that
Click to expand...

If you're sure your script & business plan are solid (like... for real), maybe you need someone else to do the pitching/moneyraising for you? Not everyone's a salesman, just sayin'. :)

.
 
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Zensteve said:
If you're sure your script & business plan are solid (like... for real), maybe you need someone else to do the pitching/moneyraising for you? Not everyone's a salesman, just sayin'. :)

.
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I am all for that. I am indeed no salesman, haha. I've tried crowdsourcing unsuccessfully a couple times. I'm not letting that one feature hold me back, though. We are going though a rewrite stage and working with some producer friends of mine to make it happen.

That doesn't really help about the short films question, though.
 
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I was thinking the same thing as Directorik suggested and in this way you will be getting more of your projects out there with your name attached to them.

Have you looked at fund raising sites like Indiegogo or Kickstarter (there's probably more, these are the only two I know of)? It may be another avenue at least for you to try.

The only other thing I can think of to suggest is...keep moving forward and don't stop :)
 
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Fdprod said:
This post is more about the several short film scripts that I have. I would hate for them to not be filmed, because I really enjoy them and would love to make them. .
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I apologize. Your original post included ideas about your features
so I answered all of them. I didn't know (until now) that your post
is more about the several short film scripts that you have.

If you would hate for them not to be filmed I think you should film
them.
 
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Use the shorts as a testing ground. Not only will they allow you to push your limits of creativity, but also your technological capabilities. With that in mind, shorts are also a great way to hone your storytelling skills, which there is no such thing as being "too good" in that respect. Another added bonus is that shorts are a nice thing to include when pitching your work for bigger jobs. They can be the meat of a resume, and since they are "short" in terms of run time, clients and even investors can view them like a reel in a sense, and get a feel of your work.
 
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With all the new online tools (crowd funding, VOD platforms etc.) it's still a challenge to get a short or feature film noticed. And short films are the only format that cld be use to hone skills and brand a filmmaker. The most important thing nowadays is fans, without a decent numbers it's hard to market your films. And it needs time to build a following.

As for feature project, one can engage a few close-passionate friends, crew & actors to commit and shoot it on & off over the weekends or available days like Nolan's Follow and Edward Burn's The Brothers McMullen.

It's a tough and challenging process, but one really wants to do it with no investors it may be the only way.

BTW FDProd your short films production quality are really good.
 
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